Day 124: CAC Close-Down

Every year, the CAC closes for a period of time in early August for maintenance, rehab, and upgrades.  Typically, the close-down is anywhere from 7-10 days, but this year, we only have to find alternate workout locales for 4 days (July 31-August 4).

For me, the most important facility to find is a pool, especially since I'm so close to reaching my 500-mile goal.  Last year and the year before, I was able to swim at the outdoor Southside Park pool, which was being run by the YMCA rather than by the Sacramento Parks & Recreation Department (budget cuts meant that the City couldn't afford to operate some of the seasonal pools).  The lap lanes at the Southside Park pool are 20 yards instead of the more standard 25 yards, but that was a pretty minimal adjustment to make in terms of keeping track of my distance.

This year, the pool is back under the auspices of the City, which is unfortunately much worse for lap swimmers, as we no longer have any early morning or after work lap swim times!  So I'll be swimming at the indoor pool at our local YMCA for the next few days and paying a $10 walk-in fee each time.  Today was my first visit to the pool, which is located in the lower level of the building:

The pool has 6 25-yard lanes and big windows at either end with colored glass accents at the top (seen at the right side of the photo above - hard to see the colors since this photo was obviously taken at night).  The large lower windows are actually sliding doors, and both sets were open this morning, so the overall experience was almost like swimming outside!

I had a lane to myself for about 2/3 of my swim and then shared with a gentleman for the remainder of the time.  I noticed that the pool was getting quite busy and crowded as I left around 7:30am, with several lanes forced into circle swimming - never an easy situation, as it's very challenging to find folks who can truly match speeds.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the next two days are equally quiet in the earlier part of the morning.

Day 123: Solon Club at Raley Field & Baseball History

Our CPCA group summer outing was  a River Cats game today (hot!), and our seats were in the Solon Club, which is a covered area in the box level overlooking 1st base.  I knew that the previous team was known as the Sacramento Solons, but I never knew exactly why.  According to Wikipedia, the name is based on the role of Sacramento as the center of state government:

The team derived its name from Sacramento's status as capital of California. Solon was an early Greek lawmaker and the term "solons" was often used by journalists as a synonym for "senators." Solon Huntington was a prominent Sacramento businessman during the 19th century, though less famous than his brother (Collis Huntington) and son (Henry Huntington).The team was also known at times as the Sacramento Sacts, an abbreviation of the name of the city, and the Sacramento Senators.

The team originally played at Edmonds field, at the corner of Riverside and Broadway in the Land Park neighborhood, on a parcel that now houses our local Target store!

The Target store does have a small plaque (somewhere) that commemorates the history of the site as the former home of the Solons and Edmonds Field:

Day 122: Sterling Hotel

The Sterling Hotel is located on the corner of 13th & H Streets, at the end of the blocks diagonally across from the CPCA office building.  The hotel is a beautiful Victorian mansion with a lovely front porch:

The hotel has typically housed a restaurant on the ground floor on the side along 13th Street:

Originally, the restaurant was called Chanterelle, and one of our neighbors was on the staff there during its heyday.  Most recently, the restaurant was Thir13een, and it was a very popular spot for CPCA after-work staff gatherings or off-site meetings during the work day.  Unfortunately, the venue closed at the end of January, and so far no replacement eatery has yet taken its place.

I didn't know much about the history of the hotel, and the web site provided some pretty interesting tidbits about the evolution of the building from a private residence to an apartment building to a (now) boutique hotel:

   The original mansion at the 1300 H Street property was built in 1894 and owned by the Hale family. Affluent, successful department store entrepreneurs, the Hales later became a part of the Weinstock-Lubin-Hale partnership. The families of the partnership were well respected in Sacramento, throughout business and social circles. In the 1930s, the Hale mansion was sold and converted into a 16-unit apartment building.

    In 1987, the building was purchased and underwent extensive renovation. It re-opened as The Sterling Hotel Sacramento in early 1988. The exquisite property housed the Chanterelle restaurant and two separate event areas. The Drawing Room accommodated about 100 guests, and the Glass Conservatory, imported from England, accommodated more than 100 for a formal sit-down affair or 200 guests for standing events such as fundraisers and cocktail parties.

    In 1995, the hotel was again refurbished, including a 10,000-square-foot expansion. The Sterling Ballroom, replacing the Glass Conservatory, is now able to accommodate 200 seated guests and 325 for standing events. Five new sleeping rooms were added onto the south end of the building, bringing the total number of guestrooms to 16. Room 202 was formerly the Butler’s room; the area containing the restaurant was where Mrs. Hale, following the Victorian-era trend of owning exotic pets, kept her monkeys!

One of the reasons I'm so enjoying this blog project is that I get to learn these types of details about my adopted home city!

Day 121: But It's Legal for Medicinal Purposes...

Miss Calypso is quite a fan of the kitty weed, otherwise known as catnip.  We only have a few toys that contain this magic substance, and she doesn't partake of its power very often, but when she "re-discovers" the kitty drug in the little fabric bon-bon, she gets rather energized and jittery. 

Once she's done, she falls into a catnip-y stupor (mmm... although sometimes it's hard to distinguish this form of dozing from her usual frequent and all-consuming slumber), and then she forgets about the toy completely for many days.

Eventually, however, Mr. E and I find the bon-bon in a new spot, so we know she's once again enjoyed a hit.  I'm sure it's all purely for medicinal purposes, which is completely legal here in California, right?  Good thing we're not in Colorado, or her recreational use might be much more extensive!

Day 120: Kitty Soccer Star

When I was swiffing the living room yesterday, I unearthed a tennis ball from under the TV stand, which sparked Captain Jack's interest.  He's our little soccer star with the tennis ball!  He dribbles it between his paws and bats it around the room. 

This morning, when I came back from my run, I found the tennis ball on the striped carpet in the entry area, and it certainly hadn't been there when I left.  And tonight, he batted the ball around the floor and grew very possessive of his new toy, cradling it in his paws so that no one could take it from him.

I think he's channeling his inner Pele! :)

Day 119: Heavy Machinery in the Morning

As we (Mr. E, Calypso, Captain Jack, and I) were having our Saturday snuggle before I went to the CAC to swim this morning, we heard some sounds of heavy machinery accompanied by men's voices out in the street.  I discovered the source of the noise when I left - several large vehicles were blocking the entire half block of 9th & Q Streets, including the only access point to our driveway!

I pointed out to the gentleman by the big rigs that they were blocking our only entry and exit point, and they said that they'd be moving that particular machinery soon.  As I walked to the gym, I asked a man next to a traffic-control truck what project was underway, and he explained that the workers were replacing the HVAC system on the roof of the state building across the street. 

Luckily, this was a one-day project, and we didn't have any real need to drive anywhere during the day.  And by the time Mr. E finished his workout later in the afternoon, everything was finished so our entry and egress were once again clear.

The somewhat ironic part of all this is that we recently received notification from our HOA Board that our driveway is technically considered a fire lane, meaning that it can't be blocked at any time, although previously we had been able to allow short-term guests or delivery/service trucks to park near our garages or along the wall, as long as they weren't blocking any one else.  We were even able to provide a temporary guest pass for this purpose, which included the unit and phone number to contact if the visiting vehicle needed to be moved.

Hmm.  I wonder if anyone from the Board noticed the heavy machinery this morning and took any sort of action to ensure that it wasn't blocking our fire lane?  Probably not, given that the Board member who most likely initiated this particular change in policy just so happens to live in the half-row of townhouses that is accessed by 10th Street (not 9th), so he wouldn't have been inconvenienced by this morning's activity at all.

Day 118: Home in Sacto

It's so good to be home!

Not only back in Sacto, but also back with Mr. E and Calypso and Captain Jack.  Snuggling with my partner and my kitties is what creates a true sense of home, no matter where we are or where we live.

Day 117: Colorado Conundrum

As a Californian, I'm very used to recycling everything possible, avoiding styrafoam containers and plastic bags, and composting organic waste.  Sacramento doesn't have as comprehensive a recycling program as some other local jurisdictions, but Mr. E and I are able to make choices to help keep our environmental footprint as small as possible and to "live lightly."

I often get frustrated when we're traveling and encounter other states or cities that don't share this sensibility and value system.  Even some hotels in California don't provide recycling bins in the rooms, and don't even get me started on the odd exception to the plastic bag ban that Chinatown in San Francisco apparently managed to negotiate.

I was pleased to see that my room at The Golden Hotel in Colorado does have a little recycling bin and that the city street-scape furniture includes numerous mixed recycling bins in addition to the garbage cans.  So I was very confused to see styrafoam containers and plastic bags all over the place!  Colorado is often regarded as a conservationist state that respects, protects, and appreciates its environmental and natural resources, and this anomaly about the foam and plastic creates quite a conundrum.

Day 116: Another Swimming Post

Why do different pools feel so different when I'm swimming?! 

This morning, I walked along the path next to Clear Creek behind The Golden Hotel (Colorado) to the Golden Community Center for a lap swim workout.  The Community Center is a beautiful building, and the wall of windows seen in this image bring lots of natural light into the lap pool area:

My swim this morning felt/was slow and labored compared to how I usually feel at the CAC.  I'd like to offer up the high altitude and different climate as reasons for this experience, but I'm not entirely sure how justifiable an explanation that is!

Day 115: Swimming in the Rain - In July???

Sacto's winter is typically characterized by lots of rain, and the rest of the year tends to be quite dry, so I was rather surprised this morning to feel tiny little cold pinpricks of precipitation while I was swimming.  At first, I thought the droplets were just splashed from one of my swimming kindred, Steve, in the lane next to me, but then I realized that I was feeling the impact even when he was at the other end of the pool.  So unusual!

The sprinkles didn't last long, but they started up again as I finished my workout and were still lingering just a bit as I walked home.  I almost felt as though I was in the Midwest, which often has unsettled and stormy summer weather. 

However, according to weather.com, the typical hot and dry summer climate will be returning to Sacto this weekend, with temps up into the triple digits again.  *sigh*  Ah, well.  We knew the highest of the heat wasn't over yet!

Day 114: Mourning Dove

One of the first birds I remember learning to identify by both look and sound is the mourning dove, several of which often could be heard calling to each other outside the windows of my first-grade classroom at Eames Way School in my hometown of Marshfield, MA.  I've always been very fond of this bird and its distinctive coo-ing as well as its light brown and grey coloration, which makes it look so very soft and vulnerable:

This morning, I ran past a lovely mourning dove splashing around a bit in a small puddle.  Having these types of "urban wildlife" viewings is one of the reasons I enjoy running, not only around Sacto but also (and especially) around the places we travel and visit.

I looked up some more info on the mourning dove and found the following overview on Wikipedia:
 
The mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) is a member of the dove family (Columbidae). The bird is also called the turtle dove or the American mourning dove or rain dove, and formerly was known as the Carolina pigeon or Carolina turtledove. It is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds. It is also the leading gamebird, with more than 20 million birds (up to 70 million in some years) shot annually in the U.S., both for sport and for meat. Its ability to sustain its population under such pressure stems from its prolific breeding: in warm areas, one pair may raise up to six broods a year. Its plaintive woo-OO-oo-oo-oo call gives the bird its name. The wings can make an unusual whistling sound upon take-off and landing. The bird is a strong flier, capable of speeds up to 88 km/h (55 mph).

Mourning doves are light grey and brown and generally muted in color. Males and females are similar in appearance. The species is generally monogamous, with two squabs (young) per brood. Both parents incubate and care for the young. Mourning doves eat almost exclusively seeds, but the young are fed crop milk by their parents.

I was shocked and saddened to learn that mourning doves are considered "gamebirds" and are hunted extensively in the US - how awful!  I'm glad they've evolved sufficient adaptations to re-populate their species despite the human attempts to decrease their numbers.

Day 113: Raley Field Fireworks

Mr. E and I haven't yet been to many River Cats games this year, but from our townhouse in downtown Sac, we can often hear the post-game fireworks at Raley Field after weekend home games.  If we walked a couple of blocks to R Street, we could probably even catch sight of some of the colorful sparks that light up the sky, similar to those captured in this image:

On July 30th, I'll be heading to a day game at Raley Field with my CPCA colleagues as our summer group outing.  I'm hoping that the weather cooperates with reasonable temperatures!

Day 112: Yellow-Billed Magpie

There's a very distinctive black and white bird with a stripe of royal blue along the tail that I used to see frequently during my runs along the levee back when I was running long distances several years ago:

This week, I saw a cluster of the same birds over in West Sacramento during a morning run, and I did a little research to discover that they are yellow-billed magpies, which apparently are native to California.  I suppose that explains why they weren't a familiar bird to me from living in other areas of the county!

Here's the Wikipedia entry:

The yellow-billed magpie (Pica nuttalli) is a large bird in the crow family that is restricted to the U.S. state of California. It inhabits the Central Valley and the adjacent chaparral foothills and mountains. Apart from its having a yellow bill and a yellow streak around the eye, it is virtually identical to the black-billed magpie (Pica hudsonia) found in much of the rest of North America. The scientific name commemorates the English naturalist Thomas Nuttall.

Day 111: Dragonfly

Earlier this week, after my morning workout, I noticed a dragonfly perched on the side of the townhouse next to ours.  And when I came home from the CAC this morning, I saw another dragonfly (the same one? maybe we have a new resident?) on the sidewalk along 9th Street.  I don't know if this image shows the exact type of dragonfly, but it's very similar:

I hope the little critter doesn't get squished by a person or preyed upon by some other creature!

Day 110: Urban Farm in West Sac

During my recent runs along my West Sac route, I've noticed a major transformation of the empty lot at the corner of 5th & C Streets.  What used to be vacant and abandoned land has now become a thriving urban garden.  I couldn't find any online photos of the site as it currently looks in full mid-harvest production, but I did find more information about how this project got started as a partnership between the Center for Land-Based Learning and the City of West Sacramento:

There is sudden new activity on that old, city-owned vacant lot at the corner of 5th and C streets in West Sacramento’s old “Washington” neighborhood. New soil has been dropped off, and a tractor is leveling it out. People are bustling about onsite.

The lot is surrounded by elements of urban West Sacramento old and new:

Just west lies the popular new Broderick Roadhouse pub. A couple blocks east is the venerable old I Street Bridge. Across the street is a liquor store. Passersby include commuters, students, the residents of nearby homes, and various denizens of the city’s streets.

So what are they building on this two-thirds-acre piece of urban infill? Will it be new townhouses or apartments, like those going up elsewhere on the West Sac riverfront? A mixed-use building? A restaurant?

The answer is probably not your first guess. What they’re building is a farm.

And another online new site provides some photos of the beginning of the project along with more information about the folks involved. I especially liked how the first farmer of the plot, Sara Bernal, philosophically approaches the potential challenge of cultivating an unprotected urban garden:

Is she worried about people vandalizing the little farm, or walking off with the “fruits” of her labor?

“Oh yeah, definitely,” answered Bernal. “Unfortunately, we can’t afford to fence it off. We’re hoping people will see how much work we put in, and leave it alone. I’m sure it will happen, though.”

Day 109: Pretty Sky

The sky was so pretty this morning during my swim - clear brilliant blue with little fluffy white clouds.  One of the best parts of swimming outside all year is that I get to enjoy the seasonal variations of the morning light and skyscape.

Of course, I didn't have a camera with me in the pool, but this image is relatively close to the pretty sky I got to enjoy when doing some laps on my back:

Day 108: Mother Restaurant

Today I went out to lunch with my colleague, M, to Mother, a relatively new vegetarian restaurant on K Street, between 10th & 11th.  The space is rather small but well laid-out to accommodate the small-scale tables.  Customers place an order at the counter, grab a seat, and then receive table service once the food is ready and again for clean-up:

Most of the small tables are in a line parallel to the service counter, which is backed by a funky rainbow-striped wall:

I had the "cobb" salad, which of course forgoes the typical bacon and other meat products.  This was my second time at Mother, and my second time ordering this salad, which is absolutely yummy and a great value for $9.  I also had the yellow watermelon lemonade, which was a delightful combination of sweet and tart and a perfect refreshing drink for a warm Sacto summer day.

Today's lunch experience was far superior to my lunch gathering yesterday at Ella.  The food was equally good, the price was lower, and the service was friendlier and faster.  I'd definitely recommend Mother over Ella any day!

Day 107: Ella Restaurant

We hosted two staff from Cone Communications at the CPCA office today to make a pitch about a potential cause marketing campaign for CaliforniaHealth+.  After the meeting, K, V, and I went out to lunch with the ladies at Ella, a restaurant on the corner of K & 12th.

Ella is often chosen by CPCA folks as a site to entertain business guests, although I'm not as huge a fan as are many of my colleagues.  The decor and atmosphere are quite attractive and inviting:

Although the food is quite tasty, the menu is rather limited, and the service is often quite lackadaisical and lackluster.  For me, service is actually more important than food, so when the service falls short of my expectations (especially based on the given price point of a restaurant), I'm far less likely to give the venue another chance than if the food is mediocre but the service is exceptional.

I did still enjoy my grilled chicken salad today, but Ella is certainly not among my go-to restaurants for anything other than work-related gatherings.

Day 106: Friendly Folk

I went for a run this morning and was struck by how friendly most folks were as we passed each other.  Runners, joggers, walkers, cyclists, dogs walking their humans - almost everyone offered a friendly verbal greeting or wave or smile or all three.

This experience was quite a contrast to my run along the lake shore in Chicago last weekend, when most people were very closed off and some were even rude, especially the various training groups that rarely moved aside or demonstrated good path-sharing techniques as they progressed through their designated workout.

Overall, I do find that Sacto citizens tend to be rather friendly and down-to-earth, which makes living here quite enjoyable.

Day 105: Zombies in Roosevelt Park!

Last week, Mr. E and I noticed bright orange flyers taped to light posts around our complex and on our mailbox cluster.  The flyer was an alert to the neighborhood about an event today in Roosevelt Park, the Carnival of the Dead, a new activity in conjunction with the annual Trash Film Orgy, which presents a series of "trash" films throughout the summer.  This year's programming includes such gems as "Dawn of the Dead," "Pink Flamingos," "The Thing," and "Showgirls."

This afternoon, I looked out our office window to see what was happening during the festival set-up and noticed a pink food truck that turned out to be Sweet Spot:

When Mr. E came back from the gym, he mentioned that this particular food truck offers cupcakes, so of course we had to go over and check it out just after 5pm, when the event started.  We came home with three cupcakes - a raspberry-filled vanilla cupcake for me and two zombie-themed cupcakes for Mr. E with special decorations:

Yum!

Day 104: Crepe Myrtle

From our bedroom window, we have a great view of the crepe myrtle tree in the small landscaping well outside of our townhouse.  A series of these trees lines our row of townhouses on both sides of the driveway, and the brilliant pink blooms provide a wonderful splash of colour throughout our small complex:

One of the most unique features of these trees is the bark, which is very smooth and sheds in thin layers during the course of the year:

As with the oleanders that line many of the highways in this part of California, these crepe myrtles have become emblematic for me of Sacramento and serve as a representative icon of our home here in the state capital.

Day 103: Errands During the Day

As I've mentioned before, I often do errands during the day to get out of the office for a bit and get in a bit of a walk.  This week, I stopped by Grebitus Jewelers to pick up my Timex sports watch, which needed a battery replacement, and then tried out Russo's Shoe Repair next door to see if my brown sandal could be repaired.

Both of these local businesses are located on L Street between 10th & 11th, right across from the State Capitol, in the same row of businesses as Downtown Mail and the former Cafe Roma.

I was a bit disappointed with the jeweler, as I had dropped off my watch at the end of June and was hoping to have it back in time for our 4th of July trip.  Unfortunately, however, the first time I tried to claim my watch, it wasn't working correctly (no sound, no indiglo light).  It took another week for the watch to be repaired, and I wasn't offered any sort of concession or discount off the $20 cost for the inconvenience or delay, so I'm not sure I'll be returning to this particular vendor.

Russo's Shoe Repair was a complete contrast!  Although I had to wait a few minutes while the staff person was fixing a pair of heels for a woman who was waiting for the repair, once I was able to hand over my broken sandal, it was fixed in less than five minutes for only $5.  Sweet!  And a much better results than what I received from Goodyear Cobbler just a block from our home, so I think I'll bring any future shoe problems back to Russo's.

Day 102: Pilates Posse

The CAC offers group Pilates classes in a special studio set up with eight reformers, four of them that are elevated and include the typical tower equipment.  The Pilates programming has changed over the years, as members used to be able to sign up for an unlimited number of group classes each week, as long as you called the day before to register.  Within the past few years, the policy has changed to allow members to officially register for two free classes per week, with each additional class costing $10 as well as a $10 charge for no-shows or not cancelling your registration at least four hours prior to class time.

However, there's also still an option to call two hours prior to any given class to take a free walk-in spot if space remains, so if you know which classes tend to fill up and which tend to be less popular, you can often still take more than two free sessions each week.

I first started with mat Pilates at The Princeton Club in Madison in early 2001, and I hadn't taken any reformer classes until we moved to Sacramento and joined the CAC.  I'm really glad that I began with mat Pilates, as I find that approach much more challenging in many ways since, you have to completely rely on your form and core to properly execute the various positions, whereas the reformer offers a different type of support that occasionally allows you to "cheat" a bit if you're feeling tired or sore.  At the same time, there are certain exercises that you can only do on the reformer, so I definitely appreciate and enjoy my weekly sessions.

Even when I was training for marathons and had to prioritize the majority of my workout time for running workouts, I always made sure that I stuck with my Pilates practice as well, as I know that the core work, balance, and stretching involved in Pilates bring numerous health and wellness benefits to my life, not to mention the advantage of having a network of other folks who comprise my Pilates "posse" as regular attendees in each class.

Day 101: Drought Conditions

Due to the unusually dry winter this year, we're experiencing major drought conditions here in California, which has resulted in rather aggressive efforts to conserve water.  Each city, including Sacramento, has implemented its own water conservation campaign.

Watering of lawns and landscaping is severely limited, not only for residential areas but also for the state property, which is clearly visible in the signs scattered throughout the Capital Park grounds to highlight the need for water conservation:

This aerial shot from Google maps shows some of the dry tan spots in the grass that are the result of limited watering:

Dealing with a drought is a good reminder that water is a limited natural resource, despite the fact that we're so used to having ready access to safe and potable water whenever we want and need it.  People who live in less developed countries aren't so fortunate, and we really ought to be thankful that we have such an abundance of water for all of our needs, so we should be careful about how we make use of our water supply to ensure that we don't abuse it and deplete it.

Day 100: Sacramento Fire

Wildfires are rather common in California, primarily in the southern parts of the state.  Most years, there are also some smaller fires to the northeast of Sacramento, and we often feel the effects of the smoke here in the central city.  Typically, however, we don't experience fires within the city limits.

When we were on our way back from Chicago, I noticed that the screen by our gate showing weather conditions in Sacramento indicated "smoke," which I'd never seen before.  I figured it was due to a fir in the usual northeastern counties that border Sacramento County, until I heard someone at the gym this morning mentioning that he had been planning to go to the Sacramento Republic soccer game on July 4th until it was cancelled due to the fire.

I still didn't know quite what had happened, but when I got to work and started chatting with some of my co-workers about the holiday weekend, I discovered that there had been a large grass fire near Cal Expo:

This map shows the relative proximity of Cal Expo to our townhouse in downtown Sac, about 5 miles away:

Scary!  I'm glad we missed this particular holiday happening...

Day 99: Luggage Art at SMF

In Terminal A at Sacramento International Airport (SMF), there are several older examples of public art, and one of the most striking can be found in the baggage claim area:

 

This piece is called "Samson" and was created by Brian Goggin:  Two 23' pillars are constructed with luggage dating from the conceptual genesis of the airplane to the present. The pillars support the ceiling as travelers metaphorically support the space itself.

Here's a closer look at the vertical pile of luggage that comprises the art work:

Having the stacked-up suitcases and trunks near the baggage claim belts provides a subtle irony thanks to the suggestion of lost luggage, which probably almost all travelers have experienced at some point in time. 

Until the new Terminal B was constructed, the only cool public art was found in this terminal, and it was always a pleasure to fly out of Terminal A to enjoy the more modern aesthetic and more enjoyable traveling experience.  Now, Terminal A is considered the "old" terminal, but it's still far better than the truly old and now decommissioned terminal that used to host United and several other airlines.

Day 98: Bike Cities

In the past two+ years that I've been at CPCA, I've gradually become a rather regular bike commuter.  Oddly enough, one of the reasons for this transition was that my old bike got stolen a couple of years ago, and when I got a replacement, I found it to be much more comfortable and easy to ride, so I've grown far more confident in my own ability to navigate the shared streets (and sidewalk bike paths) of downtown Sacramento.

Mr. E and I have also been much more proactive about using our bikes to get around downtown and midtown, which often is easier than driving, not to mention safer if we both plan to have a couple of glasses of wine.  The only exceptions tend to be weather-related, as I hate being sweaty and clammy when arriving at our destination!

So far, Sacramento has not yet joined the many larger cities around the country - and the world - to implement a city-wide bike-share system.  Frankly, I'm not sure that Sacto quite yet has the residential concentration in the gridded area or sufficient visionary leadership to get a bike-share off the ground, but I'm hopeful that we may see some positive changes in this realm over the next 5-10 years.

We didn't take advantage of the Montreal bike-share system, known as Bixi (a hybrid of BIcycle and taXI), mostly due to the nasty hot and humid weather.  We did see several of the stations around our hotel and the Old Port:

And during my run on Tuesday morning before we departed, I noticed some folks performing maintenance or checks of some kind on a set of Bixi bikes, along with a truck towing a trailer loaded with Bixis, most likely as a means of shifting bikes from one station to another.

In Chicago, we lucked out with unexpectedly gorgeous weather with temps in the 70s and minimal humidity, so we decided to try out the Divvy bikes for our return to downtown from lunch yesterday afternoon and to explore some of the lakefront path between Millennium Park and the Planetarium this morning.  We had seen numerous Divvy stations on our way from the train to Mr. E's parents' condo and had admired the powder blue bikes, which were new to us:

Overall, we found the system quite easy to use, although our attempts to return the bikes at the Planetarium station were unsuccessful, as only one of the two available docks was working, and the entire central rental machine wouldn't accept our card or even give us the 15-minute free time extension to get to a nearby station.  Ah well... technology doesn't always work as we'd like it to...

Regardless, we enjoyed our time on the bikes, and having Divvy is a great option to get around some of the gridded city, as long as the weather cooperates!

Day 97: Waterways of Non-Coastal Cities

Having grown up on the East Coast with easy and frequent access to the nearby beaches and Atlantic Ocean, I'm very fond of living near water and not feeling completely land-locked.  Every city in which I've lived has had natural waterways of some kind (with the exception of Las Vegas), even though they are all non-coastal cities:  Portland, OR; Madison, WI; Sacramento, CA.

There's something about being near water that appeals to me, just to have that sense of openness and flow and rhythm.  Sacramento is criss-crossed by the Sacramento River and the American River, and our townhouse in downtown Sac is just six blocks from the Sacramento River.

During our decade in Sac, we've seen improved development and activation of the riverfront, although quite a bit of it remains relatively industrial and not very accessible to residents and visitors.  And unfortunately, the I-5 freeway cuts off the bulk of downtown Sac from easy access to the River, similar to how the Central Artery in Boston used to be a barrier between neighborhoods until the Big Dig project was completed in the 2000s.

I don't think that Sac will ever cover over the freeway to create a better pedestrian connection to the entire riverfront area, but at least we are seeing some positive movement on the urban development front to incorporate better river access and livability.

Mr. E and I took an architectural boat tour of the Chicago River this afternoon, which we've done several times before, and we both noticed new buildings and learned about new developments in the works along the shoreline.  Chicago's riverfront also started as largely industrial and has only gradually become more residential and enjoyable as the City has taken active strides to make it a true asset for overall quality of life, including major efforts to clean up the River with the end goal of having it be clean enough for swimming.

It's helpful and hopeful to hear about the history of the waterways of other non-coastal cities and to remember that it takes time to shift priorities and perceptions of how we treasure, protect, and enjoy our inland waterways.

Day 96: CPCA's New Chicago Satellite Office?

Last week, I discovered that my colleague, Big Bee, was going to be in Chicago for the holiday weekend, meaning that our Midwest trips would have an overlap for several days.  We joked about meeting up to work remotely while we were both in the Windy City, and we ended up spending a couple of hours at Intelligentsia on E. Randolph this afternoon.  I think we've now established a new Chicago Satellite Office for CPCA!

We wrapped up our "Chicago Work Party" with a Happy Hour (aka Thirsty Thursday) at The Gage on Michigan Ave, and Mr. E joined us for that part of the fun. 

I don't think this could be any sort of more permanent arrangement, but it was definitely a good way to spend some remote work time with Big Bee, and I really enjoyed the wide-ranging nature of our conversation, as I learned more about her background and previous work experience.  She's been such a great addition to the CPCA staff, and Mr. E and I look forward to socializing with her and her partner, B.

Day 95: Pool Pleasure

I've grown to love swimming outdoors in any season, thanks to the lovely heated 25-yard 4-lane pool at the CAC:

The lanes in the CAC pool are wide enough to split if necessary, although the end lanes can be a bit tricky sometimes if you're swimming next to the edge.  Usually, however, the pool doesn't get that busy, so claiming an end lane typically guarantees a solo swim workout.

Given my goal to swim 500 miles by Oct. 1st this year, we've been focusing on finding hotels with pools for our recent travels.  In Montreal, we stayed at the Hilton Bonaventure, which not only had a relatively long pool (for a hotel) but also had a lane marker to reserve part of the pool for swimming laps:

Mr. E and I estimated that the length was about 18 meters, although we got three different answers from three different staff members!  I chose to go with the lowest calculation to make sure that I didn't overestimate my distances as I added to my cumulative mileage chart.

For the final part of this trip, we're staying with Mr. E's parents in Chicago.  They rent a condo downtown, right across from Millennium Park and with a fabulous view of the Lake and Navy Pier.  One of the iconic features of this residential complex is the domed pool, which provides two lap lanes along with some very colorful night lighting effects:

The slightly odd thing about the lanes in this pool is that each is a slightly different length, given the curvature of the pool itself (you can see this in the top photo above).  I think the longer lane is roughly 18 yards long, based on counting strokes and timing my workout in comparison to my accurate and easy-to-track CAC calculations.

Although I'm very fond now of outdoor pools, the domed pool is pretty darn close, and certainly a much more appropriate environment for any Midwest winter-time visits!

Day 94: Central Airports

Although the Sacramento airport (SMF) doesn't have very good public transportation options, at least it is quite close to the downtown core, unlike many other major metropolitan airports that are located well outside the central City. 

Case in point:  Chicago's O'Hare (ORD) airport. 

It's great that the CTA has an easy connection to the airport, and I'm sure that during rush hour the train is faster and more convenient than driving, but our transfer today seemed rather long. 

I think I've gotten spoiled by living in downtown Sac with such easy access to the highway and the airport, as the drive straight up I-5 only takes 15-20 minutes, so there's no need to leave hours ahead of time to catch a flight.  So even if SMF doesn't have direct connections to some of the places we fly most often, that convenience and ease of access often are worth the extra stop or additional flight time.