Home for the Holidays



S and I flew home for Christmas. When we booked our flights, we chose the less expensive ticket that brought us into LAX for a 30 minute layover, instead of the direct flight to Oakland airport. We now know never to buy a flight with a layover unless it stops in Vegas.

Our flight leaving Salt Lake was delayed by ~3 hours because the plane we were supposed to be on couldn't leave Denver because of the blizzard. Needless to say, by the time we got to LA, we missed our connection.

Not true this time. I don't know if it was the weather or the time of year (Dec. 22), but the situation at LAX was ridiculous. Hundreds had missed their flights (and luggage), yet there was only ONE person working the United airlines customer service desk. The line literally was at least 100 people long, and it snaked out of the gate, down the terminal, and wrapped into the main concourse. The situation in the baggage claim was even more uncivil. Luggage whose owners had not arrived lay strewn across the concrete without any barrier, supervision, or organization. Again, there was only one person working the baggage claim center help desk! At the main ticketing counter, there were several people working, but S got us the help we needed by calling the 1800 number. We were lucky enough to get on a morning flight, but we were spending the night in LA.

Along the way, we heard some unfortunate stories of people affected by the Denver snow storms. Families from out of the country who had planned on a ski vacation in Denver, students in limbo unable to get home for Christmas, pets stranded in LA with their owners, with no food and no where to go to the bathroom....we were lucky our ordeal was as short as it was.


finally, on our way home...


J and P (above) hosted a wonderful Christmas Eve party.


Filled with great conversation, food, drinks...it was great seeing everyone come together.


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After Christmas, the snow fell in earnest in the Sierras, so I just had to go take a look....


V was kind enough to drive, lend me a board, and hook me up with a youth lift ticket at our home mountain:


Unfortunately, it took all of our concentration during the 16,000'+ descent, so i have no pics of the session'ing, but man, was it great to ride there again! and to ride with V! slashing and burning, snow conditions were perfect (though a little sparse in spots...)


After the Tahoe journey, I was the one in the driver seat through the Sierras, this time driving my parents and my sister to Utah!



we hung out in Park City...


visited the lab...


Mari played with some lab rats...


my mom got to relax and catch up on some reading...


and dad got photo-ops galore.


The benefit to having my mom out here, of course, is the incredible food. Shown here is a communal hotpot, or donabe, that my parents gave to us as a gift. We christened it with a shabu-shabu type dish, along with shrimp tempura. We also had a traditional Japanese new year with mochi and o-zoni (a clear soup with Buri, the young fish of yellowtail, anago, sea eel, and traditioinal vegetables).


This was my family's first visit to Salt Lake City, and we hope that they come and visit again!

**All pictures except for LAX and Kirkwood were taken by my dad and his Canon 30D. Thank you!




Posted: Tue - January 9, 2007 at 10:59 PM          

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