Mostly too busy to spend much time online. I keep up with webcomics, NY Times headlines, and sort-of-Facebook. And coordination e-mail. RPG.net is just piling up unread.

Trip went fine. Food options on Delta 5 hour flight were free drink and peanuts or cookies, and various sandwiches or snack boxes for sale. I had my pita and hummus instead. I also ran into Sara and Heather from the LARP in the Cinci airport, on their way back to Bton from Wales. That was unexpected!

I got to experience the SFO BART, which didn't exist when I left. They need more of a people mover to get you to the people mover (AirTrain) that gets you to BART, but otherwise, sweeeet. Though my first BART car still had that... smell. I got homesick at various sights.

Hanging out with Blake and his girlfriend has been cool. I miss people here.

I've had okay dim sum in Chinatown, been scared away by lines at the California Academy of Science, and enjoyed the de Young art museum (new building) despite their searching my backpack (totally ineffectively) and making me carry it in my hands (so not packed for that.) I found a really need glassworks room, and some nice landscapes. The Conservatory of Flowers is open at long last, but closed by the time I realized that, and not open Monday, and my weekend was booked. Sadface. 5 bus to the beach, and a short hike up to Point Lobos, where I saw a pelican really up close. Musee Mecanique has moved to Pier 45, apparently. Then I went 'home' and got taken to my first south Indian restaurant, featuring dosas. Not bad.

I've borrowed Joseph Stiglitz's Globalization and its Discontents, which has been pretty good reading. Short version: the IMF sucks. World Bank is okay, be better if it didn't listen to the uninformed anti-Keynesian market fundamentalism of the IMF. Which is sadly funny, since Keynes established the IMF, or at least the idea (I forget; something key.)

I also bought the worst Odwalla OJ ever from Safeway. Totally mediocre.

That was Friday. Saturday was the 'new' Ferry Building Farmers' Market, with like a dozen+ named varieties of peaches, and lots of heirloom tomatoes I haven't even sampled yet, and general hugeness. My honey date source wasn't there, though. Then I saw Rainbow Food for the first time. At least some gluten-free stuff there, I noted in passing. Then down south for the G&S party. The girls said they didn't remember me from Christmas but we fell into old patterns soon enough, so I wonder. Saw various old Techers, enjoyed the really good butter and bread and blackberries I'd bought at the Market. Visit was a bit short if I'd flown out only for that, fortunately they're the catalyst, not the sole reason.

Today I saw an old family friend -- and at Peet's had the WORST SENCHA EVER -- and my other half-sister, and that set of niblings, first time in 8 years. That was fun, and we ate at a pretty good Thai restaurant, and introduced them to fish cakes. A word game, Quiddler, broke some of the stranger-tension before dinner.

Tomorrow (Monday), maybe the CAS again? A shoe store, because my sandals are disintegrating? Dim sum dinner with whoever makes it? Then something in Portland, and who knows what in LA.

Today's Girl Genius: I did't expect ANY of that. *head explodes*

Hey Fanw, maybe it's mostly those who have complaints who say something about Christmas...

I'm in Spokane, with my sister. It's been fun -- of course, last Christmas my father was dying, with the strokes and the seizures and the loss of verbal ability. I've suffered through the Fellowship movie again, enjoyed the third Pirates movie again, given Lego Mindstorms (might arrive before I leave) and Photographing Farm Labor in California (my niece has photography and journalism interests., been given a book on feathered dinosaurs and Robinson's Variable Star.

Today I went roller skating, for the first time since childhood. I ignored exhortations to just get on the floor and go, wanting to feel safe, and split time on the carpet and on the hardwood floor but near a wall. 45 minutes on skates showed some minor improvement, and I switched to blades to (a) try it and (b) listen to all the people suggesting they might be easier. They were easier, and I even went around the floor a couple of times, though not without falling, or almost falling but catching myself on a bench in such way to wrench my shoulders. Never got fast and comfortable, but made progress. For a real feeling of safety I'd want very strong wrist support, since that's the weak point when I catch myself. I learned how to turn corners on a bicycle without falling once, so I like to believe one can slowly learn without falling a lot.

Niece figured out the Pickover ESP page pretty quickly; I'm proud. A safeish driver, too.

Food? Turkey dinner, enchiladas, some tasty and easy to eat seedless mandarins, the best beef jerky ever. Turkey didn't get proper gravy with flour and such, just partially reduced broth -- which for my tastes is probably better.

Having a laptop's been fun. And if I get stuck in a hotel due to weather I'll have tons of e-books, anime, and Go stuff to amuse me. Much easier to overload a hard drive than to carry enough books.

Edit: I'm sad that no one pointed out the editing error in the post before I caught it.