Say you’re in San Francisco, it’s a Wednesday, and you feel like having champagne.  And you’re broke, or you’re not broke, but it’s not in your blood to drop $65 on a bottle of sparkling wine in a so-so restaurant.  And maybe you’re not even all that hungry. It’s 3 o’clock, and long before any kind of dinner planning happens, you are thinking that plush bed in the Fairmont on Nob Hill deserves a midday nap. From you. 

I understand completely.

That’s why it’s so nice to share with you what we’ve learned over the past 4 years…

Sometimes champagne just happens.

It’s the sound of guitar music escaping out the door of a small wine merchant, who’s willing to pour you a glass on the side. 

And that is why it’s important to wander. Wherever you are.

The best glasses of champagne are enjoyed that way.  Trust me.

Especially in North Beach over a bottle of wine and a thin crust pizza.

I’ve read myself dry. I need a new book. Any suggestions?

I like this picture I took of this woman and her dog. It’s such a great capture of companionship. I even thought to myself as I watched her, I bet I’ve been this woman to other people, sitting places alone, with Whiskey by my side. It’s strange to think I even have a picture of this woman. Whose pictures might I appear in? 

Anyway, before your heart strings go weak for this poor, lonely lady…notice the hand on the right. A fairly attractive gentleman was walking along when he recognized her (with great excitment) as if she were a regular starlet on the street. He joined her for coffee and they shared a great laugh about something or other before he continued along. I love when perceptions are so wonderfully shook. I gave the dog my bacon. We were here, in San Francisco:

As for the reading. Here’s what I’ve been up to lately:

I just finished this book, which I have to say was one of those books that are both good and bad. It was entirely unknown to me that she (the author) is the sister of Daniel Day Lewis and the daughter of C.S. Lewis. So you can imagine my surprise when half way through the book she’s suddenly at Julia Roberts house, cracking open a bottle of champagne over a casual dinner (pure coincidence).  All in all though, I like when a good tale is intertwined with usefulness (in this case, recipes). I will definitely be making her perfect scrambled eggs. Plus, it was deliciously nice to be reading.

Then, two days ago, I ordered this book and this book. I am almost embarassed to share this. I think research is paramount to how I understand things. Reading and research. On my drive to work I had this realization: what do I know about being a wife?  What do I know about marriage?  So, I thought I’d better start learning what I can, beginning at the far-end of uncommon and working my way in, toward convention, in hopes of finding ”us”. 

My latest print arrived last week from Etsy seller SFgirlbybay (it’s the print in the picture, not the picture itself). I thought this would make a perfect daily reminder for Ash and I to keep calm during the next 6 months before our wedding. Until then, I think I might hang it in my new office at work (yes, a new office, as in a new job, again). Anyway, I just love it. It’s even aptly named “wedding mint” for the background colour. I am starting to think the mailman might think I am some kind of 1) drug pusher or 2) shopohilic (more likely, right?) for all the packages I have been receiving in the mail lately. Can you still be classified as a grossly out-of-control consumer when you are buying strictly handmade??? You can, can’t you? Damn.

Stay:

My fiance (boyfriend back then) knows me so well! He booked us in at the Fairmont San Francisco on Nob Hill. I’ll admit I felt a bit Julia-Roberts-in-a-red-polka dot-dress walking into that vast lobby of tiger coloured marble. Being whisked away for the weekend is a lot of fun. The room itself was fairly standard. The robes were a bit on the crunchy side. But waking up every morning and heading down to the Gone-with-the-Wind lobby was worth the trade. Of course, we had to celebrate with two flutes of champagne in the lobby lounge:

To be continued with tips on where to eat, what to do and other great SF finds…

No time for words this morning but I wanted to post a picture at least. Here’s a sliver of newspaper across a cafe table in San Francisco on a Sunday morning.