San Francisco!

Every day: ride my sweet new shiny impractical single-speed bike to a train that I can put my bike on, thus making a long commute doable.*

Tuesday: saw a film about coffee, called A Film About Coffee, playing at the beautiful old Castro Theater. Ran into a couple friends from CMU. Found out they're coffee geeks too.

Yesterday: ran into my friend Jared on the train coming home. Talked crowdfunding.** Enjoyed a beer (brewed at 21st Amendment, San Francisco). Rode my impractical single-speed bike up to Bernal Heights Park to catch the sunset (or, more appropriately, the fog-roll-in) over the city. Picked up new beans at one of my favorite roasters in the world, Ritual. Saw a creme brulee shop***. Of course I stopped in to the creme brulee shop. Practiced meditation with tips from a new meditation teacher, who I had read a lot online, and then just ran into at Maker Faire a few weeks ago.

Today: free Stumptown cold brew coffee from someone promoting their whatever delivery service. As I got on the aforementioned awesome train. Later heading to an EFF event and a local mashup DJ's show.

Tomorrow: Tati's arriving here for the summer! She'll be in Sunnyvale, which is not super close, but getting around is totally doable, thanks to bike, Zipcar, and that wonderful train.

* the pessimist could say that, in another city, I might not have to commute 40 miles. Fair enough. Not saying jobs in valley + Caltrain makes the city better than just having jobs in SF. But given that I happen to have a job in the valley this summer, the train makes a reasonable life possible.

** crowdfunding is one silicon valley buzzword that I don't think is just a buzzword. I like the world that it enables.

*** you know, because that's a thing.

Man! I am laughing about what a stereotype I am, but I am also just laughing because I so enjoy all of this!

Bikes don't get numbers if I just buy them off the shelf.

They do get names, though. My latest addition: Jeppe Laursen.

Q&A:
Q: What is it?
A: An SE Draft Lite single speed urban bike.
Q: What's special about it?
A: Basically, it's fun. It's sleek and pretty lightweight, it has only one speed, it still has flat bars so I can handle the hills, but it feels pretty snappy on flat ground overall. Hard to explain why it's fun to ride, but you know how running on sand is really difficult? It's the opposite of that. Plus, not that I'll own it long enough to do maintenance, but maintenance is pretty easy.
Q: Don't you already have a bike?
A: Sure, I've got four.
Q: But, don't you already have a bike in San Francisco?
A: Yes, but-
Q: isn't this inferior in pretty much every way to the bike you already have?
A: Well, yes. It's lowish-grade steel (my other bike's aluminum), and, well, it has no gears. But it's more than good enough. And at $320, I can't ask for too much. Plus, I can sell both of these bikes, so it's maybe not as silly as it seems.
Q: Who's Jeppe Laursen?
A: Senior from Junior Senior, of Move Your Feet fame. (stop right now and listen to that song.) Also, he later recorded this. So, you know, he is about as goofy and impractical, and fun for the summer, as this bike.