We've landed!! And, boy howdy, they weren't kidding about the traffic.

We landed in LAX yesterday, after depositing the kids with the grandparents and handing our creaky old house over to a handyman who will be whipping it into shape over the next month. I'll post more about that later once we have before-and-after pictures.

We got in late last night only to be confronted with the fact that yes, Virginia, even at 9pm, the freeways are indeed stop-and-go and verging on 15 mph for a good 45 minutes. I made the mistake of thinking that LAX would be nearby Burbank, when in fact we should have flown into the Bob Hope Burbank Airport. Next time. Room service, a couple of drinks, and 2 episodes of 30 Rock made us feel better (and a wee bit homesick, already.)

The view from our hotel room. Lookit! Palm trees!

Got six (six!!!) uninterrupted hours of sleep and we are now up and ready to explore the San Fernando Valley. We are driving to a couple of schools today and fanning out from there.

Carpenter Charter School
Colfax Elementary
Rio Vista Elementary
Dixie Canyon Elementary

Those first two are charter schools. That wailing you hear from upstate New York is my pro-union, retired school teacher dad.

This afternoon we are meeting Evan's old StarLog buddy, Len, who's giving us a tour of Burbank and having dinner with his wife and boys, raised and schooled in Burbank schools.

Wish us luck, pictures to come!