San Francisco Days: December 2008

December 16, 2008

Update

I just changed the settings here so anyone - not only gmail addresses can leave a comment.

~Liz

December 14, 2008

Its officially COLD in the city..

Ok, so I knew the weather was too good to be true for so long, we truly had pretty great weather, until yesterday. Wow, was it cold!

The good thing though is that it really makes it feel like Christmas time, and so its time for scarfs, hats, warm coats, Uggs, and a delicious hot drink to hold in your hands.
Green chi tea...Mmmmm...

Yesterday we made out way to Union Square for some holiday shopping. Just us and tons of tourists! We all know how terrible the economy is, so I was shoked at how many people were out shopping at Macy's yesterday.

Union Sq., is turned into a holiday wonderland, complete with an ice rink, a huge lit tree, and about a dozen or so people dressed in Santa Suits. Yes, seriously.

I love the randomness you see here sometimes. There were about 8 counples on motorcycles riding around the area and stopping for pictures. Their bikes and their clothes were covered decorated in christmas lights. They were so bright when they lined up all together. I did my best to get some shots but my camera is terrible at night (pretty obvious by the quality of the pics on this post).

Here are a few more christmas theme pics:

My work lobby

Street view

Gatta go, I've got some papers to write!

December 9, 2008

Back from hiatus? =/

Sorry for the disappearing act but I've had a lot going on for quite a while now, and lets face it...I'm not that great at juggling too many things properly, so some things slip through the cracks, and it has mainly been my "keeping in touch" skills.

So, we're planning our wedding (which for a while had me traveling between SF and OC quite A LOT), I'm finishing up the semester, and I am trying to work as many hours as I can in my job. Whew!

But, things are finally mellowing out a bit, and I've got some fun things coming up this holiday season. I'm going to my work Christmas party which will take place this next Friday at the Ritz Carlton that is about 5 minutes away from where I work in the Financial District. I ordered myself a lovely filet mignon entree - can't wait!
Next, I will going to Candi's work holiday party a week from Friday, and there are other fun things which I will write later about.

The Ritz SF:

Adam and I are quite the walkers - or should I say hikers (some of these hills still surprise me) on the weekends. This is such an amazing city to walk and explore, I literally look forward to walking around on the weekends that we're here. This last weekend alone we walked about 8 or nine miles all together.

Found this crazy homemade bike we saw in Little Italy on Sunday...

Also in that neighborhood we found this great church that I LOVED, these pictures don't do it justice - its so beautiful!

A dreary day indeed...

This last pic for this post I took a few weeks ago. Adam, Candi and myself had been on a quest to find the famous Painted Ladies that are on most tourist lists as a "must see". We tracked them down and here they are:

Kinda disappointing, they look like most old Victorians & Edwardians that are all over the city. But at least we got to scratch that off our list of places to see here.

~Liz

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

-Dr. Seuss