Keeping Promises and Catching Up

I am behind. There is no qualifier. There is no one reason why. I just have let myself get behind...in pretty much everything - grading, projects, posts, etc. And I am perfectly okay with that...except that I promised Jenessa I would post about a bunch of different things all by Monday, November 5th. I'm not one to break a promise, so fingers crossed that I can get this all done.

Here's a shout out to the things I don't have real pictures of from this fall, but are standout moments just the same....

Apple Hill: It's tradition to drive all the way the foothills above Placerville for apple donuts, the best apple juice you've ever tasted, and the first glimpses of fall. Seth, Tracy, David, Patrick, and I made the trek on a cool September morning. It was a perfect day to visit, though ironically we didn't document any aspect of the day. Too busy picking what we were going to eat, I guess. 

Opera at the Ballpark: Seth and I naively thought we could fit Apple Hill and Opera at the Ballpark in the same day. Apple Hill, like I mentioned being up above Placerville, and the ballpark being the Giants stadium in San Francisco. Throw in that Seth was feeling sick, and the day turned into quite the adventure. Opera at the Ballpark is literally as it sounds. The San Francisco Opera shows their debut performance of the season on the big screen at the ballpark for free for the community. 35,000+ people showed up. It was absolutely freezing, but it was really fun and unlike anything I've ever done before. I would totally recommend it. 

St. Vincent's: I love to eat out. Emerald and I made this connection in college and would justify spending money we didn't have as students and young professionals on dinners that were just a little bit more interesting than your run-of-the-mill chain restaurant. A few weeks ago, I went with Seth and a couple of his friends visiting from Long Beach and Japan to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in San Francisco called St. Vincent's. The lighting was so dim that pictures looked ridiculous, but the food was as beautiful as it was delicious. I tried things I don't usually eat - sea urchin, crab chowder, tuna (you know how I am about things that swim in the sea) and fell in love with eggs pickled in red radish, and eggs pickled in curry. I tried honey and sweet milk ice cream topped with sea salt and honey comb and had a ham chop served with splitzenberg apple and sweet corn bread. The best part was actually Seth's (can you tell everyone at the table was trying each other's plates) heirloom tomato salad. Am I allowed to say best tomatos ever?

Post one complete. At least half a dozen to go.