Work Week Away

I flew down to San Fran to work from the office on Battery Street and reconnect with other Lindens. It was really nice to see those people in person again (or for the first time). Arriving on Sunday in any place in the U.S. is always a strange endeavor, especially if your room is in/near the financial district. Still, it was good to be back in the city by the bay and gather my senses of it again.

As it turns out, a couple of my old buddies who used to visit ME in SF are now living there for me to visit THEM! I dropped my gear off at the hotel and hopped back on BART (which is now an expensive $8.80 from SFO to downtown - WTF!) to hook up with Howie for dinner in the Mission. He took me to Bissap Baobab and we got stuffed. We met up a few times during my week, once being a great evening walk down Ocean Beach and up GG park.

One lonely night, when I had no plans whatsoever, I decided to take a moonlit hike up Nob Hill to the church, and then looped back through Chinatown on the way back to my room. It was so beautiful that I decided I'd do it again in the early morning before dawn. I retraced my route, then added Telegraph Hill on my way to work via the Filbert Steps. As I was walking and marveling at the sights of the bay and the Transamerica pyramid, I recalled how much I took for granted while living there. It was a blessing to be back there and be in my own head-space.

I had a couple bonding nights with my work-mates. Once at Grumpies for brewskies and bullshit - had a blast and forgot how down-to-earth those people can be. I also met a few new faces whom I may have worked with in Second Life, but whom I've never met in person. They took me out for the most amazing sushi experience! I had to be reserved while telling the sushi story to Mel so she wouldn't be jealous.

Lupè and I hooked up for lunch one day and again for dinner on my last night. We reunited with Howie and Kona for BBQ at Baby Blue's followed by sessions with Dub Step back at Howie's, where I shamelessly showed off pictures of my daughter. It was true that I was missing my ladies. The next day I would fly back to Portland to be with them and meet Chiara for the first time since her birth.

If I haven't said it before, I love Portland. Since I have my brother's house to crash at, a few friends who live there, and it's only a few hours' drive/train ride from Seattle, it's like a second home to me. After landing, I hopped on the MAX to get back to Dave's, where I'd be spending an evening celebrating his birthday without him (he was fishing off the coast of Ventura). Still we had a marvelous time with Amy and Michael that night.

A three city tour was plenty of action for me in a week. It was a great time to reconnect and change up the routine a bit, though.