A hidden gem - Barnett Vineyards

Saturday we celebrated my friend's b'ette with some wine tasting at Barnett Vineyards. This vineyard was really hard to get to. It's hidden in Napa, on a huge hill. At some point we were on a windy road and I really didn't think the limo would make it up the hill but it was worth the long narrow drive because the vineyard is amazing. It is really breathtaking.

My Favorite Sign at the Anti-Prop 8 Rally

 Yesterday, there was a protest in downtown San Francisco against Prop 8. The California Supreme Court failed to protect gay couples' fundamental right to marry when it upheld Proposition 8 and people went out to protest the decision. I saw a lot of great signs like this one. I wanted to carry one of my own stating, "I can't even decide for myself who to marry, let alone be able to choose for someone else." Why do people think they have the right to make such decisions for anybody else?

Lucky Strike II

Got lucky again in Vegas! Sunday night one of the club promoters at our hotel asked if we like to go to LAX. He had free passes for us that got us in with out waiting in line, and best of all Wyclef was performing that night. We were so close to him on the stage that if I was a crazy fan I could have thrown myself on him with one jump. I thought about it for a second but decided that it wasn't worth the pain. The performance was great except for the guy behind us who took it as an opportunity to get some free thrills. At first I tried to ignore it because I think it's rude to pick on sick people. I suspected he was suffering from Short Man Syndrome. After awhile I had to let him know that it wasn't cool to be an asshole. He then proceeded to keep telling me how everyone at the concert hated me. This when I realized that he definitely had SMS and the best thing I could do is tell the bouncer about him. After the 200lb bouncer warned him, he learned to keep his distance. Overall, I considered a lucky nite. I think I should by a Lotto ticket for lucky strike III.

Lucky Strike

Vegas baby! I get the airport Friday morning and I am stopped by the great wall of people looping around the airport waiting to check into their flights. Again I question why I would take the 6:45am flight. The ticket was bit cheaper but overall expensive. It seemed like a good idea to get in early and get more bang for the buck. As I am in line the news camera starts filming the couple in front of me. The 6am news audience will be astonished to see lines at the airport during Memorial weekend. I am wondering why they don't just use the footage from last year and save some money. I mean we are in a recession after all.

By the time I make it to the gate, I am definitely getting annoyed at myself for booking such an early flight to save fifty bucks. That's until I get lucky! The gate attendant asks for volunteers who would give up their seats for a later flight. In exchange for the seat we can get flight credit. CHA CHING$ I mean, I have nothing to do 8am in Vegas. I can't even check into the hotel. My friend who I am traveling with is not coming until later. I am all excited about volunteering because it's a good thing and I get my ticket credited. Did I already say Cha Ching$$. I am embarrassed to say how much I paid for the ticket. Not because I don't want the one person reading this posting to judge me for paying too much but I am worried that the Persian Embassy will revoke my passport for taking such a bad deal. After all bargaining should be in my blood. But everyone knows how Vegas is my weak spot. Thank goodness I am lucky today!

Fleetwood Mac

The Fleetwood Mac concert was good old fun. I took my parents. I think they were originally slightly insulted that I invited them to it. They kept referring to it as a "senior citizen event." As we stood in line to get into the stadium, they kept making jokes on how old "everyone else," was and how the local paramedics must be on call for the event. I didn't have the heart to tell them that I think the band is younger than them. Once the band started it was clear that they could still rock like they did in their 20s. I think Lindsey Buckingham was a little surprised himself. Lindsey Buckingham, the lead guitarist, was ecstatic after each long solo. He looked astonished that he had made it through it. He kept jumping up and down ecstatic after each long guitar set. It was like watching a little kid do something challenging for the first time. It was exactly how I envisioned my nephew looking when he took his first real steps around the living room. I was living in D.C at the time, but my dad described it to me step by step. He said my nephew had his arms in the air overjoyed and shocked that he was walking all over. He kept looking to looking at everyone making sure he had witnesses to his break through. This is exactly how Lindsey Buckingham looked after his long sets.

All the songs Fleetwood Mac sang were the old ones that I have memories of growing up. This and the fact that the Lindsey and Stevie Nick so clearly enjoyed themselves made the concert a hit for me.

Chaya Cocktails

Monday nite I tried Chaya's Happy Hour. I recommend the Basil and Cucumber gimlet and the Bloody Clementine. The Bloody Clementine has Elderflower Liqueur in it. You cannot go wrong with Elderflower Liqueur in any drink or possible anything. It is so delicious. You can mix it up in so many ways. Here are some great recipes. I could drink the bottle like water in one day which is why I don't buy it.

Bay 2 Breakers

This Sunday was Bay to Breakers in San Francisco. If you have not had the fortune to actually see this event in the past, then you are truly missing out because it is really one of a kind. It is in true San Francisco fashion - insanely crazy but full of energy.. It started in 1912 as a way to lift the city's spirits after the disastrous 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and it really does lift the cities spirits literally. People are insanely drunk on alcohol or life during the the longest consecutively run footrace in the world. A lot of people dress up for the event and create floats. There were a ton of flamingos this year. I am still not sure. One of the other notorious costumes were the Swine Fluzees. There were a lot of variations of this costume that made fun of the recent Swine Flu outbreak.

Tourist Goggles

I haven’t posted since I have been back to San Francisco because I thought that I didn’t have much to share. I am back to the routine of my old life, work, friends, family, challenges all these things haven’t changed much. Living in India for the last three months, everything was a new experience and an adventure. There was also a sense that it was transient. You enjoyed everything more because you didn’t know whether it was the last time you got to do it. I think this is how most people feel on vacations. If only we can learn to go through life with tourist goggles and experience it as if everything is new and fleeting. This is how I want to embrace San Francisco- through Tourist Goggles