Red-eyed

Sunday, January 19, 2024

We left on a red-eye last night. Landed in Seattle at 4:30 am. Navigated to another terminal. After a layover of about 2 hours we boarded our flight to San Francisco, arriving around 8:30 am. 

Watching the sun rise from the air is always awe-inspiring. This morning I was struck by the way the bands of color in the sky widened and shifted towards red as dawn arrived.

It was much easier getting to the baggage claim area and from there to the ride share area than it was in LA. That’s a good thing because we had a lot of luggage and we were really hammered by lack of sleep. Our trips usually begin like this. It comes with the territory when you live in a place that is far away from everything.

When we arrived at the Hilton Financial District we were very pleased to find that they had a room ready for us. We really liked our view.

This gorgeous image hangs in the hallway near our room. I think it is a photograph that has been made to look like a painting.

Our view:  Coit Tower and the harbor, with a Princess ship previewing tomorrow’s adventure

I took a little nap and then Ken and I set out to find some dim sum for lunch. We were on the edge of Chinatown, so it wasn’t much of a challenge to find it. We went to City View Restaurant. It was popular and crowded, but we only had to wait 30 minutes.

We ordered some old favorites, and also tried some new delicacies. Yummm. 

Shrimp dumplings

The remains of an order of steamed buns, and an order of shrimp dim sum

Green onion pancakes and taro fluffs

Sesame chicken

Chinese New Year is January 29, 2025. It will be the Year of the Snake. Many decorations are up already.

The small park between the restaurant and our hotel had some musicians playing Chinese-style music, and groups of people playing a card game or just hanging out. It was a vibrant community space.

In a red-eyed dim sum coma we staggered back to the hotel and I took another little nap.

This was not our restaurant

After a while I Zoomed in to my book club for an interesting discussion, looked out the marvelous window as the sun began to set, and thought about this blog.

As I have said before, this is not a political blog. It is a travel blog. I am not unaware of the political events that happen from day to day. Enough said.

Today’s fabric is something with a little nap - velveteen. “Nap” is the raised, fuzzy surface of certain fabrics. It is also called “pile.” 

Velvet is a soft, smooth fabric with a luxurious look and feel.             Velveteen has a shorter pile, giving it more durability, but less sheen. Both of these fabrics have a nap, which means they are directional, and must be pieced into a garment or other project with care. Velveteen is often used in upholstery and children’s clothing.

Velveteen