tooling about San Fran

Lunch at Joe's courtesy of Mary's suggestion....what a treat, could've used a nap later. Retrieved bike, got separated from Sandeep enroute home. Wound up in traffic and too much of a chicken to split lanes.

Detoured to city hall to while away a bit of rush hour (that was quite quite miserable) and sutmbled upon a protest underway. A 'children protective services' social worker, Liliana, filled me in on the SEIU plight. I did decline the offer for a t-shirt, hotdog and picket tho. It seems the mayor has hired 20 new management staff and laid off the worker bees. Something it seems that this has to do with the mayor's aspirations to be governer. An iced Thai tea and vegan oatmeal cookie helped reassure me I was indeed in San Fran.

me and my date

hmm her date is purdier than mine!

dancing... it beats a treadmill....



yum home made noodles

no no we are not lost, grown men don't ask for directions! Sandeep and I off to Yoshi's to check out some tunes. Sorry for the amateur posting, just getting the hang of this....

Hanging out with the Mehtas

breakfast by Kashmira, followed by a nap ... lunch at Burma Superstar (formerly Bagan) in Alameda .... chowhound-approved and quite yummy. Add a little slot car racing action and top it off with wholesome, vegan chocolate cakes at Julie's and you have the ingredient to chill-dom in place. Tonight (after another siesta) we head to Yoshi's (yeah Charlie Hunter played there) to catch Pancho Sanchez.

ForwardAir claims the bike is still scheduled to show up tomorrow; let's hope eh?

first Cincy then Salt Lake City and....

arrived in Oakland without incident. Met a couple of ladies on their way to see a new grandkid and flying for their very first time. I remember my first, I was three. It was an MSA 737; the last hop from Salt Lake to Oakland was on a 737-800. Boeing have dispensed with clamshell reverse-thrusters ... what a treat it was for the three-year-olds. My seat-mate, a college student from Berkley, had decided that morning to fly home and see mom. Wonder if he remembers his first time?

Utah: Home of the Osmonds...

and so it begins!

prompt and early at the airport....forgot the wee duck (he's traveling cargo with the bike). My 6.2oz tube of toothpaste makes it past the TSA gauntlet. That's Kevin dropping me off at the airport in Pittsburgh. Bike should be there Monday and with any luck, I'll be with the Mehta's tonight. I had swapped fortune cookies with a new friend because we seemed to like each others (!).... but my gift fortune has been what finally kicked started this trip after years of wishing, wondering and waffling....

I should be going to bed...but but...

CDR went well, it's raining outside. Final couple of loads of laundry. No monkey butt powder at Southern States. What am I forgetting?

pre-ride scampering

Been trying to get things tied up at work, big design review with the customer tomorrow, never been away from work for more than a week in the 17 years I've been with the
company. Feels positively strange. Boss thinks I'm a little mad. Loaded the bike into the container bright and early this morning at the Forward Air terminal in Pittsburgh.