In California, about to collapse at 11:30 local time, which is 2:30 a.m. my time, after getting up at 4:00 a.m. my time. A bit on the tired side. ;) Also short on meals.

Planes, trains, and automobiles has been the theme for the day, and while I have gotten to see several people for a few minutes each, I've only been able to see a few of them for more than a brief hug and a hello. Many of my friends I used to see here have either stopped coming or have left us entirely; many of the ones remaining are having circumstances make it difficult or impossible for them to come. On top of this, my phone charger cable, which I made a very careful point of packing this morning, somehow didn't make the trip with me. :P A replacement cable was theoretically fetchable from Best Buy, some three miles up the road, but without a car, that might as well have been the one back at home, at least until morning.

And while I love graveyardgreg like a brother [1], and I was happy to follow him around a while and study his Extrovert Style, as my phone started to die and I faced the prospect of spending most of the weekend incommunicado and missing absent friends, I don't mind telling you I was getting glum. "If I was going to be lonely and stranded," the line of thought ran, "I could have done that at home without spending $700 for the privilege."

I had given up on the day and was heading back to my room to get some badly-needed sleep when sirfox texted to say that he was on the way, and bringing me a charger cable to boot. I won't go as far as to say that there were angels singing the "Hallelujah Chorus," but the hotel muzak certainly took on some Handelian qualities.

This in turn also had a touch of SNAFU as the charger cable in question turned out to have a close-but-no-cigar USB connector instead of a Lightning, but even this was mitigated by Josh and Candy very kindly driving me off to an all-hours Wal-Mart, where the correct cable was acquired and double-checked, and I was brought back to the hotel for crashery and phone-chargery.

So the good news is, I'm feeling much better, and intend to celebrate this by going to sleep. In the morning I shall track down my old pal the Starbucks up the street (just a few blocks away), and then my con will be ready to properly start.

Those who are late, get no fruit cup.

-The Gneech

PS: Gnite, world, and have an awesome tomorrow. :)

[1] Not one of mine, perhaps. But SOMEBODY's brother. [2]
[2] Just kidding, Greg. <3