'tis the season

i ate birthday cake from the family party yesterday for breakfast today. and my house is full of candy canes and ghirardelli chocolate squares. somebody stop me.

SF

I live in the wrong city. It was so surreal to see the fog rolling in and out of the bay, and my favorite part was walking everywhere. I know - I'm the only person ever who would actually say that I prefer walking uphill (and I mean UPhill) half a mile to Chinatown instead of the screechy cable car with the big black guy hunchman practically throwing you overboard if you didnt pay your fare within 3 seconds of boarding. And I loved that they just assume everybody is on foot - there's no pushing buttons at street corners to change the lights and get the green stick figure "walk now" sign - it just happens automatically, which I thought was cool.

These are from our night tour of the city via a de-cabled cable car that now drives like a bus. Love the bridge at night.

Garlands and Christmas lights on the car, candy canes and Santa hats inside with just a few other tourists singing carols. I know you all will think its gay, but it was San Fran after all - when in Rome.

C in his KKK Santa hat. A little boy on the car got upset when he couldn't get his hat to stick straight up like Colby's. Funny stuff.

Big ornaments stacked all over this cool building. You would know its the season anywhere, and even though I complain about the snow here, I was happy to see it when we got home. It didn't seem like Christmas without it, and these folks in SF have to get by with cute decor instead... although those big red bulbs would look pretty fab with a little white stuff around them...

Christmas trees everywhere - Temple Square style. In store fronts, parking lots, Union Square, and even here on the wharf.

I have to admit this was a gluttonous trip. Don't judge me. I mean, we walked everywhere so that's where I justify it. This was my carrot cake cupcake that actually was gross but looked real cute so I had to document. This next pic testifies of the further gluttony.

Look closely through the fog and you will see we are at Ghiradelli Square - better than Willy Wonka's joint anyday. If you haven't had a hot fudge sundae from their ice cream parlor, you are seriously missing out. The biggest problem was that spending money there came way too easy... "but Colby, I HAVE to take some chocolates home to everybody!"

oh and upon closer inspection, you may notice a crisp white shopping bag from only the greatest clothing store on the planet in Colby's left hand. The anthropologie store in SF is TWO stories of glorious wonders that someday I will have. Someday...

At Boudin's, the sourdough bread factory on the wharf.

And L, without whom the trip would not have been possible. Her crab is a little retarded.

This is the cell at Alcatraz that I have reserved for when Colby acts up.
"If you complain one more time about not getting that damn belt to heal your guild buddies...!"

I'll say this: go if you can, but don't spend more than two hours out there because its freaky. There's just a bad energy, if you know what I mean. Especially here in the cell blocks. The lower row with the solid doors with small windows are where they kept the extra creepy criminals in isolation.

I swear I changed my clothes everyday.
It just so turned out that I needed my coat and scarf everyday too, so no smart quips about me wearing the same stuff okay? Okay.

What surprised me the most about Alcatraz Island was how pretty it was - its like it should be this barren waste land but its actually quite beautiful. Tons of wild life, we mostly saw birds, and they said certain flowers only grow on this spot of the bay because it gets more sun and dew than anywhere else. And did you know the families of the employees and officers running the prison lived on the island? Like, we're talking kids here. Next to the criminals. Uh... hello? But they said it was all good so I won't be hatin'.

out of the office

yes, i think a vacation is in order.
i mean, i did just graduate college.

so colby+colby's mother are taking me out to celebrate. there will be many details and photos upon my return, but for now i will just give you all a little teaser.

oh and if i perish in the gas chamber at alcatraz from fear and crying because I DIDNT WANT TO GO IN THE FIRST PLACE, i have made colby promise he will pick up my blogging where i left off.

toodles! see you all on sundee.

from my five year old self

borrowed from Real Simple

Dear Santa,
I am in Mr. Funk's afternoon kindergarten. We wrote you letters last week. Mr. Funk says you got them. What I am writing you about now (Christmas morning is tomorrow, so I hope the mail travels fast) is that Mr. Funk said we could only ask for things that were four letter words. Ball and doll and sled. Because of that, all of us asked for the same things, and I didnt get to ask for what I really wanted.

So here goes. Please dont say no until I explain the whole thing. I am thinking that you could stop here last and leave Rudolph with me. All the kids on our block would take very good care of him. In our class, we have a rabbit and a salamander. We feed them and give them water, and we pet the rabbit, whose name is Buster. Buster minds his own business and never runs around the room yelling the way some of the kids do - not me. I have looked in the garage, and I think Rudolph would like it in there. Or, really, he would like it on the roof of the garage, since the Buick is in the garage. My cousin Steve and I go on the roof all the time when nobody is looking, and its nice up there. Theres plenty of room to lie around and look at comic books and eat peanut butter our of Steve's jar. Steve and I climb that maple tree next to the fence, but your book says that Rudolph would fly up and down, and that is what I am getting at. I would like to fly around on Rudolph. I could hold on to his antlers. I am not very big. The doctor says that I am three feet six inches tall and I weigh only 38 pounds.

The important thing is that I would be Rudolph's best friend. I see in your book that on foggy Christmases the other reindeer let Rudolph light the way with his nose, but that is not the same as being his friend. Comet has Cupid; Dasher has Dancer; Donner has Blitzen. After Christmas is over, Rudoplh is on his own. I think he would rather stay with us and have a friend. And not every Christmas is foggy. This year the sky is clear - I can see the moon out my window.

When I wake up tomorrow morning, the first thing I am going to do is put on my shoes and go out to the garage. I hope that I will find Rudolph lying on the roof, taking a nice nap after his long trip. You may have noticed that we didnt leave any cookies for you this year. I have them right here. They are for Rudolph.

Thank you and yours truly,
Desi