This is all beginning to feel real.. And exciting! We arrived in the city yesterday and checked into The Good Hotel. What an interesting place! It's focused on the Green effort and everything is pretty modern. The toilet is also a sink and when you flush, clean water comes out of the nozzle where you wash your hands. Once it drains, it goes into the toilet bowl -- pretty nifty! Also, there is a glow in the dark "goodnight" on the ceiling! I was so exhausted last night that I forgot to look!

Yesterday we spent the day adventuring through Golden Gate park. We started in the Japanese botanical gardens and made our way past hippie hill -- we also
had an opportunity to visit the National AIDS Memorial Grove.. It took as a while to find it and we were all laughing because we were lost.. But when we entered the Memorial, all three of us fell silent. A large circle of names surrounded a pot of fresh flowers.. We walked around and around the circle, reading the names. One just said "Mom." Next to the carvings was a riverbed made of rocks and along the path were giant stones with names on them -- all of people who have died of AIDS. Really powerful and really sad.

Today we arrived to Cow Palace to check in -- we were greeted
by men in itty bitty shorts, vests, and bow ties! They handed us all the details for check-in and The Daily Spin which gives us information about tomorrow.. We will get one each day! We were then ushered into a room to view the safety video (and the smell revealed why it is called Cow Palace!). The video made us all emotional and excited -- and I learned we will be biking on the freeway! We have already met some incredible people, been moved to tears several times, and we all rang the Newbie Bell! We are SO excited! Oh, and my bike made it in.. She is all nestled in with her bike friends and ready to go tomorrow -- pictures of the 2000 bikes will follow :)

Kaili is in a roadie meeting until 4 and I'll be waiting..
Envisioning all the carbs waiting for me!