UA 319 IAD LAX 0900 1155 763 21J Ch9^
was UA 170 IAD LAX 0819 1104 752 2A next day
I'd originally planned to meet lili in Seattle, but a
schedule change scotched that, so I leaned mildly on the 1K
desk and got recoordinated with her, this time meeting in
LAX. More snow was predicted, so I called to go out early,
prompted by west coast friends who are less trusting than I
about precipitation and cold and such.
The 1K desk wouldn't do anything, as the waiver hadn't been
issued yet. I offered to buy a ticket to replace the first
leg, but the drone said she couldn't do that. Ah, well -
back in the olden days they would have rebooked me on my
say-so alone, but these ain't the olden days. The waiver
came through a few hours later, though, and I was rebooked
expeditiously, trading an F seat on a plane that might not
go (I thought it would) for an exit seat on a sure thing.
I'd priced hotels and found a lovely deal at the Four
Points. But by the time I got round to booking it, it was
50 bucks more. I booked anyway.
SuperShuttle came 10 min late. I'd asked for a particularly
early pickup so as to be able to stand by for 170, but F
was zeroed out, so the heck with that.
The RCC was pretty hopping at 7 in the morning. I had poor
man's sangria - half rough red and half OJ. Improved both.
In fact, the wine acquired some interest and complexity once
its sweet edge had been taken off by the OJ.
My first ever sighting of the Choice Menu. Seems not too bad
though a bit pricy. I had a Courvoisier (using coupon) and
kicked back for a snooze, which was fitful as the quite
elderly exit door leaked lots of cold air from the bottom.
Lots of legroom, though - more than in F.
There was Airphone on this flight: $10 setup and $10/min
plus taxes applicable fees. Such a deal.
My seatmate had tried to use an expiring SWU to upgrade this
flight - as did one of the guys in the other exit row. We
were 3-4-5 on the list. Irrops are a bear.
Stopped in the RCC for a glass of rough red and a look at
the sign-in sheet, which is new, with only about a half
dozen names. The old sheet has been flipped over and is not
gone yet.
Four Points LAX is a little on the antiquated side, but it's
not awful, and it's really quite close to the airport.
At checkin I discovered that the disadvantageous rate I'd
booked came with dinner for two (actually, just two main
courses, no appetizers or alcohol). So no In'n'Out.
I got a good but somehow nonrectilinear room, so the beds
(I got two, just in case I encountered a stranded FTer)
looked oddly nonparallel; the bathroom was big and
wheelchair-accessible. Oddity: one of the mercury switches
made a loud sparky noise (no visible spark, but my eyesight
isn't so terrific), so I asked maintenance to come look -
turns out the spring is too strong, or something, no spark,
but enough to startle one in the middle of the night.
The bathroom: a much bigger version of a hospital bathroom.
The shower went from too hot to too cold and vice versa in
0.01 seconds.
The snow and timing being as they were, neither skye1 nor
Alysia would be in time to help me with dinner, so with the
input of a waiter I got smaller portions of two dinners for
myself alone. I'm glad, in the last analysis, that I was
alone.
What was billed as linguini with clams in a light butter
sauce was hotel food at its most spectacular. The kitchen
managed to take chopped sea clams out of a bucket and turn
them into not rubber bands but worse, rubber erasers. The
butter sauce was a milk sauce that tasted of margarine, as
did the very lightly if at all garlicked garlic toast that
came with. At least the pasta itself was nicely al dente.
A glass of the Sheraton Four Points LAX Sparkling Wine was
sort of semi-dry, peachy, and not too bad: I wonder if it
had come from Costco. Probably the best part of the meal.
A NY sirloin with garlic mash and seasonal vegetables might
have been cooked from frozen. I ordered it rare, and it came
somewhat seared and totally raw but juiceless inside. Not
such a big deal, because I like raw beef; but raw tasteless
unjuicy beef is not one of the wonders of the world. And
remind me not to travel in the winter, when the seasonal
vegetable is yellow summer squash. The mash had a strange
chemically note. Oh, yes, the beef came smothered in a thick
brown slightly-wine-tasting substance, a blob of onions and
mushrooms, and a melted pat of garlic buttery - all trying
to camouflage the fattiness of the cut of meat. Which wasn't
a problem with me, as I enjoy fatty meat.
Peter Lehmann Cabernet had a peppery edge and was not
uninteresting, but it's been sweetened up I guess for the
US market, and as I mused, he would be rolling over in his
grave, except he's not dead. Note to Peter: don't taste
this, or you'll die.
When the waiter returned with the bill he congratulated
himself on steering me to smaller portions. I gave him
12% on what the meal would have cost retail. If he had
steered me away altogether I might have tipped him more.
Sad fact. Local kids apparently come in here for dates.
There were a few couples of such this evening. And it's not
that the liquor enforcement is weak, the underage table next
to me got Cokes and stuff.
I returned to my room to find a welcome amenity - a plate of
really sour and mooshy grapes and big cookies such as you
might encounter in the supermarket waiting to attack you: I
ate the former and saved the latter for breakfast. It is
4 something am as I type, and the white chocolate macadamia
one is way sweet but not bad.
Turns out my original flight went out fine - just a bit over
an inch of snow at Dulles over two days. I hope some Premier
was happy in my row 2 seat.
Icing on the cake: the wireless here is spotty and slow.
Verdict: the spirit is willing but the product is weak.