Weekend Round-Up: Blue Ribbon

This was an awesome weekend!  Finally, a chance to relax at home and take it easy. On Friday, Rob and I went to the opera after work.  Nixon in China kicked off our summer series.  It was a particularly long and arty production, but well done. The ballet scenes were an extra treat.  We ran into a couple old friends on the subway home at midnight.

On Saturday morning, I got up early to go to the hair salon in Dogpatch.  Always nice to catch up with my hair stylist of six years. At noon, I picked up Margaret and then tracked down Rob on his bike in San Bruno to drive to the San Mateo County Fair.  Margaret and I grew up with the (much larger) Mid-State Fair being the hottest ticket of the summer – so this was like old times! 

We watched her boyfriend’s band perform country song covers on an outdoor stage, ate tri-tip and Hot Dog on a Stick for lunch, visited the 4-H cows and cheered on the pig races. Rob was feeling artistic with the black & white photos:

By 3:30, it was too hot to stay outside any longer. Rob and I drove to Sloat Garden Center by the beach on the way home for shade plants and organic potting soil.  Stopped at Safeway in the Castro for a major grocery run and then had a quiet night at home with artichokes and cantaloupe with lime for dinner.

On Sunday, we read the paper in bed with coffee and apple cake.  Our friends Seth and Amy invited us for a leisurely lunch at their new apartment in the Richmond.  Rob and I rode over by tandem bike – which took about an hour thanks to the crowds for the Escape from Alcatraz triathalon. Super gorgeous warm day in the city  – very unusual for June!

Massive delicious lunch together with the kids: grilled steak, lemon chicken, lavender corn bread with honey butter, artichokes and a green salad with fresh berries and avocado. I ate SO much!

After a short break, we topped it all off with homemade mocha brownies and ice cream.  What a great way to spend a leisurely afternoon!  Quick bike ride home through the Presidio, Crissy Field and Embarcadero – still super warm out at 5:00.  It was time for some serious gardening when we got home.  Rob helped cut the roots on an overgrown jasmine vine, fertilize everything with steer manure and settle in the new plants.

It was messy work – but spending time in the garden always feels so rewarding.  Major house cleaning after the garden was settled.  We had a light dinner of nachos with fresh guacamole and cantaloupe for dinner.  Tomorrow’s weather is supposed to return to a much more reasonable 74 degrees – I can’t wait!