It's over already...

It felt like they just got here, and then they had to leave. But OMG. Did we cram a whole bunch of stuff into a few days or what?!?! I don't think my legs/feet will ever be the same, and Blondie is having some knee problems.

So, mom and sis landed and Blondie met them at the airport. I ended up taking the BART out to meet them, and from the airport we went out to GG Park. We stopped to see the bison paddock, and inadvertently stumbled over a clown sprawled out on the grass just watching the bison. It was a nice intro to the sights and sounds of SF, if I do say so myself. From the bisons, we went and took a bunch of pics in front of the windmill. I don't think I've laughed so hard as I did when my mom tried to take a pic of me, Blondie, and sis. She kind of contorted herself backwards, and anyway, I can demonstrate the pose for you if you'd like. Then we went to check out the ocean, whereas mom in her infinite wisdom, thought we should stick our feet in it. Because it's the Pacific Ocean. Because she didn't fly all that way to not put her feet in it. Of course it was like a bathtub filled with nothing but ice cubes, and the wind was whipping so hard that we ate a gallon of sand for a mid-afternoon snack. But it was fun. Especially when she drug me way out on the beach b/c the "tide was going out and we need to catch it" and then the tide came rip-roaring back in, and we got nailed by the water. And then my sis just laughed and laughed. And got it on video.

After dinner on their first day, we took a drive up to Twin Peaks. (Side note: When Blondie and I first broke the news to the fam that we were moving to SF, we took a map home so they could see a layout of SF. Brother R pointed to the map and said "Look! Twin Peaks!". Mr. Pooh said "No worries Brother R. In 20 years, they'll be twin sags anyway"). The view was incredible and we probably would've stayed longer, but someone's (2 someone's actually) teeth were chattering so loudly it made it hard to talk.

Friday, we drove out to GG Bridge and walked across for a bit to look at the views. Then we drove Lombard Street, where we seriously wondered about the breaks on the car and whether or not we would get down the street safely. From there it was a trip to Alamo Square (aka Full House Park), and then lunch back in the 'hood followed by shopping up and down Haight. Friday night, we caught the train (first time on public transportation for mom/sis while in SF) to Inner Sunset for more shopping and pizza. We also caught a much more crowded train back, and while Blondie really wanted to ride the bus home, mom and sis insisted on walking the hell-hill to get home.

Saturday, we toured Alcatraz. We got some great pics in there, particularly one of my mom in a cell trying to make a sad face. The sad face turned out to be ridiculous looking and all of us had a good laugh. After Alcatraz, we went and had lunch in Fisherman's Wharf and then visited with the sea lions. A walk to Ghiradelli Square, and an inadvertent drive up to Coit Tower finished off our afternoon.

Sunday was "mass transpo" day to the fullest. We rode down to the mall on the train (hahahah - mom did a full-body hug on one of the rails to hold onto) and caught the Cable Car back to Fisherman's Wharf.
(I'm probably going to piss mom off by telling this, but when she was out here 33 years ago, her and my dad rode the cable cars. She admits she was a little young, a little naive, but when they rode the car, she had a flasher ride directly in front of her and slap her in the knee with his "Mr Winkie" the entire ride from Powell to the Wharf, and she didn't realize what was going on until the end of the ride when she happened to look down. Anyway, we hopped the cable car and Blondie was riding in front of mom, and he pulled his sunglass case out and started tapping mom on the knee. Tics to visit family in SF: $330, tics to ride cable cars: $5, look on mom's face when Blondie started up on the cable cars: priceless)
Then, we made mom and sis walk back up through North Beach to ChinaTown. We shopped and dined for awhile, before slowly slowly slowly making our way to Union Square (all of us were BEAT by then), before catching a combination of train/bus home. A fart contest between the 3 women completed the night nicely (and stinkily).

And this morning we said goodbye. Which was the worst part of it all.

THANK YOU GUYS FOR COMING TO VISIT!!!! We had so much fun! And we miss you already!!!!

--K