Madeline Speaks!

Hello all you faithful blogging buddies, it's Madeline here. Ben is outside cooking up some hamburgers and hotdogs on the bbq (very American of him, isnt it?) . Dont worry he has not lost his British charms or humour. So, he has left me with the task of summarizing our life over the past two days....


Ben and his new pride and joy on our deck

Yesterday we decided to do a bit more exploring of the area we live in. I heard that there was a main street within walking distance that had a lot of shops and restaurants and public transportation, so we decided to check it out. We live in the part of the city that is enveloped in fog. San Francisco itself isnt known for its sunshine, but I think we get the worst of the weather. However as Ben optimistically pointed out, this type of weather is moody and it adds character to a place :)

Anyways back to our adventure. We parked and started strolling down Ocean Street. The first thing we came across was a library! I was very excited and immediately secured a membership card. Ben trailed along behind me and looked bored. Unfortunately for him the library was probably the best building on the street. The rest was very ghetto. There was a lot of trash (rubbish:) in the street and every other shop was a Chinese take away. No cute shops, no nice restuarants. However, there was a Mc Donalds, so Ben was happy. After a short lived and disappointing stroll we decided to leave.

Our next destination was a sporting goods store where we bought an American football. We drove down to Golden Gate Park to throw around the ball. Ben and I had been there before with my sister and saw a bunch of people out playing volleyball and soccer in the park and having picnics. However, due to the vastness of the park, we ended up in a completely different area, "Hobo Central". We were surronded by groups of homeless people drinking boxed wine out of the bag, walking around in sleeping bags, and trying to sell us mushrooms. Ben and I were terrified and we departed after passing the ball around twice.

Next it was off to a viewing of the Golden Gate Bridge, which looked spectacular in the misty fog. We drove back home along the coast and stopped off at a beach where we strolled along the rocks and snapped some photos. Came home and barbequed up some veg kebabs on the grill and watched a film. All in all a very interesting day.


Next on the todo list is walking across the monster!

Today has also been very busy. We woke up early because I had a second interview for a job with the Boys & Girls Club in the city. The interview lasted a greuling two hours, but went suprisingly well. Ben was very knowledgeable about interviewing from a course he took at Durham, so he gave me lots of tips that I put to use. I was even able to crack out a few well executed jokes, so fun was had by all. I should know if I have the position by Friday, fingers crossed!

So while I was selling myself to the company, Ben was off exploring the city. Ever since we crossed the Oakland Bridge he has been on a desperate search for flowers to put in his hair, unfortunately there is not an abundance of wild flowers in the city, guess we were born in the wrong decade for such frivilties. Ben went to the top of Coit Tower and took some cool photos and managed to find the big Apple store in the city center (I swear there must be some sort of magnetic pull to him and computers/gadgets/electronics he just cant get enough!).


A view from the top of Coit Tower


After the interview we met up for a very cosmopolitan cup of Starbucks coffee, then cruised the streets some more absolutely mesmorized by the sheer size, beauty, and individuality of the city skyscrapers. Ben took me back to the Apple store to show off his findings and we bought a microphone for skype. Soooo if anyone has skype (especially you John and Chris) we are now all set up to chat! Hurray!


"A very cosmopolitan cup of Star B's"

Due to a toenail that needed trimming being scrounched a little too tightly in my pointy heels, we had to cut the afternoon short and head back on the BART (SF train) back home. Ben spent the afternoon killing ants and attacking the kitchen with a sponge and mop with the BIGGEST grin on his face. (Whoever raised him is an absolute genuis!!) I took care of some paperwork and then we got a little cabin fever and decided to find the nearest beach.

Five minutes down the road we happened upon a beautiful trail that lead us right through the cliffs down to the beach. Ben and I were both taken aback by the tranquil beauty of the sandy shores. We were not expecting such pictoresque beaches this far north. We then went on one of the biggest photo shoots of our lives. We kept trying to one up each other with shots and I think a few came out quite well. (Odds are pretty good in our favor, since we took 160!!). We played a little football and I impressed Ben with my spiral, then we headed back to our place.


One of the better shots from the 160 - More on Flickr

Now that Ive probably bored you to death with this novel, I am going to go enjoy the meal my fabulous boyfriend has prepared for me. I don't think life gets much better than this. Hope all is well at home for all of you! I know Ben is missing his family and friends and sends his love. Keep sending us updates on what is going on with all of you!

xxxxx