California Dreaming

We're in San Francisco for a few days, leaving tomorrow back to LA to finish our trip before we head home next week. It has been very busy hence the non-posts. I know, no excuse. ('Resistance to blogging.' Is that a new psych term, like resistance to therapy?)

Anyhow, we're having a great time, even Earl who runs to shul 3 times a day to say kaddish. The only Orthodox minyan here is a 45 minute bus ride away so he gets up at 5:30 and is away from us in the evening for 2-3 hours as well. I feel badly for him but am amazed at his devotion. Tonight is "Jewish Heritage Night' at the baseball game; he probably should have gone and would have had an easier- and better- time praying there. Last night he rounded up 9 guys at the kosher deli downtown which was quite a feat. The Vancouver rabbi was very happy and the other Israeli- Americans were pleased, too. Came for pastrami on rye and got G-d. The missionary outside in the plaza under the 'Open your heart to Jesus' sign wailing 'Knock, knock, knock on Heaven's Door' completed the scene. Guess you had to be there.

Today we walked around Nob Hill, hit the aquarium, the sourdough bakery tour, the cable car museum, Chinatown and the wharf to see the sea lions who have mysteriously taken up residence there. It has been cold- 15 C, 60 F, but while we shivered the sea lions looked happy. We think. For some reason we seem to be findiing the Northern hemisphere cool zone this summer, very odd. I know, it's hot in the Holy Land, we'll be sweating soon enough. The first night we hit the 3 story Old Navy store- now that was exciting. Luckily I had a 20% discount so while Earl wasn't as happy as a sea lion he could have been more miserable. And there are still some shopping days left in LA.

Yesterday was the Golden Gate bridge, Muir Woods, Sausalito and Alcatraz. The latter was really terrific. There's a ferry out to the island- sold out 2 weeks in advance but since I was warned we bought tickets last week-and an excellent audio guide walk through tour of the prison that makes the whole place come alive with what it was like in it's 'heydey'. Pretty scary. Of course Mickey Cohen was an inmate (what makes us Yids look for members of the tribe- no matter where we are?) as was Al Capone before he died of syphillis. Yech. The big debate was if the 3 prisoners who escaped survived the frigid Pacific waters, murderous currents and occasional shark, since they were never heard from again. I think they drowned, that water is mean, but who knows. Really a great tour, though. Wish we had some place like that now for some of the murderers in our part of the world.

Lots of bikers here, too, but they wear helmets and have mountain bikes so they lean unlike in Holland. Suddenly I'm an international biking expert. Makes me miss my spinning. I'm gonna pay for this trip but good.