San Diego: Day One...

The drive from Palm Springs to San Diego this afternoon was great - no real traffic problems, excellent MapQuest directions, and played my Elton John CD - the one with his greatest hits live practically the entire way. You haven't lived until you sing "The Bitch is Back" at the top of your lungs as you drive through Murrieta!
I pull up to the Westin Hotel at Horton Plaza. Then it all unravels a bit. The guy who greets me tells me it will cost me $27 per DAY to park my car at the hotel. WHAT? Charging nearly $300 a night doesn't get you a parking space?
I check in, gritting my teeth.
The bellman helps me with my bags, we enter my 5th floor room and I'm very pleased. It's roomy, has a great view of downtown and even has a chaise lounge.
One problem: it smells. I request another room. Request granted.
New room doesn't have a chaise lounge but an even better view. Gee, I'm thirsty. Oh, there's a few bottles of water. Wait! They cost $3.95 each (plus tax and service) says the sign hanging on the bottle. No thanks. I'll just walk over to the Longs Drugs and buy my own water, thankyouverymuch.
Head over to the second floor to check in to the National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Assn. convention (that's why I'm here) and bump into my chapter president, Steve Pride. He's still mad at me because I never returned his DVD of "The Bubble" to him. I am guilty. But I did slip it into my luggage before leaving L.A. so he warms up a bit after our chilly greeting.
Ran into all kinds of people today including Kenneth Walsh who does the terrific Kennethinthe212.com blog. We have chatted on the phone and exchanged emails but had never met face-to-face. It was nice to do so today, to talk about blogging and all that.
I've been flipping through the convention program and there are plenty of events and guests who will make for good blog fodder so I'll be keeping ya posted as best I can...