On the Road Again

Up early again today ... I think me knees are somewhere between central and mountain time.

I drove into St. Helena first thing for a little breakfast and some shopping. I spotted a lot of cute shops on my way through St. Helena to Calistoga and knew I wanted to stop on the way back. I was not disappointed.

To make up for my lack of wine tasting, I did something even better. Olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting. Even at 10:00 a.m. my taste buds were totally into it. I cannot wait to get home and enjoy my purchases for the next few months ... a little taste of my trip, right in my own kitchen. Luckily the good folks at St. Helena Olive Oil Co. ship for free when you spend more than $50. Since I spent enough to put their first child through college, I expect that they are hand delivering my goods.

From St. Helena I drove through Sonoma to Mill Valley. What a beautiful drive. Utterly breathtaking. Unfortunately the route through Sonoma was not as tourist friendly as the Alexander Valley meaning there were no dirt turnarounds for me to pull into and whip out the camera. Hence the photo through the windshield, classy right?

On to Mill Valley for lunch with the Tyler and Tolan Florence and my pal Reid. Great lunch at Balboas where I salivated over Tolan's burger for 60 minutes while eating salad. But, I knew there may be some increased calorie consumption via beer at the ballpark tonight, so I was saving up.

Back in the car again and heading into "the city" I was stunned by the beauty as I approached the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a clear day with bright sunshine and didn't know where to look first, but since I was driving I decided on straight ahead with minimal glances out of the corner of my eye. I hope to walk the Golden Gate Wednesday to truly appreciate the views.

Driving in San Francisco was not as bad as I though until I hit the block that my hotel is on. I was a little surprised to be sharing the road with the cable cars. I had a minor panic attack that I turned down a "no entry" street but nope, that's how they roll.

So about that ballpark...here is a story for you. I took the "muni" (subway-esque transportation mode - not scary like NYC, easy to navigate like Boston thank goodness - that runs above ground for part of the route) to AT&T Park and met Reid at Momo's for a few beers. The stadium is gorgeous -- we had Club level seats which gave us an indoor place to eat and drink and a spot to escape the cold. Brrr. I made it until the 7th inning before frost bite set in. And that is when the real comedy began.

Here is the short version of what happened next. We were getting ready to leave, the Giants were up and it was the 8th inning. Then, the Nationals hit a three-run homer so Reid said, "Man up Court and get a beer (I had already switched to water), it is a one-run game.

So, we got beers and as Reid walked in front of me sloshing his beer all of the floor, I slipped, I fell, I spilled my beer. Then, I got up, I slipped, I fell, in my beer.

Bottom line? My ass is killing me. The good news? Not even a stain on my pants, that is one clean stadium! The funny part (other than me falling on my ass twice in ten seconds)? Last time Reid and I hung out I also fell ... that time I ended up on crutches for a few days, so I think all in all this was a better outing.