First few.

Alright, so we're here in SF, our travels went well, not even a whiff of disaster like the last time I flew....ghahhhh

This is also my first post using our new computer.
I still hate it.

Sf is pretty cool though, the weather is equally that, cool.
I think its gonna heat up though.

Today was our first day actually out doing stuff, we took it easy the day we flew in, prepped up for a busy Monday.

So we got up this morning, I made myself a coffee in the hotel room with my own travelling coffee kit, as pictured below.
And made plans to head to the mission, for a good few hours of fun.

First oder of business was Ritual coffee on Valencia.
This place came on high recommendation from many reliable sources, and met my every expectation.
Although they no longer pull the acclaimed Stumptown Hairbender espresso, in favour of using their own blend, I was still impressed.
It was quite bright, in a really pleasant way, intense, but still delicate...it didn't hurt.
Really sweet, like fruity dark chocolate. I will definately have another...........few.
After that I had a Brasil Boa Sorte from their Clover machine, which actually wasn't so great, but I picked up a 1/2lb of Kenya AA to make at home, which I will discuss in a minute.
Annie had a latte, which was still good, but I think the guy on milk must be in training still.

The folks at Ritual were all too nice as well, I think as soon as I asked "when did you guys stop pulling the hairbender?" they had me pegged as a barista.
It was all sunshine from there on, I had a nice chat with a guy who suggested I also check out Blue Bottle coffee, which I planned on, as well as a chat with Eileen, who must be a co-owner, or manager, or some other important title in the mass of 30 people they employ to have her own business card.
We talked Clover for a while, and how almost nobody orders Clover coffee at the Valencia shop, but their 2nd location is a whole other story.
After a good chat she kindly offered to lend both Annie and I bikes, which comfirms to me that being a barista is like being a Free Mason, once you're in the brotherhood, the only escape from accomodating baristas the world over, is death.
Ritual = Awesome.

Then Annie and I toured around the Mission for a bit, ate plates of Mexican food neither of us could finish, bought a book we've been looking for, sifted through Buffalo Exchange until Annie found a suede hat, and some white Minnetonkas, and lastly went all the way down to 826 Valencia (pirate store), only to read the sign "sorry, closed Monday for inventory".
Thats OK, I think I will go there the next time I go to Ritual, which could very well be every day until we leave.

After our tour of the Mission, we came home, and while Annie napped, I pressed a cup of the Kenya, and sat out front of the hotel to enjoy my coffee, my book, and shamefully, a mooched cigarette (I was fucking desperate OK, you can't bring weed on a plane).
I bought a book of short stories by Miranda July.
Normally I don't read, I don't have the attention span for most writing, but this shit is fucking hilarious, and I like that it's all short stories, very little commitment.
It's even funnier if you imagine her voice reading the stories, but a bit distracting, and I tend to veer off into imagination land the second I start pretending things.
Also distracting while reading is a drunken woman, in the presence of her husband, asking me if I think she has a cute butt, while I was sitting on the ground.
It's a hard question to answer. Do I lie and say "yes", and have her husband kick me in the face, or do I be honest and say no, and have her kick me in the face, and then maybe him too, for insulting his woman, and my travel insurance doesn't kick in until the 3rd!!
So I just decided to be honest and say "Im in a bit of a vulnerable position right now, and I don't really know how to answer", followed by the kind of akwardness that people can only walk away from.
It worked.

Then I woke up the princess, and made the bad decision to walk straight through the Tenderloin en route to DLXSF.
The Tenderloin is what Parkdale would be like if crack was free, or beter yet, if you got paid to smoke crack.
I even saw a black mans penis!
I don't think we will be walking through there again.

I was gonna post pics, but this computer is driving me insane.
Dennis, you were right, fuck a Mac, I shoulda bought a pound of weed instead.