I am loved!

It was just another Monday of a normal week, or so I thought.  As I walked into the office today, Tom asked, "did you see your box that came for you?" It's up in the front, you can't miss it."  You can say that again.  To my delight, as I walked up to the front desk, I saw the most awesome, perfectly decorated, hand wrapped box with my name in big bold letters.  It was the best care pacakge I've ever seen.  My office - Hannah, Gina, and Lauren - you guys ROCK (as Kinzy would say on my favorite radio show Kidd Kraddick.  Love it).  It was the hugest box with the most colorful, vivid, pictures decorated all over it and a ginormous, handmade, styrofoam bow on top.  Hannah, I know that was your handywork!!  It was amazing!! When I saw it, I was in complete awe and had the biggest smile on my face. Everyone around my office, including me, absolutely loved it.  I almost didn't want to open it, it looked so good.  And when I finally did, I laughed so hard my sides hurt.  As I opened the packaged and rifled through the handmade confetti inside, I found the most fantastic loot of office and company goodies inside.  I especially liked the perfectly paired tea packages (matching our concoctions that we would make back in the office) and the hot chocolate.  Oh, and don't forget the oversized 1980's adding machine with a note that said, "you're going to need this for your first case."  Total Awesomness.  Gina and Hannah included a pictures of themselves from the office, which I promptly posted in my cubicle area with the picture frame holder included.  p.s. (Hannah and Gina) - all the boys want to know who those two sexy ladies are?? And I loved the card.  So I proclaim for all the world to hear, I love my office, and my office, officially loves (and misses) me too.  I feel so loved!

Me with my package.  Look how awesome that thing is!!

The box was decorated on all sides.  I almost didn't want to open it.

My super sized addition machine and all my offie goodies. I love you Dallas RCBO.

Biking and the Golden Gate

After the accounting test, we've had some more time to go out and actually enjoy some things around the city. 
This particular weekend, we wanted to experience San Fran to the fullest so we decided to rent bikes and bike across the Golden Gate Bridge and spend the afternoon in sausalito.  It turned out to be an amazing day.  We all met in the courtyard of Melrose Place (aka our apartment, or the doorms, as we affectionately like to call it) at 10:00 and then walked to the bike shop, which is two blocks away right next to Whole Foods.  And then we were off.  We started in SOMA (the area where we live), rode up Folsom, hit the Embarcadero and rode up the Embarcadero past all the piers, up to Ghiradelli square and Golden Gate Park, all the way up to the Golden Gate Bridge.  Riding along the streets and the embarcadero was interesting to say the least, especially with our biker gang of eleven people all following each other.  You'd be dodging cars on your left and people on your right, all the while trying to keep up and not get left behind.  But it was super fun.  You definitely get a new perspective of the city on a bike.  San Francisco is approximately 7 square miles.  Which, back home, is not a huge area.  However, with no car, 7 square miles is alot bigger than you think. Actually having a bike to get around on then, versus those lovely little feet, you can get around so much easier and cover so much more area.  Why have I not invested in a bike sooner?  I definitely want to look into getting for the rest of while out here.

The Biker Gang at the bike shop getting ready to head out.  From left to right, Taty, Me, Alison, Nate, Tony, Caroline, Brandon D, Caroline's husband, Sunil, Brandon B, and Chris.

Biking from SOMA to the Embarcadero. 

Biking and the view along the Embaracadero. Just beautiful.

Me and Taty on our bikes.

The View from Golden Gate Park. Almost there.  Notice how much higher the GG is from the vantage point.  One word: Hills.

Me on the lookout point.  Look how far away the city is in the background.  We've biked far - and still more to go.

Me and Alison on the Golden Gate. 

Sausalito.

All in all, it was a great day.  The weather was great, the views were amazing, and we had a super fun group.  We biked nearly over 14 miles from downtown SF, across the Golden Gate, and down the Sausalito.  The ferry ride back was exactly what we needed, because there was no way I was going to make it back up the hill.  It was a packed day and by the end, we were exhausted.

Alison, my superhero

A little behind on the posting, but I'm back with some more.  This is the story of Alison P, my bud.  And she is a rockstar.  Alison is from the midwest, but her husband hails from Oklahoma City and that's how we first bonded.  The first few weeks out her in San Francisco, she signed up to run the San Fran 12K (that's 7.5 miles).  Being that she's out here in new city and running with about 4000 other strangers, I recruited the girls to go and cheer her on at the finish line.  I think she really appreciated it that we came out to support her, especially being that she woke up around 5 in the morning to take the bus to go run.  She was amazing.  She ran the 7.5 miles in a little over 1 hour.  I ran a 10K in November in about the same time (she's fast!).  The finish line was right at Ghiradelli square just past the golden gate bridge.  The weather was beafutiful, all the runners were great, and Lorenza, Tatyana, and myself were there to greet her as she crossed the finish.  Just awesome.

Me, Tatyana, Alison, and Lorenza at Ghiradelli park.

Alison and all her running awesomness.

The flowers at Ghiradelli square.  We ate lunch at a little diner behind here.

Me and Taty.  You really can't tell, but this is the "treasure map" Alison drew for me on a napkin with the bus route to get to Ghiradelli square.  I still have no idea where I am in the city.  Sad, really.