Check with New Wheel

On 1 June I wrote that I went to public bikes and found they didn't have the right part for me. I got into a conversation with a random lady about my bike. My friend had suggested I check with new wheel.

I returned to the office and later I went to the bank and then to coffee.  I got into a conversation with my friend via text. Unfortunately, I didn't know she was having a hard time getting to the Exploratorium to see her sisters. It was a loud experience for her and the trains were very slow. She was a mess when she was going home.

It was around then that headed from work to a new wheel. I took Valencia mission and Victoria to Cortland. The staff was really helpful. One of the other guys – older – helped as the shop was closing. I went to cross the street to the bar and spent the rest of my cash and made conversation. I had my bike equipment with me.

Later I went across the street and got a few other things. Then I rode to Valencia and saw critical mass on the way to the apartment. The guys waved at me.  My friend was OK but as I helped her it was apparent that she was very tired. I did what I could do to help. She wanted me to help wind the house down.

Later we discussed her day and her hard time at the Exploratorium. She told me about the noisily late trains. I made her some wine and dinner. She didn't make it. She was so tired she went to bed. I ate beans and squash in coconut milk that night before I went to sleep too.

In the morning of the day that I wrote this – June 31 – we were up at six for tea.  We went to the train station after quiet time had ended. The roommate helped us out. We headed to the train station at 10:45, walked to Van Ness Avenue and caught the 1145 train. I had gotten us coffee. However, we ran it down to the wire on the boarding and our appointment was an issue.

Later I dropped my coffee into the seat on the train and I felt miserable. I had to sort my feelings out on my own.  By the time we arrived in Redwood City I was feeling better and the mess was "clean" as long as I didn't look at it.

It was hard at Palo Alto when I had to say I needed no help from people. My friend thought help was always nice. However, I noted that it wouldn’t be a problem after that point because we'd be able to create solutions.

We crossed to the subway with another family and went to Blue Bottle with a quick stop at Walgreens. I found us a table. My friend was snotty when I told her I could get our table on my own. When she returned I had cleared my table and I was wondering why she acted that way. I discovered at that point that she had gotten three drinks because her sister was with us.

I left them at the table to get some air out on the sidewalk. I was alone at the ice cream shop. When I got back the sister said she would meet us at their aunt's.

We rode our bikes to the house and the ride was way better than when we had previously gone. Once we got there I placed the bike out back and my friend was inside with her sisters and niblings.  When we had settled in the meal was ready so we sat down to eat. There was a bit of a catching up to do because one of the sister’s hadn't seen me in a while and the aunt hadn't seen me in a month. I had a beer.

When we were done eating we discussed our lives while my friend started quiet time in the guestroom.  We hung out in the living room then. The aunt was selling her book to the ladies - one of which had fallen asleep on the couch. The kids clearly didn't know what they had gotten into.

I have returned to the guestroom oh to lie on the bed but it was clear to both of us that it wasn't possible to stay much longer. I got my stuff together.  A short while later I had the bikes packed and the ladies said they would go. We said bye at the door and road to Menlo station. The ride was sublime.

Some couple talked to us at the station. The boarding – that we had prepared – was hard. We had a beer and I sat in the bike car for a little bit. It was quieter. I made a random guy. At Millbrae getting off was easier but I still had to unload twice because of the equipment.  On BART the ride was easy. My friend stood next to the door for the last two stations. The escalators were hard but the ride was easy.

At the apartment I had trouble initially but later it was easier. I made a noisy mess while Charlie went to the store. After that we wound the house down and ate more of the green beans, squash and coconut. I went to thieves to write in my notebook.

This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.

Until the Seventh Inning

On 27 June I finished at Starbucks on King around noon on Saturday the 24th and headed to the jewelry mart where I used an old name tag to enter. The jewler was really cool. I picked up the watch I had dropped there a few weeks before.

I rode two Four Barrel and my friend bought me coffee. We hung out quietly next to the pourover coffee bar. We went to the apartment and once inside I was surprised to discover that my neice, brother-in-law, sister and brother were inside the apartment waiting for us. That was surprising. My friend entertained.

A little later we walked to Van Ness then and when we got off Muni at Embarcadero station I had a hard time putting money on my card. That was fine because it gave my sister tike to walk with and get to know my friend. I found them at the ferry building and we all did different things. We followed Joe to a deli after that where we got sandwiches.

We then headed to the ballpark playground and met more people. There was a space for being loud. Mom took a lot of photos. I showed my friend the one that I had gotten. We ate our sandwiches. My brother had chips. My younger sister’s family.The Oregon family we knew well was there. Some people I knew from grammar school even showed up.

I wanted to get a bobble head so I left my friend sitting quietly on the grass. When I returned she came with my mother and I to drop stuff at the bike valet.  I ended up getting and extra bobblehead.

We went to our seats and met our friends. I sat next to my dad, younger sister, her buddy from grade school, her husband and a few others over the course of the game. My friend and I went to customer service and got some certificates. It was really noisy. Dad's web developer and cousin were there. My older sister’s husband brought me a drink.

My friend and I lasted until the seventh inning. I wasn't impressed with the score. The Giants didn't get many runs. We went to the valet to get our stuff and caught an N train. We rode to Van Ness and went to the apartment.  We settled in and my friend took over the apartment when I went to Oakland a bit later.

I met the Oregonians at the diner near their hotel. A bit later we went to The Rendezvous at Jack London Square. We made jokes about the floor and then we went to The Merchant Exchange for more. My brother and I said bye to them and went to the apartment. I was tired.

This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.

Grass at City Hall

On 18 June I wrote that in the morning the day before I was up an hour late. We managed to tidy and had no quiet time before leaving at 9:30. The apartment was tidy and we saw our roommate on the way out. After getting our stuff together on Clinton Park we quietly drove across the street to Four Barrel before going across the bridge to the Caldecott Tunnel.

I thought the coffee was great but envisioned a time when we would need more. I planned on stopping in Stockton. We went through Clayton and over the pass. We went down Marsh Creek to Brentwood.  I got a little lost. My friend realized that she had turned her phone’s highway settings off.

At the Starbucks in Stockton we went to the lake in the middle of town and had a meal before heading up Highway 26 and then 88 to Ione and then to Amador city.  We unpacked and went into my old college classmate’s home through the back door. They were there with their dog. We got settled and then there were loud surprises with the dog.

They had to go to the party so we got our stuff together and walked down to meet them. The walk was kind of long but when we got into town the shop that my friend liked was closed.  However, we went to the one restaurant and I found that their tacos were really good. After that we went to the Hotel then and found my old college buddies were all there. Our hostess was talking to guests and I got to talk with the kids.

My college classmate’s wife bought us a drink the hostess introduced my friend to the candidate.  A bit later she made her speech. My friend and I got some nonalcoholic drinks but we were restless so went and sat in the grass at City Hall.

We walked through Dancing in the Streets. We also decided to go back to our host’s place. We said bye to everyone and walked up the hill. It took us about 1 1/2 hours to wind things down and then I walked back to the hotel without her.

A guy from our college days - he still lived in our college town - told me to go to the house next to my hostess’ but I found her in the back with the candidate. I sat with what was left with the party and eventually a number of us were standing in front of the town's historical firehouse talking.

We got into cars then and drove the quarter mile to the house then.  When we arrived I discovered that the regional party liaison was with my friend, who had indicated an interest in being alone.  I checked with her a bit later and she had changed her mind once they had gotten into a conversation.  That was good because there was about 10 of us a short while later.

Once the party was on the deck the house was quiet. I had a great time because so many people I knew were there.  People from the house next door even came down.  We all sat outside enjoying the night air.

I learned that my friend had really enjoyed herself. I tried all the drinks. When everything started winding down I stood with the guys near the garden. My friend had said good night around midnight. I was in bed at three.

I wrote that in the morning of the day that I wrote this I woke quite perplexed only a few hours later.  My friend had suggested walking to town but one of the guests had made coffee. The host made us eggs and fried potatoes instead and later his sister-in-law showed up and made all of us French toast. I sat quietly and ate everything.

My friend told me that she had a lot of fun interacting with the hostess and her sister-in-law. Eventually I started packing to go but not until after sharing three hours with the all the people. We went out and enjoy the days hot air.  Later I discovered that the mother-in-law had taken the ladies to the barn. When they got back we also got to watch the hostess open her birthday presents.

When we left my friend finally got to go to the store that she loved in town. I sat quietly in the car. After that we drove past the foothills on our way to Stockton.  The ride was easy. We passed a reservoir she had stayed at with family years before.

There were groups of trees in Lockeford and the noise got louder as we got close to Stockton.  I had a café in mind near the university but when we got there I discovered it had closed. We went to a tap room instead. I made noise on the stage and then we had a sandwich and fries with root beer.  We walked through the blazing sun to the car and headed south. I got lost until we were on Highway four. We headed over the river is then and I got gas.  The car was quiet on the way through Clayton.

This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.

Ready for The Bike

On 12 June I wrote In the morning of the eleventh I went to Whole Foods to buy baguette and brie, cans of cuvée and a bahn me sandwich. I returned to the apartment and my friend and I were about to get ready for the bike ride. I prepared our two borrowed cargo bikes.  One was a free radical and the other had electric assist. I felt like we were late when I brought them out.

We made it to Dolores Park and learned from some close friends that they couldn't go because it was too much for their youngest. So many friends were there. Two people from Sacramento gave me a glass of sparkling wine and we talked to each other. They had taken the train.

When it was time for us to go, we took 18th to Sanchez and went up to wiggle. I rode with my friend from Sacramento part of the way. I also spoke to a lady and a nanny I knew while riding through the panhandle, which was easy.  When I passed everyone I think I slowed the ride down. One of the riders got ahead of everyone and at Schrader she waved us through. She also took pictures of us at the Dahlia garden.

The climb was OK but we still had more to go. At Crossover Drive there were some cops watching the intersection because Sunday Streets started there.  I noted that that end of the park had taken on a particular serene quality because of the closure.

We entered Hellman Hollow at the Marx Meadow Crossing and found a spot for our picnic. We put down blankets and drank Pastis. I sat with a guy from San Jose and his girlfriend that lived in San Francisco. There was another group at the picnic that had wanted to hang out with us but they were too far away.

My friend was making noise so I decided to put some effort in on her side. She had brought strawberries and cheese. I ate a lot of it. There were a bunch of people in that group.  Later I decided to take a walk through the quiet meadow then. I was amazed at how much space there was around me. The meadow hadn't filled up at that point. I heard birds and other noises. It was really great.

I went to the other group and looked at their Eiffel Tower and at some of their macarons. Then I returned to the main group.

I tried to wander around but that wasn't going to happen. I made noises around the picnic blankets. There was noisy walking to. Later I took a quiet bike ride up the hill and back for quiet time and went and enjoy the fresh air with a few people.  We saw some people I knew pretty well then.  Some guy had come up with classical music on his bike also.

It was time to go after the organizer announced the prizes. As we packed our things, I told the sacramentans that my friend and I would ride with them to Alvord lake.  On the ride we discovered that it was Haight Ashbury Street Festival.  We rode down page and when we said buy to our friends they were trying to decide what to do about the crowd.

This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.

Sat on a Seesaw

On 4 June and I wrote that it was Friday and I left for San Bruno BART around seven.  I was wearing my red velvet jacket and one of the guys was displeased I had stolen his thunder.

We rode up centennial way past The dog park and went over to South San Francisco Station along Colma Creek.  Then we went up to Lawndale to hillside. I passed a bunch of people on the hill and eventually made it to the front of the pack. I knew it was possible that the group would miss its time.

Two of us were caught off guard when the flag stopped and so we went back. I remember a couple of people dashing ahead then. They were going to do the turn at Market.  As we headed up to Hillside Park one of the guys told me I wasn’t allowed to wear such a loud jacket. I interacted with some of the organizers and at the top I parked and got to know people.

A lady was selling Climate Ride cookies. I secured a bike for the Beret and Baguette ride.  The owner lived in the Richmond and told me to meet him later in the week. A couple of us were enjoying the evening air when the cops drove up.

I was going to ditch at that point and was standing with a guy I didn't really one of the guys.  The cop left a bit later and we headed to San Francisco a few minutes later. The ride to Hillside was tough but after that we went through Crocker Amazon and the Excelsior lightning fast. I was ecstatic. We were on Mission all the way to Trumbull and St. Mary's playground.

SOmeone helped hold my beer while I sat on a seesaw.  We left a while later after having a blast.  From there we went Mission again and zoomed up Folsom. One of the leaders wanted to stop to pay tribute to a ghost bike but I went home to eat cheese and drink tea.

This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.