The drive back from Vegas was - in a word - punishment. If I had done my usual meticulous planning, I would have remembered the Sunday afternoon rush from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. I used to laugh at 'those people" as I came back from weekend trips to LA. Yet there i was, caught in their midst as I tried to race home. I should have slept all day and made the drive overnight. Once I spent an hour traveling just 30 miles, I should have turned around and tried another route. I should have bitten the bullet and paid the $300 for the flight. Or I should have given serious thought to other ways I could have been irresponsible that did not require spending 20 hours in car. I had a lot of time to think during that drive. Again, I dare say lessons were learned.
27 June 2010
Our next weekend was big, and a big flop in some respects. We had a coffee possibility with Christy, who used to work with Jesse at Expedia. We had a brunch date with Jennifer & Adrian, who used to work with me in Vegas. We had a bar & dart date with Wen, who used to work with me in San Francisco before deciding to go to grad school. And we knew David was in town with his family. I used to work with him in Vegas and while there were no specific plans to see him, we wanted to make the effort to try. It was also pride weekend here in San Francisco. I wanted to see some of the parade. Jesse & I also wanted to shop. I'm not going to tell you how we intended to get all that done, because most of it never happened. The reality is San Francisco is a logistical nightmare, and there are only so many hours in a day.
The Gap. SF Pride Weekend 2010
We never saw Christy. Brunch reservations were canceled. We never saw David. I witnessed pre-parade excitement and later saw a few (exposed butt cheeks) floats. Shopping was lame, as stores didn't open before 11 and we were ready at 10. But we did make it to the bar to see Wen. And sometime after that, things started falling in to place. My worlds collided for a few hours and it was really fun.
The last time I saw Jennifer before she moved to Texas. June 2007.
Jennifer, David, Danie June 2007.I've seen Jennifer once (I think) since she went to Texas three years ago. I just now realized I saw her again three years to the week after my sobbing goodbye. I was a mess. And we were at a wedding reception. So it made no sense for me to be crying as I was. I digress. Jennifer & Adrian live in Texas but on a Sunday in June they walked into a bar in San Francisco. I was there. Fun ensued. Jennifer met Wen, morning producer to (newly former) morning producer. Originally, I worried it would be awkward for my Vegas TV friend to meet mt SF TV friend, but it wasn't. I had a really good time. And then it was time to bid Wen farewell.
Kelli, Wen, Danie @ the Final Final June 2010
Jesse & I then took Jenn & Adrian on a bit of a walking tour. We parked at the Marina, walked through Fisherman's Wharf and North Beach and ended up at our favorite neighborhood bar, The Boardroom. We later drove up to Coit Tower (because we really were close) and met Adrian's cousins for dinner at Tony's. Read carefully: Tony's is the best pizza place in North Beach. It could be the best in San Francisco, or in all of California. I don't know if I want to tell you to go or not. If you go, the other pizza you used to think was delicious will be disappointing. So maybe ignorance is bliss on this one. Although the pizza was also bliss. So it's up to you.
View from Coit Tower
Jenn & Danie
Jesse & Adrian
