Weekend Round-Up: Holiday Blitz

I have a life-hangover from this weekend! So much fun and so many parties. (And so few photos, they’re all on Jean’s camera).

So, my sister Jean arrived Thursday night and on Friday morning I took off for the holiday celebration day at work. All the women in my office were treated to massages, pedicures and manicures at the spa next door, with a champagne brunch in between.

Back home at 4:00 for a “disco nap” before getting dressed up for the evening’s office party. I paired a bright blue dress with my new gold shoes and big earrings. Jean joined us and the three of us walked up to Rosewood North Beach in the pouring rain. Margaret and her roommate met us there – lots of food, lots of drinks, lots of dancing. Back home at 11:30 that night to crash into bed.

Rob went to work on Saturday morning after Jean made us spinach and ham omelets for breakfast. She convinced me to go for a run along the Embarcadero – a very slow run! We dressed and hopped on the bus to Japantown. We hit up the Fillmore farmer’s market for some snacks on the way and ran into a reader from the east bay (hi!).

Japantown was a perfect place to Christmas shop on a rainy day. Jean’s friend Haley and her folks met up with us. We went nuts buying stickers, patterned tape, calendars, crackers….all kinds of small treasures for our stockings. Ramen for lunch at one of the shops. Haley and her folks took off around 3:00. Jean and I walked up the Fillmore, in more pouring rain, before hopping the bus back home at 4:30.

A quick decompression with a movie and popcorn at home before getting dressed up again. We meet up with Margaret and drove to Bernal Heights for my friend Alison’s party. Three girls trying to back the manual transmission car into a parking spot on one of the steepest hills in San Francisco gave us an adrenaline boost before the event. House party fun until 10:30, we stopped in the mission for late night nachos on the way home.

Sunday morning, Rob left for work again (they’re rushing to meet a deadline before the holiday break) and Jean and I walked to Red’s Java Hut on the water for a greasy spoon breakfast. Still raining, we walked up to the Ferry Building for some more “foodie” Christmas shopping. On the way home, we were caught in a gale storm and were soaked to the bone by the time mom and Trent arrived at 11:30. A bit of tea with some cheese and crackers for lunch.

The three of us ladies had to head out again at 1:00 for facial appointments at Red Door. They always do a great job and it was so nice to have an hour to relax and be pampered. After our spa appointments, Jean, mom and I walked past the puppies and kittens at Macy’s to Sephora for make-up supplies. Then on to the Westfield basement for a lovely late lunch of mussels and fries, grilled artichokes and cream puffs along with glasses of wine.

We met up at home with Trent and Rob at 4:30. More tea and chatting. I had a quick nap and we all had showers. Again pouring rain outside, we piled into the car and drove to Chez Spencer. I had been holding a gift certificate to my favorite restaurant just for their visit. Warm and cozy on the heated, tented patio – we had wine, truffled asparagus, beet salad, filet mignon, lobster salad and olive-rubbed lamb loin. The lamb was especially amazing! It was a Christmas feast.

Back home again, we made everyone beds and turned in pretty quickly after our long days.