The San Francisco IS a treat!

Oh my goodly heavens! It has been ever so much longer than I wanted it to be since I posted the last post and promised a promise that I clearly could not deliver on. I better stop making promises I don't intend to keep, like making promises to Charlie about doing things when he "gets big." It's easy to promise him that we'll buy a money truck (that would be a Loomis truck that you see around grocery stores and whatnot) or get a dog, or that he'll have big muscles like Michael Phelps when he gets big, because then I'll just keep telling him that he isn't big yet, until he's married, and then he'll be somebody else's problem. That is my strategy, and I'm sticking to it!


Back to business: I believe I might have mentioned that I had the chance to accompany Will and the entire Thurman White Middle School music program to San Francisco in May, and let me tell YOU, it was fabulous. First and foremost, my mom graciously, or foolishly, offered to stay home with our kids, so this trip was kid-free. Except for a busload of hormone-charged teens and tweens, which brings me to the second point of awesomeness: I did NOT ride the bus, I flew directly into San Francisco and then had some time to myself before meeting up with Will and the band kids just as they were turned loose on the streets of San Francisco. And if you have never been to San Fran, you must! Oh, you must! Doesn't the cheesy smile on my face say it all?
And now, some highlights of the trip, in no particular order, with some accompanying pictures for your viewing pleasure:


#1. Walking through the city from Union Square, up through Nob Hill, then Chinatown, down through North Beach and out to the Fisherman's Wharf area: there is just no better way to discover a city than on foot, I tell ya. Had I been in a car I might have missed many wonderful and entertainig things including-but not limited to- elderly Chinese ladies learning to dance in the park; several strangers addressing me in French, because, well, I guess maybe I look French? Also, climbing hills. And more hills.


#2. Having chowder in a bread bowl from Bakery Boudin, and if there is an explanation for why chowder tastes better in a bread bowl even if you don't like bread bowls, then I would like to hear it, please.


#3. Purchasing three completely unnecessary pairs of sunglasses which I would otherwise never have purchased, just because we were on vacation! (See photo below for evidence of said sunglasses)
#4. A boat ride under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz island. Did you know a fierce group of displaced Native Americans seized Alcatraz and lived there for three years until they were booted off so that it could be used as a prison again? Imagine!


#5. Chinatown!!! I walked around Chinatown three separate times, and still I never got enough of that magical place. The first time was early morning on a weekday, I was by myself and I needed a quick breakfast. I ducked into a little bakery (only knew it was a bakery because of the baked goods I saw in the tiny window) and the place was packed with about 40 elderly Chinese men (husbands of the ladies in the park?) shouting at their Bingo cards in Chinese. Then I bought my first bun of the day, for 75 cents. It was awesome. In the less touristy parts of Chinatown, you really do feel exactly like you're in China, and that's probably the closest I'll ever come.
Subsequent time spent in Chinatown garnered a a delicious sesame sticky bun and some other strange stuff with bean paste that I forced Will to eat, but I think he liked it. And, after much discussion with a shop owner who spoke no English, we bought a little "Kung-Fu Panda" outfit for Charlie. That was a tricky discussion, involving much gesticulating, and even some not-so-gentle, actual, physical pushing. But it was so worth it! Cute enough to be the Dragon Warrior! (If you have a 3-year-old boy, you probably got that reference.)

#5. Sans kids, spending time with my honey, a willing companion who always caters to my every whim. EXCEPT for if I ask him to pose on huge, complicated sculptures with me.

#6. When my honey desired to win me a stuffed animal bigger than his own self, even though it is NOT my every whim to have possession of such a monstrosity. Fortunately he was not successful. Here is how that went down:

The Plan- To hold on really, really tightly to the rope ladder while climbing to the top and not fall off.

The Outcome- Failure to accomplish The Plan.

In other words, he did not hold on tightly enough, apparently and he fell. And he was so sure that he could do it! And I even cheered him on with lyrics from "I Need a Hero!"

#7. (This is my favorite) When it suddenly dawned on Will that he had--perhaps subconsciously, or perhaps just coincidentally--designed a trip T-shirt for the San Francisco trip with a rainbow motif. This occurred towards the end of the day we spent down on Fisherman's Wharf, after several instances where kids wearing their trip T-shirts were referred to as being part of the big group of "The Rainbow Kids..." It was funny.

#8. The best Mother's Day present I've ever had, which was having most of Mother's Day to wander around the city by myself, and be by myself. And did I mention I was by myself? I spent a lot of time in Golden Gate Park, and I stumbled on this little delight called "Lindy in the Park." It's free swing-dancing lessons once a week in the park for anyone who cares to show up. I saw lots of joggers and bikers who were passing by and decided to stop and dance for a little while, and then continue on. If I had been just a little more gutsy I would have joined in, but also I was just enjoying being by myself and whatnot.

Let the record show that even though I love being by myself from time to time, it is never my preferred state of affairs and I was more than happy to be back to my kidlets and Will after our spectacular getaway. Time away in a new place, observing different people and how they live always brings me back to how blessed I am in MY life. As I was trotting about the city on my day alone, I walked through some really lovely little neighborhoods of rowhouses and I started imagining an alternate reality wherein I would live in a cute, little walk-up with window boxes and drive a yellow Vespa to the art museum once a week. Then I imagined my real life from the perspective of the yellow Vespa person, and I know the reality I've got is the one I really would want. But maybe I could still have a yellow Vespa someday...

So, in summary, San Francisco is special and I love it, I do not like bread bowls, and I do love my family.