Barstow to Oxnard via LA

Last night I after checking in I realised I had left my Power Supply for my laptop at the hotel in Williams, I was really annoyed but there was no way I was doing a 14hr round trip to get it! Les whom I had me it LA the other day had told me about a huge Electronics store in LA so I decided to head down there and see if I could get a new one. It turned out the store in LA was still another 3 hours away – I was glad I had stopover. I found the store in Burbank, next to the Bob Hope Airport; I don't know if that's a good name or not – 'Bob Hope' reminds me of 'No Hope'! The Store was huge, really huge and has a spaceship which has crashed into the entrance and appears outside and inside the store. Once inside the Customer Services is laid out as an old time Gas Station, Huge models of 50's Sci-Fi caricatures are spread all over the store. The store sells everything electrical and electronic from a resistor to a washing machine. I had good look round but the computer department couldn't help me. Wandering the store I found some universal power supplies and one of them looked like it would do the trick, however I wanted to try it. I asked at the Customer Service desk if I could test it, and was told you have buy the thing first, then bring it to customer services to test it. Rather annoying as the queue for the checkouts was huge. I asked the 'Customer Care Colleague' if I would have to do the same if I wanted to test a media player with the huge 6ft TV behind him but all I got was a blank look. So I queued up and paid for the lead then went out of the store (signing out my laptop I had brought in to test), to return into the store again (signing my laptop in again) to queue up for the Customer Service desk. Bloody ridiculous – and I told the Manager there, not that he seemed fully aware of what I my issue was. They say the UK follows USA in Customer Care; I'm not so sure. OK off the soap box, the power supply worked so I was sort of happy again, I also bought a window mount for my PDA (only to find that they are illegal in California, Arrg! I needed some food so drove around the corner to a Denny's and had the Steak Breakfast which comprised a Huge T-Bone steak, two eggs and hash browns all for about a fiver. Suitably fed and calmed down I decided to go and try and see the Hollywood Sign, which I found just off Sunset Boulevard, Photo done, I drove around and ended up passing through Beverley Hills and realised it was getting late afternoon and I really needed to find somewhere to stay. I decided to head North'ish and picked on Oxnard on the sat nav as being in the general direction to go. I didn't realise it was as fas as it was and ended up getting there around 9ish. I looked through a hotel listing mag I had and It only listed one – the Regal Motel. I pulled up and it was the quintessential looking Motel owner operated. I knocked on the door and was first met with a huge bull dog at the glass then the owner came out and unlocked the door. The 'voucher' I had had apparently expired and it was only ever valid for days without a Y in them or some strange condition like that. I wasn't in the mood for hunting any more so paid the rather exorbitant room rate and got the key to the room. The room was basic and the walls were thin I could watch TV and listen to the sound from the TV in the room next door no problem! I had a quick chat with my mum and dad on Skype and then went to bed . About Midnight I was aware of talking outside the window of the room and then I could here what sounded like walkie-talkies. I took a quick peep out the side of the curtain and saw about 4 police about to bang on the door next to me. Not only that but it was guns drawn! The one nearest my room saw me at the edge of the window and signalled for me to be quiet -I wasn't going to argue with him. Next minute they were in the room and shouting at a woman to get up and show them where the 'stuff' was. It took about 20minutes for them to eventually take her out (in handcuffs) to the police cars, and then it all went quiet again. I have no Idea what 'stuff' was there as when I checked out in the morning I just left the key in a drop box. Nice Place!