Fun in SF

Tuesday the 24th, I met up with Matthew on his last night with Yahoo! in Sunnyvale, CA. While he was drinking glasses and glasses of wine in SF, I was patiently waiting for him in his room at the Radisson watching TNT’s The Closer (not at all a good show).

Most of us spent the return ride sleeping…I walked into my room to be greeted by Kristine and basic cable! One evening I was too lazy to check my weather widget for the local forecast, I tried to figure out the tv but it was too complicated…I was repeatedly prompted for CSI episodes or adult programming.

The next morning we headed out to catch the Caltrain to San Francisco. The hour ride was pleasant and the little boy in the seat over from us kept us entertained. We were greeted by cool weather and a large group of Chinese tourists at our arrival into San Francisco.

So we set off to do the most touristy thing we had planned, set foot on Alcatraz. I made Matt wait in a hella long line to board the cable car to get to Fisherman’s Wharf and piers. When we arrived at the bay tour area, the guide informed us that Alcatraz tours were sold out until Monday! Our adventure on the rock will need to wait until our next trip.

The weather was perfect, my favorite hoody and jeans all week I am back in IL wondering why we boarded return flights.

Oh…I need to write about our shady adventures entering Golden Gate Park… Don’t forget our adventure on the M line and the multiple bus rides trying to get back!

Thursday we headed to Haight and Ashbury district on the correct Muni line (N not M!) and strolled up and down Haight Street. Yes, the ‘N’ Line, not the shady ‘M’ Line to Balboa park I think we used each form of public transit offered within the city limits. We mistakingly boarded a ‘M’ train and rode it until the end of the line – Balboa Park. We exited the car and crossed the street to wait (with some shady folk) for a return train; we boarded the train and soon realized the return ride would end prematurely. After 4 or 5 stops the conductor of our return ‘M’ directed us to a shuttle bus waiting on the corner. Ok, so we are off to find our connection. Our bus arrived promptly and we continued our return to a big warm bed for our tired bodies. Ahhhhh, our bus route also ends! From the bus [to the pleasure of Kristine] we board a Cuban-style trolly car full of the bizarre and fantastical; one durdy Elton John-like soul, wearing a sweater around his head as a wrap, asked us for quarters in exchange for his dollar…it a voice that was too high to match his shoeless body. * The following day sweater head man was spotted by Kristine (on a Starbucks run) that his ensemble retained the sweater and warm-up jacket from the previous evening and now included the addition of kicks. Finally we departed our caravan of misfits [2 hours later of public transportation] walked to our bedroom and went to sleep… We hit up Kidrobot so Matt could purchase a toy for Tony and I also bought a few for back home. My medicine cabinet is slowly going to be filled with these little toys and soon will no longer hold my bathroom essentials! I also made out with a cute cloud T that I have yet to debut in Chicago. On the way back to the hotel, we purchased a pint of toasted banana ice cream in the shop on the corner of the N stop. Mmm…. Some parts of Central park are safe to walk in, others are best left for the cast from Kids…some parts of Golden Gate Park are safe to walk in, others are better left for the people wearing the same clothes that have been on since last month, smell like stank, and are up in the trees or offering us drugs. We entered the park from the end of Haight, three separate offers for the purchase of drugs were piched two us between McDonalds and 5 minutes in the park. The gentleman with the cute dog next to us met his dealer – the guy on a bike who looked as if he just survived a shark attack…or “just nasty” – and then began to eye us as potential customers or victims…I soon was able to drag Kristine (kicking and screaming) from the park…she was not happy about this and made me feel bad for the remainder of the afternoon…for being such a puss.

We spent the rest of the day walking, actually hiking, through Nob Hill, Union Square and Chinatown and just enjoyed the city and each other before we dined at Bar Crudo. Bar Crudo will become our spot that Matt and I will always head to when in S.F.

On Friday we headed straight to the bay and walked along the piers, ate crepes and viewed sea lions at Pier 39, hit up Trader Joes, and rode the cable car one last time.

Later that day, we attended an opening at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and met up with my cousin Angela, her boyfriend Alvin and their crew at Boss and late night dined at Lucky Chances for milkfish.

Will update periodically throughout the day.

It was worth it climbing up the steep hill… and then again after some wine at Bar Crudo. I did not consume as much alcohol; raw food and alcohol does not get along in my tummy

I miss oysters The artic char and crab was so good!

Old and new [style] wall paintings!

Our feet on Pier 39

Better than Sharks and Seals! I need to make Kristine’s baby seal call my ringtone!

Matt and I with my cousin Angela outside of Boss nightclub. Who is Matt Barnes again? Angela’s boy Alvin was amazing, he bedazzled his own sunglasses! Him and his crew owned each spot we entered…

My favorite image from the evening: