Well, I am here in Oakland, CA staying with Alison’s Parents for a few evenings. They are wonderful and made an amazing dinner. San Francisco so far has been really cool. I visited the museum in Golden Gate Park. I walked a lot today and met a few people. Walked through Haight Ashbury, which was really cool, Some amazing houses and shops in that area. It was a bit chilly in the shade but when walking I was plenty warm. It’s funny to see people around here wearing winter parkas and hats and scarves.

I have seen a lot of bikers. A few people riding some really nice fixies. Most with no brakes, some of the hills here would be just foolish riding suicide. I don’t know how they do it.

But they do…

Most everyone has been really nice

About a week ago I was in a random pub outside of L.A., Manhattan Beach to be exact, and I was talking to a guy at the bar, he had just gotten into town from Chicago. We talked for a bit and went our separate ways.
Last night I was in a Rogue pub, the only one in California, drinking some wonderful Rogue beer and talking to another guy at the pub, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and I look over and the same guy that I met in L.A. is at the end of the bar.
Crazy coincidence, two big cities.
We chatted some more, he was good stuff, smart kid.

The guy from Halifax ended up picking up my whole tab (food and everything) because he was in San Fran for work and could charge it to the company. He was really cool. Hearing about Halifax makes me want to visit. From what he said Halifax seems like a really nice smaller city with good people, pubs and local music.

After that some drunken Irishman started talking to me, He was very drunk and got 86-ed in no time, but was quite funny. Kept telling me I was bullocks and asking to buy me a drink. He opened his wallet about 8 times, looked for cash and then put it back when he didn’t see any. I told him he could buy me a drink if he told me what city in Ireland he was from but he was too drunk.
He kept yelling to the bartender
“are we fixed, are we fixed,” of course the bartender was like what the hell are you saying.
“are we fixed for a drink”?
he he
then he started pointing at the bar and calling me a hippy.
We all had a good laugh.

The public transit is crazy here. They have city buses, streetcars, cable cars (which are $5 per ticket), BART and Muni. The last two are subway systems. Compared to L.A., which has about 5 train lines for the whole city.
5? Really? That’s shameful for how big and populated that city is. They do have a lot of buses but in my opinion, they’re just not as reliable.

I have come to the conclusion that I do not like L.A. I didn’t think that I would like it before I went but wanted to go in with a positive attitude and give it a chance. Well I gave it that chance. It’s so spread out, a huge suburban sprawl, the people suck and the smog is disgusting. I did feel some effects of the smog and had times that it was harder to breathe. I took some photos when I was at the Getty Museum a few days ago of L.A. and I could clearly see the brown blanket that covered L.A. I haven’t reviewed the photos yet so I don’t know how they turned out and how clearly you will be able to see the smog. It was really surprising to see.

After the Getty, I was riding through Bel Air and West Hollywood, through thick traffic, and a guy opened his door to try to hit me with it. It’s actually illegal to open your doors on the road in CA because motorcycles can legally ride between traffic.
Anyways – I swerved so hard the stem bent to the side. They are in gridlocked traffic. So I stopped turned around and knocked on the S.O.B.s window. He opened it a crack and said quickly “sorry I thought I was going to throw up” and quickly closed his window. But he starred at me after that like he didn’t care that I knew he was lying. It was blatant. If I wasn’t a peaceful man, I would have stood on the hood of that new Volvo (with temporary plates) and jumped up and down.
I’m not that nice. But that day I was, I just rode off.
He purposefully put me in danger and the second he had to answer to someone; he was scared, lying and prideful.
Who breeds these people?
When will natural selection and evolution kill them off?
Hopefully before my lifetime is over.