Okay, perhaps not over the sea proper, but in an aeroplane nevertheless.

I'm cruising, with my 85 compatriots in flight, over the Sierra Nevada, a break in the clouds below me just now granting sight of the snow-spackled mountains, pink and black in the sun's waning light. Now the peaks are higher, with more snow and only ridges of exposed rock, like dirty divinity. Looking by on the rapidly receding Inland Valley, it's filled with smoke, fog, haze, smog, or whatever else people call restless earth and water suspended in air.

...

Okay, a spicy tomato juice and some air turbulence later (thankfully for my powerbook's sake, not in tandem), mountains are giving way to desert, the sand licking the foothills like a sea of its own. We've been airborne for a half-hour out of San Jose, and I have another half-hour or so before landing in Las Vegas.

...

Vegas: City of Lights. Whenever possible, fly in or out of Las Vegas at night. On nights like tonight, when the sky is clear, I've been told pilots can see the Luxor's beam of light from 200 miles away. We'll see if the right side of the plane is indeed the 'right side' for the show, landing in Las Vegas. I know it's right on the way out.

Sadly (well, from one perspective) my stay in Lost Wages will only last about 53 minutes, barely enough time to lose a milliwage at the quickie pizza shop in the Southwest terminal before hopping on another plane (which, unlike this one, will be completely full. I wonder if the person next to me will try to read my screen? Hmm.. just in case...)

...

Whirlwind Vegas was fun. An hour layover is just enough time to check in, try to win at the slots (won $10! woo-hoo!), and experience a little disappointment at the lack of pizza (it wouldn't have been a disappointment if not for the anticipation I expressed earlier...). I even found this airport shoplet that sold specialty hot chocolate mix and, more importantly, hot vanilla mix. I'm a vanilla freak and I love to see it get an equal footing with its dark brother. I didn't get the mix, preferring to save impulse airport buys for the inbound legs, 'cause who wants to lug around swag longer than necessary? I did get a vanilla frosty though (Mmm... Vanilla brain freeze...) and then it was time for me to board my next plane.

The plane was too crowded to write, and I just turned on my iPod and napped. I reloaded my iPod with 1149 songs before I left, so there's plenty to listen to. I even included 28 tracks of audio Spanish lessons, which is a little weird when it comes up on random shuffle. I just go with it though; after all, listening to good music seems like a great reward for making it through a 6 minute lesson. (Tengo que hacerlo porque necessito estudiar.)

I am Kevin's sleepy brain, arriving on the last flight of the night, and making my way to the hotel.

More to come...