Pillow fight club

I was lucky enough to spend my Valentine's dinner with IronWoman, who is visiting the Bay Area from Philly. A member of the Swerve IronWoman is a dear friend from my college swimming days. Only these days, she continues to swim avidly and I concentrate on making my belly expand thanks to my sedentary lifestyle.

I was pleasantly surprised to be seated quickly at one of my favorite restaurants, despite the fact that we had not made reservations. I think it was thanks to the fact that it was not even 6:00pm when we met up, but I didn't care as we gorged ourselves on shaking beef!

While dining, we noticed a couple entering a restaurant covered in feathers. They didn't seem to mind that a light dusting of feathers covered their hair and their clothes. IronWoman and I surmised that they had caught the Valentine's Day fever and were engaged in a little amorous action shortly before entering the restaurant.

But upon leaving dinner, we noticed that there were feathers everywhere. And people covered in feathers walking around the streets. And more people carrying blown-out pillows, spilling feathers everywhere. What the heck was going on?

It turns out there was a massive pillow fight in Justin Herman Plaza - apparently an annual Valentine's Day ritual. Imagine hundreds of people, wailing on each other with pillows, the air thick with feathers and punctuated with shrieks. It was a huge, lovely pool of free-spirited chaos and it made me love this city even more.