Good morning!

Day 4: Oakland and San Francisco

I decided to blow off the conference today. Everything was happening in Berkeley and there weren’t many sessions I cared that much about. So I went over and took care of everything I wanted to do in San Francisco instead.

Highlights:

Had my big, artery clogging breakfast for the week at the Buttercup Grill in Oakland.
Visited my old Kinko’s to print out some paperwork I needed.
Took a long walk down Market Street and into my old neighborhood.
Did a little record shopping in Upper Haight.
Had lunch at Pancho Villa, and then walked Mission street from 16th to 24th. Despite all the gentrification in the mission, Mission Street proper seemed relatively unaffected.
Went back to Oakland for a bit before returning to San Francisco to see a friend who now lives in Oregon.
Mmmm. Shawarma.
Experienced a double BART meltdown on the way back.

I’m leaving the Bay Area tomorrow just in time to avoid Pride. I’m headed for Los Angeles on Saturday. Not 100% sure where I’ll spend tomorrow night yet. but I have arranged a meeting at the Safeway corporate offices tomorrow afternoon related to some material for that other site. I’m kind of excited about that.

Day 3: Oakland

Presentation day. Spent most of the day at the conference Things went quite well.

Other highlights:

Lunch at Rosamunde in Swan’s Market.
Reception at the Oakland Museum of California. Free beer and I got to keep the glass. And the California history gallery was nice too.
A nice long stroll around Lake Merritt, which reminded me that I always did like Oakland. if I’d stayed in the Bay Area, I’m pretty sure that’s where I would’ve ended up.

I think tomorrow may involve a bit of shopping Berkeley and San Francisco. And maybe some Pancho Villa.

Back to the streets of San Francisco

So I have ventured into the Bay Area for the first time in nearly five years.

Quick assessment:

Yeah, in some ways it does feel like a visit home. In other ways, not so much.
San Francisco has not become quite the completely foreign environment I expected from things I’ve been reading lately, at least not its physical form. But it’s on the way.
The pizza at Gaspare’s is still a wonderful thing.
I have absolutely no desire to live there again. Were it not for a few remaining friends whole live there (if only part time), I wouldn’t even see visiting again as a huge priority.

So, about Days One and Two of David’s California Adventure 2015? Let’s go with another pair of bullet lists, starting with Monday:

Uneventful and (dare I say it?) almost pleasant cross-country flight once I resigned myself to a $75 upgrade.
BART from SFO is nice. It was in place before I left the Bay Area but I’d never used it before.
I like my “much cheaper than the convention center and right across the street” hotel.

Tuesday:

Watching Mornings on 2 was strangely comforting.
Damn. The humidity is intense. I went for a long walk this morning and was soaking when I got back, even though it was only in the low 60s out. I don’t remember things being like this when I lived here. Maybe the drought is only an issue because all the moisture is in the air.
There’s lots of construction in Downtown Oakland but precious little visible evidence of large scale gentrification. And my newsstand is still open.
Lunch with my friend and ex-roomie in Berkeley. Good food and I only had to ridicule one patron with a topknot.
Rode back into SF with Dan across the new Bay Bridge. Saw his renovated flat, and walked around in the neighborhood a bit.
Dinner with Dan and Jamie at Gaspare’s, with a stop by Green Apple Books.

Today I will actually be paying attention to the conference I’m here for. My presentation is this afternoon at 4:30.

Long day

5:15 – Wake up. Make coffee.

5:30 – Realize I’m supposed to be at the TV station fifteen minutes earlier that I thought. Shower quickly.

5:50 – Leave the house.

6:10 – Arrive at Channel 2. Sit. Wait.

6:45 – Interview begins.

6:47 – Interview ends.

6:48 – Leave Channel 2. Grab breakfast. Kill time until library opens.

7:30 – Go to work.

10:30 – Leave for oral surgeon.

10:45 – Arrive at oral surgeon’s office. Complete paperwork.

11:05 – Begin examination.

11:07 – End examination. Pay $88.00 to find that my dentist was mistaken and that there’s nothing wrong with me.

11:15 – Leave office. Grab lunch.

12:00 – Back at work. Actually get things done.

3:30 – Start a project that really could have waited till tomorrow.

4:30 – Do not finish said project. Leave work. Drop coworker at mechanic.

4:45 – Home. Beer. Leftover soup.

5:30 – Really creepy movie on TCM.

8:00 – Too early for bed. Too late and too tired to do much of anything else, though I’m seriously contemplating doing at least one more thing that lasts two minutes but requires an hour’s prep.