Rostropovich

Dawn calls me a Rostropovich fanboy. What can I say? I want to purchase the Bach Cello Suites but have no money. Therefore, blogging about it here so I remember later.

Running Journal, Sunday, 2008-11-02

Running Journal, Sunday, 2008-11-02
Resting heart rate: n/a
Body Mass Index (BMI): n/a
Weather: partly sunny
Temp: 17 C
Time: 3:00--6:20 p.m.
Terrain: flat, mild hills

Comments: I didn't think about it until we reached the Parkway, but in a strange coincidence I wore my 2006 NYC marathon finishers shirt on the weekend of the 2008 NYC marathon. Noticed a Fleet Feet marking at mile 18.25 indicating a 12-mile turnaround point. It rained here from Thursday evening to Saturday evening, leaving the Parkway in a semi-dried, post-storm state of disarray today. Reflections of the tall, grey and white clouds overhead appeared in large, stagnant puddles along the bike path. The wind created mini-ripples in the puddles that obscured the reflections but remained beautiful in their uniformity. At mile 16, a flock of eight south-ward tracking Canadian Geese flew right over us, the rin-rin-rin noise of their flapping wings and the occasional, punctuating honk the only noises that indicated their presence. Some things never change--at mile 14, the California International Llama Association continues their presence as volunteer stewards of Parkway miles 14--15. About this time I realized I made an error in judgment regarding daylight hours remaining. Today represents the beginning of daylight savings time, so I looked up the time of sunset online. Unfortunately (which I didn't discover until I got home) in my haste I mis-read the sunrise time (6:07 a.m.) for the sunset time (5:04 p.m.). At mile 14.5, a black-tailed deer with antlers bolted across the bike trail and trotted back towards the William B. Pond park. The California sun set impressively, highlighting from behind the profile of a tall cloud on the horizon in beautiful orange and pink hues. At mile 16.75, we passed flocks of chattering birds as they settled in for the night in the branches of a tree near the American River. The contrast of a waxing crescent moon and a bright star became more and more stark as the daylight waned. At mile 17.75, we heard the sound of baying dogs--either coyotes or ferile dogs. At first just one, and we remarked at how one or two dogs might find the moon appealing to howl (somewhat pitifully, to me). Then a group of them began this strange baying, and then the howls began growing louder and louder, as though coming near us rapidly. As we continued to run, the baying dogs became distant. It weirded Dawn out; I'll admit I felt a bit weirded out too by the type of howl. Growing up in the country-side, I know how extremely rare it is for coyotes to attack humans. Most likely, the group had found something to chase and hunt, or they picked a fight with another pack over territory. It was enough for Dawn to want to only run during the day from now on, and I don't blame her. Up until that point, however, the Parkway had become very still and peaceful. At mile 16.75, we passed a small rabbit eating peacefully alongside the trail; it didn't even seem to mind that we stopped and watched it for several moments. As the temperatures cooled, a light mist arose, making the moon and stars look hazy. As we ran past the reflecting puddle we had passed earlier near mile 18.25, this time I saw the moon and the star in the clear waters, bouncing in time with our gait. By the time we made it to the overhanging oak trees at mile 18.5, the darkness around us reduced visibility to a minimum. An occasional early-evening cyclist drove by, bike light strobing through the darkness. At mile 19, we decided to walk the last mile, which provided the double benefit of both alleviating Dawn's exhaustion and providing a cool-down. We held hands to warm Dawn's fingers, first one and then the other. Walking the last quarter mile past the bluffs near the Bridge Street pedestrian bridge, we noticed the large, illuminated peace symbol that shines nightly at a home on the top of the bluffs. Crossing the bridge, we walked under the lone sodium light on the north end of the bridge, got in our car, and drove up the hill. Our reward this week: Jamba Juice for a Pomegranate Paradise and two apple-cinnamon pretzels.

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 19.3 km (12.0 mi):
Total Running Distance For Year: 64.79 km (32.25 mi)
Weight (after exercise): n/a
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: slightly sore muscles.

Running Journal, Saturday, 2008-10-25

Running Journal, Saturday, 2008-10-25
Resting heart rate: n/a
Body Mass Index (BMI): n/a
Weather: partly sunny
Temp: 17 C
Time: 12:13 PM--2:46 PM
Terrain: flat, mild hills

Comments: Animals seen: Jackrabbit, black-tailed deer, Canadian geese. A bicyclist with a helmet-cam rode past us twice. "Bright Little Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle" represents the name of the protected beetle along the Parkway. Another bicyclist rode past us dinging his bell and tapping his bicycle frame to make a rhythm. We came up with the nonsensical term "first second half" and wondered if such things as couples-straight-jackets exist. This represented Dawn's longest run evar.

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 16.1 km (10.0 mi):
Total Running Distance For Year: 45.49 km (26.25 mi)
Weight (after exercise): n/a
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: slightly sore muscles.

Running Journal, Saturday, 2008-10-18

Running Journal, Saturday, 2008-10-18
Resting heart rate: n/a
Body Mass Index (BMI): n/a
Weather: partly sunny
Temp: 17 C
Time: 12:00 PM--2:45 PM
Terrain: flat, mild hills

Comments: Today we met a bicyclist by the name of Garland--gregarious to the point of obnoxiousness, he exclaimed "I'm 65 and I know everyone out here" and proceeded to tell us that only one person grew upset with him the entire time he's cycled on the Parkway--the person noticed him sitting on the bench at the mile 19 rest stop and called him "weird"--Garland related that while he'd been tempted to challenge the person in question to a 20-mile bike ride, he didn't and instead waved him off. After introducing ourselves, he waved and exclaimed, "out here, everyone is 'Hey you'". With that we parted ways amicably. A real character--shoulder length bright-white hair, dark complexion, extremely fit, and very, very extroverted. Dawn and I ran nine miles today--well, eight miles, and then walked the last one mile due to physical nausea. At the turn-around point (mile 15.5) we discovered the Soil Born Farms irrigation pump. They've installed a Flexcon Industries Global Water Solutions 119-gallon (450L) Challenger Outdoor storage tank (PC366FR), a cycle-stop valve, and a 25HP, 230V, 65A Baldor Reliance Industrial motor (model JMM2531T, $2,200) from Berkeley Pumps. It seemed idle at around six-PSI. The sign at the pump stated it helped water around 20 acres of crops at their American River farm. Leaving the irrigation pump, we noted our split time of 1:12 and headed back. After walking the last mile and cooling our legs in the water at the Bridge Street boat ramp, we listened as several fishermen shared fishing secrets. One of them had caught a few salmon, which as I thought later, might have represented an illegal act, given the low salmon runs this year. According to the Department of Fish and Game, it seems to be, but I'm not current on these matters. After running, we stopped by the Sunflower Nutburger Stand in Fair Oaks and gorged on great local food.

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 14.5 km (9.0 mi):
Total Running Distance For Year: 29.39 km (16.25 mi)
Weight (after exercise): n/a
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: slightly sore muscles.

GRE Test Prep, Practice Test Two

Second GRE practice test:

Quantitative: 650 (600, +8.3%, 61st percentile)
Verbal: 680 (620, +9.7%, 93rd percentile)
Total: 1,350 (1,220, +10.7%, )

That's a significant increase from mid-to-late July when I took my first practice test. Onward and upward. I'm significantly better on the Verbal--which according to ETS represents a harder test--getting an 800 (perfect score) on the Quantitative represents only the 94th percentile.

ETS also posts the average scores by degree program. CS applicants have a ways to go in their Verbal--300--390 represents the most populous range (24%), with the majority falling between 300--600 (75%). Only 3.2% (!) fall into the 700--790 range--not unexpected. In Quantitative, it's a different story--85% fall into the 600--800 range, with 700--790 representing the most populous range (46.1%).

I'm studying every day while on the light rail to and from work.

Notes:

• I'm not finishing all my quantitative questions. Both times finished only 27/30 questions, so I have some work ahead of me getting through the questions more efficiently. At the same time, I don't want to rush and get them wrong, so it represents an exercise in patience.
• Finishing with plenty of time to spare in the Verbal section.
  
• I scored a 32/38 both times on the Verbal sections, which suggests I'm plateauing there for the time being. I scored a perfect score on the 27 I did finish on the second Quantitative section.
• I felt really insecure about the second passage--and I ended up getting only one wrong.
  

Questions I got wrong and the reasons why:

• Verbal section one: 1) didn't understand the word "diffidence" (reserve, timidity, lack of confidence); 2) didn't understand the specific definition of "die" (tool used to form an object); 3) didn't understand definitions of "fawn" (court favor in a cringing or flattering manner) and "imperiousness" (arrogance, or a commanding presence); 4) guessed incorrectly at inference from the passage; 5) Applied definition of "tractability" to problems (e.g., math) rather than a quality of a person (easily changed or molded); 6) didn't understand definition of "noisome" (bad-smelling).
• Quantitative section one: 1) removed large integers and plugged in small ones--turns out this doesn't work for all integers; 2) in haste calculated 3*3*3 as 9 instead of 27. Doh; 3) isosceles triangle--I incorrectly assumed if x was across from a 45-degree angle, then the side across from a 90-degree angle would be 2x. Nope--it's a^2 + b^2 = c^2; 4) In haste, didn't consider the case where p = 1; 5) In haste, I forgot to update my scratch-paper notes to divide both sides by three, throwing off the result; 5) multiplied x by the inside of (x^2)^3 before expanding (x^2)^3, which resulted in (x^3)^3. Doh; 6) Ran out of time and guessed incorrectly.
• Verbal section two: 1) didn't understand the definition of "ardor"; 2) close--the second part of the answer disqualified it as the correct one--thoroughness would have prevented this mistake; 3) close--answer ended up too limited--thoroughness would have prevented this mistake; 4) close--answer ended up going too far--and duplicated a claim of another answer, which represented a warning sign; 5) didn't understand the definition of "hapless" (unlucky, unable to achieve success because of bad luck)--confused it with "helpless"; 6) didn't understand the definition of "sedulous" (applying oneself faithfully to a task)--guessed incorrectly.
• Quantitative section two: No wrong answers.
  

General problem areas:

• Lack of word familiarity--my biggest problem area with Verbal. This taps into my long-term knowledge of words, so not so easily corrected except through additional word-familiarity practice.
• Haste--especially in Quantitative where I'm running out of time.
  
• Lack of understanding relationships among analogy questions--reading the answers helps me understand the thinking of the people who create the questions.
• Failing to complete quantitative sections
• Quantitative deficiencies in some areas (exponentiation, calculation of triangle sides)
  

Dove Chocolate

Apparently the best chocolate per a tasting contest we listened to on PBS radio.

Zen of Car Maintenance

Car maintenance needed:

• Door Window Mouldings, part 20935
• Airflow through the instrument panel weak
  
• HD Radio

KVIE 87.7 Sacramento

Listening to 87.7 KVIE lately and finding the variety of shows interesting.

Last weekend, we listened to the PBS show "Road Trip With Huell Howser #135 - OAK GLEN" which talked about exotic, locally grown varieties of apples. Description:

It's apple season and Huell is off to Oak Glen, 60 miles east of Los Angeles, to take part in a popular fall tradition. www.oakglen.net

Los Rios Rancho 909-797-1005

Wood Acres 909-797-8500
Parrish Pioneer Ranch 909-797-1753
Law’s Cider Mill & Ranch 909-797-1459
Law’s Oak Glen Coffee Shop 909-797-1642
Snow-Line Orchard 909-797-3415
Apple Tree Gifts & Country Things 909-797-3130

Wood Acres in particular seemed interesting.

If that wasn't enough to make me hungry, one of Huell's other shows we heard this weekend dealt with drying persimmons:

California's Gold #10011 - PERSIMMONS

Huell spends the day in Granite Bay California at Otow Orchard to learn the ancient art of Hoshigaki, which is the drying of persimmons.The persimmons are dried each fall in a slow, patient, hands-on process that usually takes three to six weeks...per persimmon. Each persimmon is hand-peeled, strung onto a rack, and massaged every 3 to 5 days for several weeks. Weather conditions are watched carefully. The result is a transformation into a sugary delicacy that is tender and moist. www.otoworchard.com 916-791-1656

From their web site calendar, they offer hoshigaki persimmons from mid-to-late November through January.

Northern California Running Trails

Some locals offer their favorites:

• Eagle Point to D.L. Bliss State Park via the Rubicon Trail.
  
• Big Slide/West Ridge loop in Nisene Marks State Park, Aptos.
• UC Santa Cruz/Pogonip Preserve trails in Santa Cruz
• Truckee River Legacy Trail / Martis Valley / Dry Lake
• Purisima Creek Loop, located in the Purisima Creek Open Space Preserve, San Mateo County.
• Any section of the Diablo 50-Mile course, but one of our favorite sections is from Mitchell Canyon gate over Eagle Peak to the summit of Mt. Diablo.
• Any of the single-track trails around Auburn, but one of my favorite sections is from our home in downtown Auburn to the fire station in Cool on the Western States Trail.
• Ohlone Wilderness Trail, Alameda County. It starts from Mission Peak in Fremont and weaves for 28 miles through the Sunol Regional Wilderness to Del Valle Regional Park near Livermore. I run a solo 100-mile training run on it every May. I finish off my journey with an official race called the Ohlone 50k, from Mission Peak to Del Valle. In the Sierra, I love doing repeats up and down Half Dome starting from Curry Village in Yosemite Valley. Steep single-track granite trails with the most spectacular views.

http://www.adventuresportsjournal.com/html/Articles/36/36_trailRunning.htm

E Clampus Vitus

The New York Times featured E Clampus Vitus today. We passed several chapters of this organization (and I use that term loosely in this case) on the way to Yosemite in 2007.

2008 Sacramento Salmon Festival

Note: random picture of the giant salmon playground equipment at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery, from the internets.

The lack of salmon represented the stark reality of this year's Salmon Festival. We arrived at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery at 3:45 PM on Sunday at closing time and talked briefly with a member of the American River Natural History Association (ARNHA). Their newsletter contains an article on the plight of the salmon, written at the beginning of the summer, which discusses the hardships salmon have faced in recent human history (since ~1850). Gold miners most likely killed off runs of salmon with deposits of mud into the river. More recently, dams have restricted the ability of salmon to move upstream (from 160 miles to 23 miles on the American River today).

We also had the misfortune of purchasing burnt caramel kettle corn, filled with a high percentage of unpopped kernels.

Despite the unsatisfactory kettle corn and the lack of salmon in the American, we both enjoyed the atmosphere of the event and the many booths. Arriving late meant we didn't have to pay the $9 parking fee (at the expense of missing many booths).

Running Journal, Monday, 2008-10-13

Running Journal, Monday, 2008-10-13
Resting heart rate: 75 bpm
Body Mass Index (BMI): 24
Weather: clear
Temp: 17 C
Time: 11:31AM--12:16PM
Terrain: flat, mild hills

Comments: Fall Sacramento weather makes running easy. This represents the first time I'm using http://mapmyrun.com--pretty cool. It seems to work better than http://www.gmap-pedometer.com. After our run, we used the Bridge Street Pedestrian Bridge's drinking fountain for the first time. A woman waiting to use the restroom asked Dawn how far we ran, then shared that she and her partner planned to bike to the end of the trail (Folsom Dam)--maybe 13 miles distant. When I shared that a big hill lay ahead, she jumped up and down and seemed excited.
Exercise Time: 45 minutes; 13:41 min/mi; 4.38 mi/hr; 389 calories burned. At our half-way point, Dawn and I stopped and read an interpretive sign that talked about the grinding holes used by the native Americans to grind acorns into flour. The holes exist on the northern side of the river at the Sailor Bar boat ramp.

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 5.23 km (3.25 mi): http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/us/ca/rancho%20cordova/397419430686
Total Running Distance For Year: 14.89 km (7.25 mi)
Weight (after exercise): n/a
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: none

2009 Marathons

Thinking of training for a marathon in early 2009--about six months out.

Local possibilities (no particular order):

• Sunday, March 1: 31st Annual Napa Valley Marathon : mostly flat, downhill.
  
• Saturday, March 28: 19th Annual Napa Valley Trail Marathon : 3,200' of elevation gain.
  
• Saturday, April 4: 22nd Annual Golden Gates Headlands Trail Marathon : 3,000' of elevation gain (4,400' total up/down).
  
• Saturday, April 11: 21st Annual Muir Woods Trail Marathon : 3,400' of elevation gain. Apparently a ladder exists on this trail near Steep Ravine.
  

Marathons I do not plan to attend because they're freaking crazy:

• Saturday, April 11: Diablo Marathon and 50-mile Endurance Run: 7,950' of elevation gain. The pictures of the Diablo 50-mile Endurance Run look gorgeous though.
  

Big Sur, the hardest one I've run so far, had between 1,000'-2,000' of elevation gain.

Apparently Auburn State Recreation Area represents a good trail running resource according to local runner Julie Fingar (I noticed Julie's vehicle back in 2006).

Running Journal, Saturday, 2008-10-11

Running Journal, Saturday, 2008-10-11
Resting heart rate: 71 bpm (after running)
Body Mass Index (BMI): n/a
Weather: clear, smoky
Temp: 17 C
Time: 10:15AM--11:26AM (split)--12:16 pM
Terrain: flat, mild hills

Comments: Perfect fall running weather--mild breezes, cool but not cold, sun at an angle that doesn't shine in the eyes, lots of people for entertainment. We re-visited the American River Parkway for the first time in many months. As we crossed the Bridge Street Pedestrian Bridge, we noticed car tire marks on the slats. It reminded me of the time I saw a car full of lost people drive absent-mindedly across the bridge. New graffiti--on the bridge, "This way to oxygen" (with arrow, plant, flower); also on the bridge, an 'H' inscribed within a circle, with the crossbar of the 'H' at a slant; also on the bridge, the text 'Blind Spot'; on the stop-sign at mile 19.5, someone has written "Don't Move" around the word "Stop" so it reads "Stop, Don't Move"; Around mile 18.5, the words "Get Money" and "Sleek"; on the Sunrise underpass, someone wrote "Swi33". As we walked to the starting point (mile 20) we noticed a fire had destroyed some vegetation along the ramp from the bridge to the trail; a few cages within this area protected interior live oak seedlings. About 1/4-mile into the run, Dawn noticed several bikers wearing purple/brown outfits that she found attractive. The womens' outfits contained the wording "Ophir Milan" which turns out to represent a Sacramento womens' biking club. Apparently they change their jersey each year. Ophir might represent the name of a ghost town in Auburn, CA. I'm not sure how Milan comes into play. The air between miles 18.5 and 17 smelled of smoke. We also noticed inscriptions on the trail reading "x mile MIM" where "x" represented a number (for example, "3 mile MIM"). Not sure what that refers to (maneuver impact mile?). We noticed construction equipment from Restoration Resources at the mile 19 rest stop. They appear to have undertaken a project named "Sunrise Side Channel Project" (PDF news release) to assist Steelhead Salmon with spawning. We both enjoyed returning and seeing the changes since our last visit--mostly broken branches of trees. I noticed the oaks laden with acorns in preparation for the upcoming rainy season. On the way back, we came up with the phrase "commutiny on the bounty" while discussing the sense of community that slowly builds with people that use the parkway. I think "commutiny" represents a spoonerism.
Exercise Time: 121 minutes (2:01)

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 9.66 km (6.0 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 9.66 km (6.0 mi)
Weight (after exercise): n/a
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: none

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2008-10-07

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2008-10-07
Resting heart rate: 63 bpm
Body Mass Index (BMI): n/a
Weather: clear
Temp: 26 C
Time: 19:26-20:11
Terrain: flat

Comments: First running journal entry in 435 days. Oof. Not the first time I've run/exercised in that amount of time, thankfully. We found the American River College stadium track entrance chained shut; running to the rear of the track, we noticed the ARC track team practicing, so after running around the illuminated soccer fields twice, we finished our run on the track. Various soccer teams practised simultaneously. The boys seemed to kick every shot over the open net. The girls practiced piggy-back drills. Another team used tiny nets as goals. Apparently ARC plans to perform construction between Oct 8--17, though the sign failed to specify details. We caught a bit of the second Obama-McCain debate this evening on 89.3 on the way to the track.
Exercise Time: 45 minutes

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): ?
Total Running Distance For Year:
Weight (after exercise): n/a
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: none

Sleep Study Equipment

Ever wondered what equipment a sleep study uses?

California Sleep Solutions uses:

• Respironics OmniLab (which includes the REMStar Heated Humidifier) CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) $600--$700
  
• Respironics Alice 5 Diagnostic Sleep System, $3,500--$4,200
  

San Francisco Day-Trip Recap

The day-trip represented one of my favorites to-date: Muir Woods, Ghirardelli Square, Cable Cars, Chinatown, Golden Gate Park, Coit Tower, and Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf.

1. We left Sacramento at 6:30AM
2. Muir Woods allowed everyone in without charge on Saturday in recognition of National Public Lands Day. Dawn purchased a Muir Woods patch. 2008 represents the 100th anniversary of the founding of the monument. Arrived at 8:30AM and found ample parking adjacent to the main entrance. We trailed a few people at the start of the loop walk but by Bridge 1 had the trail to ourselves. Silence dominates the early morning in Muir Woods--no animal noises, no people noises, only the sight of the towering trees and the sound of branches shifting in the wind, the trickling flow of water in the nearby riverbed, and the crunch of one's footsteps on the dirt trail. The return trip took us over Bridge 4 and back along the Hillside Trail. Exiting the parking lot around 10:00AM, we noticed streams of cars passing the entrance--the rangers had cordoned off the entrance to our parking lot, directing traffic to the nearby secondary and overflow lots.
   
3. Golden Gate Bridge greeted us with full sun and no fog. We crossed, paid the $6 toll and arrived at Fisherman's Wharf at 10:35AM. Leaving the car in the Beach & Hyde Parking Garage ($25/day maximum), we walked about two blocks to Ghirardelli Square and ate a lunch of packed sandwiches (muenster cheese, mixed greens, and spicy mustard on sourdough bread) and Thomas Kemper cane-sugar root beer next to Andrea's Fountain. Dessert consisted of a Warm Brownie Sundae at the Ghirardelli Chocolate and Ice Cream Shop.
4. Cable Car crowds already encircled the Powell-Hyde line's turntable in Aquatic Park by 11:00AM. Instead of waiting in line, we purchased two $11 one-day unlimited municipal transportation Passports and walked north on Hyde to North Point Street and waited at the cable-car stop. Why do people wait in line? We rode the car up Russian and Nob Hills, exiting at Washington and Mason.
5. Chinatown greeted us around 11:20AM. From Washington, we walked to Grant and proceeded south. Dawn remarked, "It's like Good Orient in person." At the Peking Bazaar, we discovered the Blue Moon Japanese dinnerware set we had drooled over online. Prices online seem competitive (ignoring S&H), especially for sets of plates. Starbucks provided a bathroom break. Dawn found a gorgeous, $150 coat from Old Shanghai (this company distributes fashions to several stores on Grant Street, including Peking Bazaar, Old Shanghai, and Canton Bazaar)--they don't seem to offer the full selection online.
6. Union Square lay just north of our bus stop--#21 line to Golden Gate Park to see the opening day (re-opening, as it turns out) of the California Academy of Sciences building. En route, a fellow passenger informed us that by 8AM that morning, the Academy had already handed out all the free passes for the day. Lines stretching for one-half mile attested to the huge demand for the all-day free event--even at our arrival at 3PM. We walked around the many vendor booths in front of the Academy, then walked to the de Young Art Museum. Dawn noticed the cutest gopher as we walked--it's face appeared in a two-inch hole in the ground, munched grasses, then disappeared into the hole. A small crowd gathered as we watched. After several minutes, the gopher retreated and backfilled the hole with dirt, leaving no trace save the missing grass. The Japanese Tea Garden offered a peaceful respite from the many people, but Dawn decided to press on to the Museum. When we arrived, we noticed the line and decided against waiting. A late afternoon snack consisted of nuts, pretzels, gala apples, water, and a Z-Bar.
7. Coit Tower turned out to represent the next destination. Hopping back on the #21 bus, we traveled back toward Union Square. Unfortunately, due to the heavy traffic from the Academy opening, it dumped us halfway to maintain schedule, leaving us to walk the remaining distance. Arriving at the turntable for the Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason cable car lines, we again skipped the lines (why do people wait?) and walked north on Powell several blocks until we reached the first cable car stop. We failed to act fast enough to get on the first car, but successfully boarded the second. The car carried us a significant distance uphill and we exited at Washington, walking the remaining distance to Coit Tower on foot. Tickets cost $5/each, and the 21-story view at the top at sunset included the entire bay and city.
8. Pier 39 represented the final destination around 6:30PM--seals, a bathroom break at the public restrooms, and Na Hoku Hawaiian Jewelry represented the final stops of the day.
9. IHOP on Lombard at Pierce provided a dinner of pumpkin pancakes, apple juice, and hash browns as we drove out of town. Fog streamed violently over the Golden Gate Bridge as we exited the area. Arriving home at 10:30PM, we both felt happy to rest after a long day of playing tourists.

Thoughts for next time (not necessarily on the same day):

1. Japantown--the saleswoman at Na Hoku recommended checking it out
   
2. Chinatown--tableware, clothing, and so forth
   
3. California Academy of Sciences in several months when the crowds become less insane
4. San Francisco Zoo
5. Alcatraz
6. Mount Tamalpais sunset
7. Japanese Tea Garden
8. Muir Woods hiking trails
9. Hang on outside of cable cars
10. Wild parrots of Telegraph Hill--Coit Tower operator mentioned they frequent the hill most often between 6AM--10AM.

Total cost: ~$150, of which 33%--$20 (gas) + $25 (parking) + $6 (toll)--related to car expense and another $22 (one-day Passports) related to public transportation expense, for a total of ~50% of transportation. The evening IHOP meal cost $27, so that represents ~20% of the expense. The remaining 30% includes: Ghirardelli Warm Sundae Brownie ($9), Muir Woods patch ($5), tea strainer ($4), slice of Starbucks Pumpkin Loaf bread ($2), Coit Tower ($10), and a hoodie ($22). I'm probably missing something but that's the majority.

San Francisco Saturday Day-Trip Itinerary

Getting out of Sacramento and going to The City:

1. 6AM--7:55AM Depart Sacramento and travel to San Francisco by car.
   
2. 8AM--9:30AM Muir Woods--$5/adult. Open 8AM--~6PM in mid-September.
   
3. 10:05AM--10:30PM Fisherman's Wharf--park, walk to Ghiradelli Square and eat packed mid-morning snacks. Ghiradelli Chocolates?
   
4. Walk to adjacent Beach & Hyde Streets to buy SF municipal transit day passes (Passports)--$11/each, only accepts cash.
   
5. Cable car (Powell-Hyde Line) to Chinatown (Washington & Mason, then walk down a few blocks to get to Chinatown proper around Grant Avenue).
6. 11AM--12:30PM Walk through historic Chinatown
7. Walk south from Union Square to Market & Powell and take #21 bus to 55 Music Concourse Drive in Golden Gate Park.
8. 1:30PM--5PM Attend opening day of California Academy of Sciences (free). Prior to going in, eat packed lunches.
   
9. Eat late-afternoon snacks. Take #21 bus, then F light rail to Fisherman's Wharf.
10. 6:30PM--8:30PM trip home. Eat on the way home (IHOP?) or when we arrive home.
    

• Will this itinerary survive first contact with reality? I think so--I've performed around a half-dozen guided tours of San Francisco. Potential problems--cable car lines and opening day crush of people at the California Academy of Sciences.
• Need to get cash before we go--$18 for Muni Passports, $10 tolls (Golden Gate Bridge, Carquinez Straits)--around $40 should do it.

Things to bring:

• Camera
• Water bottles
• Food
• Map
• Layered clothing (can get chilly by the ocean)
  
• Comfortable shoes
• Contact lens case and solution
• Cash
• Backpack for carrying any purchases
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses

Contact Lenses

I have purchased my first pair of contact lenses since I underwent LASIK surgery in September 2003. The prescription represents a very minor correction--much better than the awful nearsightedness I had five years ago. The minor correction needed in my right eye caused strain over the course of a day staring at a computer screen, causing sickness several times over the course of the past few months. Happily, I don't need correction to drive or perform any daily tasks, so I can wear them when I work, and ignore them when I don't.

Linoleum

Removing it to expose hardwood floors represents a major investment in time. The local hardware store attendant asked me the color of the glue under the linoleum, and I responded "black"--she paused and breathed, "Oh". Not a good sign.

Happily, our next-door neighbor and a handyman and his daughter from the apartment complex near-by chipped-in, and the atmosphere felt light. He returned the next morning and finished the job--removing the tiles seems to inspire compulsion to complete the task.

The man responsible for sanding and sealing the floors arrived today (Friday) and began sanding away the glue, but it turns out the glue gets the last laugh--it completely gummed up his sander, and so he ended up spending the day scraping the glue from the boards anyway. He returns tomorrow to sand again. It will look fantastic when he finishes.