If you're going to San Francisco. . . .

I know, I know. I've been a slacker of a blog poster this month. Since grad school started, that seems to be the theme of my life. But to do a little catch up, two weeks ago, Mike and I went to San Francisco for Valentine's Day/President's Day weekend.

I think I told every single person I saw in the month leading up to us going how excited I was.

You know how sometimes you're really excited about something, and then when it actually happens, it's not as good as you thought it would be? Yeah, that definitely DID NOT happen this time. San Francisco/Oakland were so much better than I thought they would be, and I was already expecting them to be awesome.

For starters, we had kick-ass weather. Apparently, it's been very rainy and cold this winter, and this was about the first time since November that the sun had come out. I know this because when we went kayaking on Lake Merritt, the boat rental lady told us we were the first people to rent boats in 2008! Good work Mike and Claire!


Then, we got to go to Drake's, my fabulously sketchy brewery in a parking lot. And even better, I got to go there with Miranda. And even better than that, we ran into George. Seeing as how Miranda and George were both integral parts of the awkward craziness that always was Friday nights at Drakes, I was happy to share it with both of them.



We also got to see more of my dearly missed SF friends: Helen, Jess, and Dina. We hit up some of my favorite dive bars in SF and the East Bay.

Doc's Clock

The Alley

We went to Angel Island. I learned how to play Rummy 500 and now own a set of "how to survive in the wilderness" playing cards.



And we ate oh so much yummy food. This trip was pretty much built around a very rigid plan of all the foods I've missed and can't get in D.C., that we then washed down with cheap dive bar beers. Or bloody marys.

Banana Pudding from Chef Edward's

The only things that could have made it better would have been more time, and getting to see more old friends. But for a short weekend it was awesome, and I think just simply made both of us more sure we want to come back again--very soon!