Mimosas, Coffee and Pancakes

On October 10th, 2021, I woke up at Pantoll campground at 7:45 about. I had slept on the ground next to my companion‘s tent.

In the parking lot a running group was talking perhaps a bit too loud. We coped well enough. I snacked while my companions got ready. By the time the last of us was up we were nearly packed. We quickly checked the site and headed to Old Stage Road and passed a lot of families headed to West Point Inn. When we got there we sat out back after we ordered. We had mimosas, coffee and pancakes with a few sausages. I was really happy with the meal.

We stood for a bit taking in the beauty of the bay before rolling to Fern Creek for some fresh air in the shade. After that we descended to Summit Road with only a few stops. We saw planes at Double Bowtie for Fleet Week. From there we descended Summit to Mill Valley and onward to Sausalito, where we had a beer at No Name bar.

After the boat trip we got some beer and rode to Duboce Park. I made a quick stop at home to drop my bags. Some of our friends had put together a big birthday spread. I was happy to see them. We them break down with a big load of tables and chairs after the party.

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.

Walk and Roll to School Day

On October 6 I wrote that that morning I woke up with a bit of a headache and went straight to to the coffee shop. I had work that day. However, at around two I headed to get my boys from kindergarten.

It turned out it was Walk and Roll to School Day and I ended up having a marvelous time. The three of us rode most of Webster and Buchanan Mall. Some lady yelled at us from her SUV that my kids shouldn’t ride bikes.

That afternoon I made Ramen for dinner and gave the boys ice cream. They watched a lot of TV.

 
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.

Town of Point Richmond

On September 6 of 2021, I wrote that the night before I noted that the pizza had arrived. The away team had brought a salad and some veggies and my boys actually ate a slice. I gave them other food too. Then I got them dressed and said good night which was hard because of all the cleaning and crouching.

I sat with the party until our hostess arrived and made us “nachos.” A couple of us tidied up and we discussed our grand visions.

In the morning of the day that I wrote this I noted that the raccoons went through our mess in the late night. I took two pictures as I woke up of the sunrise. Our host tidied when we got up. I didn’t really make anything to eat because there were bagels.

We ate a lot for breakfast but it was mostly snacky stuff. Our host took everyone on a hike to the hill top and the beach while I tidied my things and started packing. The party called to me from the hilltop directly above the tents.

I tried to organize to get ready to go but in the end had to rush. We rode the peninsula back. I got some photos of East Brother Island.

The boys did really well on the hills in point Molate. However, I did have to ferry the boys up a few hills. When we reached the town of Point Richmond we found a pub we liked.

We sat in the sun at first but the other side of the bar became shaded very soon. I ate someone else’s sandwich accidentally and had to buy her a beer to make up for it. We met a guy we knew from the twitter.

The group rode to Harbor Boulevard and then to the Richmond Ferry. We waited about an hour drinking beer playing hide and seek. The trip to San Francisco was great. At Market Street we rode to Patricia's Green. We got some great photos with the sun on Grove Street. Where we said goodbye
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.

The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge

On September 5 2021, I wrote that the day before I woke to find we were ready to go on a trip to Marin and Contra Costa Counties. I fed my boys breakfast and we headed out the door.

By the time we were ready some of our party arrived outside my apartment. Our bags were overflowing. I got the team to take Elgin to The Wiggle. We made good time to Eighth and Fulton where we met our ride host but we were still 15 minutes later than planned.

We stopped at our host’s place and then we to stop at Anza and 14th for a flat. However the rest of the way to Golden Gate Bridge was great. Some motorcyclists gave us a thumbs up and aside from a group of snotty roadies the bridge was oddly pleasant.

I asked the ride host to lead until the far side but left him behind as I went to the Sausalito sewage plant where we took in the wind. We all had a good time then. After that we went through Sausalito stopping at Mike’s bikes and Sycamore Street where the ride’s hostess met us.

I timed my crossing of Blythedale well. I got ahead of everyone at horse hill and our host had trouble following because he usually goes down to the freeway from there. Instead we took Meadow Sweet and crossed at Mount Tamalpais Boulevard.

Initially the plan was to take Miller but I asked to go use Lucky street because it is wider.

We stopped at New Wheel where I got a bell and filled my tires. The mechanic said hi again and the clerk was really nice. We went to the brewery then and I just got the boys chicken strips on top of my salad. I also bought a kilt lifter.

After that I followed our ride host to Francisco Road and waited for the others while she went ahead to meet her others in our party.

The six of us crossed the Richmond San Rafael bridge here and my electric cargo bike allowed me to pass everyone and even some of the riders ahead of us. However when I got to the top of the first towered section I decided to sit with the boys for a moment and ask them how they were. After that I started heading towards Richmond and let the party catch up to me.

From there our host went to go find the rest of the part at the campsite and I took the boys to Point Richmond with two of our party to go shopping. Both of my boys were very displeased over our diversion. At the grocery I got good things for the kids.

The ride to the Terminal Four campsite was OK but the groceries were impeding my petals. One of my boys was very good at helping me. We enjoyed the ride. There were old railroad tracks.

The site was much different than I had imagined. Our party gained some member’s and others departed by automobile. The good news was that we had received some bikes for my boys and they had a playmate now. I tried to set up my tent but the turnaround was tough. After that we all went to the barbecue place. The trail was actually pretty straightforward. We parked at ordering was a little bit harder though. We got some beer and the meal turned out to be OK. I didn’t eat much.

Unfortunately, one of my boys scraped his hand and fell apart. The whole entire meal was very tense because he continued to scream at me. I had to hold him in my arms and he refused to let me look at his hand. I made a bunch of mistakes. I thought it was very sad. In fact my other boy also kind of fell apart.

I told the boys bikes and then we went back to the campsite. Some of the others in the party helped out giving him a Band-Aid. However, getting the boys to bed was extremely difficult. The others were extremely supportive. We drinking beer until 130 after that.

In the morning of the day that I wrote this I put on extra clothing layers and at 7:30 the boys and I got up. I put stuff away until 930 and then made the boys oatmeal. I also eventually tried to set up my second tent - first near the water but later settled on an area near the tents. The boys really helped.

Our hostess let us know she had a pressing issue to address and headed out with her son. We cleaned up when she left and the rest of us returned to the barbecue. We had mac & cheese and beer. We waded in the bay and looked for beach glass. It was really hot and eventually had to seek shade with the bikes.

When we got back to the camp some of us opted to meet our hostess in point Richmond and the rest of us played with the kids.

 
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.

The party was fun.

On September 1 2021, I was done winding down when an acquaintance suggested we sync our viewing of Star Trek I. We set up our separate TVs and texted throughout the movie. That lasted until 11:15 and I went to bed around 12:15.

In the morning of the day that I wrote this I woke up to my boys and got up a bit later. I was slow to get ready but soon had them fed and fetched them their larger backpacks per their mother‘s wishes.

We rode to school without incident and on the way back I went to the cafe when I was done running up Page to Broderick.

While working from home that day, I did laundry and stopped by the other coffee shop. Later I did a grocery run. I wrote up steps and tried to prepare for my coming camping trip with a trip to REI.

I took my e-cargo bike and met some acquaintances for a party in Telegraph hill. We met up at at Cafe Trieste before riding up the hill. The party was fun. We had appetizers and we toured the hostess’ house. The dog barked.

We debated city politics like Great Highway and ate a meal of mac & cheese and veggies. We played a game of chameleon which was fun. I lied a lot. We met the roommate.

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.

The SNRR Tunnel

On August 15 2021, they wrote I went to my neighborhood cafe 915 and hopped on BART to meet a local cycling advocate at a coffee shop in Berkeley. We took Keith and the right of way to Montclair.

The ride was easy. We documented the signs along the path and identified where the SNRR tunnel is on Saroni. He showed me how do use Colton to Skyline and we hung out for a moment before going down Pinehurst to find the East Portal. I made a thread of pictures on Twitter.

When we returned to Pinehurst and Skyline I shared the Evergreen route with him. I said bye after riding with him down Crockett to look at the old right of way there. I went and had a meal at Barney’s and rode home to Civic Center.

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.

Samuel P Taylor Park

On August 1 2021 I wrote that the night before I played cards with my companions until late in Samuel P Taylor Park.

In the morning of the day that I wrote this I woke up on my tarp before anyone else. I started making coffee after putting my stuff away and my companions woke up. We interacted with the others until they left.

I finished packing only after we finished our coffee and oatmeal. My companions sat in the tent for a bit and then we cruised around the campground and then left.

We went to The Inkwells and jumped in. We say saw a couple of through bikers there. Some Cyclists yelled to us from the bridge. They wanted to know where we had gone. I assumed they had seen our bikes. We were really happy to swim.

When we left we rode to Lagunitas and checked our tires. Then we rode to Woodacre. I checked Castro street in Forest Knolls and we took Meadow and Creamery.

We got snacks and ascended White Hill. I managed traffic while we were climbing. Then we took the railroad grade past Fairfax Falls and the new bridge over Hunter Creek. We had a hard time with gravel at Baywood.

On our way through the Manor tract, I showed my companions where I thought the funicular had been. We went to the biker bar but they had no food because of a power outage so we went to Naves.

After that we took bike route 20 to Larkspur Landing where we went to the Marin Brewery. I ate my fish and chips sparingly. We saw an acquaintance on the ferry. I said bye to them at Grove Street.

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.