There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction,
a blessed unrest keeps us marching and makes us more alive than others.
-- Martha Graham to Agnes De Mille
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2001-12-03 - 6:35 p.m. The California Chronicles Ends -- A Rainy, Rainy Day in the City By the Bay Here endeth the California Chronicles, and it's about damn time, too.
Well, it looks like this is the last entry in the Chronicles, because the next day was pretty much our last day there. It rained. It rained a lot. It rained hard. It rained all. Freaking. Day. We went out in it anyway. We bagged on the harbor cruise, because, really, you couldn't see anything. I'm glad I tried taking pictures of the Golden Gate the previous day, because I couldn't see it at *all* on Saturday. We again took the cable car down to the wharf. We did the aquarium, because you were supposed to be able to go under the bay. Not really. They did this cheap showmanship crap where the elevator door says "Pressurized Descent" and then you pretty much stay inside the building, but sometimes the fish swim *over* you. Oooh, look kids, we're under the bay. Okay, maybe I'm getting jaded, but the trip was wearing on, and my patience was wearing thin, and the aquarium was pretty much a gyp. We ate lunch on the pier (and by then I was *dying* to see something else of San Fran, but I couldn't seem to drag eRoommate away from there fast enough). Good wine, lackluster clam chowder, overpriced. We walked from there to Coit Tower, causing eRoommate to remark "I didn't realize San Francisco had so many hills". Coit Tower was pretty cool, but again, you really couldn't see anything from the top. Again, alas. Then we hoofed it over to China Town. Quite the experience that one. For a few blocks I was part of a very small minority, and stood out like a sore thumb. It was gaudy and crowded and so very full of life. I loved it. We poked out heads into a dozen little shops. eRoommate bought a picture, and it was great fun watching him haggle over the price with the proprietor, when neither of them could really understand the other. Finally, we hoofed it back to the hotel. It was a day that could have been miserable, but somehow I just loved marching around in the rain. I had a great time that day (once we were away from the wharf). RedQueenGirl's sister (AK) lives in San Francisco, and went out to dinner with us that night. We drove around forever in North Beach, hunting for parking. We went to a little hole in the wall sandwich place where all the sandwiches come on foccacia. Very yummy. We then went to an Irish pub and just sat and drank and talked and had a great time. At one point AK got me up and embarrassed me across the dance floor a few times. I've had a few swing dancing lessons. She's a competitive swing dancer. I was drunk. She was not. You do the math. Regardless, it was a very fun night, and I'm very pleased that we got to see her. She's a fun gal. Yesterday we got up early and flew home. That is all. Overall, a great trip. Well, there you have it. Believe it or not, but this is an abbreviated version of what happened. I could probably write three times as much, but I've already been typing for over two hours, and you're probably not still reading this anyway. My apologies for the extra-long entries. Thanks for hanging in. Signing off. |