Yesterday, I did something I haven't done for a long time -- at least since I was unemployed. I had whiskey in the afternoon with friends, and it was glorious.















Need the reminder today to savor the simple joys in life, and that I don't need vacation or unemployment or free time other than normal time off to have them.

Recipe for happiness:

One beautiful 1968 Wurlitzer jukebox:



















A questionable, but free, pool table:



















$1.50 PBRs, and it's not even happy hour:



















Courtesy Servente's.

Woohoo for the inauguration, hey? I'm sure y'all watched the festivities, so I won't go into how wonderful it feels to be an American right now, or how Obama's inaugural address and first day in office were absolutely inspiring. All I will say at this point is that I'm glad my president is not only inspiring, but also so NICE.

January 20th was a good day.

January 21st was also a good day. Trevor and I got up early and took BART and Muni into San Francisco to take advantage of free admission day at the newly renovated California Academy of Sciences, located in Golden Gate Park on the beautiful Music Concourse.

Holy smokes, was it crowded! But it was totally worth it. Definite highlights were the T-Rex and (87-foot!) blue whale skeletons, the Living Roof, and the Morrison Planetarium -- where we saw the most amazing digital show on the cosmos on their tilted 75 foot diameter projection screen. It felt like we were flying through the universe. Highly recommended!

Though the planetarium absolutely blew us away, of course the Steinhart Aquarium was the big draw. Gorgeous sea creatures, many that I had never seen before in person.

Some favorites:

Beautiful little jellyfish















Creepy nautilus -- it's like it's getting ready to jump out and suck on your face!















Morays



















And of course, penguins! The penguins are African penguins, and they are situated at the end of a vast hall of really cool African dioramas. The approach is striking.















But the most fascinating animals in the aquarium were these small endangered fish from Australia, leafy and weedy seadragons. They are apparently very difficult to obtain, and must be procured through approved captive breeding programs. The aquarium had been on a waiting list for two years!

These little creatures were mesmerizing.

Weedy seadragons (and random German tourist)



















Leafy seadragon















And hey, what do you know? My crappy iPhone camera did alright next to Trevor's new toy, a Canon Powershot -- a new toy which was, incidentally, bought with credit card points. And here I thought that stuff was a scam!

Anyway, another exciting, excellent day in a week full of excitement and excellence.  Here's to a terrific weekend.

WOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

This makes me so happy. Now is time for cake!

It's a good day in California.

If you're a sop like me, be sure to check out SFGate's wedding album. I cry with joy every time I open it up.

Trevor and I took a day off and hiked the Palomarin Trail in Bolinas -- part of the Point Reyes National Seashore -- on Thursday. We did the 8 mile round trip to Alamere Falls.

Oh my, was it spectacular!

On the way, this mountain girl saw a bobcat for the first time! Other notable wildlife sightings included little bunnies on the trail, cranes, and the cutest baby squirrels -- which I thought were rats at first. Must. Get. Out. Of. The. City.

The trail begins with a jaunt through fragrant eucalyptus, and opens up into a dry but pleasantly shrubby dirt path:














It then meanders along the coastal ridge overlooking the ocean. The views are stunning:














Then the hike turns uphill, and you hoof it up a canyon through more scrub and oak and wildflowers, picking your way up a rocky trail. But it's worth it, for the rocks soon fall away and you are among lush ferns and pine trees, making your way by not one, but two, lakes.

Bass Lake is a gorgeous swimming area about two miles in where you can rest up and cool off, but my favorite -- even though there is no access for swimming -- is Pelican Lake, just a mile further up the trail. It is a basin that is always lively with numerous birds, with a view of the ocean through the hills that flank it:














A few more minutes from here is the entrance to the (unmaintained) trail to Alamere Falls. A half-mile slightly overgrown downhill trek toward the ocean brings you to Alamere Creek, which cascades down in four separate waterfalls:


















One, two, three - where's the fourth? Off the cliffside overlooking the ocean, and onto the beach:














Can you believe it? I was in heaven. Not a soul around too. Careful footwork down the crumbly slate cliffside got us down to the beach. It was majestic.














Spent some time frolicking near the surf, and then realized we should be packing it up for the hike back while we still had the energy. Completely gorged on beauty (and PB and Js), we scrambled back up the cliffside and began our ascent.

Always more fun getting there than heading home:


















Especially when the return is mostly uphill!

'tis okay -- we were rewarded nicely in Stinson Beach at the Sand Dollar Restaurant:














Oh blissful day!

California Supreme Court Says Same-Sex Couples Have Right to Marry.

In a 4-3 decision, the justices said the state's ban on same-sex marriage violates the "fundamental constitutional right to form a family relationship." The ruling is likely to flood county courthouses with applications from couples newly eligible to marry when the decision takes effect in 30 days.

I am crying tears of joy right now. We're on our way out of the dark ages!!

My hope is that Californians find it in their hearts, minds, and souls to agree with today's decision by rejecting the religious right's likely attempt at a constitutional ban in the fall elections. I hope love, justice, and common sense trumps religious dogma and antiquated ideas about same-sex partnerships.

But for now, I'm celebrating!

Back from visiting the alma mater before it gets too hot to do so humanely. Lovely time as always.

Spent my time cruising the streets on my temporary transportation unit -- what I christened, "the Cadillac"















...whilst drinking the best damn Bloody Marys in Cali, yo...
























...and hiking and biking gorgeous Bidwell Park:





































All of which was supplemented generously with plenty of sitting in the sun with coffee, hanging out in my friends' gorgeous and incredibly inexpensive houses, reading, cooking, watching birds dig up bugs in the yard, and generally being a layabout.

With the right jobs, Trevor and I agreed we could move back in an instant.

I guess we'll see.

Nothing finer than game night, friends, BBQ, fresh cut grass...


















...and my man in a hammock in the setting sun.

Huckleberry ice cream and strawberry-ginger sorbet from Ici