I just got back from San Fransisco and my brother's wedding. It was fun and I had a few observation about the city and how it compares to Houston. My daughter and I immediately noticed everyone walks, rides bikes even drives scooters or motorcycles, and takes taxis,shuttles, and trolleys. Therefore, when the light turns green and the pedestrians start to cross, you had better get a move on. Where as here in Houston someone walking is so rare a driver is shocked into stopping. Then there is the price of food. A bottle of water in a convenience store here is around 1.00, there it is over 1.50 to 1.99. Cold drinks are just as high. Food is higher than Houston an LA and you don't get as much of it. The people don't seem to be as friendly as Houston too. Saying Howdy as you are walking down the street to a stranger here in Houston is considered acceptable behavior, in SF I got growled at from a few people when I did that, like I was invading their unpleasant space. Business people in SF can either be real friendly or real %%&%%($#$. MY daughter and I took different shuttles and got two different coupons for our shuttles. Asked if the other company would honor the coupon of the other since we decided to take the same shuttle together, the company said NO NO NO ! It was only three dollars guys. Come on. Well when we got on the shuttle and finally got to the airport we were not going to tip the driver because of that. The driver decided to give us the price so he would get his tip ! I was latter told by a limo driver here in Houston the driver was not going to get paid by his company and that is how the company gets out of paying their drivers, so drivers will do what ours did to make extra cash on the side behind their companies back. Hum. All that because the company would not honor the coupon of another . Here where I am from, you match the coupon of a competing store to get business ! That's the way of things down here.

I guess I don't live in a big tourist town, or Houston doesn't act like a tourist town because we are not dependent upon tourist to survive like SF. It seems to me that is not a good way to make people want to come back to your city though. It left me with no desire to ever come back even though there were things I would love to see. I would rather go back to LA. or some place else in Calif where I have never been before. I did enjoy the flight over looking at the Pacific. It was awesome. I can see why people fall in love with the state. The weather was perfect for this girl. Always cool, not very hot, and very few skeeters !!!!!!!!!

I had one really big surprise at my brothers wedding, well two. The first one dealt with the fact it was a Russian Orthodox wedding and all the trappings that go with that. That alone was fascinating. There's not enough time and space to go into it here. I did learn why the reception after wards is a five course meal and last five to eight hours though ! The tradition is to toast the couple ( with vodka ), say something or play a game on them, eat a course, dance, and this goes on all night till the food, vodka and wine, and all is said is through !!!! And that my friend is why there is either a slew of taxis lined up after wards or a dd for each table. I say, out of sixty people at my brothers wedding, only 10 of us were clear headed, and four were children ! I enjoyed the water !

The second surprise I had at my brother's wedding was getting to meet my long lost sister. I new about her and had made contact with her in the past, but never met her in person. We lost contact with her and didn't know where she was living these past ten years, but my brother had located her and invited her to the wedding since she lived just a few hours away. She came and we all finally got to meet her. My Dada had met her mother in the latter part of his life, and her mother put her up for adoption, So, we never got to know her. It was wonderful to finally meet her. She looks like her mother, but my brothers look a little like her.

I know this has been a long note. It was a very emotional weekend for me, I had to share some of the highlights and thoughts I had about it. I did really well food wise. No great temptations. I have learned how to travel now food wise. The little exercise I got was the key and taking my bk the other key in keeping my calories under control. I also took my own airplane an airport snacks like usual. By the way I took prepackaged bags of carrots and put them in my hotel frig which I asked for so I could have veggies through out my stay. That really helped, because getting hold of veggies was my greatest challenge. Powdered soy milk came in handy as did chamomile tea bags for night.

talk to everyone latter. Lory