This entry is for Saturday, February 5, 2022, and I’m finally getting around to posting it a month later. I definitely don’t like having so much time pass since this actually happened, but I’m still glad I’m capturing it, even if there are holes when there otherwise wouldn’t be. I’ll just have to work on that. If you don’t remember how this weekend started, you can revisit that here.

I was up that morning much earlier than I wanted to be, but I used the time to do some work on my website. Mostly this included adding more menu options for these entries under Life in Northern California. I was pleasantly surprised to realize I’d written quite a bit of content already; you just couldn’t tell because it wasn’t organized. Now it is!

Ash was up about 5am but enjoyed lounging with the dogs before we got moving. I got the blog up and we left a little after 6am for the coffee ritual at Peet’s. Ash has a group of friends that he’s met at Peet’s on Market in The Castro for years and we enjoy catching up with them when we’re in town. Typically, we would walk from his house on Castro, and take Paul out for his morning walk after. Since we aren’t at his house this time, we drove and parked on Market then walked Paul from there.

Around 7am we moved on from Peet’s to walk Paul and met up with our friend Rick at Dolores Park. He lives a couple of blocks from it, and we’ve met him here many weekend mornings. That’s his dog, Lola. The official name of the park is “Mission Dolores” although most drop the mission, but that is Mission High School on the left in the background.

Dolores Park offers some great views of the city when the weather cooperates.

After that, Ash went to the gym, and I went to get our registration bibs for the 10k we are doing the next day. They were at a huge sporting goods place called Sports Basement in the Marina District near the end of Chrissy Field.

While I was there I couldn’t resist capturing a couple of photos. Chrissy Field is named such because it used to be US Army airfield. Now it’s part of the Golden Gate National Recreational Area and, as you can see above, offers some of the best views of the famous bridge.

Looking back towards the city from the beach, you can see the Palace of Fine Arts in the center with downtown behind it.

I went back to Greg & Karl’s and waited for Ash to come home from the gym. We left to meet another of Ash’s friends around 11am at the Castro Country Club, a recovery-based coffee shop on 18th. It has rooms for meetings and a nice patio to hang out in.

I left them there just before Noon and went to my massage appointment not even 2 blocks away. The name on this shop is really small on the Skin + Body sign but it’s called Always Tan. We buy massages here in a package, and they end up being about $60 an hour so it’s a great deal. Although we usually go together, for a variety of scheduling reasons Ash had his on Friday. It was great as it always is.

Ash picked up me up from there and we went to our 2pm ballet matinee, across the street from the iconic Civic Center.

I’d never been here before August of last year, and this is my 4th time since: two operas and now two ballets.

Helgi Tomasson has been the artistic director and principal choreographer here since the 80’s, and is responsible for turning the SF ballet company into one of the best on the planet with an international corp. This is his last season. There was a little film at the beginning of the show giving a little overview of his career and the impact he’s had on this art form.

The lobby. Take note of that balcony in the background on the left, you’ll see a photo from there in a bit.

This was our view from first balcony, about 3 rows up.

These places always have beautiful ceilings, although this is pretty tame compared to many we’ve seen.

Masked up and ready for the show.

The ballet was saw on this day was simply called Program 2. It was 3 parts: Caprice, In the Night, Blake Works. The first was I guess what I would call traditional ballet, a corps of mostly women in flowing dress. The 2nd was more romantic, 3 different couples, I think. And the 3rd was more modern. Honestly, this much time later it’s hard to remember, which is why I’m usually so dedicated to doing these each day. Oh well, the challenges of a full life! I enjoyed them each in their own way and if you’d asked that afternoon, I would have told you my favorite but of course I forget now. I enjoyed the one the next day much more so will have more to say when I get to writing about that!

Ash likes to make a whole experience out of the show, pre-ordering snacks to be waiting for us at the intermissions (in this case there were two). This round was a lovely crab salad and a cheese plate.

The tables to my right.

The view behind me – I’m in that corner I pointed out in the lobby photo above.

For the 2nd intermission we had a panna cotta that was one of the best I’ve ever had, and a flourless chocolate cake that was super dense but good.

The symphony hall is across the street from the opera/ballet theater, with the Civic Center behind me and to my left. When they all have events going at once it can get quite congested.

Our friends Erick and Jim had joined us for the ballet, and after they came back to Greg & Karl’s house with us and Ash fixed dinner – tikka masala and I don’t remember what else. I’m sure it was great as always!

Another lovely sunset from Greg & Karl’s house.

We went to bed at a decent hour because we had another full day the next day, with a 10k walk in the morning and another ballet in the afternoon.