The city by the bay

Will modern wonders never cease?  I am tapping this post out from very high in the sky, at present just east of Battle Mountain, Nevada.  So goes the joys of the wifi-related joys of flying in the 21st century, right?  I'm on my way home after a happy weekend in San Jose with my friend Nathalia and her fiancé, Mike.  As I wrote last week, they are getting married in (less than) three weeks, but because I hadn't spent a real block of time with Nat in ages, I didn't want to try to catch up with her during wedding weekend--hence, the pre-wedding trip.  Consider it a bachelorette party for two, if that didn't sound completely weird. 

  

The last three days were everything I hoped for: we ran, we ate, we drove, we watched 48 Hours: Mystery--and above all, we talked...and talked and talked.  We started off the weekend with a grocery run to Trader Joe's. When we got back to Nat's house, we sat in the car for ages with the doors open and groceries waiting patiently because one story led to another story, which reminded us of something else, which basically went on for the rest of the weekend.  We did let Mike get a few words in, and it was wonderful to get to know him better.  They're great people.

Besides, how can you not love a girl whose storage system includes a box with this label?

Our biggest adventure took place Sunday morning, when the three of us drove to San Francisco's Embarcadero, the main waterfront road by the piers.  We ran along the winding sidewalk for six miles, up to the Golden Gate Bridge, and then turned around for the return trip, stopping at the Ferry Building for what at that moment was the best lemonade ever made.

If you've never been to San Francisco before, this route is a glorious introduction to the city.  I ran by Boudin Bakery, where fresh sourdough was just out of the oven, and by tiny restaurants with piles of fresh crab on display. We passed AT&T Park (where the Giants play), Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf, Ghiradelli Square, and the Presidio.  We passed lots of tourists at Fisherman's Wharf and even got surprised by the Bush Man, a local legend who dresses up like an unassuming eucalyptus bush and pops out at said tourists to give them a fright.  (Nat and I Two parties in the vicinity emitted full-blown screams. The crowd loved it.)

Here's a life question: In the history of the earth, has a picnic ever been a bad idea?  I'd put a month's pay on no. Nat and Mike filled a big bag with lox and bagels and cream cheese and tomatoes and mimosas and chocolate milk, and after our run, we took the party (along with our friend Eddie) to a sunny, windy beach overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.  

The wind made the afternoon brisk (and sandy), but I bundled up in a big blanket and was a happy camper.

Loving the photobomb

The other fabulous element of this beach, besides the oodles of families making the most of a gorgeous San Francisco day, was that it was a dog beach.  Yes, reader, you saw that correctly.  The day involved running, friends, food, a beautiful summer day, exploring a new place, and dogs. It was one of my personal versions of heaven.  It seemed to be the dogs' idea of heaven, too.

A good day: plow into water, run to shore, shake off water, repeat

Standing tall in a life preserver

There are more California stories to come, but rest assured, the content will be shorter.

 

Sayonara from Lander, Wyoming!