I can't believe I've been here 5 weeks already...seems like it's flown but also like it's been forever since I've been home, or driven my car, or walked on flat ground...
Highlights over the last few weeks since I last posted:
-My David was out here and we did all of the required tourist things one should while in this city--Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, The Embarcadero and Ferry Building. We made dinner reservations at this great place called Bix which is in almost an alley downtown and marked by a hot pink and blue flashing neon sign. Bix is designed to be like the supper and jazz clubs of the 1940s and the food along with everything else was excellent. Before dinner we went to the Starlight room on the 21st floor of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel to have a proper cocktail and view the city from above. The whole night was great and it was good to have him here, a little reminder of home!
-Dim Sum--this city is crawling with places to get dim sum and I've been lucky to have some of the best I think. The Pearl Orient (I think that's the name) in Chinatown gets top honors for the moment.
-Shopping--the area I live has some great shops and boutiques--that's my favorite kind of shopping because I don't have the patience to dig through racks and racks packed with a bunch of clothing. I likely will be coming home with a whole new wardrobe.
-Farmer's Markets--this city does Farmer's Markets like no other. Food trucks, booze, incredible vegetables and fruits (I've never had heirloom tomatoes and strawberries like I have here). It's a true event.
-Weather--September and October is known in San Francisco as their "secret summer". It's been incredibly beautiful and warm. You can turn in almost any direction in this city and likely be able to view the water and nothing better than a beautiful sunny day with a backdrop of the Pacific Ocean dotted with sailboats.
What's scary is how I've settled into a life and a routine here, I have to remind myself I don't actually live here sometimes. I take the bus to and from work and no longer step aside for the ancient pushing Asian woman but get just as annoyed with her shoving herself onto the bus when it's packed to the gills as everyone else. I give all of my restaurant leftovers to the homeless (maybe that's what that waiter at the diner was doing, I never did find out). I no longer flinch when the earthquake alarm sounds at noon every Tuesday. My calves no longer feel like someone is behind me holding a blow torch to them when I'm walking up the hills. I even gave someone directions the other day.
I have another couple of months before I head back and tons to do!! I''m signed up for a wine class and a wine and cheese pairing class to start, but there's so much it's almost overwhelming including the things I want to do and see outside of the city!
I'm missing everyone back home and as busy as I am I've thought many times how good it will feel to walk into my own house at the end of this.
Until next time...
Tricia
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Wine, Walking, Cabs and Wine
Well it's been a week here for me in the Fog City. Quite honestly it's been great with beautiful weather (and from what I'm told only to get better starting in September), tons to do and entertaining situations throughout.
I'm still downtown in my hotel and it is nice because I can literally walk most places. I have been walking my fool self all over this city. I walk to work, I walk to dinner, I walk to go shopping...I walk walk and more walk. When I can't walk because it's more than 3 miles I take a cab. If someone forced me to sum up my first week here in one word it would be 'walking'.
Ironically enough my first week here brought an earthquake not here but back east. Californians clearly undaunted by such natural disasters, my esteemed colleagues decided to welcome me to the office with a good old fashioned earthquake drill. The city apparently hears the sound of a drill alarm every Tuesday at noon, which happened to be just an hour or two after the quake was reported on the east coast, so their timing was impeccable. I flew under my desk at their urgent prompting and remained in a panicked state, thinking the earthquake had traveled across the whole of the U.S., until they all started laughing...at me. Thankfully I can take a joke...but it's on
San Francisco, it's on.
One thing I cannot get used to is the constant soliciting on the street for money. I've spent my fair share of time in enough cities to get used to the homeless asking for a dollar or what have you, but it's the other parties that get me to the point of annoyance. Now, before you write me off as a selfish and ungiving jerk, you should know that I'm a sucker for charity. I once got in trouble when I was 9 for giving away all of my first communion money to the guy that came to our door soliciting donations for Green Peace. But this is just ridiculous...I mean the amount of solicitation on the street is overwhelming, and to be honest a little melodramatic. I had a girl from Planned Parenthood today jump right in front of me asking for a donation because she's "from Planned Parenthood and we're under attack"...I mean aren't we all in one way or another??
Other than that I have certainly enjoyed some of San Francisco's fine libation establishments. Today I went down to the Embarcadero on the water and shopped around the marketplace before I sat at a wine bar that offered 2 oz. tastings, 5 oz. pours and wine flights. All of this while looking out at the aqua green Pacific ocean and watching the sailboats cruise by. There aren't too many Sunday afternoons that can compare to that.
This week I'm working our company booth at the Dreamforce conference (think Facebook on steroids, San Francisco is a hub for the techie cutting edge) that involves a lot of schmoozing, networking, cocktailing and dining so I will update come next weekend.
Oh, I visited my diner server again on Friday after work. I know, you probably can't understand my intrigue with him. But I can't help it, I am...some people just hold my attention and make me curious about them. Maybe it's the way he kind of shuffles around the diner...or the fact he's so mild mannered and spacey I wondered for a bit if maybe he was mentally handicapped in some way..."slow" if you will (and if we're being un-PC). But in the end I know I'm intrigued because of the question he asked the other night. I decided to strike up conversation and I learned he's been working there for 7 years, 5 days per week, 6 hours per day. I wanted to go so far as to ask him his name but nice and polite as he is he never really seems up for chatter. I ordered the same plate of fries and glass of red wine in an effort to see if I would get the same question as I did last time (see my last post if you're lost here). I ate only half of the fries once again and waited. He shuffled here and there, started his nightly cleanup (the diner closes at 8)...but he never checked to see if I wanted it wrapped. I started to think it was just a fluke, maybe he didn't realize what he asked when he did last time....his head was in the clouds possibly.
Then my curiosities were further piqued. The couple a few seats down from me had ordered an egg salad sandwich that came with a side of cole slaw. Only one half was eaten and the couple paid and left. I watched him go collect the plate, place it on the opposite counter and pack up the egg salad (not the bread) in a small Chinese takeout container. Then he took another small Chinese takeout container from his stash and boxed up the cole slaw.
I came so close to asking who he was wrapping it up for, but I didn't have the nerve. It was almost like observing a rare animal in their natural habitat and not wanting to disturb the scene. Either way, the act has only increased my intrigue and now it is my mission to learn more about this man and the reasons behind his wrapping...stay tuned.
I'm still downtown in my hotel and it is nice because I can literally walk most places. I have been walking my fool self all over this city. I walk to work, I walk to dinner, I walk to go shopping...I walk walk and more walk. When I can't walk because it's more than 3 miles I take a cab. If someone forced me to sum up my first week here in one word it would be 'walking'.
Ironically enough my first week here brought an earthquake not here but back east. Californians clearly undaunted by such natural disasters, my esteemed colleagues decided to welcome me to the office with a good old fashioned earthquake drill. The city apparently hears the sound of a drill alarm every Tuesday at noon, which happened to be just an hour or two after the quake was reported on the east coast, so their timing was impeccable. I flew under my desk at their urgent prompting and remained in a panicked state, thinking the earthquake had traveled across the whole of the U.S., until they all started laughing...at me. Thankfully I can take a joke...but it's on
San Francisco, it's on.
One thing I cannot get used to is the constant soliciting on the street for money. I've spent my fair share of time in enough cities to get used to the homeless asking for a dollar or what have you, but it's the other parties that get me to the point of annoyance. Now, before you write me off as a selfish and ungiving jerk, you should know that I'm a sucker for charity. I once got in trouble when I was 9 for giving away all of my first communion money to the guy that came to our door soliciting donations for Green Peace. But this is just ridiculous...I mean the amount of solicitation on the street is overwhelming, and to be honest a little melodramatic. I had a girl from Planned Parenthood today jump right in front of me asking for a donation because she's "from Planned Parenthood and we're under attack"...I mean aren't we all in one way or another??
Other than that I have certainly enjoyed some of San Francisco's fine libation establishments. Today I went down to the Embarcadero on the water and shopped around the marketplace before I sat at a wine bar that offered 2 oz. tastings, 5 oz. pours and wine flights. All of this while looking out at the aqua green Pacific ocean and watching the sailboats cruise by. There aren't too many Sunday afternoons that can compare to that.
This week I'm working our company booth at the Dreamforce conference (think Facebook on steroids, San Francisco is a hub for the techie cutting edge) that involves a lot of schmoozing, networking, cocktailing and dining so I will update come next weekend.
Oh, I visited my diner server again on Friday after work. I know, you probably can't understand my intrigue with him. But I can't help it, I am...some people just hold my attention and make me curious about them. Maybe it's the way he kind of shuffles around the diner...or the fact he's so mild mannered and spacey I wondered for a bit if maybe he was mentally handicapped in some way..."slow" if you will (and if we're being un-PC). But in the end I know I'm intrigued because of the question he asked the other night. I decided to strike up conversation and I learned he's been working there for 7 years, 5 days per week, 6 hours per day. I wanted to go so far as to ask him his name but nice and polite as he is he never really seems up for chatter. I ordered the same plate of fries and glass of red wine in an effort to see if I would get the same question as I did last time (see my last post if you're lost here). I ate only half of the fries once again and waited. He shuffled here and there, started his nightly cleanup (the diner closes at 8)...but he never checked to see if I wanted it wrapped. I started to think it was just a fluke, maybe he didn't realize what he asked when he did last time....his head was in the clouds possibly.
Then my curiosities were further piqued. The couple a few seats down from me had ordered an egg salad sandwich that came with a side of cole slaw. Only one half was eaten and the couple paid and left. I watched him go collect the plate, place it on the opposite counter and pack up the egg salad (not the bread) in a small Chinese takeout container. Then he took another small Chinese takeout container from his stash and boxed up the cole slaw.
I came so close to asking who he was wrapping it up for, but I didn't have the nerve. It was almost like observing a rare animal in their natural habitat and not wanting to disturb the scene. Either way, the act has only increased my intrigue and now it is my mission to learn more about this man and the reasons behind his wrapping...stay tuned.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wrap It Up, She'll Take It
So I checked into a hotel last night for the next couple of weeks as our corporate apartment was reserved by others before I booked my trip out there.
It's a great location, right in Union Square where there's a ton going on and shopping and restaurants galore. It had been a long day, I wanted to check in, get settled then grab some dinner and call it an early night.
There's a great little Jewish deli right next to my hotel and it was easy enough for me to just go sit at the counter, read a little of my book and have a bite to eat. Dinner ended up being a plate of french fries and two glasses of red wine...what can I say, it's what I wanted.
All was great until the end of my "meal" and I had half of the fries left. The server, who was a very nice, albeit a little timid to be in that industry, middle-aged man, asked if I wanted to wrap them. Now we all know fries that aren't fresh just aren't fries worth havin', plus I don't have a refrigerator in my hotel room. So I let him know I'm all set and the following exchange comes about:
Server: "You sure you don't want to take the rest of those with you?"
Me: "No, no...I'm all set, just heading up to my room."
Server: "Okay...I'll just wrap them...and...give them to someone else?"
Me: .........................................(looking around for who this someone might be, like if he had anyone in mind, or what)..........."uh.....oh.....okay....sh-sure".
It's a great location, right in Union Square where there's a ton going on and shopping and restaurants galore. It had been a long day, I wanted to check in, get settled then grab some dinner and call it an early night.
There's a great little Jewish deli right next to my hotel and it was easy enough for me to just go sit at the counter, read a little of my book and have a bite to eat. Dinner ended up being a plate of french fries and two glasses of red wine...what can I say, it's what I wanted.
All was great until the end of my "meal" and I had half of the fries left. The server, who was a very nice, albeit a little timid to be in that industry, middle-aged man, asked if I wanted to wrap them. Now we all know fries that aren't fresh just aren't fries worth havin', plus I don't have a refrigerator in my hotel room. So I let him know I'm all set and the following exchange comes about:
Server: "You sure you don't want to take the rest of those with you?"
Me: "No, no...I'm all set, just heading up to my room."
Server: "Okay...I'll just wrap them...and...give them to someone else?"
Me: .........................................(looking around for who this someone might be, like if he had anyone in mind, or what)..........."uh.....oh.....okay....sh-sure".
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Headin' for the Frisco Bay
I recognize it’s been a while and I apologize for the lack of juicy dating tales for the five of you that actually read this…okay, four. Five might be a bit of a stretch.
The last year or so has been a bit of a learning curve for me, both on a professional level as well as a personal level. It’s been a while since my last date and I had enough on my plate for a while there to even have time or energy to think about it. I have to say it’s a good place I’ve landed in. It’s refreshing not to think about what the next date will be like or if the guy is out there or if maybe if you just give it ONE more shot it’ll be the shot that sticks. It can be exhausting and if you’re not careful consume more of your life than you ever intended it to. For a while there I was afraid I was becoming the poor man’s version of Jennifer Aniston—perpetually single and everyone wondering “why can’t she just find a nice guy”.
I’ve regrouped, and put the focus back on me—what I want to do with my life, my career, what my goals are outside of finding a soul mate and I have to say it’s paid off, at least it feels that way. I decided to turn my passions into professional goals and began studying wine and even took a part time job at an Italian wine bar in Providence. I stopped wishing I had someone fun to go with for nice dinners out and realized that someone fun could be just me sometimes, with a good book, at the bar enjoying a delicious meal and a glass of wine. If I wanted to go for a run, I did…if I felt like walking instead, I did that. I started living completely by my own rules without a hint of an outside influence. Let’s be honest here, for those that know me, I’ve never been afraid of much and have always been independent. But this felt a little different, a little more balanced maybe, or just peaceful.
You see while my tales of dating woe were a source of entertainment for all, and who can argue that, it didn’t necessarily fulfill me when all was said and done. To continually focus on what’s missing (or who) in your life tends to result in an internal void that can be very unsettling. That’s not to say I regret the whole experience, parts of it were fun, funny and I certainly learned a lot. Besides the obvious point that if I hadn’t have gone through that phase in my life I wouldn’t have arrived at the next one.
I know you’re probably wondering if this means I’ve given up on finding love and you’ll be happy know that that’s not the case. I believe in love and I believe it’s out there and that it comes in due time. But I believe in the fact that I want true love, and I also believe very much in myself…in being a girl that doesn’t need someone just to have someone, in knowing that good enough just isn’t good enough, and in knowing that whether or not love ever arrives, I’m in a place that’s secure and happy and peaceful all by myself. As one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite 80s movies goes "I'd rather be alone for the right reasons...then with someone for the wrong". Suffice to say I’m proud of me, and I hope you are too.
So that leads us to present day and me sitting on a Boeing 747 en route to San Francisco typing out this newest blog. My professional learning curve lead me right back to what I consider the true beginning of my career with my first company. I have been tasked with some initiatives that will require me to be in our west coast office until December, with another long term trip scheduled to our office in Sao Paulo, Brazil starting in January. I guess I don’t have to state the obvious and tell you that these upcoming adventures are sure to result in some good stories whether it’s dating or hanging off of a cliff in the Amazon to avoid being eaten by piranha (there might not be that big of a difference between the two now that I think of it).
As my life has changed shape it makes sense that this blog and the stories in it will as well. I promise to keep it entertaining and just as enticing for anyone who cares to check in on my latest ventures.
That being said, goodbye east coast for now…hello west coast!!
Stay tuned…
Tricia
The last year or so has been a bit of a learning curve for me, both on a professional level as well as a personal level. It’s been a while since my last date and I had enough on my plate for a while there to even have time or energy to think about it. I have to say it’s a good place I’ve landed in. It’s refreshing not to think about what the next date will be like or if the guy is out there or if maybe if you just give it ONE more shot it’ll be the shot that sticks. It can be exhausting and if you’re not careful consume more of your life than you ever intended it to. For a while there I was afraid I was becoming the poor man’s version of Jennifer Aniston—perpetually single and everyone wondering “why can’t she just find a nice guy”.
I’ve regrouped, and put the focus back on me—what I want to do with my life, my career, what my goals are outside of finding a soul mate and I have to say it’s paid off, at least it feels that way. I decided to turn my passions into professional goals and began studying wine and even took a part time job at an Italian wine bar in Providence. I stopped wishing I had someone fun to go with for nice dinners out and realized that someone fun could be just me sometimes, with a good book, at the bar enjoying a delicious meal and a glass of wine. If I wanted to go for a run, I did…if I felt like walking instead, I did that. I started living completely by my own rules without a hint of an outside influence. Let’s be honest here, for those that know me, I’ve never been afraid of much and have always been independent. But this felt a little different, a little more balanced maybe, or just peaceful.
You see while my tales of dating woe were a source of entertainment for all, and who can argue that, it didn’t necessarily fulfill me when all was said and done. To continually focus on what’s missing (or who) in your life tends to result in an internal void that can be very unsettling. That’s not to say I regret the whole experience, parts of it were fun, funny and I certainly learned a lot. Besides the obvious point that if I hadn’t have gone through that phase in my life I wouldn’t have arrived at the next one.
I know you’re probably wondering if this means I’ve given up on finding love and you’ll be happy know that that’s not the case. I believe in love and I believe it’s out there and that it comes in due time. But I believe in the fact that I want true love, and I also believe very much in myself…in being a girl that doesn’t need someone just to have someone, in knowing that good enough just isn’t good enough, and in knowing that whether or not love ever arrives, I’m in a place that’s secure and happy and peaceful all by myself. As one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite 80s movies goes "I'd rather be alone for the right reasons...then with someone for the wrong". Suffice to say I’m proud of me, and I hope you are too.
So that leads us to present day and me sitting on a Boeing 747 en route to San Francisco typing out this newest blog. My professional learning curve lead me right back to what I consider the true beginning of my career with my first company. I have been tasked with some initiatives that will require me to be in our west coast office until December, with another long term trip scheduled to our office in Sao Paulo, Brazil starting in January. I guess I don’t have to state the obvious and tell you that these upcoming adventures are sure to result in some good stories whether it’s dating or hanging off of a cliff in the Amazon to avoid being eaten by piranha (there might not be that big of a difference between the two now that I think of it).
As my life has changed shape it makes sense that this blog and the stories in it will as well. I promise to keep it entertaining and just as enticing for anyone who cares to check in on my latest ventures.
That being said, goodbye east coast for now…hello west coast!!
Stay tuned…
Tricia
Monday, March 7, 2011
1 Hour And Forty Five Minutes Late--And Still Not Showered
The amount of people out there that have a blatant disregard for time never ceases to amaze me. I'm not just talking dates here, I'm talking friends, people that I've done business with, planes, boats, you name it...more than half of this world is tardy on a regular basis....drives me bananas.
This one date redefined the word 'tardy'. If I weren't so far from home and had made the effort to get there I would have left a lot sooner than I did. Besides, he kept calling in with an update on his arrival time so it was a little like stringing me along, at least enough where I would have thought that if I up and left then it would have been rude.
The kicker of the whole thing is, if you didn't catch this from the title, he showed up that late and still felt the need to tell me he didn't have time to shower!!
I'm sorry, let's pause here...no time to shower? Has this happened to anyone heading out to a first date before? Maybe it's just me...I'm thinking maybe no time to get your hair done like you wanted to, or do that intense workout you swore would make you look 3 lbs. lighter like you thought you would...no time to grab a light bite so in the event he wasn't thinking dinner you don't pass out at the bar due to starvation. I mean there's lots of things you simply run out of hours to accomplish on a busy day prior to a date. But showering? I'm going to go ahead and rearrange Maslow's hierarchy of needs to include that...that's right, right along with food, shelter, clothing, showering. It's a basic human requirement. Unless of course, you're Tricia's date apparently. If cleanliness if Godliness this man knew of no God.
I managed to make it through another drink (I couldn't have much more for crying out loud I had had two while I waited for him to get his shit together and show up) and then said goodnight....I needed to go home and shower after all.
This one date redefined the word 'tardy'. If I weren't so far from home and had made the effort to get there I would have left a lot sooner than I did. Besides, he kept calling in with an update on his arrival time so it was a little like stringing me along, at least enough where I would have thought that if I up and left then it would have been rude.
The kicker of the whole thing is, if you didn't catch this from the title, he showed up that late and still felt the need to tell me he didn't have time to shower!!
I'm sorry, let's pause here...no time to shower? Has this happened to anyone heading out to a first date before? Maybe it's just me...I'm thinking maybe no time to get your hair done like you wanted to, or do that intense workout you swore would make you look 3 lbs. lighter like you thought you would...no time to grab a light bite so in the event he wasn't thinking dinner you don't pass out at the bar due to starvation. I mean there's lots of things you simply run out of hours to accomplish on a busy day prior to a date. But showering? I'm going to go ahead and rearrange Maslow's hierarchy of needs to include that...that's right, right along with food, shelter, clothing, showering. It's a basic human requirement. Unless of course, you're Tricia's date apparently. If cleanliness if Godliness this man knew of no God.
I managed to make it through another drink (I couldn't have much more for crying out loud I had had two while I waited for him to get his shit together and show up) and then said goodnight....I needed to go home and shower after all.
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