Hi Byron,

I don't think I'll know ahead of time because I don't watch the news on TV. But I would suppose CNN might find it interesting. This takes place between 4:30am and 5:30am, so you'll have to get up early to see it.

I decided I'm just going to stay up all night because I'd have to get up at 2am to get ready anyway, so why bother. There could be some fun things to do in the city that night too. I have an invite to Cocamo's Salsa Club, so I could go dancing there and I think they are open until 2am and that would easily keep me awake.

Today I'm going to the costume shop and they assured me yesterday they have exactly what I need. They specialize in Victorian attire. I hope they have some good hats. I want a really big one. I gave up on staying at the Palace Hotel because they don't know which room Caruso slept in. All of the records burned up in the fire.

I love San Francisco. It is one fantastic city. There's always something to do round the clock and the atmosphere just can't be beat. My first very scary earthquake experience happened there. That feeling of fright and flight were all too apparent then. The elevator full of people stopped mid-floors and the people inside were screaming to get out. The floors were literally rolling, the chandeliers swaying and the windows rattling and thanks to a wonderful woman I worked with who looked at me and said, "it will be over in a minute" I didn't run out of the building. I felt like a trapped rat. Fortunately, I got over that, but I do understand when people tell me they felt that way. It is unnerving. After Loma Prieta they condemned the building and there's a new one there now. That's good.

The San Francisco Symphony is doing a performance on the night of April 18th. Every time I think about that it reminds me of the musicians playing on the deck of the Titanic the night it went asunder. I wonder if any of the survivors of 1906 who were musicians played in the streets in-between aftershocks.

Oh well... so much to look forward to.

Petra