AT&T Park - Hit it Outta the Park

As part of the Go SF Card activities, we were able to take an escorted tour of AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. The park is located in SOMA and pretty easy to get to if you're taking public transportation. Without the card, the tour's only $12.50 for adults and $7.50 for kids 12 and under. Let me tell you that it's definitely worth it, even if you're not a baseball fan. It's just an interesting experience overall.

The week we were in SF the Giants were away so we were able to see a lot of the ballpark that would've been restricted if they were in town. If it'd been a game day, even more would be blocked off. I would've loved to catch a game, but I suppose an up close and personal look at their home is just as cool.

I've never been to a professional ballpark, and since all we've got is Aloha Stadium in Hawaii, I was amazed at how huge the place was! I can just imagine how cool it'd be to actually come to a game and have the crazy fans cheering all around you. I definitely want to catch a game one day.

I also noticed that despite the number of seats and how big the stadium is, it seems like every seat is great. The vantage point of all the seats were pretty good. Plus, the day we went was exceptionally clear with nice blue skies. What a great way to spend the afternoon and watch some baseball.

Our tour guide told us that when the Giants aren't at home, the stadium is rented out to various organizations and companies for private events or concerts. Apparently, the day we stopped by they were setting up for a Stanford University event.

Besides catching a game of baseball, the stadium has this unique area called the Coca-Cola Fan Lot. It's for the kids (and kids at heart) and is located behind the left field bleachers. The Coke bottle is a giant slide that people can enjoy. There's a mini diamond for the kids. It's a good way to enjoy the game and keep the kids entertained when they get a little antsy.

The stadium is situated in such a picturesque location, right on the water's edge, that it's hard to concentrate on a ballgame when the scenery is so beautiful. You get a great view of the Bay Bridge from the park.

One of the awesome parts of the tour was that we got to go down to the field (though not on the grass) and into the dugout. This is the visiting team's dugout, but the tour guide said both sides are exactly the same. The only difference is the visiting team gets warmed up by the sun a lot more. Although, I don't think it makes much of a difference in SF. Perhaps in Hawaii the heat wold be a factor, but not in SF.

I can't believe we were standing right where big leaguer's stood and sitting where big leaguer's sat. Awesome! Now ask me who these big leaguers are? I couldn't tell ya. Haha! But still, the idea is enough to make me giddy.

We also got to go into the visiting team's locker room. It wasn't all that big actually. It was a decent size, but with a whole team of 6-footers on the juice, I can imagine it feeling quite squishy. Each guy's locker was really small. I'm not sure what they bring to these places, but the space alloted to them was tiny.

Here's a peak at the training room. Guess this is where they tape up and ice down . . . or receive some of the juice pre-game.

The tour took us up to the skybox or VIP room. Most rooms are rented out annually by corporate entities, but one room can be rented on a game-to-game basis by regular Joes like us. I believe it is $3,000 a game and you have to cater your food through the stadium. I'm thinking that's a great deal because not only do you get a room to lounge in, you get 30 seats right outside the room to watch the game. It's probably a good boy's night out investment.

This was such a great experience. It was a captivating two hours of walking around the stadium. It was really cool to come to a place this huge when it was empty. There were so many different types of food vendors that you'd definitely be able to find something to nosh on at a game. It's not the regular hot dog and beer stadium (it's in SF after all), but you can find that there too. Definitely check out the ballpark tour if you're in the area.

Aquarium by the Bay - Under the Sea

For shits and giggles and because it was free with the Go SF Card, we stopped in at the Aquarium by the Bay while in San Francisco. Surprisingly, it was pretty small (not as small as our Waikiki Aquarium though).

The aquarium is located in the high-traffic Pier 39 area, so it's convenient for most tourists to swing by for an hour or two. It's a good, family-friendly activity that I'm sure the kiddies will enjoy.

Honestly, there are better places out there for this type of thing, but this one's convenient and free if you have the card. However, I don't think I'd pay for admission, especially if I had a large family in tow.

One of the best parts of the aquarium was the jellyfish tanks. They looked awesome against the dark blue water and lighting.

There were a couple types of jellyfish in different tanks. What a life to live, huh? Just bobbing along and floating without a care in the world. Completely lovely.

The other great part of the aquarium was the interactive area where you could actually reach into the water and touch and feel the animals. One tank housed things like starfish and sea cucumbers. I'd never touched a starfish before this experience. You'd think they were soft and squishy, right? No, they felt like coral and were rough and bumpy. Weird and kind of disorienting. I really thought they'd be soft or at least slimy. Not really as thrilling an experience as I had hoped.

The other tank housed some bat rays and leopard sharks. They were so cute. The rays have a little snout/nose that is just precious. When we were there, there was a baby one who was so friendly and would come right up to you.

The rays' skin felt really soft and slippery. They're not slimy at all. Just tap the top of the water to attract their attention and the swim on by. Parents don't need to worry about their little stingers because they're cut off. The staff member overseeing the tank said that the stingers are like fingernails and grow back. Cutting them does not hurt the rays at all and allows them to be used as educational tools for the public.

The leopard sharks are harder to touch. They swam back and forth in the tank, usually in the middle, so it's hard to reach them. Still, when you do get to touch them it's really enjoyable. Their skin is also soft and very smooth too. The only drawback to this experience was that the water was extremely chilly. It was hard to even reach down into the tank because your hand felt like it was about to freeze.

I also forgot to mention that there's a large underwater tunnel that you walk through. This allows you to see the fish, sharks and rays swimming on both sides and above you. It's an interesting experience, although not very unique. There are other aquariums around that have the same thing.

Bucket List - Week 7 Update

Yes, I realize I'm a few days late but I just lost track of time this week. Somehow it was Memorial Day and then next thing I know it's Friday. What the?!? It doesn't help that I'm sooo disenchanted with work right now. But that's for another blog. As usual, here's my Bucket List update.

Bucket List #1
I haven't followed up on the manuscript I submitted two years ago (but at least I have a signed contract so that means it'll get published someday). I guess I should shoot over an email and see what's the haps.

Bucket List #2
Astonishingly, this is actually a possibility now that my friends and I have settled on Italy for our great, big Euro adventure in 2010. Now I'm reading up on travel tips, budget saving secrets and all that good stuff like a madwoman. Anyone ever try couchsurfing before?

Bucket List #6
My friend Elle actually did this at May's First Friday and it was actually a bit freaky. Maybe I should try it?

Bucket List #16
Remember how I was waiting to see what happened with my work's community service project? Well, that's what's got me so freakin' frustrated today. It's like we were on a river headed toward a mighty waterfall but ran into Hoover Dam. WTF?!?! Bureaucracy sucks. I really hate corporate life. I dream of one day walking out on in completely and hitting the dirt trails of Europe's backroads.

Bucket List #32
I found a nickel last weekend in the parking lot of the Ewa Zippy's. Now I'm only $999.93 away from my donation.

Bucket List #87
My friend Elle told me that the Hawaii Ballroom Dance Association offers dance classes at a really decent rate. I'll have to look into it a bit more, but maybe soon you'll meet the new Ginger Rogers (only brunette and Asian)?

Sing a Song of Sixpence

Wow, I just noticed that we have a bunch of pretty big-name concerts coming to this little island of ours.

Already on sale are the No Doubt and Pussycat Dolls shows. I just caught the breaking news on The Advertiser site that John Legend will be at the Maui Arts & Culture Center and the Blaisdell Concert Hall come September too.

Then, of course, there are all the concerts popping off at other locations - Erykah Badu, Ladytron, Third Eye Blind and Go Jimmy Go.

Is this the year of the live shows or what? Somehow, I don't seem to remember other years being jammed pack with such a musical buffet.

Best to pick up your tickets before they're gone.

Oh Mamma Mia!

Just got back from watching Mamma Mia! at the Blaisdell Concert Hall and I had a fab time. Went with two of my friends and we all really enjoyed it. The singing and music were great (even though I can't honestly say I'm an ABBA fan).

I'd love to give credit to the actors, but prior to the show they mentioned some stand-ins. I'm not sure who was part of the the original cast and who was an understudy. In any case, it was a fun night out and everyone did a great job.

The dances were just as lively on stage as they were in the movie. It's amazing how many scenes can be constructed using two rotating building/wall structures. The costumes were outrageous . . . so they were wonderful. The lighting was over-the-top disco or mood enhancing. Loved it.

Like in the movie, Donna's two friends are wonderful. They steal the show every time. Donna had a wonderful voice. The only bad part was that it was difficult to hear when she got into the really low or high octaves. Sophie's voice was purely magic.

The guy who played Sam (aka Pierce Brosnan in the movie version) did a much better job than Brosnan did. In fact, his singing was almost angelic. If there was one negative about the film version, it was Brosnan's singing. With this stage version though there were no problems in that area.

I noticed that there were a ton of open seats and the parking lot was pretty empty. This is the last week that Mamma Mia!'s in Hawaii, so if you haven't seen the show yet definitely try to make it out. The last number is so fun and gets the crowd pumped up. This isn't your ordinary musical.

Here's a clip from the Broadway performance:

Wisdom from Kincaid's

Yup, I'm still cleaning but I really needed a break. How smart was it to start cleaning on such a freakin' humid day/night?

I'm proud to report that I've moved out of the bedroom finally and did the bathroom. Just gotta do the kitchen and the livingroom, including rearranging the furniture. I resisted reading any more of my old journals, and all the other rooms are journal-free so I should be good to go.

I also did six loads of laundry! Yes, you read that correctly. Six freakin' loads of laundry. Let's just say that I HATE doing laundry so that's why I've let it pile up. It really sucks.

While cleaning off the top of my dresser in my room I came across one of those fortune cards that Kincaid's used to give you. I'm not sure if they still do or not. I haven't been there in ages so this has got to be really old. Anyway, I opened it up and it made me stop and think a bit. I thought I'd share the awe-inspiring wisdom from Kincaid's with you guys.

Treasure the one who thinks of you when all others are thinking of themselves.
- James Gunn

Makes you wanna stop and go "hmmm . . . " right?

Memories

Geez, how pathetic am I? I started off trying to do a huge overhaul of my apt. I think it needs a good cleaning every once in a while, right? But halfway into it I pulled out a box full of old journals and that ended my Mr. Clean efforts.

I've now spent the last four hours reading through just ONE of those journals. Yes, I didn't even look at all of them yet. I had to stop because I was getting hungry or else I'd probably have kept at it.

Now, if my cleaning efforts were just a small dusting here or there it'd be ok. But I actually started moving furniture and things to clean and rearrange stuff. How am I going to get this all back into place so I can go to sleep? My bed is now piled with dirty laundry as I was also supposed to be doing laundry at the same time I was supposed to be cleaning.

It's weird how memories and experiences that you think you've let go of or moved passed can just suddenly hit you over the head and take you by surprise. I opened to a random page of one of the journals and just got consumed. Of course, I'm not as affected as I was while these things were going on. But it's still weird to read of all those emotions and definitely remember feeling them.

I guess you never really outlive your past, do you? You never really grow out of it or forget. Those memories are just packed away nicely in a box just waiting for you to open them up again.

Gray Line Wine Country Tour - Aged to Perfection

Visiting San Francisco and not doing a wine tour is almost sacrilege in my opinion. I was disappointed that we didn't get do one on our last visit. However, we just flat out didn't have the time. This trip I made damn sure we visited some wineries.

Lucky for us, included on the Go San Francisco Card is the SF Sightseeing/Gray Line Wine Country Tour. Regular price for this tour is $68, but we got it for free on the Go Card! I told you that card was a great deal!

The Gray Line office is located out at Fisherman's Wharf at Pier 43 1/2. The tour departs from the pier at around 9:15 a.m. daily, but people come earlier. I suggest you may make a morning of it by eating some clam chowder at Boudin Bakery or one of the other street vendors nearby. Most of the stores will be closed though so no souvenir shopping on this day.

We took the tour on a Wednesday and it was pretty empty. I don't know if it was the day of the week or the recession that was affecting attendance. Either way, it was good for us as it seemed more personal with only 20 or so people.

Our driver was Roberto from Portugal. He was actually filling in for someone that day. He normally does the European tours and can speak several languages. Roberto was the best driver ever! He was personable and charismatic. He was also very knowledgeable about wine and the SF area in general.

We weren't due to our first winery until 11:00 a.m. so he told us he'd take us on an informal tour of the city. I don't think this was really part of the tour, but he did it anyway. We saw Fisherman's Wharf, Marina, Cow Hollow, Crissy Field, the Presidio, Marin County and Sausalito. He also pointed out landmarks and mountains along the way to Napa. We all had such an enjoyable time and the wine tastings hadn't even started yet.

The first winery we arrived at was Madonna Estate in Napa. It was a small, independent winery and our hostess was very knowledgeable about the wine-making process. For someone like me who is completely ignorant, it was really interesting to see the vines up close and learn about the general process of wine making. We were taken inside where we saw barrels upon barrels of wine. It was amazing. After the tour, we were able to taste about 5-6 different types of wines.







Next we headed for Sonoma and had lunch at Sonoma Square. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at Murphy's Irish Pub (I'll write up a review later). After lunch we headed for the Jacuzzi Family Vineyards. Again we were lead on a tour of the facility. The architecture and view from this winery was amazing. It was almost like were in an Italian villa. The place was modeled after the family's home in Italy. How cool! The host at this winery wasn't too knowledgeable about wine making. She mostly told us about the family's history. We were led into a large tasting room and were able to try a selection of their wines (probably 4-5 total).











The last winery we visited was the Viansa Winery and Marketplace. The courtyard at this winery is really impressive. Again, it felt like a small villa. It was weird because I felt so far removed from the city. We did a tour of this winery and were then led upstairs for the tasting. Out of the three locations, I thought this was the least informative. It felt a little like we were a herd of cows being led from one place to the next. Still, our host was very amiable and seemed to enjoy his job. Again we were able to taste about 4-5 wines.









At this point, everyone was pretty much tuckered out. The drive back to the city was pretty quiet. Roberto asked for everyone's hotel and dropped us off at our doors. The tour ended around 7:00 p.m.

I would definitely recommend this tour, even if you have to pay for it yourself. (But why would you? Just get a Go Card.) It was an amazing experience. The landscape and scenery in Napa and Sonoma was so beautiful. It was very earthy but not really farm-like. Also, don't be discouraged if the weather in SF is completely dreadful. Once you get out to the vineyards, you're in a different microclimate and things are better. It was actually really hot out there when the city was fogged in and rainy. If possible, ask Gray Line who your driver will be. See if you can get Roberto because he was an excellent guide. It might even be worth it to take another tour if you can't get him on the winery tour. He made the time fly by so quickly and was pure entertainment.

Foodie Review - Sears Fine Foods Restaurant

A convenient place to have breakfast in San Francisco's Union Square area is at Sears Fine Foods Restaurant, which is located right on Powell Street. It was about a half block uphill from our hotel so we ended up eating here twice. It opens at 6:30 a.m. daily so you can grab a meal and head out for your day.

The first time we ate here, my BFF and I split an Sidney Amber Special. This came with two eggs, two link sausages, two pieces of bacon and two large pancakes. We washed it all down with apple juice and POG (I believe they called it orange passion guava juice or some crazy thing like that). We walked away totally full and satisfied.



The second time we ate breakfast here we split an Al's Special. This came with nine dollar-sized pancakes, two eggs, corned beef and a hash brown. To drink we had an iced tea and diet coke. I didn't really care for the corned beef and the hash brown was only lukewarm like it'd been sitting a while.


On both occasions, the food tasted pretty ok (not heavenly but not the worst either), especially the pancakes for which the restaurant is known. The atmosphere is quite charming and has a small-town diner feel to it. The chairs and tables are wooden and sturdy. There's old memorabilia on the wall.

However, the service can be a iffy. During our first visit, we arrived early and there weren't many people there. Still, the place is cozy enough that we could hear our neighbor's conversation, an interesting conversation for 7:00 in the morning.

Apparently, the two men sitting beside us hadn't seen each other for a while. One obviously had lost some weight because the other kept saying how good he looked. Then the Biggest Loser said, "Yeah, I lost about 65 pounds. Now my d!ck looks bigger!" Yes folks, at 7 a.m. people are just as infatuated with their junk as they are during the wee hours of the night. We definitely didn't need that bit of TMI served up to us by some graying, pudgy middle-aged men. (But, I guess that's a good tip for you guys trying to pump up the volume down there.)

On our second trip, the place was packed! It didn't help that it was a Saturday though. This time the service was pretty lousy. Our options were to either wait for God knows how long for a table or take a seat at the bar. We opted for the bar. The poor older woman who was working the bar seemed frazzled. She had at least 10-15 people seated at the bar who were all hungry waiting for their food. She was a little disorganized and didn't seem to be a good fit for that busy area.

One patron who sat next to us had to wait a long time before she even acknowledged him and gave him a menu and coffee. He sat there for another 15 minutes without her returning to take his order and got up and left. I don't blame him one bit.

I guess the lesson here is to a) come early on the weekdays to beat the crowds and b) ask to be sat away from other patrons. You never know what'll pop out of their mouths!

Total cost for our Sidney Amber Special with a side of d!ck at no extra charge (tax included): $19.54

Total cost for our Al's Special on a slow boat to China (tax included): $20.31

The List

Yesterday The A-Z Files on the The Advertiser asked the question, "What are/were your relationship deal breakers?" This got me thinking about how my List has changed over the years.

Oh, c'mon . . . don't tell me you've never heard of the List before. Alright, for those of you in denial, it's THE list of things that your ideal mate would and/or would not possess if all was right in this world.

I remember precisely putting my mental list of traits onto paper and, in essence, birthing this subconscience check list of boyfriend dos and don'ts. Man, I wish I could find that list. I bet it'd be a total trip to see some of the stuff on there. I'll have to set aside some time this Memorial Day weekend to look for it.

Anyway, what I do remember is that this list compiled by my 16- or 17-year-old self was quite complex and lengthy. In my mind, I had down to a tee what my perfect man would be. I wouldn't doubt that there were more than 100 things on this list. This is how specific I had been about my dream guy. Sadly, over time, I've had to let go of some of these things and be more flexible about this whole dating game thing.

Do you think that there's a correlation between getting older and letting go of your dreams? Is it just becoming wiser or is it settling?

Granted some of the things on my list were probably obnoxiously naive and superficial (hairstyle, how he wore a baseball cap, what cologne he wore, etc.), but I'm sure there were some good things on there as well (sense of humor, loyalty, honesty, possess a job, etc.).

Is it too much to hold on to most of the list or at some point do you just say to hell with it and scrap the list altogether? I think you still need to have some sort of standard or else why not date every Tom, Dick or Keoni, right?

San Francisco Blues

At some point in the not-to-distant near future, I want to move to San Francisco. I really don't know what it is about the place, but I took to it instantly. Somehow, it doesn't seem like a big city even though it is. Maybe it's because there are so many tight-knit neighborhoods that it creates a small town feel? Maybe it's the fact that SF is only 49 square miles big? Who knows, but there's some kind of magic going on there that I'd love to discover even more.

One of the biggest things that I'm worried about is finding a place to stay. The rent there is outrageous. Who ever heard of paying so much and not owning it? I picked up one of these fliers that I found in a residential area. It shows a sampling of what it takes to make it in SF. Man, can I really make it with prices like this?

The other huge factor that is weighing me down is finding a job in the city. Sure, I can always move and take temporary jobs or work part time here and there. But that definitely wouldn't be ideal. A full-time job that I enjoy is definitely where it's at.

It doesn't help that I'm a planner by nature or nurture, whatever the case may be. I like to have several options available should the best-case scenario fall through. I don't like to jump into things. This could be seen as a positive or a negative. It'd be a plus because I always look at all outcomes before making a decision. However, this anal behavior can also hinder progress at times. It slows you down when you constantly need to think things through.

Another thing that's crossed my mind lately is the idea of becoming a full-time traveler. And before you laugh, there really is such a thing. Just read this. I think it would be so amazing to do what Nora Dunn did - retire at 30 and travel the world.

But as soon as I start thinking about all the possibilities, my anal self says, "whoa nelly!" Who up and quits their job at 30 and wanders the world? What sane person does that? What about a successful career? What about climbing the corporate ladder? Hell, what about medical insurance? You don't get that being a full-time traveler I'll bet.

So things are stil up in the air. Especially in these current economic times, I think it'd be unwise to make any drastic moves. But if I wait too long, I feel like life may just pass me by. It's so frustrating.

Here's a vid of Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" set in the city. The vid has some great shots of Golden Gate Park and Ocean Beach. Somehow the song and the scenery are really calming to me.

Getting Jiggy with it

My naked neighbor dude gave me a shock today, a shock that almost brought tears to my eyes. (As if I could be more appalled than I already am with an naked neighbor across the street, huh?)

Upon getting home, I checked my mail and glanced up to see a streak of blue in the window. What the?!?! On closer inspection, I saw that it was only my formerly naked, exercising neighbor wearing some aqua undies. (I think that's the new color for summer, right?) From where I stood, they looked like blue tighty whities.

Another change is that he obviously turned it up a notch by jogging rather than walking that treadmill. I can only imagine where he thinks he's going on that thing, but I digress. For a moment, I stop to ponder why, after all these months, he has a sudden fascination with aqua undies. My conclusion is that the amount of bounceage is too much for him and he needs some extra support downstairs. To much getting jiggy with it, I guess.

This idea has made me crack up to no end. Not only does it prove that he was INDEED naked all these months, I find the idea that he needs the ball support hysterical. In my overly active imagination, he's tried jogging sans undies and found too much jiggle and not enough giggle. So, to his disgust, he's had to don some undies to reduce the wigglage. How can that not make you laugh your ass off?

How Weird Street Faire Not Weird at All

I was lucky enough to catch one of San Francisco's famous street fairs while on my recent vacation. The How Weird Street Faire was on Sunday, May 10, 2009 at Howard and Second streets.




In its tenth year, the How Weird Street Faire is an "experiment in creating peace, bringing together a wide range of eclectic styles and communities," according to its website. I think this objective was definitely achieved. There were tons of different people roaming around, a vast number of vendors and best of all, various stages rockin' out to diverse music.




Before my trip, I watched some vids of the 2008 event and thought it'd be pretty sweet to experience it live since we don't ever get these kinds of events locally. I wasn't sure what to expect out of a block party with "weird" right there in its name. I mean, it's SF after all. I imagined people in outrageous get ups (I was actually hoping to get to see this), but once we got there the vibe was actually pretty peaceful (as peaceful as electronica music can get you) and not weird at all. Of course, there were some people in costumes, a couple cross-dressers and girls in skimpy clothing, but to be honest, it's worse in Waikiki on Halloween.



I'm not sure if this laid back atmosphere is a normal thing for How Weird Street Faires or if all the cool peeps had already gone home to prep for the night events. Still, it was interesting to see. I wish we had come earlier in the day, but we had visited a ton of other neighborhoods that day and only got to squeeze in the last hour of the event. By the time we toured around as many stages as we could, the event was almost done.



The music stages were all dj-driven with some cool-looking dj booths. They played mostly electronica, something we don't really see too much of in Hawaii. In my vocabulary it was all sort of house, techno and trance-type music. According to the website, it was actually "live electronica, downtempo, dubstep, breaks, electro, psytrance, house, techno, drum & bass, world beat and too many sub-genres to name." As you can see, my electronica vocab is quite limited.



Besides listening to the music, I had a great time people watching. As I said, I don't think most of the participants were very weird at all. I even saw some families and young children there. While I know people were drinking (saw one guy passed out standing up against a building), I didn't see any violence or anyone get obnoxious because of the alcohol. Surprisingly, I didn't even see any bud smokers or smell anyone blazing up. (Not that I'm into it, but it's SF after all, and I was so sure it'd be going on at this concert.) People just seemed to be there to have a good time and dance.




Overall, this was a really cool thing to see firsthand. It was definitely an experience and I just wish we had more time to stay. It would've been awesome to go to one of the after parties, but at that point we were just too tired. It was the day before we flew home and after a week of on-the-go activities, we were beat.