Well how about that? Detailed evening plans never turn out like they're supposed to, but tonight went right as scheduled.

Critical Mass was excellent, even though it started out large and gradually got whittled away. I got there a perfectly timed few minutes before it started. Just enough time to briefly describe to two S.F. newcomers what this was. I encouraged them to show up on their bikes on the last Friday of every month.

There was an obnoxious police presence, but for their numbers, they were uncharacteristically reasonably civil. The Mass was pretty benign through downtown. It was even a little suspicious. There was an opportunity to go through the Broadway tunnel, and we didn't go, and then there was an opportunity to go through the Stockton tunnel, and we didn't go through that either. What the hell? Who's leading this thing? Police plants? The general feel was pretty boisterous, and there's nothing like several hundred cyclists making a ruckus in tunnels to lift the spirit (or raise the dead). There was no reason why we shouldn't have gone through the tunnels.

I wish I could *whoop*. I can manage a meek, Homer-esque "Woohoo!", but I can't get my vocal cords to let out a rebellious shrill *whoooooooo!!", and I wish I could. I'm an embarrassment at shows and sporting events.

The first place we started to lose people was at U.N. Plaza, where a bunch of riders, myself included, jumped the curb from Market St. and rode into the Plaza where a DJ had turntables set up. So there was dancin' and groovin' goin' on fo' while, but then cyclists started streaming out back onto Market. Not everyone re-joined, and it was pretty scattered until Van Ness.

The Mass made its pass of City Hall, and a first for me in however many years I've been riding the Mass, it went up Geary St., a major thoroughfare. I think maybe the Mass usually avoids Geary because it's kinda steep in places, but the reward was a screaming downhill by Japantown and the underpass under Fillmore St. where bicycles are generally not allowed.

The Mass splintered some more as it couldn't decide where to go, and eventually headed down Divisidero to Fell, another major east-west thoroughfare, and we took that over. That was fun, too. With the Mass effectively blocking traffic coming from behind, I put my bike in high gear and sprinted down Fell and then let the Mass catch up to me.

The splintering continued through the Haight where another downhill stretched out the Mass and split it in two. I was in the first, smaller group, and when we caught sight of the rest of the Mass happily rolling along a couple blocks away on another street, we went to re-join them, heading them off at the pass at Church and Market, and were met with applause.

But it splintered more as some people tried to start a circle in the intersection of Church and Market, and I think circles are so stupid (it was hilarious the first time, but that's all), that I just continued down Church. Eventually, there was a re-grouped Mass going down Church, but it was pretty small by then, maybe 50-80 cyclists.

The Mass headed into the Mission, and when we got to Mission Street, I took off and headed for the Brainwash. The Brainwash is a eatery/performance space/laundromat. It has a mellow vibe. I was quite content with a beer, a copy of SF Weekly, a meltingly cute waitress, and listening to Kenon Chen, who I didn't particularly like. Apparently he went to Oberlin, too, and his musicianship was high, but he was too Dave Matthews with Michael Hedges guitar chops to keep my attention. At one point when he went into some Michael Hedges-esque two-hand tapping, I just felt *whatever* and went back to my paper.

I even went for fish and chips!!! (Although not at Edinburgh Castle, but a place down the street with really friendly Korean owners).

Then I went to Hemlock to catch The Ebb & Flow. None of my so-called friends showed up, par for the course, but The Ebb & Flow blew me away! They were excellent and the material is something I could definitely contibute to if I got the chance. There was room to hold down a groove on the bottom, but also room to embellish with runs and fills. There were passages where I heard sparse bass lines, and others where there was room for melodic, counter-puntal lines. It's material I could get into, material I could get excited about, and you know what? I'm not gonna get it. Don't ask me how I know, I just know. I believe in fate, and getting into this band would be going against my fate. I'll go in for the audition on Monday, but I know the outcome.

My brother is coming into town tomorrow. That's all I know. I suppose he'll call when he arrives. When it suits him. He's just like that.