75 and looking good

Yesterday was the Golden Gate Bridge's 75th birthday.  I avoided the hoopla yesterday, but rode over this morning to wish it a belated.  It didn't seem to mind.

Completely Mad

It's official, the folks at Dreamworks are completely mad - we had our wrap screening and party for Madagascar 3 last night.  I realize that I am biased, but it's really quite good.  I hadn't seen the whole thing, and not in 3D.  The story is good, the visuals are great, and the stereo ("3D" to you) is really well done.  Well worth seeing.

The party started right after the screening - we had a circus theme including acrobats all over the place, people on stilts, and the bar in a circus tent.  It was in a really cool venue with these tall ceilings, so even though there were lots of people it didn't feel crowded and claustrophobic. 

The party went until 1am, but I didn't. I was still out really late though, and had a verrry slooow start this morning.  At the party I went looking for chocolate, and it was a while before I found it since dinner was still going until 10:30 at least.  I finally found a banana split.   At 11 pm.  Got home around midnight.  Got to sleep before 2.  Got up after 9.

Verrry Sloow start this morning.

Ferry to Sausalito

Took a day trip over to Sausalito yesterday.  It was a gorgeous day and I took my bike and rode along this trail that takes you out of town through an estuary and on and on.  Gorgeous. 

Coming back is a trick - the ferries get so crowded with bikes in the summer that they give you these little poker chips to reserve your space on one - glad I did since they all filled up.  You can rent bikes and ride across the bridge - and many many people do - so it's mostly crowded with tourists on rental bikes.  I think I'm going to get me one of those folding bikes so you don't need to worry - you just fold it up and it's luggage!

Today I was planning on sleeping in and then riding over to Crissy Field, but was awakened at 6:30am by loudspeaker announcements.  Apparently there's this event called Bay to Breakers which involves co-eds dressing in wild costumes - or simply their underwear - drinking beer at 6am and then running from the Embarcadero to the ocean.  It also involves a stage and announcer for at least the first hour, and the sound bounces off the buildings and by the time it gets to the 17th floor it's LOUD.  So much for sleeping in!  But I did manage to have a fairly mellow day - and take a nap!

I also watched the eclipse - on a piece of paper.  I pointed my long-range lens at it and watched the little tiny spot of light beome a crescent.  The weird part is that it gets darker outside but there's no color shift - when the sun sets it gets pink; when the sun just goes away it doesn't.  Wild.

Stay behind the yellow line

"May I have your attention please!  At each and every Cal Train station there is a yellow line.  It is in your best interest to stay behind this yellow line so we don't kill you."  The thing about baseball game days is not only do you have a lot of folks riding the train who've never done so before, but they also don't have a good grip on the fundamental laws of physics.

These folks made it OK:

Sorry for the delay...

Zowie am I behind on scanning!  A lot of the usual and some new things.  Cal train people - and it's nuts when there's a ballgame.  Oh, and we lost power on the way home one day.  We got to Millbrae on battery then all got out and onto another train.  Bike car was over crowded but they weren't about to throw us off.

I took a road trip to Berkeley.  Had a good time just hanging out.  Haven't been there in over 20 years and there's lots of little shops and cafes.  I happened to go on Free Comic Book Day, and yes I got my free comic books. They were out of the mouse one, though, but I did get some others.

Yesterday I think someone was filming a movie or tv show - at the freeway exit there was an area fenced off and a weird looking race car in the morning, then later on I ran into the same car when I went to the bank.  The afternoon was lovely though, and plenty of folks out enjoying it.

Right now there's some crazy festival going on a few blocks away - I can feel the bass.  I can't imagine how loud is is there so I think I'll enjoy from a distance.