Locals?

In our increasing attempt to mingle with the locals we decided that we had lived here long enough to venture walking across the iconic Golden Gate bridge. Ironically, I don't think locals ever walk on the bridge--it's more for tourists and folks who wish to end their life by falling to their deaths into the churning waters of the bay(I know, gruesome image). At any rate, I found the experience to be highly overrated. While we were surrounded by breath-taking views. I found that the exhuast from the thousands of vehicles passing was also "taking my breath away" in a very literal sense. Also, what I imagined to be a very relaxing stroll on a Sunday afternoon had me anxious with children getting too close to the railing and traffic so loud that I felt like I was at heavy metal concert. Perhaps there are some things in this world just left to romantic imaginations and movies.

According to Wikipedia: The Golden Gate Bridge is the most popular place to commit suicide in the United States and is one of the most popular in the world. The deck is approximately 245 feet above the water. After a fall of approximately four seconds, jumpers hit the water at some 86 miles per hour, which can be fatal. Some of those who survive the impact drown or die of hypothermia in the cold water.
There is no accurate figure on the number of suicides or successful jumps since 1937, because many were not witnessed. People have been known to travel to San Francisco specifically to jump off the bridge, and may take a bus or cab to the site; police sometimes find abandoned rental cars in the parking lot. Currents beneath the bridge are very strong, and some jumpers have undoubtedly been washed out to sea without ever being seen.

The official color of the bridge is "international orange", but I still don't think it is as brilliant as Adam's hair!

Gregory

So, you might notice a theme here. I like writing about people. People are what make our lives worth living. Especially since moving we have had many interesting characters cross our path. We have been enlightened, enriched, and generally entertained. Cue Greg. We have come to know Greg pretty well by picking him up for church each Sunday. Any attempt at describing him in this post will not do him justice. He is just one of those people that you have to meet to truly appreciate. He is an 18-year-old trapped in a 48-year-old's body. His spirit is contagious. He doesn't drive so we offered to take him with us to the Oakland temple several days ago. His anticipation for the planned trip rivaled that of a child on Christmas eve. At the end of the session he found Adam and me in the Celestial room and raised his fists over his head and said, "I made it, I made it!" I just thought those would be my sentiments exactly at the end of this life. His loyalty and faithfulness to the gospel are matched only by his love of the Golden State Warriors. So when Greg's father gave him courtside seats to the Warriors vs. Suns game, Greg invited Adam(mostly, because he needed a ride) and Adam was happy to oblige and sit in the perspiration splash-zone among the likes of Steve Nash, Grant Hill, and Shaq. Here's a little taste of the action...