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I will fully admit that I have a hard time editing down my photos to post. Especially people photos…because every shot is so unique, and full of life and personal expression.

Sooooo, I’ve been sitting on a slew of photos from the San Francisco Pride Parade from a few weeks ago–June 24 to be precise. And like the Bay to Breakers event in May, I went nuts snapping images of all the antics.

Now, Pride certainly has a reputation for being a bit edgy, and there is certainly a tiny bit more leather and lace than in your average parade. Nevertheless, I can report that this parade had FAR less skin than Bay to Breakers!

Pride certainly embraces the diversity of the City. It starts with a roar with the traditional Dykes of Bikes mass motorcycle ride–nearly 100 women on motorcycles announcing their power to the world. This kicks off over two hours of corporate floats, politicians, and every niche fetish you can crack a whip at.

Its not for everyone, but its a party you can’t take your eyes off of. Enjoy the sights.

Life moves a fast some days, and what seems like just a couple of weeks ago, quickly turns into a month…or more.

At the beginning of June, my family held a special party in Maryland: our “aught party”. The occasion was the celebration of several decade birthdays and anniversaries. We had one 80th birthday, a 70th anniversary, a few 60th anniversaries and birthdays, and so forth, all the way to my brother and his fiancee celebrating their zero-th anniversary this year. (Let’s not forget MY upcoming 40th birthday!) In all, we had over 15 decade anniversaries and birthdays…with every decade covered from 1927 to 2007.

The location: St. Michaels…where my grandmother lived, and her two sisters still live today. Prior to the main event, the three families held pre-parties at their homes. My family and I settled into Whiskey Hill…my grandmother’s home. This is still one of my most relaxing places to visit.

The pre-party at Whiskey Hill ended with a fantastic lightening show across Edge Creek. This was always a fixture of our summers in St. Michaels. The dramatic approach of storms across the water until they crash upon you with wind and rain.

The day of the Aught Party was absolutely perfect. Sunny. Warm. Light breezes. The perfect setting for family to arrive from far-flung corners of the country: Georgia, North Carolina, California, Washington, and of course Virginia and Maryland. We descended on our hosts Deb and Doug and their inviting home on Solitude Creek.

Specially designed blue tee shirts abounded…one for every celebrant. As you can see…there were quite a few 🙂

One of the highlights for the younger generation was the ol’ mentos in cola trick. My uncle Jim, a proud NASA engineer (and a skillful teacher), helped the kids to craft multi-mentos drops to send the soda streams even higher into the air. On one occasion, there was even a cola battle!

The party was fueled by a seemingly endless supply of fresh corn on the cob and expertly-grilled steak. I was put in charge of assembling the party soundtrack…a carefully researched mix of hits from 1927, 37, 47, 57, 67, 87, 97, and 2007. Throw all that into an iPod playlist, and WOW…instant party. Its quite fun to hear Kay Kayser and Frank Sinatra next to the Beatles and Bon Jovi.

As I mentioned in my post this morning, San Francisco was blanketed by a heavy summer fog today. By noon, the temperature was still in the mid 50’s. This weather is PERFECT for sleeping, but a bit frustrating when you want to work in the garden.

So, we headed south to San Jose where the temp were in the mid 80’s…yes, exciting San Jose. But wait…there is a method to this madness. We wanted to take Matthew to the historic Winchester Mystery House…a bizarre 160-room home built over the course of 38 years. The widow Winchester was clearly driven…or insane…and the result is a beautiful Victorian home, but with a maze of hallways, winding stairwells, doorways and stairs to nowhere, and hidden passageways. Definitely worth a visit.

After the Winchester House, we grabbed what we thought was a quick lunch at nearby Santana Row…a popular outdoor shopping/restaurant area. We were lured into the Consuelo Mexican Bistro, and the fun stopped there. Whatever positive stories I might have shared about the food, have been forever replaced by memories of horrendous service. I’m not talking about incompetence…I’m quite patient with people who TRY. I’m talking about the total lack of attention. At the end of the meal, we sat…literally…for over 20 minutes trying to get our bill. I waved at our waitress…nothing. Jeff asked the hostess to send someone to us…nothing. I rang my fork against my glass…funny…but nothing. I even emptied a glass of water and thrust it out in view of the water-guy…hoping that might bring a human to our table…nothing.

We left a zero tip.

We NEVER leave a zero tip.

NEVER.

After the lunch that became dinner, we decided to stay put for a while and catch a movie. We watched Evan Almighty…because it was starting when we walked up. It was an amusing diversion…not amazing comedy, but then we weren’t looking for that. I could watch Steve Carell and Morgan Freeman and Wanda Sykes in just about anything.

On the way home, we could see fingers of fog creeping over the coastal range along I-280. Its a beautiful sight, and a fitting bookend to our day.

Some quarter-million baseball fans are expected to visit San Francisco this week for the variety of activities leading up to the All Star Game on Tuesday at AT&T/SBC/PacBell Park. Not to be ignored, Mother Nature invited a guest as well…our famous summer fog.

I think its fitting really. You can have a sunny summer ballgame anywhere, but if you want the quintessential SF ballgame, then you should bring your fleece pullover…perhaps from SF’s very own Old Navy…fresh off the container ship from China.

Still…no matter the weather…nobody ever forgets a visit to our cozy ballpark by the Bay. Grab some garlic fries, pull a blanket up over your legs, and watch’em Play Ball.

After traveling the past several days, we decided to stay in this evening rather than wander across the city to watch the fireworks show along the northern waterfront. I don’t feel like I have missed anything…rather, it feels like we’re right in the middle of it. For the past 30min-plus, we’ve been listening to the show’s low rumbles, sharp pops, and thunderous booms. The sounds are bouncing off the hills in all directions, creating the feeling of a dramatic, extended summer thunder storm…one of my most favorite sounds.

Happy Independence Day.