I provide these details so you can understand the poem that follows, a tradition on my family travels. 

We arrived late Wednesday in Oakland after a minimal fog-related delay on our Delta flight. Following a good night’s sleep, we lunched at the Hog Island Oyster Company, took the ferry to Alcatraz, walked by Fisherman’s Wharf, rode the trolly up to Chinatown, and squeezed into a packed BART back Oakland, stopping by Arthur Mac’s on the way home for pizza to go.

Friday was equally busy, beginning with brunch and a wine tasting in Sonoma at Jacuzzi and then more wine sampling at Gundlach Bundschu. Dinner was at the house. Oh, and my body staged a gaseous revolt against the generic Whole Foods cola that they served me instead of my regular Diet Coke morning caffeine boost. 

On Saturday morning, I met some college buddies at The Oakland Athletic Club and watched IU get humiliated by Auburn. Butler beat Cal in overtime on another overhead monitor as the Hoosier game tipped off. We then did some shopping in downtown Oakland and at a local Holiday Mart, had dinner at Jo’s Modern Thai, and watched the Pacers lose to the Lakers in the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Championship, followed by the movie, “Last Christmas.”

Sunday morning we enjoyed a Dim Sum brunch looking out over the Bay from the Hong Kong East Ocean Seafood restaurant. My son-in-law, Ben Lumm, then stood in line for two hours but failed to get a limited-edition BART Holiday Sweater. His wife, my wife’s daughter, was between 3-day shifts as a cardio PA. She had urged me to come to her Stanford employer for my upcoming heart surgery. The evening concluded with a bottle of Jacuzzi Montepulciano wine and games of Euchre and Code Names.

The girls went to Sausalito on Monday morning while Ben worked and I finished the book Unnatural Exposure by Patricia Cornwell. With my alarm set for a 2a run, we ate in and played more Euchre. Our first flight to Salt Lake took off on time at 6a, finally arriving home at 1:00a.

Oakland

Three flights there,

And three more back.

With barely enough time,

To do laundry and re-pack.

 

Time went by fast,

After gaining three hours.

Alcatraz Solitary,

Avoiding rain showers.

 

Pigged out at Hog Island,

Plus, Thai and Dim Sum.

Oakland hospitality,

From Ro and Ben Lumm.

 

Sonoma Wine Tasting,

And boy did it flow.

Met at AC with college buds,

But The Hoosiers didn’t show.

 

Rode the cable rails,

Up to Chinatown.

Stopped by Gumps,

And took BART down.

 

‘Last Christmas’ Movie,

Montepulciano and Port.

Binx was a hit,

But The Pacers fell short.

 

In line but no sweater,

After Holiday Mart.

Whole Foods Cola,

Makes me fart.

 

Maintained my streak,

Before morning light.

Working off more pizza,

From Thursday night.

 

Niners a winner,

Butler prevails.

Paint to dispose of,

The dishwasher fails.

 

Baking some brie,

New wreath on the door.

Mother and daughter,

Both I adore.

 

A poem about Mikey,

A night of games.

A family battle,

Of Euchre and Code Names.

 

Girls to Sausalito,

While I recap our stay.

Plane snacks and layovers,

As we fly home all day.

 

Our PA tried hard,

But not ‘leaving my heart.’

I’ll bring it back though,

For a fresh new start.

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