To San Francisco (Friday, May 4)

Woke up around 8:15AM. Lounged in bed. Mike was sweet and cheered me up. Insisted we didn't rush out the door. He went to the store for coffee. I called Grandma to say hi and cheer myself up by hearing her voice (and hopefully cheer her up too). Mike came back with a tiny chocolate cake with raspberry filling from Ramones Bakery. I got ready, put on makeup, fixed my hair. We sipped coffee and shared half the cake out back. Packed the other half to take with us. Packed an overnight bag. Painted toenails red ("ruby slipper red," from my mom before I left).

Left Eureka at 11:15. Stopped in Willits, sold glass. Stopped in Santa Rosa, sold glass. By this time it was around 5PM, so we walked around Santa Rosa and found a place for dinner. Agreed on a place called Flavors with some nice outdoor seating and a deliciously varied menu. Mike ordered a cheeseburger (hormonal and antibiotic free meat) with bacon and salad with bleu cheese dressing. I couldn't pass up the special, and I'm so glad I didnt: mahi mahi, fresh grilled asparagus, skewered shrimp, amazing garlic mashed potatoes. I had a glass of Merlot, St Francis. Fresh bread and olive oil was delivered to the table minutes after we were seated. Crab cakes and pasta candy (candy shaped pasta stuffed with spinach and cheeses) for appetizers. Lovely perfect weather for outdoor dining. Expensive, but Mike says worth it. I think so too.

After dinner we strolled around Santa Rosa for a few blocks. Then drove to San Francisco. Found a hotel to stay in (Hotel Whitcomb on Market Street) for a reasonable price. Got ready to go out, had a drink at the hotel bar. Walked from Market and 8th toward 1st in search of a club Mike found a few years ago that plays dancehall. Walked all the way down to about 2nd St and then were drawn by the sound of music to Beale Street. Had a drink at a bar on Beale St that had a pretty good funk band playing (no cover). Asked bartender if he knew of club in question (6th St, as it turns out, two blocks from our hotel). Bartender said no dancehall on Friday nights. We thanked him and after finishing the drink trecked back to 6th St (about a mile each way). Grateful to get a chance to walk a while in San Francisco. Along the way back I noticed side streets called "Anthony" and "Jessie" - I know it's not Jessa*, but still, it was the same street, only it was Anthony one direction and Jessie the other. I thought it was cool. :-)

Got back to 6th by way of Mission and then found club with a line. It was the club Mike wanted! Club Six. No reggae but a hip hop artist upstairs and a DJ downstairs. $15 cover. The biggest bouncers I've seen IN MY LIFE. They dwarfed me in every direction, imnotkidding. The place was bumpin'. I was one of the only white girls in there (Mike is not white, nor is he a girl. There was one other white girl that I saw but she knew about 10 people that knew the rest of the people, and so "belonged".) - it was a good experience for me if nothing else, to know what being the minority feels like. Coming from Wisconsin I've not experienced this before. Not really.

Danced from 11PM to 1:45AM. Walked back to hotel (the short way this time).

It was a very nice/fun day and night.

*Family who may not know: Jessa and Anthony are my former roommates in Wisconsin.