My How Time Flies When You Are Having Fun, Part 4

It's the 7th and I'm up at 7:00 to workout before another day of shopping and box emptying. After breakfast we were off to Union square. While we were out-and-about I was shown, from a distance, Lauren's office building. Being the youngest in the office, Lauren didn't want to go up and introduce me around. She hadn't started work yet and didn't want it to look like Daddy was checking up on her new workplace. The building is in an absolutely fabulous location at Market and New Montgomery. You have the hustle and bustle of big city life all around. The youth and energy in the area is easily noticeable. Within a few blocks we found her bank, a drugstore and enough restaurants to keep her fed at lunchtime for quite a while.

From there we went to buy some pillows, a rack to hang in the closet, hanging drawers for the closet, shelves for the bathroom, storage for makeup, a table for the television, a table with three drawers for the cable box, DVD player and all Lauren's movies. Needless to say, we had to take a cab back as there was way too much to carry. Unloading the cab made us both cringe at the amount of work left to do in the short time we had remaining in my visit.


The apartment was really starting to come together. Lauren continued her work in the all-important closet while I hung the shelves in the bathroom, hung the hooks in the closet along with the 5-drawer hanging device. Then, after a quick break for lunch which Lauren ran out to get so we wouldn't waste any time, I put together the table for the television and the three-drawer table that went underneath the television table. Once that was done I got a real break and we went back to Crate & Barrel for a salt & pepper shaker, decorative "O's" for the bathroom and a clock for the wall. From there we went to CB2 for a very cool coat rack. All this got dropped off at the apartment before we headed out to dinner.

Dinner at Saha was incredible. Arab Fusion. Spices and flavors that tested the taste buds. We had Kafta, lamb and Fatoush unlike any we had tasted before. Another delicious suggestion from my Aunt Linda. After dinner we had to put the coat rack together, take out a huge load of trash and hang the clock. It was 10:00 and we decided to turn in early tonight. We had to get an early start so we could get everything finished and we had to return to CB2 to get a piece for the coat rack that was broken.

It was the 8th and a pall hung over both of us. I woke early to get in a good workout. After breakfast we got the piece for the coat rack, canisters for sugar and flour, a Dust Buster, groceries and a new litter box. We were back at the apartment at 2:30 ready to do as much as we could in the three remaining hours we had before we had to eat dinner and head for the airport. I had a very productive day putting away the groceries, hanging a calendar and unpacking boxes in the kitchen. Lauren continued her work in the closet. By the time 5:30 rolled around the apartment had really taken shape. Lauren still had several boxes to unpack, but we were at least 90% finished setting everything up. It looked great! I said goodbye to Tom and Connie, and Izzy of course as we headed to dinner at Colibri an upscale Mexican Bistro. The food here was fabulous. Not your typical tacos and burritos. There's no doubt that the food in San Francisco is good and the choices of good places to eat is endless.

After dinner we walked to the Bart and Lauren came with me to the airport. It had been a great six days. A lot of hard work that had really paid off. Lauren was on her way to settling in to her new life "in the Big City." My flight was 30 minutes late, so we had a little extra time together in the airport. Never have I had a more difficult time saying goodbye and getting on a plane. As I neared the plane's entrance it was as if I were in a fog. My heart was heavy and I had this overwhelming empty feeling inside. I had to will myself to keep moving forward, and I almost turned back. But I didn't. I had to get home, get some sleep, and then get in the car for a five hour drive to Crested Butte to spend the weekend with my son Brandon.

Lauren and I had a great six days together. It was an excellent example of time management in action as we accomplished task after task, trying to get as much done as possible in the short amount of time we had. I felt so lucky to be able to spend all this time together, working and talking, and that was more important than what we were trying to accomplish. Though I will miss her terribly, I can't wait to visit, and hope I can do so often. My little girl has grown into an impressive young woman. A young woman with hopes and dreams she shared with me. Hopes and dreams I know she will see come true. There is no doubt in mind she will take San Francisco by storm. As for me, I'm thinking it might be time to face the fact that I am getting older. Nah. This is all just part of the "Circle of Life."