Ok, This is the first (and very early post from LA.
One tip if you come to LA from europe: Get a direct flight and select your cab driver carefully. We had a stopover in Atlanta and immigration to the US consists primarily of queus. A queue for immigration, three forms to fill out, finger prints taken, photo of your face (goes all in the database), a queue for getting you're suitcase of the conveyer belt. A queue for getting you're stuff back on the plane again. A queue for getting you fully X-Ray-ed (I'm fine, no disseases detected so far)
The young cab drivers here drive like crazy. We went from 65 miles to a full stop with 20 seconds several times during our 20 minute drive to the hotel. The driver squeezed his cab several times into gaps my bike wouldn't fit in.
On checkin of the Hilton/Universal City we upgraded our stay with breakfast so that adds $35 a day to our bill. This gives the pleasure of eating in the Executive lounge which is on the same floor as oir room (21st to be exact). I have seen a comment about the all expenses trip. I hope I can reclaim the taxi ($60) and the breakfast. I think it won't be a prolem because the company probably doesn't want me to starve to death.
Now about the PDC: Sessions will not start unitl 10am. I will follow pre conference track PRE004: Building .Net Web Services Today with .NET 2.0 and WSE 3.0. I already got my PDC t-shirt and a bag of goodies.
I'm going to finish my Starbucks Capuchinno ($3, also goes on the all expenses bill, ... d***n...forget to ask a receipt....you are my witnesses).