Like Horses for the Barn, originally uploaded by LeeLeFever_TwinF.

I always think it's funny that a horse has two speeds - one going away from the barn and one going toward the barn. Going toward the barn is a bit more efficient. It hardly requires a giddyup.

Cruising up US-1 through Big Sur, we've made our big turn toward the barn and once we hit Santa Cruz, we'll get on I-5 toward Seattle. The last miles of the trip are peeling away before our very eyes. Tonight, we hope to end up north of Sacramento, one day striking distance from Seattle (and our last night in a hotel room).

In an inspired display of team spirit, Sachi just rallied the troops with a chant for our dog, whom we have missed more than anything or anyone. Amos! Amos! Amos! We're almost these buddy!

Hollywood with Douglas from Ask A Ninja, originally uploaded by LeeLeFever_TwinF.

Man, talk about serendipity. I first heard about Ask A Ninja from Robert Scales who runs Rain City Studios, the company who designed the Ninja web site (and our site too) . He told me about it when we met in Thailand, and I quicky became a fan from abroad. Ask a Ninja has since become super-popular, and rightfully so in my opinion. The videos of a white guy in a Ninja suit answering reader questions makes me laugh every time.

I was so interested, in fact, that I did a bit of research about the guys behind it. I soon discovered that one guy of the two-man team, Douglas Sarine, is the very same Doug Sarine that was one of my best friends in college. The guy who lived beside me my freshman year is producing Ask A Ninja. Crazy.

So of course I emailed Robert who emailed Douglas and the reconnection began. Today we spent a few hours with Doug on a personal tour of Hollywood, including the taco restaurant where he once broke up with a girlfriend. Doug is still the hilarious, antsy, talented and incredibly good person that I remember from college. It was so great to reconnect, especially while he is in the midst of trying to disrupt the Hollywood status quo. Two guys and a video camera can do so much these days.

Oh, and this is not to mention the experience we had with Doug's brother Bill, who is an operations manager at Disney Pictures. Bill gave us a personal tour of the Disney sound stages, including the set of Pirates of the Caribbean III. We got to walk right through a scene from the movie that takes place at "Pirate's Cove" in an upside down ship hull. It felt like we had an exclusive look behind the movie making curtain at Disney. A true highlight.

We owe the Sarine brothers a huge thanks for a Hollywood experience we'll never forget.

Why Los Angeles?, originally uploaded by LeeLeFever_TwinF.

We've heard interesting responses when I tell people that I'm excited about my first visit to Los Angeles. Among them: "Eh, its not that great", "don't bother", and simply "why?"

While LA has problems, I think residents and former residents just like to pick on the city in a self depricating sort of fashion. I am excited to have the LA experience, freeways and all. Even Sachi thinks that is a little weird.

I'm not interested in LA because of the celebrities, movie studios, the Sunset Strip or the Mann's Chinese Theater. I want to see those things, but what draws me to LA is the fame (or infamy) of the city itself. On a worldwide scale, Los Angeles is very well known and to many foreigners we met, one of the most coveted destinations in the US. We were both surprised to hear this as Americans would likely suggest alternatives to LA for a visit. Like me, they are interested in LA because it's famous more than beautiful, interesting or atmospheric. It is famously American.

I've run into this feeling many times on the trip - I want to see a city, a building, a sculpture not because I value it, or can even appreciate it, but because it is so famous. An example is Michaelangelo's "David", which is an amazing work of art, but one whose world wide fame supercedes its workmanship in my eyes. If you strip away all the fame, the experience of seeing the David is less exciting. In this way, fame is not a factor of quality, but quantity. I want to experience it because I've heard about it so many times.

And so it is for LA and me. The fame of the place itself, its problems, its beauty, its freeways, materialism and culture - it's interesting to me not because of its quality, but how much a part of the American experience it represents. Good or bad, LA is an experience I want to have.

I’m not doing much “wine country” sight seeing while in Sonoma.  Though, I have had a couple of glasses of nice red wine (it’s required while here).  The hotel where I’m saying provides a free bottle of white wine in the little mini-fridge.  A nice touch that I may have to take advantage of tonight.

Sonoma is one of those places that is almost too nice, whatever that means. It’s historic, beautiful and cultured.  Being “wine country”, it has an inherent bit of snootiness that’s not very palpable, but there and perhaps even part of the culture. Last year when I was here for the same conference, I went to a wine shop on the plaza and got the feeling that the people in the shop didn’t really want to talk to me about how little I know about wine.

Sonoma a playground for the wine-sipping and appreciating populations of America.  With them (us?) comes a bit of class and high expectations as a group.  Fortunately, Sonoma works hard to exceed those expectations, which means really great food, yummy wine in a beautiful, laid back setting for all comers. 

Last night I had an excellent dinner at the El Dorado kitchen, which is described in what must be the most popular words in Sonoma: "elegant casual." It fits.

I’m heading back to Seattle tomorrow (Saturday).