Bay Area Chronicles, Day 5

It poured rain yesterday...the one day we planned to head into the city. Ordinarily, this would've bummed us out but the main point of the trip was to visit the Rudd's, and as long as that got accomplished, it didn't matter.

First, we stopped at an art shop of some reknown to pick up some art supplies for Kid1, which would save us an internet ordering session. I like the crowd that shops in art shops of some reknown. Eclectic mix of folks from suburban moms likely taking a watercolor class to the pierced & tattooed to the black turtleneck folks. There was a t-shirt on the wall that read: "Baroque: What You Are When You Run Out Of Monet." It was funny in that environment, anyway.

Then we met the Rudd's at an restaurant that served Indian cuisine. Here's something about me: When it comes to food, I have a small sphere of things I like and when I go out to eat I like to get what I know I'll like...I don't get the luxury of eating out that much. So, when I kind of looked disappointed about getting Indian food, all the folks around me give me a hard time about "not wanting to try new things" and all that hullaballoo. So what if I don't? But, in an effort to be a good sport, I rolled with it with minimal resistance. I got a recommendation of something everybody seemed to think I'd like...and I did. So, I now have the one thing that I will order if I'm ever back at a restaurant that serves Indian cuisine.

This particular Indian restaurant was highly rated by the folks who publish such ratings, but it was a hole-in-the-wall kind of dive. This immediately endeared the place to me. You got your own silverware. Your own carafe of water. You got your own glasses. And, at the end of the meal you got up and got your very own "to-go" boxes. So, if you ever are in San Francisco, and need a good Indian food recommendation, I'm all over it.

We accidentally parked by the TransAmerica building. We were so focused on the GPS getting us to the restaurant that we weren't paying attention to where we were. We parked, fed the meter (at $0.25 per five minutes), I came back out and added 15 more minutes, and didn't notice were were actually across the street from the landmark. I took my first picture with my cell phone. I'm not sure why. It's also my "wallpaper."

Then we got to visit with the Pierced and Tattooed Kristen while Joshua finished up his afternoon at work. The thing that endears me to Kristen is her passion. She cares about things and causes and injustice and Christ and all sorts of things. Her tirades don't end with words, either. More often than not they turn into crusades. The current one was a nice coffee shop that was not allowing children. Apparently, folks who refer to those who choose to have children as "breeders" don't like kids in their coffee shop and the shop has asked folks with kids to leave. Kristen and her tribe are complaining to the city because you can't discriminate against people groups...and I think children would qualify as a people group. Either way, I like her passion and activism.

Offspring Judah and Killian were in the house. Judah slayed me with her rendition of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" complete with snow boots and heavy breathing at the wrong times. Suffice to say that she and the King of Pop were working on two separate beats. Killian dug my Mp3 player on my phone. Life is good when children are in the home.

I took the bus to Haight/Ashbury to get Kid1 & Kid2 some t-shirts. Suffice to say that even on the 40th anniversary of the Summer of Love that once you've done Haight/Ashbury, there's really not much reason to do it again other than to get Kid1 & Kid2 some t-shirts.

It is really a great feeling to hang out with somebody you discipled for pretty much their entire high school life and remained friends with. One of the more enjoyable evenings I've had in a while.

One other thing: There's a very real temptation to throw $0.50 on the ground and pick up a neighbor's newspaper when you're walking only a half-mile to get your own newspaper. I mean...they live closer to the bin, right? It isn't stealing if you leave the change, right? I have no idea why this is because it's 50 degrees and beautiful and I enjoy the alone time. What is it about me that actually thinks such things?

Last day in the Bay Area...Don't worry...you'll have action photos in tomorrow's post...