Monday, September 19, 2005

The City/The Game

Well, we're back from San Fran, and the weekend motto was half right: No Win, No Vomit.

Flew in to SFO on Thursday evening and checked into our spartan but clean digs at the Castle Inn.

Around the corner was dinner at Habana on Van Ness and Pacific. All was fantastic. From the mojito, to the empanadas, to the sweet potato soup, to the entrees (Salmon for Noreen, Pato for me), all was fantastic. Then it was on to Curt & Nora's for a couple of cold ones and plans for Friday.

Friday was tourist day, starting with our first glimpse of young Cameron (click on pictures to enlarge):












From there it was on to chilly Fort Point and some first looks at the Golden Gate Bridge:
































To Louis' on Ocean Beach for breakfast, followed by some views of the Beach's namesake:

































A drive through Golden Gate Park:












Then a quick trip though Haight-Ashbury before driving across the bridge to Sausalito:





















The day's highlight was a walk across one of the true wonders of the world:





























Held above the roiling tides and currents of the Golden Gate by nothing more than human audacity, ingenuity, and labor:































Later it was on to a Chestnut St. wine bar, The Shoe and 1550 for dinner (I had Thumper).

On Saturday, Noreen took a run (such ambition!), while I slept in. At C&N's we had bagels & coffee (thanks, Patty) and met their Brit friends Kate & Mark, who joined us for the game:











The trek began with a Malibu load-up, a trip to the Embarcadero to catch the BART, and the BART ride to Berkeley:































The walk from BART to campus was nicely broken up by a stop at The Bear's Lair for a couple of cold ones:












Then it was on to the stadium:












The first half was beautious, as the Illini took a 17-7 lead into the lockerroom against the 15th-ranked Bears. The Illini faithful (old and new) were hopeful, but not cocky. The end of three found us still on top, 17-14, but the fourth quarter was a bad one, as the Bears scored three TDs and ended the skirmish on top, 35-20:
































The return trip to SF was a bit more somber, but only a bit. True, there was no win, but equally important -- no vomit! It was a laid-back last night and then back to Chicago in the morning. All in all -- great trip!

2 Comments:

At 7:43 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I couldn't have said it better than 'no credit check loan' (except the part about no credit check loans since I don't have a blog and website on them).

Thanks for joining us in CA!

Curt, Nora, Cam

 
At 11:22 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

hi.
i got your cd's
i'm rather disappointed they are from 1994, since i see you bought some awsome albums such as separation sunday by the hold steady and twin cinema by the new pornographers, the new portastatic and mum. now i'm bummed.
but am sure they will be just as good as your recent playlists.

 

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