The "Sydney Effect"

Remember when I spent 3 months in Sydney back in 2011? Also remember my moaning about the constant rain? Well, I sort of have a deja vu. When I flew out to the supposedly hot and sunny Australian summer, everybody (including myself) imagined me walking around in short sleeves and sandals all the time. I packed accordingly. When my mother visited me in November and we experienced a stretch of nice weather, I stupidly gave her some warmer stuff to take back to Austria. Wrong move. When I packed for a conference in "sunny" California (specifically the Silicon Valley, where the Firm's HQ is located), I also had visions of me watching my tan build up by the poolside in my free time. Well. It was nice and sunny when I arrived last Sunday, but miserable and rainy all day on Monday and Tuesday. Not to mention colder than back home in Austria. Ah, well, never mind. I had a GREAT time all the same, just not while wearing any of the summery clothes I packed and exposing my nicely pedicured trotters and professionally applied red gel polish to daylight ever. The hotel did have a warm jacuzzi, though, which my colleagues and I very much appreciated. Need I mention that the weather is getting dramatically better as I leave this evening? Just as Sydney experienced a scorcher of a summer once I had left:

Mind you, I HAD checked the weather forecast before leaving, but the outlook wasn't quite as cold and rainy. 

On Monday and Friday I had the opportunity to squeeze in a bit of retail therapy in San Francisco and bought a few things to wear and slap on my face. And since everybody always seems to be obsessed about buying trainers when in the U.S. I thought I'd join in for a change. Being me, I wanted something very bright. Bright they certainly are:

Very flattering angle of my legs...

Ok, now I am off to explore the hood a bit before I need to check out. Talk to you soon(ish).