LA Trip Day One: Travel Klutz
August 30th, 2007Yesterday very early we left Salt Lake and flew to Los Angeles. You’ve likely already read the reason why. Yesterday was one of those days where if you did a biorhythm chart for me, it would be critical.
Since we are technically on vacation, starting from the minute we are alone in the house without the kid and the dog, my energy is lowered. No need wasting energy because we planned well and aren’t rushing through the airport.
Heather was more amped than I’ve ever seen her. She practically ran through security (the lines weren’t bad) but I don’t do that ever. I don’t want to move too quickly around TSA agents and/or people who may be armed. I want to be fast enough to not slow down those that follow, but not so fast that I’m frazzled. I forgot to take off my flip flops and belt, both of which caused delays for Heather, and I was reprimanded repeatedly where a normal eye-roll would suffice.
We had plenty of time at the gate and Miss Twitch, who would normally be passed out and clamoring for a chair to sleep in, was wide awake and willing tme itself to speed up so she could get back to her L.A. Heather has a strong will, people.
We flew on one of those smaller commuter jets that you walk on the tarmac to board, which I kind of like. It feels like a throwback to olden days when air travel meant walking outside and everybody drank booze from deco decanters.
Upon arrival, while walking across the concrete, I dropped my laptop bag onto the concrete. The bag is a departure for me. Usually I travel with a wheeled laptop bag but I’ve wanted to try something more compact and my little one shoulder pack with neoprene sleeve is nice and all, but the drop, from at least three feet, really dorked my primary machine:
I dreaded opening the bag all day and tried to delay discovering whether or not I had killed my machine.
The lid doesn’t close right and the CD/DVD drive slot is ganked on the right side so badly that a disc cannot fit. The machine runs, but won’t go to sleep when the lid is closed (forcing a manual sleep or shutdown). The screen is fine, but when the laptop is on a flat surface, it wobbles back and forth. I’m wondering what my options are and if anybody has had a similar situation with a Mac laptop, what you did to resolve it. I don’t know how much it would cost to repair the case and correct the chassis, so I don’t know if a repair is even worth it at this point.
On the plus side, we rented a car that is definitely very L.A. and makes my penis smaller. I’ve nicknamed her Compensation or Great Pumpkin.
Last night we saw Wilco deliver an amazing set. The sound was better here than it was at Bonnaroo, but the video work at Bonnaroo was far better. I’m rapt by the work that Nels Cline is doing with Tweedy. o
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August 30th, 2007 at 9:14 am
My boyfriend and I were at Wilco, too, and we looked for you guys. Alas, we didn’t see you, but we did see Sandra Oh. So, it sort of makes up for it.
That was an unbelievable show! Jeff was the most on I’ve ever seen him and the band sounded amazing. “Via Chicago” has to be one of the best live songs ever. I call it the song where the drummer earns his paycheck.
Glad you had a good time!
August 30th, 2007 at 9:14 am
Awwww, nothing hurts more than damaging a Mac. Even the funky orange car won’t make up for that
August 30th, 2007 at 9:39 am
Regarding the macbook, the lower case can be removed entirely. I’d see if removing it and a little love with some pliers might do the trick. The casing can be replaced, but the prices are horrid.
I’ve gone with comprehensive coverage of my comps via my home insurance out of fear of just this happening. You might want to see if your policy covers it.
August 30th, 2007 at 11:01 am
That sucks about the lappy, but at least it’s still usable. I recently left mine on our back lawn and the sprinklers got it.
I just got Wilco’s Kicking Television. So sweet. Glad you’ve been redeemed in your concert going experience.
August 30th, 2007 at 11:04 am
I can’t help you with the laptop, but I can heap massive mounds of jealousy in your direction.
I do miss LA. As a guy raised in the northeast, it’s hard to admit that, but I love Los Angeles.
Enjoy your trip.
August 30th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
I haven’t seen my favorite band in ages. Last chance I had, my baby started vomited and spiked a fever 2 hours prior to leaving. ‘Course, that didn’t stop my husband from seeing the show and enjoying it to his heart’s content. (Grumble grumble.) Anyway. I’m just jealous is alls!
August 30th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Ah, Wilco. I haven’t seen my favorite band in ages. Last chance I had, my baby started vomited and spiked a fever 2 hours prior to leaving. ‘Course, that didn’t stop my husband from seeing the show and enjoying it to his heart’s content. (Grumble grumble.) Anyway. I’m just jealous is alls!
August 30th, 2007 at 4:18 pm
Yeouch. My partner did the same thing to his mac laptop running for a bus -it tumbled out of an open backpack, landed on that same corner (The damage looks identical.) and somersaulted across the asphalt. It took him a good half hour to open it up to assess the damage. Luckily, despite the crumpled cd slot, he could still fit the disk in and it all works fine.
Got a pair of pliers?
August 30th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Now YOU are going to be all twitchy, until you can get that sucker fixed.
Orange Fireball is my choice. Don’t go all “Nick Bollea” while you are rollin’ in that thing!
August 30th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
Yeah we had the same thing happen to our powerbook and I did the pliers manipulation the best I could. Priced a new case, but the cost was way too high ($700).
August 30th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
It feels like a throwback to olden days when air travel meant walking outside and everybody drank booze from deco decanters.
I travelled from Canada to Cuba in one of those in 1978. It was a blast disembarking in hot dry gorgeous Cuba on the tarmac.
August 31st, 2007 at 6:30 am
My Mac just shuddered when he saw your laptop. That’s one of those moments when you just want to close your eyes and turn back time and gently place the bag on the steamy tarmac. But alas, at least you have a zippy rental car! Don’t drop it!
August 31st, 2007 at 10:14 am
Might be of some help with your laptop:
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac/
August 31st, 2007 at 12:03 pm
did this to my ibook too, back in the day, naturally about a week after my warranty was up. sigh. learned to live with it until the harddrive bit the dust conveniently during my senior year as a design major.
anyway, wanted to add that slang is an interesting thing. here [well, i live in mass now but ri is what i'm referring to] ‘ganked’ means to steal, or stolen.
August 31st, 2007 at 12:42 pm
Jon: I dropped and killed my powerbook one week after I got the iPhone (making the drop emotionally survivable because I have an Apple *something* in my hands.) I shattered the screen and torched the video card - the hard drive was fine so my lovely husband slaved the drive and backed up all my data (and my 16G of photos…oops.)
The Genius Bar boys have a flat rate of $787 to repair dropped machines. Given the price of the new MacBooks and iMacs - you are halfway to a damned fine machine at that price.
Sorry for the angst to kick off the trip. Have a great time. My 10 years in LA were awesome, but I am happy to be back in Boston. Because really, try to find a decent lobster roll in LA…
September 16th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
Ahhh…. deja’ vu.
http://sol.pupazzo.org/?p=157
but now that your “child” is handicapped you’ll love it more. My accident was 2 years ago precisely, and baby still works perfectly well. And the dancing while I type is now most amusing.