Downtown San Francisco - Labor Day week-end

Sunday 09/02

So ... my trip the previous day had been pretty successful, didn't get lost except maybe for waiting for the Marriott shuttle on the Dublin side of the Bart station instead of the Pleasanton side, but that's another story.  I left the Residence Inn at about 10:00 and headed over to the Marriott and got the shuttle over to the Bart. 

I got off at Montgomery Street Bart station and then walked over to Union Square, I am not sure what I was expecting to see but I though it would be a big shopping Mall, there was one but that was in Market Street.  There are loads of expensive shops round the area, so I did a bit of browsing and then decided to head down Powell street to Market as the Internet had said to go there to get tickets for the Cable Car (which is like Cable bus), well the queue was round the block, about 300 people in the queue, so I just went shopping!

When I was all shopped out I jumped on the Bart at Powell Street and headed back to Pleasanton, walked from the Bart to Stoneridge and did more shopping and then back to the hotel, let's hope my suitcase is not going to be over weight!

I was so hot when I got back that I decided to go for a swim, the water was awesome and I ended up chatting to a girl called Lisa from Florida, then went over to the Marriott for the best burger I have ever had! and a Heineken of course.

Then off to bed for me.

Is there a recesion or isn't there?

Last year by the beginning of December, Ireland was preaching doom and gloom and nobody was spending money. The sales already started way before Christmas and the shops were empty, even Grafton Street seemed dead compared to other years. Then during the year, the whole Bank saga was uncovered, companies were closing, more doom and gloom we were in a recession.

However I am not sure what happened but I know our circumstances haven't changed but suddenly there seems to be an overwhelming amount of cash out there, people are queuing and fighting to get into the shops and it started weeks ago. Today I took Em to the movies at Dundrum and thank goodness I got there early, i.e. I was there for 10 a.m. by the time we left at 03:30 p.m. you couldn't see a parking space. Cars were queued up outside all the way back to the M50 it was like the shops were going to shut and never open again, and apparently it has been like that since boxing, sorry St. Stephens day.

Anyway I must tell you about the movie we saw which I thoroughly enjoyed and wish D had been there to see it, definitely one I will get on DVD when it comes out.

Shopping

Terri just reminded me that I need to get something to wear for the wedding, what an excuse to go out and buy something nice and the problem is the wedding is in 3 weeks time, which doesn't really give me much time to find something.

Tomorrow I am having dinner with all my Irish mates in town and then meeting up with some other Irish mates later, and guess what by next Thursday I will be Irish too ... but that is a whole new long post that I will get round to once all the formalities are over.

Now where to start ????