Yeah, I’ve been rather bad at this. In my defense, I have a half-written post about my encounter with a trainee barber shop that has been sitting in my dropbox account for almost two weeks. One of these days, I will relate the struggle to come to terms with feeling extremely white and extremely European whilst also getting a hair cut. Heck, it’s probably as worthy as a Guardian Weekend column.

However, I thought you might like a little update. Firstly, I’ve started work. Secondly, I’m sitting in an airport waiting for a flight to California, where I’m likely to be working for the next month. I actually can’t tell you much more than that, due to NDAs, but I can say that it’s a little exciting. And also quite terrifying.

It’s also a bit of an end of an era, as when I come back to Durham, after missing Hallowe’en, the State Fair, and the Stars concert I bought tickets for back in June, I won’t be coming back to Maplewood. By then, Stacie and Thea will have completed the move to our new house, @314trinity. It’s an amazing house - huge rooms, a wonderful kitchen, record players all over the place, plus a ‘back yard’ straight out of The Secret Garden. We look forward to having you all come over and visit. Oh, and the basement is the size of the ground floor of your average British house.

Anyway, time to board. See you in LA.

(though, I have to come back to complain about this radio documentary being shown on the TV screens. I’ve been resisting the urge to start shouting at it - Tony Blackburn had more influence and style than these people, let alone John Peel)

…

I won’t say that I left my tickets behind in a airport toilet, or that I almost lost my phone as I entered the gate at Charlotte, because that’d just show how nervous I am, right? Yeah, so those never happened. Luckily, in the alternate universe where those events could possibly happen, they were discovered and resolved quickly, with the minimal of oh-my-god-what-have-have-I-done chest pounding. Yes.

Also, I’ve discovered that the hotel I’m staying at looks out onti the Pacific Coast Highway. I’m going to be a PCHer! For a month, anyway. And it wasn’t until I got the confirmation email showing that the hotel is paid through November 11th that I really got hit with the concept that I’m going to be here for quite a while. Time to research those public transport links when I get in, I think.

Highlight of the weekend, though? Being introduced by Brian, the owner of OnlyBurger to the server in his restaurant, telling her about our wedding that her catered. Yeah, OnlyBurger knows us on site. And gives out hugs. Did I mention that we’re awesome? You should totally hang out with us and gain reflected cool.