Happy cyclist....

Sometimes people just pose for me. I like this photo because she's sort of framing the massive white GMC with which she's sharing the road. It's like "cars cars cars cars cars... oh, and a smiling cyclist." You choose!

Red Onion Lottery

I got some groceries last weekend -- everything fit in one pannier and one tote bungeed to the top of my rack. Half way home, a red onion rested in the bike lane on Harrison. Since nothing seemed to be wrong with it, and it was quite beautiful, I stopped to pick it up. Then, I noticed another one nearby. I picked that one up too. Thinking I had won the Red Onion Lottery and that was a bit strange, I glanced around.

Another cyclist was on the sidewalk nearby. He looked up at me and saw me holding the two red onions. "Oh, that's mine," he said. "My bag broke." And he motioned towards the sidewalk where a huge, broken bag of granola rested. What a bummer. He explained that not everything fit into the one bag he had left: his backpack, now bursting at the seams!

So, I gave him my extra tote. It was gifted to me when I volunteered at Sunday Streets. I keep it in my purse at all times in case of unplanned shopping because it folds up so small. He was very grateful and promised to return it (I gave him my address), but I didn't really expect him to.

Low and behold, the next day, resting in my entry hall, not just my tote, but also a little thank you note and... you guessed it! A red onion!

Baby Registry: All Other

Now that you've heard my stroller brain dump (for which I apologize), I think the rest is pretty simple. Again, I would love any hand-me-downs you think I might find useful.

I've registered on Amazon for some things that I'm not expecting as hand-me-downs. Just search for my real name. Also, feel free to find the items listed on Amazon used and just let me or Ilana or Laura know so we can take it off the list.

The Diaper Service I've selected is Earth Baby. If you would like, you can click on the green "Gift Certificate" box on right hand side. Again, all you need is my real name... and possibly my email address. (The account is under my Yahoo! email address.)

Finally, I need a glider and ottoman.

Thanks.

Baby registry: Strollers

Babies can have a significant environmental impact. In an effort to reduce the impact of mine, I'm hoping to provide for her with hand-me-downs and used items. Of course this makes it difficult to "register" since craigslist doesn't have a registry (hmm... business idea, someone?). Also, in most cases multiple types of an item will fit the bill as well as each other.

Strollers are tricky because not just any will do. I'm tall. When I push Laura's stroller, I have to walk like a duck to avoid kicking it and it wrenches my back. There are also a range of other considerations such as weight and size since baby can't bike with me for the first year. We are likely to be riding the bus a lot! While the stroller must be big in size to fit me, it must also be light and fold small for the bus. Like anything, these are natural trade-offs.

Finally, not all strollers accommodate infants which I understand need to be completely flat -- something to check for. Not all the strollers listed below accommodate infants -- not necessarily a deal breaker since I can carry her at first as well.

Having now test-pushed about 300 strollers, I have news. I don't kick the following strollers when I push them making them desirable choices:
* Bugabuoo
* Bob (aluminum instead of plastic wheels makes it much lighter)
* City Elite
* Aprica
* Graco Alano flipit
* Mountain Buggy urban stroller
* Combi Cosmo Ex
* Pliko P3 Peg Pergo
* Chico Capri

So, if you have one of the above to spare or if you find one used for a good price, I would love to have it. Thank you!

[Special thanks to Young for taking me all around to push these strollers in stores. You are a true friend!]

Commandments for dating

I like this list for dating: The Millionaire Matchmaker's 11 Commandments of Dating for Women

I would only make one change: If your first date is a blind date (of any variety) no drinking at all. It completely changes the dynamic.

I strongly agree about
* not texting or IMing,
* returning calls in a timely manner and
* honoring your commitments.

Solving Caltrain's financial problems

My job responsibilities include keeping up on the news. I was just reading this article on Caltrain's financial crisis, and the numbers at the end inspired me to pull out my calculator.

CALTRAIN NUMBERS
$2.3 million: deficit
35,000: daily riders

My calculation: $2,300,000/200 commute days per year (a conservative estimate)/35,000 daily passengers (or do they mean trips? I bet they mean trips.) = $0.33 (the amount they would have to raise fares per ticket (or possibly per passenger which means it's only half as much) to cover the deficit

BTW, demand for transportation is relatively inelastic. This means that people won't stop riding very quickly as the fare increases.

I don't know about you, but $0.33/day isn't a lot of money to me. Heck, raise the fares $0.50/day just to be on the safe side. Just accompany it with better service like more space for bikes and bullet trains on the weekend and even in the middle of the day.

Adventure to West Point Inn

After Meli's profile of me as a woman "who rides the distance", I was inspired to share this story with you.

Last fall, K and I planned to bike up to the top of Mt. Tam and spend the night at the West Point Inn. Here she is in Sausalito getting some air.

As we climbed the hill, the view got lovely.

We stopped to enjoy it!






While you see us smiling here, the trip was not a complete success. Once we reached the West Point Inn, right exactly at the end of check-in time, we learned that a lightning threat meant the mountain needed to be evacuated!

Sadly, there was no way of making it back in the light, and we weren't carrying any. So, we dawdled, snacking on our dinner and enjoying the view until the very last moment and then biked home in the dark.

The moral of the story? Maybe don't plan to stay at the West Point Inn in the fall and ride your bike to get there. Otherwise, we'll just have to try again another time in another season.

Grandma on a Bike

Fridays, I usually work from home. Today, I was listening to Forum on KQED radio about San Francisco's transportation systems. Several people asserted that bicycle infrastructure was only useful for people in their 20s and 30s. The MTA representative asserted that this is only because our existing bicycle infrastructure is inadequate which is a nice spin on the amo.

First of all, people in their 20s and 30s are a large portion of our City's population. Second of all, it isn't true that they're the only people biking on our streets. Towards that end, I'm posting the following photos of one of my favorite "grandmas on a bike".

What a classy lady! I love her cardigan and stripes. The sunglasses are perfect!

You may not be able to tell, but she's riding a beautiful Rivendell bike. You can tell that today's ride isn't a fluke -- she rides all the time. What good taste all around!

(She told me she got as far as the park before she realized she'd forgotten her helmet, and was now headed home to retrieve it.)

High-Speed Train that Never Stops

I love this. Be sure to read the article as the video is in Mandarin.

VOCal

My friends L&K have been participating in these VOCal events for a while now, and they love it. It certainly sounds amazing -- to invest in urban parks and get to live in one for a weekend while making it better!
K says that next one is Corona Heights Aug 21-22. You should go!

Samantha and Sabrina

Several Fridays ago, a few of us went to Friday night at the de Young. My friend was playing in the band, and it was the members' preview of the impressionist exhibition. Of course, the event's always fun no matter what! We were particularly taken with a very outgoing little girl dancing right in front of the stage. Then, we were lucky enough to walk out with her and her mom to realize that they had also traveled there by bike.

It sounded like the mother-daughter team did most of their recreational travel by bicycle. The daughter continued to be incredibly outgoing -- enthusiastically showing us her gloves.

Mom actually spent quite a bit of time bundling her baby girl up before they headed off into the darkness.

[Book review] Marry Him: The case for settling for Mr. Good Enough

Yes, I read the book. Cover to cover. It was a quick read. Over the first half, the author blamed women (herself) for being single. I found her tiresome. By the second half, she got into the meat of it: why, and what to do about it.

I agree that a lot of the good ones get snapped up. I also agree that men who really want to be married, get married(*), and so far that hasn’t been to either me or Lori Gottlieb, the book’s author. Finally, I agree that some woman are too picky(**), don’t give perfectly good guys a chance. I, however, am not one of those women.

When Lori presented her date “Sheldon2” and explained that she was reluctant to go out with him because in his personals profile picture he wore a pink bow tie… well, I knew she wasn’t speaking to me. Because 1) I think men wearing pink bow ties are adorable. And 2) I never rule men out by their photo unless they present themselves resting against a fancy sports car (or otherwise expressing a culture that I cannot relate to). The photo is an opportunity to learn about what the person values, how they see themselves, not to judge their taste in clothes or if they're cute enough for you.

She ends up dating the guy happily. He's widower and single parent. Unfortunately, she explains, he gets the opportunity to move to Chicago and be closer to family who could help him with his child. She believes their situations pulled them apart. I think that if he was excited about her he would have: 1) waited to move a short time to see where the relationship was going, 2) continued seeing her long distance to see where the relationship was going, or 3) asked her to move with him. She is, after all, a writer who can write anywhere. Sorry, Lori, didn’t buy it.

At another point in the book, she discusses a woman who would be happy with “an 8” (as opposed to a 10) but is afraid she might choose the wrong “8.”

All this leads me to my biggest concern about her “case”. Let’s say you decide to “settle for Mr. Good Enough”; who’s to say he’s going to want to “settle” for you. Anything worth having is worth fighting for, and I’m not sure I could muster the enthusiasm for someone who’s sort of OK. So, you make a concession and commit yourself to someone who seems like he’d be a good partner even if you’re not in love with him. By the time he leaves you, you’ve wasted a whole lot of time trying to make something work that wasn’t that great.

It’s terribly sad that Lori feels like she’s worth so little. That she closes herself off to people she doesn’t know yet. That her search for a husband has been so frustrating for her. Dating, getting to know new people, is incredibly fun. I’m still romantic enough to prefer being “alone” forever rather than marrying the wrong guy just to have a husband. And if you’re ever going to find him, you have to: 1) work the numbers, and 2) stop looking when you do (***). I know a woman who met 37 guys within one year in her search for a husband. She married number 35. My mother met the love of her life (and third husband) at age 42. Yeah, you have to be ready; you have to be open; but most of all, you have to be at the right place at the right time (i.e. lucky). And sometimes, just sometimes, that luck lasts for a while. Until it does, you also have to know when to walk away (and believe in yourself when you do -- at least most of the time).

Random quotes I liked from the book (I didn’t read its beginning with a pencil so quotes start half way through):
(***)“… people are more satisfied with nonreturnable items than they are with returnable ones.” (pg 152, Schwartz, The Paradox of Choice)
(**)“that’s the thing about choice: if you don’t choose anything, eventually you are left with nothing.” (pg 155)
“I have friends who do the whole 10 p.m. Googling thing – what about that girl from high school? And while it’s tempting, you have to remember that the internet is just a modern-day Harlequin romance filled with real characters” (pg. 171)
(**)“Two-thirds of divorces are initiated by women” (because) “women want more” from relationships (romance, passion, help around the house) (pg 210)
(*)“…one characteristic to look for in a husband is simply someone who wants to be married.” (pg 223)

on the bike car 2

This was a cute little interaction. We were all lined up to get off the train with our bikes. I, of course, loved it that this guy was still wearing his tie. So, I asked if I could take his photo.

When I checked if the photo had come out, I was really impressed with it. He looks natural, happy, even a little mischievous. A lot of personality was coming through.
I said: "You probably know that you're incredibly photogenic."
He told me he had no idea.

She likes red.

From the bike car of Caltrain

Wi-Drive Chic 2

I was talking last week about the bus I usually ride to work. It creates community. It holds our little family -- especially as more time passes. Since we work in Silicon Valley, most of the guys dress pretty casually for work. But everyone once in a while, and sometimes just specific people, take it up a notch. Like this guy. Good thing he doesn't have toe clips that might scuff up those magnificent shoes.(1)

Every morning, folks play with their phones until the bus comes. Sometimes we chat.

When the bus comes, our bikes go into the luggage compartment. Most of the gentlemen load their own bikes, but the driver usually helps the ladies with theirs. Being genetically predisposed to weaker upper body strength, I appreciate his assistance.

Here's our snazzy friend on a different day, in a different well-put-together outfit. Some people just keep impressing.

(1) This problem can also be resolved with plastic toe clips.

Jon Stewart's delicious commentary on 40 years of oil crisis

An Energy-Independent Future

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

Thanks, Streetsblog, for bringing this to my attention. So good.

Wi-Drive Chic 1

You've definitely heard me complain about my commute. Something happened last year that made it about a million times better. Bauer's started running a private bus for the general public (although mostly Cisco employees) between my home and my office. I sometimes bring my bike bc the distance on the work end is about a mile. But that's a completely walkable distance too. So, I bring my bike if I will need it during the day or in the evening or if shaving off 10 minutes in the morning makes a difference to me (i.e., I have a morning meeting).

One of the great things about riding the bus is that it creates community. We live these crazy lives where we're away from home 12 hours a day, but at least we have each other. This lady doesn't ride the bus anymore, but I always loved seeing what quirky outfit she combined with her biking. In this photo, check out her socks and Nutcase helmet.

In these two photos, she's got on a really cute dress over leggings. You also noticed her awesome hair color and stylish sunglasses.

Here's the bus -- gotta run!

Error

I keep getting this error. Can someone help?

(Thanks, 'D)

BeZerkeley Zebra

You can tell this woman is a utilitarian cyclist and not just a woman in a dress walking a bike because of her messenger bag and sunglasses. Mostly the messenger bag. I love the way she is seemingly accidentally color-coordinated with her bike, and I'm a little bit in love with the bright yellow water bottle holders on the black and white road bike.

A lot of people chat on the phone while riding their bikes. Not me. And especially not on trafficky Shattuck Avenue. But even with both hands occupied, this zebra lady is handling herself with ease.

Years ago, I was walking at this very spot, and a guy on a bike rode onto the sidewalk. He was in complete control, but an elderly woman became incensed by his presence with 5 feet of her on the sidewalk. She turned to me, her face creased with rage: "did you see that?"

I didn't get what the big deal was, but she seemed really upset. I replied "I wonder if you should try meditating."

Yeah, that didn't go over very well. She began screeching at me about Jesus. I'm not into organized religion for myself, but don't get me wrong, Jesus is way cool. I don't see having a calm mind and loving Jesus as being mutually exclusive. In fact, I'm pretty sure He has some messages about not hurling stones, sharing, loving thy neighbors, etc.

Unfortunately, there's a perception of opposition between religious and spiritual systems and between bicyclists and pedestrians. But in fact, we're all on the same team. Was there something else I should have said to that woman?

Banksy: This'll look nice when its framed.

San Francisco's Mission art scene is complex and multi-faceted. I was at my little co-op gallery, hanging a new show of old works for the month of May (now down), and a fellow artist there pointed out this graffiti across the street. He told me it was a famous tagger and people were coming by from all over to photograph and then blog about it.

Later, I read in San Francisco Magazine: "No one has verified international tagger Banksy's real identity, but locals suspect that this particular portrait of the artist as a young man was painted by him sometime between the late hours of April 20 and the wee hours of April 21, just days after San Francisco's primiere of his street-art documentary, Exit Through the Gift Shop. Though Banksy has managed to avoid the official art world for years, that hasn't stopped dealers from dismanteling his walls and selling them for $400,000-plus a pop. This piece joins nearly a dozen recent works attributed to the elusive tagger, his first big "showing" here. Let's hope our street cleaners are also discerning art critics." (pg 28, June 2010)

Alas, our street cleaners turned out not the be the problem. Within a couple days, another tagger, clearly jealous of all the attention this Banksy tag was getting, augmented it: "1 Man 1 Nite 1 Bike NOLA." Totally not cool, Man. I always thought taggers were reputedly respectful of each others' work -- that a mural on a wall was less likely to be graffitied on than a blank wall. Now I'm wondering if everyone feels so marginalized, so silenced, that they take every opportunity to scream their message even at the expense of their brethren.

Art is, of course, about expressing yourself, about emotion, and the challenges of being human on earth. It isn't easy whether you're talking about art, isolation, environmental degradation or any other number of a million things that could be on your mind. I'm hungry for a day when street artists respect each other again.

Back to business as usual, the wall was completely painted over again within a few days (not shown in photos here because that would be boring). The whole "event" recorded only on our cameras, blogs and magazines. I love living in the Mission because art is part of every way life. Banksy, tag us again. 1 Man, 1 Bike guy, find your own frigging wall to tag. Everyone else, use your imagination. I can't wait to see how you feel.