Seven Hills -- They Told Me

The great cities of the world have Seven hills. Rome -- San Francisco ... etc. That's what every one told me ...

This guy (Tom Graham) says there are 43 hills in San Francisco. Have you got you're hillclimbing gear running?

"At the very beginning," city archivist emeritus Gladys Hansen says, "San Francisco was a very small city and we had only seven hills -- which were copied (figure that one out -- if you can -- copied???? Hello.) from the seven hills of Rome. There was Telegraph Hill, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Rincon Hill, Mount Sutro, Twin Peaks and Mount Davidson. " He cites. But what about Potrero Hill, and that ungodly thing that funnels the wind into Candlestick Monster™ park (talk about wrecking history -- grumble -- monsterpark) . OK, so it's the hilliest city outside of La Paz, Bolivia (37000 ft, serious verticle -- like that). 43 hills. Second hilliest city in the world.

I particularly like this bit -- about San Francisco is a great center of world-wide commerce in 1859. Have a gold rush and become a center of world commerce:

When Dana returned, he wrote:
On the evening of Saturday, the 13th of August, 1859 -- the superb steamship
Golden Gate ... bound up from the Isthmus of Panama, neared the entrance to San
Francisco, the great centre of a world-wide commerce .

There are streets with stairs in San Francisco. Ride your bike up that. There are stairs all over.

He's right. It's a hilly city. I spent all day uphill in it.

But the Burrito at La Cumbre -- was worth the walk. If you didn't read that link, there is way more about the San Francisco Burrito than you ever wanted to know. The burritos at La Cumbre in San Francisco are famous the world over. The truth is -- if you want a really good burrito -- you need to cook a steak and throw it in. Carne Asada -- Salsa Caliente. Sweat. Eat. Feast. Add cheese.

San Bruno Mountain Summit Loop Trail

San Bruno Mountain Summit Loop Trail

September 30 2006 - 111 Photos

The hike went well and was good. The weather was super.

Happy Birthday Critical Mass

Ok -- I missed by a couple of days. It is the last Friday of the month and this is San Francisco, which is where this says the first critical mass ride was , to wit:

The first San Francisco ride, with
48 riders, began at 6 p.m., Friday, September 25, 1992, although it did not come
to be called Critical Mass until the second ride, on Friday, October 30, 1992
(with 85 riders).

I particularly like this bit,"analyzing the tactics of the ride, as part of an evaluation of decentralized decision-making for potential military battlefield use." Wow -- I don't know if that person had enough to do.

Critical Mass is 14 years old. Next time.

San Bruno Mountain

The hike. Tomorrow, methinks. 3.5 miles, 650 ft up and down. I am going to try to break my 581 mph speed record. Here's an interesting pictureMap showing the edges of this little bit of wilderness.

Take one of these

And ten of these.

And call me in the morning.

I had a good workout and now I am tired.

Teds Market

Fresh Roasted Turkey and Swiss from Ted's Market on Howard at 12th in San Francisco. Although it has more meat, John, it just doesn't taste as good as the one from the Ravioli House. I don't know why. It's still a good sandwich.

The Ravioli House

Years have passed, many years, and it is still a good lunch. Fresh roasted turkey with cheddar cheese on a sourdough roll from the Ravioli House on B Street at 5th, in San Mateo. Just as good as I remember it. Who could ask for more.

Working it Out.

So I managed to swim my seven laps today without any real breaks. This is a substantial improvement. It was a lot more of a workout than I have had so far. Why? You might ask.

1. I hurt.
2. I inhaled water.
3. I feel like I went for a swim.
4. I am tired.
5. Crossroads was playing on the swimp3 player.
6. I feel great.
7. I didn't wear the helmet.

Today, one of my work mates asked why I haven't been riding my bike. He rides the same route as I and meets the same train. Maybe he misses me. If I start riding again and then swim I might end up training eating continuously.

Today I saw video of Bobby Kielty celebrating because the Oakland A's (I was born in Oaktown) have cinched their place in the playoffs. Amid all the champagne pouring, splashing and spilling, here is the red headed Kielty (great name after all) wearing goggles like mine -- but cooler. They were polarized. Mine play music though -- so there.

It's a new trend I think. All Kielty's wear nutty goggles.

Suburban Life

I swam 7 laps last night and 7 laps on Sunday, and 5 on Saturday. I tried out the underwater Finis® swimp3™ player -- it's marvelous
when underwater, otherwise it's kinda sucky. Swim (good sound), breathe (sucky), swim (good), breathe (sucky), and so on. I remember the bone conduction technology of the BoneFone sounding much better on dry land.

So I am disappointed. It will never do for riding on a bike. Update: However, if you manage to get them positioned well -- the sound is better when the head leaves the water.

Holy Cow

I like this cow. Notice the halo. It's in front of a place called Holy Cow, of all things.

Another Boring ...

Day ... post ... whatever. I ordered one of these. which I will want to test out. I swam 7 laps yesterday, which should be 350 yards. I haven't been riding my bike this week. Grumble.

Talk All You Want, It's Free

(Crossroads ringtone music playing from my pocket)
Me: "&*%$, that's the phone."
L: "Hello."
Me: Breathing heavily.
L: "Hello, Shawn?"
Me: "Hello."
L: "Are you on your bike? (meaning riding)."
Me: "Yes."
L: "I wish I could do that."
Bring brriririinbggg! (bike bell).
Me (screaming): "HEY!!! -- Lookout -- Bike coming!!"
Me (at surprised driver that just tried to run me over): "Quit talking on the phone, would you?!!"
L: "Shawn?"
M: "Yes, sorry."

Today laws were passed in California to make it illegal to hold a phone to your ear while driving. I must quit driving. Maybe I could tape one in place. I would really believe that it couldn't possibly be true that talking on the phone is dangerous while driving, if I hadn't seen so much obvious evidence that it were true.

Some people will never be able to drive (and talk on the phone). Others will always manage to.

Argument follows.

P.S. I usually don't answer my phone while riding my bike -- it's very hard to do; not to mention dangerous. If it's very (extremely y'know -- bike path protected from cars -- no peds or bikes coming -- don't try this at home -- etc.) safe, then I do. Typically I stop and pick it up.

On to the swimming and riding parts. Last night, I met a girl at the pool with a pink water bottle (hereinafter -- the girl with the pink water bottle) who swam 40 laps in about 45 minutes, which she tells me is 2000 yards. Ok -- that's a mile, plus. It also means that the ten laps I swam were actually five. so I swam six tonight. I.e., 300 yards. I need to find some rythm here. She was very surprised to hear that I could ride a hundred miles but couldn't manage to swim across the pool (with out choking on my own sputum running out of breath).

Date: Lately, September 2006
Miles Riding: 14.43
Max: 22.8
Bike: Commuter
September Bike Mileage: 70.21

It seems I am going to have to work harder to get alot of miles in.

Sunday's hike was different though -- we hiked 4.52 miles and our max speed was 581 mph, according to the gps. ... go figure.

Stilts

Another Shot

This Seems to Speak for Itself.

I have never quite seen habitat restoration that started out like this. This is an area near the city of San Mateo's Shoreline Parks seeming just beyond the San Mateo border into Foster City.

When I was younger this was all wetlands.

Pelicans

Rrr-r-r-r-ring, ring. Rrrring ring.

I think Roadie might be a bit jealous. It will be a lot more attractive than screaming out "Lookout A**hole" "Bike," which is the method I was using. I am fond of my new bell, I carried it in my pocket all day yesterday and tested it out on pedestrians while I was walking around sight seeing in Half Moon Bay. It seems about half of the tourists I dingled my bell at would rather be struck by a bicycle than bother to look. Go figure.

I so wanted to buy a mermaid floor lamp I found in a shop there, which my good friend was seeming horrified by. Perhaps it was the overly exaggerated boobs that horrified her, but it was the $810 sticker price that stopped me altogether.

I Ride to Work Everyday ...

And I wanted to do it ... dang.

Date: 12-13 September 2006
Miles Riding: 11.34
Bike: Commuter
Ipod: Seems to be lost after the move
September Bike Mileage: 55.78

It's awesome. I ride to work everyday.

Blogging from Home ...

Without a desk can be a pain. I am sure that many of you find it quite comfy sitting about on the couch with your laptap in wireless mode. Me, I am on my knees in the bedrooom trying to find a way to get comfy. Besides which -- I can't remember the passphrase (is that a word?) to my own miserable wireless network. Finally, though, I have an internet at home. Now I can finally stop wasting company time blogging at work.

While we are on the subject of couches, take a look at my new one. It's spooge free so far. Spooge is a word I learned from Gilby's blog about couch shopping. Gilby and I can both count on being able to find a good place to sit.

If I type brookssaddles.com into my browser it will take me to a great description of a selle royal™, which is why I am finally going to take that ball breaking Selle Italia gelsnot seat off my road bike and replace it with a Brooks™ saddle. There was a fairly agressive complaint right here in the text about who might redirect brookssaddles.com, which I took out to replace with this bit about Brooks being bought by Selle Royal in 2002. Although I don't particularly like my Selle seat, I shouldn't go off shooting arrows into the night sky. Regardless, I shall be free of padded shorts in no time. I think it might finally be payday tomorrow and a new brooks saddle is in order.

I have been sidetracked by a small rant.



It's move day 795.63256901234 or I lost track. Remember this. Me too. I have a lot of scrunching to do. No really small apartment is complete without a few bikes and an unmanagable stack of boxes. There's a lot left to do, but finally I can sit on the couch.

I have never had a new couch, and this one happens to double as a bed. Plus what, the flat squishy matress part is totally natural fibers which are grown organically, and the cover smells like linen and new car smell (not organic). The last time I had a new bed was when I was barely married and my wife and I had a new queen size bed. I never had a new couch. I have never purchased a couch.

How do you get these couches you use if you've never purchased one? One might feel compelled to ask. By having a truck. A truck assures an abundance of spoogy couches. " Can you help me move?" Sure, as long as you don't try to give me a sofabed. "Want this old spoogy couch?" Yeah, sure.

I saw this girl on the train with a Surly Cross Check. It has fenders. I might need fenders this year because we having an El Nino Moment on the news. I forgot about rain while I was in Arizonia.

Notice: I had to modify this post, because I was wrong about it, and the error checkers found it ... and branded my seat.

Of All the Things

The sun was out this morning ... so I should stop complaining. Once I remember reading somewhere that there are 3508 restaurants in San Francisco. Talk about your dining paradise. Eat at a different restaurant everyday for 9.6109589041095890410958904109589 years. Now that is making me hungry.

Date: 11-12 September 2006
Miles Riding: 4.0
Weather: 66°F., 70% humidity.
Average: n/a
Max: n/a
Bike: Commuter
Ipod: Seems to be lost after the move
September Bike Mileage: 44.44

Since I swam 10 laps yesterday, I am considering replacing the ipod with this. It's an underwater mp3 player.

Manora's Thai Cuisine

Manora's Thai Cuisine at 12th and Folsom in San Francisco.


The view is typical of the neighborhood.


Red Curry Beef


#15. Rice Noodle with Beef Stew

The food was excellent, the service was good. It was a good lunch

Date: 8-11 September 2006
Miles Riding: 8.51
Weather: 54°F., 94% humidity.
Average: 9.7
Max: 20.8
Bike: Commuter
Ipod: No
September Bike Mileage: 40.44

Will practices his skills at finding something to eat.

Last night I went out looking for a Thai restaurant to replace my regular haunt of the Thai Food Corner in Mesa and ended up downtown in San Mateo at the Thai Satay Restaurant where I had the Sweet Basil Beef. It was good. I got home well after dark last night.

So this morning I put on a jacket. It was a good thing too, as this was a very typical San Francisco morning with fog and drizzle and a stiff breeze in my face. Even here in the Sun belt ... Mark Twain was right, apparently.

Date: 7-8 September 2006
Miles Riding: 7.10
Weather: 54°F., 88% humidity.
Average: 9.4
Max: 21.5
Bike: Commuter
Ipod: No
September Bike Mileage: 31.93

Some Photos from the Redwoods

Madrone

Lady Bird Johnson Grove in Redwoods State and National Park

Apparently a 63 year old cyclist was struck and killed yestterday by the caltrain in Redwood City. Read about it here. Be sure to honor the crossing gates, and you won't get hit, too.

Despite the potential for me to get off at my regular stop as a result of the delay -- I was on an express train and had to get off early. So I got a chance to stop and get some adjustment to my headset, and to ride an extra couple of miles. This is both the commutes of the evening and the morning.

Date: 6-7 September 2006
Miles Riding: 10.61
Weather: Some fog -- some sun ..
Average: 10.0
Max: 24.5
Bike: Commuter
Ipod: No
September Bike Mileage: 24.83

Back and Forth

Date: 5 September 2006
Miles Riding: 4.74
Weather: 64°F., 68% humidity..
Bike: Commuter
Ipod: No
September Bike Mileage: 9.48

Date: 6 September 2006
Miles Riding: 4.74
Weather: 56°F., 87% humidity..
Average: 9.1
Max: 18.3
Bike: Commuter
Ipod: No
September Bike Mileage: 14.22

Ride to Work

Date: 5 September 2006
Miles Riding: 4.74
Weather: 53°F., 92% humidity..
Average: 8.1
Max: 18.5
Bike: Commuter
Ipod: No
September Bike Mileage: 4.74

Big month so far ...

Swimming is Fun

No, it's not ... I went for a swim yesterday. Did a measly 10 laps -- 250 meters if I have everything correct. It went ok. I ran out of breath, I had to resort to a side stroke so I could rest. I had to actually stop and rest. More than once.

But I swam ten laps.

Hey -- Get Out of the Road

This Gentleman has some weeds in his hair. Quite a few people were standing around looking at this bull elk, when I noticed this mama black bear crossing the rod with two cubs.


Redwoods State and National Park, near Crescent City, California.