(no subject)

I saw Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy on Sunday afternoon with sinbrat. ( Minor thoughts )

The previews were interesting: Sin City looks amazing, I want to see Batman Begins, Herbie: Fully Loaded isn't nearly as terrible-looking as I'd assumed, I might see War of the Worlds despite my apathy towards Tom Cruise, and Jane Fonda made me laugh in the the Monster-in-Law trailer.

Then we meandered over to the Novotel for post-HL con drinks with the slash crowd. Con gossip and news was heard, and it was great to sit around and chat and buy beautiful Theban Band artwork with them (calemiri, I bought something on your behalf, though it's not smutty just very very pretty *g*). Wish I could have stayed later, but I had work and then a test in the afternoon the next day. Hope everyone got/gets home safetly.

As I walked from the station to my car this evening, I was grizzling about how it's so much better to be coming home when it's a lot lighter, I miss daylight savings, grizzle moan. Then I looked up, and there were two little possums looking down at me from the cable overhead. Awww, the advantage of twilight. They're so cute when they're not tapdancing on the roof keeping me awake.

When I got to work after class today, I checked email and lj while I had lunch. The first post on my friendslist mentioned the wedding pictures, so I jumped to the bottom and started to scroll up looking for them. There were about 7 or 8 posts with them, 5 in a row from the first one (and more have popped up since). It brought tears to my eyes, and then post after identical post made me giggle with delight, earning odd looks from my co-workers.

I wasn't giggling later when I found out one of my bosses has cancer (last I heard her gall bladder problem was a bit more serious than stones, it was a blockage - found out when I was leaving this evening that they were operating today to remove the cancerous growth that was causing the blockage, and then they'll have an idea if its spread, they already know its not benign). She's a really nice person, fun, loves Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Not sure how old she is, maybe around 60 though she doesn't really look it, but she has granddaughters who are in their late teens.

Help?

I haven't babbled about my holiday in at least 48 hours, so here goes. I'm heading off to the US and Canada for a month in just over 6 weeks. Some of the time, I'll be on tours, but I do have days to myself between them in several places. I'm hoping to make use of your collective knowledge, as I seek recommendations (or anti-recs) about what I shouldn't miss while there. I have some things in mind, but once I start reading Lonely Planets and Frommers and Rough Guides, as I have been, I get overwhelmed by options. So help, please? And if you're going to be in these places when I am, I'd love to meet up if possible *g*.

Los Angeles - I didn't plan on really spending any time in LA originally, but as it's worked out, I have almost three days there (yay for free hotel accomodation with flights!). I'm staying downtown in the Kawada, I get to LA early on Friday 17th, and fly out to Las Vegas early on Monday. The only thing that's definitely on my must-do list so far is the Getty Centre. I'm not hugely interested in going to the amusement parks (especially not by myself), but there's many other things that are tempting me.

Las Vegas - I've got two to three days in Vegas. Most of Monday 19th, before the tour leaves Vegas on the Tuesday, then Tuesday 27th and some of Wednesday before I fly to Vancouver. So far my plans are mostly gawking at the casinos, and visiting the art gallery and outlet malls (shopping!) that iibnf recommended to me. Errr, the art gallery isn't at the mall, as far as I'm aware. But tell me about other things that I should do.

Vancouver - I don't really have any time here before the tour through the Rockies starts, but I have two days at the end, Sunday 10th and Monday 11th July. I believe I must wander through Gastown, and visit the Stanley Park (and possibly the aquarium), but I have time for many more things than that! *g*

Chicago - I arrive in the afternoon on Tuesday 12th, so I've got a bit of time that day, then all day Wednesday and maybe some of Thursday, depending on when people are starting to arrive for Challenge *g*. I'm not missing the Art Institute, but I'll definitely avoid the Sears tower if the queues really do take a couple of hours!

Its hard when it's just you planning something, when it was my sister and I going to Italy, at least we could narrow things down to stuff that sounded good to both of us (though we have similar tastes, so not an enormous help *g*).

And I just found out that classes next semester don't start on the Monday of the first week (what a silly assumption to make!), but not until Wednesday at least. Monday and Tuesday are for continuing enrolments, and I get back very early on the Tuesday, so I'll be able to enrol for myself (jetlag can't make the enrolement process much more tedious than it is) and not miss classes, which I'd just resigned myself too. So bonus for me!