Most summers contain a good vacation or two, if not a real vacation then at least a weekend or two away from it all. Other than my week laying down with my eye mask on due to my head injury, my only real opportunity to escape was a two day whirlwind road trip to San Francisco last Thursday and Friday.

A crazy 600 mile plus road trip in two calendar days can sometimes be worth more than a whole week at some planned resort type holiday. And it was.

And it was Anil's Daily Links' fault, mostly likely not, as I can't find the link in his archive. Or at least the idea got lodged into my concussed little head due to the possible link on Anil's site. On Sunday Aug. 8, 2004, Sandra and Tink came over for a wee bit of MT tutorial and dinner. I asked both if they wanted to ditch work and house projects to go to SF to see the new Movable Type. No questions asked, no pause, Yes! We booked a hotel on Travelocity that night.

I fell overboard in the excitement department and extended the road trip invite to anyone who would listen or read an email. Thus, on Thurs. Aug. 12, 2004, five of us piled into my mom's sandy (from surfing), hairy (excessive attack of Labrador Retriever) Ford Escape and off we left OC->LB->LA to SF.

After dropping Greg off at his apartment, we checked into our hotel, had 30 mins. to decompress, use the hotel's complimentary wifi before hopping into a taxi to attend the MT 3.1 Sneak Preview Party at the Varnish Gallery five blocks east of the hotel.

The MT 3.1 Sneak Preview party was not only a great opportunity for a peer starved SoCal blogger to interact with the SF blogging crowd, but also a time to leisurely speak with bloggers and others that I have met briefly at SXSWi or have read their blogs but not met at all. Once I got over my initial shyness and started introducing myself, the party seemed too short.

Small notes from the party:
1) The Chianti packed a surprising punch. One glass and I was woozy, much to my embarrassment while attempting to hold a cogent conversation with various folk.
2) The Varnish Gallery is a lovely space for art, wine, and cute men.
3) Alaina Browne had excellent restaurant recommendations for Sandra, Tink and I.
4) Tink won the raffle prize. Go Tink Go. And Happy Birthday to you!
5) Best of all was the door gifts of 32 meg "thumb drives" with MT 3.1b loaded on them.