Day 17: 10/02/2010

Bonnie: In San Francisco
Mathew: San Francisco to Washington, D.C. :-(

We woke up on the couches in Weronika's living room, though on mine the cushions seemed to like to migrate -off- the couch... Lol, still comfy. Mathew finished packing up and sorting out what stayed and what went. We were planning to get breakfast together on the way to the airport, but since we haven't used San Francisco's airport we got there early instead. Mathew moved a few things from the suitcase to a carry on bag and then breakfast!

We got breakfast in the international food court because it's outside security, and then wandered around the terminal looking at some of the exhibits. They have one series of exhibits of new skyscrapers being but up in Shanghai. Very pretty, some of them twist around so the wind effects them better, and I really like those. Maybe we'll go see them for real someday! We also looked at some of the aviation museum, just the bits in the hall as the museum itself was closed. Some amazing uniforms for Pan American Air that the crew used to wear! And the food that used to be served... Those tables must have added sooo much leg room, too. Oh, progress.

We were early enough to have time to sit together for a while and then... Goodbye :-( Mathew showed me how to get to the parking garage, and thankfully left the GPS... If I couldn't get back to the car I hate to think how driving would have gone in San Francisco! And then he went through security (despite my claims that all planes were grounded for the day), and I headed for Weronika's.

Weronika and I went to get more breakfast, though by that time it was after 1pm so... We went to Crepevine, yummy!!! We used the GPS to get us there and discovered something called via points. I later realized they can be useful, but when used by accident, the GPS triumphantly announces "arriving at via point!" and you find yourself... In a residential area nowhere near the restaurant for which you were aiming. But eventually we made it, and soooo amazingly good.

We'd parked in a 1 hour spot, and when we came out there was a paper on my windshield... My thoughts went through these basic phases "I know we paid enough, how can they say we haven't paid enough? Or maybe that truck hit my car pulling out! That... Or maybe I have an oil leak and that's against San Francisco law... Noooo... Oh wait a second..." And the note actually read "Fellow Alaskans, come over to the Fireside Bar and I'll buy us a drink. Ask for Fred."

Hilarious. Weronika mentioned she'd been the bar (right across the street) and we decided to go over there. The woman waving frantically at us from the door once we looked up also encouraged us to go in. We found Fred, an old Alaskan who was from all over Alaska, and his friend who'd been up there a few times. I got to have a drink and Weronika just sipped it so she could be the responsible driver :D Fred was born and raised in Alaska and talked about alot of places I still know! He left the state during pipeline construction. Soooo awesome!

We went back to the house for a bit and then out to get Weronika new backpack strap thingies. And I found flipflops on sale (you have to sing "sale" to really understand how I feel about that). My favorite brand!! Then to the Rayko Photography Gallery, my obsession in San Francisco. There's an awesome exhibit there "1,000 Cameras." Last time I was there it was a various artist exhibit of work from plastic or toy cameras (brownie, Diana, Lomography cameras...)

That time I found and did not buy (idiot) a photography book called "The Invented Camera" by Jo Babcock, which is amazing! Babcock makes pinhole cameras... out of anything. A bandaid tin, a VW Bug... This time the book was still there for sale -and- he'd put together an exhibition!!! A few photographs, including a few from the van (amazing) but also the cameras! And 1,000 is not an exaggeration. So incredible. Also, last time the black and white photo booth wasn't working, but this time it was!!! Lalala, happy dance. It's an old time photography booth that still uses real photo prosessing to create your strip of four photos. Mom's response was "well yeah, that's what was around when I was growing up." As if it was commonplace... But now it is not commonplace, it is rare, so YAY! So psyched.

Ok, Weronika finally got to leave when I stopped being excited long enough to realize hunger, so we headed for an Italian restaurant my parents have taken Weronika to when dad has a conference. But... neither of us were interested in a 45 minute wait, so time to explore and find Indian food! Very tasty. The GPS lead us home to Weronika's driveway of insanity and then... sleep. I miss Mathew.