bye bye 2010 / san francisco, again

i started new year's eve quite grumpily. i finally woke up feeling human again after two days of being sick to my stomach with i-still-don't-know-what. we had a nice couple of days in vegas with some friends who were visiting from seattle, but we all got sick while there in one form or another. because of the two days of laying around and groaning in pain, i'm way behind schedule on this portfolio that's due monday (it's already going to be late, but i had a doable plan b. it's now potentially onto plan c). i still have no idea what i'm going to write for my first-pass thesis that's due next week, and who knows if i'll even have time to do it if this portfolio-making stretches on. and i woke up this morning because my phone notified me of an email. from my part-time job. saying they need something done by monday. which will put me even further behind on this portfolio-making. and then...you get the idea.

and while 2010 was a whole lot better than 2009, it's still been a tough year. and i was just feeling a bit sad overall. to the point where i started tearing up while laughing really hard while watching an episode of modern family with the bear. emo, much?

and then i started getting down on myself because i am just not one of those people that is always happy, optimistic, and generally in a good mood even when life sucks. and wondered why i can't be one of those people naturally. i know i can eventually with a lot of work, but it's not my nature.

but then i read something that both shamed and encouraged me at the same time about just that.

and then the bear and i fought. probably mostly because i was so grumpy. and made up. and he was so sweet about it and trying to make me happy afterward.

and then my twirlies (online and IRL friends that keep up daily via twitter) started listing their 2010 highlights.

and then i gave myself a break from the portfolio to reflect a little and blog.

and that was that.

2010 wasn't great, but it was good. it was tough. really tough. but in the end, what's tough is what's memorable and worth fighting for, right? and despite the hard stuff, i have so much to be thankful for.

like this mini vacation the bear and i took, um 6 months ago!

---

the ferry building.

where we feasted mostly with the eyes.

because our bellies were full.

and about to be filled with restaurant-week, michelin-starred food.

(not that good.

i can't even remember the name of place we ate.)

so sweet.

so tart.

so red.

the bear said i should wear the brown shirt.

ha.

ugh. heath ceramics.

in three of my favorite colors.

so cute.

what's in the cute cooler, you ask?

tasty. salted. pig. parts.

yum.

no, i didn't try the salumi cone.

so stinky in here.

stinks so good.

the bear had to get out.

so bustling.

on farmer's market day.

we indulged in a lot of deliclous [sic] dim sum while here.

although not here. i just took a picture here.

yes, we know LA's dim sum is better and cheaper.

but we did the $1/steamer, super hole-in-the wall,

to-go-by-default (1 table in the tiny place),

eaten-in-the-hotel-room (while pretending it was room service)

version.

yes, i know there are places like this in LA chinatown

not too far from my school. and the sgv.

but doing it in SF, in our hotel room

made it way more fun.

speaking of our hotel...

yes, it was a chain.

yes, it's an older hotel.

no, it wasn't in/near union square.

but we thought it was fab for the price.

and its location was fine for us.

many are put off by its exterior, brutalist stylings.

but not us. i heart brutalism.

(but probably not the brutalism you're thinking of).

and look at the interior!

you fancy, huh elevators contrast with the concrete.

light streams in from above throughout the atrium.

and the atrium is definitely grand.

as all good atria should be.

i promise i didn't drink much while there.

maybe i was trying to be sugimoto?

why are sea lions so fun to watch?

the bear and i tried to rush past the crowds.

despite the clear, blue skies.

it was freezing.

and windy.

typical bay area trick on the socal-ers.

but.

we got sucked in.

and even climbed up on something for a better view.

and watched their antics for a long time.

happy 20th anniversary at the pier, whiskered ones!

see those korean tourists on that stoop?

yeah, tourists.

no, that's not their stoop.

yeah, they're sitting there

waiting

so they can take photos of the trolley

as it's being turned.

this could have been a cute photo.

sans cars.

charcoal grey shingles!

crisp white trim!

bright, red-orange doors!

meant to go see nervi's st. mary's cathedral.

ended up at grace cathedral instead.

still beautiful.

just in a very different way.

inside,
they were taking photos of couples

that had been married over 30 years.

maybe one day,

that'll be the bear and me.

that'd be awesome.

and of course did some window shopping

in union square.

no photo, but my favorite memory.

is the bear taking me out for ramen

somewhere near union square.

late, late at night.

because i was complaining that

we were an old, boring, married couple.

despite the aggressive bum we encountered on our way.

who complained about how little the handful of change

we gave him

added up to.

really?!?

oh, and the poo the bear stepped in somewhere in chinatown.

while dropping me off in line

to get my beloved dan tat.

yes, i said poo.

no, we couldn't get it out

from between the treads on his shoes.

yes, we had to replace the shoes.

but the dan tats were as delicious as ever.

bye bye, san francisco.

hello, 2011