Back in California

Time for another monthly update. 

Spent the last week in Minnesota visiting with my sister, cousins and friends.  Sis has a professional "organizer" helping her figure out how to best set up the apartment and the difference is amazing!  

Went on two tours on Saturday in St. Paul.  The 'caves' tour which is an old silica mine just of Wabasha south of the Mississippi.  The caves were originally created because the sand was so pure, it could go directly into the manufacturing process for glass. The silica miners would go in a couple hundred of feet but then abandon the cave, assuming the sandstone was unstable for further digging.  They'd then open another cave mine a bit further down the bluff.  The customer?  Henry Ford for all those cars he built.  

The second tour was a history of St. Paul with a gangster twist.  In the early part of the 1900's, St. Paul was the resort community for the nation's gangsters.  We visited the houses where Ma Barker hung out for a bit plus places of infamy during St. Paul's hell years.  

On Sunday night we got cousin Denny to fire up his pizza oven and he prepared a pizza feast. Wow, is he good!  

First cousin once removed Katie Connolly, my sister Sister Maureen Lamey and cousin Dr. Mary Jo Connolly

The first week of October was a wild time in San Francisco.  The America's Cup World Series regatta was held concurrently with the Fleet Week activities.  Nothing like watching the Blue Angels over Alcatraz one minute and the next watching the AC boats racing past Alcatraz as well. 

Fleet week starts with a parade of ships. The SFFD traditionally  leads with  all  pumps running. This picture was taken from my balcony.  

The Navy's Blue Angels over San Francisco Bay

The Fleet Race just underway late on Saturday afternoon. 

The Golden Gate Yacht Club put on quite a show.  Fantastic buffet meals and front row seating for watching both the races and the airshow!  

Turns out San Francisco had quite a weekend October 5-6-7.  Fleet Week, America's Cup, Blue grass concert (multiple days) in Golden Gate Park (http://tiny.cc/e0wfmw), Burning Man Decompression (http://tiny.cc/e0wfmw), Castro Street Fair (http://tiny.cc/e0wfmw), and finally, the Italian Heritage Parade (http://tiny.cc/e0wfmw).  Add in the sports: Cal football, Stanford football, Giants playoff baseball and Oakland playoff baseball.   I heard the city expected over 2 million visitors for the weekend. I think they were all trying to get on my bus! 

Other news: No, the house has not sold. However, a house two doors away went on the market for $650,000 more than mine last Wednesday and its under contract now. So its just a matter of the right buyer!  And, having a house sell for that much more than mine certainly says I am not overpriced for the neighborhood! 

I did lose about two weeks to a really nasty flu bug. I was literally down and out for three days after a nice Saturday boat trip across the bay to Angel Island for a club picnic.  

Who knew I'd spend the next two weeks with an awful flu bug?

While sick, I dragged myself to my SF place to take pictures of the Endeavour on its last journey to the space museum in LA. These shot were taken from my balcony while I was wearing pajamas.  

That is about it for now.  If you are on FaceBook, I am too as Pat Lamey or Patrick Lamey. It turns out there is a Patrick Lamey in Nova Scotia and one of us uses Pat and the other uses Patrick on Facebook. I cannot remember which is which but if you see my shining face, you'll know its me!