July 5

I took so many pictures today that I can't wait to show other people. I am so glad I make a hobby out of taking pictures because it really adds a lot to my vacations. Today my uncle took me and my sister to learn to drive his stick-shift Porsche sports car. Driving down the street approaching seventy miles an hour, it occured to me, while sitting in the passenger seat, that I had not only never driven a sports car but never ridden in one. Learning how to drive a stick-shift is like learning how to ride a pony for the first time. And if it's a sports car, then it's like having your first riding lesson on an untamed black stallion. Needless to say, I am not a natural at manual transmissions. I will keep on trying however.

Today we went to a vineyard which reminded me of both The Grapes of Wrath and Sideways, but more of Sideways. They are two of my favorites in their respective mediums. We had lunch and then we drove to Sausalito. It is a really beautiful town and we had to drive over the Golden Gate Bridge to get in. I kind of expected to be more aroused by the Golden Gate Bridge. I guess it didn't help that I was sitting in the third row of a minivan so I couldn't really see anything any window except the one behind me, and that one is marked by black lines of whose purpose I am unaware. But we are spending the next three days hiking in the Golden Gate Bridge recreational area, so I will have plenty of time to soak up the landmark. Anyways, in Sausalito, my sister and I waited in line at an ice cream shop, then went across the street to another one because we thought it might have better, but it turned out to be an unwise gamble and we went back to the first. Then we went to a store called "Games People Play" and my dad bought a kite and a frisbee. I got two bracelets: one is beaded with a plastic butterfly that reminds me of my childhood, and the other is a rope one I found under a sign that read "Changes Colors in Sunlight." The bracelet did change in the sunlight, but only turned pink, and then back to white when taken back into the shade. My mother's explanation for this phenomenon is that it must be a nuclear bracelet. I saw a man carrying a stuffed rabbit in a shoulder bag and I shuddered. I think I am going back to having a song of the day. I'm not wishy-washy though, somebody told me today that song of the day on my blog has introduced them to new bands they otherwise never would have known they liked. If I can make even just one person slightly happier by keeping this element to my blog, then I will most definitely keep it up for the rest of the year. That said, song of the day is obviously "Sausalito" by Conor Oberst.

I won't be blogging again until Wednesday night until something unexpected happens. I can't wait to be out in nature. Hope everyone has a nice couple of days!