Sylvia and Wanapa picked me up and noon and we went for a quick lunch which we took back to work with us. I hung out unofficially in the office and said my final "SeeYa Laters". Sylvia took me to the airport around 3pm.

It was a very easy check-in. I walked right up to the counter and checked my bags through to Melbourne. The security was significantly stricter than previous trips. Armed guards at each gate and patrolling the outside area. Plus we had to remove our shoes and have them X-Rayed.

The first leg of the trip was smooth and quick. I sat next to a nice stewardess and we chatted a bit. The guy in front of me heard me talking about going to Australia and he told me about the time he lived there for a couple of years.

Once at LAX, I decided to walk to the next terminal even though it was from Terminal 7 to Terminal 2. I figured since I was going to be sitting for the next 13 hours, the walk would be good. I got a Coke and then went to the bathroom. While in the bathroom, I hear my self being paged...so I head over to the counter where they just wanted to exchange my United boarding pass for an Air New Zealand one. I had a little time to kill, so I went walking around the airport and bought Georgie a California mug.

The flight was completely full, but I had an aisle seat in a section where there was just three seats. I sat next to a nice couple from Calgary, Tim & Gerianne. I had a decent dinner of beef, mashed potatoes, cheese/crackers, and a glass of wine. Then I watched "Bandits" and fell asleep for 7+ hours with just a quick wakeup when our row went to the bathroom in the middle of the night