UX6322 SAN LAX 0946 1032 CRJ 8A

Seatmate said that we should try to get on the previous
one, as one never knew with the fog at SAN. The flight
was Y3, so we asked - shot down due to weight restriction.
In the end, no worries. Our trip lasted 16 minutes. The
only particularly exciting part was that it took off on
time and came in a bit early, so we had 15 extra minutes
to enjoy the clubs.

UA 934 LAX LHR 1245 0710 777 8E

I kept getting Easy Updates. They ran in the usual way.

So we had a whopping 5 hours in the airport. I suggested
an In-n-Out run, but that particular brand of burger greps
her, so lili nixed that. I said the Encounter menu looked
chichified and not worth the trip outside security.

Checkin as *G was easy and got coupons. RCC member checkin
got coupons only on request.

All was well in the end; we used them on Jekel Cabernet -
not too bad actually for one chit each. The bartender
appeared to like us, and the wine was good enough for
seconds.

Some guy came up and ordered a drink with his wallet open,
as if he were going to give a nice fat tip. When he was
served, he snapped it shut, took the drink, and went away.
In lili's considered opinion it was a deliberate, practiced
act. How naughty.

At length it got sort of boring at the bar, so we went off
to the PC, where the free red wine from Canyon Creek was
some of the nastiest I've ever tasted. The lounge guardians
were nice as usual.

Jody Maroni's Sausage Kingdom: the regular footlong tasted
decent (I got a splotch of mustard on my luckily already
somewhat mustard-colored shirt); the "boudin" slightly
spicy, a bit porky and livery, but of a sausage rather
than a boudin texture. Okay food, not too much money.

Back to the RCC, where we received a tribute of additional
coupons (perhaps because of the length of the delay?
Perhaps because the system doesn't track you as well as we
feared?) and went back for more of the same.

Around 3:15 we went off for our rescheduled 3:47 departure.
We boarded around 3:47.

Row 8 middle isn't too bad. The legroom and recline appear
to be as good as anywhere.

Our very senior crew was reasonably attentive and reasonably
nice, with the possible exception of one rather painted FA
of a certain age, who kept making peculiar and personal
remarks, to which I said nothing. They related mostly to
what she thought I wanted to do to or with white women.
Annoying, yes. Out of line, yes. Worth reporting, probably
not.

to begin
Grilled shrimp brochette with sugar cane skewer (United
Airlines Executive Chef selection) - over mango and tomato
relish

and

Fresh seasonal greens - Creamy Garlic or Balsamic
Vinaigrette

The shrimp were two fairly large ones, pretty good,
with tart very firm mango and fairly ripe soft tomatoes.
Greens were sliced romaine and lots of cucumber.

main course
Filet mignon with herbed compound butter (United Airlines
Executive Chef selection) - red skin garlic mashed potatoes
and grilled asparagus

Sate spiced chicken - jasmine rice with chives and herbed
asparagus, carrot saute

Lasagna classica with roasted vegetables - Alfredo sauce

I was a nice boy and said I'd take whatever was left. lili
asked for the steak and commented that I was guaranteed
to get the pasta, which turned out to be true.

She cut into her filet, and it was done a bit more than
she would have liked, plus it was served with asparagus,
which she said she didn't eat; and so we traded. The
pasta, by the way, was slightly gummy but in range sheets
alternating with a spinach-ricotta mixture, topped with
a decent alfredo sauce and a sprinkle of grana - not bad
at all, but if I'd eaten it all, I'd have gotten a terrible
case of something, and her brother's keeper might have had
a touch of self-interest in trading with me. The filet
tasted pretty good, despite being done medium plus, and
the asparagus were actually quite nice.

dessert
International cheese selection - San Joaquin Gold, Le Cabrie

The former is a Cheddarlike substance of (according to my
source) no great distinction. The latter a rather dry and
tasteless goat Brieoid substance: it might be unfair to
judge it based on what came, which looked like two thin
slices of rind with a little tiny bit of cheese adhering.
I believe someone in the catering department may be
cheating the airline.

Ice cream

Chocolate; this went untried.

Courvoisier tasted pretty good, and lili now has learned
to tolerate Sandeman's Founder's Reserve fairly well.

midflight snack
Honey roasted turkey with baby Swiss cheese

Cucumber and Provolone sandwich

Sandwiches may be served either hot or cold

Mini pretzel twists

Walkers two finger shortbred [sic] cookies

Ghirardelli dark chocolate squares

Please help yourself to assorted sandwiches and snacks
located near the galley

I didn't, as my personal guide and bodyguard told me
that I should get some sleep, which I did, obediently.

prior to arrival
Continental breakfast - featuring a fruit appetizer, yogurt,
breakfast bread and fruit preserves

For the heartier appetite, you may select the following
entree:

Chive scrambled eggs - with turkey sausage and breakfast
potatoes

Exactly the same as previous incarnations of this food,
except that the sausage was spongier and more turkeylike,
and lili rejected it, so I got two extra sausages, of
which I ate one (speaking volumes for the quality of the
food).

champagne
Gremillet Brut nv Champagne or Pommery Brut Royal nv

The Champers was actually Drappier.

white wine
Selbach Riesling Kabinett "Feinherb" Mosel, Germany 2007 or
Kapuka Sauvignon Blanc 2008 Marlborough

Jean-Claude Fromont Chablis 2008

red wine
Altos R Tempranillo 2007 Rioja

Pedroncelli Three Vineyards Cabernet 2007 (DCV) or
Finca La Escondida Reserva Malbec 2007 San Juan

The Malbec was peachy and drinkable. The Rioja was oddly
also somewhat stone-fruity but had a distinct tone of
old shoes and was way too tannic to drink.