I’m getting to ride again because Dr. Elkind at Integro got my back fixed in record time. The last time I injured myself like this, I was unable to bend over and tie my shoes for over a week. They couldn’t settle my back down enough to make the adjustments for over a week. I had to sleep on my living room floor because the bed was too painful. I was down for a month. This time I was back on the bike a week later, I deadlifted successfully yesterday, only 14 days after the initial injury. I thank Dr. Elkind and Active Release Technique for the remarkable results. It’s nice to have such a gifted practitioner right in our back yard.

Friday afternoon, I fell asleep on the BART train, missed my stop and ended up at the end of the line in Pittsburg.  While it messed up my Friday plans, it allowed me to see the mountain from out there on Highway 4.  The view coming back from that side is amazing.  It it was a mistake worth making.  I hope the weather continues to hold, it’s just been gorgeous in Contra Costa County.

I was sitting in a bond closing a couple of months ago and the guys were playing with maps.live.com.  Most of them were high powered attorneys and had never seen it.  It’s something their paralegals probably all know about, but they didn’t.  So as the closing was winding down the guys are pulling up their houses and pointing them out to each other.  In bond closings the attorneys are from all over the country.  One guy was from Newport Beach and he was pointing out his house and it’s proximity to Nicolas Cage’s place.  Another was a young gal and she lived in a planned development in Orange County.  Another guy lived around the corner from Warren Buffett.  He told us a story about how he would have his driver take him down on Sunday mornings to pick up the paper, sometimes in his pajamas.  That kind of made him a little Doris Duke-ish to me.  Anyway, if he’s picking up WFB and the like, we’d better be paying attention.  There’s a reason why he’s as wealthy as he is.  And Berkshire Hathaway is trading at $133,400 per share.

I sold a house in downtown Concord in December of 2006.  When I listed it my realtor said “Why would you want to sell now?”  To me the answer was simple.  The market was in decline and if I sold in December 2006, what I picked up next would cost me even less.  As it turned out, I sold a downtown 1253 sq ft. 3/2 in a transitional neighborhood with a pool that was completely remodeled for $555k.  I waited six months and picked up a 1376 sq ft 3/2 in an established neighborhood on a 1/4 acre for $489k and remodeled it for around $25k.  A year earlier this place would have cost me $620k.  I saved on transfer tax, mortgage cost and property taxes.  The answer was “I would sell now because the next place will cost me even less.”  I was right.

My latest favorite website to play with is Map My Run.   You plot out your course, in my case, I plot it from the house, and then off you go on a measured run.  You can keep track of the distance you cover and save your courses on the website.  It also works for cycling courses.  Although the big problem around here is the lack of bicycle lanes.  Ygnacio Valley is downright deadly for cyclists.  Concord Blvd ain’t much better.  I just bought the cycling coalitions map of East of the Hills where has all the bicycling lanes mapped out and also has the more dangerous roads pointed out.  Ygnacio Valley certainly falls in the latter category.

Looks like we’ve got some decent weather today, I’m going to run the dogs and work in the garden.

Thanks to the Chronicle for the graphic. I thought it was important because of the mild uptick last month. It is my opinion that if the Bay Area real estate market hasn’t hit the bottom, we’ve touched it. One of the real estate blogs (I would quote them if I could remember where I saw it-feel free to ping me and I’ll add your link in right <here>) suggested it was like jumping into a river when you touch the bottom with your feet and a bunch of silt comes up and then you touch it a few more times before you settle enough to know that you’ve touched bottom. Yeah, like that. The worst of this is really over. Yesterday’s Chronicle had a graphic showing the nation and then the Bay Area. We actually ticked up last month. I think we’ll tick down again as we settle in, but I think the worst is over now and the morning sun is shining like a big rubber ball. There’s still going to be big problems in Richmond, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood and Disco Bay, but if you’re kissing the mountain, things are starting to stabilize.

We’ve had some funky weather going on. It’s almost as if we want to have a false spring. It’s really a little early for the trees to be flowering out, although it’s nice to see it. Not so nice on my allergies, but nice to look at. I’m waiting until this weekend and then I’ll be putting my vegetable garden in the ground. I’m hoping it won’t get under 35 after this weekend. It was 35 this morning at my place, but I think that was an aberration rather than the norm.

I got an email from Mark DeSaulnier’s office. It went something like this:

You’re invited to an Environmental Fair

There will be numerous environmental organizations on hand to provide you with tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint, recycle, and conserve water and energy while saving money at the same time. Free compact florescent light bulbs, re-useable shopping bags and other money saving tips will be available.

Saturday, April 5, 2008
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

California State University, East Bay — Concord Campus
4700 Ygnacio Valley Road
Concord, CA 9452

I got on his list by protesting his breed specific ordinance. As the owner of two wonderful Doberman Pinschers, I am opposed to breed specific legislation and in favor of responsible dog ownership. But, I always give credit where credit is due and he’s sponsoring an Environmental Day which happens to be the same time there’s an e-recycling event going on at CSEB. What’s good for the environment is good for our mountain.  I’ve got some e-junk that’s be heading over there that afternoon.  See ya’ll there!

A good friend of mine was driving safely through a residential neighborhood 25 years ago.  She’s the woman you get behind who signals at every turn, has her hands at 10 and 2 and never exceeds the speed limit.  A four year old child ran out.  It was the child’s fault, even the civil jury cleared my friend of any wrong doing.  In less than five seconds, a child ran out from between two parked cars, my friend, who was 18 at the time, slammed on the brakes, and it was too late.  A child was dead and two families were destroyed.   And she was driving safely.  I wonder what people think when they speed through residential areas.  I say “drive as if your child was in the other guy’s car”.  A vehicle is a lethal weapon, we should all treat it as such.  I will confess to numerous moving violations, and most have occurred on highways, generally lonesome highways.  None have occurred where kids, cats or dogs could be hurt.  Let’s take a moment for the little ones, because it takes a second to say goodbye.