day one hundred and sixty-two

there have been some major list happenings - good thing too because i was starting to feel like i've been falling behind.

instead of the same-old-but-never-the-less-delightful seattle visit, this year my mom and i decided to meet up in san francisco for a weekend o' fun (#71). she's a strong advocate for my list progress and helped me cross a couple things off.

for one, we rode segways (#13). and it was awesome. i almost can't find the words to say how awesome. the electric company segway tour took us through fisherman's wharf and the north beach neighborhood. it's a great way to see a new city - you're at street level but you're moving more quickly than you could walk those streets. and our guide was hilarious. but what i loved most was how easy it is to just cruise on these things. the tour company gave us an extensive training - probably thirty minutes' worth before letting us out on the open road - so by the time we were motoring it was just a solid, wind-in-your-helmet joy ride. admittedly, i was slightly bummed i had to wear a fluorescent safety vest, but that evaporated immediately when i stepped on my sweet ride. i truly don't know why people are so quick to diss them, or question why i've always wanted to ride one. because, man, so fun. and what's more, we made the super-hip electric company facebook page! check the 4/8 guest pics album, and haters to the left.

i've made a huge mistake

group shot taken by our tour guide (mom and i are third and second from the right, respectively)

this is harder than it looks, and exactly as cool as it looks. but well worth the effort for the best photo of my mother and myself that exists. fun fact: that's the golden gate bridge in the background!

to cool down the next day, my mom and i spent some quality time at the chakra spa (#40), where we were seriously taken care of. back rubs, foot rubs (thirty minutes dedicated just to my feet?!), facials, and even a lovely little lunch.

it's weird to take pictures in a spa, but i had to. so i found this little guy and pointed to him.

we then moved on to the polished lounge to get our nails done, which was a bit of a whirlwind. fingernails and toenails done in under twenty minutes flat.

i may or may not have fallen asleep while my nails were drying

mom got a much more sensible color

to sum, the trip was fabulous. lots of shopping, a fair amount of sightseeing, exploring lots of fun neighborhoods in gorgeous weather, and great food (had one of the top ten meals of my life, accompanied by a live jazz trio, at cafe claude).

a ride on this streetcar will cost you five dollars and you could get to your destination faster doing the crabwalk... but it's important.

quick stop on the segway tour - city in the background

it's alcatraz! this scares me! no really, i joke to hide the terror.

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in other parental-aided list news, my dad surprised me with a sunday subscription to the new york times (#10), and i arrived back from san francisco to find the first ten-pound issue on my doorstep! thanks pops! i plan on making it a secondary goal to finish a crossword - if i can find it.

and there's even more planned listiness in the works - soon enough i'll be painting our kitchen table and chairs (paint purchased!), seeing another live show (tickets bought!), go-karting (admission paid!), and jogging a 5k (registered!).