I arrived into SFO last Thursday afternoon and took BART into the city. I sat behind a guy whose foot was tapping like a drummer as he talked to his friend in Seattle. "Hey dude, listen, my battery’s about to go dead so I’ll have to catch you later," he said. Then he held his LG flip-phone up to eye level and began playing a tetris-like game, rapidly placing falling shapes in the right slot. He was impatient, and obviously very accomplished with his phone. I’m guessing he worked in the tech industry.
As soon as I got into the city I bopped over to the Apple Store on Stockton, which was conveniently located only a block from the hotel. After I left the store (no purchases!) I stopped to buy a diet coke from the street vendor. The battered white Styrofoam tip jar had a note: "Please leave some change, and contribute to my iPhone fund!" In New Orleans, very few people have iPhones, but in San Francisco everyone either has one or wants one.
On Saturday Becky and I went for a nice hike in Muir Woods and it was wonderful. Just past the entrance, I felt myself enraptured by the canopy of tall trees. An elderly couple with Brooklyn accents were arguing about the Sunnis and the Shias, and the future of Iraq. Becky and I picked up our pace. We diverted from the wheelchair accessible path and started climbing. The crowd thinned. We passed a few people along the way, but all were stilled by the majestic beauty (or oxygen depleted by the arduous climb). In any event, there was little noise. Eventually, though, we did come across an oriental couple that emanated a strange tinny transistor radio-like sound. It was Russian marching music. Sigh.
The Golden Gate was foggy that day and, now that I’m back in New Orleans, so are my memories of San Francisco. Perhaps that’s because of the climate change, or perhaps its because of what I said to Robert Scoble when I visited with him (and Buzz Bruggeman) at the Fly Trap restaurant. Anyway, it was a great trip. And I even managed to get some decent pictures to go with my lovely (but foggy) memories.
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close bars for church? That’s why the Irish invented Guinness …you can order your pint at Harrys Corner, run down to the Cathedral for mass, pop out when people get up for communion and be back just as the foam settles…..and since you drink it warm, it’s ready to take the edge off all that fire and brimstone you just heard in the sermon.
Ernie, tell Mr. Scoble he needs to spend more time with the Irsih community in SF .. or come to NOLA for a peek at the Irish Channel St Patricks Parade with us *L*