I was supposed to go to Grass Valley for a seminar/black belt test, but last night I realized I should have gone last night and stayed over, because it was 10am and at least a 3-hour drive, and...no. Instead, I got up as usual, sat, went to the farmer's market, and motivated to go on a long motorcycle ride. I meant to join the SBR group, but instead hooked up with a small BARF group, down to Pescadero Road, where I split off and did my own thing since they were doing a short loop. I took the trouble to map the whole route, if you're curious. I missed some nice roads due to not knowing the map as completely as I might: China Grade and Pine Flat are excellent roads that would have saved me from some mountain traffic.

The good news is that despite gaining 5 pounds (some of which I suspect to be muscle), my expensive leather pants still fit.

Somebody on SBR asked where to go to avoid smoke, and the answer is basically nowhere, because we're surrounded by a ring of uncontrolled wildfires. The Bay Area was substantially clearer today, though, and the mountains were just kind of hazy, instead of being choked as they must have been (I went right by Bonny Doon, which was evacuated a couple weeks ago).

I went to a party tonight at my co-worker's house, which was full of nice but fratboyish kids in their mid- to late-20s, complete with fist-bumps and a continued enthusiasm for alcohol. They didn't laugh at my jokes, and I thought they were somewhat vapid, so while I enjoyed it, it's given me a refreshed appreciation for my friends.