Updatation #2

I suppose I should provide an updatation. I haven't been as prompt with it as I perhaps could have been, but, hey, sleep is important, too. I am still a growing (mentally, emotionally, etc) boy. Anyway, there have been some good things happening since last I updated.

So, Thursday, while all of you on the East coast were suffering in blizzard conditions, we went to visit Stanford, where Uncle Dennis's granddaughter (my first cousin, once removed) is attending. It's a beautiful campus. Really puts George Mason to shame:

Stanford's Quad:
George Mason's Quad:
Anyway, Stanford is the second largest campus in the world (behind Moscow University, which the claim of being the biggest is kind of bogus anyway) thus making biking essential. There is a sea of bikes there. I've never seen so many bikes. A biking heaven.

That evening, we went to see a play called Coming Home about a South African who, surprisingly, comes home after being away for a long time. She comes with her young son, and we learn some interesting things about her and her family along the journey throughout the play. It was, overall, well acted and well produced. Also, we got to try some authentic-esque South African cocktails during intermission. The creamy one was really good. Tasted like dessert. We also got to see a shoeless, homeless woman dancing in the street. Ah, Oakland.

Yesterday was wine tasting day in Livermore. Besides the fact that every day is wine tasting day in Livermore, it was a special day. It was my first time tasting wine in California. To me, Livermore sounds like it should be a medieval fantasy land or something. In reality, Livermore is the land of wine. There are about 40 wineries in that small area, as well as many tasting room type places in town. That's definitely a different type of atmosphere than Virginia. But still, I like it. We ended up going to four wineries, all of which had their own distinct atmosphere.

Afterward, we ran by the hill of crosses--One for every year he's gone, she says (get the Tom Waits reference? Commawn!). Actually, one for every casualty in both of our current wars:

It adds up to quite a few. Rather sobering when taken in all at once. Down the street from that is where we picked up the dungeness crabs for dinner. Quite a nice market they have there in Lafayette. Free coffee, like Trader Joe's. Can't go wrong with free coffee. I think entire states should start offering free coffee. "Hey, welcome to Wyoming. Here's a free cup of coyote pellet dark roast." I'd go for some of that.