I have a friend visiting from out of town this week. So I've been playing hostess and showing him around. So far we've been to Fisherman's Wharf, the Coit Tower, Ghiradelli Square, the Haight/Ashbury district, and the Napa Valley wineries. Next we're targeting either a cruise on the Bay or a night tour to Alcatraz Island.

I have to say, as a regular resident of the Bay Area, I wouldn't be doing some of these things or going to some of these places if I wasn't taking a visitor around. Fisherman's Wharf? Coit Tower? Alcatraz? These are tourist traps. They're for tourists only. BUT...as I went to these places with him, I suddenly felt like a tourist myself. Suddenly I felt like I AM on vacation and I AM sightseeing. It's amazing. Maybe it's because I don't go to these places often, if at all. Therefore in a way they seemed new and fresh to me. At a gift shop in Fisherman's Wharf, I found myself fascinated by those pendants containing a grain of rice with your name engraved on it. I actually wanted to buy one. Even though I didn't buy it, this shows how deep of a "touristy mode" I was in to be fascinated by things in a gift shop.

My friend is in town for another 3 days. That's how much longer my role as a tour guide will last. I should really thank my friend for visiting and bringing on this sudden pseudo vacation for me. If only I didn't have to work this week as all this is happening. But of course, that's too much to ask.

In reaction to JLo's marriage to Marc Anthony this weekend, bookies are offering 3-1 odds that the quickie marriage will dissolve by the end of the year. They are also offering 10-1 odds that JLo will marry more than eight times in her lifetime, beating Elizabeth Taylor. This is too funny! A little cruel, but definitely funny! How can anyone, even JLo, blame these bookies for recognizing viable opportunities to make a few extra bucks?

My question for JLo is...Why do you even bother? You know your own track record. You'll just be in and out of your lawyer's office signing papers. Why don't you just save yourself the time and energy and put them into better use. Oh, by that I don't mean another Gigli. Please!

Speaking of license plates, I have a question. Those cameras installed at intersections to catch red light runners are set up to take pictures of the license plate of the offending car. From that they trace the licensed owner of the car as the red light runner. What happens when an offending car doesn't have plates, eg new cars who's plates have yet to come? How do they identify those cars/drivers?

Whoopi! The scratch on my car is gone. Woohoo! I took my car back to the dealer to put in a rear spoiler. Besides installing the spoiler, the nice people at the dealership threw in a free buff job to buff out the scratch for me. So now my car is as good as new. Then again it IS new. Heck, I've only had it for a month and my license plates haven't even arrived yet. Wonder what my plates will be. If I were to get custom plates, does anyone have any suggestion as to what I should get? Let's see your creativity people. :)