Bistro Boudin at the Wharf

We finished our work at 6pm, got on the cable car to the Wharf, and went for a dinner at Bistro Boudin at the Wharf, which is the home of the Original San Francisco Sourdough French Bread since the Gold Rush in 1849. We reserved a seat with waterfront view of the Bay and Alcatraz. I had a bottle of Anchor Steam and a glass of Cabernet, with famouse Sourdough with crab and corn chowder. Wow! It's so good! I'm sure I will come back here.

Virgin Megastore

We went to have a dinner at Ryoko on Taylor St. between Post St. and Sutter St. They say this is one of the oldest Japanese restaurants in downtown San Francisco. On the way to Ryoko, we walked on Market St. and found The Warfield, where I went to see Jeff Beck live in concert in 2001 or 2002. At Ryoko I had 2 bottles of Anchor Steam. Wow, every restaurant in San Francisco has Anchor Steam.

On the way back to the hotel, we went to Virgin Megastore, where I bought 4 CDs, "Love, Ella-The Original Versions", "Janis Joplin's Greatest Hits", "Experienced Hendrix-The Best of Jimi Hendrix" and "Buffalo Springfield Box Set". They may be cheaper in Amazon but I just followed the words, "Buy it when you want".

Bubba Gump Shrimp at Pier 39

Another long day in Moscone Center finished. My colleague from Atlanta and I went to have a dinner in Bubba Gump Shrimp at Pier 39. I've had a cable car just once in 2001, so we took a cable car. It's $5 now for one way. We went to Hard Rock Cafe first, but it took 45 minutes to get a seat. So we changed our plan. We were very lucky to have a seat at the window, facing to Bay Bridge. I had 2 bottles of Anchor Steam, local beer in San Francisco, which is one of my favorites.

Franciscan Crab Restaurant

I'm here at Moscone Center South, from 9am to 6pm. I'm working for an exhibitor at San Francisco International Gift Fair. It's a kind of hard work, standing all day long.

We went to Franciscan Crab Restauranr at Fisherman's Wharf, with good view at Arcatraz, crab fest for main dish, Carbenet of Valley of the Moon in Sonoma. As I said before, this is not a vacation, but only business. So dinner is the only trivial enjoyment.

Pegi Young - Sometimes

Pegi Young performs "Sometimes" on Conan O'Brien.

From Phoenix to San Francisco

Firehills had 3 seats

Santa Cruz? from air

Arriving San Francisco

I left Holiday Inn at 8am and visited Casino Arizona. This casino should be a good prospect for my business. Then I went to University of Phoenix Stadium (formerly Cardinal Stadium). I visited a customer in Sun City as well. Sun City is famous for retirement community. It is said many Japanese authorities visit and study retirement life in Sun City.

Flight from Phonix to San Francisco was a kind of comfort, because I slept for more than 1 hour for 2 hours flight. I didn't know when the plane took off.

It was foggy and drizzling in San Francisco this evening. It is 57F (14C) now at midnight.

Extra Screening at Phoneix Airport

I'm having a lunch at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport now. Smoked ham sandwitch and Miller Genuin Draft, nice conbination, isn't it? I had my first experience to have a extra screening at the security gate. I was picked up on some reason. You can see "SSSS ETKT" on my boarding pass. Security man said there were 27 reasons to pick up extra screening. He was mainly looking for explosive. Of course I don't have them but I told him that I had a lighter in my bag. There is no problem to have a lighter in your bag at usual security check, but I had to confess it at this point.　Anyway, he couldn't find any explosive and released me.

firehills in Tucson, Arizona

Picacho Peak

Downtown Tucson

Tucson

Thunderstorm at I-10

Cacti at I-10

Downtown Phoenix

Interstate 10

I visited a customer in Tucson, Arizona. By Interstate 10, 100 miles south of Phoenix. Linda Ronstadt was born in Tucson on July 15, 1946. It is very nice place to play golf too, but not in summer. Yesterday I saw a couple of golf courses from airplane, but found only a few carts in 18 holes. Then I came back to Fountain Hills, east of Phoenix. I visited Fort McDowell Casino, not to play slot machine, for business. We have rain here in Arizona for only about 20 days a year, but I had a thunderstorm on I-10. I couldn't see anything during the storm. How lucky I am!

firehills in Arizona

I flyed to PHX from LAX by ERJ 145 this morning, starting long business trip to Phoenix, San Francisco and Las Vegas. ERJ 145 is the smallest jet which I heve ever experienced, with 3 rows (1 and 2 seats) only. My rent-a-car this time is Hyundai's SantaFe. I don't like the car, but car audio includes pre-installed XM Radio, which I like very much. I visited some customers in Mesa and Paradise Valley in the afternoon and checked in Holiday Inn Express in Peoria, north of Phoenix. It was 100F outside, airconditioner are maximum and full in the car.

Chart House, Redondo Beach

Since Wednesday, I have been working in downtown LA during the day. I have guests now, not guests actually, a manager from parent company in Japan and a colleague in head office in Atlanta, Georgia. After five, not five actually, at 8pm, we went to have a dinner at Chart House in Redondo Beach. This is one of the best restaurants in South Bay, with seafoods, steaks and ribs. It is said Salad Bar is really worth. We shared Dungeness Crab Clusters, Filet (6 oz.) and Shrimp, and Hulibut. You'd better to have a reservation with a window seat to watch Pacific Ocean.