I'm BACK!!!

[mouse_chalk]

We're home! Safe and sound!!

We landed at about 11am UK time, which was 3am for us. We got up Monday morning and haven't been to bed since.... I'm not sure how long we've been up but it's been a while! :?

(Since it was an 11 hour flight- the one out there was AWFUL. We had the Stretchy McStretcherson couple, aka Ms. Selfish and Mr. Inconsiderate in front of us, who despite their extra legroom, insisted on having their seats reclined right back, so we couldn't see our TV screens properly, nor eat our meals properly, even though they were told to put them forward! Not to mention feeling claustrophobic beyond belief!:X

Fearing the same on the way back, I had a couple of Cosmopolitans and a glass of wine at the airport :embarrassed:Luckily the people in front of us this time were much more considerate and we had more legroom- but I got through it nicely! )

Anyway- enough about the flights- I have TONS of pictures!! I don't know if you wanna see em or not- I might upload some later Some are on photobucket already, just need to add others on. We had the best time ever ever ever, and I LOVE San Francisco. I really think I did leave my heart there! We did so much, but missed so much as well- a week isn't enough!

Oh, and the shopping. My gosh, the shopping! I did quite well, at 2 pairs of shoes, a handbag (not the $300 one I wanted lol, I found one for $50 in the end!), and a charm bracelet with a Golden Gate Bridge charm, bunny charms, a globe and heart.

AND then I went into Sephora this morning (yesterday?) and realised that it's actually a good thing they don't have one near me! :biggrin2:


Absolutely shattered but we're taking Chalk for a checkup in an hour- I booked the appointment when we landed at Heathrow!

 

[Bunnys_rule63]

Sounds like you had a great trip Jen! I was laughing so much at your "Stretchy McStretcherson" comment - so true!I hate people like that, especially on long haul flights!:grumpy:

Can't wait to see the pics!

 

[RexyRex]

Welcome back!!! It sounds like you had an awesome trip.

And...of course we want to see pics, what's taking so long!! :waiting:

 

[Bo B Bunny]

YAY! Glad you're back! and Glad you had a great trip.

How's my Chalkie?

 

[Becca]

Wooooo Your back

I've missed you sooooooooooooo much - talking to you on msn every night

But now your back YYAYAYAYA

 

[mouse_chalk]

Thanks guys!

Jess, yeah they were REALLY annoying. But, the most annoying thing of all was Virgin. If you all saw it I said how Steve lost his wallet- he left it on the plane. When we got to the airport at San Fran, he realised and ran to the check-in desk to see if they could find it. They said that they looked and couldn't find it anywhere, but they took his number etc and would call him if it was found. For some reason my debit card wouldn't work in the ATM's, so we had absolutely no money and no way of getting any. We literally sat in the airport for 2 or 3 hours, me crying my eyes out, wondering what on earth to do. Eventually, my card worked in the rail ticket machines, and we got to the hotel, and found an ATM that worked later on.

Steve called up Virgin about 5 times over the next 2 days asking if any wallet had been found/handed in, etc. He cancelled ALL his cards, resigned himself to the fact that the $250 was gone for good, and reported it missing to the insurance company. I think it was Thursday when we had a call from one of the check-in staff, to say that it was at the airport! With all the money and cards still in! So we got the train to the airport, where the guy that Steve had originally spoken to, said it had turned up JUST after we left, but he FORGOT TO CALL US!!!!!!!! :grumpy::grumpy::grumpy::grumpy: He said 'ah, well you know, it was just really, busy, and I forgot to call you....hahahaha!' I was SOOOOO mad I literally wanted to scream at him. We kept quiet, but then today/yesterday at check-in he came over and asked us if we wanted to pay to upgrade our flight! :shock: I pretty much spat at him that I would never give Virgin any more money and that his incompetence had ruined the start of our holiday. He just laughed and walked away!!!! :grumpy:

Steve has sent an email to Richard Branson and the executive office of Virgin Atlantic lol..... But man I am still so angry about that!!


Right, rant over!


Pennie, Chalkie is doing great! i've just updated her infirmary thread, as we got the lab results back today...

I'll upload some pics very shortly for you all! Will be tough to choose which ones to post as I have tons of them lol....

 

[BSAR]

Welcome back! Can't wait to see pics of beautiful San Francisco!

 

[mouse_chalk]

Ok, here we go! Some pictures! This is not even a fraction of them lol, I have more that I will post tomorrow when I can maybe figure out what time it really is

Bay bridge, from Pier 3 I think?

Golden Gate- from a boat as we had a cruise round the bay. Hence the wonky horizons- they're unedited still!

View of the city from the boat:

The famous Pier 39!

Sea Lions!!

I love how the one in the front here is waving his arm!

View from our hotel room! You can see Union Sq, just in front of Saks...

Saks!! And Tiffany's is right next door! Union Sq right in front of them...

It's a looong way down, up on the 24th floor!

View by night. Pretty

 

[BSAR]

Gorgeous photos! I love the nightime one and the ones of the bridges! I can't wait for the others! Go get some well deserved rest!

 

[slavetoabunny]

Great pics, but we want to see some with you in them. You need to prove you were actually there, lol.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

WOW I've never been anyplace hardly. I've been to a few states over this way and that's it. Never seen the ocean.

I love thesea lions and I guess I didn't realize they were around out there! I never thought about it really! I love that BABY! I want!

 

[Bunnys_rule63]

Omg Jen that photo of the golden gate bridge is fantastic - it looks professional!:great:

 

[mouse_chalk]

Thanks you guys!

Ok, Patti, I was trying to avoid pictures of me as they all look terrible, but if you want proof that I went I'll upload some! I'm in one of these, but please don't think I actually look like that- I honestly can look much better, I promise!

Jess, by no way are these professional looking to me! Some of them are wonky because I was stood on a rocky boat, and I don't have a lens hood (note to self: MUST buy one) so some of them have flare from the sun in them that I haven't corrected yet

Anyway, some more pics!!

Alcatraz:

View from Alcatraz dock:

Proof!!

A cell in Alcatraz- my bunnies NIC cage is bigger!!

Steve in prison

Steve in a small box:

I have more with me in- they're Steve's pics, so I'll upload them now! Along with Golden Gate Bridge and cable car pics!!




Edit: because I put 'their' instead of 'they're'. My all time pet grammar hate!

 

[mouse_chalk]

Ok, more pics, and more 'proof' that I actually was there!!

Me and Steve had a 'camera war' and this was the result :X

Me in the random box thing:

Me and Steve:

On a cable car!

View from the top of the hill on the cable car. Very foggy day!

More to come...

 

[NorthernAutumn]

You two look like you're really enjoying yourselves
My sister went to Alcatraz when she visited California, and said it was really interesting. Did you learn about the Birdman?

 

[Pet_Bunny]

mouse_chalk wrote:

View by night. Pretty

How did you manage this night shot using a 10 second exposure?

 

[mouse_chalk]

Pet_Bunny wrote:

mouse_chalk wrote:

View by night. Pretty

How did you manage this night shot using a 10 second exposure?

Lol.... I put the room's coffee maker on the window ledge, balanced my camera on it, and used the self timer. Pressed the shutter, and wrapped the curtain round the camera to try and minimise relfection from the room. you can still see the shade of a lamp just a bout, and it's not that clear because the window was filthy! I think I used aperture priority mode but i can't remember now. not the best it could be, (and the ISO was probably too high too) considering the level of improvisation!

 

[slavetoabunny]

I love this picture of you:

You look so pretty!

You and Steve look to be having a fantastic time. I'm so happy your visit to our country was everything you thought it would be.

 

[Pet_Bunny]

mouse_chalk wrote:

Lol.... I put the room's coffee maker on the window ledge, balanced my camera on it, and used the self timer. I think I used aperture priority mode but i can't remember now.

Hey it worked.

I see you had aperture priority, ISO 400, F13, 10 seconds.

Inever thought of wrapping the curtains around the camera, I would of turned off the lights in the room.

 

[mouse_chalk]

Pet_Bunny wrote:

mouse_chalk wrote:

Lol.... I put the room's coffee maker on the window ledge, balanced my camera on it, and used the self timer. I think I used aperture priority mode but i can't remember now.

Hey it worked.

I see you had aperture priority, ISO 400, F13, 10 seconds.

Inever thought of wrapping the curtains around the camera, I would of turned off the lights in the room.

:embarrassed:

I didn't think of turning the lights off....LOL!!

Yes, those were the settings I used! Exif data?:biggrin2: I remember now that I forgot to turn the ISO off after using it for the earlier view shots. I'm always doing that :?