The dinosaur that ate San Francisco

We went to the SFMOMA to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit, and got to see this giant, red dinosaur too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our daughter and son-in-law joined us, so Jen snapped this picture of her father and me outside the museum.

Homework

The day before we left for our stay in San Francisco, I attended a class sponsored by my district on Web 2.0 tools.  Although we only had to attend one class, we had 23 things to do by July 31.  THAT’S TOMORROW!  And I’m only half way through the list of assignments.  I’ve got to get busy.  Fortunately, today and tomorrow are very quiet on our schedule of things to do in the city.  Last week, with Vacation Bible School, was our really busy week.  Almost like having a real job.  

If anyone wants to check out these assignments I’ve been doing, you may jump over to the blog I specifically set up for the class.  You can also check to see if I get all my homework done on time.

Here I am at the class, before any real work started, and here are the assignments.

On location

From the 9th floor balcony of our July sublet in San Francisco, we watched the crazy antics down on the Embarcadero.  It looked like a film crew but we weren’t too sure what they were filming.  A Jesus-looking guy in a blue terry-cloth robe was running around, acting rather zany, but, hey, it’s San Francisco.  You see all kinds of things here.  Then the robe came off, and it looked like he could be naked.  It was definitely time for further investigation.

Sure enough, when we get downstairs, and closer to the action, we can see this long haired, long bearded character, in what looked to be nude colored underpants, running back and forth among some people who seemed to be posing for a photo.  We were asked to keep clear of the pathway right next to the water as they were filming a commercial.  A commercial?  For what?  SanDisk.  

So, if you happen to see a commercial with a wild haired, naked looking guy trying to impose himself on a group of tourists who only want to take vacation pictures, remember you heard about it here first, and I was there.

My daughter said

On the last day of Vacation Bible School, I overheard my daughter saying something about “my mom” to the check-in lady.  I jokingly commented that she was making disparaging remarks about me, when she laughed and said, “no, I was just saying that my mom gets to school every day at 7:15 and I’ve been doing that this week only, and I don’t know how you do it, year after year.”  We also laughed about needing to go home for peace and quiet after a day with children.  Yep, a little appreciation for what her mother does.

A new day

Ok, yesterday I’m crabbing about the cold weather in San Francisco, today the sun is shining and the temperatures are much higher.  For the first time in days, I got to watch the sun come up over the Bay Bridge.

We have been driving to San Mateo each morning to assist our daughter with Vacation Bible School so we get up early to make for an easier commute.  We have been amazed at the fast times we have as the traffic heading south at 7:30 is pretty light.  This morning, although the traffic was a bit heavier, the sunshine sure made for a nice drive.  Nor did we freeze in our lightweight summer attire.  I have figured out I need a new wardrobe to live in San Francisco.  Well, maybe not new, I just need to wear my winter-weight clothing instead of cottons and pastels.  And no wispy skirts.  I wore one on Sunday and was miserable because the wind kept blowing it up just like that scene in “Seven Year Itch.”  Except, I’m no Marilyn Monroe!

Cold, gray weather

This is the view from our balcony this morning.  It is cold and gray; has been this way for 3 days now.  I knew San Francisco had cold summers, but I thought there was some warmup during the day.  Hah.  59 degrees for a high.  I need my winter coat.

 

 

 

Climate control

I was born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley where summer temps, especially in July, reach into the 100s.  The sun comes up on summer mornings blazing across the sky until it drops late in the evening and maybe a breeze blows through to cool things down a bit.  Most days I stay in air conditioned buildings or go in air conditioned cars as it is the only way to survive.  

I am living in San Francisco for the remainder of July where the mornings are cool and foggy, looking more like November in the San Joaquin Vallley.  Fresno’s low temperature yesterday (70) was 8 degrees higher than San Francisco’s high for the day (62).  I miss the morning sunshine, but I sure don’t miss the sweating.  I love to walk, and yesterday walked miles without breaking a sweat.  The high in Fresno (102) would not have been conducive to that walk, nor would have the bad air that settles in the bowl-shaped valley for the summer and cooks into an allergen-laden soup.

Lunch at the Gap

Yesterday I was treated to lunch by one of my graduates who now works at Gap headquarters in San Francisco.  Years ago, on one of those infamous fieldtrips, we had eaten at Levi Strauss’s cafeteria (my student remembered doing this) and so I sort of knew what to expect. I had heard how good the Gapateria is, and it lived up to my expectations.  The view, of course, is fabulous, as is the whole building.  The best part, my student treated me to lunch.  I was delighted.  

I was also delighted to see her in this new environment, so confident, doing so well.  It’s times like this, that I’m thrilled to be a teacher.

This is my student at her workspace.

This is the view of the Gap building in San Francisco from my balcony.

The last chair

We have a very dear, very elderly friend who has had to give up her car.  One day, a few years ago, I noticed her license plate said “3rd last.”  When I asked her about it, she told me that her family had a tradition of buying their “last” car when they retired, thinking they would not need to buy another one in their lifetime.  She had done that, but had worn out two “last” cars, and was on her “3rd” last car.  We had a good laugh over that.  It was this third “last” car that she gave up, at the age of 90.

Yesterday, we took out a chair that we bought when we got married, 33 years ago, and replaced it with what we call our “last chair,” copying our friend’s idea.  Here is the new one

an Ekornes chair, made in Norway.  We bought one like it about 7 years ago, and have enjoyed it, so decided the replacement for the 33 year old chair should be another stressless Ekornes.  So, maybe this is our second last chair, or additional last chair, since the other one is still doing a great job for us, and will hopefully last another 33 years.

Do-it-yourself dances

I love high school dances.  Good thing, too, since I have to go to three each year–Sadie Hawkins, Winter Formal, and the Prom.  It’s fun to see the kids all dressed up, or in the case of Sadies, dressed alike.  The kids always ask me if I’m going to be at their dance, and will Mr. Zody be coming, knowing he takes a lot of the pictures that get into the yearbook.  My husband loves their exuberance and always has a good time.  

Dances are a lot of work.  For four years I was a class sponsor, and each year I put on a dance all the way from a simple howdy dance to the prom.  Managing the finances was always a big part because you had to make money on each year’s dance for the next year’s production, and they got bigger and more elaborate each year.  Finding a location, deciding on a theme, getting a dj, and then making sure the kids showed up to decorate all takes time and lots of energy.  Then you chaperoned during the dance, making sure everyone was behaving him or herself.

Seattle schools have decided to cut out school dances, allowing only three a year and all off campus.  This has caused a backlash by the students who have taken it upon themselves to plan dances. They are using Facebook to promote the dances, and charging $5 to $10 for entrance, much less than school dances usually charge.  It all sounds like a wonderful entrepreneurial project for some high schoolers, but from my perspective as a dance sponsor, I see disaster.  The places require a large insurance policy, with money upfront; security is required and the fees are usually pretty hefty; and all it will take is one accident occurring at one of these dances to bring a major lawsuit.