back from WeHo

A. and i went to L.A. Pride a couple of weekends ago and it was a lot of fun, but we are so very glad to be home in San Francisco. traveling is great but it's exhausting! i need a vacation from my vacation.

Los Angeles Pride is held annually in West Hollywood (or WeHo as people have dubbed it) and is a true "Boystown" though it certainly has its flow of lesbians and girl-centric events but even more so during Pride weekend. but as it is L.A., there were an abundance of beautiful people - whether they were cosmetically enhanced didn't matter - there were some really attractive people in our midst! And were there some ladies and gents that looked like they could've been extras on The L Word or an LA version of Queer As Folk? Yep. Double Yep.

we arrived L.A.X. on time and headed straight for our hotel, which was conveniently located a couple of blocks from where all the action was. we had a few hours before the WeHo Dyke March so we grabbed a couple of cheeseburgers and beers from Hamburger Haven and sat outside to catch some sun. the food was okay - we certainly have had better burgers elsewhere - but its prime location on Santa Monica Blvd. can't be beat to people watch and enjoy the sunshine. we would have had a better meal at The Abbey but we'd have to fend off the crazy girl-hungry and boy-hungry crowd that was already partying down.

it was a beautiful night for the WeHo Dyke March - neither A. or i had ever participated at a Dyke March before and it was cool to gather with hundreds of other LGBT and LGBT-friendly people and walk from the LA Pride festival grounds lead off by Dykes On Bikes onto Santa Monica Blvd. and back - where we were greeted with free food and beer, plus some live music.

next post: more on our weekend and a re-cap of the LA Pride Parade

lights, camera, action!

Dykes & Dyke-lovin' people all over WeHo's Santa Monica Blvd!

last thoughts on chicago

here's a look below from the John Hancock Observation Deck in Chicago - we ended up here after eating a gigantic lunch at Gino's East (yum yum on that deep dish pizza!) and walking around the city. it had dumped rain minutes before we got on that elevator to the deck and we were lucky to see anything at all. but the rain stopped and gave us clouds instead. the deck was pretty empty and quiet - A. and i were able to enjoy the views without the crowds.



the above photo is the scoreboard at Wrigley Field. pretty cool, eh? we went on May 25th to pay homage to such a great ballpark as A. and i both love baseball and to catch a game. unfortunately, the Cubbies lost to the Pirates, 10-8. it was A.'s first baseball game in America and she remarked that the crowd was pretty quiet compared to a game at a Japanese ballpark. and this is Wrigely Field, folks! but she loved the hot dogs and beer. who doesn't?

Chicago was fun - we'd go again that's for sure- while the weather could've been better, people were friendly and it's just a place with good vibes. we ate heaps of pizza and our only wish is there would better beer. yes, beer. there wasn't much of a selection of beer on tap: Bud, Miller, and Sam Adams at most bars and restaurants we'd go to. c'mon, folks - this is Chicago! there must be places that not only have a good selection of beer but also know how to pour. day after day, we were served with pints that didn't have enough head or simply not poured properly.

if anyone has suggestions on places to go in Chicago for great beer, do let me know so i can give 'em a try next time. thanks!

pics from the windy city

as promised, here are some photos of our recent trip to Chicago. the above picture is of Marina City, a commercial and residential complex that we passed by on the architecture river cruise. if you have not taken the Chicago Architecture Foundation's River Cruise, i highly recommend it - the only drawback was the cloudy day otherwise it was a very fun, informative 90-minute cruise. next time, i will definitely sign up for one of their architecture walking tours of the city.


Chicago is a great place to walk around and here we passed the famous Wrigley Building, located on the north side of the Magnificent Mile (Michigan Ave) - yes, the same Wrigley as in the chewing gum empire. it's one of my favorite buildings!

i should have a few more pics in another post. and no, i didn't take these photos -- silly you to think i would have a digital camera! i am still behind in the times...A. took these photos on her Nikon CoolPix camera.

happy june!

first off, i have to wish my dear friend, "I", a very happy birthday! here's to a great day and go Cubs! (okay, that may be the last time you see me say that but it's your birthday.)

and now i must apologize for the lack of entries...even though i wrapped my first semester of grad school and had thought things would ease up, the reality is that i've gotten lazy to even check/ respond to e-mail. sorry! it's now june and i can't believe how quickly time flies. i was in Boston last month for the Red Sox v. Mets series and it was a blast - despite the Mets taking 2 out of 3, it was good to just be at Fenway, eat a Fenway Frank and drink beer while watching baseball. i sat in the new Right Field Roof section and now i can't imagine sitting anywhere else (ahem, unless you want to give me seats right beihnd home plate).

A. and i recently took a trip to Chicago and we had a wonderful time. it was our first real trip together that last longer than a couple of days so we definitely got to know each other's travel habits and despite moments where we were annoyed with each other, it's made our relationship stronger. i'll post some photos from our when i get a moment...

next up: we're going to LA for LA Pride this weekend.

what happened to april?!

i have been so busy that i haven't been able to write updates as much as i'd like to - my apologies to you who read up to keep up with me (since i'm not on facebook, my space or anything else). april came and went in a flash and i am not sure where those 30 days went and it's now may 4th. school has been quite a challenge for me in many respects - just adjusting to going back to school after many years away and juggling a relationship plus life in general has got me treading water just to keep afloat at times. i'm not complaining but it's a lot to take in!

after having turned in my most recent research paper, i have one last paper to write - and it's worth 25% of my grade so it had better be good! it's due at the end of next week so i have a lot of work cut out for me.

over the weekend, A. and i went to a friend's BBQ despite it being crappy weather in san francisco. the food and company were great so the wet weather didn't dampen anyone's mood and our friend, T., had assembled a lovely tent to cover the deck and we enjoyed hot dogs, burgers and grilled salmon without getting wet from the rain. after the lovely bbq, we headed back to my place and just lounged around but got into a rather serious discussion about what happens in August when A. has to return to Japan. it was a difficult conversation at times but very necessary - we're both committed to seeing this relationhsip through and if it means Skyping at bizarre times and us flying to/from one country to another to see one another then we're both prepared and ready for it. i know it won't be easy but i feel that as we're both older and more "settled" in our professional and financial lives, we are able to make our relationship work across the miles.

and i won't give up on a girl who not only loves comics but baseball, too. and beer. let's not forget the beer. :-P

Opening Day - oops, not.

i've been eagerly waiting for Opening Day at Fenway Park since the season ended last year and the first game was scheduled for today v. the Devil Rays but has since been postponed until tomorrow due to weather. Boo. here's to better weather tomorrow and yes, i've got my Red Sox cap on - as usual. Here's to a great 2009 season and Go Sox!

the weekend went by like a flash and i'm now at work trying to get some things done before heading to class. A. and i attended a fundraiser over the weekend for a local queer organization and that was pretty fun - it was another one of those situations where we formally came out as a couple and i'm starting to get used to being called "girlfriend" and that i actually have a girlfriend (still bewildering to me why this girl would want to date a nutty person).

but here's the highlight for me over the weekend that i might just be with my dream girl:

we were lounging around in my living room on Saturday afternoon and reading manga - A. was reading Rakuen no Jouken while i was re-reading Girlfriends when she looked up at me and smiled.

A: i'm happy.
Me: hmm? (i was deeply immersed in Akko and Mari drama)
A: i'm happy. i have manga, i have snacks (we had dorayaki and Pocky), a cup of tea and you.

i *heart* this woman.

another week gone by?!

my posts are less frequent - i've been so swamped with work, school, and life in general that posting to the blog or even checking e-mail has not been a high priority. i can't believe a week has gone by and i wonder where has the time gone?!

not that i enjoy labels but for lack of a better label or definition, A. and i have firmly established we're together as she's my girlfriend and i'm hers - she introduced me as her gf the other day to a friend when we had a sakura hanimi at Golden Gate Park on saturday. it was a beautiful day for a picnic and we sat under a lovely cherry blossom tree. A.'s friends had prepared some delicious inari sushi, yakitori, mochi, and more. We brought beer and a good time was had by all - i fell asleep for a bit listening to A. and her friends jabber away in Japanese and for a second, we could've been in a park in Japan for all i knew. it was a good day.

things have been progressing quite fast for us (but i think in a good way) and i never expected to fall for this girl in the way that i have. the more time we spend together, the more i try not to think about her leaving at the end of summer to return to Japan. it will be a sad day.