Saturday I led a ride with Different Spokes out to Nicasio.  It was a really good day and I felt strong the whole time which was a contrast to my Lucas Valley ride from a couple of weeks before where I was really dragging at the end. 

Will and Maurizio at the Golden Gate Bridge:

Cameron at the Golden Gate Bridge.  Cameron had some mechanical issues and peeled off in Mill Valley to deal with them:

Maurizio in Fairfax:

Chris Contos and I in Fairfax:

It was a really fun ride!  The next one in the series is on the 19th when we're going to do Lucas Valley.  This time it will not kick my ass.

Bike Mileage:
Today                                                82.6
Week to date                                     208.7
Month to date                                   194.7
Year to date                                   4,909.1
To Goal                                         5,090.9
Over (Under) plan                         (1,885.4)
YTD Mileage vs Last Year            (2,848.6)
Rolling Year                                   7,926.2
Since Inception 10/1/07                 18,186.8

Sofi didn't sleep well her first night at our house and neither did anybody else.  I slept in a little on Friday morning and just came down Market into work.  I didn't go home for lunch but instead left a little early.  I headed off Howard to 11th to Bryant to Precita to Mission to Silver to Alemany to Sagamore.  This is a pretty building at Sagamore and 280 which was likely prettier before they put a freeway next to it:

I continued on Sagamore to Brotherhood Way to Lake Merced.  The lake looked gorgeous and it was sunny at the beach even though it was foggy a little inland:

I continued on Lake Merced to John Muir to Skyline to the Great Highway.  This is the view of the beach looking north.  Gorgeous:

Me on the Great Highway:

I continued on the Great Highway to and went into Golden Gate Park at MLK.  I took that to Middle to Transverse to JFK to the Panhandle to Stanyan to Page to Scott to Duboce to Noe to Market to 17th to Ord and home to finish up a little work and wait for Mr. Poe to come home.

Bike Mileage:
Today                                                23.6
Week to date                                     126.1
Month to date                                    112.1
Year to date                                   4,826.5
To Goal                                         5,173.5
Over (Under) plan                         (1,940.6)
YTD Mileage vs Last Year            (2,896.1)
Rolling Year                                   7,886.7
Since Inception 10/1/07                 18,104.2

I didn't go riding before work because I had to wait at the house for Mr. Chris and David to drop off Sofi for the weekend.  Everybody's really excited that she's staying with us-- even Mimi if you can believe it.  I just came down Market into work.

After work I headed off Sansome to Jackson to Davis to drop off my laundry and then Broadway to Columbus to North Point to Van Ness to Francisco to Octavia to Chestnut to Lyon and into the Presidio at the Lombard Gate.  I came around on Lincoln and got an unusual view of the Golden Gate Bridge.  It's unusual because they've just taken down some trees that had been blocking it:

I continued on Lincoln and stopped a little west of the Golden Gate Bridge for more pics:

Marin Headlands:

Point Bonita:

You can see the fog lurking offshore:

Me--

I continued on Lincoln and stopped a little bit further west to get a shot of Land's End:

And another one of the Marin Headlands with some of the old fortifications of the Presidio in the foreground:

I continued on Lincoln into Camino Del Mar and headed up the Palace of the Legion of Honor which looked gorgeous in the late afternoon sun:

I headed down to 34th to Balboa and down to the coast.  It was a glorious day at the beach:

I went into Golden Gate Park at JFK and followed it to the Panhandle to Stanyan to Page to Scott to Duboce to Market to 17th to Ord and home for dinner.  I can report that Mr. Poe still has not opened all of his birthday presents nor has he removed any of them from their wrappings.  In fact, he seems to have fluffed the tissue paper in the smaller bag because it looks better than it did when I gave it to him.  Developing:

Bike Mileage:
Today                                                26.7
Week to date                                     102.5
Month to date                                     88.5
Year to date                                   4,802.9
To Goal                                         5,197.1
Over (Under) plan                         (1,936.8)
YTD Mileage vs Last Year            (2,876.6)
Rolling Year                                   7,892.5
Since Inception 10/1/07                 18,080.6

It got hot!  I roasted when I headed home over lunch but it was thankfully cooling off a little towards the end of the day.  I headed off Sutter to Steiner.  This is pretty St. Dominic's on Steiner at Bush.  It's gloriously detailed:

I continued on Steiner to Clay to Spruce to Washington where I stopped for my favorite view of the north bay:

Me:

I continued on Washington to Cherry to Jackson to Aruello and into the Presidio.  I came out of the Presidio at the Lombard Gate and then took Greenwich to Laguna to Francisco to Polk to North Point to Columbus.  This is the view of the Transamerica Pyramid from Columbus at Vallejo:

Then I headed down to Traning Ride Leader recertification at Breakaway Performance.  Oh they're very technical there.  Very, very technical.  Technical to the point that they want to stick a tube in your mouth to measure the gasses you're exhaling while you're biking.  And then show you many charts.  Many, many charts.  I think a lot of people would be very interested in their programs and they are probably very helpful in making you a stronger athlete.  It just isn't for me.  When I first started biking a lot I got a heart rate monitor and I tried to track all that crap but at the end of the day it's all too thinky-thinky for me and I'd rather ride my bike.  I track my mileage on google maps and that's really all I do.  I usually don't even pay attention to my cycling computer.  My new commuter doesn't even have one and I don't miss it.  I didn't get home until almost 10PM!  I ate a little and then went to bed.

Bike Mileage:
Today                                                 36.0
Week to date                                      75.8
Month to date                                     61.8
Year to date                                   4,776.2
To Goal                                         5,223.8
Over (Under) plan                         (1,936.1)
YTD Mileage vs Last Year            (2,873.9)
Rolling Year                                   7,887.4
Since Inception 10/1/07                 18,053.9

No fog this morning and it was warm!  I'll take it!  I was a little late out the door this morning and headed off Corbett to Portola to Woodside to Dewey to Taravel to 15th to Vicente.  Saint Cecilia's looked beautiful this morning:

I continued on Vicente down to the ocean.  I went down the Great Highway and stopped at the foot of Sloat for pics.  This is the view looking south:

The view looking north, complete with cigar smoking chub:

The beach:

Me:

I continued south on the Great Highway and stopped a little south of the Zoo for another pic looking south:

I continued on the Great Highway to Skyline to Lake Merced to Font to Holloway to Harold to Ocean to Phelan to Judson to Foerster to Monterey to Diamond to Wilder to Arlington to Randall to San Jose to Duncan to Valencia to Market to 2nd and into work.

I just went down Market into work in the morning.  Over lunch, I noted that the boys were napping in  Rufus' bed:

After work I headed off 2nd to Howard to 11th to Harrison.  This is a beautiful old Warehouse on

I took a number of pictures of a wonderful mural on Harrison at 18th called Carnival by Joshua Sarantitis.  My quick search of the internet didn't get me a lot of information about the artist but he does have a website.  It's incredible:

I turned on 20th and headed west.  This pretty Victorian is on 20th and South Van Ness, I think:

I took Valencia to Tiffany to 29th to San Jose to Tiffany to 29th to San Jose to Wilder to Diamond to Monterey into Santa Clara.  This is the view up St. Francis from Santa Clara:

This is one of the beautiful homes on Santa Clara at St. Francis:

I continued on Santa Clara to Portola to Claremont to Dewey.  This is the view looking up at the big antenna from Dewey:

Forest Hill from Dewey and Pacheco:

I continued on Dewey into Laguna Honda into 7th to Irving to 9th and into Golden Gate Park.  I stopped at the Music Concourse and got a few pics from behind the colonnade.  This is the California Academy of Sciences:

This is the De Young.  Arty:

I came out of the park at 8th Avenue and took Cabrillo to Arguello to Balboa.  This is the view looking downtown from Balboa and Baker:

Me at Barer and Balboa:

I took Baker to McAllister to Laguna.  This pretty Victorian is at Laguna and Oak, I think:

I continued on Laguna to Market to 17th to Ord and home for dinner.  Then I walked the dogs and we went to bed.

Bike Mileage:
Today                                                25.8
Week to date                                      39.8
Month to date                                     25.8
Year to date                                   4,740.2
To Goal                                         5,259.8
Over (Under) plan                         (1,944.7)
YTD Mileage vs Last Year            (2,888.3)
Rolling Year                                   7,851.4
Since Inception 10/1/07                 17,017.9

Happy Birthday Mr. Poe!  I was off the bike the whole weekend because of birthday festivities.  Saturday we went and got Mani Pedi's.  My toes are electric blue.  Likey! 

My cooking skills are very limited, but there are a couple of things that I can make that Mr. Poe enjoys eating and one of those things is country gravy.  It was waaaay too hot for that for breakfast so I made it for him for dinner on Saturday.  I was got started with the biscuits (from the can-- don't judge) while waiting for Nathan to come over for drinks and snack.  I had just gotten some cheese out of the refrigerator to put on top of the three that I'd stuffed with goat cheese when a gigantic bottle of vodka came flying out the freezer and shattered on the floor of the kitchen.  Please note the following:

          1) Mr. Poe had warned me about putting vodka in the freezer because it might fall out.
          2) Mr. Poe had warned me about shutting the refrigerator door too hard because it might cause things to fall over in the refrigerator.
          3) Mr. Poe had warned me about shutting the refrigerator door too hard because it might cause vodka to fall out of the freezer.

Fail!  It was a humongous mess with vodka and glass everywhere.  We got a some of it cleaned up when Nathan showed up.  I sent him out for vodka while we finished cleaning.  After we got all the glass picked up we had to move the refrigerator because there was a pool of vodka under it and it was also seeping under the cabinet.  Total disaster.  And on Mr. Poe's birthday weekend!  Nathan came back with a significantly better bottle of vodka than had broken and the day started looking up from there.  I showed him how to make country gravy and he was totally disgusted by it.  Mr. Poe had it on top of biscuits and eggs and then required an hour or so to sleep it off. 

Sunday was thankfully free of drama.  We went to the fancy brunch buffet at the Mark Hopkins.  I love that place.  The views are spectacular, even with the fog:

Mr. Poe ate himself in to a stupor as is his way when confronted with a buffet that includes shellfish.  There were a couple of things that I could eat and I was pleased with that.  Not as pleased as Mr. Poe:

Afterwards we went and visited Mr. Chris and David because we'd gotten David a birthday present but forgotten to take it to the party (my fault).  Then we lounged around for the rest of the day. 

Monday I came down Market into work and then home for lunch and then back up Market after work.  When I got home I got Mr. Poe pizza and fried calamari for his birthday dinner from Capri Pizza and a birthday cake from the grocery across the street from there and headed home for dinner.  Fun fact about Mr. Poe--  he doesn't like opening up presents right away and instead likes to look at them wrapped for as long as possible before opening them up even if he knows what's inside.  He opened two of his three birthday presents while he was eating cake and then immediately returned their contents back to the gift bags they came in so he can look at them for a few more days.  I'm not exactly sure when he'll open the third one.  I don't understand that at all.

Bike Mileage:
Today                                                14.0
Week to date                                      14.0
Month to date                                   789.2
Year to date                                   4,714.4
To Goal                                         5,285.6
Over (Under) plan                         (1,943.1)
YTD Mileage vs Last Year            (2,914.1)
Rolling Year                                   7,825.6
Since Inception 10/1/07                 17,992.1

It was roasting hot all day.  I didn't ride over lunch because I had a dentist appointment.  Man, do I ever hate going to the dentist.  After work just I headed home up Market because David Walker's birthday party was that evening in South Park.  Everybody was there.  Mr. Chris.  Sofi.  Nathan.  Daniel.  Sofi thought it was her birthday party which was understandable since her birthday is the 31st.  We had lots of fun at it but we were home pretty early.  It had been a long day and we were beat.

Bike Mileage:
Today                                                25.6
Week to date                                     168.6
Month to date                                   775.2
Year to date                                   4,700.4
To Goal                                         5,299.6
Over (Under) plan                         (1,874.9)
YTD Mileage vs Last Year            (2,886.5)
Rolling Year                                   7,891.9
Since Inception 10/1/07                 17,978.1