Plans for the Second San Francisco Gathering

Mark Twain made some comment about San Francisco in August...

Sglass, Seems he missed my post about the temp being in the low sixties in San Francisco. He needs to layer - even if it looks a little funny.

Merry Andrew and Sglass are alive and well in San Francisco and heading to
Pier 39 for Chatchkas (PHONETIC IN YIDDISH?)

See you later..................

Merry Andrew and Sglass, Let me know if you guys want to get together tomorrow - after 10AM. The reason for the timing is to miss the commute hours in the morning from the south bay to the city.

Or, you two can take Caltrain up to Sunnyvale, and I can show you some of the sites down south. Can drive you to Carmel/Big Sur/Monterey or stick around San Jose such as the Rosecrucian Egyptian Museum, the Winchester House, Stanford, and some of the big name campus of Silicon Valley.. We have plenty of good restaurants down here. I'll pick you up and drop you off at the train stn in Sunnyvale. Let me know.

You can also drive yourself up north to Muir Woods to see the redwood trees, visit Sausalito, and stop at the other end of Golden Gate Bridge to get a fantastic view of the bridge and the city sky line. There are also some very good museums in SF including the DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park, MOMA (downtown), and the Legion of Honor (there's also a memorial statue of the Holocaust there just beyond the museum).

CI.

Great idea to get together tomorrow. Merry Andrew will get in touch with you in the morning and we can firm up plans. He wants to do everything you suggested. We drove over the Golden Gate Bridge and checked out that beautiful view this afternoon. I was amazed to learn that the Golden Gate Bridge is privately owned. MA wants to know how Angel Island got its name . The toll person at the GGB told us that angels lived there before human beings arrived, "inquiring minds need to know".

I used to spend my summers in Salinas and have wonderful memories of Carmel, Monteray and surrounding areas. Particularly Monteray where I surreptitiously tried to get a quarter that was glued to the floor of a gift shop. I was twelve at the time. I want to go back and see if that quarter is still there. I'm taking a chisel with me.

We spent most of the day at Fisherman's Wharf . Had some wonderful Mahi Mahi at one of the restaurants and went for a ride on the Merry-Go-Round before shop wandering. Oh, and we went for a ride on one of those bike taxis looking for the rental car when we forgot where we parked it.

Do you know anything about the San Francisco Culture Center, 17th & Mission? I am a Nichiren Buddhist and will be going over there at some point.

We'll talk at you tomorrow.

Sglass

Hi Sglass, I've heard of the Cultural Center, but have never visited. My phone will be "on" after 8AM, but my home phone is the best bet: I'll be reading today's newspaper.

BTW, when you call, please make sure to leave your hotel name, address and phone number. My cellphone-headphone was sputtering when I talked to Merry Andrew yesterday.

Looking forward to seeing you folks today.

Here's the very first report of our SF gathering of 2007. Merry Andrew and Sglass drove down from SF to Sunnyvale, and we spent the day in Monterey. It turned out to be a very beautiful day. I parked the car on the east end of Cannery Row, and walked on the pedestrian/bike road west towards the center where the shops, restaurants, and hotel (more hotels are under construction), and stopped about midway to have lunch at Sly McFly's. There's a sculpture of John Steinbeck in front of the square, so both Merry Andrew and Sglass took some pictures. After lunch, we pushed westward to the Monterey Bay Aquarium where we spent a few hours being entertained by the aquatic animals. One of my favorites are the jelly fishes. They seem to glow, and their undulating umbrella movements with their trailing tentacles without any bone, jelly-like structure is fascinating. They also have those playful otters, and a large section of black footed penguins. We walked back to the car at a very leisurely pace, then followed the commute traffic to the Wharf where we spent about one hour just perusing the shops, the fishing boats, and the people. We took a different route home to Sunnyvale where my wife and son joined us for dinner at the Elephant Bar. It was packed (as usual), but they always have an expansive menu and drinks.
Merry Andrew and Sglass left for San Francisco about 9:30PM. Sorry 'bout that! It was a long but very satisfying day of meeting and spending the day with Merry Andrew and Sglass.

More to come.

It sounds like a wonderful day, ci!

Don't wear yourself out, guys! Wait for us!!

Soitenly, CJ, we're all a wait'n.

Merry Andrew and I had a fabulous day with CI who is the most charming and gracious host imaginable.

Now hear this girls, he loves to sit outside of shops while you shop. He is very well trained.

Monterey Wharf has changed a lot since my last trip there many years ago. There is now a statue of John Steinbeck with bird poo all over it.
Also I couldn't find the store with the quarter glued to the floor.

And now here's Merry Andrew with his running commentary . . . . .

Running? Hell, my feet are too sore to even walk upright. That Cicerone fella sure can run as man ragged. A big, big shoutout to him and his charming better half.

Today Sglass and I slept in. It was noon by the time we bethought ourselves to find a place that might still serve breakfast. Eventually, we ended up at the Museum of Asian Art, located about one and a half blocks from our hotel, in what used to be the old SF Public Library building. I'd been there once before when it had just opened but Sglass really enjoyed the exhibits.

Again, a great time is being had by all (although, of course I can't really spek for everybody) and we're both looking forward to seeing the rest of the gang next weekend.

Will report any further developments right here.

I'm glad your day was enjoyable, sglass. Say hi to Merry and CI for me. And, if you would like, you can say hi to CI's wife, but I don't think she knows me and she will probably look at you and say, "Who?"

ok... skip that.

gus, Come. I'll personally introduce you to my wife.

Jeez! c.i., what has your wife EVER done to you that you'd even consider introducing her to Gus.

What an unfeeling creature you are! Gus! Of all people!

It's because of Gus I never even come anywhere near the US of A! Yeeeccccvhhh!

margo, gus stops you from coming to the US? How about if we ship him to Australia for a few days? Will you come?

Oh Margo what did poor Gus do to you????

Come on to San Francisco Margo and the A2k gang can rent its own cable car for a little trip to the stars. Can't you see it now, Gus racing across the sky, the wind blowing through his beard . .

Ah, its a bird, no, its an airplane, oh my gawd it's Supergus with a herd of oversized ratz looking for a new planet to inhabit.

What are you going to call your planet Gus?

See, there really is a Seaglass Gus. Then we can sing Seaglass in the Sky with diamonds. Or is it rhinestones????

they better be rhinestones. diamonds are made of blood. i'm sure gus would not approve. he's sensitive that way.

Looking in, enviously. Best wishes to all.

McT

Popping in to corroborate that Mrs. Imposter is a swell person and to say I'm enjoying your travels, Seaglass and Merry.

I don't know that area that well, but I do like Monterey, Pacific Beach, and Carmel. I had not liked Carmel for years, too cute touristy in my then view, but last time I was there I seem to have mellowed towards it. I could spend a lot of time in the Aquarium....

Osso,

I concur with you. Mrs. Imposter is one ono wahine.