We missed you, Drew.

Deb's off to pick up Nilly, who has been spending the morning with Hec touring the Mission and visiting the pirate store, as well as Teppy, Jess, Laura and all their luggage, as Deb's putting them all on redeye flights tonight within minutes of each other, when we get back from wine country. Kristin, who met beth b for brunch and then brought her over to Deb's, is off to meet JZ and Hec for lunch before she turns in her rental car and makes her afternoon flight. beth b is here (and looking gorgeous in a coral sheath-skimmer dress), and so is 'dre. sfmarty just got here and as soon as Deb gets back with Nilly, Teppy, Jess and Laura, we'll divide up between the three cars and head out for the tour.

Tonight's my last night with my lovely roomie, Nilly, who kept nodding off in the car at the end of Deb's driving tour of nighttime SF. She was very cute, "I'm trying hard to keep my eyes open. I don't want to miss anything--it's all so pretty!" But it's sad that it's our last night together. She'll be on a plane in the morning and on her way to the east coast and the East Coastistas' tender care. The bright lights of San Francisco will be just a little less bright when she's gone.

I"m hoping to get together with Nicole and Deena--and whoever is still here tonight--because I love them both to pieces and I didn't get to spend enough time with them yesterday. I don't know what our plans are for tomorrow, but Ginger and I don't have to get on a plane till Tuesday afternoon. I'm sure Deb and her wonderful Nic, for all their unstinting and gracious hospitality, will be glad to have their house back. For me, the end of this fabulous weekend will still come too soon.

ETA--Did I say that Katerina B and her DH are wonderful people? Well they are. Katie brought me an armful of fresh lavender blossoms, still on the stems, on Friday night, plus a lavender wand she'd made. I still have to try and fit it into my luggage to get it home--don't you know even my dirty clothes are going to smell good?

Deena also had made and brought handmade goodies--bath bombs with scents like basil-lime, frankinsence and myrrh, amber and rose hips, jasmine, bergamot, lavender, and grapefruit--for everybody. She had the foresight to make and give handmade soaps to those of us heathen who shower, not bathe. So yeah, luggage gonna smell reeeally nice!

Yes, Yes, dinner would be wonderful! Call us.

We're sitting side by side in an Internet Cafe in our hotel, both of us a little whiny about tailbones and whatnot, but having a very good time.

We had brunch with Lee, Teppy, Jessica and Sean and got more hugs and snuggles before we said goodbye, then, being that I'm a big wimp, we've been hanging out in the hotel room resting my tired bones. (I'm pretty sure Nicole is sick of my company and just being exceedingly polite).

I will post more, I promise, but this blasted thing doesn't believe in ergonomic keyboards and I can't seem to spell properly on a normal one.

But, I am having SO MUCH FUN!

Email me Nicole's or your cell phone number--I don't have either, Deena!

We do not own cell phones because we are philistine (eta: Luddite Philistine... we do not recognize the art of technology). Call the ramada downtown (Deb has the number on the call list on her table) and ask for room 691, only not right this second, because I'm in the lobby and can't run fast enough to answer it before you get disgusted and hang up.

Not a whole lot of time left on my little internet access clock but wanted to mention that I absolutely LOVE everyone!

AND I have pictures (to be developed at home) of Miss Deena receiving a simultaneous shoulder and back massage, sandwiched between two very lovely men.

Oofdah. We're back. This morning I collected Nilly at 9:00am, and then took her, Laura, JZ and Emmett on a walk straight up Tank Hill to see all the quirky, lovely houses on the heights and have the fantastic view from up there. Then we toured Haight Street where I stopped at Kid Robot and got Nilly a little Moomin figure. We scurried back to the car and drove to The Mission where in just thirty minutes we hit: Ruby's (local artist jewelry and gifts - named after the black pug who lives there, and who Emmett coos over); Borderland Books (science fiction and fantasy, where the hairless cat lives - though she was hiding - much to Emmett's disappointment); Paxton Gate (where I got my Hamlet Mouse. Nilly made faces at all the dead things.); 826 Valencia (aka, The Pirate Store) where I made Nilly wear a pirate hat for pictures.

Deb arrived with Jessica (whose blue hair looks amazing), Teppy and they collected Laura and Nilly for the wine tour, and we said our goodbyes. We were just about to leave, when KristinT and Lee and Sean spotted us, so we went back and did all the stores in reverse. Kristin bought the Uses of Lard broadsheet for her classroom. We walked them back to their car, and Kristin took them to the airport.

We are home and wiped. I can't imagine doing a wine tour on top of this, but thankfully they're all contentedly nestled in a car for most of it. They were very excited about driving across the Golden Gate Bridge.

Yesterday, when I walked people through the park, we saw some turtles and somebody (not me) made a joke about turtle sex, and I saw Nilly wrinkle her nose in distaste. So now I know exactly the face she's making when she reads porny comments on the board.

Matt, are you driving in? Flying in? I probably can't meet you early, because my getting-to-Nora&Tom's time is up in the air (depending on when Scott gets home). I'm just nosy. Do you know your way around Somerville? When do you expect to get into town? Where are you staying?

Deb/Hec/SFistas/LAistas, is there any specific Kosher symbol that Nilly needs to see on wine?

Kristin bought the Uses of Lard broadsheet for her classroom.

This makes me very happy.

Can someone who has Nilly's cel number email me and/or Nora with it? Might be handy in the (very) slim chance we have trouble finding her at Logan.

I saw Nilly wrinkle her nose in distaste. So now I know exactly the face she's making when she reads porny comments on the board.

Shouldn't we have a picture of this? Who could make porny comments at Nilly's next stop on Nilly Tour 2004 when a camera was ready to take a shot?

How is Nilly's porny-comment wrinkle different from her dead-things wrinkle?