Spoiler Alert! If you haven’t seen the finale of Lost, and you have any plans to, please stop reading now and go about your business. Come back when you’re done.

So. Lost. The End.

Wow.

You can tell where I was watching this, because there are about a million mistakes in a what really was a very simple shawl pattern. Note to self: don’t knit while so distracted.

I loved the finale. I really did. I cried buckets at the very end, but I loved it. I know that a lot of fans don’t–in a way, it makes me think of the Battlestar, Galactica finale. Both shows were science fiction with a heavy mystical component, which played a major role in the finale. Yet, there are always fans who get frustrated at not having everything tied up neatly, all the questions answered, and solid scientific explanations for all mytical occurances. (Perhaps a reflection of the increasingly aggressive opposition to any belief system?)

But how often do we get those answers? The source–how can any of us really know what that is? How can we know what the meaning is? But what we do know are the people who are here with us. Maybe it’s just me, but there are people I’ve met that I do feel I am meant to know. People that, in some ways, it feels like I’ve known before. I like to think that no matter what happens in this life, I’ll see these people again. So on that level, the ending really felt emotionally right to me.

Of course, I cried. And then it brought up all sorts of issues I kind of knew were lurking under the surface of my psyche, and I cried some more. But it was good, and satisfying, and I’m going to miss having that quality of TV to watch but I’m satisfied with the ending.

Also? For the record? I totally called Juliet as Jack’s ex-wife in the flash-sideways. There was just something in that weird Jack/Kate/Sawyer/Juliet mess that it couldn’t have been anyone else. So, I at least feel vindicated in that.

Okay, last vacation post, I promise! One of the things my Mom has been dying to do since I moved here is visit Children’s Fairyland in Oakland. It’s so close to my apartment, and we both love children’s books and stories. But there was just one little catch….you need a child to get in.

Mom suggested we try pointing out that I am her child, but I figured they might consider 27 to be a bit over the age limit. Luckily, I happen to have friends with kids, who are happy to help gain our admission to the park!

We took my friend and her son to visit. It was a lot of fun, and my Mom even managed to get a picture of me holding a baby (which is on her camera, so not here).

The whole park was SO CUTE. I wanted to shrink myself down and move in.

My favorites included Peter Rabbit’s village. Look at the wee tiny houses!

I also loved Mary, Mary Quite Contrary and her garden. It’s hard to see in the picture, but there are silver bells and cockleshells! In addition to the exhibits, they also had beautiful gardens all over the park. Totally worth visiting if you have kids, or if you’re just a big children’s book junkie–though if you’re the latter, you may have to find a child to borrow.

When my parents visited, instead of wandering through the same neighborhoods we’ve seen before, I thought it might be nice to take an actual tour. (Preferably one that didn’t involve walking, since we were also visiting Alcatraz that day.) Luck was with me, and I got a Groupon for Mr. Toad’s Tours!

First of all, let me say that I cannot recommend this tour enough! It was really fantastic. Rather than a bus, they use modified vintage cars. The tour guide was great, super knowledgeable about San Francisco, really funny, and bonus, he wore a hat! (I have a thing for hats, okay? They need to come back. Jaunty ones.)

This was our tour car. How cute!

My Mom on the tour.  This was at the start, down in Fisherman’s Wharf. We took the shorter tour. but got to see lots of amazing places in San Francisco, many of which I’d never managed to get to before. I’d love to take the longer version sometime.

One of the things we saw over and over were some amazing views.  Plus, a lot of landmarks:

Chinatown

Coit Tower

The Transamerica Pyramid

Cable Cars

Grace Cathedral

Victorians

The Presidio

The Golden Gate Bridge

The Palace of Fine Arts

Even a robot on a roof!

All in all, it was a great experience–if you’re visiting San Francisco, or if you’ve got friends in town, I highly recommend it. Heck, even if you live here, it could be fun if you want to play tourist for a day! I certainly enjoyed it.

I’ve been trying to get my parents to visit Alcatraz since I moved out here, and we finally made it this trip. I love Alcatraz–the old buildings, the views, and the gardens. Plus, I have a morbid fascination with the prison and some of the famous prisoners who were housed there. I can’t imagine what it must have been like; it’s such a beautiful setting, but such a depressing use.

Welcome to the Rock!

There were a lot of birds on the island. My father has decided that he would like to take up bird watching, so that made him happy. We mostly saw seagulls, who were very easy to photograph. We also saw a snowy egret, but I wasn’t able to get a photo.

The cells are so tiny. I can’t imagine spending all day locked up in one; you’d have to go stir crazy.

My favorite thing, though? A 1930s firetruck! SO FANTASTIC. It makes me want to go back wearing a vintage dress and take a picture in front of it. So awesome.

I also picked up a great book at the gift shop–a cookbook from the 1950s Alcatraz Women’s Association. There are some things in there I won’t be trying–Tuna Surprise, anyone?–but some of the recipes intrigue me with their vintage charm. I also love how they include the women’s names with each one. Don’t be surprised if you see some of those show up on my blog!