Image above: The blast of the gunpowder igniting as it ejects from Brian’s gun at the pistol range. [Saturday 05 September]
After a mere 32 hours in Los Angeles I’m now back at LAX airport waiting for my departure to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands within the next hour.
Pretty shattered now so reckon that I’m just going to pass out on the plane but I was really happy to be here to see Annie get married to Bill as well as seeing some old friends there, albeit all too briefly, from my last visit in 2007: Ray, Molly, Sophia, Justin, and Carley.
Sorry guys that I couldn’t stay very long at all but just another incentive to come back (or for you to visit me) for a proper catch-up!
Also got to see Chrissy who was a gem in coming along to accompany me to the wedding and giving me a ride to the airport afterwards. And yep I kept to my tradition of having an In-N-Out burger just before checking in.
Final mention has to go to Brian for taking me to the LA Gun Club where I fired a firearm for the first time – 50 rounds through a Kimber 1911 handgun and then 20 rounds thru a Mosin-Nagan rifle. At the start I really couldn’t get used to how loud they sound (even with ear protectors) and every time someone else fired I just jumped. But once I got settled down to it I had a great time actually hitting the target and experiencing a different aspect of Americana.
Next stop is Rarotonga for three days before where I think that I my have randomly booked myself into a honeymoon resort so should be hilarious if that’s the case. Then flying onwards to visit my friends, Clara and Richard, in Wellington on the Thursday.
At the moment, based on an idea from Chrissy, my current travel ratio is 1 city visited, 11 hours sitting in a plane, 2.5 movies watched, and two airline meals eaten so far. More on that plus everything else once I get on the Net in the Cook Islands.
