The Net Monkey

Things in San Francisco are pretty good. Greg and I arrived yesterday, after two flights and very little sleep, and took the BART in to the city. We arrived at the SW Hotel in Chinatown at around Noon. The weather was fabulous and welcoming, but, unfortunately, it looks like it is going to be overcast and rainy for the rest of the trip. Oh well. I can’t have my cake and eat it, too, can I?

Title: Funderal Procession

Uploaded By: mattbarton77

So, anyway, we got to the hotel and found some restaurant with English menus in Chinatown. Fabulous. We went back to the hotel and crashed for a few hours, which we really needed since Greg and I had very little sleep the night before.

In the evening, we found a good Thai restaurant up Columbus Avenue and ate some dinner. We then threw down a few beers at this little bar nearby. Turns out the owner is from Pennsylvania, which explains all of the Pirates and Steelers memorabilia on the walls. There was also a blue/rock band there playing some familiar music. This drunk guy kept going up to the band, trying to sing in to the microphone, but the guitar player/singer told him to leave or he would “kick his ass.” Nice!

So, after getting a little drunk, Greg went to the strip clubs nearby (he’s a straight guy) and I proceeded to the Castro. I made some quick stops at The Edge and Daddy’s, but not much was happening. I got hit on by this Latin guy who told me that he wanted me (and he was alright himself — can’t say I wasn’t necessarily interested), but I said that I wasn’t going home with anyone. I have to admit, I am a bit paranoid about men out here. Anyway, after telling him I wasn’t interested in having sex, he immediately stopped talking to me and started hitting on the guy right next to me, as if I didn’t exist. I got a bit of a chuckle about that.

Title: The View From the Mark Hopkins

Uploaded By: mattbarton77

This morning we had to check out of the hotel Chinatown and then check in to the conference hotel, which is the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins in Nob Hill. These email guys sure like their hotels. The only other four star hotel where I’ve stayed is the W Hotel Lakeshore in Chicago.

Not sure what I’m doing for the rest of the day. It’s raining outside and I have yet to meet up with friends out here, so I may just end up spending the rest of the afternoon watching Celebrity Fit Club.

Tomorrow we’re heading down to visit a vendor. I’ll update in the next day or two.