Californ-i-a

This is the overdue post on California. That happened way back toward the end of May and here we are almost in mid-June.

This was a brief but much-needed trip to Napa (2 nights) and San Francisco (1 night). The brevity was actually a good point because we left C behind with Grandma and she is just at the age now where I feel she really misses us more. And we miss her. And there's guilt involved, of course. But Grandma and Grandpa staying with her was essentially like Sin City. There was a trip to McDonald's AND Burger King (yes, in the space of 3 days). She watched Shrek on cable (yeah, you heard right, PG!) She stayed up late and her outfits were more mismatched than usual (I saw pictures. Even I know that brown and red don't go together- unless it's a hamburger with ketchup. Hmmm. Maybe the fast food trips had an influence).

Things that were great about the trip:

1. Spending idle time reading and watching aforementioned sappy movie on the airplane. But did they have to show "The Tooth Fairy" both ways? A crime against idle time. At least it made me read more.
2. Strolling around San Francisco on the afternoon/evening of our arrival and not feeling like I have to "see it all". Or any of it, actually.
3. Wine. Good wine.
4. Having uninterrupted conversations with D at meals and generally spending time alone together
5. The food. California food is so precious that it should be sold in a yuppie food-church of some sort. It's beautiful and there's nothing unpure about it. Even the "butcher" we went to had an adorable, gleaming, hand-crank slicer. And the farmers market was a cruel reminder that you can get lovely local produce there before June.

Things that could have gone better:

1. Six+ hours on an airplane isn't what I'd call "comfortable"yet. Even in first class (yes! first class!) There were some squirmy moments. But totally doable.
2. Do not drink wine for the better part of the day before having an 8-course meal that night. Lesson learned.
3. Probably a mistake to visit the winery started by the guy who invented Informercials.
4. It was damn cold for Napa Valley in May. One night I was literally shivering in my summer outfit.
5. I really don't think I learned much more (or maybe any more) than I knew before about wine. But I'm not sure I care.

All in all, a great time. Next time, Sonoma.