Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Breakfast: two eggs over easy, two small pork sausage links, one hash brown, 5-seed multigrain toast; hot water. Continued working on the Recharge Medical current website: began drafting a new iron IV page for current website. Swept the sidewalk and driveway and street. Performed a repair on the left (east) balcony drain using SteelStik to fill gaps created when I removed the cover and a bit too much of the surrounding grout because I couldn't tell where the grout ended and the cover began. Rode Muni to Bar Sprezzatura to pick up the credit card I had forgotten to take with me last night after signing and paying. Lunch at Kirimachi Ramen: shoyu ramen, hot tea. Rode Muni home. More web work. Later Patrick and I drove to Filoli in a rental car, meeting Chris and Andy there. Our last visit with all four of us together was on December 22, 2018. Patrick and I returned during the day on September 17, 2020. Since the 2018 visit the holiday decorations at Filoli have noticeably improved. Like 2018, there are places to stop to buy hot drinks like cider or mulled wine. But now there are a lot more lights and decorations indoors and out, TVs and radios inside the mansion play historical recordings or simulations thereof, and there are a lot more opportunities to pay extra for benefits like a private firepit or room, charcuterie, champagne. I was blown away by how beautiful everything looked and how much design and technical work it took to create it. We spent about two hours there, arriving just before dusk and so we were able to see parts during the day and night. 2018 had musicians and carolers that were not present this year. We surmised that they have them on the weekends when it would be busier? Afterwards we drove to Chris and Andy's, leaving behind one car, then driving to German restaurant Gourmet Haus Staudt in Redwood City for dinner: Chris had a special: Schweinebraten (slow roasted bacon wrapped pork tenderloin paired with red cabbage and mashed potatoes topped with a dark bier gravy, $22). Andy had a jäger schnitzel sandwich (sourdough roll, pork schnitzel, swiss cheese and a creamy mushroom sauce. served with pickled veggies, $22). Patrick had pork schnitzel (breaded and fried tenderized pork cutlet) with fries and our haus green salad ($22). I had a smoked brat in bun with sautéed onions ($12). We shared: two crispy potato pancakes served with apple sauce and sour cream ($10) and a Bavarian pretzel plain with everything ($18). Afterwards we shopped in the attached German goods store, then drove back to their place. Chris and Andy served us mini pecan pie with whipped cream and tiny sips of port. Patrick and I drove home. A fine evening.