I left a lot of my money there too. Last week, Hubski had a conference in San Francisco so the boys and I decided to tag along. His trips are usually too “last minute” for us to join him. Normally, I would not pull the boys out of school for a week just for a vacation, but their teachers were entirely supportive. Besides, with Hubski’s travel schedule lately, this was a great way for the boys to spend some time with him.The flight to California was as uneventful as any flight considering the seats are the size of postage stamp now. If I am cramped and uncomfortable, I can only imagine how a normal sized person feels. Remember when we would get so excited about getting our little package of honey roasted peanuts? We all sat up straight and eager as the flight attendants passed out allotments of 10 peanuts per passenger. When peanut allergies came to the forefront, the flight attendants would bestow us with 6 pretzels and we were grateful. Little did we know how good we had it back in the “good ol’ days.” Northwest no longer offers snacks unless you are willing to pay $2 for 6 Pringle potato chips. Not 6 packs, but 6 chips in a little, tiny package. How long before they start charging us for sodas and water. You know that is not far from being reality.

We stayed right on Fisherman’s Wharf to minimize the amount of driving. More specifically, it was a ploy to reduce the amount of parking required. I did not want to attempt parallel parking on those steep streets or pay a king’s ransom for a space in a parking garage. I soon figured out that driving was not for the faint of heart. I picked up a few more grey hairs driving on the roller coaster they call the streets of San Francisco. We opted to walk whenever possible.We did lots of the typical tourist things which were fun. However, some of the best moments were the unplanned ones. Just off of Pier 39, tons of sea lions sun themselves on the docks. The boys and I snacked on popcorn and beverages while we watched the sea lions being sea lions. We commented on the way animal behaviors can mimic human behaviors. The boys noted how the sparring and posturing of the young male sea lions reminded them of middle school boys. Another day, we found a rather large shopping mall in the Japanese section of town. From the outside, it looked very small and not terribly inviting. Once inside, we found tons of shops filled with all sorts of interesting Japanese things. I had to restrain my Hello Kitty passion because there several stores showcasing Her Royal Kittyness. The boys were thrilled when we discovered the Japanese version of Barnes and Noble. I thought C’s head would explode when he saw row after row after row of manga and anime books. J spentan hour looking at the array of origami books. They had a respectable selection of sewing books. There was even a book for making Hello Kitty crafts. Everything was a bit pricey, so we opted to buy books for the boys instead of buying books for me. C found a couple books on learning to speak Japanese which kept him highly entertained at restaurants and on the plane ride home.The tour of the Jelly Belly factory was totally worth the 45 minute drive. Did you know it takes about 20 days to make a Jelly Belly? They have to “cure” between different processes. The smell of sugar was intoxicating. The colors were gorgeous. The tour was about 40 minutes and very interesting. It was definitely worth the price of admission….free! At the end of the tour, we each received a free sample bag of candy. Naturally, you exit through the company store where people were buying candy like they would never see it again. The rejected beans are called “Belly Flops.” We loved the name and getting a bargain so we bought lots of those. We have had lots of fun finding the quality that made each bean become a Belly Flop. It is particularly exciting to find a conjoined twin or triplet of your favorite flavor.

Don’t worry, I did come home with souvenirs of the textile variety. On the advice of an Ottobre list member, I went to Fabrix. What a fun store! There are tubes of fabric crammed in every nook and cranny. There is no organization, theme, or attempt at display. Fabrix is all about digging for buried treasure. Everything was $1 to $3 a yard, except for the silk, which was around $8 a yard. Lots of the fabric looked the $1 a yard fabric, if you know what I mean. The girl who cut my fabric did not use a tape measure. She did the old fingertip to nose technique for full yards, then sort of guessed for half yards. The cuts were very generous so I was not concerned. How much did I get? Good question. We have been so busy since returning that I have not had a chance to tally up my purchases. The knits have already been through the wash. Heck, one of them has evenbeen sewn into a top that I wore on Monday. I promise to post photos soon….as soon as I get a minute to breathe.

All in all, it was a good trip. We got to experience a city different from our own. We got to eat lots and lots of food. We got to spend some time together. That last one is an important one these days. Two days after we returned, Hubski left for San Diego. He returned late Thursday night. He was home for 6 hours and then he left for New Jersey. He is back home again, but we never know when the phone will ring and he will be off again. Sigh….