I really wish we could buy plane tickets in 10-packs, as we skip back and forth between our two homes: California and Chicago. I can’t be in one without missing the other. This past weekend we ditch our Chicago home in favor of some time in our California home.
We started the weekend out with Maker Faire: everything from 3d printers and CNC routers to drone battles and animatronic skeletons, a huge lego city, steam punk technology and wearable LED technology, frankenbikes to ride and frankenbikes to admire, handmade art and locally-grown food, lessons on how to do and make just about anything.
everything cool is that way or that way
el pulpo mechanico
lock-picking workshop
Sunday we ran Bay to Breakers: 7.4 miles across the city from the Bay Bridge to Ocean Beach, one big costume party. San Francisco doesn’t get any weirder than this, and as long as you get out before the drunk college kids stop having fun and start weeping in the streets, it’s all good. We had beautiful sunny weather. And viking costumes that kept us warm at the finish line at Ocean Beach.
the family that pillages and plunders together stays together.
victory!
After the race we refueled with mexican food in Palo Alto, then played at the park with Geneva and Bode and helped Teresa put tomato plants in their community garden plot.
bode, standing atop a mound of bark twice his height. this kid, like his older sister, has a love of climbing, no fear of heights, and leathery tough hobbit feet.
geneva, making her fiercest bull face.
Monday we went up to San Francisco to spend more time with our new nephew, Theo, just 10 weeks old. (no pictures, he’s internet-shy. you’ll have to take my word for it: he’s perfect.)
the cats are a bit traumatized at the arrival of the new baby.
Later we drove to Mill Valley, dropped in on my former co-workers, had lunch at the incomparable Sol Food, and climbed the Dipsea stairs and hiked one of my favorite trails in Marin.
even the furniture likes to get out and enjoy the forest on a beautiful day like this.
Tuesday we got up early and ran across campus, stopped in to admire the beautiful Memorial Church, the dusty dry Lake Lag, the Row and White Plaza still deserted and sleepy in the early morning hours.
still beautiful, Stanford.
After brunch we stopped in for tours at two very different startups: our friend Joe’s company, Curious.com, and Chris’s startup, EtaGen. EtaGen is too top secret for me to even tell you what they do, but it’s pretty awesome.
Then back to the airport and on a flight to Chicago, where real-life resumes: theatre and websites and fixing up the money pit and yowling cats. and summer. finally, glorious summer.