Phil (my San Francisco host) treated me to a wonderful gourmet meal last night for my sendoff. He said "think of this dinner and our quiet time together when the going gets rough." Well...already? It is 10:00 a.m. and I am at Fort Mason in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Lines for everything! Registration (and a red hospital-type bracelet showing my rider #), Safety Video (and an orange hospital bracelet), Daily Towel service (and a purple bracelet to add to my collection), the General Store to buy commemorative items, Tent Assignment and Bicycle Parking. Waiting is the rule of the day.

Feels strange to finally be here. My cold is gone. Thank goodness!

I can't believe the people carrying signs asking for help meeting their donations. I am so fortunate my sponsors pushed me way past my minimum goal. All this hub-bub and right over there is the Golden Gate Bridge.

"What you want and what you can do is only limited by what you can dream." -Mike Melville.