A Somewhat Lonely Girl in San Francisco

cosycottage · Post by **cosycottage** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 9:25 pm

"Sheesh." Lylis whistled through gritted teeth, as she stared out the ornate bay window into the street below. "I know I said 'fine, whatever, losers' when cosy said he was off on his three day road trip with his motorcycling bozo friends, but I didn't really believe he'd ride all the way down from Canada with me and then dump me here."

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Lylis sighed to herself. She knew cosycottage had promised to take her out and about and show her the sights when he got back. And, yes, okay, the bike trip had been planned that way and she was a strong, independent woman and all that. But she still felt.... well... somewhat abandoned.

"Oh, buck up, Lyl." she admonished herself. "To hell with boys and their stinky combustible engine infatuation. There's no reason why you can't go have a look around town by yourself. Hah! That'll teach stupid cosy!" Lylis scrambled down from the window and headed across to the coffee table. "Now, I know I saw one of those free visitor's maps around here somewhere..."

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"Hmm." After five minutes' brisk walk, Lylis paused at the intersection and looked up from her map. "Do I make a left here, or is it best to take another couple of blocks this way... hmmm."
Not that it mattered too much, because even diminutive dolls couldn't get too lost on a grid system: however, Lylis made a safe diversion, avoiding the crowds at Fisherman's Wharf and their heavy feet and bulky shopping bags, and snuck into Pier 39 feeling very proud of herself.

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"Oh fucksticks." Lylis pouted.
Of course, cosysottage had brought her all this way and the famous sea lions, save for a few lazy-looking stragglers, had left their cheeky berth in the marina for the summer.
To make it worse, at that moment, a thick blanket of heavy fog had rolled in through the mouth of the Bay, and not only had swallowed the Golden Gate Bridge from view, but also threatened to devour Alcatraz Island as well.
"Quick, quick!" Lylis harried, and set the timer on her camera before struggling to get in position. As the shutter clicked, a bleary sea lion yawned away to itself in the background, but Lylis was already getting too caught up in her adventure to notice.

The sun beat down softly, as a cooling breeze caused the boats in the marina to clink gently in the water: and in the background, the grey mass of the very under-appreciated Bay Bridge swept off into the distant Oakland shoreline.

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"Well," thought Lylis as she fiddled with the camera for another shot, "I shall get a photo of a bridge one way or another today!"

On her way back from the waterfront, Lylis stopped off at the cable car terminus. She had planned to take a ride up the hill, but baulked when she found out the price of a one-way ticket. "Five fucking dollars!?" she muttered under her breath. "You're having a bubble."

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Fortunately, taking photographs of them is free.

kindly · Post by **kindly** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 9:38 pm

Nice poses, great photos, cosy cottage! And I love a girl that speaks her mind - good thing I live on the opposite coast - I'd be SO in love! (Whoops - gotta be sure that April doesn't see this!)

cosycottage · Post by **cosycottage** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 9:48 pm

Lylis decided to punctuate the rather long walk back to her next vantage point, by picking up a refreshing iced latte at a cafe at the foot of Lombard Street.

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She basked in the warm afternoon glow as she sat on the terrace outside, watching the world slowly pass by.
Not too hot, not too cold. Just right. Lylis thought to herself, feeling like Goldilocks, as she took in the rays and slowly finished her drink - girding her loins for the steep trek uphill that awaited her. She hoped it would be worth it.

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Of course, it was - although the bottom of the twistiest road in the world (apparently) was awash with dozy tourists, who kept walking into shot and ruining her tableau, as they took their own snaps of the famous landmark and the cars slowly trundling down, back and forth on the tight hairpin bend.
"I'm glad I don't live in one of those houses." Lylis sighed - more out of breath than of exasperation. To be honest, she needed a nice sit down somewhere... although perhaps a little less hectic than this busy intersection!

As luck would have it, there was an ideal spot, a little further down the hill, and close to the house where she was staying. Not so many tourists knew about it, as you needed to take some steps up to reach it, but once there, the spot enjoyed some stunning views, and Lylis had plenty of time to set up shot after shot...

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which was often needed as a gentle gust would occassionally send her long skirt billowing upwards.

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"Oops!" Lylis giggled, as it happened once again, flustering her hair in the process as well.

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phillip57 · Post by **phillip57** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:08 pm

Very nice pics, something a little different for a change.

cosycottage · Post by **cosycottage** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:13 pm

Lylis was tired by the day's exertions, but proud of what she had acheived.
She had really wanted to head up to Coit Tower, her favourite landmark, having read all about its history in the guidebook on the long ride down.
Thank goodness cosycottage had thought to pack a little torch in his backpack, where she had snuggled up safe and warm in her sleeping bag, with the muffled roar of the motorway gently rocking her to sleep.

Apparently, from what Lylis' had gleaned from her occasional reading jags, the lady who erected Coit Tower had a severe fireman fetish, and would spend her time hitching rides in their truck, or following the set of strapping fellows to watch them manfully fight the flames.
The fact that this rich society girl had plonked a tower shaped rather suggestively like a fireman's hose was not lost on too many people, even when she had first commissioned it.

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As much as she wanted to get up close and personal with it, Lylis decided a nice shot from here with the monstrosity looming in the distance was good enough for today.

After only a couple of minute's walk at a welcome downhill pace, she was soon relaxing back home, safe and sound - and in time for tea too!

As for tomorrow? Well, she would see what that would bring...

DAY TWO

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A glorious morning awaited Lylis, as she quickly finished breakfast and took a long lovely look out of the bay window.
The thought of more hills made her crinkle up her nose in disgust. She would leave the heavy grunt work to cosycottage, when he got back from his boys-only trip. She consulted the map for less vertically-challenging exploits.
"A-ha!" Lylis grinned. The perfect spot for a lazy summer's day!
A couple of bus rides, at a far more reasonable two dollars (with free transfer) found her in Golden Gate Park, where a gentle stroll soon had her aching feet warmed up sufficiently for a well-deserved rest.

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"Ahhh." Lylis sighed softly, before breathing in the floral-soaked air. This was the life.
It was hard to believe that she was in the middle of a bustling city, with busy lines of traffic lining the street not a hundred yards away.

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Lylis drifted off, to awake perhaps an hour or more later.

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"Phew!" she huffed. "That's quite enough sun for now." as she got up and searched for some nice shade nearby...

Post by **netwit** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:30 pm

She looks so tasty...Cute, I mean, Beautiful. Yes. She looks Beautiful. Tasty, heh-heh, that's so silly.

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cosycottage · Post by **cosycottage** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:38 pm

Lylis soon found the spot she was looking for, taking part in one of her favourite pastimes - clambering up into the safe nook of a tree.

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She watched the people pass by, as she sat, unnoticed, in her perch, until the light began to fade, and she carefully picked her way back down to solid ground.
Catching her breath, she noticed several people wearing jerseys of some description: cream or sometimes black, but with bold orange writing. She wondered where they were all going, with such an intent look on their faces....

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and then Lylis remembered. A baseball game! Cosycottage had mentioned the possibility of going to the ballpark....
Well, to hell with him! Lylis grumbled sorely to herself. Feeling brave, and somewhat defiant, she decided to follow a young couple, waiting at the nearby bus stop, decked out in Giants colours. She relished the thought of Cosycottage's face when she told him somewhat nonchalantly, "Oh, I went to a game while you were off gallivanting around on your stupid motorbike with your friends."
The bus soon filled up with more Giants fans, and Lylis sat back in her seat relieved that she was heading in the right direction...

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Lylis took her time soaking up the atmosphere outside the stadium, as thousands of people milled around, queuing for tickets, or chatting with friends, or slowly filing their way in through the main gates, and Lylis came up with a plan to sneak in without having to pay. Quickly she hopped down from her safe vantage point and skipped through the forest of legs, her little heart racing for all it was worth as she narrowly avoided one thick tree trunk swinging close enough for her to feel a breeze, and then another nearly clipping her. But she soon found refuge in the more orderly line of legs close to the gate, and she picked her way along until she could duck under the bag-check table and skip inside, right under the noses of security.

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Once inside, Lylis soaked up the atmosphere along the edge of the ballpark, enjoying the view of the bay as it slowly shimmered into a warm, fuzzy evening. She had no idea what the score was or who was on first, or when, but at some point, just before the silly but fun seventh-inning stretch, she developed a strong hankering for a coca cola and a large baseball mitt.
Even when she finally got back home, tired but happy and full of garlic fries, she couldn't explain it.

But it was a fun adventure all the same.

She doubted cosy would believe her at first, but - as everyone knows - the camera never lies!

[end]

Dollarhyde · Post by **Dollarhyde** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:48 pm

Great job cosycottage love them story lines along with the photography.

moomoo1 · Post by **moomoo1** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 8:26 am

Nice work cosycottage

Netwit wrote:She looks so tasty...Cute, I mean, Beautiful. Yes. She looks Beautiful. Tasty, heh-heh, that's so silly.

Don't change mate... especially since you keep managing to crack me up with your crazy thread diversions.

Post by **netwit** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 8:37 am

moomoo1 wrote:Don't change mate

Thanks, buddy.

And Thank-you, Cosy, for this well done post. The shot by the scoreboard is my favorite. Her hair is cool too.

1jayjay · Post by **1jayjay** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 8:57 am

Priceless...a right rivoting read, an excellent story line cosycottage.

I love Lylis , she looks so delectable.

She poses so well with her story. Great images, the whole piece is really well done and presented.

cosycottage · Post by **cosycottage** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 12:40 pm

Thanks for the comments, much appreciated!

Lylis enjoyed her trip - always nice to have a travelling companion, especially since I couldn't take Kiko with me

I'll post some other Lylis photos on the Country Girl thread, once I get them resized and sorted.
Can't get a doll album to work on this site (tried three times, not trying again

), but will put a bunch up on my uk doll forum album at some point, for anyone interested....

mission · Post by **mission** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 12:45 pm

Hi Cosy,
What an enterprising girl Lylis is! And what a beauty! It is wonderful to see her adventures and I'm so glad I knew her for a while.

cosycottage · Post by **cosycottage** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 12:59 pm

mission wrote:Hi Cosy,
What an enterprising girl Lylis is! It is wonderful to see her adventures and I'm glad I knew her for a while.

Very many thanks mission - you can see that she's gone on to an exciting new life and blossomed most surprisingly!

PS Poor Ms Page was left keeping everyone else under control while us two were away: a job she managed most effectively, I might add!
<strict disciplinarian>