AtomJohnson Blog

“I don’t think Americans are concerned if we’re there for 100 years or 1,000 years or 10,000 years.” - John McCain

“We’ve been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope, but in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.” - Barack Obama

The best things in life truly are free. For instance, I somehow starting getting Men’s Journal a few months ago for free. Then, this month, out of that free magazine came a free mustache. It took Burn Reynolds years to grow his lip ornament and within a few minutes of opening this month’s issue, I had the healthiest, best-looking mustache you could imagine. Of course it was all fun and games until Jess grabbed the mustache and Bourbon and began to really party….

In other news….we just booked our flights for an April trip to Costa Rica. It looks like I’ll finally be able to show off my passport.

Yesterday Dave suggested that we close out the California trip by driving into the city and jogging through Chrissy Fields and over the Golden Gate Bridge. I only wished that I had thought of it myself. It was a picture perfect day in the city and there is nothing I would have rather done.

Thanks to Dave, Greg and Kim for the amazing hospitality and for making this trip so much fun.  Please get out here this summer and keep me company on the Monarch Pass Trail trip.

Last night’s espresso was doing nothing to help me fall asleep once we got back to David’s house last night. I finally hit the sack around 2:30am (3:30 mountain time) with visions of sunshine dancing in my head. In the morning, the visions of sunshine were replaced by actual visions of sunshine pouring through the dense Redwood trees. Of course it was still pouring down rain, but the sun was actually out. Before long, the morning took on the usual overcast rainy tint that we were accustomed to, but for a moment we were in heaven.

Fortunately, the sun managed to chase away the rain and clouds once again while we were having breakfast with Greg and Kim. With a rare break in the weather, we decided to head back to Greg and Kim’s for a bike ride. Not having much equipment with me, we decided to put Greg and I on his tandem bike while David and Kim each rode their own. This being my first time on a tandem, it was a bit nerve wracking to start out down an incredibly wet, steep gravel road, but I guess you gotta cut the training wheels off at some point.

The ride was gorgeous. We alternated between open country, dense redwood groves and gently rolling vineyards. Dave had asked that we slap him if he started whining at any point during the ride. I think Kim surprised ever herself by instead brining a BB gun and shooting him in the arm. I’m not sure if it was Karma or what, but shortly after she shot Dave, we came as close as I ever have to being struck head on by a Dodge Extened Cab Ram flying downhill and around the corner from the opposite side. In all my years biking and bike touring, it was definitely the closest I’ve come to a really bad situation on the bike. But…we made it back to blog about it, so I guess all is forgiven.

Instead of going to bar to watch what turned out to be the greatest Superbowl game ever, we instead stayed home and ate burritos over the Bourne Identity. Dave and Greg played the longest Rummikub game in history just before Greg helped me break in my new travel version of Settlers of Catan by destroying me.

Our options for activity today were either build an ark for the oncoming floods, or stay inside and play Rumikub over coffee and/or beer. Not having the proper supplies, tools or know-how to build an arc, we opted for Rummikub.

Prior to the decision, we did head out for a bit of breakfast at the Wildflour Bakery in Freestone, CA. For all intents and purposes, everything around here is in the middle of nowhere. No matter where we’re going, we always seem to drive down a winding road, through some Redwood groves, past a few farmhouses and vineyards, when our destination suddenly appears out of nowhere.

We had visited this bakery two years ago when I was last out here. It is a fairly large, old, rustic building with a huge stone oven in the back, a few very hippy-looking bakers and a giant community table by the window where you can eat your baked goods, drink your coffee, and if you have the resources….play Rummikub.

While eating, drinking and playing we noticed an older couple who were distressed over having locked their keys in their Cadillac. Being the handy guy that I am, I offered them my AAA card. About a half hour later, we put on an Oscar winning perforance of “act like we’re really with these people so they can use our emergency car service for free”. We didn’t feel like waiting around for the entire procedure, we left in David’s car by saying, “hey…we’ll just meet you guys there”…..wink, wink, nudge, nudge, know what I mean?

After a full day of Rummikub and Boggle, we decided to get active and go see a movie before ingesting a giant, delicious meal at Greg and Kim’s. David had warned me that “I’m Not There” might be a bit over my head. I thought he was just giving me grief. The movie was way over my head.

The meal at Greg and Kim’s was phenomenal. It was seriously as good as any nice restaurant I’ve ever been to. We started out with a creamy crab, bacon and leek soup. The main course was breaded, pan-fried prawns on watercress and Isreali couscous. Of course dessert was homemade custard and espresso. If you ever have the opportunity to eat Greg’s food, I highly advise you take it.

Arriving in San Francisco last night was a bit surreal. It has been two years since I’ve been out here and seen my friends David, Greg and Kim, but once I actually arrive, it seems as if I were here yesterday. The same major roads are still in place and they all still lead to the same destinations , past the same bars and restaurants. Its as if I’ve left for a week. True to San Francisco, there is still no parking to be found anywhere. We passed several spots that we deemed either way too tight or completely illegal, only to drive back past them and find hopeful individuals trying to negotiate the obstacles and turn it into a viable parking space. The moment we gave up on finding a space and opted to eat in another neighborhood, we immediately found a great spot.

We ate dinner at [Name of Thai Restaurant]. The main thing that I miss about living in this city is the fact that there are incredible and affordable eateries on every single block. In Northern Virginia, you could either eat at a very expensive, fancy restaurant or at a chain. There were few options in between. San Francisco seems to be the independent restaurant capital of the free world. I would be happy to grow fat here.

[Name of Thai Restaurant] was staffed by very jovial individuals each sporting their own clown-like costume. One guy had a shirt covered in sunflowers with giant MC Hammer-like poofy pants covering his twig and berries. I was real close to having worn the same outfit for my travels. I was starving, the food was fantastic, and the colorful wait staff brings you free beer if you bang on the metal table during their rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’. You gotta love San Francisco.