First thing Saturday, we took the dog to the local high school to run. Luckily, there was another dog there whose owner wanted them to socialize, so the two dogs ran and ran until they tired each other out. Then it was fairly easy to convince Sailor to go into the back yard and not feel guilty about abandoning him.

We drove to Corte Madera and arrived at 1 and checked in, although the room wouldn't be ready till 3. No problem, really, as it's right around the corner from Book Passage. I went a little nuts at the bookstore, but I repeat myself. They were having a sale to benefit Marin Hospice, and this is a good cause, after all, isn't it?

Then we drove into San Francisco where there was the Expo for the Bay to Breakers. We found a parking place a few blocks away and dashed back to the Hyatt Regency. The event was in the basement, so I couldn't show Rich all the wonders of the atrium, but I like this building (where "Time after Time" was filmed). Though I draw the line at the glass elevators, which scare me. At the Expo, we got bandaids, hunks of power bars, yogurt, soup, and various freebies. It wasn't as big as the Bloomsday one. There was one vendor who recognized my Bloomsday shirt and had been in Spokane two weeks previously.

In San Francisco, you can pick up your official shirt ahead of time and not actually run the race. Also, the Bloomsday shirt is a closely held surprise and only finishers get it. I didn't have my number with me or I would have picked up my Bay to Breakers shirt early.

Then we were to meet Roni and R.J. at 6 so we still had time to hang around. We parked at Fort Mason and walked down to the breakwater and looked at the City and the Bay. It was a gorgeous day, too. Finally we went back to the motel. What a great room. It is so far above Awful Abdul's it's in another galaxy. Not only did they have towels, shampoo, and lotion, but they also gave us California poppies! There was a pool and a spa, and in the room a hairdryer and an iron. (I used the former, anyway.)

Roni and R.J. didn't get the message about time, so they weren't there till 7 and we went to Ambrosia, a pizza and pasta place somewhere in Larkspur. Rich says this is the best pizza he's had in California. We passed a Marin theater where people are camped out to be first in the door on Wednesday for The Movie. I said "but tickets have been sold for a week!" and they tell me the campout is for seats and they're doing it for charity. Well, this is Lucas-land, I guess folks can be crazy, but I'm happy to wait a few weeks.

Afterwards I wanted to look for night herons at an estuary as I had last year, and we went to a different one. We saw a black-necked stilt. These are funny birds that dip and then pop their heads up in all directions. Rich startled it and it squawked off, long legs trailing.

So, 0430 on the 16th inevitably came, and I wondered what on earth possesses me to do this sort of thing. I tried to remember, it's the incredible high, but that's hard to contemplate at that early hour. It was the 8th anniversary of Mom's death, too. I don't think I'll let a 16th of May pass for the rest of my life without remembering this, and remembering being kicked while I was down, too.

We picked Roni up and got down to the Rincon Center by 0530. Coffee! A croissant! The flush toilet! The warmup! We were slotted into place an hour and 15 minutes early, but standing around in the crowd really isn't boring. I had bought tortillas the night before and forgotten them, so we didn't have anything to throw.

The Chronicle refers to the Bay to Breakers as "San Francisco's version of putting a lampshade on its head." When it started, I stunned Roni by actually running across the start line and for a few paces beyond. I was going to run across the finish line as well, but by that time I was far too dead tired. We saw the Y2K bug, Curious George and the "Man with a Yellow Hat", a stormtrooper, all sorts of naked men, despite what they said about there not being any. (I don't understand why people object. You know they'll be there, don't look if it offends you. I figure it's their business. Besides, I hold by my statement of two years ago, if they're nekkid, they probably shouldn't be.) The "size does matter" guy from last year was the Wicked Witch this year, still in the 4 inch platform shoes. I saw 4 of my fellow Solemates from the walking club here in Sacramento. (On the way home, they passed our car, honking and waving).

I had to stop twice on Hayes hill, which was a disappointment, and the total time was 2 hours and 21 minutes, which is three minutes LONGER than last year. Sulk. I been Siiiiick. 2 hours 37 minutes in 1997, 2:18:33 last year, 2:22:04 at Bloomsday. I don't yet know my placement, but at Bloomsday I was #32489 (#17239 among females), and last year #30745.

Rich, who had been beachcombing, was at the finish line with the flag, which was attracting a lot of attention. Many people get "No YARs" out of it. On the long trek back to the car, somebody stopped to ask us "What are you protesting?" Total walk in the day, about 10 and a half miles. No blisters, just sore feet. At Footstock, the post-party (which is better in San Francisco, though since the weather was also better, I can't judge it that well) we spun a wheel and got tickets to a comedy show which I gave Roni.

Spokane does the water stops better, and has more toilets along the route. (My fast Solemates got held up twenty minutes or so at a toilet so passed us twice. Two years ago a potty stop ruined us.) San Francisco has more costumes and better parties. Again, it was great fun.

We were too tired to pick up any bridesmaid dress, and just dropped off Roni, picked up a desk which might become Bernadette's, and drove home.

I'm the same weight as before I left (been down, been up) so it's 16 pounds in 13 weeks. I read 2 magazines last week. I've been pretty good about sending mail along, though once more I owe my Brit-friend. I've sent postcards to the sick child. On Bloomsday week, I walked at least 21 miles: last week, closer to 10. Yesterday, about 10.5.

Oh, the restaurant in Spokane called. The night they overcharged us, they had discovered their error and adjusted the bill by $67. Therefore, I can heartily recommend Cucina, Cucina! in Spokane. I'll be writing a praise letter to the Better Business Bureau and sending a copy to the restaurant.