//Commented Out

Well the ~2 weeks between the last post and this one have gone somewhat unhindered.  I spent a lot of the time reading and exploring the area around work and home.  Saw a number of movies as well.  The Metreon is on the places that myself and couple of my work-mates frequent for the movies every now and then.  We went and saw District 9 this weekend.  Not quite what I thought it would be but it was still quite enjoyable.  The theater is one of the biggest and has a farmers market on the ground floor every day.  They must do quite well because every time i walk past that area it seems as if the market is flooded with people.  The market sells mostly prepared foods; things such as ethnic foods, cupcakes, and other delicious foods and snacks.  And yes, ethnic food and cupcakes need to be next to each other, its just the way of things.  I think it was thursday that we passed another market over near the Galleria.  I’m not really quite sure what the Galleria is, other than is serves food at the partially open food court.  I think its got shops in it as well, but really i never head over there for anything but food.

Sometime last week we headed over a very nice greek restaurant as well.  Very good and the only time i had dolomites and didn’t want to throw them out.  Still not the most tasty things but not bad considering last time i had them they smelled of poo.  The area around union square is quite full of great places to eat.  Usually you can head no more that a couple streets away and find a good and quick place to eat.  The only problem with that area is that all the small restaurants seem to shut down around 6pm or so.  Since that area is the financial district i guess it makes sense that when the money leaves for home, there is no reason to stay open.  Oh, one last place that I really liked is the Boxed Foods shop.  Its about 2 blocks away from union square and they make the best BLT you will ever have.  They also like to make everything very organic and healthy so don’t worry about what you are getting, just choose something and trust me it will be good.  I hear a lot of the guys talk about Kearny as the road to find cheap and fast food(not Fast-food), so far I would have to agree.  If you ever get a chance to head over in that area its a good eating experience. Oh and for an expensive but very very very very good restaurant check out E & O.

I guess I will end with my last bit of insight.  San Francisco has a lot of homeless people.  Know i know they will tell you that San Francisco has services for these people, and they do!  But if you walk thought the streets and still want to help, do what I do.  Bring along sandwiches, usually PB&J, and hand them out to the people begging.  Costs you nothing really(think a got it to 7.00 for all the ingredients for 20+ sandwiches) and it helps those people out.  If you can try and stay away from giving money, give food instead.  This way you know they are going to have to eat it instead of spend it on alcohol.  Of course, give if you can.  In the end don’t be disheartened, just think of it as the city offering you a chance to help another human being out.  Trust me you will feel better, and you will brighten someone’s day.

I was going to try and catch up the writing by “faking” a post from previous days.  Since it took me so long to get the name moved over(zombiebird.com) from my old host to this one.  As well as the time it took the system to actually realize I installed wordpress, the time between then and now has gotten quite large.  Adding posts seems stupid being that I wasn’t really going to spend my time on being so perfect the whole time I’m here.  I’m hoping that those people out there reading this can understand and go on with their lives without the daily stress of what post “could have been”.  Well now that thats off the chest let’s move on towards more fun stuff.

San Francisco is a very interesting place.  I do have to say that in all the cities i visit and the geographical obstacles it seems as if no matter what we humans are so pig-headed that we will live on anything and make it hospitable.  This city has more valleys than it knows what to do with.  Course what a city would do with valleys no one knows.  anyways the people in California are skinny, at least in this area, due to the amount of walking and climbing that has to be done just to get to the bus stop.  Which I have to say, the bus stops that is, are quite plentiful and the buses run all the time.  Its nice not having a car and worrying about other people damaging your goods.  Of course as I say this my wife had informed me that we are having a string of car break-ins at the rochester apartment.  I swear is a cruel joke by someone, oh well, we will deal with it when it comes.  Hopefully the exercise will be good for me and I can start to strip of some of my winter weight.  Yes its winter weight, I hibernated.  Bet you wish you could do that, huh!   This is going to be the end of this post for tonight, its late and I walked my butt up and down webster street.  I swear the street covers an altitude of over 1000 feet.  Either way, night all.

So I arrived in SF.  The flight was actually quite calm, a couple small bumps but nothing to terrifying.  As usual, I got off the plane, headed for the baggage claim and popped myself on the BART and headed for downtown SF.  If you haven’t guessed I’ve been in this city once or twice.  That being said, I swear I still stick out like a sore thumb (or at least an east coaster) whenever I wander this city.

Either way, the BART was its usual depressing yellow color.  I swear they paint it that to prevent on train rioting.  Just the thought of it makes me go into a calmed and docile state.  Sheesh.  Well at least the transit authority knows how to keep the peace.  Perhaps they should be head of defense.  Anyway, from the BART I got a taxi, which, no matter how easy eric makes it look, its actually not that easy.  In the many times I have visited this city my ability of hailing a cab have not increased one iota.  I think they smell the east coast on me and quickly duck down back allies to pick up the locals.  Dang those crafty taxi drivers.

Once I arrived at my designated corner I waited for my assigned courior to pick me up and direct me to my temporary lodgings.  I guess in SF location is everything, and apparently size is nothing.  I am sharing what first appears to be a small studio apartment.  I swear this apartment is no bigger than my living room at my other apartment, and I bet I pay significantly less per month.  Being small however, doing make the apartment cramped, its actually quite cozy.

Well after I got myself settled, Eric, Heather, Greg and I headed out for brunch.  Quite enjoyable but very expensive.  Its going to be hard to get adjusted to this high cost style of living.  Trying my best to figure out what to do about food before I have to take out a loan.  Well my day is going to end somewhat early, I’ve got jet lag pretty bad and currently feel as if I have been awake for 24 hrs.  Night all.

So I am currently residing in San francisco and thought, “Wouldn’t it be nice to write up my experiences like every other person in this city”.  To which I reply a resounding “yes”.  So here is my view of the city and perhaps later this will provide somebody information about the city that can’t be found in wikipedia.