I Run Like A Girl

The summer has been flying by and I cannot believe it’s already the last week of July! It’s been so nice to spend the summer in San Francisco after being away for a year as (most) things feel new and exciting again. 😉 I had a pretty low-key week here, but the weekend was filled with the usual fun: good food, sunshine, and quality time with Joe.

Friday: rollerskating + cat birthdays + comedy date night

After work on Friday, I kicked off the weekend with some roller skating. It was a beautiful, sunny day and I was inching to go outside. I did a solo session in Golden Gate Park – JFK Drive has converted to a “slow street” (aka no cars allowed) since the pandemic, which was the perfect open space to do some laps.

The Conservatory of Flowers was in full bloom with snapdragons. They rotate between different plants throughout the year, and I’m always curious to see the new flowers each season. They usually stick with one plant at a time for the entire space which is a unique garden design idea. They also had the dahlia garden in the back which Joe and I have been monitoring as it’s the most beautiful sight when its in full bloom.

I headed home, and then it was time for some festivities…celebrating our two cat’s 11th birthdays! Joe adopted them as kittens, so we don’t know the exact day they were born, but we are sure of the month, so we chose to celebrate on this day. 🙂 I feel so grateful to be part of their lives – quickly after meeting Joe, I grew to love his cats and I now consider them my own fur-babies. They bring so much joy to our household and I’m grateful they are still healthy and thriving at age 11!

We made a small cake with their regular wet food and some treats. The cats loved having a cheat day from their diet, but they quickly threw up the entire meal.

After dinner, we headed out for a stand-up comedy show at Milk Bar. Joe and I first discovered Milk Bar a few weeks ago, and I loved their amateur comedy sets and the local vibe of the bar. I was inching to go back ever since. This seemed like the perfect date night for Friday especially since it was right in our neighborhood.

We had some good laughs, but overall I thought the comics were less funny than last time. There was even one repeat comic who did the exact same set! I can’t fault them though, since I know it takes time to write new material. I’m glad we got out for this show especially since night-time activities are rare for us these days. 😛

We took the long way back to our apartment, and along the way, we stopped by a pizza spot on Haight Street. We always see crowds at this spot, so we finally checked it out. The spot was a small by-the-slice spot in the style of New York pizza joints. It’s been a while since I’ve had a late-night slice of pizza and it definitely brought me back to my NYC days.

The perfect date night with some old and new activities – I’m proud we stayed up past 10pm. 😉

Saturday: Outer Sunset exploring + Pineapple King Bakery + Golden Gate Park

I had grand plans for some workout classes over the weekend, but as luck would have it, I took a really bad fall on my rollerskates yesterday. I decided to cancel my classes and prioritize rest over the next few days – I’ve learned the hard way that exercising quickly after injuries does more harm than good! And so, my morning was spent icing, playing piano, and planning our next vacation…more on that in another post. 😉

For the day’s activity, I wanted to check out a music store in the Outer Sunset, so we planned our day around that. As this blog knows, we’ve been spending a lot of time in the Sunset since moving into our apartment. The Sunset is HUGE, and it’s broken up into two parts: Inner and Outer Sunset. We know the Inner one very well since it’s closer to our apartment, so I was excited to finally check out the Outer Sunset.

First, we got lunch at a Japanese restaurant called Saiwaii Ramen. It had good reviews, and once I saw katsu curry chicken on the menu, I was sold. The food was wonderful. The katsu curry was up there as one of my favorites of all time.

Then, we walked around the neighborhood and checked out the music store. I was looking for more piano sheet music, and this store had a fantastic selection. I bought a few new piano books that will keep me busy for weeks. 🙂

The neighborhood was super cute and authentic – like it was stuck in time and unaffected by gentrification around the rest of the city (the Outer Sunset is on the very outskirts of the city). It was also super Asian – all the restaurants, grocery stores, banks, etc. Overall, the Outer Sunset felt a world different from the Inner one.

Since we were in the neighborhood, I checked out Pineapple King Bakery, which I had bookmarked for a while now. It’s known as one of the best Chinese bakeries in the city. The line went down the street which was a good sign. 😉 Fortunately, it moved quickly, and I got my pastries within 15 minutes. I had to show major self-restraint at the counter as everything looks phenomenal.

We headed into Golden Gate Park and found a bench next to a small pond that was a pocket of sunshine. It was nice to explore a different part of the park than our usual entrance point from our neighborhood. I enjoyed a few bites of the pastries while Joe sipped on boba tea.

The bakery was just divine! Generous portions, well-priced, and that fresh-out-of-the-oven taste. I’m so glad I finally crossed this off the list. This was a very good food day.

After our treats, we enjoyed a few more moments at this spot. It was off-trail from the main road and felt like we were in the middle of a state park. San Francisco has a nice way of integrating nature with the city.

The rest of the day, I relaxed at the apartment. I watched the entire series, Five Star Chef, over the weekend. It’s a British cooking competition show featuring chefs competing for the opportunity to win their own restaurant at London’s luxury Langham hotel. I really enjoyed learning about the exclusive world of 5-star dining. I also enjoy British reality shows as there isn’t the extra drama that you find in American shows and they just focus on the subject at hand. 😛

Sunday

Sunday was a low-key day and one of those days I didn’t snap any photos. We were mostly running around the city doing errands. We did get out for another walk in Golden Gate Park and plenty of down time at the apartment. I also spent time meal planning for the week as I’ve been on a new recipe kick – Instagram has made it so easy and enjoyable to find new recipes.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you here next week!