Rob and I just got back from a trip to California. He had a conference in San Jose, and afterwards we took a few days to see Yosemite. My brother joined us for the Yosemite part of the trip, and he and I had one day together while Rob was still in the conference. My brother hadn't been to San Francisco, so we spent the day seeing the city. I had a list of places I wanted to take him, and at the top of that list? What else, people? The Full House houses! Best spot in the city.

LOTS of photos were taken, but these are my picks. You'll be impressed to see that I demonstrated great restraint and limited myself to only one of the Full House houses.

Click on the photos below to see the full galleries.

San Francisco

Chinatown

After much asking of the locals, we have found the Full House house! Well, sorta. But not really.

The houses pictured here are on Steiner Street across from Alamo Park and are known as The Painted Ladies. Remember the shot in the opening sequence (Version 2) of the Tanners picnicking in a park? This is that spot, and is considered the Full House vista. You might assume that one of the houses you see in this shot is where the Tanners live, but if you refer to Version 1 of the opening sequence, you'll see that the white house they live in is not across from a park and does not match the architecture of The Painted Ladies. I've seen lots of houses that look very similar to the Full House house, but I have no idea where to find that particular house, if it's even still around. But I did enjoy sitting in Alamo Park! I told Rob to pretend he was Uncle Jesse and I pretended I was Rebecca and it was very wonderful and romantic. Okay, I'll be honest: It was the HIGHLIGHT OF THE TRIP. There, I said it.

Here's one of me to prove I was there, standing on the same ground that John Stamos graced with his lovely arse.

1. Today's activities have included breakfasting, reading, watching tv, and knitting. All in The Heavenly Bed®.

2. Yesterday while shopping outlets I bought two pairs of Steve Maddens for less than $30. Total.

3. I'm posting this while sitting poolside under a palm tree.

You may now commence hating. It's okay, I understand. Next week, I'll definitely be hating my current self, too.

So here I am in San Francisco and what am I doing? Blogging. What a loser, right? But Rob is insisting we rest in the hotel (after all, we got up at 4:30 this morning and we've been flying and driving and touring nonstop, and despite what the clocks here are saying, it's actually 10:00pm our local time and we are POOPED). So he's resting and I'm blogging.

Anyway, mini-tales from today:

-My ears don't de-pressurize well. Never have. I tried scuba diving once and my head almost exploded. Whenever I fly, I suffer excruciating pain in my ears during the descent while everyone else is all "Oooh, look out the window! Pretty!" The pain subsides once we land, but my ears don't return to normal for at least the rest of the day. So currently I have tunnel hearing. You know, when you hear your own voice very loudly and everything else is completely muffled? Yeah, sucks. I keep asking Rob, "AM I TALKING TOO LOUD?" I can't tell. Nor can I really hear his answer, so who knows...

-The first thing we did after driving into the city from the airport was have a $61.25 meal, consisting of $11 worth of sandwiches and $50.25 for parking. Yes, I said $50.25 for parking. We parked along the street, got out and put 25 cents in the meter, came back 10 minutes later with our sandwiches and found a goddamn FIFTY DOLLAR parking ticket on our rental car windshield. Only then did we notice the fucking yellow paint on the curb where we parked. But I ask you: WHAT KIND OF CITY PUTS A PARKING METER ON A SPOT WHERE NO ONE CAN PARK? Say it with me now: That shit ain't right.

-We've already seen the Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito, and Lombard Street. All VERY cool. But the highlight? I hate to say it, ya'll, but the highlight today was driving past the San Quentin California State Prison. You know, the place where Scott Peterson now resides. We just happened upon it, and I scared Rob, who was driving, because I gasped very loudly and said "OH MY GOD!!" This of course made Rob hit the brakes and go bug-eyed like we'd been hit or something. "It's....it's...OH MY GOD IT'S SAN QUENTIN PRISON!! If those walls weren't there, I could so totally SEE Scott Peterson right now. He's RIGHTTHERE." Now don't go thinking I'm a lunatic or anything. I think he's a sociopath and should rot in hell if there is one. But it's kind of like how everyone wants to get a glimpse of Michael Jackson, just for the horror of it. Plus I followed his trial so closely and San Quentin is notorious, so it's the place to see for Peterson Trial freaks like me. And I think it's especially fitting that San Quentin overlooks the San Francisco Bay, where Laci and Conner were found. I think Scott should have to see the Bay every day, even though I doubt he feels remorse. But I appreciate the irony.

-No Full House house sighting yet. But don't think I haven't been looking, because I SO have. (LadyBug, thanks for googling it for me. You're a sweetie!)

Raz, thanks for all your suggestions! We made a good dent in the list today and tomorrow we'll do Fisherman's Wharf and nearby cool stuff. Doreen, thanks so much for letting us crash at your place last night! Your new home is fabulous, and you made a lovely dinner, and we both had a great time just hanging out with you and Tony.

So the geek-genius husband is going to a geek-genius conference next week. Near San Francisco. And of course I am tagging along because that is what one does when one is married to a geek-genius who goes to geek-genius conferences in cool places. Although if you are not yet married, I recommend seeking out an orthodontist because apparently orthodontists have a yearly conference in HAWAII. I work with an orthodontist's wife, and she gets to go to Hawaii EVERY YEAR. And also, she's got a serious rock on her hand, let me tell you. Who knew orthodontists were the ones living it up? I’m having trouble picturing the orthodontist of my teenage years in a grass skirt, getting leied. If you know what I mean…

Anyway. So we're going to San Francisco! Well, we're going near San Francisco and will spend much time in the city itself. You need to realize that this is the place where two of my major obsessions converge: the Scott Peterson trial and Full House. Rob told me we could go see the Full House house but I think he was just messing with me because now he's saying he has no clue where it is. So if any of you know where the Full House house is, PLEASE tell me. (I know it was a set, but I want to see the house that they show a shot of at the beginning of each episode that is supposed to be the Tanner residence.)

I've never been to San Francisco, so this would also be the time for you to tell me all the things I must do and see, unrelated to Full House or the Scott Peterson trial.

Oh, and in case any of you have any thought of finding where I live, breaking into my house, and stealing Tux the Penguin while I'm gone, you should know that my BIG BURLY brother will be housesitting, tending to the Most Spoiled Cats on Earth, and generally standing guard. Over Tux.

The blogging will continue, although it's doubtful I'll post tomorrow since we'll be on the plane. Here are two ways you can entertain yourself during my flight:

Other people's grocery lists - Thanks to Robyn for getting me hooked on this.

Other people's secrets - These are funny, sad, and deeply touching. Click on it - you have to see this for yourself.