Bumblebee Nation: Smart phone, dumb car

Even though we're taking this trip in order to attend my 30th high school reunion, I don't usually feel old but for some reason, technology was against us today. It started in the Southwest terminal, when we had to ask a young man in line at the baggage check-in counter how to have the machine scan our boarding passes--we could NOT figure it out from the video directions. Climbing in our rental car was worse. I always get the smallest car they offer, because not only am I used to driving a very small car, but economy cars have a minimum of fancy shit on the dash to confuse me--again, much like the car I already drive.

This car confuses me.

But we found someone's wallet at the rental terminal, and for being so nice in turning it in with all its credit cards and cash (three whole bucks!), the nice lady at the Budget counter upgraded us for free to a Ford Fusion. A nice car, but loaded with buttons and screens and who knows what. We had to ask how to turn on the A/C, then we had to pull over and figure out how to turn it down, or off. The rear window wipers we've given up on--we've pushed every button there is and they won't turn off. Driving through the depressing, endless-seeming miles of suburban tract housing and malls just about finished us off.

But as we got closer to downtown L.A. we started to relax. Our natural environment is downtown: the last three places we've lived, the last ten years, have all been in city center.

No, the cat did not come with us. I was dinking around with my iPad and Blogger, trying to see if I could get photos from the iPad into Blogger, when I found something that asked me if I wanted photos from my phone...And this photo of a very young Vivani popped up, as did a bunch of photos of our trip to Egypt. Weird.

And as we drove up Normandie Ave and crossed Olympic Blvd, Greg swiveled his head around and said, "I think Guelaguetza is...there!" Maybe half a mile from our hotel? So we dropped our bags, placed the Wishfrog and Amusement Owl on the dash, and drove over for some Oaxacan food.

We sensibly knew not to order two tlayudas, but with chips and a botana to share and a tamarindo agua fresca for the man and a limonada mineral (slap! slap!) AND a michalada for me--I was thirsty after the plane/airport ordeal--it was still a lot of food. Lunch and dinner combined into one meal!

I'm happy to be in the land of racial confetti, happy to be on vacation with my hubs, and happy to be full of Oaxacan food, even though my stomach hurts!