Happy Anniversary to us!

Mr. Poe and I got married for the first time on this day in 2004 during that brief window when they were performing same sex marriages in San Francisco.  They first started issuing licences on Thursday the 12th and the general consensus was that some mean old judge would put the kibosh on that after a couple of hours.  But Friday the 13th rolled around and I read that the ruling wouldn't come until Monday at the earliest so I called Mr. Poe at school and told him to meet me at City Hall after work.  We had to wait in line for a very, very long time but it was eventually our turn.  Pics of the happy couple: 

A couple of months later our marriage was voided which put the breaks on my lifelong dream of becoming a wealthy divorcee.  But in 2008 during another brief window when same sex marriages were being performed in San Francisco we got married again.  That one's still legal.   Mr. Poe and will have been together 12 years in August.  And to think that my corpse still hasn't been dumped into the bay.  HARD TO BELIEVE.

Sunday was my CAT2 training ride.  We headed over to Fairfax and then tacked on a little bit of Tiburon loop before heading home,  We had a nice turnout and everybody looked pretty good.  It got colder and gloomier as the day progresssed and I was happy I was home by 2:30 because I think it was raining in Marin soon after.  I was in bed at 7:30.  The dogs did not complain.

Here are some pics of the hotness:

Rob:

Me with big southern hair.  **CLOSER TO GOD**

Buz at Perry's in Fairfax:

I took my bike home at lunch on Friday and came back on the Muni.  I got my hair did after work and then I hung out with Nathan before heading home for dinner.

Saturday was the monthly club ride for Different Spokes.  It was pretty cool in the morning but it warmed up a little bit mid day.  We had a nice group and we headed over to Tiburon first and then we rode paradise loop and finished with lunch at Cafe Del Soul in Mill Valley.  Here are some pics of the hotness:

So cute:

Me:

I made it home at about 2:30.  I got cleaned up and we headed over to get our taxes done.  Being gay married in California makes your federal taxes a fucking nightmare.  After that we headed home for dinner and I was in bed before 8PM.

Friday morning I managed to get up early and I went for a long ride before work-- the first time since September 6!  I've getting my hair did after work so I this was my only chance to get in some miles today.  I headed off Corbett to Portola to Woodside to Dewey to Taravel and down to the Great Highway.  I came up the coast to Geary to 34th and up to the Palace of the Legion of Honor.  Loved it:

This is a pic of the slightly foggy Marin Headlands from the grounds of the Palace of the Legion of Honor:

The very evocative Holocaust Memorial:

Me:

I got on Camino Del Mar to Lake and stopped at Funston for a pic of the blooming plum trees.  Spring is here!

I continued on Lake to Arguello to Clay to Fillmore to Pacific.  This is the view looking north from Mason:

I continued on Pacific to Powell to Jackson and stopped at Kearny for a pic of the new City College building.  Fabulous:

The view looking up Kearny towards Columbus:

I continued on Jackson to Columbus to Montgomery to Clay to Sansome and into work.  It's gonna be a great day!

Thursday I came into work Market to Laguna to Grove to Polk.  I stopped at Golden Gate to look at a new building that's going up.  I think it's the new headquarters for San Francisco Public Utilities.  It's fabulous and I love it long time:

I continued on Polk to O'Farrell to Post to Kearny to Bush to Sansome and into work.  I headed home for lunch and then went for a nice ride after work.  The days are long enough now that I can make it through the Presidio before dark.  I headed off Sansome to Pacific to Columbus to Stockton and stopped at Filbert for some pics of Sts Peter and Paul against the beautiful sky:

Me:

I continued on Stockton to Noth Point to Van Ness to Francisco to Octavia to Chestnut.  I stopped at Lombard for a pic of the sky with the sun just starting to set:

I continued on Chestnut to Lyon and into the Presidio.  I headed over to Arguello and stopped at Jackson for a pic looking toward Sutro Tower:

I continued on Arguello to Lake to 23rd to Cabrillo to 47th to Fulton to the Great Highway.  I stopped for pics of sunset at the Ocean Beach:

I continued on the Great Highway to Taravel to Merced to Hernandez to Laguna Honda to Portola to Corbett to Ord and home for dinner.  After dinner I baked a bundt cake for work and headed off to bed.

Tuesday the weather was supposed to be wet so I came in on Muni to work.  It turned out to be more drizzle than downpour but I needed a day off of the bike.  I had lunch downtown and then headed home after work and made Mr. Poe Korean food for dinner.

Wednesday I worked from home in the morning and then headed over to the Golden Gate Bridge mid day for my Lifecycle training ride.  I had two riders show up and we had a great ride out to Mill Valley and back.  We were done very early but I haven't quite gotten the very slow riders that I was anticipating which doesn't mean they aren't coming.

Pepe and Shelley at the start:

Here they are in Mill Valley.  I don't like Mill Valley.  It's too quiet and too calm.  Like everybody took a valium or something:

We headed back to San Francisco and I said goodbye to my riders and then I went for a nice ride on my own before heading home.  First I headed down to Crissy Field for a fabulous view of the Golden Gate Bridge:

Then I took Old Mason into Marina and into Fort Mason Park where I got a great view looking west:

Me:

This is a Benny Bufano sculpture that I'm pretty crazy about.  You can read more about him here. 

I headed over to Van Ness to Beach to Larkin to North Point to the Embarcadero to Washington.  I stopped at Battery for the fabulous view of the Transamerica Pyramid:

I stopped at Sacramento for a view of this beautiful synagogue:

And also this fabulous library:

I took Sacramento to Arguello to Cabrillo to Funston to Fulton and into Golden Gate Park at the Rose Garden which is still pretty much dormant.  I headed over to JFK and then to Stow lake and I stopped for pics of the pretty Chinese Pavilion.

I got on MLK and stopped for a pic of the fabulous new windmill:

I got on the Great Highway and stopped at the foot of Sloat for pics of the sunset:

I continued on the Great Highway to Skyline to Lake Merced to Font to Holloway to Harold to Ocean to Phelan to Judson to Gennessee to Flood to Foerster to Hearst to Edna to Monterey to San Jose to Duncan to Valencia to 18th to Douglass to 17th to Ord and home for dinner.  We had leftover Korean from the night before and then we went to bed.

Monday I was feeling pretty beat because of all the riding I'd done over the weekend, but Tuesday was supposed to be rainy so I got in as much as I could.  I came into work Market to 14th to Folsom to 2nd to Market to Sansome.  I headed home for lunch and then went for a nice ride after work.  I headed down Sansome and stopped for a pic looking down California:

A similar shot looking down Pine:

The old Pacific Stock Exchange now Equinox Gym:

An action shot of me:

I continued on Sansome to Market to 2nd.  This is 101 2nd Street at Mission and 2nd:

I continued on 2nd to Howard to 11th to Harrison to 25th to Valencia to Tiffany to 29th to San Jose to Monterey to Ridgewood to Flood to Hazelwood to Greenwood to Plymouth to Wildwood to Faxon to De Montefort to Ashton to Pico to Urbano to Moncada to Cerritos to Winston to 20th to Ocean to Clearfield to 34th to Yorba to Crestlake to 30th to Vicente to 17th to Taravel to Dewey to Laguna Honda into 7th to Hugo to 3rd to Frederick to Shrader to Page to Scott to Duboce to Castro to 17th to Ord and home for dinner.  We were all pretty beat so we went to bed early.

Sunday was my CAT2 training ride.  We did the full Tiburon loop and I was really pleased at the great pace that our riders kept.  I'm starting to think that the slower riders aren't riding because I know they're out there!  I felt pretty good but I was a little worn out from my ride the day before but I felt better than I did last week.

Here are some pics from Sports Basement:

This is TJ who was ACTUALLY SPAT ON in the Mission for confirming that the vest meant he was HIV+.  It defies belief.

We made good time to Sharks.  Here are some pics of us lounging:

My friend Rob from way back in my college days in Louisiana is going to do the ride this year and is on our training series.  It's good to see him:

 We were done at about 2:30 and I headed downtown to go hang out with Nathan and Daniel.  I stopped an picked up some food from First Korean Market on Geary at 11th.  I got cellophane noodles with vegetables and some mung bean pancakes which was way more food than we needed for 2 and it was under $10 and insanely delicious!  Bonus-- the lady went back to the kitchen to confirm that the pancakes were vegan.  I love that place.  I headed home and got cleaned up and made Mr. Poe some macaroni and cheese for dinner.  I tried to stay up until Simpsons but could not.  I was asleep by 7:45.

I had a big weekend of cycling planned so I stayed off the bike on Friday and came into work on Muni.  I had lunch with Mr. Chris and stopped in the Castro to pick up some dinner for Mr. Poe who's been feeling crappy with allergies.  I got him some ribs which seemed to cheer him up.  Yes, that's an odd comfort food for when you aren't feeling well.

Saturday I led a Different Spokes ride out to Petaluma.  I only had one rider show up and here he is:

We went to Petaluma the fast way past Cheese Factory.  On the way home we took a trip through San Antonio Valley which connects up with the 101 and then south to Novato.  I'd never been on San Antonio before and it's very, very pretty:

David:

Me:

The mileage came in a little short and we wanted a century so we added a loop around Golden Gate Park to add a little mileage.  I made it home about 4:30 and had dinner and then went to bed.  At 7PM.  Seriously.  I woke up at 2AM so incredibly hungry that it was painful so I got up and had a sandwich and went back to bed.

Thursday I came into work Market to Laguna to Port to Kearny to Bush to Sansome.  I headed home for lunch and then had a nice ride after work.  I headed off 2nd to Howard and stopped for a pic of the convention center.  It isn't a gorgeous building but it's got a lot of angles:

The view looking up Howard right before sunset:

I got some pics as I headed up Howard.  This pretty building houses Mike's Bikes.  It's my second favorite shop in the city after REI and admittedly REI only gets the #1 spot because they're open til 9 on weekdays:

The abandoned St. Joseph's church:

I continued on Howard to 11th to Bryant to 25th.  I stopped at Lilac street for a pic of this pretty mural:

Me:

The view of the sunset from 25th and Mission:

I continued on 25th to Valencia and I stopped at Cesar Chavez for one last pic of the gorgeous sunset:

I continued on Valencia to Tiffany to 29th to San Jose to Monterrey into Santa Clara to Portola to Claremont to Dewey to Laguna Honda into 7th to Judah to 9th and into Golden Gate Park.  I went past the Music Concourse and came out of the park at 8th and then went Cabrillo to 2nd to Balboa into Turk to Baker to McAllister to Scott to Duboce to Castro to 17th to Ord and home for dinner.  Mr. Poe's got terrible allergies and isn't feeling very well so we had dinner and went to bed early.