The last of the road trip / week in breif

[ickaimp]

Travel summary! Double Speed! Go!



So from San Fran, we went to San Jose/Santa Clara and visited with poe_nui, who was an absolute doll, if a little exhausted. We got lost three times, as the google maps were backwards in their 'left' and 'right' directions.
Fortunately, we did find the Google headquarters during one of our lost times, and they have free wi-fi internetz around their buildings. It's the one labelled 'guest'. Also, they have buildings labelled π (building 3.14159) and e (building 2.71828) XD

Found our hotel, checked in, marvelled at how nice it was as neither of us slept well at the other place and planned for an early night. Might have happened if the guy next door hadn't been stinking drunk and was calling people on his mobile in the hallway that he was looking for some d*mn b*tches to f*ck.
... we barricaded the door. I finished TGZ, we went to sleep. 'Neechan says that he got back about 2am. I was asleep. ^^;;

And on the odd side, we finally got a hold of the person we'd been trying to reach for 2 weeks who lives in San Fran. *facepalm* Guess what? He lives a block away from the mall we were at in Little Tokyo. ~_~;;

Then! Winchester Mystery House!!! (I took 104 pics of the place. Deciding where to upload, flickr or picasaweb. Preferences?)
I want a house like that. Okay, yes, some of the architecture is bizarre and strange. (worlds smallest cupboard, stairs that go to the ceiling, etc)
But a great deal of it is so incredibly amazing and clever and ahead of it's time. Water recycling, rolling foundations, things in the corners of the stairs so dust doesn't collect, slightly tilted counters around the sink that water actually drains into the sink. (why can't modern architects figure this one out?) Not to mention the Tiffany stained glass. *Sparkly Eyes*

Didn't care much for the tourguide, the whole thing felt very rushed and he didn't seem to care for the house much.

Tourguide: There are four bathrooms and only one shower in the house! That Madame Winchester sure was crazy, wasn't she? Hurr hurr hurr.
Icka!: ... That's because showers were still a novelty and a luxury at the turn of the century when the place was built, dumbass.

-yeah. He pissed me off. Didn't actually say that, but I wish I had. >_<

Kinda messed up there, we figured we'd catch the shuttle from the hotel so we wouldn't have to pay for parking, only to discover after the tour that you didn't have to pay for parking anyway. *face palm*

Over all, I really liked the House. I didn't have a problem navigating in there, but a few people on the tour got mixed up and lost. The biggest thing to me was location. The grounds used to be over 100 acres, but now there's barely the garden, it's next to a giant shopping complex and a movie theatre. It was kind of hard to tune the city out, with the House being pressed in on all sides. Mrs. Winchester had left the grounds as a Park to the city, I wish more of it had remained as such.

Then it was up to Sacramento through the last-minute-shopping-traffic where I met 'Neechan's sister and three kids, who decided that my name is now 'SQUIDIE!'. Say it fast and high-pitched. We talked, had pizza, slept and woke up at midnight to head to Phoenix, hoping to get most of the driving done while the kids slept.
... packing the car at midnight, it was 37f/2c, I'm wearing short sleeves, no jacket and am completely comfortable. >_O Still have yet to figure that one out.

Made it to Phoenix before the kids melted down, massive yay. It was their first big roadtrip. ^___^
... and for some reason, they liked me. I think it's cause I'm new. But this did lead to a very tearful good-bye on Sunday, when the 4 year old wanted to know who was going to get them home this weekend if I wasn't there. This despite the fact that I didn't drive, just kept the driver awake. ^^;; Sweet kids overall, well behaved.

Which brings us up to Christmas, which was spent with the usual Tucson Tribe, watching Terry Prachett's Hogfather (which was a right hoot, Death in a Santa suit!) and the latest Doctor Who Christmas Special. Was not expecting Kylie Minogue to guest star and was slightly disappointed when no one in the room knew who she was. ;_; *woe* Still, good episode.

And I think that brings us to current! \o/ Whoo~!

Comments

[lil-1337.livejournal.com]

*coughs* I know who Kylie is I'm just not fond of her or her music. :P

[magicbulletgirl.livejournal.com]

*stares at buttons*

I hope they're mutually exclusive and not inclusive XDDD

*you break my brain*

I may get around to watching/reading hogfather - seems VERY interesting.

[nachtstar.livejournal.com]

*stares at buttons also* ....there should be the word tentacles on that button.

xD;;


and ooh~ Winchester Mystery House! :DDD (okay...so the only reason I know of it is because of Ghost Hunters but still!) :3

[elinor-dear.livejournal.com]

1. Must get to the Winchester House. Jealous!
2. Flickr! Flickr! Flickr! (One of us! One of us! One of us!)
3. I like Kylie Minogue...I used to own a movie that she was in: Bio-Dome! (don't ask)
4. Glad that you had a good time!

going to raid the winchester photos with a gun!!!

[sirah-fires.livejournal.com]

I KNOW you know that I live in a effing spooked out house... So yeah need to have as many frikken ideas from the spook house as possible!!!
How do I get in touch with you for purchasing a set?!?!

You know me, I da one with bribing possibilities!

Waves belated x-mas prezzie over head & waits for a tentacle to come
EAT ME!

Take care best fried &wish I'd had know you were going you would have ended up with free disposable comeras-- but, I'd be broke now so maybe that ot such a good thing...

[tdei.livejournal.com]

*^^* ::beams!::

Sounds like the trip was fun!! :D Glad! ::glomp::