Saturday we spent 12 hours at Milwaukee's Irish Fest--we're told it's the biggest in the country. Lots of great music: Blarney, Irish Rovers, Gaelic Storm, Tommy Makem. Big fun.

Sunday we spent the day at the Zoo (and the A La Carte Food Festival) with our niece, nehpew, and their four year old quadruplets. Even bigger fun!

Spent Friday evening with friends from our old neighborhood. All of us owned new homes in a new neighborhood back int he early 80s. Now all have kids in college and are scattered around Oahu. Still a strong bond, which we celebrated over an Italian dinner.

The daughter of another long time friend leaves for college in Philadelphia next week, so she and her mom prepared a formal afternoon tea for about 10 female friends and family members. They had a bunch of interesting teas to sample, lots of little sandwiches, scones, desserts, etc. We came with fancy hats and even some teddy bears. It was so much fun, we decided to make it an annual event, but as a potluck next time!

So a weekend of eating with long, long time friends. There is such a special joy in getting together with people you've known since "way back when". I really felt blessed as I realized how much I've enjoyed their friendships.

Faina, I love this thread and finally having a chance to post on it.

I was in SF for a few days for work. On Friday afternoon after I finished with clients, I walked the Golden Gate Bridge. I have wanted to do that for a long time and the weather was cooperative, windy but sunny. Then that evening I went to see 25th Annual Putman Spelling Bee. Have wanted to see this show the last couple of times when I was in New York but it never worked out. Very funny and I enjoyed it a lot.

Saturday morning I picked up Faina and we went to the Sonoma area. I'm sure her trip report will be much better than what I would write. I fell in love with the Dry Creek Rd area thanks to recommendations from Fodorites. Late Saturday evening I flew home to San Diego and rested up a little on Sunday.

PamSF-Sorry you had to work, it would have been fun to meet you. I really appreciate all the work you do. STW, Happy Birthday. It was my Birthday on Saturday and Faina has one coming up tomorrow. Happy Birthday to everyone whose birthday is this week or last. ;;)

Glad to hear about Little Miss Sunshine. Since I was gone on Saturday, I am celebrating with my daughters tonight and we are going to see that movie. I am excited to see it.

Thanks Paula. Actually Faina and I share the same birth date, lol. We are both turning 21!! Ha! :D

Happy Birthday Faina from your fellow spring chicken. :D

Geez, I forgot to add...Happy Birthday to you too, Paula! Enjoy the movie!!

Hated it...Loved it....Hated it.....

The trip report (my side of it ;) ) is posted here:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34857668

SeeTheWorld, let's better make it 26, as at 21 it may be a problem to rent a car!

Sally... can you tell me where HOT TX is?
It can describe the whole state at the moment!
We stayed inside all weekend because it was so hot and we had guests from PDX.
It was 105 at the Farmers Market in Dallas at 3pm Sunday.
But MAN I got some excellent home grown grape tomatoes and tiny fresh Texas figs. Seriously, they were like candy. I want MORE!

Really good. I survived! I just emailed a few of you a photo from the whitewater rafting trip! :-)

Great time in the mountains. Nice, COOL weather. Frigid mountain river. Happy to be alive - literally!

Good food (sharing a table for a great breakfast in order to get to the rafting trip on time to live dangerously...), great friends and company. Nice soft steady rain (a la Portland) but it was clear at the marina so we went out on the lake on Sunday. Great weekend. Great to be posting on Fodorville AFTER the weekend!

TxTravelPro...Austin is where my DD lives. Thank God for air conditioning.

STW, your shoe looks nice! Who took this picture? What happened to the other shoe :)

Are you talking to me, Faina? Both shoes stayed on - but I was shocked that they did:-)

The rafting company took the picture. There was a series of 5 photos or so showing the capsize in all its glory!

LOL. :D Getting an early start on your birthday celebration, Faina?? ;)

Starrs...you didn't send me a picture?? :(

Starrsville, You capsized??? OMG, really? How did your incision come through this?

STW, I thought I did. I'll go back and check.

The incision looks okay. I'm counting on the oral antibiotics on doing their stuff. Actually, it looks pretty good - and I had a doctor with me. Okay, a dentist, but he says it looks good.

Starrs, yes, I was talking to you, sorry. You see, too many distractions at work :)

Early start on my b-day? Let's see... today is Monday? Started Friday night! Day #4, huh?

Ohhhh! Starrs! I probably shouldn't have asked to see those, lol. My oldes and his GF are going whitewater rafting...the rocks! Yikes! What happened? Was it "rougher" than normal?

I have no idea what happened. It was the last rapid of the run. I didn't realize that was where the cameras were set up. I'm glad to see the pictures though. It was only a Class III rapid. All in all, a pretty safe rapid, because there were no hydrolics involved. Only 1 of us remained in the raft). Another boat company picked up two of the rafters. The guide got back in somehow. I just headed downstream in floaters' position and made my way over to the side of the river. Another boat came by and picked me up. The water was really cold though. I did swallow quite a bit of water when I was trying to surface and the raft was in the way. But, all is well that ends well, right! :-)

starrs, as I said in my email, after seeing your photo in the raft ...I admire anyone who goes into one of those rafts on one of those rivers. I will never do that cuz I am a wuss. But the photo was so great!!