Day 1: We're Here!

Today was a great day for a road trip. For the entire drive, there was absolutely no traffic. Not even through Carlsbad or Downtown. The sky was clear, the temperature was nice, the ocean (when I saw it) was a gorgeous blue, and, thanks to the rain last month, the landscape was emerald. Also, thanks to a very generous woman's loan of her TomTom (Mom is awesome) I navigated through San Diego to the hotel without getting lost.

 Welcome

The hotel is very nice. The front desk is manned by an organized and friendly staff that gave me recommendations for parking and watched my luggage while I did so. She even let me take the picture (without looking at me funny). I'm in one of the upper floors and my window overlooks the parking lot, so I can see my car from up here (I'd take a picture, but I do not want my license plate online). After spending several hours in the car, though, I was ready to look at something else.

Cartoons!

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a cartoon junkie. Since I do not get cable, though, I usually watch shows online. It is really nice to have a larger screen with no loading times. Still, some of the nicest aspect of the hotel are actually located outside the building.

Charlin has a happy

This photo is a little dark, but I think you can still see the important part. Yes, for the next week, I will be residing less than a block away from a bookstore. This is very good. However, I was hungry, so I decided to check out the food court at a local mall. After getting jumped by two salesman (do I have a "Sell to Me!!!" sign on my shirt?), I found a really nice Japanese restaurant to eat at.

Miso soup for the graduate's soul

At the restaurant, I got miso soup, salad, and beef yaki soba. In the very likely event my readers do not speak Japanese, I will explain in more detail. Miso soup is made of miso (a by-product of soy sauce), green onions, and bonito flakes (cured fish). Yaki soba mixes noodles, meat, carrots, cabbage, green onions, and tangy-sweet sauce in a hot wok or skillet. The result is a very yummy, if very salty, meal.

Dessert!

After my dinner, I headed back to the hotel. However, I got sidetracked by a Ghirardelli chocolate shop. After purchasing two chocolate squares, I asked if I could take a picture. Two of the four sales clerks agreed. The lady said Jerome reminds her of her chihuahua puppy. Jerome is not sure what he thinks about that.

Anyway, it has been a full day, so I am going to use the rest of tonight to relax with the DS, the book, and the Mythbusters. Sometimes I love cable.

Updates tomorrow!