Interesting Quote

I found this on the back of an Honest Tea label:

A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts." - Steve Prefontaine,

For those of you too young to remember, Steve Prefontaine was a great distance runner from Coos Bay, Oregon, who died tragically in a car wreck.

Election Emotions

I have a hard time putting into words what I feel after the presidential election. I am lighter of heart and there is a bounce in my stride. I grew up during the turmoil of the sixties and the civil-rights movement, and the election of an African American as president of the United States is something that I had long hoped for but could not be sure would happen during my lifetime until last night.

Merchants has a sign outside today which tweaked my fancy:

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

There was also this quote on my list-serve today:


"A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are suffering deeply in spirit, and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public debt......If the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at stake."

Thomas Jefferson, 1798, after the passage of the Sedition Act

San Francisco Images

So, why am I smiling? Because I'd just had the perfect cappuccino - or one of them. See below:


I'd always heard that the streets in San Francisco were steep, but until I was there I had no clue how steep that really got. Here is a picture taken on the street beside our hotel. Jim figured that it was about a 20% grade. No camera magic here.


That same hill, viewed from the bottom. Of course, if your hotel is at the top, you have to get up there:



Ever wonder how the cable cars turn around? The don't just put it in reverse. At either end of their "run" there is a turntable. They glide into the turntable, then the cable car "grips" climb out and push it around like this:



When it gets all the way around, then they turn the peg so that it won't move farther, and then go the other direction.