Now we have to figure out where to put it all!  A major edit is in need as you’ll see in the photos. Maybe some time next week I’ll be able to post pictures of a more ordered mess.

Go to Flickr to see ALL the photos + captions

Love you all!

Too many of the places we found that were affordable and seemed “too perfect” were in fact in the higher homicide areas. Thankfully someone tipped us off to this nice little san francisco homicide map. We noticed that 3 people have been killed within blocks right near a loft we were looking at.

One particular apartment we visited was so gorgeous and it would have saved us hundreds a month.  On the elevator back down, we talked about how it would be “worth it” to try this lower income area just for the savings.  When we got to the bottom and went outside there were people smoking crack on the sidewalk!  We’ve definitely concluded that it doesn’t matter if it looks nice on the inside if we’re too afraid to go outside.  Just the fact that Jesse will be away for weeks at a time makes me want to find somewhere I’ll be comfortable going for a run or a walk with Parker.

We’re going to pay a little more and find a safe neighborhood.  And by a “little” we’re talking a jump from about $2000/month to around $2600/month.  Maybe when we get a little more city-savvy we’ll be more ready to brave the more “edgy” neighborhoods as they call them.

GDAS Update!

We think we may have found the place as of today, but we’ll find out for sure tomorrow.  It’s in the nob hill area just east of us.  It’s dog friendly (which has been the BANE of our existence)  AND it has two bedrooms so we’ll be ready for any of you to visit! Fingers crossed!

Impromptu Zip Car trip to Santa Cruz on Saturday.

Santa Cruz

Parker’s Park

Parker would not put this stick down.  She even carried it right into our apartment. I guess we forgot all her toys were in storage! We bought her a nylabone pronto!!

Yesterday, Parker and I took a LONG walk. We were out about 4 hours, but it included an hour at dog parks and about 45 minutes at the beach. I am also so impressed how many dog-friendly shops there are too.  Parker got her first taste of Lululemon and Keihls’s skincare too.  Here’s the route we took.  I actually climbed the Lyon street steps (which have been on my list for the past few days).

I wish I brought the camera, but I doubt I could have carried it. I think i went from long coat to no sleeves and back twice. The weather here is so nuts!

(All photos in this post are courtesy of their respective links!)

I wish you all could have been here to hear him talk about his first day. (I should have put a video camera on him.)  He’s really happy and excited.

At his orientation, they told all of the new employees that there was someone very special who wanted to be there to talk them personally, but couldn’t for obvious reasons.  They had a personal video message to play for all of the new employees.  Of course, everyone there thought it would be Steve Jobs… but it was the PC guy!!!!  They played a video (much like the Apple Ads) of PC Guy muttering on about why anyone would want to work at Apple.  He told them if they still felt like they HAD to work there, they’d have to fill out all those forms in front of them… but of course he likes filling out forms, so maybe it’s not that bad.  :)

I tried to get inside information out of Jesse but he wouldn’t budge. They must have scared the living begeebees out of him on leaking info.  I think he saw some pretty cool prototypes.

Anywho, I should get to bed too! Missing you all!  (I’m going to try to pull his leg to get him to write a blog too.)

Today’s pics

Parker missing home.

View from Alta Vista Park while Parker did her biz. (You’d be surprised how far you have to walk to find anything green for a dog to relieve themselves on! Good exercise though!)

Fresh back from Day One at Apple HQ.

Apple docs

There’s work and then there’s your life’s work. Welcome to Apple.

The Golden Ticket.

A wee clip I recorded as I opened up some of his document stuff from Apple. He also got a Macbook (white) and a promise of more to come. Warning: BOOOOORING!!!

Stopping for a beak at 101 California St after looking at apartments that were well out of our price range:

You can see the fog rolling in over the hill:

View looking up the 1 California Cable Car line.  Jesse and I walked about half way up this hill before hopping on a bus:

At the bus stop on Sacramento Street (1 street parallel to California), surveying our recent climb:

The edge of Chinatown:

I’m in our apartment window taking paparazzi shots of Jesse and Parker coming back from Lafayette Park:

Jesse sees me. Parker, however, does not.

Parker just saw me. Can you tell?

Jesse and I wound up sleeping in our rental car with Parker down by Fisherman’s Wharf.  It’s now 9:00am and we have not yet been let into our place although we just got a call back from the building manager.  Jesse is over at the gate trying to figure it all out.

We are supposed to meet our Destination Service girl in about an hour. I’m not in the greatest of moods to go see the city and look at apartments.  I kind of look (and probably smell) like a homeless person who’s been sleeping with a dog.  I’ve shed a few tears for missing home and some for pure frustration.  Missing you all.