Pride Weekend in SF

Somehow, I got sort of a day behind here. So, I'll add information for yesterday and save a few of today's pictures for tomorrow. The trip back on our 4:00 PM flight to YVR, probably won't merit much of a blog entry. Therefore, I'll post about what we saw in the 48th San Franciso Pride Parade tomorrow!

So this was our Saturday: We looked at the map and decided we'd never visited the Golden Gate Park here. I thought that meant the lands near the bridge but obviously, this park wasn't. We took an N-train and got out near the stadium. It was such a nice day that many others were visiting. We walked around the Botanical Gardens stopping at a few places on our map. It was nice.





We also make sure to find the Dyke March and it was really crowded down at Dolores Park and the Castro District. Summer is such fun especially as it so recently became official. There is something special about inclusivity in diversity. It is especially needed in times such as this, with renewed fascism so openly threatening to gain traction.

11.5 KM on the Old Keens

Jay and I are not first-time tourists to San Francisco. We don't come frequently, but we've done the most touristy things before. A $7 cable-car line wait was not on order for today. Still, being so close to Powell Street, watching the crowds is an option.

We started yesterday by taking the underground MUNI to the Castro District. When it's sunny in San Francisco, everything is so bright. After, we took a tram to the Embarkadaro and still ended up walking about 11.5 kilometers today.

Some of that was after a nap and a walk to Civic Square. We saw them setting up for the weekend festivities and the many, many homeless. San Francisco has always been a little rough around the edges, right next to rather obvious poshness. That is sort of what makes SF SF.

Good Morning, SF!

It was a smooth ride to SFO on our WestJet flight. We grabbed a BART train right to Powell Street Station. Our hotel is just a five minute walk on Mason Street.

We walked in the Tenderloin and found biriyani for dinner. We try that on our travel and always receive something a little different. We also stopped at a Trader Joe's and picked up some small items.

The sky has been and remains really blue. The news on TV talks about a wicked heat wave coming. I've been rather chilly so far. I had no idea the bay and shore were so much cooler than the inland areas. They're saying it'll be 100+F is some areas but it looks to be a perfect 70F here for all our time remaining.

The bed in the King George was comfortable and I feel rested.

Lock, Stock, But No Barrel

Packing seems to take as long for a four-night trip as when we head for the 150-nights of a whole winter away.



It all has to fit in here because I'm not volunteering to provide WestJet with any additional revenue.

Finding Short-Lived Deals

When I was teaching at BCIT, I remember a student who was quite an accomplished photographer. He maintained that digital photography would never replace film. The year was back at the beginning of the current millenium. Well, that ship certainly sailed, didn't it?

The Internet has allowed many old business models to wither. I cannot remember the last time we bought an airline ticket at an agency. In fact, I am more than a bit surprised that brick and morter travel agencies are still a thing. I guess really old people aren't confident that they can find what they need by using a computer. That is really sad and a clear indication that some folks have already been left behind. What about those who cannot afford Internet-enabled equipment? In order to fully participate in life one needs access to the Internet.

Rather than a lack of information, I find myself with an excess. I can waste a lot of time playing 'what if' scenerios. For example, what if we do a little extra travel during September? The whole world awaits ...

Look in All Directions

A few years ago, I got interested in 360° photos because the option was first cooked into Google Camera on my Nexus 5. If I think of all the stunning places I've been since but neglected to save in this format, I'm sad. Last year, we travelled a lot, from Santorini to Sydney to SE Asia!

I must return to creating many more. Now, it is as easy as opening up the Google Street View app. I need to pin a note on my shirt pocket or something. This is the riverside park in front of my apartment building in New Westminster, BC.



I must remember to make future contributions to Google Maps.

Love It. Love It. Love It!

Jay generally goes to the gym on Mondays and I take that time for four or five-kilometer walks around home.



Going uptown via Fourth Street lets me check in on Tipperary Park, near City Hall. That is truly an oasis as is the whole heritage neighbourhood on the other side of Royal Street. It is an especially satisfying climb when the weather is like this.

After a trip to the municipal library, I chose to walk down the busier Sixth Street. There is little shade so I got a full dose of the sunshine. The eastern end of downtown is surely growing as new residential towers rise in my neighbourhood.



I admit to having my big, over-the-ear headphones on. I was blasting current music as I use walks as a time to keep up on contemporary pop music. I've got a special library of 100 tunes featuring current artists. It's good to not simply fall into a rut of listening to just music with which I grew up. I submit for your consideration that people can stay younger if they act younger.

Ducks Come Home to Roost

It finally felt like summer, after the first half of this dreary June. We were invited to the downtown West End for one of our reoccurring duck-swap dinners.

Before dinner, we walked across the Burrard Street Bridge and out to the end of Vanier Park. The bridge's upgrade to separate bicycle and pedestrian pathways made for a safer crossing. The view from over False Creek is always an interesting way to see the city of Vancouver.




After returning, we enjoyed the food and chatted. How nice to have the windows open wide! It stays light so late now, as well. Shinji had to work later for his night shift so things wrapped up early. Jay and I stay for a bit, but, of course, Tim needed to work tomorrow as well. Ah, those souls who have to put in a sustained effort of employment; I can kind of sympathize. A little.

The rubber ducks came home with us, meaning we need to host next. We'll hear of Ed's schedule in a few days and we can try to set a date in July to have the gang out to New Westminster.

The Second Half of June

The gas fireplace was running on low for the first half of June. I was able to shut it off this morning. For that, I'm very thankful.

I'm also thankful for corn, even when it comes from California.

Lastly today, I'd like to give thanks for the colour blue.

When Serial Ports Were Serial Ports

Before my OnePlus 6 arrived a few weeks back, I made sure to order a few extra USB-C charging cables from Amazon. I always wore out the older micro-cables very quickly. I nearly vowed I'd start purchasing them by the dozen.

On Mastodon today, I found this in my feed:


Remember the sound of an old modem? It was uniquely comforting to have audio confirmation of the handshake process. (Excuse me while I go find and listen to an example. Got some! Try: Sound Jay.) I'm wiping my eyes now and it is surely because of the pollen outside.

Even the photo of the old serial bus connection allowed me to reminisce. I liked how one really felt sure when plugging two devices together this way! That was a connection! It felt more manly than the wimpy little connector by which my phone is currently connected. It was sort of like the tactile feedback provided when inserting an old 1/4" plug on a pair of headphones. Sigh.

The talk of modems reminded me how I convinced my college to buy an 8-port 'Galactiboard' for our BBS system. I wonder if I still have an early 1990's copy of THE MAJOR BBS, or WorldGroup Server, on floppies somewhere? Long live RIPscript!

Keep On Movin' On

Next week at this time, we'll be in San Francisco for a four-night weekend. We were there for one day at the end of September. However, a prior visit would've been YEARS before that. We planned early enough so that we could get a hotel room over SF Pride. We're pretty thrifty and usually stay at bonafide fleabags. So this might be the most we've ever paid for a room, ever! We entirely deserve it though.

I was looking at the calendar and thinking about the months ahead. I think Jay and I need to plan at least one other week on a trip or cruise before winter. We know the exact date in November on which 'our' winter begins because we already have air tickets. We'll be in SE Asia again; however, at different locations than those of the last one.

Anyway, during the next five months, we should plan to go somewhere. A week in the fall might be a good time to check out someplace we've never been. I'm thinking about this city.

Thunder

As I'm typing this, a rare thunderstorm is taking place. There have been several large bolts. Determining the distance is difficult; for all I know, they may have hit in Washington State. Of course, I could not catch lightning on my phone's camera as the strikes were too random and rare. I love seeing a good thunderstorm nevertheless!



Last winter, our apartment rental in Penang was an especially excellent place from which to watch the quick evening lightning storms. There's nothing quite like a thunder and lightning storm in SE Asia! Tropical weather can be quite forceful and demonstrative.

The Imagine Dragons pop song of a similar name was a favourite at the time. It was also an Air Asia favourite when passengers were deplaning. We got off thirteen different short-haul flights over the winter. The music seems a peculiar tradition for the amazing, low-cost airline.

It's Not Just for Hay Fever

I used to think antihistamines were only for people with hay fever and flu-like symptoms.

However, my body's recent allergic reaction to something or other has convinced me to keep a bottle of Benadryl® in the apartment. The old school drug really does cause rather severe drowsiness, but I can live with that rather than the itching. In fact, on the internet, I read that a normal adult dosage would be similar to blowing a .1 on a cop's breathalyzer. That is the equivalent of being legally impaired on a road in British Columbia.

We did go to our vegetable shop this morning. I was between doses, so I carefully navigated to the Burnaby location. And back.

Itching for the Raincheck

Timothy was going to come over today and we were going to go drink beer. That was the plan.

I called him up at 10:30 this morning to verify a raincheck on the activity and our trip to Surrey's Central City Brewery. I didn't sleep well last night for all the scratching. Apparently, I have gotten some type of hives. I haven't a clue as to what triggered this allergic reaction, but my arms and legs are both covered with reddish patches. Boy, do they itch!



As Timothy suggested, I walked to the Shopper's Drug Mart for some over-the-counter diphenhydramine-hydrochloride tablets.

I'd never had a chance to scan my Shopper's Optimum card via the phone app. I also used the phone to finish the purchase through Google Pay. I found that a breeze, too. So I guess, there's a silver lining to everything. And actually, although the malady is mildly annoying, there are far worse afflictions in the world.

A Tiny Bit of Cavorting

It was a quiet Sunday. On the way to the uptown Walmart, we took a detour into Queen's Park. On Memorial Day weekend we visited the city's summertime petting zoo but hadn't seen it since. A calf had joined the small farm animals and a number of new kids were romping around.

It was on and off again sunshine. Today felt pretty cool at about 16C.