Holiday Greetings from Specialized

The Nutcracker Suite Performed on Bicycle Parts

Merry Christmas

Market and Octavia again

The intersection of Market and Octavia is dangerous for cyclists. But this woman seemed completely un-phased as she biked through the bike lane and chatted on her phone. She looked cool in hip white helmet and black clothes.

Davis Vogue

Occasionally, I am forced to leave my beloved San Francisco. Usually it's a family obligation. Davis has world-class biking facilities; so, it's not surprising that I saw this woman in long skirt, cowboy boots and yellow top waiting at a stop light as we left town.

4th and King/Fluttery red skirt

Leaving the Caltrain station at 4th and King in San Francisco one evening, I rode along with this woman in a fluttering red skirt. She had someplace to go in that awesome outfit; so, it was a little work trying to capture her likeness without seeming like a total weirdo. (I sometimes thank my stars we're girls keeping the blog.)

A gentleman riding along side me asked me what I was doing. (I might have been creeping him out.) I explained. He tried to run interference for me, but alas, this was the best photo I got of her with more than 20 shot.

Wooo! Girls and Soul Suckers

The universe sent me a message today. In the spirit of High Fidelity, I have been checking in with various ex-boyfriends. Success has been highly variable... from being told to go f- myself (metaphorically) to extended conversations about the meaning of it all. All responses were completely healing. For example, my records indicate my last communication with the one who's still mad was August '07. What kind of a person holds a grudge that long? I had no idea I meant so much to these people who dumped me.

Today, by complete co-incidence, I had lunch with a guy I dated briefly early in 2007 and his new girlfriend. She's also oddly similar to the "new" girlfriend I met of the guy who's still mad (though smart, pretty and with better social skills). I believe this means that universe is telling me that my High-Fidelity project is on-track.

You probably already know that I love How I Met Your Mother (and not just because they named one of the characters after me). The Wooo! Girls episode resonated: I plead guilty! (on all charges.) I mean, I don't think Wooo! Girls are sad, but I do think that they would give all that up in something like a second if the right guy presented the right proposal. Being single is completely wonderful; dating sucks (Thanks, Brian). I believe that every human deeply wants a loving partnership with the right person -- we just confront a lot of obstacles in ourselves and the world to setting all that up.

One of those obstacles is the "soul sucker." The little brother of my best friend since kindergarten, Laura, who I spent Thanksgiving with, shared this concept with me onThursday. He explained: "You're doing great, working hard. You have good friends. Maybe you have some art projects going. Then, you meet someone. Next thing you know, the only thing you're doing is spending time with that person." They're effectively preventing you from living up to your full potential. Thy must avoid the Soul Sucker. ...which basically means that you can only date people who you have a whole lot in common with already. Maybe everyone else already knows that, but it seems like a big constraint to me. It's a good thing I'm done dating.

PS, I can't wait to tell you about the apocalyptic puppet show I saw tonight, but it will have to wait for another post.

mission rain... again still

These two were riding on a rainy day in the Mission. I was impressed with her skirt mostly.

They clearly know one of the great secrets to getting around SF -- every bus stop has a map of the entire city!


Only after they rode away did I notice his cool arty hoodie.

Thanksgiving

My blog archives reveal that I do a Thanksgiving post about every 2 years. I don't know what that means, but here I am in another even-numbered year, posting about Thankfulness.

Back before my family disperated, we used to always "say thankful" before eating Thanksgiving dinner. I find this deeply moving and have been known to break into tears when giving my own thankful at the table. (But then, when have I ever not broken into tears? I'm a passionate person.)

Blogging about thankfulness gets a little redundant over the years. I've been blogging for 4.5 years, and I think I've already given thanks for everything.

I'm thankful for:

• the health and happiness of my family and friends
• the ongoing support and love of my family and friends
• being employable; that someone is willing to pay me to do work I love
• the technology of the bicycle
• how beautiful and interesting San Francisco is; how I never tire of it
• creativity in myself and those near me
• idealism in myself and those I have surrounded myself with
• the strength to do the right thing even when it's painful
• that leggings are back in style because they make biking in a dress easier
• my health, my body's ability to heal itself, my mind, and that people sometimes don't mind looking at me
• communications technology such as mobile phones, email and blogs
• regime change
  

I remembered today how one year when Grayson and I were living together, he didn't open his birthday presents on his birthday (which was yesterday). After about a week, I decided that his birthday presents had now become Christmas presents because he clearly wasn't excited enough about them. Maybe if he had to wait another month he would become curious. But I was deflated. Back then, I always needed something to look forward to, something to plan. Maybe I was under-stimulated at work. I no longer have those ants under my skin. I'm thankful for that.

Bernal Hill is calling to me to walk on it before "dinner" at 3. I'll do a follow up post if I think of anything else.

caltrain vogue again

Riding the train most days, I don't always have energy to track down my fashionable companions. This woman impressed me with her hat, stripes and boots. But why did she remind me of Flashdance? (I wonder if she gets that all the time.)

white/skate board art

I was on my way to my friend Fernando's art show at Mission Skateboards, 3045 24th Street (at Treat, show on until Dec. 8), when I saw this dashing young lady. I loved her white bike and helmet teamed with blue skirt and gray tights.

Forest and Sky, my nephews

My sister and her husband celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary today with a vow reconfirmation which brought everyone to tears. (Feeling particularly uninspired, I wore my same burning man outfit from the night before (sans wig) in hopes it would delight my nephews.) Here I am with Forest:

We have a close family friend, Wendy. When she first walked up to Sky today, she introduced herself (not having seen him in a while). She said, "Hello. I'm Wendy, and I can fly," referencing Peter Pan of course.

Sky replied: "So, do it."
Now I think he's my soul twin.

Love Barf

I just returned from a burning man party, and while I really should go to bed, I feel compelled to share instead. I'm also eating leftover risotto from my breakfast (that's what I felt like eating!) and drinking a glass of red wine (I know you're shocked.).

Marie Lyse wasn't familiar with burning man before the party. She said everything was very in the style of "gitane". I said, "You mean like the cigarette?" I came home and looked it up -- it means female gypsy. I guess that makes sense.

We were dancing to the backdrop of a slideshow. Words came up on the screen, and KT whispered to me that she had thought they said "Love Barf" which we both thought was hilarious and appropriate.

Last night, I was out with Marie Lyse too. At the end of the night, her bike was stolen. The time we went out before that, she got a ticket for running a red light on her bike on her way home. I think I give her bad bike karma.

I also noticed that a lot of people I know have a full time job and an extra job... myself included... at least! Along those lines, I am delighted to report that this month at the gallery has turned out ok despite gloomy economic conditions. I keep showing as long as I break even. If I lost money for a year, I would probably stop doing it. But that bridge is nowhere in sight.

Tomorrow, my sister Taylor is having her vow renewal with her husband around their 10-year anniversary. (Laura and Charlie have also been together around 10 years -- was it something in the stars?) A friend asked that we all bring our "blessings" for the ceremony. I don't really know what "blessings" are; so, I did an internet search for them. Here are a few lines I liked:

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you roam.
May rain fall gently on your garden.
May you see your children's children.
May you hold on to what is good even if it is a handful of earth.

I might also use the quote from the previous post.

shorts overalls etc.

This woman looked great in her shorts overalls and bright red bicycle.

(Yeah, we also like her friend's t-shirt.)

The Final Cupcake (tdc part 5)

We can't wait for next year.

Here, a gentleman with prayer flags on his bike finished the ride.


The afterparty: bike parking anyone?


We ran into this woman as we left the event. She rides a bike and works at Citizen Cake but hadn't heard about the event. We were impressed that she was transporting 2 small dogs (one shown).

Stops 2 and 3 (tdc part 4)

I have a couple more cupcake posts in me; so, brace yourself!

When we last saw our heroes, they had decided to head up the hill in hopes of finding a station with MORE cupcakes since the last cupcake station had run out. We got a little lost, but after carrying our bikes up a flight of stairs, we found the cupcake station with the highest altitude. While this photo contains many from our team, I was also taken with the orange skirt on your left sported by a lady I do not know.


Here's KT looking oh-so-fashionable with Becca who is just simply adorable even without full vogue. We decided to go OVER the hill instead of around it like we would normally do.


Danielle crests the hill en vogue with Becca just behind....


Our next stop was on the Panhandle where we had some of the best event-sponsored cupcakes of the day. I think KT already posted photos of these two, but here's my record.

Suited man navigates


Girl in black wearing shoes that match her Bianchi


At the stations, they required proof of the number of cupcakes you had eaten either in the form of the wrapper or your solemn oath (when there was no wrapper).

She's pretty.

Is it wrong to post a photo of a pretty girl on a bicycle just because I like how she looks? This one's wearing jeans and a t-shirt; so, I think I was taken with her scarf and trendy glasses. She's also riding in the rain.

love is patient...

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves."
1 Corinthians 13:4-7

I find this quote profoundly inspiring and completely impossible. Not envy or boast? Not easily angered? No record of wrongs? what am I a rock? I am certainly no island.

But this quote is running through my mind today because of something my friend said last night about being patient with love. I wonder if I have one patient bone. I mean, in Om Shanti Om on Saturday night, the guy was reincarnated to avenge his love's death, but he still never got the girl. (It was pretty much the greatest silly fun ever, esp when he dances with the water falling on him.) Maybe it just doesn't happen for some people. I think carrying love across lifetimes counts as patient. Of course, as KT said when I referenced High Fidelity the other day: "That's just someone's story." It isn't (necessarily) my story.

My boss said that today's theme was "your job"... that is, what is your job, and what isn't your job. I should not be doing finance's job (despite their efforts). I am the one who has to tell his boss when someone who doesn't report to him made the wrong call about the direction of a project (that can continue to be directed).

Just thinking this through now (when am I not? I'm impatient, remember?) maybe my job in this incarnation has something to do with being patient with love. The weakness in that theory is I believe that I am the way I am because of things that have happened to me in this lifetime. But who knows?

I'm going to stop typing now and continue to repeat that quote to myself on my own.

Rainy Day Chic

I'm sure this post is the beginning of many documenting how the San Francisco cyclists handle our sometimes-wet winters. Maybe that's unfortunate, or maybe it provides a new angle on this, our art form, both in how we adapt to the weather and how we document those adaptations.

This woman appears unphased, if a bit unpleased, in sports coat, scarf, skirt, leggings or pants, and what looks like leg warmers or knee highs as she rides along milk crate on the back of her bike.

crying

How Crying Can Make You Healthier
By Roger Dobson, The Independent UK. Posted November 14, 2008.

Bike to Work

We've been biking to work with increasing frequency and increasing numbers of people. (Truthfully, Danielle and I went just us 2 last week.) This Wednesday was by far our largest party from San Francisco to Sunnyvale/Santa Clara/north San Jose. Right at the beginning of our ride, Allan ate pavement (as you can see). I emailed the group when I got to my desk to see if anyone was up for a lunch ride (I was kidding... mostly). It does make me dinggy for the rest of the day/week tho -- a good reason to try to schedule the rides on Thursdays.