a girl + her hund

My dreamboat husbo and I live quite a blessed life.  We get to travel quite a bit and the bulk of our travel is because we are doing what we love: performing.  The thing is, we do not often travel together.  And, let’s face it, when you do travel for work - even when work is mostly fun - your time and itinerary are not often your own.  This year marks some changes in the Hanson/Ryder household and in order to celebrate and commemorate, we wanted to get away together.  So, we buckled down, set aside some days to get away, cashed in some frequent flyer miles and used money set aside to take a fun vacation together, just the two of us, no work obligations, no family obligations, no huge agenda and just have fun.  And have fun we did!  In San Francisco, California!  A cab picked us up at our apartment here in Chicago at 5:30 IN THE MORNING last Friday.  We went to O’Hare and sat next to each other on the plane to Seattle, Washington.  Look at how awake and alert we are so early in the morning!

We cashed in some frequent flyer miles through American, I believe, but ended up flying this from ORD to SEA to SFO.

We did not rent a car in San Francisco.  That would be an unneccessary expense.  We are savvy city dwellers and Tim is a master at figuring out how to get everywhere - with the help of his trusty Google Maps App so we bought some passes for the BART (train out of the airport) and took that from the airport into downtown SFO.

These beasts have seen a lot of airports in their time.  Both of the big suitcases are now falling apart - notice the duct tape on the handle of the one on the left and how certain pockets no longer zip up on the left one - but doggone it, they’ve lived!  The next step for us is probably getting another set of luggage.  Maybe not from Target next time? 

By the time we got off of the train, dragged our big suitcases around a few blocks to find a cab to take us the rest of the way to our hotel and checked in, we were kind of zombies.  We had been up since 4:30 that morning, neither of us slept that well the night before in anticipation of our big vacation and early morning, and we had been traveling fairly constantly for about twelve hours, we decided to just stroll around Fisherman’s Wharf (our hotel was near there) and have an early dinner.  It was lovely.

We found an Italian place near the water that was not filled up with tourists.  You know we split a bottle of California wine!  This was our view during dinner.  Not too shabby…

After dinner, we strolled down Pier 45 and found a place that a friend had recommended we check out.  It’s called Musee Mecanique.  It is a trippy, kinda creepy yet intriguing little penny arcade type place.  All of the machines are around 100 years old.  You know, games that all children love and are not at all afraid of and totally ‘age-appropriate’ like:

So happy, right?  (HORRIFYING.)  We explored Pier 45 a little more:

That right there is Alcatraz.  Yes sir eeeeee.

I decided to recreate Americana: if Rosie the Riveter had the face of a complete dumb-ass, this is what she would look like. 

We strolled through Fisherman’s Wharf, which is cool.  We noticed a few things - it’s basically Navy Pier but with much more huge, disgusting sea gulls.  The sea gulls in San Francisco are humongous.  If you know me, you know that I effing hate birds.  I hate them so much.  They are mean, they will peck at your head and try to take your eyes out of your sockets.  I hate them.  These bastards are like a good two feet tall in San Francisco.  No exaggeration.  And at least 25 pounds each.  They are huge and horrible.  And everywhere.  Tim had to guard me from a lot of them.  Uff da. 

But we did stumble upon this delightful street band who played such delights as Olivia Newton John’s ‘Xanadu’, David Bowie’s ‘Man Who Sold the World’ and Electric Light Orchestra’s ‘Livin’ Thing’.  I mean, come on!  That’s a heck of a cool street band!

The smell of wharf was heavy, our eye lids were heavy… we went to Walgreen’s to stock up on water, granola bars, Sun Chips, orange juice and Diet Coke for our hotel room and call it an early evening.  Our internal clocks had not yet gained the two hours that the new time zone had given to us.  We headed back to the room to watch hotel cable (HGTV)!  and get to bed so we could be Tourists Extraordinaire on Saturday! 

I had a Snuggler with me last night.  A ninety pound, four-legged Snuggler.  He tends to stay at the foot of the bed but he takes up the entire bottom half of the bed.  I had him snuggle with me last night because Tim was gone and … and today I had to drop Trond off at Playful Pets.  We woke up and I scooped up his breakfast, then seven mornings and seven evenings worth of food for him for his big vacation.  I put his collar and leash on him and asked him if he was ready to be a gentleman for Gemma and Larry?

I think this look means yes. 

Tim and I will be heading out for a grand vacation.  Some of the trees in Chicago are just now blossoming and I know by the time we return, they will be in their bright green leaves.  There is one tree a few houses over that I really look forward to seeing in it’s red blooms for a few days each year.  Look at it - it’s beautiful! No?

I asked the hund if he’d be willing to sit in front of the nice tree so I could get a nice picture of the nice puppy in front of the nice tree.  This is the sequence of events:

This poor guy.  The last picture just cracks me up… and kinda breaks my heart.  He is tired of trying to be nice and sit in front of this nice tree to take a nice damn picture.  Good boy, buddy.  Let’s keep walking.

More pretty trees in our neighborhood.  The hund is happily sniffing around while I snap shots of red and purple bursts of blooms.

The hund and I walked into Playful Pets.  The hund obediently yet quite excitedly sat down at the white gate, tail thumping on the floor, patiently waiting for Larry.  Larry greeted us, let Trond in and saw the huge bag of bagged food I was carrying and said, “Oh, Trond is staying with us for awhile, isn’t he?“  I told Larry how excited Trond was but how it is silly that I feel a little bummed being away from him for so long.  Larry said, “Oh.  I never do.  Maybe it’s because I am around at least 16 dogs everyday but when I’m away from my dogs, I don’t even give a second thought to them.  I know they’re in good hands.”

I told Larry that I knew Trond was in great hands here, I just miss him when I’m not around him.  Larry said, “Don’t.  The big concern might be that they get bored.  If that was my biggest concern in life, I’d be happy with that.”  I agreed with him and told him how sometimes I wish Trond and I could switch lives for a few days every now and again.  We giggled.  Then Larry told me, “In my next life, you know I’m coming back as a Lincoln Park dog: designer dog clothes and dog beds, gourmet food and owners that fawn over me?  Come on!  That’s what I want out of life! I’m going to be a Lincoln Park dog!”

Can’t argue with that.  We laughed some more.  I thanked him and left.  It was nice to leave with that silly thought.  I am thankful to have a great place like Playful Pets.  I enjoyed my lone walk back to the apartment.  How could I not when this is part of my route?

I noticed, too, that the little apple tree a few houses over is finally, FINALLY blossoming.  Apple blossoms are simply heaven to me.

I do not know what I would come back as, if I could choose, but I do know I could live under this view forever and never grow tired of it…

Chicago is absolutely gorgeous today!  Danged near perfect, if you ask me.  I think it is safe to say that Spring is going to stay here.  I wasn’t sure if it forgot about us there for a while but it is here.  To stay.  Today is beautiful proof.  The hund and I took a very long lovely stroll this morning.  Just look at all of the bright beauty that was practically on every corner of our neighborhood!

These are some of my most favorite blossoms.  Anyone know what they are?  I love them!  Stay forever, if you’d like to, li’l blooms!

A lot of the trees are wrapped in fabric in a four block radius of the neighborhood.  I don’t know what the significance is but it is a festive added touch to all of the blossoming trees.

The hund sniffs in all of the spring scents.

I cannot get over this gorgeous tree!  Can. Not! 

The hyacinth were really showin’ they stuff this mornin’.

Another tree that I absolutely love.  I love the few days they are in bloom like this.  Are they magnolias?  Do we have magnolia trees in the Midwest or are they only a Southern thing?  Why don’t I know this stuff?  I freakin’ love it so much but am ignorant on some of these blooms. 

Look at these sweet little buds.  This tree will soon be breathtaking.

As we were walking down a quiet side street, I heard a bit of a crunching noise.  Then a rolling noise.  I looked down to see that Trond had found a broken robin egg on the sidewalk.  It was so sweet and little and blue.

But at a certain angle, it actually cast a tiny shadow.

For two days in a row now, Trond and I have taken long walks in this warm spring weather.  For two days in a row now, it has been around 60 degrees as we have walked.  Trond is having to acclimate his hund body to being warm again.  For two days in a row now, Trond has flat out stopped walking at the same spot near Ravenswood.  He just plops down.  He has to take a breather in the cool shade.   And all I can do is just stand next to him and wait it out.  He is too big for me to do anything else.  So… we wait…

Can we head home now, hund?  Should we keep walking home you can get a drink of water?  Do you want a drink of water, Trond?

I finally convince him to keep going.  There is more to see and a few more blocks to go before we get home.

More buds for you.

Another birdhouse for your soul…

This little garden is raised about two feet off of the ground.  You would have to be a real tool to let your dog jump up there and destroy these flowers.  I don’t think the sign is necessary but I guess these folks think it is.  But let’s face it, we have been out walking for over and hour and a half.  At this point, Trond and I are both ready for a big drink of water at home.  Let us go to our home, Trond, where the sign is “Please Dogs”.

Spring, you are My Favorite!