Visitors from Three Lakes

This picture is proof! Mom and Dad Brainard trekked out to San Francisco to see our swank pad, give Otis a pat, and buy chocolate. The photo shows Mom and Dad in front of the Balclutha, an old ship that Dad toured a long, long time ago (really long -- he's old!), just before we ate at Alioto's, a long-standing restaurant with lots of fish slathered in butter. This was just one of many good restaurants we ate at - but we needed the energy for what Dad called my "Death Marches". What can I say? You miss too much if you take a cab! How else would Mom and Dad find out that, in San Francisco, there are intersections where you can cross diagonally? These are the things that make SF unique. :)

Other highlights of their visit include:

• Mom sitting on a fork - unbeknownst to her - during an entire lunch at a French Bistro on Clement Street.
• Daily breakfast runs, for which I was unprepared. But we all rose to the challenge, and I learned where to find really good granola and bacon in my neighborhood, so it's all good.
• The cat taking a shine to Dad - just ask him how he kept him company in the middle of the night.
• The really good wine dad picked for us to drink the night Dave made pork chops at home.
• Seeing Mom uncharacteristically buy stuff for herself - it was great!

I'm sure there are more. It was a lot of fun to have them visit and I hope they can come again soon to see all the stuff we missed (wineries!).