Mommy camp in San Francisco, Day 2

Sasha returned Sunday morning bearing good news--she was taking us to the Golden Gate Bridge! It was overcast in the city, and you could only see half the bridge, but Sasha turned that into a positive.

"This is the true San Francisco experience!" she told us. "This is how it really looks most of the time." I smiled at her optimism, and embraced it, screaming with joy as we drove over the foggy bridge.

We parked in the massively crowded viewing lot and got out--there was no way I was gonna drive this far and NOT walk on the bridge! It was cold and windy, so my mom improvised, wrapping her head in a scarf. Sasha and I cracked up, teasing that she looked like a Russian woman with her babushka.

We walked about a quarter of the bridge, giggling the whole time. I was super excited to hug one of the supporting cables. In a moment that seemed just out a movie, I posed, smiled for my close up, and then tripped on the sidewalk. For a brief moment, I thought I would fall, but I caught myself just in time. Of course, my mom was watching the whole thing--I saw her expressions go from laughing, to scared, to "You are an idiot!" all in a microsecond. 

But then it was time for our next adventure--lunch with the family! Tim, Kim, and their kids live about an hour away, and came to visit us. They even brought along Kim's mom, Susan, who was in town visiting them.

I was so excited about the bridge, and seeing the family, and just vacation in general, that I popped out of the car a little too excitedly--sending my smartphone into the gutter for a bath. I stood there, disbelieving, but Sasha was on it--she dove down and grabbed it, immediately removing the battery. She saved the day! (And my smartphone!)

We met them for lunch at their favorite restaurant, Tarantino's. I was a little worried when we walked into the restaurant, which was very quiet--we are not a quiet bunch, and I realized we were about to ruin everyone else's peaceful meal. Luckily, the server  seemed to sense that, and guided us to a separate empty room.

The room was great, though.

It had a perfect view of the wharf, where we watched the Bush Man scare unwitting tourists. The Bush Man is this random guy who sits on the sidewalk behind a bunch of branches he's picked. If you're not paying attention, he just looks like a bush--but then he jumps out and scares the crud out of you. We could've watched that all day, if he hadn't earned enough money and gone off to lunch!

Hannah and Nick also kept me entertained with photos of the previous day, when they unintentionally went hiking at a park filled with little kids.

"There were toddlers EVERYWHERE!" Hannah exclaimed. She wasn't sure why until they heard a train approaching--which turned out to be a life-sized Thomas the Tank Engine! I was laughing so hard at that, and the pictures they took at the nearby Sasquatch museum.

After lunch, we headed to Nick and Hannah's favorite SF hangout--an arcade. But this wasn't just any arcade--it was an old-time arcade, filled with creepy games of times long ago.

There was a creepy giant doll you could make laugh for a quarter, but she freaked us out. We moved on to a fortune telling machine, and laughed at everybody's fortunes but mine. I got some creepy fortune, so I put in another quarter to cleanse my spiritual palette. It still wasn't a happy fortune, but it was less dark and ominous as the first.

The kids crowded around a more modern game--hockey. It was Tim and Hannah against my mom and Nick, and it got so heated, it actually drew a crowd. They were loud!

Sasha and I cruised around the arcade, becoming more and more troubled by the "games." They looked like dioramas, with figures that came to life when you put in a coin. There were some funny ones with old Western towns or rodeos in them, but there were also creepy ones reenacting the Spanish Inquisition, the English taking out Native Americans, and this one, the creepiest one of all:

That's right, an opium den! We had to see what happened. The addicts didn't really smoke opium, but they looked a hot mess. We put in a quarter and the machine came to life--skeletons and the Grim Reaper appeared, and Death was lurking behind all the addicts. There was a guy in bed who started convulsing--I'm telling you, it was all CREEPY! I try not to repeat myself, but the whole arcade was creepy like that! (One "game" had a sign warning "If you are easily offended, do not play this machine." Another sign said, "Warning! By today's standards, this does not sound like music.")

There were actually a couple games that were funny--we all tried a strong-grip game. Tim was the strongest, getting up to Gentleman. Nick got Nullity, Hannah got Sucking, and I got between Madly in Love and Boy. (Guess I'm madly in love with a boy! Lucky fellow!)

we strolled along the wharf, stopping only when Nick and Hannah found a place they liked--a candy shop! Sasha and I pushed them inside, saying we'd buy them whatever they want.

But they proved to be the exact opposite of what you think when you hear the phrase "like a kid in a candy shop." They were quiet, reserved, walking through the displays, just staring at the candy.

"What's wrong with them?" Sasha asked. "Why aren't they picking out any candy?"

"I'm overwhelmed!" Nick confessed.

I was as confused as Sasha was--seriously, who has to beg a kid to buy candy?? Finally, Sasha took matters into her own hands. She grabbed and opened a bag, shoving it into Nick's hands. 

"Go!" she told him, opening the closest bin of candy. "Fill it up!"

Hannah also overcame her initial reluctance, and was off like a shot. They filled their bags with peanut butter cups and every kind of sour candy you can imagine, and they. were. in. HEAVEN.

We continued on with our stroll. Well, most of us did, except Hannah, who was not strolling at all. She walked quickly, hellbent on some unknown destination. I just followed along, unnerved at how much faster I have to walk now that she towers above me. (Dang kid is all legs!) Nick and I joked and acted silly, but Hannah walked purposefully.

We reached our destination--Ghiradelli Square! Hannah pushed right on through the crowd, straight up to the register, and ordered a mocha ice cream cone. Suddenly, she turned around, as though seeing us for the first time; as if remembering she was actually with her family. Talk about hyperfocus--that kid's got it!

Nick and I ordered ice cream, too. The line was long, but the kids didn't mind--they were seriously tucking into their candy bags.

"You have to put that away when your ice cream's ready," I told Nick. "You can't be eating candy AND ice cream at the same time!"

He just looked at me, truly shocked, and said, "What? Why???"

I didn't have to enforce the rule, though. Tim came by and scooped up their bags.

Alas, he was too late. By the time Nick got his ice cream, the candy sugar had kicked in, and he was smack dab in the middle of a full-fledged sugar rush. I don't even think he finished his cone--he was bouncing around so much, we sent him to run laps. He ran a giant circle around us about 10 times, while Hannah, Sasha and I cheered him on, cracking up.

After leaving Ghiradelli Square, we ambled down the street again. A gallery was showing off some Dr. Seuss artwork, and Sasha took the kids inside.

"Do you think it's a good idea for Nick to be jumping all around priceless art right now?" Tim asked, and we all agreed probably not.

When they came out again, I passed out the San Francisco postcards.

"Write a message to your cousin!" I said, so they did.

Hannah was trying really hard to concentrate on hers, but Nick was too distracting. He was still bouncing around. He wrote that he'd just eaten candy and an ice cream cone. I debated sending it to Mark--it didn't seem appropriate to send to a kid at diabetes camp, after all.

Before we knew it, we were in front of the Buena Vista again, in front of Sasha's car.

"Well, okay then, goodbye," Mom said to the rest of the family.

Now I felt like Nick--"Wait, what?? Are we done then?" She caught us all off guard--it was only 4 p.m.!

But she was done. So we hugged everyone and bid them farewell. Apparently, Mom was done for the day and needed a nap.

Sasha said she'd return after my mom's nap, but I wasn't tired, so I said "Let's keep playing!" We pulled up to the hotel to drop off my mom, but when we told her we were going to Twin Peaks to view the city, she waved and told us, "Let's go!"

"I thought you were tired," I said.

"I am," she said. "But it won't take long." She just didn't want to miss out!

And so, we kept going. Sasha navigated us through the city, pointing out Haight-Ashbury and the beautiful houses. She showed us the Opera House, and a community garden that had previously been a freeway off ramp. It was great.

She zipped through the narrow, windy streets. In one quiet residential neighborhood, my mom said, "Hey, there was a bride in that car!" It seemed kind of random.

When we arrived at Twin Peaks, we were blown away, both figuratively, and literally. The view was amazing--you could see the entire city, from the Oakland Bridge all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge. It was sunny, clear as a bell, and the city below was magnificent. 

It was also windy. So windy, in fact, that we saw a group of kids laughing and pointing. Turns out they were pointing at a bird who was trying, unsuccessfully, to fly in the high winds. He was flapping wildly, but going nowhere. It was really funny!

And then, out of nowhere, the bride appeared! We saw her bridesmaids first, at the top of a close-by ridge. You could only see their matching dresses around their legs--the rest of them were covered in coats and boots. They'd climbed to the top of the ridge.

The bride and groom were being photographed about halfway up. Her hair was flying all over the place, and when she attempted a "king of the world" move, her veil went flying!
 But she had a good groom--he immediately chased it down, recovering it. (A little dog also chased after it--poor guy flipped himself over, he was running down the hill so fast!)

 

They also had good groomsmen--two of them carried a bench up the hill for the photo session. The happy couple sat down, and someone held her veil above them--it flew right out, flat as a sheet above them! We really enjoyed the whole show, watching for about half an hour.

Sasha darted through the city, driving us back. When we were a block or two away, we hit an unexpected traffic jam--a cop was guiding the cars, and the street was just teeming with people. I looked around quickly to see what was up. The street sign said it  all--Lombard Street, the famous crooked street!

"Turn right, Sash!" I yelled, and without hesitation, she did! She almost clipped the police officer, and she totally cut in front of another car, but she did it. She was driving down Lombard's eight gnarly hairpin curves, and I was laughing like a crazy little kid.

You can't really get a good photo of the street as you're going down it, so Sasha pulled over.

"You want a picture?" she asked. I hesitated--signs all around said no stopping.

"I do," I admitted, so Sasha pulled over directly in front of a no stopping sign. I bounded out of the car, took my photos, and quickly returned.

We stopped for a quick dinner, then Sasha delivered us back to our hotel. Within minutes of arriving, text messages from Hannah and Nick were blowing up my phone.

"They want to know if you have their candy," I said, puzzled, to my mom. When I turned to get her answer, she was holding up the bags and looking guilty.

"I do," she said, "But I have no idea how I got them."

We figured out that Tim had given them to her to stop himself from eating it. This bit if sleuth work did not impress the kids, however--they were super bummed and immediately started working in a plan to get them back. My mom and I went the other direction, plotting how to further torture them about this.

All giggling aside, we were exhausted. It was only our second day there, but we'd ticked off all the sights on our list, and we still had another day in town! It's tiring to be an overachiever...