Culture & History

Yesterday I got to spend the day at a grown up. After brunch with my crew, I headed off into the world of adults. It was amazing. My grandparents had two extra tickets to the San Francisco Opera and invited my mom and I to come along. I've only been to the opera once before, as a teenager, when even as a music lover, I didn't fully appreciate it. I'm still not an opera lover, but the one I saw yesterday - "The Daughter of the Regiment" was wonderful. It was funny. And clever. And had one of the most amazing singers I've ever heard - Juan Diego Florez.

Not bad on the eyes either, right? But this man hit 6 - count 'em SIX high C's in one song. Amazing I tell you! And we had perfect seats.

As we were driving home, my grandfather asked my mom (who was driving) if it would be ok if we drove through the Presidio. My grandfather retired as the Commander of the Presidio, and my mom spent a lot of her teen years living there on post and he wanted to show me the house they lived in. I had seen it as we would drive by the Presidio on the way to the airport and it sort of had become a joke - "there is the house" as we would drive by at 60mph (or whatever the speed limit actually is there). But this would give me the first chance to see it up close and personal. I have to say the Presidio is beautiful. The best view of the Golden Gate ever. And now that it is no longer a working Army base and instead a National Park, people are free to go in there. Anyways, my grandfather showed me where his office was, where command was, where the Commanding General lived, where he lived, where the golf course is (which I found was very important to him!). My mom showed me where she hung out - sometimes to the suprise of my grandfather! Although not an active base anymore, they have converted barracks and officers' quaters to apartments and houses, so people still live there. As a matter of fact, my grandfather told me that their old house has been occupied continously since they left.

I don't think I have what it takes to be an Army wife (and kuddos to those who do!), but I could feel the sense of community and comradre there, even though it's not a post anymore. I would love to be part of community like that.

I don't know why we've never driven through the Presidio before. It's such a nicer way to get from the city to the Golden Gate and it's so interesting. Maybe someday soon I'll take Nacho & the chicklets and we can explore it some more. Especially now they've opened the Walt Disney Family Museum there!