Thursday Thoughts - West Coast Edition

Tuesday en route to San Francisco I had the worst coffee I've ever had in my life on board an AirTran flight. Crazy awful. The book is good though, I recommend it.


Things I like about air travel: peering out the window, passenger camraderie, biscoff cookies. Things I dislike about air travel: lack of cup holders, the way my skin and hair look when I disembark, claustrophobia. Things MFD likes about air travel: SkyMall.

I give San Francisco eleventy billion thumbs up. I love it here. 

I do not do well with time change. At all. Speaking of that, do people who live on the west coast feel behind when they do business with the east coasters or read Facebook news feeds? Inquiring minds want to know.


The Pacific Ocean is impressive. And cold.

We rode on a cable car, had awesome street hotdogs, hit Lombard Street, walked down 20983987 hills, went to Alcatraz, had a fabulous dinner at Franchino's, saw Jack Kerouac Alley, browsed in City Lights, had drinks at Vesuvio (including absinthe, yuck), strolled through Chinatown, hung out with the son of a former Irish Olympic high hurdler at Foley's Irish House, heard some live jazz, and had a great time. Of COURSE I have photos for all of it, but right now I need to get my ass out of this hotel and pick up a rental car. So more on that with photos next week.

Sailboat on the way over to Alcatraz

MFD and I are driving over the Golden Gate Bridge this morning, stopping at Muir Woods, then making our way to the Lake Tahoe area to meet up with our people and celebrate the marriage of Christy & Al at WedFest. 


Aloha, Spicolis.

Hello, San Francisco

Cheers, vacation

Yesterday was not bad for a Tuesday. Not bad at all. We left home at the asscrack of dawn, arrived in San Francisco via Atlanta at 1:15, checked into our hotel, and set out to see some sights. 

A guy dressed as Mario playing the accordian is a sight, right?

What a lovely city, really. Beautiful architecture, clean, lots of street musicians, easy public transportation system, very walkable. I can't wait to see more today. I never mind being a total tourist and seeing the sights a place is famous for - I don't live there, so if I look like I don't blend in, it's because I'm not trying to. I'm trying to be a tourist.

We hopped on MUNI and headed to the Haight. Walking down towards the infamous street, we saw gorgeous homes.

As we were about to turn onto Haight Street, we ran into a dirty dread headed girl high on much more than life, laughing like Jack Nicholson in The Shining and waving the end of a cutoff broom at the air. Hello, Haight Street. We also encountered friendly hippies. Yin and yang.

MFD saw these umbrellas and said "Like Lil's!"

We had a great time. It's a chill area. I got our requisite coffee mug - coffee mugs and magnets are what we buy when we travel. We had drinks at Magnolia Pub and Aub Zam Zam, a great dive with nice people and good looking dogs. AND the bartender was wearing a flipping hair mane - here I thought only my mother still wore those. Anyway, I love a good dive bar. Pubs not clubs, people. Pubs not clubs.

At the Magnolia Pub & Brewery

After freshening up at the hotel, we headed out to see the Chinatown gate and wandered around the Union Square area, stopping at King of Thai for some delicious egg rolls, fantastic duck fried rice and fried banana with thai tea ice cream. Unbelievable! Thank you Yuki for the recommendation.

Look how perfectly my nail polish matches the menu. Eating here was clearly kismet.

Yesterday I did one of my life list items: I saw the sun rise on the east coast and set on the west coast. By the end of the day, my ass was dragging, but it was worth it.

We can't get over how cool it is here - both temperature wise and awesomesauce-wise.

Toodleoo, more sightseeing to do.

the weekend that was

A trip to Target, where I experienced a miracle - I only spent $35 - and lounging with my boys

+ 

baked pickles - if you really want fried pickles, go get them, because these are not them.
Otherwise they weren't bad.

+

10 glorious hours of sleep

+

Making a fresh batch of Febreze and a buttload of hausfrauing and laundry.

+

Yard work. I wish all the assholes in life were sentenced to weeding for the rest of us.

Gus hates yard work too

+

Errands, including picking up jeans from the tailor.
For shits and giggles, I called a tailor a few blocks from work in Center City...

$40 to hem a pair of jeans. I paid $9 by my house.

The moral of the story: the city is a fucking racket.

+

Pulling a tray of mexican stuffed shells out of the freezer for dinner is easy AND delicious.

+

Small overnight house guests.

+

I can't get enough of plums. Or Dirty Dancing. 

I have to watch it on TV every time it comes on even though I own it.

I could never commit to one favorite movie, but I think this is probably my number one.

I'll never be sorry.
Neither will I.

+

I caught some of Reality Bites. I used to love that movie. Now I hate it. 

Where have you gone, Winona Ryder?

+

Between following me around all day as I cleaned and following the kids around all night, 

Geege was exhausted.

+

Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Mike Damone is lord of the douche.

photo: rottentomatoes.com

+

Mobsters: the worst mafia movie ever made.

Mentioning Winona Ryder and Christian Slater movies in such close proximity makes me think of Heathers. I need to watch that very soon. One of my favorites. 

+

MFD got up with the young visitors and dogs. Apparently the dogs weren't pleased that I was still in bed. They're saying, "please get up please get up please get up."

+

I can't keep up with the dog hair. Uncle. 

+

Sunday poolside at Mom & Rich's. Sun, a nice breeze, moscato with frozen fruit, snacks, hotdogs. 

What more can you ask for?

Peters caught me blogging poolside

+

Halfway packed for California. Packing is a total asshole. 

MFD is zero of the way packed, and we're supposed to be checking one suitcase. 

We have completely opposite packing styles and never in more than 10 years together have we attempted to pack in one bag. Wish us luck.

+

Lovely sunset with a rising moon.

+

Today is National Hotdog Day, mofos! We celebrated at Mom & Rich's yesterday. 

Laura, all of this mustard is for you.

This is my only day of work this week. A Monday that is also a Friday can't suck, especially when you're about to embark on a grand adventure. Thanks in advance to our lovely dogsitter and friend for staying with our boys.

I'll catch you from the left coast later this week.