It’s a new year, time for a new mlog.

I’m on my way to Japan, and I am currently over the ocean. It’s a beautiful sight, the broad majestic ocean. So I’m told – I can’t see it. I got a window seat, economy plus, because an extra five inches can make the difference between a night of misery and a night of a little bit less misery. But the only window seat was over the wing, facing the sun. I get to look out across a broad majestic highly engineered stretch of aluminum reflecting the energy of a hundred billion thermonuclear explosions directly into my eyes. It makes me feel alive to be so close to nature.

I just spilled wine on my laptop. So if it seems like I’m not making sense, it’s just the wine.

It’s a weekend. I’m flying coach to Japan. It’s a long trip. May as well relax. Comfy jeans, comfy polo shirt. Why shave? I look a little scruffy, but I am comfortable.

Of course, I am sitting next to The Boss. Of course. (Only on the flight from PHX to LAX.)

So, The Boss is a nice guy, easy to talk to. I tried to keep it light. Where are you going, what are you doing, etc….I only brought up one business-related topic. Then back to the light stuff. He graciously offered me one of his systemwide upgrades for my flight to Japan (business was full, but I would have taken it thanks had it been available.) It was unspoken that he didn’t really need it himself of course. He was on a different flight, so no worries there.

But I felt a bit scruffy. Maybe I will take the extra 5 minutes and shave next time.

We land in LAX, in Terminal 1 (US Airways.) United goes out of Terminal 7. LAX’s terminals are laid out in a horseshoe pattern. Terminal 1 is at one end of the horseshoe, and Terminal 7 is at the other end.

There are three ways you can get from Terminal 1 to Terminal 7. You can take the shuttle bus, all the way around. Or you can walk, all the way around. This, it turns out, is The Boss’s preferred option. Or maybe he was just testing me. Not sure really. He seemed serious.

Well, if you’ve ever been on a hash run you will know that there is almost always a direct path. There might be barbed wire fences, airport security, sewers, runways, etc, but it’s a straight line and not that far. I suggested we try the straight line approach. As I said it, I searched the ground inconspicuously for hash marks.

Well, it turns out the only thing between terminal 1 and Terminal 7 is a parking lot and quiet road. So it’s actually much faster to walk straight across even that taking the shuttle us. Score 1 for hash skills, thus justifying continuing to hash to keep those skills sharp.

Boarding was easy – no problems. Turns out I am sitting next to a Vietnam vet who was a POW for a year or so. Pilot, shot down, lived in a hole in the ground for a year. Seems like a nice guy. He’s asleep now, but I’m ever so slightly worried about waking him up when I need to pee.