San Francisco

Day one - well, it is actually day two since I arrived yesterday.

Didn't start well. I woke up at the crack of dawn, though actually it was BEFORE dawn (don't schedule a vacation where you set your clocks back, and then gain two more hours in flight...seems like all that gaining time would be great and it is, until you wake up at 5 in the morning) anyhow, back to my point why it didn't start well. I woke up with a migraine. They are always the worse kind. I feel them all night long so I don't sleep well, yet I'm not awake enough to realize I have to get up and take some medicine or it will be worse. So I woke up and was miserable. I took some medicine and laid back down but as usual with migraines I don't keep it down. So, poor Vicki had to hear me sick in the bathroom (you know how hotel rooms echo...I bet the people next to us heard it) but she was a good sport about it and told me that Rebbecca got sick every day of her pregnancy so it didn't bother her at all. Good thing she isn't one of those who get sick at hearing someone else sick!

So I finally kept a few pills down and went back to sleep. When I woke up again around 9 am, Vicki was leaving for her appointments and I was feeling better. I manged to shower and get out of the hotel by 10 am. As long as I kept my dark sunglasses on I wasn't too bad, though could feel the "hangover" of the migraine (that is kind of how it feels). I took about a 1 1/2 mile walk to Alamo Square and took a walking tour of the Alamo historic district. This is where the famous "painted ladies" are - the ones you see in the opening of Full House sitcom. We took a tour of a private home and Richard, the owner, had refurbished it in period 1880's and 1890's antiques. He actually lives there but I'm not sure how, as it is more like a museum. It was quite a site. We learned the history of the area and the homes and walked around for two hours discussing the different styles and periods. This is a free tour (takes up a donation) and was very informative. I highly recommend these tours to anyone visiting San Francisco.

After the tour, I was going to try to book it back to take a tour of Nob Hill with the same city guides, but it was quite a walk back and the effects of the migraine were still lingering so instead I took a leisurely stroll back stopping in shops, eating at an outdoor restaurant, and visiting a local farmers market that I walked through on the way down there. It was a great way to see San Francisco. I walked about 3-4 miles, and didn't get to take my second tour but overall a good day.

Last evening, Vicki and I went to a swank restaurant for dinner as one of her friends/business associates Valorie took us to eat. The place was incredible and the decorations were out of this world. You were definitely paying for the ambiance as the food was very good, but not incredible enough to warrant the prices. Though I'm finding food in SF to be quite expensive. Good thing I don't eat too much...ha, ha.

Tonight there are three receptions to attend....should be a blast.