Luckily, we were able to really enjoy our weekend and take advantage of the sunshine!
After several parent meetings on Friday afternoon, the 6th grade team had an "off campus" grade level meeting aka drinks at one of my coworker's. We had a blast; so much so that I didn't get home until after 10 from what we thought would be a happy hour. I really like my grade team, and it's been fun to hang out outside of work and get to know each of them as people vs. as teachers. Adam graciously took the BART (train) home because I was socializing, and he actually left soon after getting home to meet the OB/GYN Boys' Club - the men in his residency get together every so often to hang out, and he missed the last one because of work, so he was eager to go this time. He really enjoyed it, as he misses his guy friends from NY, and hopes to do more things with some of these co-residents.
We were woken up bright and early at 6:30 Saturday morning with an arrival from USAirways - Adam's luggage. It had to be checked gateside, ended up lost, and after a lot of drama, was returned first thing in the morning. Glad to have it back, though maybe a few hours later :) The weather was insanely gorgeous, so we were thrilled that one of Adam's med-school roommates was in town for vacation and picnicking in Mission Dolores Park. (Side note: en route, we drove through the Castro and traffic suddenly slowed down. We didn't understand until we looked to the right and realized there were tons of naked men amidst a crowd of people. Oh, San Francisco...). Dolores Park is right next to a famous ice cream shop, Bi-Rite, so we obviously had to stop for ice cream on our way. While in line, we looked across the street and thought we saw Adam's cousin and his wife (who lives in LA)...texted him...and turned out that it was! So crazy! We spent some time enjoying the sunshine with Adam's former roommate before stopping by to say hi to his cousins. The park had a wonderful vibe, with people of all ages enjoying "San Francisco's Indian Summer," as people say.
We then headed to Berkeley to spend some time with my former NY roommate, Kim, who goes to Berkeley Law. We enjoyed the sunshine in her small backyard and made plans to hike next weekend (so excited!) before heading further into east to visit Adam's grandfather's cousin, who lives in Walnut Creek. Marvin and his wife Ruth were wonderful--they gave us a tour of Walnut Creek, a beautiful area in the East Bay. We drove up Mount Diablo, stopping for a coyote to cross (poor guy was super skinny; it was so sad!) and marveling at the spectacular surroundings. Adam and I kept commenting that this is what we imagined California to feel like - sunny, warm, mountainous, fog in the distance, and just all around stunning. I wish I had brought my camera, but you'll have to settle for a phone shot from the summit of the mountain:
The view is north, looking into a delta, across the "Golden Mountains" (their dry vegetation gives them a golden sheen). Ruth and Marvin are both extremely knowledgeable about California and Walnut Creek in particular (Marvin moved there in 1951 and helped found the main hospital in the area). They told us lots of stories as we drove, and they were able to explain a lot about the history and development of the region. We ended the day with a delicious dinner in the downtown area of Walnut Creek. It was a great evening, and we enjoyed getting to know relatives in the area.
Today, we did a lot of cleaning and laundering and preparing for the coming week. In between, we went to the North Beach area, near Fisherman's Wharf, and finally bought a rug and a runner (pictures to come!). To celebrate, we just had to walk along the crazy crowded wharf to enjoy chowder at the Blue Mermaid - a delicious treat and must-do for all of our visitors (ahem, that means you!). We ended the day with work and the Emmy's and an ice cream bar at one of Adam's co-intern's in celebration of her birthday. I think all of the hospital talk helped get Adam in the mindset of work tomorrow :)
While I definitely don't like when Mondays come around, it will be Wednesday and Yom Kippur before I know it! Planning on a delicious break-fast for us on Wednesday night, so hopefully it will go by fast. Happy 5773!
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