Monday Musings: August 9, 2010

During yesterday’s interminable drive back from the Bay Area, the stopped - as in put the car in ‘Park’ - time on Donner Pass gave me time to think about the next great invention. A flame thrower to motivate all the morons in front of you. Can you picture it? For the nimrod that hasn’t discovered that the gridlock has suddenly dissipated - yes, we can all resume 85 miles per hour! This idiot is still doing 35 mph.

This video is for demo purposes only. Of course the flame has to be able to shoot out the front in order to fill said idiot’s rear view mirror. I don’t want to hurt anybody, but simply want to give them something to think about and a reason to soil themselves.

Oh, I jest. Sorta.

CalTrans made it even worse, leaving signs all along the way saying that there was work ahead and to merge right. Not. Never happened. So you have thousands of cars all trying to do something that didn’t need to be done.

The trip to meet up with my family at The Book Passage for author Peter Heller’s book signing was sweet. Peter - always Mr. Buff and fit - is sporting an awesome tan these days. Not surprising for a guy who’s just written about discovering life and love through surfing. I’d developed a decent cyclists tan,  lost a bit of weight and grew my hair long since we last saw each other. I caught him sort of eyeballing me through the Q&A with that “is it her?” look . Ha!

We decided there was lots to catch up on; too much for the time and place. Hmmm. I’ve got a idea for a surefire book to pitch. I tried it on Peter and got the response I expected. “No. Not ever.” But he agrees with me that it’s perfect for Carl Hiaasen. Now, if I can just get Hiaasen to read an email or take a call. Sigh.

Five minutes is all I need.

Oh, new restaurant alert. The Crepevine

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Friday Fish Wrap: August 5, 2010

As you read this, I’m on my way back to the Bay Area, going to the author event with Peter Heller at the Book Passage in Corte Madera. I may be a complete acolyte of the electronic and digital age but I still love book stores, and the Book Passage is a gem, offering an author event almost weekly, writing seminars, conferences and so much more. I’m also taking a cooler, so to take better advantage of the Marin Farmers Market.

As I return to Marin, I will be staying with my step-daughter and newly minted son-in-law. Michael, an aspiring writer, will be tagging along to Book Passage with me. The wedding, held last Saturday in Tiburon, at Servino’s, right on the waterfront was picture perfect. That’s my clever seque into the following photos:

The father of the bride - he hasn’t seen the final bill yet. Fortunately, he has a drink in hand.

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Smart exercise: it's just a bicycle

I had several errands to do this morning, and wondered how I’d get it all done plus have the time to get on the home treadmill later for some needed exercise. Ahh, then the epiphany. Get the bike out.

It’s so easy that it’s a no-brainer. I get to cruise around town - anything within a 10 mile or so radius of home - feeling rather smug about my ‘greeness’ and frugality. It’s the most sensible, cost effective form of alternate transporation since feet.

Off I went to deliver a couple blouses to the dry cleaners, make a bank deposit and then stop by the department store to replace the dead toaster … oh and I found a screaming deal on a Calphalon pot and a replacement duvet insert.

There are, of course some not so easy parts, to be perfectly honest. Jerks talking on cell phones while driving scare the living crap out of me - especially as they come careening out into my lane of traffic.

Then there is the serious lack of bike racks when you get where you’re going. I have a rather nice hybrid bike that I got for cost - $400 smackers, which didn’t include all the fancy panniers and racks. But being the brassy type, I take the bike in the stores with me. Don’t provide me with a reasonable place to lock up, then I’m comin’ in.

Nobody has hassled me yet, including riding through the ‘yard’ at Home Depot. I think I take them by surprise - sort of my own kind of shock and awe. Plus I have several lines of B.S. ready if somebody does get in my face.

I also take a baseball cap or a Buff in case the helmet really needs to come off. One can’t have helmet hair, can one? I can also say that if you’re using it for errands, such as to the grocery store, do get the panniers. Grocery bags swinging wildly from both handle bars is a recipe for disaster. Been there and done that … as the apricots go rolling all over the edge of the road and I’m trying to get the loaf of bread unwedged from the front wheel spokes.

As soon as I had arrived back at the ranch and walked in the house, the phone rang and it was Mens’ Journal writer Peter Heller. I was huffing and puffing a bit so he asked if I was alright. I explained what I’d been doing and I think he nearly laughed himself out of a chair somewhere. Alright, Peter - here’s the picture proof.

So I highly recommend it. Hey, for a few short errands, you can do it faster on your bike than your car. Seriously. And just  think of the treadmill boredom you can loose, plus going just fast enough to have fun and slow enough to stop and smell the flowers … or stop and be a regular nosey-parker about every last little thing along the route.

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