Afternoon on Paradise Loop (or..... Why I Don't Have New Pajamas)

Indian Summer has arrived in San Francisco. The fog may be rolling past my windows as I write this, but dawn broke this morning with a golden sun low in the sky, heating us up into the low eighties with a cooling Pacific breeze. To cure myself of my post-wedding blues (more on that later,) I signed on for a brisk bike ride with some girlfriends to celebrate “Indigenous People’s Day.”

The Paradise Loop takes the cyclist into the hills of Mill Valley and Tiburon, CA, and then out on a long, winding road reminiscent of the famous Road to Hana on Maui. But Paradise Drive is right here, ten bicycle miles from my front door. It dips, dives, and winds through leafy glens and bay vistas that real estate agents call “panoramic.” The rolling curves are the kind of challenging fun that cyclists love to do – leaving you exhilarated and breathless at each turn, like a self-propelled roller coaster. And the sparkling panoramas keep coming – this is some of the most expensive real estate in the world, and today is the kind of day when you see why.

Rolling into the sleepy town of Tiburon, we stop at a bench and look at the view. In front of us in a misty bas relief is the skyline and hills of San Francisco, behind us is the peak of Mount Tamalpais in a high relief of verdant deep greens. The Bay sparkles, and the Golden Gate Bridge is stately in a bright red, while its south tower is wrapped in a whisper of fog from the waist-down. The girls and I talked about upcoming birthday parties, happy hours, friendships, and fellas. To ask for more would be senseless – why bother worrying? These are the minutes when I realize how much I love being exactly where I am, and how much I would one day love to live on Belvedere Island.

As we walked our bikes down Tiburon’s main street, we window-shopped a few of the stores, which is when I saw them: the turquoise & yellow cotton pajamas that I knew would be perfect for me. I’m a big fan of good pajamas – they’re comfortable, fun, and if made of the best cottons, truly luxurious. I haven’t bought new pajamas forever, and while the old me would commemorate the fabulous day with a purchase, the new me resisted. But I did make mental notes of the gorgeous Bed Head set that is way out of my price range (these days.) In the past, I have gone for the local brand of The Cat's Pajamas whose sushi pajamas are now world-famous, but I have given more than a passing thought to incorporating some Bed Heads into my sleepytime wardrobe.

However lovely, not today. I know I can resist temptation and find delirious enjoyment in my world without spending any money, but I often forget this... To be honest, I didn't miss them either. (Okay, I probably will miss them eventually...)  Besides, where would I put my shopping bag on my 16-speed?