A-maze-ing

Passed by the Mile Rock Labyrinth on the run this evening. It is a nice little escape just three miles from the apartment. It seems world's away.

Attention Real Estate Agents

Please take better photos of your listings. I don't want to see a couch. I don't want to see the sign of a 'hip restaurant' down the street. I want to see the space. Do you expect to sell anything with these photos? I understand your real estate license did not come with a photography class but it did come with some marketing lessons. Use them.

Not a bad place to be

Comcast Sucks

I emailed Comcast with a minor complaint and this is the bloated and useless response I received.
--
Dear Kevin,
Thank you for contacting Comcast Cable Email Support.

I thank you for allowing me this opportunity to assist you. Kevin, as
your service representative today, I want you to know that your
satisfaction is of my topmost priority. Our goal is to provide our
customers with the most effective possible support. I will be more than
happy to assist you with your concern. Rest assured that I will address
your concerns as quickly as possible.

I understand your concern regarding the program available for channel
416. Kevin, I can understand why you would be upset, I would feel the
same way if I was in the situation you are in. I sincerely apologize for
the inconvenience this has caused you. Rest assured that your concern
will be taken care of and I will be providing you with the best possible
resolution to your concern in this email response.

Kevin, we need to hear about any unsatisfactory situations in order to
correct them and to enhance our level of customer service. I have
forwarded your comments to the appropriate members of our development
and management teams for further review and action. We appreciate that
you took the time to help us keep our commitment to quality customer
care.

To send comment, suggestions, or feedback, you can also go to:

http://www.comcast.com/corporate/customers/contactus/feedback.html

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we address your
concerns. If you have any more questions feel free to reply to this
e-mail.

Kevin, I thank you that you took time out from your busy schedule to
share your concerns. We continue to strive for complete customer
satisfaction so your feedback is valuable to us. In addition to
providing you with the latest and greatest products, we want to ensure
that you are satisfied with our services. It is a pleasure assisting you
and resolving your issue today. We appreciate that you have chosen
Comcast as your service provider and we thank you for your business.

Thank you for bringing Comcast into your home. Comcast appreciates your
business and values you as a customer. Our goal is to provide you with
excellent service. If you need further assistance, please do not
hesitate to contact us at:

Customer Support (24 hour a day, 7 days a week):
http://www.comcastsupport.com/chat

Phone Support (office hours only):
1-800-XFINITY (9346489)

We hope to do business with you again. Have a great day and take care.


Sincerely,

Elaine T
Comcast Customer Care Specialist
--
That is the longest email about nothing that gets absolutely zero accomplished I have ever read. Talk about trying to make sure I feel good about complaining. What a joke.

Saturday Run Observations

This is what I came across during my Saturday morning run:
That sweet Giants and Tim Lincecum mural
Crazy triathletes in lingerie getting ready to jump in the water at Aquatic Park
Elderly Chinese more limber than me doing Tai Chi
Saturday morning boot camps everywhere
A nickle
Realization that pushing the walk button at crosswalks does little good
A clear mind
Cool playground with a spongy surface
Cherry blossoms in full bloom along the Lyon Street Stairs
ahhhh

Never an Ordinary Run

Here is what I came across on tonight's run:
A magnificent beach
A professional photographer taking shots of an awe inspiring bridge
Campers at Rob Hill in the Presidio
A police cop training his dog to attack a man in a big, padded suit
Pre-teens playing lacrosse
A dozen or so cyclists whizzing by
Strange metal yellow chairs of various heights in a meadow
A penny
Inspiration
A super cool orange convertible MG
Fallen eucalytpus branches from the recent storm
A new public water fountain
Reminded once again why this place is so great

All within my six mile run.

Mexico Abode

Here is the place in Mexico where we stayed. Located about 1 1/2 north of San Jose del Cabo in the small village of El Cardonal, about 40 minutes from Los Barrilles


I do not know what I miss more, the solitude or the cheap and amazing food.

Lunar New Year

The Lunar New Year was officially on February 6th but the celebration continues on nearby Clement Street (The Richmond District's Chinatown). The dancing lions were out in force this past weekend stopping by local businesses to bring good luck.

Marathon Minutes

I just realized I now I have 5 more minutes to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I have to run a race in 3:20 or less to get in instead of 3:15. That is now only 15 minutes faster than my best time. 5 more minutes never looked so good. That is a 7:33 pace. Not a cakewalk...for sure. Time to build a faster me, a stronger me.

While this goal is great I do not want to forget to do one thing: Give thanks that I can run. It's all too often we get so hung up on our goals that we simply forget what a blessing it is to be able to get out there and run. Many of us run because we overcame something else. There's quite possibly a good reason you are a runner. For me it is something else. Running gives me freedom and puts me more in tune with my surroundings. We often go through the day and do not notice the world around us. We're stuck in buildings or behind the wheel. I notice so many things around me when I run, I travel down roads I would normally not. My senses are alive.

If your running isn't perfect and you feel like you are in a rut, wondering why you are doing this day after day--stop for a minute. Rejoice in the fact that you can run.

Dying While Running

I saw a man die while running on Sunday.

I like to think I am invincible, especially when running. I get stronger with each step. I improve with each deep breath. I believe this to be true. Seeing a runner have what appeared to be cardiac arrest reminds me though I am NOT invincible.

I did not see him collapse, I saw him on the ground then a rush of people move in to try to revive him just after he crossed the finish line. Efforts that lasted over 20 minutes to no avail.

Sad, sure. I know running can be taxing on the heart but like any muscle it gets stronger the more you work it. The risk of dying while running is quite small. A study published in 1996 found a 1 in 50,000 chance during a runner's marathon career. (Based on exercising for more than 3 hours in a marathon.)

The man who died was younger (36) than me and finished slower than me (by 20 minutes). I do not know what shape he was in but you have to wonder if he prepared enough to handle the event. Did he push himself too much? Were there other factors that contributed to his heart's failure like clogged arteries? Most who die while running had undiagnosed heart anomalies. Too many questions requiring answers we will never get but it got me thinking about the dangers of running and what I and all runners should do to look out for ourselves.

Know your limits and know your body. Listen to your body and train and run accordingly. Be alert in any drop in endurance or strength. Be aware of any chest discomfort, numbness in the jaw or arms, tightness of the chest or shortness of breath. Have your heart checked.

I paid special attention to my heart tonight, my first run since Sunday. I strapped on my handy heart monitor and throughout my run I did not peak over 150bpm. I did not run very fast, my normal leisurely (for me) 7:30 per mile pace. Even at the end, my heart rate hovered just under 150bpm.

According to heart charts for a person my age the max heart rate should be around 190bpm, so I was not pushing it. This is now my guideline to watch and monitor from this point on. The good thing was my recovery rate. Within one minute my heart rate dropped down to 80bpm, well above average according to the charts. The old ticker is not only working but working well.

There were a series of stairs about midway through my run. At the top were two guys smoking pot. One of them was coughing like crazy. Maybe it was his first time. On my way down I said to myself I may not be invincible but I would rather run the risk than sit around doing that or nothing at all.

Sun or Snow...I'll take this any day

For all of my friends shoveling snow and shivering...suck on this!
Running last night in a short sleeve shirt. A crisp morning ride today. Plenty of sunshine. Glad to be here.

Old Paper Routes Revisited

This made me think back to my old paper route for the Modesto Bee. I remember getting my hands covered in black ink, the sore shoulders and having to wake up way too early. That and having to pay for the rubber bands and plastic bags. I always felt the paper should pay for those. I mean come on, how I am supposed to deliver YOUR paper without them?

Stairway to Hell

Saw this and had to laugh. A Stair Master in a stairway

Tired of Sports Talk

I am a sports fan. I am not a fan of sports talk. I heard this tonight, "On offense they like to score points." Duh. I can not name an offense that does not like to score points. That is one of my all time favorites. Others, "The team with the fewest mistakes is going to win the game." Ya think? "If their defense can shut 'em down they'll win." Boy, I would not have known that.

Same can be said for news reporters stating the obvious. "Police are investigating and looking for clues," when reporting on some crime. Really? Hum, I did not know they did that.

Food Truck Fake

Here is a sign the food truck frenzy has gone too far. The Whole Foods Food Truck. Thankfully is was not busy. I'll pass.

Tale of Two Street Festivals

One thing that makes this City so great is its diversity. (I almost added openness as well but this place is not as open as it claims or people make it out to be but that is for another post)

This weekend saw two of the most different street fairs possible; the Cole Valley Street Fair and the Folsom Street Fair. Luckily I made it to both and felt equally at home while also out of place at each. I think the photos will clearly explain why...if you do not already know.

Cole Valley:
Folsom Street:
A bit different, yes. I never feel good about myself after attending the Folsom Street Fair because nearly all of the guys are cut...er, um, ripped, in shape and have serious pecs. At least it gives me motivation.

I could have provided you with more graphic photos from the Folsom event but I am going to try to keep this PG rated.

Convention Coolness?

Since when was it cool to walk around with a convention badge draped around your neck? I have attended maybe a half dozen large conferences in my life and I can not recall not immediately taking off my badge when walked out the door. I usually did not even wear my badge while inside the conference. I don't want to look like a geek attending some convention.

San Francisco has its share of big conferences and this week is one of the largest, the Oracle Open World Conference. All over downtown you see conventioneers wearing their badges; walking around, eating, shopping. "Do you get a discount in Macy's if you wear your badge?" I asked an employee after seeing a group of men buy shirts. "No." she replied.

Maybe it is just me and my lack of enthusiasm for the OOW (Oracle Open World). Maybe for these conventioneers is a like a badge of honor. But who are you going to impress? Others attending the conference? Not too impressive if so many others are wearing badges as well.

I guess I would wear a badge if it was exclusive or gave me a certain privilege. I would wear a badge if it was the IQ Over 300 Conference or the Conference of Those Who Walked on the Moon. That is impressive. If the badge gave me the right drink in public or the entitled me with the power to make spontaneous laws...I would wear a badge for that. Attending a the OOW with 43,ooo+ others, not so imprerssive.

$2.8M Fixer Upper

So what do you do after you buy a $2.8M house? How about replace the entire roof, rip out the elevated backyard deck and add an extra room. That is what's happening directly across the street.

Shark Sighting - Oh No or So What?

There was recent shark sighting in the waters off Linda Mar near Pacifica. Signs went up warning beach-goers and news organizations went ga-ga over it. Every time this happens I always ask, "What's the big deal? That is where they live." Where do you expect them to be? And just because some official puts up a sign warning people to stay out or prevents people from swimming in the ocean the shark is going to be there. And it is going to be there long after those warnings and signs are gone. Same holds true for mountain lions spotted in foothills. It was there first. We are the ones who built the house in the mountains to get away from the city and now you are worried about mountain lions?

Longing for Watermelons of Old

What ever happened to seeds in watermelons? I have enjoyed my fair share of watermelons this summer since it is one way to make it feel like summer without having the summer heat here in SF. The only watermelons I can find are seedless. While these are nice and convenient I miss the childhood fun of spitting seeds, especially the idea of me doing it out of my third floor apartment window. I am not sold on those 'personal' watermelons either. The beauty of a watermelon is lugging this huge melon home pondering how it is humanly possible to eat the whole thing and joy of sharing. And what happened? Watermelons used to be oblong, now they seem to be more round.