San Francisco!

Joe and I got back today from a wonderful long weekend spent in San Francisco. We were first time visitors to the city and quickly came to love all that we saw. It probably also helped that we had sunshine everyday with comfortable temperatures. We stayed with Joe's friends in Oakland and covered a lot of ground in just 3 days while getting quite familiar with the city's public transportation system. I think my biggest surprise was how expansive San Francisco is! It definitely takes time to get from one end of the city to the other and there is no way you can do it on foot. On Friday we took the BART (their subway system) to an area near the financial district that sits right on the bay. Our first attraction to visit was the Ferry Building. It is now remodeled to include lots of specialty shops for food and gifts. Lots of people grabbing lunch and eating by the water. This area was once the only port into the city before the bridges were built. From there we hopped on a trolley (very cliche of us I know :-) to the very touristy area of Fisherman's Wharf. Lots of seafood restaurants, shops, and street performers. Right in that area is a section dedicated to the sea lions. There were over 100 just lounging about on the docks sunning themselves and talking talking to each other. It was really cool to see so many in their natural habitat. We made our way to Ghirardelli Square and the delicious chocolate (loved the free sample! :-) and then we walked the hilly streets to Coit Tower. We took an elevator to the top and got some great views of the city in all directions. First day was about 10 hours with most of it spent in the sun and on foot. Sleep found us easily that night before taking on the second day of playing tourist. Saturday morning we were given the pleasure of tasting the city's best scones (according to Matt) and getting a glimpse of the amazing Farmer's Market that Matt and Brianna get to visit every Saturday. The choice of fresh produce paired with the very inexpensive prices made me very envious. We get them to some degree here in Seattle but not quite as impressive. From there it was time spent on the BART and city bus to land at the Legion of Honor art museum which sits on top of hill with again wonderful views. It is also a popular spot for wedding party pictures as we saw 4 different parties getting their picture taken. The museum's building is quite impressive and the art is very old. From 1500-19th century with an introduction to some 20th century artists. I got my Monet fix before leaving and was having flashbacks of art classes with the different artists name I saw in print. From the museum we accidentally stumbled upon a path to a cliff walk along the Pacific Ocean. It was an accidental surprise that was quite stunning. A combination of art and walking found us ravenous and we were fortunate to stumble upon a well known diner that sits on the edge of a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The food was good and the window seat was nothing to complain about. From there we made our way to Golden Gate Park where we found groups of people enjoying BBQ's, archery, and of course more wedding photography. We stumbled upon Ocean Beach which is at the far end of the park and I definitely felt the need to put my feet on the sand. An interesting (and jam packed) bus ride dropped us off in the neighborhood of Haight Ashbury which was the mecca for all things hippie back in the day. The streets are filled with vintage stores, cafes, bars, and of course lots of tie dye. Some great houses fall at the end of the block with the home of Janis Joplin falling in the mix. The house today is a beautiful purple but I was told that when she was living there her quarters weren't quite so impressive. The bus ride home took us past the "Three Sisters"- a famous set of row homes right by a park. For those of you familiar with my favorite show from growing up "Full House"- I think this set of row homes can be found in the closing credits.
Sunday found us in the car heading to Berkeley's campus. A beautiful college campus with a great college feel on the surrounding streets. We had lunch in the park and then wandered the streets checking out the houses and their interesting architecture. From there we ventured on a very windy road to Muir National Park to see the Redwood trees. Lots of people had the same idea as the place was packed and it was a hike from the car to the entrance once we were able to park. After time spent in the city it was nice to spend some time in nature with some beautiful surroundings. We ended the day driving across the Golden Gate Bridge and enduring lots of traffic. I guess no city is immune to it.
Although our search for "Danny Tanner" came up short, our time spent exploring the city was well worth the travels. It would definitely be a city Joe and I would consider living in if it wasn't for the state turmoil, the expensive prices, and the fact that it really doesn't lessen the gap of 3,000 miles from the east and west coast.

Giving Back

Saturday was a day of giving back to the city of Seattle. I teamed up with an organization called "Seattle Works" for their big volunteer day. It's an organization for 20 and 30 somethings that's geared toward volunteering around Seattle. Yesterday was their big fundraising day which took in about $75,000 dollars! We were on different teams with different jobs throughout the city for the first 3 hours followed by a big after party in Seattle Center by the Space Needle with everyone. My team was given the task of pulling weeds in the natural habitat areas at Green Lake Park just north of the city. There were about 20 of us on site and after very vague directions and our choice of gardening tools we got to work. More often than not we found ourselves asking is this a good plant or a bad plant? There was a very helpful woman that would help us with this decision but if she was busy elsewhere we took to the plant with our "hackers" (I'm sure there is a more technical term for this gardening tool). After almost 2 1/2 hours of hacking and picking and piling and dumping we had had our fill. We definitely left the area looking more "polished" than when we arrived so I'm assuming it was a job well done. :-) In a way I found it very therapeutic to "zone out" in nature while doing my task.
Today Joe and I visited the Seattle Art Museum for the first time. They were showcasing an exhibit on Kurt Cobain and although I have no interest in his music, he is a legacy of Seattle and it was interesting to see the different artists take on his rise and fall. Paired with the Kurt Cobain display was one of Andy Warhol. We got our Seattle and Pittsburgh all rolled into one. :-)
Walking downtown today and watching the people walking about was a good reminder that summer is just around the corner. You can feel the influx of people down around the Pike Place Market.
Looking forward to the week ahead as we are spending the long weekend in San Franciso. California here we come! (another state to check off my list:-)

Gotta Keep Running

Oh my throbbing feet! I sit here this evening with my feet up trying to give some much needed air to a very ugly blister on the bottom of my foot. How did it get there you ask? It started last weekend with a 9.5 mile run. My running schedule continues to increase in mileage and I think I found my (and my feet) breaking point! I had my mapped out route along Lake Union and winding through the different neighborhoods an around mile 8 I started to feel pain in my feet and my toes. My poor toes have never felt this way and I really thought they were going to turn blue! I was very quick to remove my shoes after my run (I did make it through the whole thing!) and although there was no blue coloring I did have a nice blister under the arch of my foot. After a little TLC complete with ice cubes and cold water (thank you trainer Lauren!) my feet were back in working order for the week.
Another long run came yesterday- this one 11 miles. I never thought I'd be running in the double digits! Amazing what a little determination can do! The sunshine was out in full force and I chose a run along Lake Washington. My route took me by some VERY expensive houses with beautiful views, parks with BBQ's and picnic spots, and right along the water where I was so close I could touch the water with my fingers. I was in good company once again with other runners and cyclists. My route took me all the way down to the tip of land known as Seward Park. Joe and I had driven down once before and walked around the park so I knew what I was heading to. By the time I got there I was around mile 7. Sailboats were out, families were enjoying the sunshine and so I couldn't just bring myself to turn around continue back. Instead I spotted a little white ice cream truck advertising shaved ice. At this point I'm hot and thirsty and some sugar and ice certainly sounded good so I gave myself a "pass" for a little break. I enjoyed my shaved ice and took in the scenery before continuing home. Right around mile 8 or 9 again I started to get the pain at the bottom of my feet and in my toes. Maybe it's their way of telling me enough is enough but I still had a few miles to go. After almost 3 hours on foot (I had about a mile walk back to my car after the 11 mile run) I was glad to let me feet breathe. In place of my recovering blister was an even bigger and uglier one than before along with a blister on my heel and 2 on my toes. I have to think that people who run have ugly feet right up there with dancers. I am now on a mission to find a fix for my throbbing feet. First up- some specialty socks that soak up sweat and allow some breathing. We'll see how this goes.....
Along with my runs and enjoying the sunshine, I've also been able to experience two more music venues in the city and some very talented musicians. Besides the beautiful scenery and the eclectic style of Seattlites, the music scene has to be on my list of best things about this city. In a weeks time I've seen acoustic, southern rock, and a Napolean Dynamite look alike that could hit notes that most females can only try to reach. The creativity and talent out there is amazing!
Joe and I ended out weekend at the Japanese Gardens for a little stroll through the world of colorful flowers and Bonsai trees. There was a feeling of serenity in the garden with all of nature around. Wish I carry that feeling outside of the garden wall and into everyday life.

A Hard Goodbye...

Most (if not all) of you know by now that this was a tough week for the Tingley family as we had to say goodbye to Grandma. I've spent this past week both emotionally and physically exhausted as I am filled with memories of Grandma. It was Grandma who first got me interested in drawing as we used to sit at the living room table with a huge Holly Hobby book in front of us. After we colored in the picture we used to fill in the empty space around it with our own drawings of suns and flowers, and houses with chimneys and smoke coming out of them. In the summer Grandma played baseball with us in her backyard using this red fat plastic bat that would send the ball flying. In the winter Grandma helped us to make igloos and dig out and opening so that we could crawl inside. I have a picture in my mind of Grandma killing a snake with a hoe as Lauren stood by and watched while Regan and I raced inside the house. I remember walking downtown and going to the drug store and buying candy for a nickel and sleepovers on Saturday nights watching the Golden Girls and Carol Burnett- the 3 of us crammed into Grandma's bed. There were countless times as I got older sitting at Grandma's kitchen table drinking coffee or hot chocolate and just talking. I do believe there was even a time when I was younger that I told Grandma that I wanted to drink coffee just like her so that I wouldn't get too tall. And of course there were the family gatherings at Thanksgiving; all of us sitting down along the long table with Grandma's jello and whip cream right in front of the grandkids. Each night when I close my eyes, these thoughts are what fill my head before I can finally find sleep. I'm grateful for the almost 29 years I had with Grandma and I will forever remember the love she had for all of us.