Our family time in San Francisco

Today I'm grateful for...
Making it back to Reno before the "Big Storm"
Feeling well again
Spending quality time with the family
Seeing the kids interact with their mommy

I have returned from a wonderful time with Lulu and the family in San Francisco. We thought it would be great for the kids to see where their mommy was staying in the city and why she needed to be there for so long. I really think that the older boys Carter, and Thomas really had some insightful questions about the UCSF radiation clinic, the types of treatment that patients get there, and what is cancer? We arrived on Saturday night, after driving through a snow storm in the mountains, and the kids were quite hyper after sitting in the car for 5 hours. I was so tired from the drive that I barely got my shoes off before feel into to bed. Lulu and her mom got the kids prepared for bed and I'm not sure when they all retired for the night. The apartment that Lulu is now staying in is very small (600 square foot) but well appointed with one bed room and a small kitchen. Lulu is quite happy with where she is planning on spending the next three or four weeks, and I think that for one or two people it's perfect. I was just hoping for the three nights that all of us were going to be there we didn't have any neighbors, because after the baby crying loudly for what seemed like hours and the boys rough housing around, I would have been moving out if I had been on the same floor. We made due and didn't have anyone banging on the ceiling or the walls, so let's hope that we didn't make too many enemies?

As the morning sun shown into the apartments windows, we all slowly got ready for a fun day of tourists activities. I hadn't been to the San Francisco exploratorium since I was a little boy, and I just knew that the kids were going to have a wonderful time? We arrived just as it opened and we ended having to drag the boys away from the place four hours later, because we had so much more planned. They especially liked any exhibit that made loud noises or shot things out. But I think that we spent the most time in the hearing/sound area. That's why I included the video of them playing on the Xylophones. They were so enamored by these things.

After getting lunch at the Bubba Gump shimp company at pier 39 (I had clam chowder, in case you're wondering?), we headed to the new Walt Disney museum located in the Presidio part of the city. Wow, this was very impressive. You wouldn't know from the outside how elaborate and highly aesthetic the inside turned out to be. If you like anything Disney, you would have to make this part of your visit? I guess that I left with a fascination of how one can go from having nothing to the popularity that Walt Disney had upon his passing in 1969? He accomplished the extraordinary success through hard work and surrounding himself with quality people. A little luck, I guess, also had an effect on the crazily monumental achievements of the Walt Disney company. The older boys again where very impressed and stimulated by the 2 hours of Disney culture. (except for the part of the grown man scolding Thomas loudly for tapping his hand on the glass incessantly, like some autistic kid that can't help himself). Also, there's a view from the highest point of the exhibit that I don't think can be matched in all of the city? I think this view alone was worth the $20 entrance fee?

As we found ourselves leaving the exhibit, the most wonderful sunset was creeping down to the horizon. I told Lulu that we should head over to the Golden Gate Bridge to see the sun go down over the Pacific ocean. Good choice. Being Superbowl Sunday the Golden Gate bridge state park was sparsely populated and we felt that we had the place to ourselves? The only drawback was the fact that the wind was blowing quite briskly and the temperature was bordering on freezing (though I think that it was actually in the 50's). I really took enjoyment of seeing the kids race each other up and down the walkway of the bridge, doing there best to avoid the little number of people that we passed. As I walked with Lulu over the bridge, I was trying to remember whether or not I had ever walked a crossed the GG bridge before. I couldn't come up with an answer. Not that it really mattered, because this time was more special then anything that I could have done before. I was crossing one of the great architectural wonders of the world, that many people near get to see, let alone touch, with the most colorful bright sunset satisfying my eyes you could ever imagine, healthy/spirited children running around me the whole way, and the most wonderful beautiful woman by my side. I was pondering as I walked by the tall fencing along the rail (to prevent desperate souls from jumping off) how could anyone ever thing about ending this life; when there's so much more in this world to grab ahold of and enjoy?

I was so tired at this day's end I had a huge headache (I have been fighting a head cold for a couple of days now, so I haven't been feeling the best). It was all I could do to drag myself into the apartment's door and fall into the bed that I was sharing with Lulu and our three year old Hamilton. Tomorrow was another busy day, we were going to take the boys to the UCSF cancer clinic to see how mommy's been spending her days/weeks, and I wanted to make sure that I had enough energy to enjoy it as much as I had today?