today is our independence day

I'm not going to write much, because I have to go to bed so that I can get up super early tomorrow and catch up on all the work that I should have done over the past two days. However, today was v. nice - I slept in, and then Claude and I went to the airport to pick up Adit, who was returning from a trip to India. We then proceeded to the evil city, where we picked up Vidya, and the four of us had a tasty and enjoyable late brunch in a cafe that was near the puddle of urine that I parked my car in. Vidya insisted upon studying after brunch, so we dumped her back at her apartment. We then proceeded to circle around the Fisherman's Wharf area for fifteen minutes or so, before getting lucky and finding free parking (as opposed to the $30 parking that they were trying to sell in the area, since the fireworks were being held there tonight, which gave the parking lot operators and opportunity to price gouge). We hopped on a ferry and went across the bay to Sausalito, where we hung out and watched the ocean and had ice cream for ~1.5 hours before getting on the ferry back to SF.

When we got back to Palo Alto, Adit decided to take a nap, but Claude and I went to my place of employment, where we were able to park my car and go to a nearby park to watch the fireworks at Shoreline Amphitheatre. The fireworks were nice, although I've come to realize that I much prefer fireworks when they are only one per minute (as they are at home)...it builds up more anticipation. Also, the sky doesn't get dark enough here. The fireworks tonight were nice, but suffice it to say that they didn't make it into my top three - the best display was at Incline Village in Tahoe in 2003; the most entertaining was for my birthday in India in 2005; the most nostalgia-inducing were at home, maybe in 2000 or 2001, when Katie, my brother, and I laid out on the dock at the reservoir and watched the fireworks from there.

Now I really must go to bed. However, I have some things to ponder - Adit asked me if I want to move in with him, but that would require moving to the evil city. I like my apartment here, and I love that it only takes 10-15 minutes to get to work...but after Claude leaves and Shedletsky moves to the city, Sri is my only remaining non-work friend on the peninsula (and even most of my work friends live in the city). Given how lazy I have become at making plans, and how much I hate driving up to the city on the weekends, it seems like a recipe for me becoming a recluse before my time. Adit had me drive through the neighborhoods that he's considering and they look v. nice - but that would make my commute at least an hour each way, and I would have to pack up all my stuff, and then I would be living in the evil city. Then again, I've always wanted to live with Adit, and this is my last chance. Decisions, decisions. I have a bit of time to decide, so for now I'm going to bed!