What a Buzz.

Locket the Rocket.

Super cool finds

Dean&Deluca - Stars&Stripes

Scribbly MOMA Coasters

Spaceman Ice Cream

In the shopping bag.

Purple Raybans

Victoria Secret bikini (pity I couldn't buy a body there too)

Stan Smith green crackle sneakers. 

The Weird and The Wonderful...

The gatekeeper of Jurassic Park gives Nigel a keen once over.

These were just sitting here - however hard we tried, we couldn't get one in the car though. 

Worst meal of the trip - Monument Valley - beautifully matched with the pretend wine.

Best new 'side' - Cane & Table - New Orleans - fried corn.

Presumably to go with the huge asses?

Bourbon cowboy.

 Monument valley hotel - aptly named The View - Dawn and everybody is up.

Tiffany at Monument Valley.

World's smallest gate lounge - Santa Fe.

Anna Wintour in Stella McCartney - New Orleans.

Best doughnuts in the world - Cafe Du Monde - N'Awlins.

Best sides ever - Galatoire's - N'Awlins.

Club foot anyone?

The Missssssssssissssssssssippppppppi.

Claire of Soniat House.

Nigela.

Selfish use of the beach - Miami.

Astro - naught.

The Coloured House.

The spot where the dream began.

Muscle Men - NYC.

Urban Cowboy - Times Square.

Suburban Cowboy.

Uggie

As we walked into the International lounge in LA. This lovely boy was sitting up on a couch looking intently at his owners laptop. We were both smitten being terrier lovers but also slightly harried given the long flight ahead and with only a half hour to make use of the buffet so we didn't think anymore about him. But much later between episodes of "Girls' (watch it asap) on the flight, I started thinking about the dog we saw in the lounge. Dawgs do travel quite freely domestically in the States but not usually internationally and definitely not off lead in the lounge. Plus there was something particular about that dog. I fretted over it and finally the lightbulb went on - this dog looked a lot like Uggie - the canine star from 'The Artist'. When we got to Auckland, I googled him and sure enough it was him. Apparently he was originally rejected by 2 owners for being too wild and was about to be sent to the pound when he was adopted by a dog trainer who found him smart and willing to work - especially for sausages - a bit like Nigel.

Shop for free

Literally my heaven on earth - Free City - Melrose - LA. I just can't resist typography. But not all that free as it turns out. One very empty wallet later...

Gone burger

If we can, we always have the last meal of our stay at Nate 'n' Al's in Beverly Hills and although it was a long haul to get there from Santa Monica - what with Uber and all that, we thought we'd make the effort. We ordered up so big that Nigel could not finish the steak fries. ALERT Nigel could NOT finish the steak fries. This will haunt him now for weeks to come. Many years ago, he was very sick with pneumonia resulting in quite a few weeks off work. As he was recovering I took him out for a drive and as we were driving past Burger Wisconsin - he said he really really fancied a cheeseburger. In mere minutes, voila, it was sitting in front of him but alas he could only manage half of it. Anyone that knows him, will know that he must have been seriously ill indeed to allow half a burger to go back untouched. Many weeks later, I woke in the middle of the night to find him restlessly tossing and turning in bed. Thinking he was having a recurring bout of the bronchials I asked him " Are you ok?" " Yes he said but I'm quite hungry and I keep thinking about that half burger I left in Wisconsin"