A great day in The City

The day started out with a two hour visit to the urgent care. So as not to scare my readers with TMI I had a boil a few weeks ago and unfortunately it didn't heal 100% and there is an abscess underneath it now. I also have been having some chest pain that was frightening us all but after an x-ray that gave me the all clear the Dr told me he feels it is pulled muscles from all the coughing from the viral infection I also had a few weeks ago. I think I can officially be called a crock and should be traded in for a newer model!

I left the urgent care with a prescription for antibiotics, instructions to take Aleve twice a day for the pain in my chest and go home drink plenty of fluids, rest and go see my primary care Doctor in a three to four days. Hmmmmmmm did I take the Doctors orders - NO. I had a full day planned in "The City" with Dad, I couldn't let him down. So I got home jumped in the shower and we headed off to San Francisco.

Our first stop was to the Secret Garden Teahouse. I first heard about this wonderful place from my friend and "internet cousin" Alice, I came across her Blog during the summer when she was visiting San Francisco with her wonderful family and one of the first post I read was one about the Secret Garden, I was so excited to read about this place as the Secret Garden was my favorite book as a child, I must have read it twenty times. Larry gave me a copy of it recently so I need to re-read it and reclaim some of my childhood innocence and hope that this book inspires. I used to close my eyes and be Mary working in the garden bring it back to life. In a way Daddy and I worked in my secret garden on Tuesday as it was in great need of some care and we cleared up the dead plants and weeds and planted new plants and gave my garden new life. Thanks Alice for giving me this great tip for a wonderful place to take my Dad during his trip to the Bay area. Here are some pictures to show what a wonderful time we had:





We had to do the pinkie test with the sugar bowl and prongs, who do you think wins?




I think Larry wins for technique but I win for best French polish. I had to use Dad tea cup as I don't take sugar in my tea. Yes, Mom I did drink tea- six cups in all. I discovered I like Earl grey. For those of you who may not know my Dad worked for Lyons Tea in Ireland for 35 years and I put too many boxes of tea on shop shelves as a child and never drank tea, much to the despair of my Dad. He use to tell me pour it out anyhow to give him some business but I used to say "Why would I do that Dad as we get it for free!!". The only reason I would pour out a cup of tea was to dunk my chocolate goldgraine biscuits to make the chocolate all melted to lick it off!!! :-)


Love Dad expression in this one as he looked down at his pot of tea and Lar looking so very serious as he pours his tea for the very first time:



Close up of the food:


A few shots of around the teahouse:




And one of my favorite places in the store was the fairie glen:



All good things must end but not before a final few photo's outside:




The next item on our agenda was a walk in Golden Gate Park towards the Carousel. An action shot of my boys looking at some people playing soccer and baseball:




I had such a great time on the carousel, I closed my eyes and I was five years of age on the merry-go-around in Crosshaven or Ardmore. All three of use went on it the first time, I picked a purple horse and Dad got stuck on the orange chicken next too me!!

I think Daddy is talking to his chicken in this one:





Next time round I went solo and I decided on a black cat with a purple bow:



It felt so great to be a kid again, I must go do this more often. It only cost a buck fifty a turn so I think I can afford to do this a number of times!!

On to stop number three which was to drive down 11th and Anza to see where I used to live for over six and a half years. I got all nostalgic as we turned from Balboa on to 11th and I nearly had tears in my eyes as we drove down to the house where I had my apartment. I was thinking of all the wonderful memories of the Birthday parties, dinners parties, St. Partick's day and Easter Bunch's, Choir Christmas Party, Siebel Layoff party and sometimes just get together for no excuse at all - just to celebrate friendship that I had in that apartment. Of course I had my phone out to take some pictures, may of the houses have been upgrade but the house that I lived in looks as grotty as it did three years ago:







As we were very near Geary, I requested a stop at San Francisco Toyota to test drive my soon to be new car:



We met a very nice gentleman who gave us the tour of the car and Larry drove it to the Presido where I took over in a very open car park. I LOVE it. Larry is not too happy that I want to buy a hybrid but as a Geography major in university I feel I need to do something for the environment. I am also concerned that I put $45 of gas in my Equinox on Wednesday and had to fill it up again last night after 250 miles. I will get 500 miles from the Prius. I love my Equinox also but have researched that I can save myself over $1000 in gas, will get a tax break and will do my little bit for the environment. When Larry wins the Lotto he can buy himself a Hummer but like Arnold maybe he may consider converting it to a hybrid! :-) The only question in my mind now is what color will I get it in!!

We then went down town to look at the lights before heading to Roy's for a wonderful dinner.



As you may remember I took a picture of Larry and Daddy coming out of Cartier on Friday and on Saturday I got a picture of them outside Tiffany's - A girl can only dream, I suppose!