Really didn't think this was going to happen... but found out that the hotel has free WiFi. Check out scary squirrel man's blog for the part of the story.

SSM pulling out of the "shop-n-rob" in that California hotbed of sleeze Modesto. We had stopped there to get batteries and iced tea as we cruised the 99, I-5, 580, etc... on our way to SF. Oh yeah, SSM already covered that on his blog.


This is the view from our room at the Air Travel Hotel. We are treating this place as sort of a "transitional thang" until we once again score the new cool hotel where we can slum up in the city. If you have no clue what I'm talking about... check out this post. Our surly dispositions were flung out the window as 12 Chinese stewardesses checked in at the same time we did. OK, perhaps there could be some perks to this place after all.


Once we were checked in (and were done drooling over these oriental beauties) we headed out to lunch and down to Market Street for a shopping spree at Kaplan's. I was turned on to this place by Kien when he visited from across the pond earlier this year. This has been my new ritual on my latest trips up here. Go to Kaplan's and make at least 1 purchase that I can't live without but don't really need. This time I got a new Pith Helmet... made the old fashioned way out of cork. (picture will be posted soon.) We passed by this tornado in an alleyway on the way there.



Then down to the Tenderloin for dinner at Original Joe's . I will allow SSM to elaborate on this. I'll just say that the food is great there and portions are generous. This was a hop skip and jump to the Exit Theater (our real intent for this trip) where the SF Fringe is being hosted. Armed with our Frequent Fringer Pass... we failed to get into one show (that was sold out) and strolled into another that turned out to be really quite good. We then schelpped to see our uber-schelpper friend, Steven's show at Original Joe's.
Drinks and catch-up followed at the bar. After which we chatted some more on the street outside where the "real" theatre was occurring. We got into a somewhat inane discussion about the place called "Daldas" (featured in this pic) was really a plural form of the word "dildo." What do you think? It is SF after all!

Then back to the hotel for some shut-eye and rest up for a full day of fringing today.

More to come later...

Click here for Part 2.

Labels: Picture Daze