Our friends went away for a two-and-a-half week vacation and offered us their car (they don’t really have anywhere to park it for that long in the city). We were a bit hesitant at first (it’s a big responsibility), but we figured what the hell. Well, as I have discovered over and over again since we sold our car seven years ago, a car is seriously quite a luxury. Think about it this way for a moment. When I go to the grocery story, I put August in our jogging stroller complete with snacks, water, and a toy or a book. We then walk half a mile (No, it’s not uphill both ways through the snow – just the fog) to the store. Once we buy our groceries, we stuff as many groceries underneath the stroller as we can, and the rest are in bags hooked onto a clip where they hang off the sides. If you’ve ever seen homeless people with their carts, we look a bit like them walking the half a mile back home. A trip to the grocery store usually takes us at least an hour, but it can take up to two depending on how much we buy. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘San Francisco’
A Car is a Luxury
June 12, 2012Why?
March 27, 2012Has anyone out there solved this puzzle? How do you answer all your child’s questions without them being able to respond with “why”? Seriously, I want to know because here’s how a conversation between August and I went today while riding on a Street Car in San Francisco: (more…)
NYC Mom or SF Mom?
March 13, 2012August and I recently crashed my husband’s business trip to New York City. I used to live there several years ago, and pretty much ate and drank my way through the whole experience while living on less than 50k per year. Going back to New York City, now with a child, I was curious to see how different the City would feel to me. I was also curious to find out how moms get their kids around the city because I’m pretty sure they’re not driving everywhere like most moms seem to here.
I never even noticed that the City had playgrounds before this past weekend, and I never even considered going to a children’s museum. But these things were top of mind when I realized I would need to be entertaining August on my own on Friday afternoon. I have to admit I was actually excited to experience some new things in the City and all thanks to August.
We didn’t make it to a playground because it was WAY too cold, and I’m a wimp. But we did go to the Children’s Museum on the Upper West Side. Although I can’t imagine going there every day (a bit too hectic for my taste), and I’m fairly sure I would not choose to become a member there like we are at the Academy of Sciences, we did really enjoy ourselves. It’s basically 2.5 floors of toddler fun. August really enjoyed himself and of course the life-sized Bus and Fire Engine was a big hit.
We got to experience Grand Central Station through August’s eyes as well. Since he’s so in to trains, we thought bringing him there to troll the platforms would be fun, and it was. We got to briefly take him on a Metro North train, and although we didn’t get to show him what a crossing gate looks like in real life, he did get to see a nice long platform.
What really struck me was that it appeared most moms got around the city with strollers. I only saw moms wearing teeny tiny babies. I didn’t see one mom carrying a baby older than say nine months. But there we were carrying August in our Ergo the whole time. We had at least three New Yorkers stop us to ask about our carrier and how we liked it. What I don’t understand is does that mean these moms aren’t leaving their neighborhoods with their kids? Because I’ll tell you what getting on a Subway with a stroller is basically impossible. Unless you’re willing to carry it down at least three stories and travel only at 3am when the trains aren’t packed to the gills.
I’m sure August and I would have a great time if we lived in NYC instead of San Francisco, but our lives would be pretty different.
Day Four: Norfolk/San Francisco
January 13, 2012I should have known better than to brag about August’s happy mood the past few mornings. Today I awoke to August crying while saying, “I want the meal that was in my mouth”. I have to admit I really enjoy hearing the first words he speaks when he wakes up in the morning because I’m guessing it is a continuation of his dreams. Pretty fun to find out what he dreams about, even if they are bad dreams. (more…)
Alone again, naturally…
January 3, 2012Anyone know this reference? Bygones.
After a nine-day stint with parents in-law, one sister in-law, three little nieces, Brent being off from work, celebrating New Years, Christmas, and a brother in-law’s birthday, August and I are alone again. I have been looking forward to this day since twelve days ago when we had our last day together before everyone’s arrival. However, as the hours dwindled down to minutes I found myself quietly freaking out. My stomach actually began to hurt and I developed a headache. ”Now what do we do?”, I thought after having had other people entertain August for weeks.
Brent’s parents left at exactly 9:21am today, and by 9:22am I was trying to figure out what it was we did with our days pre-family visit. August was perfectly quiet, happy, and content to be playing by himself in his room while his mother was having a minor heart attack (okay, that’s a little dramatic, but still).
Finally I said to August, “How about if we go to the Academy today?”.
“No. I don’t want to go to the Academy. I want to stay here and play with Legos”, replied August.
“Fuck, now what? We still have three hours until nap time. Are we really just going to stay here all morning?”, I thought.
“Umm. Okay. You don’t want to go to the Academy?”, I begged.
“No. I want to stay here.”
About fifteen minutes went by, and I finally came up with this.
“What if we go to Park Chow for lunch today?”, I asked with fear in my eyes.
“Yes. I want to have a hamburger”
Phew. That meant I only had about one hour to kill before we needed to leave for lunch. During that time I must have gone to the bathroom at least five times because my stomach was hurting (is that too much information for a blog? too honest, maybe?). Our hour was up. We packed our bag, got ready and headed to lunch. We had a delightful time at lunch. We read a few books, talked about the paintings on the wall, and pondered over tweetle beetles (from the Dr. Seuss Fox in Socks book). By the time we had left lunch, the fog had lifted in San Francisco, the sun was shining, and my confidence had been restored.
My 10k-er
November 27, 2011Today I ran my first real race ever (I don’t count Bay to Breakers because that was just for fun, and Brent and I were tied to each other). I finally after literally years of searching I found a race that me, Brent and August in a stroller could run together in San Francisco. We had a really good time, August was the bomb playing his kazoo as we went up the hills and cheered us on the whole way. Really fun. And although we didn’t run ten minute miles or anything, we finished in under seventy minutes – not too shabby if you ask me.
That’s my big news of the day. I’m on a quest to shed a few pounds over the next few months (I know, me and every other fool out there), so wish me luck. Hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving. We had a really great and relaxing weekend just the three of us. It was perfect really, I wouldn’t have changed a thing (okay, well, I could do without the guilt trip I got several times from my mother, but other than that…).
Now it’s over, our stay-cation, and it’s back to the grind tomorrow. At least I get a break from running for a day.
Is twenty minutes better than nothing?
August 20, 2011I had a friend from out of town come interview for a job at my old company once. He wasn’t my best friend or anything, but we did enjoy some good banter on a regular basis. When he came to town, I hadn’t seen him for five years. He flew in the night before his interview came to our office at 9am and it was over by lunch time. His flight back to Ohio was scheduled for 4pm that same day. Once he was done interviewing, I went down to the lobby and escorted him to the train back in to San Francisco (my office was in Oakland across the bay). (more…)
Neighbors
August 12, 2011When we first moved to San Francisco, we found this awesome apartment in a gritty neighborhood, which if you know us is perfect. It wasn’t hipster, it wasn’t yuppie or puppy, it was just safe enough. It had just enough restaurants, although one or two more wouldn’t have hurt, it had just enough grocery stores, and just enough accessible transportation. We lived on the bottom floor of an old Victorian house that has been there since the earthquake of 1907. The apartment had all hardwood floors, beautifully done with dark wood, fifteen foot ceilings, one bedroom, one bathroom, one huge eat-in kitchen and a nice walk-in hallway closet. August spent his first fifteen months of his life sleeping in that hallway closet. The problem was, and most of the reason why we moved as soon as we did, our neighbors. (more…)
Bring on the rain
August 4, 2011Those of you who don’t live in San Francisco, and haven’t visited in August, don’t know it but this is actually our winter season, not our summer. The fog rolls in at night, and we’re lucky to see any part of the sun the following day. Not only is August foggy, but with the fog comes the wind, and as the day goes on the wind gets worse. If this wasn’t enough, sometimes, the fog is so thick it feels like a London rain. If you don’t know what that means, think about someone above you spitting on you constantly, and that’s what it feels like. (more…)
A moment
July 11, 2011Brent was kind enough to escort August and I to our gate today, and stayed with us while we waited for our plane to board. Not soon after arriving at the gate, we discovered that our flight to San Francisco was delayed an hour due to fog. Fog? Seriously? We’ve had over one hundred years of fog, and they can’t figure out how to land or take off in it? Airlines will take off in snow, sleet, ice, rain, lightening, but fog, too risky? Anyhow, it was at that moment that I lost it. The pressure of flying home alone and spending the next three days alone with August suddenly welled me up with tears. Brent took August on a walk, while I had a few tears on a black leather chair next to the moving walkway.
It was really only a few tears, and I feel silly even admitting to it now. But it happened, and maybe it was just what I needed to get through the day. It seriously stresses me out thinking about being the sole provider of all entertainment 24/7. Brent handles it so gracefully, and seemingly without fear, that sometimes there’s a bit more pressure because of it. I was watching him this morning as he came up with idea after idea as to how to amuse August, and then says “We had fun”. It is these moments that make me feel like I made a mistake. Maybe Brent is better at taking care of August, and I should have just cut my losses rather than step up to the plate.
The flight was fine. Tiring, of course, but fine. It went by rather quickly in fact. And we got our typical compliment on August’s behaviour. I did feel a bit sorry for the lady behind us. August is becoming quite the flirt, and he’ll chat up any woman who will let him talk about his car, or his book, or anything else that might be on his mind. By the end of the flight, we had at least three ladies that we had to bid farewell to.
In the end, it’s too late for regrets, it’s done. I’ve quit my job, and Brent has a new one. Now I just have to see how it all pans out.
