12.23.11 - SF, yo

The trip to SF was a last minute dealio. I didn't finalize any plans with anyone. I mean, I told the parents, literally, 2 minutes before I left for work. I didn't even pack yet!

After work (my closing shift), I was surprised that Dad didn't get mad or whatever. In fact he said something that shocked me! It shocked me so much that I was VERY suspicious!!!! He said: "Have fun!"

O_______________O;;;

If you know my dad,... he NEVER says that! After he approved of me going... I was wondering if he was going to make me bring stuff up for him :/ I was waiting for the LONG lecture about money that I usually get before I leave somewhere. I was waiting for him to yell at me because somehow that always leads to that. But, nothing. O_O;;; EXTREMELY suspicious and paranoid!

Though, nothing really happened when it came to my parents.

So, I packed as quick as possible. Sending off some last minute texts to StrawberryMilkMade and my bro. I told them I wanted to get there early and expect me at around 9am. I was planning on leaving at 7am. So I set my alarm ...

I ended up waking up AT 7am. Only because I heard someone open our front door (my room is next to it). I think when I set my alarm, I wasn't paying attention and set it at 630 pm instead of 630 am. I be smart. So I rushed out of my room, took a quick shower... dumped my stuff into my car. HOLY CRAP it was super foggy and my car was iced over!

After tossing water onto the car and having it freeze over twice... I was heading off to the nearby gas station. Pumped a full tank and was on my merry way. Yay!

I don't know why but I have no problem driving TO a destination. Driving FROM... I have the problems. When I say problems, I mean... I get migraines and EXTREMELY tired!!!! It never fails.

Anyway, I arrived to the SF house at around 930 am :( Sad. StrawberryMilkMade was already texting me and wondering how to get to Japantown. My bro was at home playing games. He said he wanted to get out of the house and decided to join us. 

So I waited for him to shower while I dumped my stuff in "my" room. 

I was shocked to see the extreme changes in the SF house. They were so extreme that I got lost in the house. X_x; I mean, I grew up in that house! I was staying in what used to be my room (shared with the bro). My bro moved to what used to be my parents' room. My grandparents' former room is now the computer room. It was all too strange!

Soon, we were headed off. Omg! The bus fare is now $2! The last time I was there, it was $1.50! Bus lines are different too! We took the 8X (what used to be the 9X) to downtown and waited for StrawberryMilkMade in front of the GAP store which is also next to the cable car turnaround (thingy) and the Powell BART station. 

Once we met up, we ran around trying to find change so we could take the bus lol. Once we did, we went off to Japantown. Yay! They were having this manga art festival thing. I wanted to see other artists...but it ended up being very sucky! There were only like 3 booths. I saw this one person that attends all the local anime/comic conventions here. He was advertising for the local anime convention up here. 

I felt kind of bad for my brother. He was dragged around ;P We spent a lot of time in: Ichibankan, Daiso, the purikura place, Maido, and the Kinokuniya stationery store. 

After we went to Daiso, we were starving and went to this place that I somehow always end up going to every time I'm in Japantown. It's never my choice either LOL. I'm not saying it's a bad thing since I like their food. But I'm just saying that somehow we always end up going there :D

My bro looks like he's full of joy, while waiting for our food. Our bags are on his side of the booth. Lol. 

This is what StrawberryMilkMade ordered. Nom Nom Nom...

Here's my OyakoDon (I usually order a KatsuDon).

My bro's udon...

After we ate, we headed off our separate ways. Me and StrawberryMilkMade went to do take some purikura, my bro went to Kinokuniya to check out some manga.

Hehee... never can do serious pix ;D NEVER EVER

We made quickstyle trips to the stationery stores and soon it was time to drop her off! ;__; WE NEED MORE TIMMMEZ!!

After we dropped her off, my bro took me to a traditional Japanese sweets store. He wanted some mochi. He bought two boxes (green tea and...peach? I think). One for himself and another for a gift. 

These were the ones I bought. Top-Bottom; L-R: pear jelly thingy, chocolate ganache thingy, pure white peach jelly thingy.

The pear thingy was $3, the chocolate ganache thingy was $3, and the peach one... omg X_x; I really wanted it but I was like NO I can't get it because it's so expensive!!! But it sounded so delicious and soo amazing. I SPLURGED because that thing is quite expensive! It was $12! X_x;

They were all delicious, btw. Mmmm... The jellies were NOT worth the $3 or the $12! They were really tasty BUT I could find cheaper brands that taste the same! X_x;

When we went to Ichibankan, I saw these! I was super excited! These cookies mean a lot to me. <--weird, right? Here's a story on them!

This was about a year and a half ago (?). I invited the dude I like to eat at this sushi place with our friends. But my friend and I arrived too early, so we wandered off to an Asian market and we were STARVING. I saw these cookies and just bought some. [Didn't eat them btw]. 

Anyway! After we met up with him and his friend (whom I knew also because he worked with us), I gave him some dvd's I was letting him borrow and dropped the cookies in the bag. 

When my friend was driving me home, I took out the pack of cookies I had left of them and I realized that there were HEARTS on it! And I started freaking out "omg! there are HEARTS on them! Does that mean he knows I like him!?!?!" and etc. LOL! My friend thought it was HILARIOUS! X_x;

Oh and btw, the cookies are really yummy ;) I was sad to see that they didn't sell them at that market any more. But was super happy to see them at Ichibankan. I purchased two of them. Gave one to StrawberryMilkMade as we were leaving. 

When we got home, we ate the chocolate ganache thing and it was SOOO good! It made me crave chocolate for the rest of the day ;D 

After we went to the sweets place, we took a bus to Chinatown and visited my grandparents on both sides of the family. We visited my dad's parents first (the crazy grandma and the angry grandpa <--as my bro calls them). I hadn't been to their place since they moved in [they were the ones that used to live with us and recently moved out]. It was weird seeing them not in the SF house :( It felt wrong. I started feeling homesick. I know, it's weird. But I didn't know where I was feeling homesick to. To Sacramento or the old SF days.

We had planned on treating them to dinner but they refused to go. I felt bad because we didn't bring them anything. We left, then we headed a few blocks away to my mom's mom's place. Before we went to her place, we dropped by the small grocer's that was located directly below her apartment and bought some biscuits/cookies for mom's mom and some cream crackers for my dad's parents. 

After we visited my mom's mom (lol), we headed back to the dad's parents' place and gave them their cream crackers. No one wanted dinner with us. *sigh* We decided to go home and decided to just order a pizza. But if we did that I'd have to buy some lactose intolerant-type pills to help me digest it. We went to the nearby Walgreens and I was hoping to get a small box of them. NOPE! All they had was the BIG ones! :/ Ugh! $20! X_x;

My bro ordered the pizza and he helped me set up the PS3 so I could watch the Lord of the Rings extended editions! I hadn't watched any of them in a long time... Then, I went to bed.

Usually, when I'm in a strange place (even if it's the SF house)... I wouldn't be able to sleep. But I really passed out!

The next day, I was wondering what the heck I was going to do! My bro went to work and I was bored. I woke up at around 8am... I went on the internet, then decided to see if I could take all the grandparents out to dim sum.

Again, no one wanted to eat with me. ;___; So I headed off to the only place I knew I could take hours in...Japantown. Yep, AGAIN!

I wanted to get those surprise packs (for $20!) of stationery that StrawberryMilkMade got the day before! She also asked me to help her get a stamper... 

It was the first place I went to. Lol! I spent sooo long there that I think the employees were wondering if I was stealing. When we went the day before, there were only like 3 packs left, but when I was there that day...there were like 10 packs! It took me forever to choose. And when I decided, I would wander the store, then end up going back and choosing again! I was getting frustrated because I didn't know which pack I wanted and knew that I was only going to get two of them. Plus, my arms were killing me LOL

Since I took the pix of my items out of order, I can't tell you which was in which and apparently, I accidentally deleted some of the pix too, so some items are missing. 

I wanted this pack ESPECIALLY for this! StrawberryMilkMade came away with this AWESOME fairy tale one! I really wanted that one, but they didn't have it ;__;

This is sooo cute!

Pencils, pens, highlighter, and random stampers

2nd pack! Why is this pic sideways? Oh well! :D

Stickers, seals, stickers

Stickers!

Notebook

Rilakkuma file sleeves

Rilakkuma notebook and a crochet Doreamon doll thingy

Sticker sheets

File stickers

Pencils, pens, erasers

These are the non-surprise pack items that I also purchased. L-R: 4 coichi Girls notepad and sticker sheet

This sticker sack thing, I bought the wrong one. I picked up a sticker sack for $1.95 and put it down to look at another one, then I picked up what I thought was the $1.95 one but ended up picking up this one by accident X_x; This one is $6.95!

The Sentimental Circus rolling stamper that StrawberryMilkMade asked me to get her.

I wandered around the rest of the shopping center then went home. I was bored. :/ I ended up watching the rest of the Lord of the Rings movies.

I planned on leaving at 7pm, but Dad called and told me to stay over again. O_o; I was shocked! 

But I did really bad driving home. I was falling asleep :( I was even blasting my music and singing along to help me wake up. Didn't work :/ Arrived back in Sac with a HUGE migraine and wanted to nap. But i had to work right after I dropped off home. :(

Anyway, that was my trip to SF. I babbled a lot... Oh well :D I'm super sleepy now X_x;