Fathers' Day

Few plans, but good ones, for today. This morning, Duncan took me for a bike ride up to the Peet's coffee shop in Danville, Ca. It is as close to an East Bay cycling Mecca as you can get, and by the time we arrived mid-morning the entire patio was filled with riders (and bikes) basking in the sun. At 10, Duncan is really coming into his own on the bike, riding on the side of relatively busy roads and keeping a confident, straight line over almost 15 miles of riding. And he actually admitted to me AFTER the ride that he enjoyed it... hmmmm. We may have to keep this going for the summer.

I needed a replacement as the 'treadwear indicator' on my back tire (i.e. the beltweave) had started to show. Whoops. Pegasus in Danville doesn't carry the Specialized Armadillos I have come to love (3,000 miles without a flat) so they talked me into a similar Continental tire that they swear rides better and provides good protection. Armadillo or Ultra Gator. We shall see.

I may regret the convenience later!

I just read an interesting article via Yahoo news (yes, not the bastion of high-quality information but this was a re-post of a U.S. News and World Report piece) that listed some of the top places in the world you could retire and live well on just your U.S. Social Security check. Assuming those checks will still be coming by the time I'm eligible (Gartner 0.5 probability for my enterprise software friends).

I think I'd pick Cuenca, Ecuador. Mild climate, high mountains, rivers and multiple universities...the feel of a European city with a history that goes back 10,000 years.

(http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cuenca-Ecuador-2.jpg)

The big question is whether the roads are decent for bicycles...worth thinking about. I wonder how long it takes to get to the coast...



This afternoon the kids are taking me to go see Toy Story 3 on the IMAX. It is our first movie at the theater together in a LONG time. And then a burger afterwards.

Yep, it is Fathers' day.