What a short, strange trip it's been....

Got off to a crazy start to the Costa Rica/Panama experience as my sister Hallie had us running around Southern California for all sorts of items she said she needed here in Panama. She only conveyed this information to me via email everyother day or so and the shopping list was growing longer:

Honey Nut Cheerios,
Coloring Books for kiddos,
WASHABLE, Repeat... WASHABLE Markers,
and home hair Perm Kits?????

So, combine these goods with our belated birthday/Xmas presents for my nephew and niece (Zach and Isla) and the backpacks began to swell like a howler monkey's chest. Tons of fun in LA on our last night having good Mexican food (there is no such thing in Hawaii) with good friends Farmer, Jodi and Rachel and a 5am wakeup call the next morning.

Halfway to the airport it dawns on Michelle that she has left her wallet at Farmer and Jodi's. So, since we had begun the journey fairly early we had some buffer before the flight was leaving. Farms drops Michelle and I off at the gate and we go about checking bags in and through security. Our phones are turned off and sitting at his house 20 miles away so we have no way to get ahold of Farmer. I take Farmer's phone so he can call me from Jodi's and he races back to his house to get the wallet, Jodi's phone and turn around to come back to LAX.

Farmer calls from the house, "Got the wallet, I'll be there soon" to which I respond..... "Great, I'll get coffee and meet you out by the curb in about 20mins" Looks like everything is rolling along just fine until he texts and says "Got pulled over" to which I respond..... "BS" Apparently he got clocked at 80 in a 65 and the cop happened to notice that his license was expired. At this point we are talking on the phone and he tells me that Johnny Law won't let him leave unless there is another driver. Well, he waits it out and the Law Dog finds another speeder so Farmer makes it back to LAX just in time to switch the wallet for the phone and one last hug. MAHALO FARMER..... we'll pick up the cost of the ticket bro!

LAX to Houston goes quickly but now we have a 6 hour layover to fill. Superbowl Sunday in the Airport! Too bad the game is slated for kickoff right about the time our plane departs to Costa Rica. As we fill in the seats on the plane we notice that Continental has TV sets in the headrests of every seat. A few people find the channel that the game is on and 250 passengers put headphones on simultaneously. $6 for the Superbowl..... I think we can swing that. So we swipe the cards and watch the remainder of the first half as the attendants speak over the audio of the game in both English and Spanish!

Plane takes off, the Who rocks the halftime show and just about the time the second half is supposed to start the feed starts getting glitchy. Read the fine print, Direct TV's inflight broadcasting only works for about 200 miles outside the boundries of the states! GRRRRR!

This is year #2 in a row I have missed the Superbowl..... I hear it was a great game though so I guess I'll have to download it on iTunes when I get back. On the ground in Costa Rica and a quick 5 minute cab ride to our hotel. Big bed, hot shower and a good night sleep. All the luxury is great as we'll be roughing it for the next few. More later!

G