Moonset over the city

OK it's actually much cooler than this - but this is the best I could do with my point-and-shoot.

Seven people and a dragon

More sketches of people on Cal Tain:

And this morning's trip to Plant Organic and the dragon cocoa (see photo below).  Their drink menu is fascinating: Beer, wine, cocktails, and raw organic juices.

There's a dragon in my cocoa

So I decided to go out for breakfast this morning (more like brunch since it was 10:30) and I went to Plant Organic.  It's gorgeous out but so damn windy my ears almost froze off, so I ordered a hot chocolate - and got the most awesome latte art I have ever seen - there's a dragon in my cocoa!  Totally glad I had my little camera with me.

11 people and a tree

The tree is from Golden Gate Park and is actually much cooler than this (and much taller):

The first batch of people are from Cal Train over a few days - reading, sleeping, eating, standing...

And finally - airport, airplane, BART, and Air BART.  Yup, another trip down to Glendale.  Good trip, very valuable.  No sketches of the seatback on the way down - one of my cohorts was sitting next to me and we were talking on the way down.  No BART on the way down since I took a cab - it was so blinking early (9am meeting), but I did take BART back - and got on the wrong train!  I've never done that.  Usually the first one that comes by is headed to the city so, I just got on, but this one curved around and went north.  Whoops!  I figured it out at the first wrong stop ("12th street?  Why am I at 12th street???!")  it's late, I'm tired, and I'm gong the wrong way!  I got out at 12th and got on a train going the right way.

That marks the end of this sketchbook - time to crack out a new one!

Train people and Philz

Philz Coffee is between Cal Train and the library, so I stopped there to try their hot chocolate,  They have a list of coffees to choose from that's a mile long, and when you order hot chocolate you need to specify how sweet you want it and if you want cream or if you're in it for the chocolate.  I was in it for the chocolate - good stuff!

Here's some more train people - one got painted on the train while the train was in motion, which is awkward and prone to accidents.

The fold in the page

Ooops, looks like the page was folded while scanning.  That's OK, the afternoon had it's little features too.  I wandered over to Chinatown for the New Year's festival.  I had forgotten how insanely crowded that area is in general.  They had strings of lanterns across the streets and tents set up along the side.  Everything was in Chinese, except the logos and trademarked names, of course.  People were lined up to get their goodies bags from Home Depot, Southwest Airlines, Wells Fargo Bank, and McDonald's.  Even Ronald was there.  Once you got past the corporate-sponsored booths, you found your way to the local ones, like "Medicinal Mushrooms Fungus Solution" and "Magic Power Free Advices."  There were folks in little groups playing Go and some really horrible singing.  There was not, however, any chocolate or a smoothie of any flavor, so I opted to head to the water and enjoy the afternoon.

On my way down to the Embarcadero I passed a group of mimes holding a poster of an angry Tom Cruise in front of the Church of Scientology - I'm missing something on this one.  Then I got to the Market Place where the UC Davis marching band was performing.  I didn't get that one either - are they a part of the Chinese New Year parade?

I finally made it to Plant Organic for a mango smoothie and walk home along the water, where I encountered a woman in a puffy purple dress and 6 guys with matching purple shirts and stetsons. Wonders never cease.

Now folks are lining up to see the parade.  I got a preview as they were moving the floats into place.  Cool decorations accented with large signs from the sponsors all pulled by shiny new Ford trucks.  Think I'll watch Dr. Who instead...

Did it again

Well almost.  This time I missed the train by 2 minutes.  I got to watch the folks waiting for the train to San Jose, then when I got on the train, I there was a guy watching a movie on his phone, a guy playing a game on his phone - and one person actually using his phone as a phone!

Big Dipper

Over The City is the Big Dipper
    handle bent
            ready to scoop
               the lights and people below

Friday

6:35am.
     Inky sky turns pink

6:57 am.
     On the train
The guy in a blue hoodie
   watches tv on his phone

6:59 am.
We roll out - cerulean skies with pink and orange clouds

7:15 am.
     Bright orange ball of fire
creeps over the horizon
   while a man in a cycling jacket
reads a book on his kindle

7:21am.
Racing through people's backyards
     express to Redwood City
the sun is a yellow ball of flame reaching out
     to the world

5:36 pm.
      Express across town
in dusk light.  Headlights and taillights and street lights
of people heading home.

Beautiful evening

As I'm biking home the sun is setting. 
There are just enough clouds in the sky to make for beautiful colors - pinks and oranges. 
I'm along the water so I stop to watch and listen as the waves lap against the rocks. 
The Bay Bridge lights come on like a Christmas tree being lit up: 
             White lights strung across the water,
                       half a moon shining overhead,
       and the lights of the city come on as the sun goes down.

Beautiful moment.