Well, let me start by saying I told you so.

There was a reason I posted this thread! Today was a fantastic day!

So, first, I drop by an LBS en route, because my toe strap broke. (A very old script-writing lapize, I believe)

He digs up two cool, albeit mismatched, leather straps. $1. One is blue and says "RECORD" in big letters, the other, a black Lapize. Snazzy.

While digging: "Oh, here's a pink matching set... A black orphaned one, and- oh, some old campagnolo clips, a lapiz-"

Me: "Did you say 'Campagnolo?"

He brings over three boxes of Campagnolo toe clips, NIB.

"How much do you want for 'em?"

"They're $10."

Of course, I buy the Small ones, they fit me and if anyone wants some NIB campy, PM me and we could work out a trade for the bigger pair.





So I'm feeling pretty good already.

We take a bus to SLO, and go to the snazzy restaraunt. Mmm... Tasty. Lots of fancy food. Carpeggio, pizza, short-rib tortellini... all handmade and delicious!



Of course, a cool C&V candy store. Lots of old candies that are hard to find now... And expensive! Yikes!



Then we went and saw "Up," Pixar's new movie, in 3-D. It was excellent, the best Pixar movie I've seen to date. Fun and whimsical, but also serious with some slightly more serious themes than other Pixar movies.

After that, the lady goes into a store, but I stay outside to look at some bicycles when I spot a pretty one:



The owner walks out as I'm admiring it, and we begin talking about this Frejus.

Apparently he was touring in Nova Scotia, and found it in a barn as he toured. He paid $35 for it, brought it home, and loves it. He owns three others also, and has good musical tastes, as we discussed old music. (Skip James, anyone?)

A pic of the fellow and his bike:



After seeing this fellow, we proceeded down the street, and I heard "Sally's Got Mud Between Her Toes" playing, a traditional musical piece, and ran around the corner to see one of my favorite rambling bands, the Peach Colored Jug Smugglers. They're a traveling band of friends who play old-time music together, living a blurred line between Woody Guthrie hoboes and constantly moving musicians. Very fun, good to see them again, I haven't talked to them in a long time:

Common legend 'round here says they live in a cabin in the hills they built themselves and "eat roadkill and stuff."



Then, Alexandra and I went to Boo Boo's Record store, which had a bunch of cycling advocacy stuff sitting around, which I thought was SUPER COOL! I bought rotharpunc a present, because I owe him for taking so long to mail him some $$...

Then of course, it was back to Palazzio Guiseppe's for dessert, and then a bus ride home.

For the movie, the toe clips, dinner, dessert, tip, a stop in a coffee store, some assorted trinkets, a tip and CD from the Peach Colored Jug Smugglers... I wound up spending more than I meant to.

But, it was her birthday.

And she loved the suprise trip to the Italian restaraunt.

It was a slpendid day.

If you read this far... Thank you!

-nick