Thursday I came in to work down Market Street early in the morning and went to the gym.  I headed home for lunch and then went for a nice ride after work.  I rode 2nd to Townsend to 7th to Brannon and into REI to see about a new camping pillow for the Lifecycle.  Then I headed off Brannon to Potrero to 23rd.  I got a bunch of pics as I headed up 23rd St:

 

 

Super cute:

 

 

I took 23rd to Valencia where I saw this recently completed mural.  So super cute:

 

 

I continued on Valencia to Tiffany to 29th to San Jose to Monterey where I saw this super fantastic home at San Rafael:

 

 

I took Monterey to San Rafael to Darien to San Fernando to Ocean to Clearfield into 34th to Wawona to 33rd to Vicente to 16th to Taravel to Merced to Hernandez to Laguna Honda to Portola to Corbett to Ord and home for dinner.  I continued my packing for the Lifecycle and went to bed.

 

Bike Mileage:

Today 25.5 Week to date 113.7 Month to date 1,207.3 Year to date 3,962.4 To Goal 4,037.6 Over (Under) plan 609.0 YTD Mileage vs Last Year (276.5) Rolling Year 8,201.3 Since Inception 10/1/07 44,430.1

Wednesday I was a little slow getting up because of all the walking the day before so it took me forever to get going and get out of the house.  I came into work Market to Laguna to McAllister to Polk to O’Farrell to Grant to Post to Kearny to Clay to Sansome.  I headed home for lunch and believe it or not managed to get the first bits of packing for the Lifecycle done.  Usually I leave it until the night before we leave and there’s a lot of flailing and screaming but not this year.  Developing.

 

After work I headed off down Pacific.  I stopped at Columbus and got a pic looking down towards the Financial District:

 

 

I continued on Pacific to Steiner to Jackson to Presidio to Washington.  I stopped at Spruce for a pic of the North Bay:

 

 

I continued on Washington to Arguello to Cabrillo to Funston and into Golden Gate Park at the Rose Garden which seems to have exploded in color since the last time I visited.  Fabulous:

 

 

Me:

 

 

I headed down to Lloyd Lake which is super pretty.  Fun fact:  the architectural portal on the other side of the lake is the last remnant of Albert Towne’s mansion on Nob Hill that burned during the earthquake.  They call it ‘Portals to the Past’.  You can read more about Lloyd Lake here:

 

 

I continued down JFK and stopped for a pic at Spreckels Lake:

 

 

I continued on JFK to Bernice Rodgers to MLK to La Playa to Irving to the Great Highway to Taravel to Merced to Laguna Honda to Portola to Corbett and home for dinner.  After dinner I got cleaned up and went to bed.

 

Bike Mileage:

Today 26.1 Week to date 88.2 Month to date 1,181.8 Year to date 3,936.9 To Goal 4,063.1 Over (Under) plan 605.4 YTD Mileage vs Last Year (302.0) Rolling Year 8,175.8 Since Inception 10/1/07 44,404.6

Tuesday was ‘Walk to Work Tuesday’!  I walked before work, over lunch and then after work and my mileage came in at more than 15 which is nice.  I left the house with Mr. Poe in the morning and started out by heading over to Liberty Hill and then Dolores Park:

 

 

I headed into the Mission.  These pretty homes are on 20th. 

 

 

It was a little sketchy in the Mission as it was still really early and the only people on the street were suspicious.  Perhaps including me.  I headed over to Potrero Hill and got a bunch of pics.  I like Potrero Hill–  it’s got beautiful homes and fantastic views but it’s ringed by some of the worst neighborhoods in the city and you have to be just a little more careful over there.  Lovely views:

 

 

This is more an extended community garden than a staircase but it goes all the way from Rhode Island to De Haro at 19th:

 

 

Some of Potrero Hill’s beautiful homes:

 

 

I headed down to Bay Front Park and took some pics:

 

 

I walked back into work via the Embarcadero where once again I was frustrated in my attempt to get pepples donuts.  So I ended up eating junk food all day which wasn’t a very good compromise.  I’m gonna stick to Whole Foods vegan donuts because they are always open when they say they’re gonna be open and they presumably always have them.  I headed out over lunch to go get a new battery in my watch at Macy.  I headed there via pretty Joice Street which has lovely steps:

 

 

I then had the bright idea to walk home after work.  I started off on Telegraph Hill and Coit Tower:

 

 

The view of the bay from the entrance to Pioneer Park:

 

 

Twisty Lombard Street:

 

 

I got home about a half an hour late.  I would have only been ten minutes late but I spent 20 minutes in Whole Foods finally getting the donuts that had been denied to me all day and whose substitutes had not provided sufficient satisfaction.  Worth it?  Probably.  I had dinner and got cleaned up and went to bed.  Early, of course.

Monday I led a Different Spokes ride up Mount Tam.  We had initially intended to ride San Francisco – Mill Valley – Alpine Dam Lake – Fairfax – Alpine Dam Lake – Mill Valley – San Francisco but we started getting rain on the way into Fairfax and as I’m not a fan of slipping on wet pavement and falling the week before the Lifecycle so we came home over Camino Alto.  I got home at around 3 and I hung out and made Mr. Poe some cookies after work. I finished watching the new season of Arrested Development and then I went to bed.  Here are some pics from the ride:

 

 

 

Alpine Dam Lake:

 

 

Bike Mileage:

Today 62.1 Week to date 62.1 Month to date 1,155.3 Year to date 3,910.4 To Goal 4,089.6 Over (Under) plan 622.7 YTD Mileage vs Last Year (238.6) Rolling Year 8,059.4 Since Inception 10/1/07 44,378.1

Sunday I had all of our ALC riders over for Frito Pie mid day.  In addition, I made Macaroni and cheese, southwestern salad, raspberry coconut cake and chcolate bread pudding.  Here’s everything laid out before the guest arrived:

 

 

Guests arrived and we had a lot of fun.  Everything I made turned out pretty well and we had fewer leftovers than I thought that we’d have.  Here’s Thomas with the donuts he brought.  I had to explain to him how hard they are to come by in the city:

 

 

Everybody was gone by 3PM.  We cleaned up and I stayed up late watching Arrested Development on Netflix.  It’s very good.

Saturday, David Gaus and I led a Different Spokes ride out to San Gregorio Beach with a return up La Honda.  It was a fabulous day and we had great riding weather.  The ride included something like a 10 mile climb up 84 towards Woodside.  I got in around 7PM and continued cooking for the party on Sunday.  I finished the chile and made a cake and a salad.  Here are some pics from the ride:

 

 

 

 

Bike Mileage:

Today 107.3 Week to date 232.6 Month to date 1,093.2 Year to date 3,848.3 To Goal 4,151.7 Over (Under) plan 604.5 YTD Mileage vs Last Year (190.4) Rolling Year 7,887.0 Since Inception 10/1/07 44,316.0

Friday I got up and went for a nice ride before work.  I headed off 18th to Valencia to Mission to Silver to Alemeny to Sagamore to Brotherhood to Lake Merced to John Muir where I stopped for a pic of the beautiful Lake Merced:

 

 

I continued on John Muir to Skyline to the Great Highway which was closed because of drifting sand dunes so I rode up the highway on the wrong side of the street:

 

 

I stopped for a pic of the beautiful beach:

 

 

I continued on the Great Highway and went into Golden Gate Park at JFK.  I took it to Bernice Rodgers to MLK to Nancy Pelosi to JFK to Page to Scott to Post to Kearny to Clay to Sansome and into work.

 

I went to a spin class mid day and went off without any drama.  Here’s hoping that will be the trend.  I headed home a little early and got started on the food for a party I was throwing on Sunday.  We’re having frito pie and I made the chile before heading to bed.

 

Bike Mileage:

Today 26.4 Week to date 125.3 Month to date 985.9 Year to date 3,741.0 To Goal 4,259.0 Over (Under) plan 519.1 YTD Mileage vs Last Year (297.7) Rolling Year 7,779.7 Since Inception 10/1/07 44,208.7

Thursday I managed to get myself out of bed and out on my bike for a nice ride before work.  I headed off Corbett to Portola to Woodside to Dewey to Taravel and down to the coast.  I headed down the Great Highway and stopped at the food to Sloat for some pics of the beach.  Amazingly, the parking lot on Sloat has been invaded by sand dunes that have made it completely impassible:

 

 

Same issue with the Great Highway:

 

 

I took Sloat to Lakeshort to Lake Merced and got a couple pics of pretty Lake Merced:

 

 

I continued on Lake Merced to Font to Holloway and stopped for a couple pics of the amazing Sutro Library which has been recently redone.  There aren’t enough letters in the word fabulous to ‘describe’ it:

 

 

I continued on Holloway and stopped at Borica, I think, for a view towards Sutro Tower:

 

 

I continued on Holloway to Harold to Ocean to Phelan and stopped for a pic of the Bufano sculpture in front of troubled City College:

 

 

I continued on Phelan to Judson to Gennessee to Hearst to Edna to Ocean to Diamond to Wilder to Arlington to Miguel into Richland to Murray to Holly Park to Elsie to Cortland to Mission to Valencia to 24th to Bryant to 2nd to Market to Sansome and into work.  Mental note:  Bryant sucks for bikes.  I headed home for lunch and then went for a nice ride after work.  I headed off Columbus to Stockton to North Point to Van Ness to Francisco to Gough to Greenwich to Lyon and into the Presidio.  I headed over to Lincoln and stopped for a nice pic of the National cemetery:

 

 

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

 

 

I continued on Lincoln into Camino Del Mar to Lake and stopped foot a pic of this fantastic renovation at 27th:

 

 

I continued on Lake to Arguello to Clay and stopped for a pic of this gorgeous home at Cherry with its amazing garden:

 

 

I continued on Clay to Fillmore to Pacific to Taylor to California to Polk to Grove to Laguna to Market to 17th to Ord and home for dinner.  Mr. Poe made this fantastic pasta thing with chickpeas and olives and I ate as much of it as I could manage.  After I got cleaned up and went to bed.  We got our TRL shirts and they’re super cute.  Maybe the nicest one we’ve gotten.

 

Bike Mileage:

Today 40.2 Week to date 98.9 Month to date 959.5 Year to date 3,714.6 To Goal 4,285.4 Over (Under) plan 514.6 YTD Mileage vs Last Year (324.1) Rolling Year 7,753.3 Since Inception 10/1/07 44,182.3

Wednesday I headed downtown in the morning and went to the gym.  Afterwards I went to go fix the flat tire on my bike only to discover that both of my wheels had been stolen.  Fuck!  The thief had replaced them with dramatically inferior wheels I’m guessing in an attempt to look less like he was stealing them.  I left the office mid day and headed over to REI to assess the damage.  The rear wheel was garbage so I had that replaced but the front wheel is OK and I can ride on that for a couple more months.  The stolen wheels were orginal to the bike which means they were very old and it had a racing cassette that had to have been designed by people with an expertise in cruelty.  The new wheel has much more user friendly gearing and one the sting wears off as to why I had to get a new wheel in the first place I’m going to be really happy with it.  Props to REI which gave me discounts on everything and always treats me like a classy piece of ass.

 

I went home and had lunch and then headed to Jane Warner Plaza to meet my Lifecycle group for our ride out to Tiburon.  We had two riders and it was a really great day.  Here’s Marcus in Tiburon.  This was pretty much his first training ride:

 

 

Ron and Marcus:

 

 

I got home a little after 7.  Mr. Poe made me dinner and then we went to bed.  Long ass day.

 

Bike Mileage:

Today 52.9 Week to date 58.7 Month to date 919.3 Year to date 3,674.4 To Goal 4,325.6 Over (Under) plan 496.3 YTD Mileage vs Last Year (307.6) Rolling Year 7,656.4 Since Inception 10/1/07 44,142.1

Tuesday I got out of the house a little early so I rode 18th to Harrison to 17th to Missouri to 16th to Terry Francois.  I stopped at Bay Front Park for some pics:

 

 

This is one of the many super fantastic buildings under construction in Mission Bay

 

 

I went to the gym over lunch and had a chat with the manager about the Friday spinning guy.  She promised she would escalate my complaints about his behavior again and let me know that he doesn’t have the authority to kick me out of class which is gonna be super sweet knowledge to have should he try.  When I was leaving I found my rear tire was flat and since I didn’t have my tools with me I had to leave it overnight.  Insert ominous music here.  I headed home and made Mr. Poe some crab cakes and then we went to bed early.

 

Bike Mileage:

Today 5.8 Week to date 5.8 Month to date 866.4 Year to date 3,621.5 To Goal 4,378.5 Over (Under) plan 465.3 YTD Mileage vs Last Year (360.5) Rolling Year 7,603.5 Since Inception 10/1/07 44,089.2