Friday, August 31

Happy birthday Mr. Poe!  It’s hard to believe he’s only 35!

It was a little cooler this morning and there was a bit more fog.  You can see the tip of the Transamerica Pyramid peeking out through the fog:

I headed out Corbett to Portola to Woodside to Dewey to Taravel down to Ocean BEach and then I went into the park.  I saw a bunch of homeless either sleeping or wandering about.  I guess the city’s plan to oust them was short lived.  Here I am looking like a vagrant as well:

I headed over to Spreckels lake which was very pretty with the fog clinging to it:

I noticed an army of seniors training for battle.  Soon the Richmond will be overrun with angry bands of bloodthirsty retirees.

I headed in Cabrillo to Arguello to McAllister to Parker to Golden Gate.  Here’s a couple of shots of St. Boniface on Golden Gate in the Tenderloin.  The site is completely walled like a fortress which I guess it kind of has to be given the neighborhood.  It’s a nice, nice structure though.

 

Then I turned on market and headed into work.

I went and got cupcakes for Jeff’s birthday after work. Did you know that his birthday is August 31 and that it’s his favorite day of the year?? I’ve never met anybody who likes his birthday as much as Mr. Poe and I’ve gotten him all sorts of cool stuff. After I got back from the bakery I went to the dog park with Rufus and one of his most favorite pals, a Keeshond puppy named Studabaker was there and they played and played and played. He’s the sweetest puppy you’ve ever seen and he loves to play.

 

Total bike mileage: 25

Thursday, August 30

It was very warm when I got up this morning!  I walked Rufus, got ready, and then went out Corbett to Clayton to Frederick to Stanyon and into the park.  It was nice and cool in the park.  I saw a tent a little before Linley meadow which kind of surprised me because I thought the police were really cramping down on camping in the park and you’d have to be smoking a lot of crack to be thinking that was a hidden campsite.  Oh, wait.  I left the park at Spreckels lake and took a photo of the pretty Senior Center on Fulton at 37th Ave:

I rode down to the ocean and then went up to the Palace of the Legion of Honor.  It was sunny there but I could see lingering fog all around:

But the sun was shining on me:

As well as the beautiful museum:

I headed down through Seacliff into the Presidio.  I got this pic above Crissy Field:

Then I headed through the Marina, over Fort Mason, through Fisherman’s Wharf and up Columbus into work.

Wednesday, August 29

I headed out after work to McLaren Park to see what was taking off from SFO.  I rode Folsom to 11th to Harrison and into the Mission.  I saw this fabulous mural at Garfield Square.  It’s in a style I would describe as “Aztecalicious”:

I rode through Precita PArk, over Alabama to Cortlandt and then over Holly Park into Saint Mary’s Park and then over the footbridge to Cambridge and then up to McLaren Park.  I only saw one plane take off and it flew right overhead.  It was Southwest Airlines!  They’ve just restarted service to San Francisco:

This is a view looking Southeast to South San Francisco:

Across the bay to Oakland:

The San Mateo Bridge:

There’s a nice view on Mansell at about Persia of downtown.  That new building on Rincon Hill is very imposing:

Here it is again with the Bay Bridge on the right:

I made it to school and got a shot from my building looking South at our Football field:

And this view looking west to Oakland:

After class I headed home Teresita to Portola to Corbett.  Total bike mileage:  30

Wednesday, August 29

It was pretty warm when I got up this morning.  Very unusual for San Francisco.  I decided to do some hill climbing and rode Corbett to Portola to Woodside to Dewey to Taravel to 14th Ave up into Golden Gate Heights.  I saw this bus with the groovy new Southwest Airlines ad at 14th Ave and Quintara:

The view was spectacular from Golden Gate Heights.  The Fog was compressed again like yesterday, yet somehow more picturesque.  Check out this view of the Golden Gate Bridge:

Looking NW to the Marin Headlands:

Me looking delighted:

View looking W down Quintara st with the moon upper left::

I headed down into the park at 19th Ave and then rode around Stow Lake which always looks very pretty in the morning:

Then I headed over into the Richmond on 12th Ave and then took Lake to Arguello into the Presidio and out the Lombard Gate then up to Union and over Russian Hill to Columbus and into work.  A lot of climbing and totally fun.

Tuesday, August 28

Everybody was up early this morning.  I got Rufus out for his walk and Mr. Poe was stirring by the time we got back at 5:45.  I got ready and headed out Corbett to Clayton to Frederick to Stanyon and into the Park.  I stopped by the AIDS Memorial Grove which was very quiet in the early morning light:

Then I headed down MLK to the ocean.  The fog was very compressed and very patchy so you’d go from bright sunshine to low visability in a block.  I don’t get it. But it’s cool to look at:

The Palace of the Legion of Honor was as glamorous as ever this morning.

Me–  not so much. 

From Lands End I was was above the fog on the ocean outside the Golden Gate:

I rode through Seacliff and into the Presidio and then through the Marina and up over Fort Mason.  I got a few shots of the bridge with the fog behind it:

and a ship coming in.  No it’s not about to hit the bridge.  Because I waited to see.

I headed into Fisherman’s Wharf and then took Columbus into the Financial District.  I ran home over lunch and hung out with my friend Jim and the dogs and then took Rufus to the dog park where he played nice with everybody.  Then we had dinner and I walked the dogs one last time and then went to bed.  Total bike milage:  24

Monday, Agust 27

After work I headed out to City College because I had to go to my new class.  I missed the first three because I was in Florida so I didn’t want to be late.  I showed up on campus a little early and rode around a little.  There are these buildings by the new health services building that look very much like single wides to me.  I think they’re supposed to replace temporary buildings.  But they look like temporary buildings and they are not.  Yuck.

Here is a veiw looking North onto the arts building:

These are a few close ups of the mosaic on the Science Building that I was looking at a few weeks ago.  I’m not sure what it represents but it’s really cool and very detailed:

And the exterior of Science Building from the back.  It’s such a great building but not in great shape.  I wish City College would spend less time building and more time maintaining.  I realize that those actions come from different pots of funding but still it’s a shame to see such a fantastic building in such crappy shape:

Close ups of the sculptures outside the building.  They’re a little discolored and need to be cleaned.  I call the one on the left “The Ghost of Maintanence Past”:

 

Then it was time to head into class.  I took Teresita to Portola to Corbett home.  Total bike mileage 30

Monday, August 27

I got up nice and early and headed out Corbett to Portola to Woodside to Dewey to Taravel and then down to the coast.  I rode up the Great Highway and then headed inland at the park.  Spreckels Lake was looking very beautiful:

I stopped in at the Rose Garden.  So pretty in there:

I headed out of the park and headed up Cabrillo to Arguello to McAllister and up to the Uuniversity of San Francisco campus.  St. Ignatius is a very beautiful church but it looked a little gloomy against the fog:

 

It’s very finely detailed as well.  The towers are really nice:

 

This is the detail around the windows:

It was getting pretty late so I headed down Golden Gate to Market and down into work.

Sunday, August 26

In the afternoon Jim and I headed over to Japantown.  I love the mall in Japantown.  It has tons and tons of cool stuff to look at.

I love Japanese consumer products.  They’ve got the greatest packaging.  Here are two lip glosses.  One of them promises to sex you up.  The other enormous puffy lips:

 

I’m not sure what this diet product is or how it works but how can you not want to use it??

I love the anime inspired hair color models:

 

This Geisha doll is very pretty and has a gorgeous pink kimono.  I like!

This guy has a fantastic ass and I’m totally going to this festival.  I think Taiko might translate to “Nice Ass”:

Here’s Jim preparing for the revival of the Mikado:

I love all the details in the mall.

Jim found them tiresome.  I think he was crabby because he’s going to through the change.  You know, he’s a LOT older than I am.

We headed over to the Shiseido store which is totally getting all of my skin care business because the owner has this little dog who sniffed me for a few minutes wanted kisses.  So precious:

We left Japantown and headed over to the cathedral.  It’s super modern:

The entrance has this incredible frieze over it that has stained glass in the back:

The door has this wonderful thorn motif:

The cathedral dates from 1967 and is incredible.  You can read more about it here.  There’s an incredibly complex coffered ceiling that seems kind of like the death star from Star Wars to me:

 

From it’s site above Cathedral Hill it has a beautiful view east towards Civic Center and Eureka Valley:

The view out that window:

And a close up of Alamo Square:

The gorgeous chandelier seems to contine the Star Wars motif.  Where’s Princess Leia??

There was a concert in process that was very beautiful.  It made Jim cry.  But he’s kind of hormonal because the pause. 

We headed home and took the dogs out before dinner.  They love to go!

We went out for Chinese at Yum Yum with Chris and David and Chris’s mom.  Then I went home and went to bed because I was beat.  Total bike mileage 30, Mileage for the week: 100

Sunday, August 26

It was a little bit colder than Saturday when I got up.  I walked Rufus out to St. Ignatius and then Alamo Square and then headed off on my bike.  I headed over the Golden Gate Bridge and then up Marin Headlands.  From the top I was able to play with my new camera a little.  It zooms quite a bit. 

No zoom:

Zoom:

This is the lighthouse at Point Bonita from pretty far above it:

This is the road I was heading down looking back up the hill still shrouded in fog.  It was kind of chilly but I’d just done a whole bunch of climbing and I didn’t mind:

This is the drop off from the road I was on.  Watch that last step!

This is the lighthouse again from farther down the road:

There were a bunch of fishing boats off the coast and I zoomed in to spy on them:

I headed out to Rodeo Beach to watch the surfers before heading home.  It’s a beautiful beach in a little cove:

Here are some mouthwatering surgers heading towards the beach:

There were a bunch of surfers in the water:

But only a couple of them managed to catch a wave:

I’m happy I’m not in the water.  It’s very very cold. 

I headed up the valley and saw some deer on Ike Turner hill.  I see them so much in the same spot I’m starting to wonder if they live in the house and are just out getting their laundry:

From the there I headed back to Conzelman and then back over the bridge I took a different way out of the Presidio.  I went out the 15th Ave bridge.  This creepy, derelict building used to be a hospital:

I asked the security guard parked outside if there were plans to tear the building down.  He said it was being rehabbed into luxury condos starting in March.  I wonder if they’ll paint over the enormous scull?  From there I headed into Golden Gate Park.  It was still foggy, but the Rose Garden was pretty nonetheless:

I love it there.

Then I headed out the park at 19th aven and then went Irving to 9th Ave to Judah into Parnassas to Schrader to Grattan to Belvedere to Carmel to Clayton to Corbett and then home.