New Ink

“A tattoo is a true poetic creation, and is always more than meets the eye. As a tattoo is grounded on living skin, so its essence emotes a poignancy unique to the mortal human condition.” - V. Vale

"everything was beautiful and nothing hurt"- my first tattoo

Unfortunately, my inkwell went dry for a while - despite a deep reserve of new stories and major life changes.

I have been feeling guilty about my silence. I can almost envision a disappointed Kurt Vonnegut, shaking his head as he rhetorically asks, "Who is more to be pitied, a writer bound and gagged by policemen or one living in perfect freedom who has nothing more to say?" My response to K.V. is - both.

I began thinking: How will I ever start blogging again? Where will I begin? I even pulled out my laptop a couple of times, but there just seemed too much to say... the white computer screen unblinkingly stared back at me, mocking my indecision.

But as Bukowski once said, even "writing about a writer's block is better than not writing at all." So I decided to start writing again, which meant haphazardly picking a moment from the past few months to reflect upon... I finally settled on November 17, 2012 - the day my close friend took me to his seriously cool tattoo artist at the "Tattoo Garage" in Bloomfield, NJ.

For the past 10 years, I have wanted to tattoo my favorite quote from Slaughterhouse Five across my back. The quote reads, "everything was beautiful and nothing hurt." Perhaps it's because my young life was wracked with such pain that I've been repeatedly drawn to these words; however, something always seemed to get in the way of putting ink to skin. I think I now understand why - sometimes, even if we know what we want in life, we aren't yet ready for it.

Everything about the day of my tattoo felt right. I loved the fact that my friend's artist was in Bloomfield - the town where I was starting my life over again, after a long battle against Carcinoid cancer; and after ending a 5-year relationship with a good man - who just wasn't the right man.  I finally felt like I had reached a point in my life where I was ready to take a shot at happy possibilities instead of merely falling back on survival instincts.

Shortly after getting my tattoo, wonderfully positive things began to happen.  I met an adoring man who actually understands who I am at my core, and has made me feel more loved than I ever thought possible. I've begun to finally put on weight again, and have managed to go from a size 00 (I didn't even know they made a "double zero") to a size 2. I started seeing a new oncologist, who is running the right tests and helping me stay on top of the cancer. And finally, I am continuing to develop friendships with deep roots and supportive care.

Truly now, my tattoo isn't merely a black and white quote ripped from the pages of my favorite book - but rather a living testiment to the idea that beauty is attainable if one can force themselves to push past the pain.

IKEA Debacle

The Look of IKEA Defeat

It just so happened that my two best friends, Mike and Rob, moved in together this summer, around the same time that I moved into my own studio. IKEA sells cheap furniture, so between the three of us, we have made a dozen trips over the past few months to this "some assembly required" (aka "build it yourself") furniture mecca.

Despite July being eaten away by hospital visits and doctor appointments, my apartment has been steadily coming along. Recently, Mike and I decided it was time I get a couch and a kitchen island; so off to IKEA we went... a routine as familiar as putting on your shoes before walking out the door.

By now, we have visited IKEA so often that we could probably draw a detailed architectural blueprint of the store from memory. We were able to quickly locate the three items we wanted: sleeper couch, kitchen island, kitchen stools, and masterfully found the corresponding boxes in the warehouse... after which, we followed the usual steps:

STEP ONE: Load everything into the car

STEP TWO: Spend 2 hours trying to put together an item that should theoretically take 15 min.to assemble

PROBLEM: Everything was going according to plan, but as Murphy's Law states: "If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something."

Once Mike fully assembled the couch, we realized it was factory defective. Mike had the exact same couch in college - so he recognized the issue right away... the factory had sewn the cushions on inside out. What are the odds that we picked probably the only defective box in the warehouse? Mike then spent the next 30 min on hold for customer service to report the problem.

STEP THREE: Listen to non-soothing elevator music while trying to reach customer service

After a recent trip to the shore, Mike and I somehow managed to reload the couch (fully assembled) back into his car, and he and Rob returned it. Of course, IKEA doesn't currently have the couch in stock - so we are non-anxiously awaiting a new shipment so that we can repeat this entire process again (minus the defect of course).

Any other friend would have given up on me and my unfathomable bad luck by now - thank goodness Mike isn't like any other friend.

"Pee in this Jug" and Other Medical Updates

My Friend Mike's Abstract Photo Interpretation of Our Series of Doctor Visits

I just had follow ups with my GI specialist (Dr. Chamberlain) at St. Barbabas Hospital, and with my Internal Medicine specialist (Dr. Totaro). Both Dr. Totaro and Dr. Chamberlain ran blood work.

GI Specialist

Dr. Chamberlain said that if the Valium and Bentyl combination was controlling my intestinal spasms - just stay on them (forever if need be). I sheepishly told him that I had been supplimenting Advil for the Valium because I wanted to be able to drive, but it really didn't help the pain. Dr. Chamberlain reassured me that it was ok to drive on the Valium, and that my body would adjust.

So far so good; the drugs have kept my abdominal pain at a minimum, and being able to drive again has given me most of my independence back. I take my med combo every 6-7 hours.

Internal Medicine Specialist 

When I initially met with Dr. Totaro and explained my symptoms, including thrush  - he said, "well when I hear someone say 'thrush', I immediately think HIV. We better test for that."

Now, I didn't really think there was any real risk of me having HIV (I've only had a few long term partners); but I grew up in the 1980s and watched two friends die from AIDS in the 90s. Sadly, one of my current friends is HIV positive... living with AIDS and HIV is a lonely, painful existence since patients are forced to deal with both the relentless symptoms as well as the social stigma of the disease.

Truth be told, there is nothing medically scarier for me than HIV, and hearing Dr. Totaro suggest it as a possibility was a little like watching Jaws 6 times in a row and then going for a midnight swim in the ocean.

Luckily, the HIV test was negative.

The blood work also eliminated Systematic Lupus, Lymphoma, and Pernicious Anemia. Yet, it didn't reveal a cause for my muscle atrophy, shaking, bone pain, and weight loss (20 lbs since May). Additionally, a comparison of my labs over the course of the last two years revealed that I have become steadily and increasingly more anemic - despite having regular iron levels and a normal B12 count. There is absolutely no explanation for the anemia, nor for some of the other blood abnormalities on the reports.

Dr. Totaro wants me to see a Hematologist. His thought is that if we can figure out what is causing the blood abnormalities and unexplainable anemia, we might be able to find the cause for my other symptoms and declining health.

5-HIAA Test Results - Carcinoid Syndrome

When we realized that it wasn't the cancer causing this latest - and most pressing - health decline, I admittedly began to ignore the Carcinoid. "Why chase two illusive dragons at once?" I thought - one was enough.

Except there was the infamous 5-HIAA test - first ordered this past June - which I still had yet to complete. The 5-HIAA test is a 24 hour urine collection in a bucket:

The 5-HIAA is standard in the Carcinoid world for helping diagnose malignancy and Carcinoid syndrome. It really should have been ordered over a year ago, but that's of little consequence now.

In order to limit the chance of a false positive on the test, I had to stop Valium and avoid certain foods (plums, pineapples, bananas, eggplant, tomatoes, avocados and walnuts) both prior to and during the collection - which I did dutifully.

I just got the test results: the normal range is 0.0-14.9 .. mine was flagged "high" at 17.3. It probably is nothing serious, but I can't be irresponsible either. Dr. Woltering suggested a Carcinoid specialist on Long Island whom I'll investigate.

So What It All Means....

In my first meeting with Dr. Totaro, he summarized my medical condition perfectly; he simply said, "You're a complicated little girl aren't you."

My body is at war with itself, but no one knows why.  There are objective signs, symptoms and labs that just make no medical sense. It's one doctor after another, and when I wake up it's a question of what hurts, and how much. Not having a "name" nor diagnosis for what's doing this to me is probably the most frustrating thing of all.

In Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio described his fatal wound to his best friend this way: "Tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church door, but 'tis enough, 'twill serve."

I am grateful for the health I have. I am appreciative that I can sit in this beautiful French bistro and type this blog. But the psychological toll of feeling like an unwanted stranger in your own body 'tis enough, t'will serve as one of the hardest aspects of conquering my latest medical mystery. Over this past summer especially, I have discovered that my greatest defense against this foreign, unknown enemy is the love and support of my friends and family - who are always at the ready for whatever new medical bombshells get thrown my way.

Starting Over

My friend Mike took me for an epic bowl of seafood pasta at Biggies Clam Bar in NJ 
(My friends are making sure I keep my weight up ... Lost 15 lbs in last 2 months)

Firstly, thank you all so much for the emails and concern. I haven't been updating my blog because it seemed as if there was just too much to say...

I was in the hospital 5 times in July - four ER trips and one scheduled surgery. After the last blog, Rob (aka Batman) and I ended up going down to Robert Wood Johnson ER - and there we at least got a few answers.

As I was having a pain spike - the medical resident recognized it immediately:

"Have you ever had a charlie-horse?" The young doctor asked. (um ... I played competitive soccer so yea)

"Sure" I replied.

"Well you're having intestinal spasms - it's like a charlie-horse in your intestines" he explained.

While he was able to identify the issue he had no idea as to its cause.

He put me on Bentyl and Valium and the pain is under control. I saw a GI specialist who ordered more tests, and I see a top Internist tomorrow to try to figure out all the non-carcinoid related symptoms I've been having (pain, bruising, exhaustion, weight loss, weakness, low grade fevers, muscle spasms - I even developed thrush a couple weeks ago).

On top of all of this Gary - my partner of 5 years - and I separated, and I moved into my own studio in June. So I find myself back at the start - in all aspects if life.

I feel like an unwelcome visitor in my own body, and my new place doesn't feel like home yet - despite the heroic efforts of my amazing friends, and countless trips to IKEA.

On a positive note, my surgery (uterine polypectomy) went very well, and we are confident the biopsy will come back just fine. It's the mystery of why I'm still so sick that's the lurking ghost.

They estimate that I had Carcinoid Cancer for 5-6 years - the last year is when it broke through the appendix and was "accidentally" found during another surgery - and initially diagnosed as recurring appendicitis. I love looking at the MRI and CT reports that were done 2 weeks before they found the 3 cm tumor. Both reports say "appendix appears unremarkable". Luckily for me, my surgeon thought differently.

As Dr. Kulke (Carcinoid expert) told us - the "good news" is if my cancer has metastasized in my blood - which can't ever be ruled out - "it will eventually present itself" ie there will be more tumors.

But now there's a new unknown. How many years before this medical mystery is solved?

Carcinoid is rare, and nobody - not even doctors, really understand its true nature... But at least I had a name for what I thought was shutting my body down. Now, there's just more unanswered questions. I'm hoping tomorrow's doctor visit will bring us closer to some answers. I just need to keep moving forward.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Advice from West Point Grad (my dad)

"In the infantry it was always about improving your position. You didn't need to win the next day - you just had to be in a better position than you were the day before ...

We all live in a world of uncertainty - yours is just a lot more uncertain than most." - dad



1975 - Army Base in Washington

In Memory of Rachel

Rachel Cheetham Moro (1970-2012)

“When I first started my blog in 2009, I had no idea just how important it would become in helping me deal with this disease. What has surprised me even more is just how many people are interested in what I have to say." - blogger Rachel Moro

I have heard people call the act of blogging a way to share your unedited self with the world.  "A blog is a personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world." (blogger.com)

For me, Channeling Jackie-O was initially a way to share information about my rare cancer with my family and friends in California, but eventually it became much more - a way for me to connect with other cancer patients and advocates. I am incredibly grateful for the amazing online community support that my blog has provided me, and for the new friends I've made through my writing.

One of my blogger-friends, Rachel, recently died from stage IV breast cancer. And I miss her.

I miss her comments to my posts, and reading her incredible words - her "unedited self" - that she was able to share so eloquently with the world.

On December 31st Rachel posted a comment to my blog about the Laurita Winery: "Definitely going to have to check this place out! - Rachel" After reading her comment, I had thoughts of us finally meeting face to face - two Jersey girls, swapping encouragement and stories over a bottle of Chardonnay.

Rachel died Monday, February 6th, and there is an aching sadness that I will never have the opportunity to meet her in person; she was only 42 years old.

Rachel was brave and talented, and like all great writers, she was a keen observer of life. As a young women twice diagnosed with breast cancer, Rachel was unabashedly critical of the "pink pop-culture" movement. Through her blog, The Cancer Culture Chronicles, she challenged her readers to move beyond pretty pink ribbons and balloons, and take a long hard look at the ugly truth about metastatic breast cancer, which has somehow gotten buried underneath mountains of pink glitter.

Rachel was an intellectual powerhouse at crunching numbers and calling out the foremost cancer organizations for not doing more (especially Susan G Komen Foundation - see Rachel's post "Komen by the Numbers"). But what I loved most about reading Rachel's blog was her dark humor about the daily absurdities of living in "cancer world" as a permanent resident - rather than as a tourist merely passing through during a charitable bike race or 10k run.

If you like my blog, you'll love Rachel's; below is an excerpt from one of her posts "Pink Proxy". My heart goes out to her beloved husband Anthony, to her friends and family, and to her extended "blogosphere family" - whom she touched through her honesty, wit, spirit, and unique outlook on life.

I've never been very good at goodbyes, so I'll let Shakespeare do it for me: "Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet [friend], and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest." (Hamlet)

"Indeed, the writing does send out tentacles that demand to be heard and invariably evoke a response and hopefully a call to action of some kind. We must keep writing to keep being heard. It is imperative" - Rachel

From "Pink Proxy" - Cancer Culture Chronicles, Nov. 7,  2011

by Rachel May Cheetham Moro (http://cancerculturenow.blogspot.com)

"...Then the news. You have a pneumothorax (partial collapsed lung) and we're taking you down to the emergency room now. Great. Here we go again. Cue the waterworks.

Pull up to emergency room desk. Me in my wheelchair sobbing. Radiology nurse clucking attentively. Emergency room desk receptionist dressed in bright pink breast cancer awareness sweatshirt and pink ribbon lanyard. Rather than taking pity on me, as I would have expected from someone who was so aware of breast cancer, and on the last day of Pinktober no less, the bitch (it's the only fitting descriptor) couldn't have cared less, and rudely waved us on to the next receptionist.

It was at this point that I stopped crying, and almost burst out laughing at the irony of the scene.  Has the color pink simply become a proxy for giving a shit? Wasn't I the point of her stupid sweatshirt? Wasn't I entitled to some special pink treatment during my special pink month? What's the point of having breast cancer if you can't jump the ER queue at least because someone's AWARE of you? Perhaps it was my fault. Maybe my chart wasn't clear enough. More the fool me for forgetting to wear my pink feather boa, bedazzled pink fedora, and Fight Like A Girl t-shirt.  End facetiousness..."

Some of My Favorite Posts by Rachel

2012, With No Apologies to 2011 (1/9/12)

Breast Cancer Awareness Jersey Shore Style! (10/1/11) 

Planet Unicorn (9/4/11)

Another Year, Another Burger (8/2/11)

Chest Pains (7/11/11)

Moving Forward. Hopefully In A Red Karmann Ghia (12/1/10)

Pink Fall (9/19/09)

Dinner Party Cuteness

Tomorrow, our handcrafted dining room table from Vermont is scheduled to be delivered, which means that we will be (hopefully) hosting our first ever dinner party very soon. I was looking for something that would bring some whimsy to a Spring dinner with friends... and uncovered these adorable "Marshmallow Favors" from a 1965 McCall's Family Style Cookbook (thanks to Retro Kitchen) and some "Little Lamb Cupcakes" by Food Network... (Click HERE for recipe). I'm excited to try these fun ideas out -  since I think that we could all use an extra dose of cuteness in our lives these days.

Christmas Party at the Laurita Winery

Gary graduated from a small school, Spotswood High School, where he teaches today. He and his high school group of friends have remained close, and every year the McPartlands throw a wonderful Christmas party that gathers their old high school gang together. This year, the party was held at the Laurita Winery in New Egypt, NJ. (Yup - New Jersey has wineries too! In fact, according to a NYT article, NJ produces 412,000 cases of wine a year.)

The winery was enchanting, and had a wonderful private space upstairs for our gathering. Gary and I have already begun planning a return visit, to sit by the grand fireplace, sip wine, and chat the night away. The Laurita Winery is truly a little gem in Jersey.

NY Times Article on the Laurita Winery

“France was the renowned wine capital of the world,” Mr. Johnson said. “And then they started to do some good stuff in California. Then California took off. Long Island’s doing the same thing, and New Jersey will follow.” - Owner of Laurita Winery

Party Pleaser: Three Cheese Mini Mac

Gary filling up mini muffin tins with cheesy goodness

Last night, Gary and I went to a friend's Christmas party, and everyone had to bring an appetizer. Gary decided to try a new recipe from Food and Wine Magazine: Three-Cheese Mini Mac. They were fairly easy to make (with the exception of Gary having to go to Princeton at the last minute for mini-muffin tins), and were a real hit. I was amazed at how the mac and cheese kept their muffin-like shape, and just slipped right out when the tins were turned upside down. Below is the recipe for anyone who wants to make a nostalgic dish for a grown-up party - this is definitely not your kid's Kraft Macaroni and Cheese!

Food & Wine Magazine

Ingredients for Three-Cheese Mini Mac   

1/2 pound elbow macaroni

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for brushing

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

3/4 cup milk

4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (1 packed cup)  

4 ounces deli-sliced American cheese, chopped 

1 large egg yolk

1/4 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika    

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni until aldente, about 5 minutes. Drain, shaking off the excess water.  
2. Brush four 12-cup, nonstick mini muffin tins with butter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the Parmigiano; tap out the excess.
3. In a large saucepan, melt the 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until boiling, about 5 minutes. Add the cheddar and American cheeses and whisk until melted. Off the heat, whisk in the egg yolk and paprika. Fold in the macaroni.
4. Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of the macaroni into the prepared muffin cups, packing them gently. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano on top.
5. Bake the mini macs in the upper and middle thirds of the oven for about 10 minutes, until golden and sizzling. Let cool for 5 minutes. Using a small spoon, carefully loosen the mini macs, transfer to a platter and serve.

Make Ahead The recipe can be prepared through Step 4 and refrigerated overnight  

My girlfriend and I hamming it up before enjoying the fruits of Gary's labor... delicious!

Peck Slip Pickle Festival - NYC

View from New Amsterdam Market

Last weekend, Gary and I met my SF friend Amanda (who now lives in Portland) at the New Amsterdam Market in NYC for the Peck Slip Pickle Festival. This was the first time Gary and I had ever visited the New Amsterdam Market*, which is a weekend-outdoor marketplace under the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge that features local vendors who support regional agriculture. Some of my favorite vendors that set up shop at the New Amsterdam Market are Blue Bottle Coffee (originated in SF Ferry Building) and the Bent Spoon (Princeton fame).

This weekend was special; in addition to the regular vendors, there were additional vendors featuring... you guessed it - pickles.

Pickles Were the Star of the Weekend's Market

One of the best things at the Pickle Festival was the McClure's Pickles stand - and we all absolutely loved their Spicy Bloody Mary Mix and Dill-Garlic Potato Chips...  a dangerously delicious combination.

Gary and Amanda Talk to One of the Vendors: McClure's Pickles

Regular Vendors Sold Out within a Few Hours of Opening

Of course, there were more than just pickles to be sampled - and I stocked up on homemade Mexican chocolates from a local bakery.

It was such a fun way to spend an afternoon with a very missed friend. Gary and I will definitely return to the New Amsterdam Market - when the weather gets a little warmer.

Good Links

A Look at New Amsterdam Market - Serious Eats

The Top 10 Lunches at Farmers' Markets - Bon Appetit

Power Picnics - NY Post

2010 30 Under 30 List: Joe McClure (McClure's Pickles)

* The New Amsterdam Market takes place rain or shine every Sunday from 11am to 4pm in front of the Old Fulton Fish Market on South Street & Peck Slip in Lower Manhattan.

Loose Pages Ladies Book Club

New School Meets Old School

My friend Jean at work started a ladies book club with a few other teachers from school. I created a blog for the group, and dutifully read (ok skimmed at times) our first pick:  The House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III. The book was pretty depressing; without giving too much away, I'll just say that none of the characters manage to survive the ugliness of their lives fully intact.

Friday was the first meeting of the "Loose Pages Ladies Book Club", which was my first real "social" event outside of school. To be honest I was a little nervous at first, but as soon as I entered that inviting, cozy room, all of my uneasiness melted away. The fact is that I really like all of the women in the club (and our honorary member Cinder the dog), and they immediately made me feel right at home.  The evening was delightfully warm and filled with laughter - a drastic juxtaposition to the novel's tone and themes.

Our host, Mary Pat, was the epitome of graciousness and prepared a spread fit for queens, including delicious cheeses, grapes, dips and chips... followed by fruit, brownies and Italian cookies. She even had personalized bookmarks made for each of us.

As we sat around the glowing fireplace sipping our wine, we talked a little about the characters in the book and a lot about the characters in our own lives. I guess that's one of the reasons why I love books so much - they can transport us to previously unexplored parts of the world, human nature, and ourselves... and having people to share the literary journey with makes the discoveries along the way that much more exciting.

I'm really looking forward to our next meeting in December... especially since my friend Stella, who is also Italian and can cook like nobody's business, is hosting it. Guess I need to start reading our next selection - Skipping Christmas by John Grisham. At least it's about 200 pages shorter than the first book. (Great, now I sound like one of my seniors!)

Beyond myself,

somewhere

I wait for my arrival

Epigraph to The House of Sand and Fog; From "The Balcony" by Octavio Paz

Baking My First Apple Pie - From Scratch

Last weekend, my friend Michelle was kind enough to teach Christine and I how to bake an apple pie from scratch. Michelle is a legendary cook, and can out bake southern belle Paula Deen in a pie contest with one hand tied behind her apron...

So the day started off where any great pie should - in the orchard, picking our own apples.


Next, the cooking class began in Michelle's kitchen. As Michelle supervised Christine and I making our pies, the guys gathered in the living room to watch football and snack on a cheese plate, complete with homemade spiced pumpkin seeds, bread, and chutneys (of course deliciously made by Michelle).


Then, my pie went into the oven while we all enjoyed apple cider and other libations. (Christine took her pie home to bake.)

"Now all that's left is to put it on the windowsill for a hobo to steal" - our friend Chaya after we pulled my pie from the oven.

Half of my pie was eaten at Michelle's house, and Gary and I took the other half home. The next morning, I had the best fall breakfast in the world: a warm piece of homemade apple pie with two scoops of Ben and Jerry's limited edition pumpkin cheesecake ice cream.

Life is Too Short for Self Hatred and Celery Sticks - M. Wann

Bent Spoon in Princeton
September 24, 2011

Saturday, Christine (the lovely girl with the flower) completed her first 80 mile bike race; a particularly awe-inspiring accomplishment in my eyes since I can't even ride a bicycle. I can, however, eat ice cream while basking in the joy of my friends... which is just what I did.

"Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart." - Erma Bombeck

Before the Evacuation

August 24, 2011

For the past 5 summers, we have rented a house in Sea Isle City, NJ for a week in August with a couple of our friends. This year, our place was a million-dollar home right on the promenade; we moved in last Saturday and are supposed to check out tomorrow - but there is a hurricane coming, and the town is busy boarding up windows and throwing down sandbags... so we are thinking about leaving a day early.

Evacuation is only "suggested" for today - but mandatory tomorrow; Gary just went to get gas because a local said the gas stations are running out. I wonder how badly the Jersey coast is going to get hit by hurricane Irene. At least we had a beautiful week at the shore (see below).

Our Friends' Baby in Front of Our Rental

Our Balcony, Overlooking the Beach

Balcony Dwelling

Morning View from Our Balcony


Afternoon at the Beach

Evening View from Our Balcony

Christine's San Francisco "Firsts"

Christine and I took over 250 pictures during our trip to San Francisco, and we thought that a fun way to recap the entire 3 day visit with my friend Diana would be to highlight a few of the "firsts" Christine experienced during our adventure. So get comfortable, scroll down, and enjoy.

Airline Firsts

First Time Flying ...
Virgin America Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Without Sedatives!
In an Exit Isle

Picture Taken By Christine
On Flight from JFK to SFO

San Francisco Sight-Seeing Firsts

First Time Seeing ...

Sea Lions
Bay Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
SF Neighborhoods
City Lights Bookstore
Amoeba Music
Haight Street
The "Real" Ghiradelli (Disney World doesn't count!)

Bay Bridge

Ocean Beach - the Pacific Ocean

Cliff House Lookout: Golden Gate Bridge

Shopping on Haight Street

Fisherman's Warf

Firehouse Firsts

First Time ...

Meeting a SF fireman (Diana's friend)
Riding in a firetruck (to a cafe in North Beach no less!)
Touring a firehouse

...while we didn't use the pole, we did confirm that it is indeed faster than taking the stairs

Food Firsts

First Time Eating...
Ethnic Food: Vietnamese, Indian
Sweets: Kara's Cupcakes, Sees Candy, Chocolate-Banana Bread Pudding, Sharffenburger Chocolate, Julian Pie
Beer: Weihenstephan
Coffee: Blue Bottle, Pete's Coffee
Fast Food: In and Out Burger

Dinner at Ana Mandara
Vietnamese Restaurant