On the Coast

5:00 a.m. — Got woken up by Rainbow Connection, instrumental version, on the CBC’s early morning service. Someday we’ll find it…

5:32 a.m. — Dan arrives in a truck to drive to the airport; early signs of blizzard on the roads.

5:41 a.m. — Arrive at airport. Perfect timing. Dan claims he is emulating my one-knapsack “extreme packing” lifestyle, but yet is weighed down by unwieldy multi-bag system that could never qualify as true “extreme packing.”

6:10 a.m. — Air Canada flight to Montreal leaves on time.

6:30 a.m. — Flight attendant announces that somehow the plane has been left without food. This later turns out not to be completely true: there are about a dozen Peek Frean cookies.

7:45 a.m. (EST) — Arrive Montreal. Make our way to the U.S. Customs pre-clearance. Dan, weighted down with his luggage, and not possessing a U.S. passport, ends up hours behind me. I browse for magazines, buy extra food, talk to home on the cell phone while Dan stews in line.

9:00 a.m. — Flight delayed 15 minutes to “wait for six late-arriving passengers.” These phantom passengers never arrive. Mysterious. Dan and I both seated right behind the first class section, and we both have weird padded seat belt that the flight attendant explains contain tiny little air bags. Presumably, in case of accident the air bags inflate and prevent us from being flung into first class, where we would have access to cookies and ice cream and special chi chi washroom.

10:00 a.m. — Movie on plane is School of Rock, which I’ve already seen. No matter, as it’s playing on a tiny video screen almost directly above my head. I remember when they had real 16mm projectors on airplanes.

12:20 p.m. (PST) — Arrive San Francisco. Meet up with Nick Burka, who has flown in from Ottawa. Dan and Nick head south to rendezvous with the other slices. Minutes later, Johnny and Jodi arrive.

12:50 p.m. — AirTrain to BART. Figure out how to buy BART tickets. Take BART to Powell Street and find our hotel (nice, clean, free Internet).

2:00 p.m. — Excellent Thai food for lunch; best since Bangkok. Nice walk down to Union Square. Nice and warm here — jacket/sweater weather; paradise.

3:30 p.m. — Get half-price tickets to see improv tonight at Fort Mason.

4:30 p.m. — Mandatory rest period.

5:30 p.m. — Exciting cable car ride to Hyde Street Circle. Somehow we are exempt from payment for ride (either that, our we are about to be arrested). Guilt pangs.

6:30 p.m. — Dinner. Forgettable. For future reference: avoid all faux 50s style diners unless they are inside Harrod’s.

7:30 p.m. — Bizarre trek overland to Fort Mason Center, through dark and scary park, down endless stairs. Improv at Bay Area Theatre Sports tonight turns out to be “Improv Shakespeare.” This is alternatively funny, monotonous, impressive and perplexing, but ultimately a good night out.

10:00 p.m. — (now 2:00 a.m. AST) Insanely fast driving taxi back to hotel. Meet heavy-packing Dan trolling for WiFi in the hotel lobby (he was the only slice to exempt himself from the loud rocking the others indulged in). Breakfast plans concluded.

10:30 p.m. — Johnny and Jodi go forth to procure Yugoslav wine for night cap.

Must sleep now.