CA trip part 3

More pictures. =) On Wednesday we went on a driving tour. First we went and saw the Crookedest Street In the World. A.k.a. Lombard Street. It was awesome. =P Although I would certainly hate to live on it. Then we went to Coit Tower, and took pictures of the view. From there we went on to the Golden Gate Bridge. We walked a quarter of the way out, all the way to the first big tower thing. Sooooo much fun. The whole bridge shook, from all the cars and the wind. If you stood still and put your hand on the metal railing, it seriously felt like the entire thing was about to crack apart and drop you a bazillion feet down into the bay. There was a phone box thing under one of the lightposts, like where you can call if your car breaks down or something, and the sign over it said it was for emergency calls and crisis counseling. Although I must say, if I was considering hurling myself off the edge of the bridge, the last thing I’d want to do would be to stand in the middle of the sidewalk surrounded by hundreds of other people, and talk to some strange person about why I was feeling suicidal. =P

So yea. We walked out and back, and it was really loud, and windy, and vibration-y, and cool. =))) And Aunt Sylvia told us about someone who went on a date with his new girlfriend and took her to the top of one of the big suspension towers, because he got permission somehow. I kind of think that would be epic…but I really also think if some guy wanted me to do that on our first date, I’d be like nopeeeeee forget you I’m moving on to the next eligible young man…

Unless he was a millionaire and promised to build me Edoras, that is.

Anyhow. After that we went to see the ruins of the Sutro Baths. That was cool, though we didn’t actually walk down to see them up close. too windy and cold, by that point. Then we came home and had a yummy dinner. ;) And I’m telling you, I’m going to have to go on like a bread and water diet for like all summer after this. I haven’t had so much good food in a longgg time…yay college food. =P

Then on Thursday we chillaxed. We had a nice leisurely morning and had tea for breakfast and sat around and played with the cats. Then we went to visit one of Aunt Sylvia and Uncle David’s friends in the hospital. On the way home from that, we stopped at a little used bookstore on the Island. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. Anna went into book freak out mode. I’m telling you, they’re like drugs. Just being in the same room as them makes me high. <3

So I now have seven lovely new (old) books in my possession, including the three I got the other day (did I post about that? I can’t remember. We stopped at another old bookstore a few days ago.) Sososososohappy. <3 I now own a beautiful old copy of Pride and Prejudice, a similar lovely old book of Poe’s work, a copy of The Brothers Karamazov (yesssssssss), Shirley, Villette, and The Professor by Charlotte Bronte, and Le Morte d’Arthur (rendered in “modern idiom” by Keith Bates, but originally by Sir Thomas Malory). Funny story about that last book. I was in the store, already holding the three by Bronte, and debating whether or not I should get Le Morte too. It was $8.50, though, which is a good five dollars more than what I normally pay for my used books (poor starving college student, you know). I wanted it…but it was expensive…and not super pretty…butbutbut I really wanted it…and I couldn’t decide. I had finally made up my mind that I wasn’t going to get it when I decided I would flip through the first few pages just in case. I had already flipped through the middle a bit, but I wanted to see the table of contents. So I opened the cover and flipped past like the copyright info and stuff…and then I turned one more page…

And then it came home with me.

Because right there on the next page, staring at me in big beautiful letters was the dedication.

It said, “For Anna”

I melted. Actually, I think I died a little inside. And how could I not buy it after that? It was waiting for me. =) And I wonder who that Anna was, and why was the book dedicated to her? And and and…I think that was one of the best moments of my life. Turning the page and seeing my name right there. <3 *happy sigh*…*hugs book* =)))

…anyhow. *tears thoughts away from books* That was Thursday. After the bookstore we went out to dinner at a German restaurant (like, the menu was in German. And I was proud of myself because I deciphered the heading of the first page and determined that it had the day’s specials on it. TagespetzierensomethingorotherIbutcheredthatspelling. Yup. Just like that.

Yea. so then Friday. I didn’t take any pictures Friday (well I did a few, but I’m going to post them later, for reasons explained below). But Friday morning we went in the garage with Aunt Sylvia and she showed us her glass stuff (she’s a glass artist. So. Cool.) AND we got to play with it. =D So me and Mommy made some jewelry and we each got to make a little dish. Ahhhhhhhh! I took pictures of them before they were fired in the kiln the first time. They have to be fired again though so they aren’t done yet. I’ll post the before and after pictures together. Yea. =)

Then we went and got takeout lunch from Panera Bread and came back and did more glass funness (so addicting. I could do that all day. Hobbies are always so expensive though. -_- *sigh*). Then we went to dinner at an Italian place (wood-fired pizza!) and went to see the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg (i.e., Russian). They were performing their Rodin, and it was spectacular. A full-length story. IN MODERN DANCE. I’ve never seen a full Modern ballet before. Agh. It was FANTASTIC. <3 Must see moreeeee. =))) I loved it. The story was about the sculptor/artist Rodin, and his relationship with his wife Rose and his apprentice/love affair Camille. So so tragic. I’m telling you, the best artists are all kinda loopy. …which says something about my chances at becoming an artist…(i.e. they’re really high…*cough*;) ). But yea. The performance was a bit risque…*cough* Not something I would take my little kids to (and indeed the people sitting in front of us who had brought their young daughter left after the first act XD)…but it worked brilliantly. Because Rodin was, after all, a sculptor, there were several scenes taking place in his workshop, with young women posing in the nude for him to draw/sculpt. Of course the dancers were not actually nude. They were just as close as you can get without being kicked out of the theater. *ahem* ;) Hehe =P But. It was fantastic. They way they used the human bodies to be Rodin’s sculptures was amazing. Ahhhhh. *dies* *in dance heaven* Modern is so. amazing. when done well. And the Eifman Ballet was superb. Definitely something I would loveeee to see again. I’m not totally sure how Mother and aunt Sylvia liked it…but. Ahhhhhhhhh. Heart. =)))

Although it did kinda ruin my hopes of ever becoming a really good modern dancer. Those people were like so skinny you could see straight through them, and so stronggg. I mean, seriously? Why can’t they share?? I’d only take a little of their strength and figures and skill…pretty please? =P Hehe XD Agh. So. Fantastic.

Anyhow. that was Friday. <3

Woo. Pictures. \m/

Lombard Street

A cool gate. =P

Ahhh blueeeeeee. I want. <3

driving down the curvy street. =P

Coit Tower

the view from the top of the tower

Look at all the houses. Like. What. WHO WOULD WANT TO LIVE HERE??!!??

the curvy street seen from the tower

pretty flowers. can’t resist. =P

a statue for Christopher Columbus, for some reason…

more flowers

a cool place we ate a picnic lunch at. ahhhhhhhh. Want.

columns.

I really like the ladies at the top…

…they looked so sad.

And I was having fun UNTIL I SAW THE ANGELS. I checked really good to make sure there were none, and there weren’t any on the outside. THEN WE WENT UNDER THE DOME. AND I WAS JUST LIKE MOMMY. RUN. NOW. And I suggest you don’t look at this picture long because that which holds the image of an Angel becomes itself an Angel. Like seriously. go to the next picture. NOW. and don’t blink until you have. 0_0

although the ceiling inside the dome was cool…THE ANGELS MUST BE GUARDING SOMETHING.

A swan. That hasn’t yet been eaten by the Angels.

The Golden Gate bridge in the fog.

Mother, photographing the bridge. =P

And more bridge.

annnnd looking up at the tall suspension tower thing.

And ok like we brought the sheep. WHAT.