7th Street Theater, Chino CA

[alanmcorcoran]

My friend Jessie McLean was playing the part of "Stella" in the Tennessee Williams classic, A Streetcar Named Desire at the Chino Community Theater - seemed like a good excuse for another ride up Carbon Canyon Road. Jessie went to school with my daughter and is a company member at the Chance Theater where I work on the grant committee. Tonight was closing night and I was able to get a ticket at the last minute (was back in IL this week.)

[pbss:143c1m41]http://s221.photobucket.com/albums/dd7/alanmcorcoran/streetcar/?action=view&current=25f96f71.pbw[/pbss:143c1m41]

I've been skipping some of the surface streets lately in favor of short freeway runs. I got on the 91 going west, but it was jammed. After thinking it over for about ten seconds, I decided to try "splitting lanes" for the first time. Wasn't bad! Instead of 3-5 miles an hour, I was able to maintain about 12. Went about 4 miles until I connected up with the Richard Nixon Memorial Freeway (shortest freeway in California!) I love the Richard Nixon Freeway because it's asphalt (not concrete) and I can go 65 plus on it. It's also very sheltered from the wind. Unfortunately, it only takes about a minute and a half to traverse the entire thing.

Headed out Carbon Canyon - was dark already - it's a snaky road and tough to ride in daylight, but I've been getting bolder. Kind of cold, about 45 in the hills (this is like serious winter out here.) Could feel it in the fingers, but had the lining in my gear and not too cold over all.

The play was long and I hung out with Ms. McLean for a bit afterwards, so I decided to suck it up and go back on the freeway. Still pretty unnerved by the wiggle-waggle business, but I managed to 55 it down the slow lane for 10 miles of the 71 and the 91 without incident. Starting to wonder if you ever get used to the wiggling. Using the freeway was probably safer for the trip home, given the late hour and darkness, and considerably shorter. Over 1400 miles on the odometer now.