SO here's how Sunday's drive to LAX went. It was a very interesting experience, to say the least.
I got back to West Covina at about 9 pm because I figured I would have just enough time to feed the dogs and get the car and drive to LAX by 10.15 pm. Their flight landed at 10 pm, but I knew customs, so I knew they wouldnt be out till at least 10.30 or even later. But when I got there, Lisa was still there because she was cleaning, and she said she would feed the dogs. I talked to her for a little bit, and then at about 9.20 or so, I started to get ready to go. Ok, so I had to drive the 4runner, which is a much bigger car than any other car I have driven. I was a little scared and freaked out because everything feels so different. I didnt know how to move the seat forward because I dont have as long legs as Joel and Lu! Lisa came out to help me, and she asked if I was going to be ok, and I said, I HOPE SO! She crossed herself and said, God bless you! God bless the whole car!
The car is a lot heavier than mine is. It takes a little more on the gas to get it going, and I felt like I had to brake a lot earlier than usual to stop. Man, it took a while to get used to it. I actually drove at speed limit because I couldnt get the car to go any faster! And also because it's not my car! I kept to the right lanes most of the time because I was going so much slower, I didnt want to hold up traffic. I was driving on the 605S and there was a van stopped on the side of the road with its left signal on. I knew it wanted to merge, and I saw it from a long long long way off. I thought, well he's got time to do it because I am so far behind. But he chose to merge when I was right behind him. I hit the brakes and the horn at the same time. I was so mad! I was cussing the driver out in my head. Of course I was shaken, but I kept going. It was tricky to handle a new car and drive a route I'm not too familiar with. I've been to LAX before, but still, any route to any airport is tricky because of the exits. But I found it ok, and I actually got into the airport ok! Now the trick was to find the right parking garage for the right terminal!
The left lanes in LAX disappear into either a parking garage or an exit. And there are signs that tell you. So I knew I had to keep right for a while. But I was one lane too much to the left, and just before I got to the parking garage I needed to be at, I hit the lane for the airport exit! I could not believe I did that! So I had to go round AGAIN to airport return and this time I got it right. I found a parking space, and I thanked God i got there ok. I was so late by that time I thought how am I going to find them? Then of course I had to walk the wrong way and I walked AWAY from the international terminal! I must have walked to terminal 6 before I stopped to ask, and they told me I had to walk all the way back the other way. I was so tired by then! But you know what? When I got there, Joel, Lu and Joshua werent out yet! They came out about 5 mins after I got to the terminal, so that was great! I told Joel, I'm not driving anymore. You have to do it.
Dad told me they had a lot of luggage, and I almost got Chilin to go with me just in case they couldnt fit everything into their car. But they did! Which was great. We got back to their house at about midnight. Joshua was out like a light midway. I was about to crash too. I was SO tired.
I got my stuff from my family the next day when I went to their house for dinner. Lu cooked LAKSA! I was so happy. And my new contacts are wonderful, and the perfume smells really good, and the SOAP! THANK YOU MUMMY FOR GETTING THE SOAP! I told Lu I will take a shower at their house one day so that they can smell it, and she goes, yeah so I know why I had to carry this big bottle of soap all the way back from Singapore!!! And Ai, thanks for the book! Oh and I got pictures of mum and dad too! Joshua's almost as tall as mum, which I thought was quite amazing! And Lu gave me a durian cake thing, which is still in my fridge, and I'm really excited about it!
So that's my adventuresto LAX. NEVER AGAIN!