Time Away

Last week was supposed to be a rest week. Instead, I raced at San Dimas, if you could call it that. Actually, I stunk the place up. It's an excuse really. If I had wanted to do well there, I would have simply adjusted my training schedule. Sometimes my joy of riding gets in the way of my joy of winning. More miles don't always equal better fitness.

After seeing the results of stage 1 and finding my name in 13th place and over 2 minutes down, I decided to pack up my marbles and go home.

It seems early in the season to be hitting the reset button but I've been going hard since December and am feeling like a mental break is in order. So, I'm off the bike for a full week. Actually, just because of travel, I will be off the bike for 10 days.

So, I'm hanging out in San Diego on the boat. Even though I'm not riding, there is still plenty here to keep me busy. I was planning to take a quick trip up to Catalina Island this weekend but the weather has taken a turn for the worse. Rain and fog mainly. I'm not opposed to cruising in either, but since it was going to be a quick trip, I decided to stay closer to the bay. I reserved a mooring at La Playa and am going to spend the weekend at anchor.

Yesterday morning it was bright and sunny. I set out for a 5 mile walk. As I was walking the fog came in. You could just see it creeping over Point Loma, and within 15 minutes the fog had taken over the bay. It happens just that fast. This morning I woke up to rain. Nothing better than being on a boat in the rain.

This weekend is The Master's Golf Tournament. Actually it started today. I can watch The Master's for 4 days straight.

I live on a small man-made island (peninsula) called Shelter Island. The whole island is only 1/2 mile long and 250' wide. I keep my boat (Joyride) at The Bay Club Hotel & Marina.

Here's another picture of the Island. The first long dock coming into the yacht basin (lower left in the picture) is the US Customs station. So, every vessel that comes into the US from anywhere south has to stop here to obtain permits to enter the country.    

Directly across the street from Bay Club there is a public dock with a ramp and public benches.

Every afternoon there is a homeless guy named "Rick" who shows up on his bike to feed the birds and drink malt liquor from 32oz bottles in a plain brown bag.

Rick has been feeding these birds for so long that they are almost like pets. Notice on the pillar of the shelter, Rick has installed 1/10 perches so that the swallows have somewhere to stand while they eat the bird seed that he places there.

Rick said that one of the local restaurants on Shelter Island saves their stale bread and donates it to him to feed the pigeons.

Below are pictures of the wall of fog that descended over Point Loma Wednesday around noontime  

Within a couple of minutes you could not see the condo's in the picture below.

San Diego is home to the World's Largest sport fishing fleets. This is just one dock full. There are approximately 50-75 of these boats. Each day they are loaded with 50+ people that they take on half-day and up to week long excursions.