Suzy Says

I woke up to fog yesterday morning, and while I usually enjoy the fog – it’s like soft focus and therefore flattering, in addition to making me feel like I’m in a cinema noir movie or a Raymond Chandler novel – I really didn’t want Candi’s first sight of the city to be shrouded in fog, the sky a pitiless white. Fortunately, the fog burned away by the time we met up, and so far, the sun has continued be on its best behavior. And you know how capricious it can be. Sort of like me.

We walked all over the place, down to Aquatic Park, where we had lunch at the homey Pompei’s Grotto before heading to Pier 39.

While there, we decided to see about tickets for Alcatraz on Sunday. When we got to the box office, the cashier said, ominously, “I’ll see what we have left.” It was either noon or 3, so we went for 3. I was surprised that it was so sold out, since it’s pretty early in the summer, but the cashier reminded us that it was Father’s Day. Is going to Alcatraz a Father’s Day tradition? Anyway, we have our tickets, so we’re set.

Met up with Brian at the hotel where he had been giving a seminar for the past few days, buying a really cool coat for Candi along the way at Buffalo Exchange.

We had dinner at the always charming and wonderful Victor’s. It’s probably our favorite restaurant, an oasis of comfort and complete lack of pretension. The decor hasn’t changed in generations, the one bathroom is reached by walking through the kitchen, and the wait staff hasn’t changed in the decade we have been going there. The clientele is usually people from the neighborhood and cops, so it was disturbing to discover that the party behind us consisted of people talking about golf and the fact that one of them had paid the highest price on record in his neighborhood for his house. On the other side were people of the type you would see on the 41 Union bus, the guys all with same haircuts, all talking about money and sports, saying things like “extreme” and “sweet” while the girls compare the size of their engagement rings and the success of their latest diets. I hope that Victor’s hasn’t been discovered by the rich and boring crowd.

In spite of the loud and boring conversations all around us, we had a great time together, enjoying the fantastic food and the pleasure of being with friends.