January 22 && 23
San Carlos, San Francisco
All apologies to whom ever on high has been pissed off by something done or failed to do. Amended will be made and sacrifices offered. Amen.
The intention this morning was to get up and do the laundry. Since Sonoma fell out of the picture so did a change of clothing. There are a couple things, however washing is a good idea. Before the clock had gone 6, I stepped into the bathroom to take my morning pill. Put the glass under the faucet and turned on the valve. No water! Not a single drop.
A quick call down to the front desk revealed that a pipe had broken in the night and there was no water in the hotel, including the laundry room. So, I pulled on me sweats, and headed to the laundromat on Laurel Street. A quick stop at Starbuck’s four a tea and a breakfast sandwich. Then down to the laundromat at the other end of Laurel Street.
Admittedly it has been a long time since I used an American laundromat. They are really expensive. The first clue was that the machine changed the twenty-dollar bill into Sacagawea Golden Dollar, not quarters. Found memories of using quarters to do your laundry are long gone. Admittedly to took $1.25, or five quarters to do a load of wash, but it only took a dime to get five to seven minutes on the dryer. Noe it starts at a dollar for the dryer and six dollars for the washer. This explains why everyone wants a washer and dryer at home.
The Sacagawea Golden Dollar appears gold in color but it isn’t gold. Just brass. The United States one dollar coin act was passed in 1997, and the Sacagawea Golden Dollar was released from 2000 to 2008. In 2009, the U.S. Mint began minting and issuing $1 coins as part of the Native American $1 Coin Program. The coins feature designs recognizing the important contributions made by Native American tribes and individual Native Americans to the history and development of the United States. The Mint issues one new reverse design each year. All the coins in use here were Sacagawea so I didn’t have any thing to entertain me while I waited.
Yesterday after returning from the sojourn to Roseville, we stopped at CVS to gather our medicines together. Then to Bianchini’s Market for laundry soap and dryer sheets. Yes, for those who travel laundry soap can be an expensive proposition. Carrying liquid laundry soap, even in individual load packets can present problems. So, someone came up with the idea of taking powdered soap and making it into a sheet, much the same size as a dryer sheet. It is non-liquid so not subject to the 3-1-1 carry-on rule. The sheets dissolve easily in water. A box of fifty sheets is about the same size as a box of dryer sheets. Thus they don’t add much weight to your luggage, there is nothing to throw away and they are environmentally positive.
Once the laundry had been moved to the dryer it was time for a trip to the bank. There isn’t any use for cash on the ship, and at this point most of our funds are in Euros. So, off to Wells Fargo to get $100 in twenties. Stopped at Starbuck’s again to get another tea before heading back to the laundry.
The laundry wasn’t quite finished when I got back, so I sat and drank my tea. Once the laundry was done and dusted it was time to go back to the hotel. When I got back to the hotel they told me the water problem had been fixed. Thank you! Upstairs to shower, shave and get properly dressed.
Just before it has gone 9, Mary and I were off to the office. She had a luncheon and other projects today, and I needed to meet with Penny to discuss the bookkeeping. Penny and I finished just after it had gone noon. I walked down Laurel Street to King Chuan Restaurant at San Carlos Avenue and Laurel Street. The belly was calling for some Ma Po Tofu. After lunch I went to the cigar shop for the evening. Mary had book club at a nearby restaurant. She met me at 6 and gave me the car key. I then loaded my supply of cigars for the voyage from here to India. Jayashree will bring another supply, if necessary, when she meets us in India at the beginning of April.
That night back at the hotel we sorted what was staying in San Carlos and what was going back to the ship. Three-quarters of the stuff going back to the ship were consumables. You know, soap sheets, dryer sheets cigars, shampoo, etc. Things not traveling beyond the cruise.
In the morning we loaded the car and headed to the office. Richard and Susan are supposed to join us on board the ship for lunch. It will be an opportunity to show them the ship and maybe get them to join us on some portion of this cruise, or maybe the next one or the one after that. They are going to take the bags form us in San Carlos, then meet us at the car rental office at SFO. This is a big help and a time saver for us.
I left Mary and went to the bagel shop for a bagel, and Starbuck’s for a morning tea. Then I stopped at the cigar shop. Rod was there out back so I let him and and we talked for about an hour. Then it was off to the office to meet Mary, Richard and Susan.
Plans are made to be changed. Susan had a class she couldn’t miss and Richard was running late. So we would meet Richard at the car rental office. I dropped Mary off at the Kiss and Fly drop off, which is at the car rental office, with the bags. I then went and returned the car. By the time I got back to Mary Richard was there and we loaded the luggage into his car.
We drove to pier 33, where Richard dropped us off with the luggage, and then went to park his car. I took the luggage on to the ship, and then returned to meet them. After which we went to the suite, had lunch and took a tour of the ship. Richard joined us for afternoon tea before departing.
The ship pulled away from the pier about 6, and we were on our way to Hawaii. Here are some photos of San Francisco from the Bay. The photos really don’t do the city justice, but enjoy.
Buonanotte e Ciao, Enrico
Us with Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf in the background.
Pier 39 to the Palace of Fine Arts.
Going under the Golden Gate Bridge.
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