From Cole Valley, through the Haight, then down to Fair Oaks and 24th. Little nervous because I don't have my helmut on, but the air feels wonderful on my head. Stop at Metro for a cheesesteak. Yum. There's an old guy wearing rings on every finger (even the bloody one that looks chewed up) chain smoking and not looking like he's going to get out of that seat we need. Probably would be a little grossed out to eat my lunch there anyway. Walk the bike to a corner where there's a little stone wall and sit down and eat there. Another old guy comes by and asks if those stacks of VHS tapes are ours. Nope. On down past the Castro and to the Mission we go. Oops, I nearly collide with a fellow bike rider. Hey, there's a person lighting a joint over there and a cop on the opposite side of the street. Pass all the sandwich shops and the bars. Ah. Valencia Street is so cool, really. It feels like an old-fashioned village right here inside the center of our city. I can almost see it with no cars allowed and only bikes and maybe horse-drawn carriages. No, probably not horses actually. I would imagine the Valencian's wouldn't stand for that sort of animal cruelty. Anyway, it's a great street. Hey, there's somebody smoking a bowl over there on that corner. Huh. We ride over to a friend's house and come through with our bikes into their "backyard" area. "Hey, how are you? What have you been up to? God the weather is nice today. Yes. Let's get together for Halloween. We'll come over after the show and hang out for a bit. Sounds great." We walk back out to the street. I smell weed in the air. Where is it coming from? It can't be that older couple walking towards us. Or maybe it is...
Back through the Mission, past the Castro and to the Haight again. It's always more work to get back home--all up hill. Huh, Lower Haight looks like it might be a little more sketchy. No, it's always been this sketchy. Nothing new. It was the same in 97' when we lived down here. Stop at Divisadero. I want to get off and walk my bike. "Want to get off and walk the bikes?" Yes! He's tired too. We stand on the corner waiting for the light. Ha. There's a guy in a full bear costume. Now, if we we're anywhere else in the country, I might know this person is just being goofy and is going to whip off the costume and get into a car soon, but not here. No, I'll bet he (or she, maybe) has been walking around SF all day with that thing on. Stop at the hat store and pick up the hat I've been wanting for a while. Put it on. Past the WackDonalds. Oh look, the kids are all huddled and lighting up and appear to be selling things right outside the golden arches. And there's a cop driving slowly past the whole lot of them. Well.
On up past Kezar with all the rugby players milling around outside. God, those guys are always out there. Up to the house. On the last hill now and I need to walk my bike again.
