Monday I came in on Muni and went home the same way at the end of the day.  My back was killing me and I thought it best to rest.  Not helpful.  So Tuesday I came in on the bike Market to 14th to Folsom to 2nd to Market to Sansome and tried going to the gym over lunch.  That seemed to help a little.  I hung out with Mr. Chris after work and then headed home for dinner.

Wednesday I felt a whole lot better.  I can still feel it when I cough or sneeze but other than that it’s manageable.  I came into work Market to 14th to Folsom to 2nd to Market to Sansome and headed home for lunch.  I made it to the gym and then went for a nice ride after work.  I headed down Columbus and got a nice shot of the view looking down Kearny:

I continued on Columbus to Stockton.  North Beach is not a nice neighborhood.  It just isn’t.  Development has been stalled in the entire neighborhood for years and years because of the Telegraph Hill Dweller’s Association and some other assholes.  I just don’t get it.  Nothing really changes and it just gets a little more run down every year.  I was reading about the Pagoda Theater which is scheduled to be razed to make way for the subway tunnel machinery and potentially a subway stop.  It’s been boarded up for 20 years and it’s a total eyesore yet activists are pledging to stop the demolition.  These would be the same activists who have prevented development at that site for 20 years.  I just don’t get it.  I continued on Stockton to North Point to Van Ness to Francisco to Octavia to Chestnut to Scott to Greenwich to Lyons and into the Presidio at the Lombard Gate.  I headed over to Lincoln and got a pic of the hauntingly beautiful National Cemetery:

I continued on Lincoln and stopped for a pic of pretty Crissy Field:

I continued on Lincoln and at the Golden Gate Bridge for pics:

I continued on Lincoln and stopped a little north of the bridge for pics:

I continued on Lincoln into El Camino Del Mar to 25th to Lake to Arguello to Clay to Fillmore to Pacific to Taylor to California to Polk to Market to 17th to Ord and home for dinner.  I got cleaned up and went to bed.  I almost made it until 9PM.

Bike Mileage:

Today 26.3 Week to date 34.8 Month to date 681.4 Year to date 974.3 To Goal 7,025.7 Over (Under) plan (362.7) YTD Mileage vs Last Year (344.3) Rolling Year 2,292.9 Since Inception 10/1/07 41,442.0

Sunday I led my weekly Lifecycle ride and we headed out to Fairfax and did Marin Headlands on the return.  Here’s everybody stretching:

Deyon spoke:

We had some drama on the way to Fairfax.  One of our riders either got hit by a car or fell on her own.  She was a little banged up but nothing too serious and the EMT guys were super hot.  We got into Fairfax pretty late and then had lunch and made our way back.  Here’s the remains of the group at Mike’s:

From there we headed out to Rodeo Beach which was super pretty and the surf was up!

We headed up McCullough and I sent everybody else down to the bridge while I headed up to the very top of Hawk Hill to see if we had any more riders:

I headed home and had dinner and we went to bed early.  As usual.  I don’t understand how people can stay up past 8PM.

Bike Mileage:

Today 55.8 Week to date 197.6 Month to date 646.6 Year to date 939.5 To Goal 7,060.5 Over (Under) plan (331.7) YTD Mileage vs Last Year (302.5) Rolling Year 2,181.5 Since Inception 10/1/07 41,407.2

Saturday I led a Different Spokes ride out to Petaluma.  It was just Wanderson and I and we had a great time.  We made good time into Petaluma and had lunch at High Tech Burrito which is pretty crappy and earned a bad Yelp review from me.  After lunch we headed down San Antonio which Wanderson had never ridden before.  It’s great riding and super pretty:

We headed down to Novato and then San Rafael and then home.  We stopped for a few pics on the Golden Gate Bridge:

I stopped again on the bridge for pics because it looked so pretty:

I headed home for dinner and then went to bed.  I was beat.  We’d had quite a day.

Bike Mileage:

Today 89.1 Week to date 141.8 Month to date 590.8 Year to date 883.7 To Goal 7,116.3 Over (Under) plan (365.6) YTD Mileage vs Last Year (358.3) Rolling Year 2,125.7 Since Inception 10/1/07 41,351.4

Friday I came into work on Muni.  Muni is such a shit show.  This guy in the row ahead of me was super gross and I was ready to move to get away with hum until he pulled out a smart phone and started using it.  I thought ‘you’re being ridiculous– how bad can he be?’.  And then he started using the phone as an eating utensil.  Ugh.  I was very happy when he got off at the next stop.  Note:  I still pet his dog.

After work I walked home.  I took California to Van Ness and then walked around Civic Center a little.  I got a couple of pics of the last light of the day:

I headed home and had dinner with Mr. Poe and then went to bed early. 

Thursday I came into work Market to Laguna to Eddy to Leavenworth to Ellis to Eddy (don’t ask) to Taylor to O’Farrell to Grant to Bush to Kearny to Clay to Sansome.  I headed home for lunch and then dropped of some birthday snacks for Miss Smith on the way back to the office.  The weather was gorgeous and I went for a nice ride after work.  I headed off 2nd to Howard to 11th into Bryant. These pretty Victorians are on Bryant betwen 25th and 26th:

Across the street from them is the ‘San Francisco County Opportunity School’ or ‘Sunshine School’.  I love its detail:

I continued on Bryant to Precita and stopped for some pics of pretty Flynn Elementary.  The murals there are insanely awesome:

I continued on Precita to Mission to Highland and stopped for a pic looking downtown:

I took Highland to Arlington to Wilder to Diamond to Monterey.  I stopped at El Verano for a pic looking towards sunset:

I continued on Monterey into Santa Clara to Portola to Claremont to Dewey to Laguna Honda into 7th to Hugo to 3rd to Frederick to Cole to Haight to Scott to Duboce to Noe to Market to 17th to Ord and home for dinner.  Mr. Poe got home late so I made myself and the dogs dinner and then we all went to bed early.  At 8PM.  Don’t judge.

Bike Mileage:

Today 25.8 Week to date 52.7 Month to date 501.7 Year to date 794.6 To Goal 7,205.4 Over (Under) plan (410.9) YTD Mileage vs Last Year (426.3) Rolling Year 2,015.5 Since Inception 10/1/07 41,262.3

Tuesday was a bit of a disaster.  We had some rain in the Bay Area and I came in on Muni to work.  I intended on heading to the gym in the afternoon but when I was coming back to the office with my lunch I fell in the lobby.  Spectacularly.  Like slipping on a banana peel in a cartoon fall.  Legs in the air flat on my back lunch flying everywhere fall.  It hurt but even worse was incredibly embarrassing first because it happened second because it was witnessed by multiple people.  I’m not exactly injured but I tweaked something in my back that’s gonna take a couple days to work out.  Later in the day somebody from the building called in her best ‘don’t sue me’ voice to make sure I was OK.  Which was also embarrassing and how the hell did they know who I was and how to get ahold of me?  So I headed home on Tuesday night instead of exercising and drank some medicinal wine.  Much better.

My back was, predictably, very stiff on Wednesday morning but I sat in the hot tub before I went to work and that helped.  I got on my bike and came into work Market to 14th to Folsom to 2nd to Market to Sansome.  I headed home on the bike for lunch and then went for a nice ride after work.  I rode Sutter to Polk to Pacific.  These beautiful homes are on Pacific between Octavia and Laguna:

I continued on Pacific to Webster to Clay to Spruce to Washington where I stopped for a pic of one of my very favorite views:

I took Washington to Arguello to Lake.  This fantastic home is on Lake in Seacliff.  I love it long time:

I continued on Lake to Camino Del Mar and stopped in Lincoln Park for a nice pic of the Golden Gate Bridge:

I headed up to the Palace of the Legion of Honor.  Which looked fantastic as usual:

I headed down to 34th to Cabrillo to 47th to Fulton to the Great Highway.  The sun had just set at Ocean Beach:

I took the Great Highway to Taravel to Merced to Hernandez to Laguna Honda to Portola to Corbett to Ord and home for dinner.  More hot tub and stretching and then we went to bed.

Bike Mileage:

Today 26.9 Week to date 26.9 Month to date 475.9 Year to date 768.8 To Goal 7,231.2 Over (Under) plan (414.8) YTD Mileage vs Last Year (405.9) Rolling Year 1,943.5 Since Inception 10/1/07 41,236.5

Monday I worked from home in the morning and then Mr. Poe and I headed down to get our taxes done.  After, we headed down to Union Square for lunch.  TWO lunches with Mr. Poe in a calendar month?  Unbelievable.  I headed into work and went to the gym and walked home after.  Union Square is getting ready for the the Chinese New Year and the decorations look …. cheap:

I took Geary.  I love this building almost as much as I disliked the food they serve inside:

I made my way over to Japantown and got a pic of pretty Peace Plaza:

Me:

I think this was Holy Cross Church back in the day.  It was revived briefly as the Megan Furth Academy but that’s been relocated to St. Ignatius over in Pacific Heights so I don’t think it’s being used for anything now.  So pretty:

I love this gorgeous building on Steiner and Fillmore.  It’s freshly painted and looks fantastic:

I got this nice shot of the Castro just after sunset:

I headed home for dinner and then I got cleaned up and went to bed.  I was beat.

Sunday was my Lifecycle training ride.  We headed out to Marin Headlands and then rode Tiburon loop.  The weather was fantastic and we had a good group.  Here’s everybody at the Sports Basement looking fresh, fun and ready to ride:

We headed up to the top of Hawk Hill.  The ocean side descent was closed by the time I got there because a bicyclist not with us had an accident and broke and arm I think.  So we came down McCullough and I got a nice pic looking out towards Rodeo Beach:

When we got down to the beach we had a rider who was ill.  I sent everybody else forward and waited with him until his ride came to take him home.  Poor baby!  By that point I was so far behind the group that it wasn’t likely I’d see them again.  I toyed with the idea of just going home and pretending via text message that I was still on the route but really far back.  It sounded like a good idea but the weather was so nice that I just couldn’t.  So I rode into Tiburon and had lunch at Lily Kai.  I almost cut the ride short from there but again the gorgeous weather kept me moving so I rode paradise loop and then headed home over Camino Alto.  I almost caught up to the sweeps at the Golden Gate Bridge but not quite.  I headed home and got cleaned up. 

We headed over to Wanderson’s that night for Brazilian food and was it ever delicious.  He made the best black beans I’d ever eaten. Mmmmmmm……  We didn’t stay too late because I was beat and needed some sleep.  It was a really good day.

Bike Mileage:

 

Today	56.1
Week to date	183.8
Month to date	449.0
Year to date	741.9
To Goal	7,258.1
Over (Under) plan	(375.9)
YTD Mileage vs Last Year	(329.0)
Rolling Year	1,812.8
Since Inception 10/1/07	41,209.6

Saturday I led a Different Spokes training ride out to Cheese Factory and then Novato.  Michael and Wanderson joined me and we had a fantastic ride.  Here they are workin’ it at Perry’s in Fairfax:

We headed up to Cheese Factory which spring hasn’t visited yet but still looks beautiful:

We saw this beautiful field of mustard at Novato Blvd.  So pretty:

We headed through Novato and then down to Northgate Mall for lunch.  Here’s Wanderson lounging:

Then we headed back towards San Francisco.  I got a few pics of the boys at the bridge:

I headed home for dinner.  I intended on going to bed early, but I ended up watching the entire series of ‘Clue Club’ on Youtube.  It’s terrible!  Here’s a link to the playlist.  I don’t really recall what I dreamed about after I finally managed to make it to sleep but it was likely mystery solving. 

Bike Mileage:

Today 84.0 Week to date 127.7 Month to date 392.9 Year to date 685.8 To Goal 7,314.2 Over (Under) plan (410.1) YTD Mileage vs Last Year (280.8) Rolling Year 1,652.4 Since Inception 10/1/07 41,153.5

Friday I came into work Market to 14th to Folsom to 2nd to Market.  Mr. Poe had the day off so he came downtown and took me to out to lunch.  Which almost never happens so I was literally giddy with delight.  I went to the gym and went for a nice walk downtown after work.  I headed over to Chinatown where I got a look at the ambitious new Chinatown Subway Station at Stockton and Washington:

From there I headed over to Russian Hill and took some pics on the way:

Me:

I walked over to Green St.  I’ve either never been on or forgotten this staircase was surprised and delighted to see it:

Walking on Union St, I saw a lot of buildings that must predate the earthquake.  I guess this whole neighborhood didn’t burn.  Here’s an amazing photo that shows some of the survivors on Russian Hill after the earthquake and fire:

I love the first floor of this tower:

I crossed through North Beach over to Telegraph Hill and got a nice shot looking down Kearny:

I headed home up Market for dinner and went to bed pretty early.  It had been a long ass week

Bike Mileage:

Today 7.4 Week to date 43.7 Month to date 308.9 Year to date 601.8 To Goal 7,398.2 Over (Under) plan (472.2) YTD Mileage vs Last Year (342.6) Rolling Year 1,546.2 Since Inception 10/1/07 41,069.5