Day 12: Richmond Ferry Point to North Richmond

Day 12:  Richmond Ferry Point to North Richmond 

April 27th, 2017

7.17 miles in 3 hours 55 minutes

Driving to the Bay Trail while picking up passengers for Uber has been working out fairly well. There are several well marked parking spots on the trail with water and restrooms.  I park my car at the start of the day's segment, then pay another Uber driver at the end of the day to take me back to the start.  I enjoy talking with other Uber drivers, getting their story of what they enjoy about Uber, always matched with how much they are economically struggling in the Bay Area.  People, when you save money by taking an Uber Pool, and you end up being the the only rider, tip your driver at least half the difference.  What better way to give money directly where you want, as opposed to helping the Saudi's preserve capital as the age of oil ends.

In the map below, you can see a common problem I run into at the end of the day.  I get into that Uber back to the green dot that represents the start of the walk that day, and I forget to stop the hike tracking app until it pipes up an alert saying how many miles I've just traversed and how fast.

Day 12:  Richmond Ferry Point to North Richmond
(no loops today, just forgot to turn off app when Ubering back to my car)

Also in this map above, you can see the walking detour I took slightly to the west, just south of 580, into the quaint downtown area of old town Richmond (repackaged as the neighborhood of Point Richmond).  This is a funky little Portlandesque neighborhood, hidden away next to the tracks and the freeway and the oil refinery with handsome burnt orange tanks decorating a bayside hill. 

Chevron Oil Tanks

In Point Richmond I also stumbled on an art studio that displays the work of graffiti artists with recognizable style.  It would be a great place to catch some live music some day.

Art by GATS (Graffiti Against the System)

And what is a Natatorium?  

Richmond Municipal Natatorium

Accounting: 

    Starting Balance                                      (11.51)

• Uber Earnings to Richmond                             (36.19)
• Hemp2O                                                  3.23
• Uber Earnings from Richmond                           (16.95)

    Ending Balance                                        (61.42)

Kombucha of the Day -- Strawberry and Tonic

Voice Notes:

Because rock comes down to the water in Richmond it's just got the most interesting gorgeous views from its coastline 

Why are churches always locked?

Gats is graffiti against the system, an Oakland artist (or group of artists?).

Sometimes I wonder why I’m the only one out hiking the Bay Trail. And then again I have to remember to be thankful for that.

Day 11: Richmond Marina Park to Richmond Ferry Point

Day 11:  Richmond Marina Park to Richmond Ferry Point

April 26th, 2017

8.83 miles in 4 hours 36 minutes

I went around in a circle today, as you can see on the first map below.  After I walked by the old Ford assembly plant in Richmond, I was talking to my Dad on the phone, and didn't realize I had gotten off the trail, and when I got back to it I turned left instead of right.  I was surprised to walk up on this Ford building twice.  The jokes on me, as I was talking to my Dad about asynchronous hardware and software, where going around in a circle (feedback) is the fundamental building block.

Richmond Ford Assembly Building

This morning I drove for Uber to get back to Richmond.  At first I goofed up, and even though I had set a destination to Richmond, I still had the delivery only signon so I wasn't going to get any rides.  And waiting for a string of deliveries to get me there wasn't going to happen at 6 AM.

I finally figured that out, signed in as a regular driver, and got a ride to EA Games in Redwood Shores.  I accepted that was a reasonable approximation of heading toward Richmond, but the next ride was a new Facebook engineer.  Facebook is at the west end of the Dumbarton Bridge (Day 5 and Day 6).  He kind of agreed with me about the oddity of the Facebook interview process, but he had dedicated his life to it and persevered and made his way into the housing crisis known as the Bay Area. 

But the Dumbarton was the wrong way, what the... oh I didn't turn the destination back on when I changed to regular driver signon.  I turn it on, cross the Dumbarton, and get a young black man taking his computer and luggage on the train to his brother in Fresno.

He was a software developer who had gone to high school in Palo Alto but his family had lost their home.  He was sour on the 1% that's for sure, but given the intelligence this man showed as we talked, I can't imagine there are too many other fellow grads at his school who program computers who aren't floating to the top.  It was a sincere realization of the opposite of privilege.  A confirmation that America isn't the America I thought it was, how it was sold to me.  Something that the election of Donald Trump did for me as well.

By the end of the trip he asked me how I felt about being white.  I said I thought it was a privilege, it gave me pass to more areas, like hotels I'm not staying in that let me lounge in their lobby on this trail.  He appreciated that I owned that.

Prologue:  I thought I'd focus this blog post on the fairly new Rosie The Riveter National Historical Park in Richmond, or on the Harvard schooled female Uber driver.  But the woman's story got stepped on by the black guy's story as I was writing, and then my battery ran out.  It did make me lighter on my feet not carrying this computer all day.

Rose The Riveter National Historic Park

Day 11 Part 1:  Richmond Marina Park to Watershed Nursery

The Watershed Nursery of Native Plants in Richmond

Day 11 Part 2:  Watershed Nursey to Richmond Ferry Point

Accounting: 

    Starting Balance                                       73.17

• Uber Earnings to Richmond                             (48.14)
• Uber Earnings from Richmond                           (17.41)
• Uber Eats Delivery                                     (5.90)

    Ending Balance                                        (11.51)

Kombucha of the Day -- Mimosa

Voice Notes:

It seems like 100 years ago everybody was involved in the development and expansion of our economy. Now it seems that only a small handful of elite programmers are in control of the evolution of our economy.

The promise of free software or libre software was somewhat compromised by its repackaging into VC friendly open source.

I gave a ride to a new Facebook engineer who is a chemical engineer who invested the necessary years to survive the application process.

He helped me see that Facebook and Google and and Apple have become like the new IBM's with their elite cadre of insiders who will control all of future industry.

When I got into the programming it was supposed to be a democratic opportunity available to all, not just those who can navigate the Bay Area marketplace.

And it really still is except for the marketing capability of large amounts of capital which does the opposite of leveling the playing field.

So now the American dream is to have something go viral without having to sell ownership of your venture to capital.

But just because the public has become aware of the possibility of viral success you still have to follow the money and see that the viral overseers still live in Hollywood or New York or the Bay Area.

A fundamental change in perspective that started to ignore these overseers would be very welcome.

The ability to pull up a public transit route home or in this case to my car is a great thing.

I do get bothered now and then that the Google boys get all the toys.

And don't get me started on Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. He should go visit the Aids Grove, read what it says, and have some respect.

This has to be maximum poppy week.

Why do I enjoy stumbling on the odd bits of Agrestic on the edge of the bay?

This part of Richmond looks like Tiburon East.

If I was lucky enough to be a billionaire I'd spend most my money trying to make life slacker for those who aren't billionaires. Guess that's why I'm not one. 

Day 10: Berkeley to Richmond Marina Park

The Hill up to Golden Gate Fields 

Day 10:  Berkeley to Richmond Marina Park

April 25th, 2017

7.53 miles in 5 hours 0 minutes

I started this day walking by Golden Gate Fields, the historical home of Secretariat.  It is also the location of the finish line for the Berkeley Half Marathon.  This half marathon is mostly downhill from downtown Berkeley to the Bay, except they sneak in this hill climb at the very end.

Albany lies between Berkeley and Richmond.  It has some of the most amazing cross-bay views I've seen so far, with a perspective on the Marina and Cow Hollow in San Francisco I haven't seen before.  It took me back to the years I lived on those hills and streets.

San Francisco

I forgot my lunch today, and found this great bayside food shack in the middle of the largest dog park I can imagine in Richmond.  In this canine environment their special was a Tempeh Reuben sandwich (made from soy).  I guess they do that so the dogs don't go crazy for the smell of meat?

The "Sit and Stay" cafe in the Point Isabel dog park

This portion of the Bay Trail is much more heavily used than anything I've encountered since San Carlos.  There is heavy use by bicycle gangs, who unfortunately think of it is as their bike road that shouldn't have any pedestrians on it.  So I end up having to walk on the left side of the trail so I can see oncoming bikers and not be hit by bikers overtaking me, just like walking down a two-lane highway.

And I ran across a naturally pleasing yet humanly planted landscape today.  A volunteer was out weeding the non-native grasses from this protected area, and you can see below the beauty of the result.  There should be such a huge demand for this kind of landscaping in the Bay Area, instead of the mathematically determined layout of most industrial park landscaping.  I'm grateful my middle son has opened my eyes to this, drawing on the lessons of Japanese acquascaping and bonzai gardening.

Cultivation of Native Plants Naturally Arranged in Richmond

It takes almost 3 hours to get back home on BART, then Caltrain, then SamTrans.  Tomorrow I'll start driving for Uber on the way to and from the trail.


Accounting: 

    Starting Balance                                       39.63

• SamTrans ECR to Sequoia Station                         2.05
• Starbucks Tall Decaf and Blueberry Scone                4.80
• Caltrain to Millbrae                                    3.75
• BART to North Berkeley                                  5.30
• Uber to Trail                                           3.99
• BART from Richmond *                                    7.85
• Caltrain to Hillsdale                                   3.75
• SamTrans ECR from Hillsdale                             2.05

    Ending Balance                                         73.17

Kombucha of the Day -- Mimosa

Voice Notes:

The bus on El Camino is really very convenient clean and uncrowded. The great thing is none of the new people in town use it.

Why is it when they paint over graffiti they can never match the wall color.

The feeling of contentment when I'm actually in a new place is oddly matched with a feeling of anxiety before I ever show up there.

The new Salesforce tower and the Transamerica pyramid building and the Zeus like TV radio tower near Twin Peaks — they all complement each other from this view from Albany.

Just heard some bikers complain about someone walking in the middle of the bay trail. 

For me it is the debugging of a preliminary implementation of a design that gives me a visceral and competent understanding of what I'm trying to do.

Staring at the Marina across the bay takes me back to the years living on those hills behind it.

I want to move to the city that I lived in in the 90s.

The portion of the bay trail today is the most complete and most used.

Day 9: Jack London Square to Berkeley

FDR's Presidential Yacht at Jack London Square

Day 9:  Jack London Square to Berkeley

April 24th, 2017

10.37 miles in 5 hours 30 minutes

I walked thru the industrial and shipping district surrounding the Port of Oakland today.  It's an awesome place full of heavy industry and trucking traffic jams trying to get to the port. 

Traffic Jam on Middle Harbor Road, Oakland

Came across an impressive metal sculpture business as well.  Looked like they were working on a sculpture park in their back lot.  Or maybe they went out of business?

West Oakland Sculpture Garden

West Oakland Sculpture Garden

Then I walked to Emeryville on the renamed Mandela Parkway (formerly Cypress St.).  This has a curving center boulevard parkway that was entertaining.  I didn't walk into downtown Emeryville, but instead walked out to the end of the Marina, crossing under I-80 for the first time.

Mandela Parkway, Oakland

I finished the day by covering some of the ground of the Berkeley Half-Marathon that I ran with my niece in 2013. 

Shoreline between Emeryville and Berkeley

 I ended at Gilman St., where the alcohol free punk-rock club is that gave Green Day its start.  My son's reggae band (at the time) played there back in 2014 as well and opened with their most ska song.

Day 9:  Jack London Square to Berkeley

Accounting: 

    Starting Balance                                       16.32

• Coffee at Circle K                                      1.97
• Caltrain to Millbrae (one zone day pass)                7.50
• BART to Oakland 12th Ave Station                        4.95
• Starbucks at Jack London Square                         5.70
• Uber Pool plus tip to North Berkeley BART               5.99
• BART from North Berkeley                                5.30
• Uber Deliveries in RWC                                 (8.10)

    Ending Balance                                         39.63

Kombucha of the Day -- Forgot at home

Voice Notes:

I admit it. I have become tired of the sophomoric questions asked in programming interviews. Most always they fail to impress me with the maturity of the organization.

Those interviews feel oddly similar to having sons who at an early age know it all.

The thing I like about Uber is there focus on efficiency.

I've only been accosted by criminals and the police.  The vast majority of society I've run across is otherwise peaceful.

Emeryville is a bayside only city like Newark where it's boundaries don't extend to the hills behind.

I think I’m done with programming for anybody but myself. 

When you're out walking on a scenic beach people tend to think the better of you.

Week 2: Newark to Oakland

Week 2: Newark to Oakland

April 17th, 18th, 19th, and 21st, 2017

48 miles (98 Total)
24 hours and 42 minutes (53 hours 48 minutes)

I took Thursday off from the trail to drive for Uber on 4/20.  My last ride went directly to Hippie Hill.  Well almost, because the roads in Golden Gate Park were closed to manage the crowd.  It looked like anonymous corporate sponsors were backing this years event, with fences all around the area, and everyone getting carded on the way in (18+).  But it definitely was a non alcoholic event.

Hippie Hill, Golden Gate Park, April 20th 2017

The rest of the week was spent hiking in the East Bay from the Dumbarton Bridge to Jack London Square.  Half of the time I spent on nice scenic and comfortable gravel trails.  The other half is spent on industrial park sidewalks for what they are worth.  Frankly I'm glad when they end and I have to walk on dirt and grass again.  Or my feet are glad.

The use of landfill around the bay always amazes me.  The Oakland Airport, like SFO, sits way out in the bay on what was probably a tidal marsh.  Given all the other disruptions to the natural beauty of the bay, these airports are fairly self contained, other than for the flying sperm whales that land their day in and day out.

Oakland Airport from across an unnamed slough

I have made the switch to commuting to the trail using Caltrain to BART thru San Francisco.  I am writing this approaching Colma in the bicycle car of the BART train (no bicycles today unlike Caltrain).  Hope my feet are ready to hike some more.

BART next to the Nimitz Freeway (I-880)

Accounting: 

    Starting Balance                                       83.38

• Uber Earnings over the weekend                        (67.56)

    Ending Balance                                         16.32

Kombucha of the Weekend -- Blueberry with Tonic

Voice Notes:

I get the bay is good training for seeing the beauty of everywhere.

Met Joe and Susan on their way to the SCEF party at Devils Canyon

Day 8: Oakland Coliseum to Jack London Square

Houses Along the San Leandro Bay Shoreline of Alameda

Day 8: Oakland Coliseum to Jack London Square

April 21st, 2017

9.64 miles in 5 hours 54 minutes

I walked along the waterway that separates Oakland from Alameda as it tidally flows from San Leandro Bay to the modern Port of Oakland.  There were a few homeless squattings in parking lots on this part of the trail, but nothing like between the Mission and South of Market in San Francisco.  I would want to live by the bay if I had no home as well (were the Ohlone's homeless?).

Homeless Possessions near the Bay

There is a big government owned island, called Coast Guard Island, in the middle of this waterway, attached by a bridge.  Now I understand why the Coast Guard could reduce their footprint in San Francisco by Chrissie Field (and sell some space to Gorbachev back in the day).  There is a huge ocean-ready Coast Guard ship ready to be launched at any moment docked on that island.  I've never seen it afloat under way.

Bridge to Coast Guard Island

The Embarcadero is the roadway built next to the Nimitz Freeway,  which itself was Oakland's first freeway built after WWII.  The Embarcadero must have replaced railroad tracks because land is scarce in this heavily trafficked corridor.  And some large seemingly public construction project is happening near the abandoned 28th Street Terminal of the Port of Oakland (and Embarcadero is closed).  I will have to go back to see what happens there -- an expansion of Jack London Square of some kind.

Port Of Oakland Abandoned 28th Ave Terminal

When I made it to Jack London Square a little before my 2 PM end-of-hike, I killed time in a waterfront acquatic sports shop.  I now know the difference between a surf paddle board (rounded front, wide body) and a touring paddle board (pointed front, narrow longer body).  Looks like another fun way to see the bay.

Sign Commemorating Terminus of Pony Express

Happily there is a free shuttle down Broadway from Jack London Square to the BART stop at 12th and Broadway.  Unhappily this free shuttle doesn't stop at every bus stop.  Oh well, I'll make sure to catch it back to the trail next time.

Oakland Coliseum to Jack London Square

Accounting: 

    Starting Balance                                       83.70

• Uber Driving on 4/20 to Hippie Hill                   (41.47)
• Starbucks Tall Decaf Coffee and Ethos Water             4.25
• SamTrans ECR with Clipper to Sequoia Station.           2.05
• BART from Downtown Oakland to Millbrae                  4.80
• Uber Ride to Himawa Ramen in San Mateo                 16.58
• Uber Ride from San Mateo to home                       16.92

    Balance                                                83.83

Kombucha of the Day -- fermented TJ Sweet Tea

Voice Notes:

Driving this car with automated cruise control is the opposite of driving a train.  With the car you don't have to worry about the speed to keep it in the lane, with the trains you don't have to worry about keeping in a lane have to worry about speed.

Ran into Silas of savesfbay.org, they are having a volunteer session this morning to plant new plants and remove non-native ones from the tidal zones.  

My writing and programming is getting better on this trek. Probably because I am doing them with a time limitation.

I like to attack problems empirically, working with the facts on the ground. It's not that I don't value reference materials and prior art, but I want to ingest the concepts my own way. I find that leads me to new and different conclusions then the crowd arrives at.

I have this natural understanding of computing based on the 30 year pursuit of a theory. I wonder if that'll get me a job again.

Certainly feels more like a city as I get closer to the center of the bay.

How do I get musically motivated from the younger musical musicians that go through the house?

These voice no it's really at the color commentary to the whole thing.

The previous note has an example of something phonetically misspelled.