Day 1 - San Francisco

Warning: Boring picture overload of "things" and "places" in San Francisco.  I realize that pictures of people are funner to look at, but I wasn't about to hand over my camera to some stranger to take our picture, so...this is our trip in boring pictures!

For a long time I've been dreaming of getting on a plane and going somewhere.  I look up in the sky at the planes flying way up high over our house and wonder where the people in that plane are going and what adventure they're having...and I'm jealous.

So when Will and I were flying way up high over the quiet, still land below...I was so excited to be on the other end of my dream!  FINally!  It had been over 15 years since Will and I have been on the same plane together.  We've had many trips to the airport, but none of them have resulted in ME getting on a plane.  I'm just the one who drives home alone...listening to my "feel sorry for myself songs".

Arriving in San Francisco.  Cold. Crowded. Busy. Fast. Stress. Anxiety. Sensory overload. Shopping heaven.  Naive. Anticipation.

Our hotel was so central to everything...it was wonderful.  The only down side...no air conditioning, which wasn't so bad most of the time.  Our windows would open, thankfully, but even on the 14th floor it was so loud outside with the trolley cars and the cars and the people and music in Union Square that echoed off all the buildings around us.  I must admit that I loved hearing the little "ding-ding" of the trolley cars.  Helped me to realize how exciting it was to be in San Francisco.

And Will would always follow up with "The San Francisco Treat" after every "ding-ding" of the trolley car!  Of course he would!

The trolley car going up Powell from our hotel room window.  Want to tighten and firm your buns?  Walk up and down the hills in SF. 

Statue in Union Square...I didn't dare stop long enough to take a picture of what this is...I didn't want to be one of the people stopping in mid sidewalk to act like a tourist and take pictures of everything.  I tried to be a polite, off to the side kind of tourist!

This was actually day 2 as we walked to the Civic Center to see the Asian Art Exhibit...I loved the buildings, even though I kind of got yelled at by a man who thought I was taking a picture of him.

Lots of writing on the walls.  Some beautiful and art-y, some...not so much.  And particularly in this part of town...there was both.  And a homeless person sleeping on the sidewalk to add excitement!

Will had to ask me to slow down because he couldn't keep up with me as we were walking.  I was okay until I saw some kid, yes...KID, on the corner with a wad of cash so big that I bet is was almost 2 inches thick.  In my mind...it was drug money...so we walked faster!

We had a wonderful dinner in which I received about 20 phone calls from Emma...crying and sobbing...that she missed us so much and wanted us to come home and wasn't going to make it another 3 days.  It took me bribing her with souvenirs and telling her she could sleep in my bed and watch movies in my room if it made her feel better.  I may have even told her she could eat popcorn in my bed, but I don't remember.  That lasted 5 minutes until she decided that she really wanted us to come home and called again.  Big sigh!!

On our way out from dinner, we gave our leftovers to a homeless man who held the door open for us and expected compensation, which he got in the form of my yummy cashew chicken.  And then we had a man who wanted us to adopt him and take him to our home, even though he looked more than 65 years old.  He was probably a lot younger, but since he only had about 3 teeth...it aged him.  He promised us he wouldn't be any trouble and he would clean up after himself and everything.

I guess it was his form of entertainment and, of course, he wanted to be compensated for entertaining us (more like scared me to death) so I told him that we already gave a man our dinner and if he wanted something he could go find that man holding the door open for people at Macy's...he didn't like that and told us that he wouldn't be home for Christmas then!  Okay by me!!

I'm probably sounding really negative right now about the trip.  If anything, it was very, very entertaining but I realize now more than ever how lucky I am to be who I am, and live where I live, and have what I have and that my brain is, for the most part, not crazy!

The best part was getting to be with Will 24/7.  And I also knew that Will would pound anyone that tried to hurt me.

I slept just fine!