Good Morfternoon from Long Beach, CA! This is one of my new terms in association with my trip as I’m on the West Coast and a bunch of you are on the East Coast.  

“Morfternoon (Morph-Tur-Noon): 1) The time 2:59 minute window when it’s Morning on the West Coast and Afternoon on the East Coast. 2) The simultaneous window of morning and afternoon. 3) More than likely a strong German beer and/or techno band.

With Morfternoon we could both be enjoying a meal at the same time though different meals … unless you’re one of those people that likes to have breakfast at lunch. I, however, like to have the proper meal at the proper time of day. Wait, that’s not totally true as sometimes I like breakfast for dinner … I know, I’m such a wild-man.

Anyway, I’m here in Long Beach from Salt Lake City. I had some good ideas of things to do in Salt Lake City, but honestly I needed a night of sleep rather than a night of exploration (especially with the next 6 days I have coming up). After getting off the plane in SLC I got my rental car from Dollar Rental Car (thanks to Missy, who was very helpful in offering directions and suggestions for dining) and drove to the La Quinta in SLC – about 10 minutes away from the airport.

I’ve got to tell you, I normally am used to staying in pretty upscale resorts when I travel … the kind you find featured on Travel Channel and say ‘ohhhhhh’ or ‘aahhhhhhh’ … ya know, the noises you hear while watching Forth of July Fireworks. But, being that I just could not possibly do that for a number of reasons (first and foremost, it’s too damn expensive if I don’t have contacts there and 2^nd, I’m only using these are places to sleep, shower and write – why go all out and not be able to use anything?!?) I’ve found that La Quinta is pretty damn swell.

I’ve stayed at two so far with another 3 booked at various stops. The people have been nothing but very nice and informative and the rooms are bigger than places I’ve spend $500 a night for … albeit, the little shampoos aren’t nearly as fancy and they don’t have room service and crap (but both I’ve stayed so far offered suggestions for local delivery if I was so inclined!).

For what I did in Salt Lake City … not much, but got GREAT sleep. I did get to drive to Great Salt Lake, as you can see from the photos as well as try a local place for apparently good spicy chicken wings. I fancy myself a semi-professional hot-wing taster … these were, well average. I ended up with a salad.

Great Salt Lake was really pretty, but other than that I think Salt Lake isn’t really my cup of tea (brewed either with or without salted lake water), and the whole place had an interesting smell that I can’t explain other than that of a plain donut. Yea, I don’t know, that’s what I was getting. And, it made me oddly snacky.

Back at the airport this morning I found that Salt Lake City airport the TSA people there (at least the ones I have the ‘privilege’ of dealing with really took their jobs way to seriously, and without actually doing it properly. The guy who scanned my bag, and subsequently unpacked it on the belt (where he wasn’t supposed to) then scolded me as someone that ‘must not ever fly that often’ … I corrected him saying that one must either ‘never do something’ or ‘not do it often’, but not to do them both at the same time is physically impossible.

He then told me a long dissertation on how to pack my bag … to which I pointed out that my bag is one of the TSA approved bags that doesn’t require the same packing requirements of normal bags. He said I was wrong, and the other person there said I was right. They then had a little under their breath disagreement to which I and the smart(er) one were proved correct.

This whole thing has made me label this SLC TSA the Reno 911 of Airports. The guy even looked like a cast member. Was I being Airpunked?

Anyway … that brings me to my layover in Long Beach. And, I must say, perhaps it’s slightly more difficult for others, but I don’t see what the fuss it about. I believe it was Snoop Dogg that said ‘With So Much Drama In The LBC, It’s Kinda Hard Being Snoop D-O-Double-G’. I’m happy to report that I have found no such drama thus far.

Onto sin city to hang out with some old co-workers from CBS Radio and my buddy Troy from House of Blues Boston (formerly Hard Rock Live Orlando) who is doing some work with HOB in Vegas for a while! GAME ON!! Can’t wait to see the old stomping grounds.

More photos to come!

Hope you’re having a great Morfternoon, and enjoy your bagel and coffee or burger and soda.

Carter