Calm ... for Now

I'd rather be asleep. Like him

After a deposition that went until a little past 1 a.m. I'm into a Tuesday that includes final preparations for the conference in San Francisco.

This trip will be different for me than the last I went to the Bay Area, in 2019. As that was my first time there, I asked if I could fly out earlier than everyone else to have a few hours to see some things. I was on a 7 a.m. flight from JFK that got me to San Francisco in the late morning. I took a BART train into the city and walked into my hotel.

I had all but talked myself out of keeping the rental car I had reserved and chilling at the hotel. Then I was going to walk around the area where I was staying. 

Then I found out I couldn't have my room.

I thanked the man at the desk and walked out with my luggage, proceeding to the rental car agency two blocks away.

I kept waiting for something to talk me out of it. Maybe a pushy rental car agent would send me over the edge.

Nope. No pressure about insurance or anything else. A minimal wait on line. 

Then? A choice between a Tesla and a convertible.

And away I went. In a convertible.

It was only a few hours as I had to regroup and join my Hunt Scanlon colleagues but I was able to have a beer where the album cover for Huey Lewis and the News's "Sports" was taken, and walk on the Golden Gate Bridge, and drive Lombard Street, and have lunch at In-N-Out Burger, and just be me.

It was a time in which I had to hyper-watch my budget but I still did it and count the experience as something I treasure.

It's one of my favorite days ever.

This time won't be like that because, well, it's the second trip to San Francisco.

We're all booked on a flight together and I'll hit the road with the team. They'll need me to help set things up and settle in at the conference.

We'll work hard and every bit of the great time we did back in 2019 or earlier this year in London (and we're going back there in 2023).

I might -- might -- have some time on the last day there and, sure, I've thought about renting a car again. But I've also thought about Alcatraz or just hanging around Fisherman's Wharf or whatever else grabs me. I'll be open and it will depend on who I'm hanging out with.

I'm just grateful for the experience and further grateful to use my voice in a way that helps. In this case, that way is moderating the conference. 

So I have some stuff to do. Of course, what else do I worry about?

This. Damn. Blog.

This dumb streak almost collapsed the last time I was out there but I threw a post online late in California (or after midnight in New York). So, the streak is still alive, I guess!