Catching up #2

People who know me well know that I talk about San Francisco incessantly. I grew up there, for the most part, and it very much defines who I am. Without much warning I moved to Montana mid-high school, which also very much defines who I am. It's a strange existence now - I'm not sure if I'll ever feel fully at peace living in either place. I have dear friends and family in both Montana and California. If I had it my way, I'd relocate the friends and family to Northern Cali. Oh well. Dare to dream.

Anyway, I managed to go back to San Francisco for the first time in eight years over my Thanksgiving break. I have to admit that I started bawling when I caught a glimpse of my old neighborhood. I was born in our old apartment. Thrilled and saddened, I saw that the front door was exactly the same as when I left. In stealthy stalker mode, I snuck a peek through the window to the lobby. Also exactly the same. The front door to our old apartment, clearly visible through the window, had the same cheap wooden door as before. It was a replacement from the time my little brother tripped and fell forward into the glass pane that previously served as our front door. He nearly killed himself; the thing cut through his neck. He still has the scars today.

More important than my old apartment - the food. Several of my old haunts were still around, so I just had to get a taste of my childhood. Due to time constraints, I was only able to make it to one place.
Mmm.

$8.95 for this:

Post-food, I insisted that the boyfriend and I take a walk to my old park.
First, the church next to the park. If I were religious, I'd get married here in a heartbeat.



My park.


The trees were all ready for the annual lighting ceremony.
They end up looking like this:
(Not my photo)


(Also not my photo)


We also did a drive by of the Palace of Fine Arts.

My lovely cousin got us tickets to the Dickens Fair at the Cow Palace (glamorous name, yes?). We dropped by on our way out of town.

I ended up chasing after a rabbit on a bicycle, trying to get a photo.


I didn't do a very good job.


Well, at least I got one of him off-bike. I also ran into Samuel Pickwick.

Overall, a very fun trip, albeit short. I really enjoyed getting to know my family as an adult.

Did I just refer to myself as an adult?

Crap.