Plane to Las Vegas completely full. I got a window seat without a window.. I thought it was an hour flight because it said 8:30 departure and land at 9:30. Turns out that was Las Vegas time. I had to wait 3 hour for the true hour trip to San Francisco.
I called hotel to ask if there was a cheaper way to get from the SF airport to downtown. Yes, there is a train! I asked, a real train?” “Laugh”. After the chortling she said, “Get on the BART train going to SFO and get off at the Embarcadero exit.”
No signs in SFO for the BART or train. I asked a guard. He replied, “It’s upstairs and get on the blue line to take you to the train. The train has a station here at the airport.”
I got my luggage and headed up the stairs, no words for train appeared. Finally a sign saying BART. There were tracks and two women. I asked if this was the blue line to the train. They explained they were waiting for the transportation to the outlying parking lot. They had never heard of the BART or calling something a blue line. I almost gave up when I saw the words, Blue Line. We all rejoiced. They were amazed! My blue line came. It’s a bunch of cars on a track that circles the airport parking lots and terminals. Finally, the speaker mentioned the words BART. I got out and saw the turnstyle. It takes money! No ticket agent. Had to do a machine. I had another helper there trying to get her ticket. She helped me with puzzling choices. My 1st attempt didn’t work. I tried again and she pushed the keys. It cost $23! Plastic card! Uber would have cost $60 to $100 plus! Sadly her card didn’t work and she went to get help. I left her. A gracious Susan should have bought her ticket. Sigh…
Place the card on a magic pad at the turnstyle. How different things are! People seated in BART Stop. Seems like there might be more than one choice of a train. So I asked a man. He said he was riding the BART. So when a train appeared, I waited till he got up. It was the BART! I got on a nearly empty car and sat in the old person seat. A passenger got on and asked a man with a name tag where Antioch was. “Last stop.” Turns out Antioch is the name of the Yellow line BART . I settled in and discovered the map of the BART. There was the Embacardero stop. I settled back and thought back to years of riding the commuter train in Chicago. They are all named for the start and end points.
The ride was mostly underground. We must have crossed the bay underwater!
I departed at Embacardero. Again I had to ask…where is the up elevator. I’m dragging my wheeled suitcase marked with a TRANFER tag. I’m out on a street! I asked Maps to direct me to the hotel. Nine minutes. It pointed. I set off. It seemed hesitant to update how many feet to the turn. Suddenly it gave another street and turn. After 10 minutes of appearing to walk in a big circle, I asked a man carrying a plastic bag with purchases if he was from the city. He affirmed. I asked him where my hotel is. “Never heard of that name”. I found the address. He pointed the opposite way I had been walking to Clay street and told me to turn left.
Turns out, I had just enough energy to drag my suitcase there. I found it. My brain was nearly gone. I was helped check in…you have to click in the computer with the hotel person helping you…put in the card…..
I have my card with room number and was directed to elevator. I got on the elevator, pushed floor 8 button and waited. After a few minutes went by, I realized I wasn’t moving. Clicked 8 and light would never stay on. What the hell! I got out and went in again. Same damn thing happened. I can’t make the elevator work! A person came to wait on elevator. I leaped out and asked if there was some trick to get elevator to move. He got in with me, put his hotel room card against the pad at bottom of buttons and pressed my floor and his buttons. Holy Sh***. The elevator moved. I got out on my floor and the hallway was about two shoulder lengths wide. I found my tiny wonderful room and pressed my card. The door opened! I emptied my suitcase and collapsed into the bed. Nathan texted his arrival time. I had time to grab a rest and then dressed in my finest, including makeup and my Mother’s Day necklace present.
Nathan appeared. The joy! With the Covid scare, I had been afraid I would die and never see him again. We hugged many times. In Midwest time, it was after 9:00. It was time to eat. Nathan and I ate at the hotel restaurant and struck up a conversation with our waiter. He had been unemployed since California closed inside dining, a year ago. The restaurant just opened LAST WEEK!
The waiter continued telling his story. It happens that he had gone to Alaska as a young man to work in the summer and make money. It just so happens I did the same. He and I slimed fish in Ketchikan, Alaska, but not the same year as I am older! He also got jobs on fishing boats. We worked in the same town, sliming fish , as in slime! How cool is that!
He then forced us to have dessert, even though we were stuffed. He explained that the cheesecake was all they had and it was thicker than regular cheesecake! Nathan and I had our first bite and we both screamed quietly. This was the best cheesecake I’ve ever had!
The next day at breakfast, I discovered it was the bus boy’s recipe and he’s not even the cook!