Picture taken last night of the cruiser tied up at Piers 15-17 over the weekend. When the Exploratorium takes over Piers 15-17 (Port Authority and City willing), the deal requires that the Exploratorium keep the piers maintained and clear for the occasional Navy ship to dock.
The cruiser leaving this morning with the help of two tugs.
addendum added
We had an invite from long-time friends to watch Bay-To-Breakers at their place down on Fell, about 3.5 miles into the 7.46 mile Bay-To-Breakers “race.”
I use the term “race” because BTB is a serious race and a silly race and a seven-mile stroll and a chance to have an excuse to start drinking at 7AM, if that’s your poison.
We were told to arrive by 7:30A as the street closures start and it gets harder and harder to find parking. We got up a bit before 6A, showered, made coffee (me) and Nilgiri tea (him) and headed off. First stop Columbus and Union, outside Coit Liquors to catch the 45.
Across the street the young woman in her floaty was having problems getting her new Crocs on and dialing a cell phone with shark fins on her hands. She finally took the fins off to dial the phone. She was still waiting for her ride when ours arrived. Off we go. (We kept an eye out for her but never did see her run/stroll by. TOO MANY PEOPLE!)
By 7:06A we were waiting on Market for the 5 Fulton, which would take us up to Fulton and Masonic. Three blocks down Masonic to Fell, hang a left right … whatever and we’d arrive.
While we were waiting for the 5 Fulton, a crew of Vikings and their ship passed us heading east to the race start. Beer cups firmly in hand. 7:06AM.
We arrived. Helped set up the brunch buffet. Waited for the first runners to appear.
Lineth Chepkurui, who won the female division, came through at 8:14. (Women runners were given a five minute lead at the race start.)
At 8:17, John Korir blows through with Ridouane Harroufi on his heels. Korir and Harroufi caught up with Chepkurui on the Great Highway just before the end of the race.
The serious (AKA “elite” runners) were followed by the not so serious.
Little BoPeep and her sheep came through at 8:34A.
We had older runners.
And younger.
The Hooter next door (who was a big hit with people who wanted to have their picture taken with him):
Four hours into the race, the Yellow Submarine with the Fab Four strolled by
We had the kilted guy next door
D, offering his homemade hummus and whole grain pita to participants.
We had folks with beads
And folks without
Five hours after we’d seen them last, the Vikings were spotted again. Much the worse for wear after dragging their ship up Hayes hill.
The gang had a great time and, time and stamina willing, I’ll pull all the photos together in a gallery.
Later … we’re off to the Ferry Building for a Commonwealth Club panel discussion on raw cheese. Tasting too!
Addendum: (originally written in the comments on View from the Hill commenter Don’s blog)
Snapped a pic of a float I thought you’d like.
We watched from a perch off the panhandle, at about the halfway marker for the race.
The last runner/walkers came through about 1P with motorcycle cops flushing the rest of the crowds off the street. (A bit later than usual. The weather was fine and the crowds were huge.)
We swept the piles of litter out in the streets for the street sweepers that immediately followed the cops. We piled plastic bottles and beer cans and bottles on the sidewalk for the scavengers who took them away for their CRV value.
Lucky for the runners, the temps were considerably less than the 95dF they’d been just a couple days before. I can’t imagine running up Hayes, pulling/pushing a float in that kind of weather.
A good time was had by all. I caught a bit more sun than I should’ve. Mellow crowd. There were a few people with gumby bodies, needing the support of three friends to stand upright. There were a few more people we had to shout at to stop them pissing against the house or the Alfas in the driveway. Even people acting like jerks.
The World’s Largest Lolcat, An Invisible Bike Mural | Laughing Squid
Yay! Us! Not only do we have the weirdness of Bay to Breakers today, but also we have the world’s larges LOLCat Mural!
Update: Took like probably four seconds for the LOLcat mural to hit Guess Where SF and maybe a couple seconds after that for the location to be pinpointed by the gurus at GWSF.
All but the last line true. Wait. Let me correct that. I have no idea what an Indian fighter or chemical test pilot are. I don’t know what being spiritually aerodynamic is but it probably has something to do with the Church of well, you know. The last line is absolutely untrue. That I know.
We face east toward Oakland and Berkeley and get sunshiney wakeups in the morning, but our location means the sun sets behind the hill directly behind us so we never see sunsets unless we’re out and about.
I was talking with a nabe the other day who told me he takes the stairs to Pioneer Park (AKA Coit Tower to most) to watch the sun set. Sounds like a plan.
We were out and about yesterday …
No picture. Didn’t think of it while everything was happening.
BIG CLOUD OF BLACK BLACK SMOKE coming up from the other side of Treasure Island. We popped the cover off the telescope lens and spotted a yacht adrift, flames billowing above it, being pushed south by the tides. The boat drifted behind the Admin building and then came into sight again. Looked like probably an engine fire. That end of the boat was engulfed in flames. Engine fire? Fiberglass boat? The smoke was immense.
One of the fireboats headed off from Pier 22 1/2 to deal with the blaze. Coast Guard and other boats were keeping clear after rescuing the folks on board the boat. The fireboat eventually arrived (They’re not the fastest boats on the Bay.) and started dousing the blaze. Eventually the yacht sank beneath the waves.
Not a sunny Saturday for the people on the yacht, but at least they got out with their skins intact.
Update:Chron story
comment on the cookbooks post:
I love the spillover effect. Do you use double-sided tape?
I assume you mean the paper bits behind the picture of the younger younger guys?
Those bits are on a French board, or whatever you call it, that hangs over the edge of the counter. Had to hang over because if I gave it a 90deg turn, it wouldn’t fit under the upper shelf.
French board: padded board with criss-crossed ribbons that you tuck your bits of whatever under. Seems to me Sabrina had one where she kept her memorabilia and spent tickets and pictures and invitations and whatever.
The original plan — still in general play — was to use this board for restaurant business cards and menus for places we might want to return to. The cards would not only remind us of places we’d liked but also provide reservation # and address information.
Alas, as we’ve found, this town has thousands of restaurants and they are constantly changing chefs or closing or deciding they want to be small plates or deciding they want to change direction or …
Keeping business cards and/or menus doesn’t mean the restaurant will be the same or even in business should we decide we want to go again.
We try to keep up. Every Wednesday The Inside Scoop column in the Chron food section covers the who’s leaving, who’s arriving foodista gossip. Cortez on Geary (yummy food) just sold. New owner says food and chef will stay the same. Sure. Michelle Mah (formerly of Ponzu) will be the chef at Midi, which is taking over the Perry’s space on Sutter. Bruno Viscovi has sold Albona Ristorante Istriano to his nephew and the chef who’s been there ten years. Nothing will change. Sure the food won’t change, but you won’t have Bruno going over the menu with you in caring detail, telling you exactly how the soup was prepared and which vegetables go in the beef stock. sigh. Shuna Lydon left Sens before we had a chance to taste her desserts. Scott Howard closed recently. A loss.
And the knives dance. ‘Round and ’round we go.
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