Graduation and San Francisco

We've had an eventful last few weeks - finals, visitors, graduation, vacation, and some other biggies. First, I graduated. Both my parents and in-laws were kind enough to make the long drive all the way out here to see the silly 2 hours ceremony. Many people have asked if I'm relieved. I say I'll be relieved when I have a job and pass the NY bar.

Second, my parents stayed here with Adam for a week and Lauren and I took a vacation in San Francisco. We had a great time. The weather was perfect - sunny every day, cool in the mid 60s, and no rain whatsoever. A few things we noticed about San Francisco: locals are friendly, there are lots of people from all over the world living there, it is incredibly windy, and incredibly hilly.

We visited Alcatraz and Muir Woods (huge redwoods) and Golden Gate Park and several piers and the Ghirardelli chocolate factory and lots more. We biked from Fisherman's Wharf across the Golden Gate Bridge and over to Tiburon, then took a ferry back. It was about 18 miles, which isn't bad, and the weather was cool (60s) and breezy. However, we both got pretty good sunburns, despite wearing long sleeves & pants - me on the back of my neck, Lauren on her hands, and both of us on our faces. Well worth it though.

We walked or took public transportation everywhere but Muir Woods, which was very convenient. We ate tons of food too, great Italian (where EVERYONE spoke Italian), Chinese, dim sum, several wonderful homemade breakfasts, clam chowder in a sourdough breadbowl, and lots more. We went to a Giants game and ate hot dogs and garlic fries (delicious!) and churros and more. The Stadium is right on the bay, and the nosebleed section we were in had a great look at the bay bridge. Oh, and the Giants won.

Adam had a great time staying with my parents. He got to eat out a few times - macaroni & cheese at Panera bread, chicken fingers and fries at a steakhouse, and some other goodies. He went to a children's science museum, state parks, and several local playgrounds. So he was rather spoiled - we won't be matching the "two outings per day" he enjoyed with my parents.

Pictures below:

Adam loves playgrounds

I really like this picture of Adam

Shortly after graduation with my parents

Shortly before graduation in the ridiculous "doctoral" robes & hood

Shortly after graduation with the Cains

View from Alcatraz

Looking back at NW San Francisco from the Ferry

San Francisco from Alcatraz

Alcatraz Lighthouse (now defunct)

Giants game at AT&T park (sorry, no picture of the view from here, but the Bay Bridge was just outside the stadium)


Our pictures really don't capture the enormity of these redwoods

These were quite good


At the top of a giant hill in Golden Gate Park, Lauren sits on a stump


This is the fort under Golden Gate Bridge

We went into a Japanese Tea garden, it was very nice

More of the tea garden

This is the entrance to Chinatown. Little Saigon, Japantown, and North Beach (Italian) don't have a similarly neat entry gate

Biking up to the bridge was much harder than biking across it

Thinking about running a marathon?

Do we remember when Natalie while still wearing the Frankenboot announced that she was thinking about running a marathon? Do we remember what it was like when the doctor sentenced her foot into the boot for at least four months to heal her achilles tendon? Natalie was not long into her second part time career as a turbo kick exercise instructor at RIT. And do we remember when the four months were up and we were ready to celebrate with her that a new doctor, sports med, said she would need to continue in the boot for some months longer. The Frankenboot was an achor, extra gravity, that held Nat from flying as high as she wanted. She had to adapt everything around it, but she never stopped. She worked, drove, worked out, and continued teaching teen and twenty something students though she had to adapt.

Yesterday, May 1, 2011 Natalie proved the power of her will and determination. She ran the Flower City Half Marathon and finished in 2 hrs. 34min., an hour ahead of the allotted time.
Natalie is a great example of putting your dreams into action. At 36 she ran her first marathon after a long recovery from a major injury and finished ahead of time. Though we don't have any photo of her crossing the finish line because of the mob of people around, we do have the testimony of Mike who said he recognized her because he remembered her hat. He said her head was down and she was sprinting the last hundred yards. "She looked mad." We all know that look, and it means step aside Nat's coming through. She will not be stopped.