MA flew in on Thursday and got all checked into his hotel (after explaining to the concierge that he was not sharing a room with DK, he was her guest but he still wanted two queen sized beds, not one queen). Then on Saturday Jat picked him up at the hotel while DK rescued me from my house. We were running a wee bit late and DK insisted on calling to let Jat know what was keeping us (DK's brother hadn't refilled the tank of her car after borrowing it the night before and there was a spot of traffic on the highways). Now the problem: Jat never ever ever carries her cell phone. So we called MA's instead. Turns out Jat did have her cell phone with her (but we don't know the number so it didn't matter) so poor MA is holding Jat's phone when his rings on his belt and it's not even for him.
We met up at B&N and set off for San Francisco minus a stop or two 'cause MA (do any of you know how hard it's gonna be for me to type out everyone's handles after spending the last two days addressing them by their first names? gah) hadn't realized (despite numerous emails) that we were spending the night at Mikel's up in the city. Finally underway, SF didn't take that long to reach. We even went the scenic way. Relatively.
Mikel's directions were quite simple "go down this street. Turn left -- no noire, your other left -- onto the other street. If you go past yet another street you've gone to far. Then turn left -- noire! Other left! -- on yet another street... etc." and we made it without mishap. Unless you count the time -- *coughs* ahem, lets not mention that. We managed to sneak into the building (having only driven and walked around it twice) without being buzzed in and thus got to surprise Mikel at her door. This would have worked better if she were the least bit startled to see us suddenly appear at her door. I hate it when people don't act properly surprised *sighs*
We sat around for a while before we had to head off to SFO. I admit it I made everyone turn the wrong way trying to get back to the freeway but I swear up and down that DK had confused me so it's not my fault. And I caught it before we'd gone a block so it was merely a matter of making a U-turn in the middle of San Francisco. No prob., Bob. Honest.
Now, I’d just like to tell you all how mean everyone is to me. We needed to collect Erics (Moridin and Kheltan) from the airport which to me reads "two people, a couple of bags, hey look there's an unattached cart, we might as well drag it along in case we need it." They're still mocking me about that! I didn't know we'd pick up Mori and take his luggage outside before hanging around for four hours to pick up Kheltan! I was trying to be considerate! Just leave me alone...
Of course, we showed up after Mori had "deplaned" so we re-rolled the sign Jat and I had made for him and headed down the stairs to the baggage claim area. It's about now that people start asking if anyone knows what Moridin looks like. It's a good thing I hadn't run off in a huff 'cause I was the only one who did in fact know what he looks like and I also managed to spot him easily (it helps that he was standing at the back of the closest crowd).
I had ditched the cart rather than find an elevator to take me downstairs so Moridin carried *glouts* his two bags back out to where we parked the cars. This time DK remembered to grab her camera, which she never used, and -- because she and Jat refused to let their cameras get x-rayed -- it took forever and a day to get through the check point (and they had to check MA's boots again 'cause he's incapable of walking through the metal detector without setting off the buzzer) and we were back in the arrival point. By some random coincidence both Mori and Khel came into the same hub of gates so we didn't get to see much of the airport.
We tried to teach the guys how to play Phase 10 but after three rounds they rewrote the rules and were trying to collect points in their hands. They also believed in trading cards or sorting through the deck to find the one you want which rather quickly ended the round. Mori called his mother and told her that we "definitely qualify" as weird but we seem nice enough. Gee thanks *sto* They all kept needling me for being a nice person (that's not how they would phrase it but that's what it really was) and the hours crept, dragged, leapt, skipped, sashayed, slithered, hopped, and in the case of the third hour, tripped and fell flat on its faces while trying to pass us.
Poor Kheltan's sign got rather beat up as it was used about a million times to hit somebody or another on the head, shoulders, or legs during the passing time. DK found it funny to roll it up really tightly then fold it in half and in just about any other divisible unit she could think of or invent as the moment took her. To make matters worse, Khel walked off the plane, saw DK (who was not holding the sign -- I was and I was even standing on a chair) and figured that it must be us. See if I ever help Jat color a sign for people coming off of an airplane again *pouts*
Still mocking me (they were mocking other people but I seem to be the main target) we found Khel's luggage and once more headed to Mikel's apartment. No one answered when we tried to call to get bugged into the apartment building this time so I punched random numbers and asked the lady who answered to let us in. After a small pause she somewhat dubiously agreed and once more we were sneaking into the building. DK, leading the rest of us, decided to walk in through the sliding glass door, trampling over Velessa who was sleeping in the arm chair, and scarring their poor little kitten, Boo -- nicknamed "the evil" by us -- half out of her mind. It turns out the front door was unlocked.
Vel and I settled down to do one of the mystery jig-saw puzzles only we didn't want to take the time to read the mystery, with occasional help from Jat and Khel. MA, Khel and Mikel's boyfriend, Bob sat in one corner discussing hunting, guns, and other stuff that was making Vel sick to her stomach. Have I mentioned yet how incredibly ticklish both Mori and Khel are? It’s soooo funny! (ed. note: am not.) you just reach out like you're going to tickle them and they both jump about twenty feet. MA was disappointed 'cause we couldn't make Mori squeal like a little girl. That's okay, we've got a week to keep trying.... *whistles innocently*
Vel and I were the last to go to bed, everyone else having drifted off as the evening stretched into morning and the time difference caught up with them (with a heavy club considering they stayed asleep despite all the noise we were making). And of course, as soon as we turned the lights off and curled up on the floor The Evil woke up and decided to play with a toy made up of jingle bells.
Day two!
We woke up unfortunately bright and early 'cause DK had a birthday party to go to, so we drove back to San Jose and stopped by Mikel's house (not to be confused with her apartment). After a long debate we decided to head off to an Italian restaurant about a 10-minute drive away. MA surprised us all by paying the bill, a most underhanded deed if you ask me.
We went back to the hotel where the guys are staying and Jat tried to get them to pose for interesting pictures even though she should know by now that no one is ever capable of doing so having been asked. Then she made me join them and I dragged Vel into the line of fire but we still refused to do anything interesting. That's about when I realized I was standing next to two very very ticklish guys. Mori went into convolutions and Kheltan tried to disappear into the corner, found his way blocked, and tried to slither under the bed. Note to self -- if ever you should find yourself in a similar situation try to get your arms and legs under control first.
Each time we arrived in a new place today we've lost someone. We lost DK when we got to Mikel's house. We lost Mikel and Bob after the restaurant. We lost MA when we left the hotel (okay my theory isn't quite tight -- hush), and we lost Jat when she dropped us off at Vel's house which is where Vel, Khel, Mori and I are now. And I’ve just been informed that Mikel and Bob have arrived. We're going with Vel's father to a car rallye tonight. Vel's father is paranoid and over protective so if anyone asks, Kheltan and Mori are my friends from college -- Khel is from Minnesota and looking for an apparent, and Mori is from a really small town no one has ever heard of near "our" college. Anyhoo, we're off! Talk to you whenever I next find myself at a computer.