Let the Good Times Begin

Well – after an extended absence from the blogosphere – I’m back. Nothing new or Earth shattering to report. I just had a couple of weeks where life got turned sideways a bit and I may have figured out some priorities that had been askew.

So – on to the fun and games this past weekend – The San Francisco (Half) Marathon! My plan was to drive up on Saturday, run 13.1, and then drive back on Sunday (SF is about a 7 hour drive from OC). Thankfully, I came to my senses late on Friday, and with a few frequent flyer miles, booked a $90 fare to SF International. I would have spent at least that in gas and parking. Score one for me!

Another score for me is that my nephew lives about 5 blocks from the start line. So I didn’t need to pay for a hotel room! And his view? OUTSTANDING!

I got settled in, and then walked over to the expo early afternoon Saturday. Talk about a sea of humanity! But – bib/shirt pickup lines moved quickly.

The California Dreaming Series lines though? That was a different issue. After a 20 or so minute wait, I received my jacket (pretty cool by the way) and wandered the floor of the expo. I found Danica and met Aron! Score another for me!

But, my afternoon wasn’t over yet! One of my favorite foods is Mexican. The Green Girl and Rad Runner had told me about a place that I had to try out – so I loaded onto the bus and made my way over to the Mission District. It was like being back in the neighborhood that I grew up on the East Side of Los Angeles.

I found my way over to Paplote’s and chowed on a Tofu burrito. No wonder they were featured on a Throwdown with Bobby Flay!

My only question – is she or isn’t he?

And I think this photo says so much about the character of San Francisco. I would love to live here!

It was a shame to leave, but I eventually made my way back to my adopted home.

Next up was dinner. I’m so used to having a car to get around – using public transportation was a new experience for me. So, I got on the bus (Line 10 I think?) Luckily, I have a good sense of direction. It didn’t take too long (maybe 10 minutes) to figure out this bus was not going toward where I knew the restaurant was. I quickly hopped off and texted Penny that I was going to be late! Oh well. I finally got on the bus heading in the right direction and made it over to Il Fornaio.

Dinner was absolutely fantastic! No better way to top off a good day than a delicious dinner with some good friends!. Penny had organized and set everything up. All I had to do was show up. I ordered a scrumptious beet pasta dish, and enjoyed my evening with the Heffers:

And I finally got to meet Meg and her husband. What a great couple! Meg – you have a real winner with Steve. I enjoyed his company immensely! He’s cooler than me! (Also pictured is Meg and Steve’s friend Graciela, and Penny’s sister from England).

But – after so many scores in one day – I had to return to my nephew’s abode for some rest. After all, a 5:30 AM start with 20,000 plus other runners meant an early morning wake up call on Sunday!