Santa Monica. The weather is absolutely lovely, and, as always, I start wondering what the hell I'm doing in Norway when I could be living out here. You know, aside from family, friends, a great job - seasons. I like the odd cold and rainy day. It's easier to get in a writing mood when the weather's miserable.

I enjoyed Las Vegas more this time around, even though I didn't really get to see much of it. We came in Monday evening, attended the D.I.C.E. Summit on Tuesday, and left again Wednesday morning for L.A. The highlight of the conference was seeing Stan Lee speak, and while the awards ceremony on Tuesday was a huge letdown...hey, free food! You can't complain. But it's depressing that after so many years, our industry still doesn't have an awards show that's up to scratch. This one didn't have a single video clip from any of the nominated games, which is just insane.

We stayed at the New York, New York Hotel & Casino which is about as Vegas as it gets, but it was so over the top that I couldn't help loving it. It was just like being inside a twisted Disneyland version of the real New York, except not really. It was enormous, and it must have cost a fortune to build. The amount of money that changes hands in that place is unfathomable.

Santa Monica is also all about money; people have it, and they flaunt it with expensive cars and designer clothes, but it's a world away from Vegas. I really like staying here, and I usually get the opportunity a couple of times a year. It's the one place in the Los Angeles area that feels like a proper city where you can walk around, shop, eat, hang out, and view the stunning Pacific Ocean sunsets. Of course, we're here for work, but there are fringe benefits to these long and tiring trips.

On Sunday, we set course for Seattle, which means that I'll have to readjust to cold weather again. Can't say I'm looking forward to that part.
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