Ghiradelli Square & Pier 39

Here at the Hilton internet comes at a price of $15/day. Norm had to do something for work so I'm just trying to make the most of our $15.

We woke up at 7am and headed to Macy's for some early morning specials. By noon it got too crowded so we had lunch at a Thai restaurant and headed down to Ghiradelli Square and Pier 39. Norm finally found the popular In-n-Out burger and did as he was told - ordered an Animal Style burger (just like a local)!

Tomorrow we plan on heading to Napa in hopes that the weather will cooperate. So far the weather has been phenomenal - as long as you're dressed properly. My South Carolina family was taken off guard and was forced to buy jackets and sweaters in order to survive the cool pacific air. It's definitely warmer than Toronto so Norm is enjoying not having to wear long johns.

Not sure when I'll be able to update this again since internet comes at a price here at the Hilton. Then again, I guess if you can afford Hilton, you should be able to afford all that comes with it. I don't mind paying $15 for internet but the small evian bottle for $6.50 in our bar fridge is where I draw the line.

Merry Christmas

Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

Cow Hollow

Although I vowed not to walk down the steep hill to Cow Hallow, Norm tempted me with food. A chocolate croissant to be precise. We immediately fell in love with the neighbourhood. Again, little shops and cafes and low rise condos that have "to die for" views of the Bay. It was a lovely walk with lots of paper shops. (Yes Charissa & Trae, paper shops!) Of course I went in to all of them, touched each and every piece of paper and left empty handed. Our nice outing quickly turned sour when I looked up at the steep hill we had to climb to get back home.

I'm happy to report that I made it up but I think it's time for an afternoon nap.

Oh, and by the way, it's a lovely 14 degrees today. It doesn't feel like Christmas. It feels like summer.

Day 1 in SFO

Day 1 - Yesterday we started the day off with french breakfast at La Boulange. It was the best brioche french toast I've ever had! The cafe itself was tiny so we were lucky to get a table for 3. After breakfast we grabbed some coffee at Peet's. You could tell it was a local favourite. I have never seen a line up like that before, not even for Tim Horton's. We took our Peet's coffee and walked around the Pacific Heights neighbourhood. It reminded me of the Beaches in Toronto. Lots of dogs, parks, kids and cute little boutiques. The houses are gorgeous. Not sure if I'd be able to park on a steep hill though. Some of these slopes are just crazy. I have not attempted to walk down (or perhaps roll down) only because I know I'll have to walk back up. I didn't come here to exercise. I'm on vacation.

James wanted to cook everyone Christmas dinner so we picked up a honey baked ham (already cooked, nice try James). This ham joint also had a long line up comparable to Peet's. It has received a lot of rav reviews by many of James' colleagues. Norm tried a sample at the store and he walked away saying it's not as good as Bigdog's. I had no doubt.

After grocery shopping we headed down to Union Square where it was absolutely madness. The crowds of people were insane. We check in at the Hilton hotel today which is in the heart of Union Square. Shopping. Now that's what I call a great start to a wonderful vacation!

The joys of flying

I don't think Norm and I can ever go to the Philippines because the 5 hour trek to San Francisco was pretty painful. The advantage to being small is the abundance of leg room but the disadvantage is always being stuck in the middle. Both arm rests were taken by Norm and my neighbour and of course my leg room was compromised as well because...well, you know how men sit. Luckily we ate before boarding because they were charging $6 for a "gourmet" sandwich. After two movies (Hairspray & Nanny Diaries) and a 5 minute nap we finally arrived in San Francisco. My first thought was - Wow, it's cold here. Thank goodness I went with my better judgement and brought my winter coat.

Today I anxiously await until Norm and James wake up. As always, I'm the first to sleep and the first to wake up. I'll have to adjust to the time difference. Waking up at 3:00 AM Pacific time is not a good thing.

(Btw, Sal - I am presently blogging from my cousin's MAC computer. I think I'm in love.)

And we're off

I don't think we've opened our fridge for a whole week. We've been so busy with Christmas parties, delivering gifts, and of course work. Every night we come home, we crash on the couch half asleep as we think of the things we have yet to do before our departure. Luciky we have an afternoon flight so we have a chance to relax and I must not forget to blog for my fellow bloggers who are quick to tell me when I am falling behind. This Christmas will be a little different as we will not be home or as someone calls it "breaking tradition". Perhaps we can start new traditions like Pre-Christmas and going somewhere warm for the holidays. I actually enjoyed visiting with family and friends during the week. I was overjoyed that Benjo warmed up to me and got to know my name. He was showing me a trick or two with his basketball. The girls had their Christmas concert that night but I stayed home with Benjo and I was glad I did. I also visited Ella and to my surprise she reached for me and was all smiles. At the end of the night she didn't want to go to her Mom and was waving good-bye and pointing to the door. If only she had a passport.

Well, the lonely travellers are off once again. I'll be sure to blog about our adventures.

I better clean out my fridge before I leave.

Let's Celebrate

It has been a tough couple of months with Norm's plate overflowing with work, school and more work. Last night he had his final exam so afterward we celebrated at our favourite Italian restaurant - Terroni. They opened a new location on Adelaide and it is absolutely beautiful. The walls are full of wine, stacks of canned tomotoes and rows of hanging prosciutto (kinda gross actually). Dinner was lovely as usual but the company was even better (the wine probably had something to do with it). With only a few days to go before our trip it seems that we have shifted gears and are now in vacation mode.

Let the countdown begin

Random Pictures

Just got around to uploading my pictures and thought I'd share some with you.

Baby Ella with Ate Seyla
Similarities:
Loud (typical Barrientos trait)
January birthdays
A love for animals (especially Cisco and Zoe)
They have their fathers wrapped around their fingers

This little fella is AJ - Mae's youngest boy.
He has a heavy hand that will knock the lights out of you. Determined. Silly. Just plain old cute.

This little fella thinks he's the King. The King of Lin Garden maybe.
Not so cute.

During the Santa parade clowns would come around and sell these noses. I tried to explain to Seyla that these noses will not stay on her little asian nose so of course she listened but I could tell she was sad when all the other kids got one. So I buckled and I bought her one. As you can see, Ninang was right. This is her holding her nose in place because it would not stay on. Poor thing. Next year I'll bring a rubber band to hold it in place.

The gift

This past weekend we met up with Cindy and Marcus to celebrate Christmas and apparently my birthday, too. We went to Moxie's which I remember to be similar to Kelsey's but when we got there it was poshy, sleek, and modern so we were worried that the prices would reflect that. Luckily it wasn't all that bad. Cindy and I shared a main dish as well as an appetizer that had the works - I love sharing because of the variety. I get bored easily if I were to order just plain old pasta. I'm a big fan of tapas - sharing plates - but only as long as you don't double dip! After dinner we exchanged Christmas gifts and she also included my birthday gift as well. You will never guess what she got me...a coach purse! I guess the word is out but just in case you guys are unclear: I love coach purses. See, who said buying for me was hard?

What a busy work week (exhale)...

I ended this busy week with 3 work parties all held on Friday. The first one was held at the Sutton Hotel where we were treated to a guest speaker who emphasized how important it was to "smile". I'm not sure, but doesn't it take more muscles to frown? You know me, I'm lazy so I'd rather smile. The second party was held in our very own HR office where one of our VPs held a high tea. It was great - bite sized scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam. What a great way to spend an afternoon. After work the cancer centre held our annual holiday party - Francis and I were the bartenders for the evening. I think he was a little surprised that I was able to carry a 24-pack of beer and was able to twist the caps off without hurting my precious hands. I'm tougher than I look. Small but mighty. (Right Sal?)

I know what you guys are thinking: That I get paid for partying at work. Well, it's about time! I've worked my buttocks off all year so as I wind down to the final moments of 2007 - I think I'll sit back and enjoy these few odd moments of not working at work.

Pre-Christmas

We couldn't just go to San Francisco without celebrating Christmas with the family so Friday evening Bigdog and Dancing Queen had us over for dinner. As usual, we had an abundance of delicious food but what else is new when Dancing Queen and Mama Nitz are involved. We had a lot of fun playing Taboo despite having a strict Taboo police watching and commenting on our every move. It eventually turned into a game of Charades when dad tried to act out a spider - you had to be there. It was girls versus boys and as usual the boys could not accept defeat. It always gets a little tense when your partner beeps you for a word you're not supposed to say. Luckily my partner was drunk so he had no clue. Not that I was cheating anyway. As with every Christmas Eve we spent the night and I woke up to the wonderful smell of garlic friend rice, eggs, longanisa...and the eating fest continued. Everything was perfect. It actually felt like Christmas and as we stepped outside, the -9 degree weather (that felt like -50) confirmed that yes, we are in December.

I love pre-Christmas. I am officially making it a family tradition.