DFF: Setting the stage

A couple weeks ago, the Disposable Film Festival presented their Bike-in Movie Screening event. Velo Vogue was there to capture portraits of the many gorgeous attendees. This post, however, provides some background shots to set the stage.

As we set up, the light faded on the nearby buildings.



Deep can be counted on to provide his Trikeasaurus for party purposes. The event organizers used carshare cars to transport their equipment.


The movie screen and lawn chairs were ready for the sun to set and the screening to begin....

My favorite things to do in SF

My friend over the weekend asked me what are my favorite things to do in SF. I was surprised at how easy it was for me to answer:
* Bike to the beach
* The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival
* Bike around and look at real estate open houses on Sundays
* Hiking and having a picnic at Mt. Tam

off the grid

Nasa had us over for a presentation (work). They said something interesting: a space station is potentially the most off-the-grid you can get. Since it costs $10,000 per pound to get anything up there, they have a huge incentive not to need to transport anything in or out. While space travel is enormously expensive, it also may provide lessons on how we can live on earth more lightly.

17th Street Plaza

Last Wednesday, the City unveiled 17th Street Plaza, a new public park made from an under-used street in the pedestrian-overwhelmed Castro District.
The instillation is simple: some old curb stones, paint and planters define the space.

Now, cars whiz by on Market Street while residents and visitors alike lounge on the movable chairs with coffee, books and good conversation. (The movable chairs concept is made famous in Paris' Luxembourg Garden.)

The new Plaza caters to pedestrians and transit riders (the classic F-Line trolley cars stop right here)...

...but I saw two chic cyclists:
This lady sporting turquoise jeans and flaunting her mobility in front of gas prices and carshare cars...

...and myself, in new Nutcase helmet with orange flames (Yes!), Coach sunglasses, little black dress and floral basket....

Stop by our City's youngest park next time you're in the neighborhood, bring a friend or a book and catch some rays. Enjoy!

ideas for Brunch

My bike pals and I talked at length about where to eat brunch and why. Here's what I learned:
Four Seasons (West Portal)
Jim's (Mission and 20th)
The Ramp

quote and thoughts

"Anything you want bad, you will probably lose. So, you may as well sit down to an ice cold beer." Random Garrison Keillor quote
Which is to say that everything in life is transient. I find wanting things not to be very effective.

Happy Bike-to-Work Day!

I asked a random guy to shoot this photo of me at the Caltrain station on my way home from work last year. I'm sporting a blue blouse and brown suit pants (the matching jacket is in my pannier). I've changed my shoes to cleats, and my trouser socks work perfectly to keep my pant legs out of my chain and wheels. The fact that my helmet matches my blouse is a luck accident.

My commute is quite long. When I ride less than 10 miles, I'm perfectly comfortable wearing near-regular clothes. When I ride 30+ miles to work, I admit to wearing spandex.

I've been hearing a lot of new plays on "Bike-to-Work Day" this year. I've heard "Work to Bike" and "Bike instead of Work", and I can relate to that. Since I've never heard the event so paired with an anti-work message, I'm wondering how much the sad state of the economy increases interest in biking both because biking is a more efficient way of travel than just about anything else (thus saving people money they don't have) and because it brings joy to our lives when we might have trouble remembering other reasons to feel happy.

Whether you bike to work, work to bike, or bike instead of work, I wish you a beautiful day on your bike.

Bike to Work!

We continue to bike to work regularly.

Mostly, I do it for the pastries we stop to buy at the end.

Family photo

overheard

Caltrain was delayed by suicides 2 days in a row this week (Today's Tuesday!). I arrived a bit late this morning. A woman spoke on the phone outside my preferred back entrance. As I passed her, I overheard her saying "She's very critical... like your mother." I wondered: who's mother isn't very critical? Tell me. I want to give her an award.

new helmet... with flames

I've been planning to get a new helmet for more than a year now. You have probably noticed that I like to do things deliberately... or impulsively but not in between. I was riddled with uncertainty about which helmet to get. After much thought and intense deliberation, I decided last week on the black helmet with pink flowers. I was worried about mercury retrograde; so, I wanted to get all my purchases in before May began. I went to the website to order the helmet with pink flowers and at the last moment changed my mind for the helmet with orange motorcycle flames. It arrived today and feels completely perfect*. Thank you, Universe.

* When I put it on, Led Zeppelin came onto my "music shuffle". I love clear direction from the gods!

on the street

I took a long walk this afternoon. Almost home, a man said something to me. I smiled, but did not change my gate. As I passed him, he said "I bet your husband loves you like crazy," and pulled a serving-size bottle of booze out of his pocket. I said: "I wish."

intentions

For Christmas, my mother gave me a book "How we choose to be happy". I was interested and read immediately the introduction, after which there was a multiple choice quiz. I took it. Then, I read the first chapter, after which there was an exercise: list your life intentions.

I've been struggling with this idea every since. What are my intentions? I've penned a couple drafts, and here's where I am:
Be sweet
Tell the truth
Use resources efficiently
Be healthy, fit and beautiful
Love completely -- and dedicate the time and effort to make love stay and grow
Have a beautiful family
Be a good friend
Indulge my creativity
Excel at everything I do, and if I can't excel, laugh
Learn constantly and keep informed about the world
Embrace the journey
Walk away from unhealthy situations

Visiting NYC this summer?

Have we got an idea for you!

Governors Island is a carfree Oasis.

Free bikes on Fridays