A near miss

How awesome is this?  This is a new intersection being tried out in Portland in high bike traffic areas.

I could have used something like that on Thursday morning.  I missed getting slammed into by a car by about a foot, after all the brake screeching was said and done, both mine, and of the car driver.

In short...I was moving along, in the bike lane, on the right side of the road, exactly where I was supposed to be.  And a driver, turning left, into an entrance to my right, waited for a car to pass, and didn't look up at all, and accelerated her car, and didn't look up again and see me.  Luckily I can yell/scream pretty loud.  I think that is what saved me from getting hit dead on.

To avoid it, I pulled on my brakes so hard that I snapped the cable on the front one.  I'm going to get that replaced this weekend.

I must say...this is a good reminder to myself to make sure I make eye contact with drivers who are turning AT ALL TIMES.  I normally do that.  I didn't this time.  And man o man, did it frickin' shake me up.

It's bizarre...a couple people joked with me about it afterward.  I can't find anything funny about it.  I'm going to use it as a reminder of my need for safety first.  That may sound corny, but it's true.  I think too that if I'd been in a car, and we had had a fender bender, it would be no big deal, an inconvenience perhaps.  Not when it's car against bike.

On a much lighter note...that pic is from a great page on The Huffington Post about bike culture.  Check it out here.

                                                              Bogota. Colombia

The Met simulcasts

The New York Metropolitan Opera a few years ago started doing live simulcasts of some of their productions into theaters around the country, and around the world.  Click here for a link to the upcoming season's schedule.  They have been an amazing success!  And has brought world class, among the best, opera to scores and scores of people who otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to see/hear/experience them.

I've been to several of the live broadcasts....And now with summer, the opera season is over, they are rebroadcasting some of the best, most popular ones....

Two weeks ago I went to see LA BOHÈME.  This is such a familiar opera...but it was a treat to see it, and hear it again.  Here's a great clip of a very famous aria.  Sorry that the subtitles are in French.  The soprano is actually singing to her real life husband, who is playing the other lead role.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiyT5_UipMs&feature=related

And then this past week, another one, TURANDOT.  This aria is sublime....enjoy it.  ;o)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyTT4myt1jI

5 days a week

View of the mountains surrounding Salt Lake City from a business trip I just was on.  Looks like a really good bike city.  Huge, wide streets, lots of bike lanes, and amazing scenery.  Nice.

I really have been enjoying riding five days a week to work.  I've been pretty consistent with the five day weeks.  I've missed a few days...I was sick and feeling wiped out, so I bussed it one day....And another two days I rode the bus into work since I was going out right after work.  In general though...I've gotten to this very cool place where I don't even really think about whether I'm going to ride or not, I know I am going to.

Riding in the warmer, sunny weather is an amazing experience.  I love the sun beating on me, sweating, feeling the ever present San Diego ocean breeze.  Really feel in the elements that way and can't imagine being cooped up in a car.

I am missing taking pics as I move along my different routes.  I feel motivated to start doing that....I'll post over the next week or so for sure.