12.23 Studios

(06/01/24)

Ok, I'm not even gonna pretend that the Superbloom is on my mind at all for the next week or so; it's all about the relocation to my new basecamp...
I decided not to do any heavy lifting on the first day, so I made just one trip on the crowded bus with a couple of bikepacking seats and the solar panel. The bed is still in the unit taking up space until Mon. or Tues., so I'm concentrating on the stuff going into storage - charging the batteries in the trailer battery box, and moving the remaining trailer items tomorrow...

(06/02/24)

Ok, I decided to make three trips today...
First I rode up in the morning with a load of bike gear in the cargo cart, grinding uphill on Polk St. I'm definitely not doing this with a heavy load...
The next trip was hauling the battery box and trailer items to storage. The locker is pretty much stuffed now but there's still room to stand...
I'm taking a rest until later in the day to take one more cart load up via bus, this time heavier...

The third trip in the late afternoon was on a crowded bus going up, then a funky and stifling ride back down. I took one of the unwieldy shelves and the solar frame in the cart; if I do the other shelf via bus I'll fill up the big backpack instead...

(06/03/24)

Today I made four trips - the usual early morning uphill grind via bike, then I hauled the second shelf and the heavy stone in the backpack. I'm done taking the cart on the bus, mainly because it's always crowded going north during the day...
The two remaining trips used the stuffed big backpack and the messenger bag. I got the bed out of the unit and set up the comfy low chair to relax while taking a breather...
At this point I'm halfway done, with only a few unwieldy pieces left; I should only need to make the bike run two or three more times, then leave it and the cart at the new place...

(06/05/24)

All right, I made a big push yesterday and today to get the bulk moved over - another four trips on Tues., and today I made two bike runs in the morning that finished using the cart...

The cart lightly loaded up for the last bike run to the new crib...

With 90% of my stuff moved and still in bags, there's barely room to walk, and I need space for the three or four boxes to come, so I set up the bike rack and unpacked all the bike gear...

I admit I only eyeballed the wallspace, but the bike fits with about three inches to spare...
I'll work on the gear placement later, but for now I have space for the boxes and my bed...

(06/06/24)

Well, today was a different grind...
I spent the bulk of it inside the old place, packing up the remaining gear into five of the six boxes and tossing most of the trash. Tomorrow is just cleanup - placing a few items out for recycling, tossing the last big pieces of trash (the empty camp cot frame and the saggy plastic shelves), and hopefully getting the promised help moving the boxes late in the afternoon...

(06/07/24)

Yeah, today was the home stretch...
In the morning I went back to the downtown Ikea for another pair of metal shelves (the half-sized ones for the bike gear and the kitchen areas), then after lunch I took one last trip to the old place to finish up...
With help from the bldg. manager, I got my boxes moved via her Accura. I turned in my keys, and by 4:30PM I was officially relocated. The new crib is a tiny mess cause everything is in piles, but I'm gonna take my time relaxing before I start the next phase - assemblng the shelves...

(06/12/24)

Looking west down California St. after leaving Trader Joe's...

Ok, it's five days later and I've unpacked and sorted as much as I need to, with one box of assorted odds and ends left. I'm taking a few days to adjust my mind map of where everything is now, as I take note of the more mundane aspects of the new place:
The walls aren't exactly thin, but I do hear muted noise at night, so I keep the radio on low tuned to the jazz station at bedtime (oh yeah, the jazz station comes in much better here)...
The internet/wifi signal is stronger in my unit, so I don't need to use the mobile router as much...
The neighborhood corner grocery stores all have Nob Hill prices, so it's worth burning bus money to go back down to the FoodsCo (Kroger outlet) in the Mission. There is a Trader Joe's a few blocks away, so I can get my 'two buck Chuck' fix...

(06/15/24)

Instead of taking the bus this morning, I put on my cycling duds and rode down to the FoodsCo for today's groceries...

The designated bike area inside the store. Going right around 8 AM means the store isn't packed, and I'm sure to find a convenient space to lock up...
I didn't go straight back home - I went downtown, then wandered through Chinatown and North Beach (and did a bit of hike-a-bike cause that part of the city is a huge hill) before I returned to the new crib...
The next time I ride to the store it's a straight return trip...

(06/16/24)

Ok, today I skipped the cycling duds and made the grocery run in civvies. It's a beautiful sunny morning with practically empty streets, great for a casual ride with a workout on the way back...

(06/18/24)

The ride down to the store is pretty much coasting, but on the way back it's almost all climbing up Polk St., and here is where it starts - McAllister St, just past City Hall...

(06/20/24)

Today is the Summer Solstice, making tomorrow the first full official day of the new season and my second week in the new base camp...
I need a new wall map of the city, which reminded me to check an earthquake map for the neighborhood...

This is a detail from a recent USGS map showing potential landfill/liquefaction areas (in green), and a tiny landslide area (in blue). Turns out most of Nob Hill was one of the safest places to hunker down during the 1906 quake, since it's almost all bedrock...

(06/22/24)

After taking a break from cycling for a day or so, I rode down to the store this morning. On the way back, the climb didn't have my legs barking like two weeks ago - a little bit of progress. The amount of uphill walking is working as well. I've got to get back to riding every day to improve my stamina...

Speaking of maps, I need to work up another 5 mile and 10 mile training route and reset the routes to Pacifica State Beach and Half Moon Bay. It's a shame that the Superbloom is just about over for the year, but the busy high cycling season is upon us, and I have the video blog to get back on track...

The bike area with all the gear sorted except the solar panel and solar frame...
I haven't decided whether to stash this lesser trailer in storage or use it for bikepacking - not to vastly increase the amount of gear, but redistribute a big bag off the handlebar harness or the rear rack. I could bring another set of clothes, extra food items and cooking gear. I could even go down to Art City Studios in Ventura and bring back an exotic 30-40 lb. piece of something to work on...

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