been there, done that (or excerpts from an unplanned-for week in pasadena)

another lonely planet guide off an heathrow's newstand

getting hold of flip-flops & shorts (but not of de rigueur 10$ sunglasses) in paseo colorado

a jet-lagged double espresso and a "biscotti" at vroman's cafeteria, before intensely browsing through pynchon, salinger and wallace foster tomes

a sierra nevada pale ale and a bowl of stuffed jalapenos with ranch sauce at lucky's by night

an early-morning presidential inauguration like no others

an assorted choice of asian and mexican food and, last but not the least, the inescapable pizza at chandler's and cheeseburger & chips at "pie 'n' burger"

a couple of intensely all-american movies at playhouse's laemmle's

warm winter nights and dubiously (un)dressed so-cal girls in old town

and finally, too short a sun-kissed walk along hermosa beach boardwalk

and then it was raymord carver short stories and a copy of esquire with an obama sticker at LAX

and lying across 3 seats on an half-empty flight back to london, variously reminiscing of childhood long-haul and other flights and wondering whether I should be going back after all...