Cars are such a pain. Needed to get struts. That is $1100 down the drain. But what can one do but pay for it.

Would be nice to bike commute but thanks to the SF Bay Area’s high rental market forget about living close to where you work. Too bad the salaries don’t keep up with everything going up.

Some people bike and use public transportation, but I refuse to do it. Public transportation is too expensive, unreliable and takes too long. I can see me trying to get on a BART train with my bike and having to let the train go because I can’t fit my bike on a crowded train.

Good thing I’m close to retirement. 

Good-bye little cockatiel. She died 16 November 2017. Never knew how old she was. The neighbors divorced and they got her when she flew on the husband shoulder so they kept her. I took her because I didn’t want her to go to the animal shelter.

She was a fun little bird and liked having her around but that being said I would not own another one.

The Positives:

  I liked how she greeted me in the morning. Enjoyed hanging out before I left.

  Liked watching tv and scratching her head.

  We enjoyed our snacks together.

  I liked when I got home and she would chirp her hello and to let me know where she was.

  Her light chirp when she was ready to come out of her room (cage).

What I didn’t care for:

  Cockatiels as social birds and they need there hanging out time. I’m not really a homebody. I like to go bike riding, hiking and just wandering around. I had to do short trips. Come home after work to take care of her.

  When I got her I did not know how much work having a cockatiel was, but I adjusted my schedule and hung around the house more so we could hang out. I accepted responsibility for her and she was my buddy. But at times I had to force myself to come home. I didn’t like not accepting work schedules that would get me home later because I needed to  take care of her.

Now that may seem selfish on my part but I did enjoy the time spent with her and wish she was still around. I made the time for her and enjoyed my time spent with her. I will miss her.

Now I know better than to get another cockatiel. They are great buddies if a person likes to stay home, do things around town and like to be home early. 

I don’t do group rides and I prefer to ride lone. I’m at the point in my life I don’t want to follow a route and wonder what someone else wants to do. I want to ride slow, stop and enjoy the view. I want to take pictures when I want. Stop where I want to eat.

I have a job where I’m told when to start, to break, to have lunch and go home. That is enough of being on  a schedule and being told what to do.

It is a nice gesture but I don’t like when people ask me if I’m okay when I’m resting. I’m sitting down and having a snack and some will ask, “Are you okay?” Just because I stop doesn’t mean I’m hurt or have bicycle problems. Sometimes a person has to take a break.

I like hole in the wall cafe’s. Though in the San Francisco Bay Area that is becoming hard to fine because of rents and they are closing. It is either some fast food place or some place that if serving some kind of fancy food.

Ride far and slow. Have a nice snack. Repeat.

Alhambra Road is fixed and ready to ride. What a nice surprise when I rode by to check out the progress and it was completed.

Now I can take my favorite way to Briones and Martinez. 

The first rain of the season has made an appearance. Guess I will skip the bike ride. Besides I have to convert my coins to bills so it is off to Wal-Mart and to the CoinStar. I would take a gift card but their gift cards suck. I don’t use any of the places CoinStar offers. So it is cash.

Stopped by the Apple store to look at the I Phone X. All I can say is, “No thank you.” That notch at the top is annoying. Watch a video and the notch is there. It would drive me nuts. Apple should have just made a small bezzle where the speaker is. So I will just stay with my Sony Xperia XZ Premium which I like. Nothing wrong with looking though.

Will be fun to listen to the people at work that bought the I Phone X and hear what they think of that notch. But since they are dedicated I Phone users they will still love the phone.

Hopefully Monday the rain will be gone and I can hop on my bike and enjoy my ride without getting soaked. No matter how many times I ride in the rain I still hate it.