My name is Eileen Quigley and I approve this post...

What a daunting task...now I have to write about my travels in the San Francisco area just because Quigs and I were temporarily separated...talk about pressure. She is rather funny, don't you think? Please enter this diary knowing it will be a more somber reading compared to my counterpart's writing (note: I am her muse! I am!). Thursday I spent a lovely evening w/Henson and Sue Orser and their children, H.R., Wesley, Ashley and Amy in Belvedere (Belvedere is a lovely, affluent (understatement) little town situated on the Tiburon Peninsula with amazing views of the Bay. Henson and I worked together at Paine Webber years ago in Chicago and it's been six years since I have seen them. It was great catching up as they are fabulous folks. Friday morning, after enjoying breakfast w/the kids (Henson had left for work at 3:30am...note to self, don't get a job in the financial industry on the West Coast), Sue dropped me off at the Ferry and I was off and running to the mainland. I had a lunch w/a former business colleague, Cameron Ullyatt, and then hooked up with a biking friend, Kathy Poppingo, who lives in Piedmont. We had a drink at an old famous hotel, The Claremont. The Claremont is quite a historical gem, the oldest hotel in the Oakland area, built in 1915. After catching up on Kathy's bike trips to Croatia and Calabria AND hiking trip in the Amalfi Coast, I felt really out of shape...I mean we met up with her beau who was at home building us a roaring fire. Have you noticed a trend on this trip? We don't stay anywhere or go anywhere unless a fireplace is involved! And, I have to add that Kathy's beau, Russ Hafferkamp, was recently inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, evidently the first water polo player to be inducted into the Hall. After an amazingly hilly walk through Kathy's Piedmont neighborhood we headed to San Rafael to hook up with an old high school friend, Kim Coast. And from here, I will let the funny one take over! BUT...hold on...before I pass the baton, let me just share my thoughts on the trip. 

IT'S BEEN A FABULOUS ONE! Everyday we not only blessed with wonderful, generous hosts but we are also experiencing new adventures and highlights! From snowshoeing in Taos, to biking in Santa Monica, to lots of wine tasting, to touring Presidential Museums, to trying to think of ways to LOSE all of the Marcia Brady audio cds, to various farmer's markets, to celebrating mass in random churches (note: Saint Monica's in Santa Monica is VERY liberal), picnicking at well-thought out spots with our left-overs, working with Trixie, our British GPS (thanks Dad and Arleen), to seeing Shasta lake, to looking out Amy Long's windows in Portland and seeing Mount Hood miles away, to sitting by the Kramer's fire-pit and roasting s'mores, to meeting our new friend Jennifer Grey and her mother, Joel Grey's ex-wife, to pant shopping in Phoenix (thanks again Anne...good thing you hadn't dropped off those Goodwill bags yet!) and to Quigs' blog...she stays up to the wee-hours to write them, jostles me awake to read them, and I end up laughing too hard to fall back asleep! Again, God is good and we are very fortunate to be living this amazing cross-country experience. Enjoy!