Trip Report - Nov 1 - Nov 4

For the love of God, my feet are bloody stumps.

Thursday: left work at 4-ish, picked up girlfriends (GF1 %26amp; GF2) and were at the Tulsa airport checked in by 5:30. Had 2 hours in DFW so we shared veggie quesadillas + sweet potato fries (hell of a combo) and drank (blue margaritas for me, EXCELLENT).

Boarded plane, GF1 and I were in the 2 seat side, GF2 next to us on the aisle, but unfortunately was seated next to part of The Nerd Herd - a group of high school kids going to some debate talking and talking. We passed out on our side and they eventually did over there. It was a ';blink and it%26#39;s over'; flight so that was most excellent.

Got our bags and it was 11:30 or so in SF, 1:30 a.m. to us. Got a taxi and proceeded to drive 80 over the Bay Bridge from Oakland to downtown SF. Yea, the speed limit said 50, obviously our taxi driver didn%26#39;t care.

Got checked into the Hilton Financial Center along with several hundred ASN (Nephrologists). Check-in guy said we were getting a ';special'; room as we asked for 2 beds. It was on the 20th floor, had a GREAT view, but nothing else special. Unpacked and to bed about 1, 3 our time.

I was up at 7 so I decided to go for a run - my bloody stumps now curse me. Our hotel was at the dividing line between Chinatown and the Financial District so I ran through the financial part to the wharf/dock areas. Ran all the way down/past Pier 39 and said good morning to the sea lions . It was foggy as heck and a great cool run.

Got back and got in the shower line. By the time I showered it was clearing up on the streets and you could tell the fog would completely burn off. The last fog we saw the entire weekend. I ate part of GF1%26#39;s muffin, grabbed a cappuccino and we headed out. We walked through Chinatown for the first of 47 times and shopped at Ross, Marshall%26#39;s and we went BACK to Chinatown and had a mediocre lunch at Far East something-or-another.

We went back to hotel to drop stuff and meet GF3. We dragged her immediately back out for more shopping. I think we shopped for 3 or so more hours (the walking, after running, my God). We eventually headed back to the hotel, stopping to get mixers for the liquor we had bought at Wayne%26#39;s Liquor on Kearny plus what GF3 had brought with her.

Hotter than heck in SF all weekend, unbelievable. We leave for dinner thank goodness I took off the turtleneck. We ate at The Stinking Rose which overwhelms you with garlic the second you get near. It was 115 degrees IN the restaurant so we got the guy to open the door which helped drastically. Everyone agreed GF2%26#39;s dish (potato pasta) was to die for.

I had some spicy Italian soup w/shrimp in it, very good too. They gave us some candy after dinner and we made a crack about losing a crown with it (very similar to jujubees). 30 seconds later I lost a crown. OMG. I popped it back on and it managed to re-glue I guess.

Saturday we were up early again. We all took showers/got ready (it was a great sight - 4 women sharing a tiny hotel room/bath and it worked perfectly). We walked down to Pier 1/2 and ate breakfast at the Farmer%26#39;s Market - FABULOUS hang-out/stuff to buy/see, people watching place. LOVED it.

Back to hotel to dump stuff, back to Chinatown where we saw the most bizarre parade E.V.E.R. It had to be some protest, started w/a band and typical parade things and at the end there was a “live” action shot of soldiers operating on a guy (like a full operating scene) while others stood there holding money and guns. VERY bizarre – there was some mention of harvesting organs.

Went to House of Nan King for lunch (about 2 p.m.) and it was AWESOME. We all decided what to have, I placed the order and the guy yelled at our selections and said “You only order one GOOD thing, I bring you what you need”. A RIOT. Food was fabulous. GF3 went home after that – we tried to kidnap her to stay another night!!

We headed back out and ended up at THE SHOE MECCA OF THE WORLD aka Burlington Coat Factory. OMG, we were in HEAVEN. It, of course, was the farthest place from our hotel but GF2 and I bought luggage and wheeled it back. We got back to the hotel about 7-8 p.m.? and freshened up for dinner.

We went back to North Beach to a new Italian place - sat outside (IN November, IN San Francisco) and had another excellent meal with the greatest waiters/owners? We had tried to go to Caffe Macaroni but they had a sign up that they were closed and directed us across the street. It was fabulous!

They gave us free Limon Cello drinks at the end and a very good time was had by all. We visited the local ';adult'; shop and laughed our butts off there and capped off the night w/gelato (cheesecake for me, green tea for GF1 and double chocolate for GF2). AWESOME night.

Sunday, aka ';the longest day every'; we got up and thanked our stars we had pretty much packed the night before *and* that the time had rolled back. We took our bags downstairs and checked them w/the bell staff and hiked to Pier 33 to catch the 9:30 Alcatraz Ferry. We had brought bread, pears and cheese from the Farmer%26#39;s Market to eat on the ferry + we bought some of the worst coffee I%26#39;ve ever drank in my life.

It was the 3rd glorious day in a row (by then I had switched to shorts every day) and the ferry ride was gorgeous. We did the audio tour on the island, walked the whole thing, etc. and left on the noon ferry. We walked from Pier 33 to Pier 39 and visited the sea lions (LOVE them).

We kept watching through the fish market area and ended up at Pompeii%26#39;s Grotto for lunch. GF2 and I had 1/2 crab sandwiches + bowl of chowder. Very good.

Walked to Ghirardelli’s Square, they bought chocolate. Rode the Powell/Hyde cable car back to Union Square. I was a Standee and we had a BLAST on the cable car. We went to GF1%26#39;s hotel (staying for a conference, Grand Hyatt), checked her in, walked back through Chinatown (bought some more stuff), walked back to our old hotel, claimed our bags, and *walked* them back to GF1%26#39;s new hotel.

I have never laughed so hard in my life. We (I) am so cheap that I refused to go in a taxi and our feet were bloody stumps by then so they said ';what the hell';. About 10 blocks later, the last one STRAIGHT uphill, we arrived. Laughed our butts off for a good 30 minutes in the room after that.

Went out for a Japanese dinner (EXCELLENT) and back to the hotel. I washed my hair and changed clothes and told them ';I%26#39;m just preparing for the commute to work';. The commute consisted of:

Leave hotel at 8:45 p.m.. Walk downhill (THANK GOD) w/luggage, 4 blocks to subway. Board subway w/luggage, ride to SFO Btw, this was the ONLY time in SF it was cool, I almost wore shorts home but am glad I switched to jeans.

Got to SF and had ditched the awful bags and made it through security before 10 p.m. Sat in bar drinking until 11:15.

Boarded plane about 11:30 (1:30 a.m. our time)? I barely remember takeoff and I did get up to use hte restroom right after they turned off the seatbelt sign but passed out for the rest. When the captain came on and said we were ';80 miles from Chicago'; I thought ';NO WAY';. It was a 20 minute flight.

We got off in Chicago feeling like zombies (now 6 a.m. our time) and walked the entire airport to our Tulsa gate. We boarded that at 6:50 or so and I was asleep on the plane by 7:10. Slept all the way to Tulsa and we arrived right at 9 a.m.

EXCELLENT trip. The shopping is better in NY or Chicago but the experiences, food, company (GF3) and culture of SF can%26#39;t be beat. I wanna go back NOW!

Trip Report - Nov 1 - Nov 4

Masonpips said she «Ran all the way down/past Pier 39 and said good morning to the sea lions . It was foggy as heck and a great cool run.»

I%26#39;m impressed!

«Hotter than heck in SF all weekend»

Lucky.

«We had tried to go to Caffe Macaroni but they had a sign up that they were closed and directed us across the street. It was fabulous!»

You were probably at Macaroni Sciué Sciué(sp).

«EXCELLENT trip . . . the experiences, food, company (GF3) and culture of SF can%26#39;t be beat. I wanna go back NOW!»

Excellent, delightfully breezy, report. And, by the way, quite revelatory for us non-femmes.

Thank you.

Trip Report - Nov 1 - Nov 4

You must have good karma. As soon as you left, the fog came in big time. The last time we saw the sun in the western part of the city was Sunday, the 4th. It became so foggy that a ship ran into the Bay Bridge, a couple of days ago. Didn%26#39;t that warmth feel great? See you next time!

Very funny trip report. Hope your feet recover. There is plenty of good shopping here, and I%26#39;d guess you probably hit the main stores for discount shopping, by your report.

The parade/demonstration you saw in Chinatown was probably members of the Falun Gong protesting government oppression in China. The Chinese government outlawed the spiritual group several years ago and has been very heavy-handed with its crackdown. There have been some pretty horrible human rights abuses. The operting scene was reference to the accusation that they are harvesting organs.

good makeup