The Presidio of San Francisco

So we have now gone from living under the Verrazanno to under the Golden Gate bridge.  The Presidio was a beautiful post with the architecture in the Spanish style. It had been built on the rocky tip of San Francisco overlooking the bay and ocean.  The post had technically closed when we moved there, but was told that it would still be around for a while.  Ha!  That was a joke.  We refer to it as our extended vacation, as we only lived there from October of 94 to June of 95.  We had a decent apartment on the second floor, and if you looked through the trees out our patio, you could see the beach and water.  It was pretty post, even the Burger King had an awesome view of the bay.

Chaucer used to jump up
from the back of the
couch!

After arriving there and getting our household goods settled, it was time to start looking for a job.  Before leaving INS, I had spoke with an Agent there about getting in with the FBI.  I did go through the first application, initial round of testing and had passed it all.  At that point they explained to me that I needed to complete a 24 page booklet about me, my family, and extended family.  Oh yea, they also said that if I was accepted, I would have to agree to a minimum 3 or 5 year commitment (including no maternity leave during that time).   I asked about what would happen if we moved, and they said they could try and find something close, but there was no guarantee.  Well, that was the end of that!


My next option was to apply with a temp agency.  I had used them before, and it seemed like a good idea.  They help me rewrite my resume, and found me a position with a property management company.  I start working as a receptionist, but soon added additional duties.  It was definitely easier to drive around in SF than in NYC, but it cost a fortune to park.  I had mastered the subway system in NYC, so now it was onto the bus system in SF.  Luckily there was a bus stop not to far from the apartment, and I could take that to California street and transfer onto a bus that got me within a block or two from the office.  Going home, if I could get out on time, I could catch the express bus, but if not, it was the slow boat  to china getting home.  It always amazed me how it would be sunny and warm downtown, but by the time we got up to my connection to post it would wind up being chilly, foggy, and damp.


The food there was truly different for me.  A co-worker took me to a sushi place where for $5 you could get a box lunch including a drink. That was truly good eats!  Scott and I were part of a Sunday morning brunch club.  We went down to Spaghetti Western for breakfast a couple of times, among other places.  I remember Spaghetti Western by name mainly because that was the place where the staff truly scared me with all their piercings and tattoos.  Yes I was still naive at the time and was unaccustomed to the tattoos over the whole body, and the facial piercings.  Remember, this was 1994-95, and it was not as common back then.  The food was fabulous though.

 Crissy Field where we
could walk Chaucer.

Scott's job, while still being a bandsman, was somewhat limited there.  There were not a whole lot of city events that San Franciscans wanted Army at.  I do know that he did play taps at a cool biker rally.  They also did some TDY (another army acronym meaning Temporary DutY) assignments to Oregon.  Ususally he just had a regular duty day, and came home at 3 or 4, grabbed Chaucer and took him first for a car ride and then for a nice long walk at Crissy Field.


Okay, so one downside to working in SF, Monday Night Football had usually started by the time I was home from work!  Luckily, Scott had the beer cold and the wings cooking.  It did make me miss Monday night wings at Fitzpatrick's!

Solfeggio (black) and Rhapsody
"Vegg" developed FHE

Our cat developed to Feline Hyper-Estasia Disorder while we were there.  It basically means that his skin is overly sensitive.  The Doctor gave us a prescription that we had to get filled at the pharmacy.  That was a trip!   The technician asked for his name, address, age, insurance....All I could say is that it is for my cat!  She didn't even seem phased by that.  I got the prescription and it turned out to be Valium! I have never even had that.  Let me tell you, watching a cat on Valium is a hysterical experience. He would fall off the top of the back of the chair where he was laying (just out of the blue), eat leftovers off the table (which he never did before) and couldn't jump the gate we had between the front and back half of the house.  You could see him sitting there getting ready to try and jump, and he would be swaying. We think that it might have been caused by all the kitty spins Scott gave him on the asbestos tile floor.


We left the Presidio in June of 1995, and since the last cleaning fiasco, we decided to hire a cleaning team.  The cost was not that high, and it saved the stress of trying to get it done.  The band played a ceremony where they actually marched off post with the command as a symbolic leaving post.  We left the next day.  Our next PCS move was a camping one and would take us back across country to upstate NY with family visits in Michigan, Chicago and Florida.