Santa Cruz

On January 31, I wrote that I had visited Monterey with an acquaintance to see a show the night before. In the morning we went to a coffee shop nearby and we had waffles and pancakes.

I oriented myself on the map while we drove to Santa Cruz. I kept thinking how similar it was to Santa Barbara. We visited Verve in Santa Cruz and then we walked Pacific Avenue. I noted that there was a bookstore and a card shop and a tchotchkes shop.

As we drove out of Santa Cruz, I put Paco de Lucía on. We drove through Davenport and I looked at the Sand Hills – they seemed calcium rich. I oriented myself as we crossed Waddell and Gazos Creek. We also looked at the pie shop but we weren’t impressed with the pies. Later we went to Pescadero and got coffee. I asked the Bike Shop about routes up Pescadero Creek. I noted that the rest of the drive was easy and it started raining in Half Moon Bay.

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.

Monterey

On January 30 I wrote that I traveled to Monterey with an acquaintance. As we drove through Pacifica heading south I focused on biking routes in the mountains. We stopped in Princeton by the sea to get coffee. There was traffic in half Moon Bay. I paid close attention to San Pedro Mountain during part of the ride.

I didn’t notice much until Pescadero. I was struck by the Gazos Creek and Scott Creek canyons. We had a short stop in Davenport. Between Santa Cruz and Elkhorn Slough I discussed Jevon’s Paradox with my companion. We also discussed induced demand, housing, automobiles and other things like Caltrain. All the while, was on the watch out for clues on ways for crossing the Santa Cruz Mountains by bike.

In Monterey, we visited the butterfly sanctuary but we only saw one butterfly. After that, we went to a café in Pacific Grove before heading to Cannery Row for the sights.

After we had checked in at our hotel, we headed straight to the marina for a drink and a view of the bay. I noted that one can see the Salinas Range pretty well. I also noticed that Fremont Peak is a little far away. By 6 o’clock we had had tacos at the hotel restaurant. We ordered the octopus and it was pretty impressive. I was really happy with the trip.

The rest of the night from there we were at the Golden State Theater. I enjoyed all of the music immensely. The lead singer’s brother and a friend were also playing with him.

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.

Cerritos Plaza for Bike Party

On January 12, 2025, I wrote that left the office and I went home a few hours before I took my bike to the empanada place and continued to Cerritos Plaza for Bike Party. An acquaintance wished me a happy new year and I said you too. Later I met a guy with a cargo bike like the one I had at home with interesting handlebars in the back. When the ride left, I chatted with a few regulars along the route. They told me about their lives. One of them had broken up with his girlfriend. I heard a funny story about crack.

We rode north and then to the east. We took 20th and Cutting and then we went south into the Ferry Point Tunnel. We headed over to Brickyard Cove. The waterfront was cold but easy and at the park I was looking for friends for a while. I went to the pier, but there were no Cyclists there. I was actually kind of surprised to find that there were other groups spending time at the park.

There was a great view of San Francisco. Someone set off some fireworks. I hung out with a few of the older regulars and then we all rode to Shoreline Park. I chatted with some of the ride leaders a few times. I had to put on my jacket while we were riding and that was hard.

One of the ride leaders drank a beer with me, but I was drinking water. Then the group I always ride with organized and we all left bike party behind and headed to the Bay Trail. We followed Hoffman Channel to Plaza Bart. On the train I fantasized a lot about going to bed. I realized that this was brain fog. I noted that the group thinks I am cool and a few of us covered our ears when we were in the tunnel.

 
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 Temptation 12 Inch

On December 21, 2024, I wrote that the night before I got on my Raleigh and went to Brother's Pizza. I attached my fleece to the rack because I knew it was cold but bearable out. The pizza was OK. At Riptide my beer and Fernet was too expensive but the bar was playing a bunch of cool early 80s music. I asked the DJ about the Temptation 12 Inch he had played by New Order.

I woke up hung early the next morning. My father asked me to make him coffee and once I had brought it to him I went back to sleep. Later that day I went to Gus‘s and got us some sandwiches which we ate when I got back home.

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 Bartender Put Janis Joplin On

On November 22, 2024, I wrote that I met my older brother at Civic Center and we caught an L train to the sunset to meet our sister who was with our dad at his house. We got on the phone with our older sister sat on speakerphone in the dining room to discuss the estate of our uncle – our monther’s brother, who had recently passed away.

During the family meeting, we got signatures for the mortuary and settled on the date in December for the memorial. Afterwards, I got in my sister's car and we drove to our uncle’s house. It wasn’t hard getting in but after doing a few things we decided it would be a while before we’d be able to settle the estate.

We fed the neighbor's cat and locked up the house. In the car, we had a brief legal conversation before she dropped me off at West Portal. I rode an L Train to Church Station – texting with my other siblings.

When I got home, I was able to drop off the paperwork from the day's activities and walk over to Sycamore. I wove a sad story about my uncle’s storied past as a motorcycle owner, climber and local ruffian from the 1960’s to anyone who would listen. Tom, the bartender, put Janis Joplin on for me-that was nice.

I finished my sliders and beer before walking home and going straight to bed. I had restless sleep.

The next day, I packed to return to the house and my older brother let me know he would meet me. I dressed for rain and stopped at Four Barrel. I took BART and had made it to Phelan when my brother let me know he was waiting for me. I caught a 29 bus.

While there, we found basic paperwork and discussed coming back in a few days. I noted that the cat had not eaten anything, there was garbage and we needed to pay the utilities at some point. Then the two of us walked to Ocean Avenue through the rainy air chatting about how to share the path forward with our sisters and what to do about our younger brother.

At Phelan, he took a 43 back to the sunset and I took a 49 to Bart because I had to go to The Mortuary.

I noted that walking is hard when you’re in suburbia at times. However, my meeting with the funeral director was easy enough. When I got to Civic Center, I caught a five from Van Ness and I took a 22 to pick my boys up.

My brother was waiting there for us when I arrived and my boys were enthusiastic about spending time with him. was there. They got on a 24 and headed out to our father’s house and I took the bus to work, getting coffee on the way. Then, once I had dried off from the heavy rain and got ready to attend a work function.

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.

At Lake Merritt I met the Bike Party.

On November 10, 2024, I wrote that after work the previous Friday I took a bus to the bike shop on Cortland to get my cargo bike. Then I got a burrito and went home to put the cargo bike away and get my Surly out.

I rode to Civic Center and boarded with a few other cyclists. At Lake Merritt I met the Bike Party. I spoke to an organizer and saw a few others. I walked around. One of the people I knew pretty well was with his other tall bike.

The Bike Party rode down to fourth and headed to Mandela. The group was huge. I went half speed and it took til 40th to watch the whole group pass. I spoke to the sweep. We went to the new development off Horton where the new bridge is. The park has a bike path which passes through a building. I hung out with the organizers until people I knew well showed up and sat with them for a while. A lady with a sweet Raleigh was there. It was green and probably was a mid 70s model.

We rode Mandela to 12th and I hopped a BART train home. The ride home was easy enough and once I got home I was asleep pretty easily too.

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.

My Phone Catches the Comet

On October 17, I wrote at the day before I make it out the door by 6:30. I ate an empanada at the ferry building and then I joined Butter lap.

There was a guy on an E bike and a coule of other guys who seemed slightly familiar. I also saw a few people from bike party. I left early and found some of the regular “Lappers” waiting for us at Fort Point. There was a lot of talk about “the comet,” Tsuchinshan-ATLAS in the sky, but I didn’t see it at that point. I got water and then we all headed out to Pacific Overlook. I managed the climbs pretty well. I noted that I found if I ride easy, I can sustain a sprint for at least a mile.

At Pacific Overlook I caught my breath and discovered, to my surprise, that my phone catches the comet if I use delayed snap. I left early and a bike party person I know from social media and I were first to Legion of Honor with that one fixed gear Butter Lap guy who is always first. I chatted with the crew as everyone started arriving and eventually the people I knew best said we should leave. I skipped doing laps around the VA and descended to Ocean Beach.

I found to my surprise that everyone was behind me because of that. I ended up sprinting up JFK after Cliff house with the ebike guy and we found a couple of regulars I know well as we were passing the bison paddock. We rode together to the Conservancy. I went ahead at Stanyon and descended to Benders Bar alone. I had a beer and chatted with the ebike guy and bike party people until late.

 
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.