This Makes No Sense At All

Stumbled across this while searching for more info on some of the Oakland neighborhoods that I walk through. Its really cool - shows the public stairways and paths as well as the streets. It also color codes the streets to show degree of steepness. 4th edition came out in Sept 2009. It is published by the Oakland Department of Public Works and is widely available in Oakland  https://www.oaklandpw.com/Page129.aspx  including the bicycle store and bookstores in Montclair village in my area. I suggest buying it locally, but if you are keyboard bound, the earlier edition is in Amazon  Walk Oakland! Map & Guide . I love that this map is available, but I have learned that some of the paths and stairs are what once was, and have fallen into disrepair. I was walking down one street that I have walked many times. The map said there was a stairway cutting from this street to the one below. I didn't see anything, but asked a couple of young women who were walking down the stre...

When I was eighteen, I found myself on a fire crew with three other guys, in the fire crew quarters with cots, a stove, and some pots and pans. There was a tiny market nearby, but the nearest full service grocery store was at least 150 miles and four hours away. I came from a traditional family with a full time mom, who did all the cooking. I had some dish washing skills, but zero culinary ability. The other guys were a little better, not much, but I didn't starve. I learned how to shred potatoes, mix with eggs and fry. Pour a lot of catsup on the result and it was pretty tasty, at least to an eighteen year old. Later that summer, a tourist hit a deer on the highway. We heard about it, went out and butchered the deer, and that was our meat for the rest of the summer. (There was a freezer in the bunkhouse). I have progressed since that time, spending some time around good cooks, and this time, paying attention. Still, there is the frequent need for quick easy meals that don't ...

HH&PRR is about half way along this loop if you start at Lodge and Hemlock, but it is one of the highlights. I'll talk more about it and carofthefuture.org later. One of our frequent hikes is north along Skyline to Sibley, and from there onto regional park trails. In Jan 2008 there were severe storms, and a slide blocked Skyline Blvd to all traffic, including pedestrians. In searching for an alternate way to Sibley and Huckleberry, I discovered the HH&PRR route, though didn't have a name for it at the time. The weather was still wet and stormy, so I took the closest surface I could find to the slide, and followed it north, at each intersection, choosing the rightmost (eastern) street, as that kept me closest to Skyline Blvd. It is about half through shaded small residential streets, and then climbs along undeveloped parkland (where I frequently see turkeys). That parkland is on the left. The right is steep and lightly developed, but for sale signs are posted, and s...

Just to set the scene, we have backpacking Santa - too heavy for the tree, so hanging on the first hook within reach. Beneath him, and within his gaze is Christmas Chaos. The gradual accumulation of wrapping paper, gifts to be wrapped, completed presents to go elsewhere, starts taking over the room. Out comes the card table for more space. Eventually the gifts are all in hand, the critical mass has been reached, and a flurry of wrapping begins. The chaos reduces to order again. We haven't hit that point this year, yet. Maybe critical mass wasn't the right analogy - better entropy, the tendency of things to drift towards total disorder?

I read Malcom Gladwell's Outliers recently, and enjoyed it immensely - went on to read Tipping Point . Now I propose that he write a third book titled "Critical Mass". As an example, I will relate my recent experience with "Pocket Critical Mass". You see on the right, my left pocket - car 1 keys, car 2 keys, comb, and handkerchief. Also, my spare battery and memory card case that I have started carrying since I began carrying the camera around. The right pocket is simpler - billfold and phone. The problem came as I recently added the battery & card case to my left pocket. Before that, there was no problem. I would reach in my pocket, grab the required item. Now the simple act of reaching for my car keys has Susan giving me the squinty eyed look as a fumble around for the right set of keys for about five minutes. You men I am sure, all know the meaning of the squinty eyed look.  That one simple object added to my pocket caused it to exceed critical retri...

This is longest stretch of interconnected steps that I know of in Oakland. About 400 steps and a climb/drop of two hundred plus feet in about a third of a mile. It makes a good workout, particularly when you do two steps at a time on the steep sections. These steps were restored in 2003 , so they are in good shape. View Oakland Hills - Merriewood Steps - the figure 8 in a larger map Thirty to forty years ago, I lived on the top of Merriewood, and commuted to the city. A bus came down Upper Broadway Terrace and stopped right at Merriewood, so usually an easy trip down to Montclair Village and the express from there. However, one winter I had a different schedule, forcing me to catch the early express from Thornhill and Mountain, and the fast way down was the Merriewood stairs, in their unrestored condition. Broken steps, missing steps, fortunately the handrail was usually intact. That was a cold and wet winter, and there were several weeks where the steps were covered with ice. More...

My GPS says 9.8 miles, my cleaned up Google track says 8.7 miles. Total ascent about 1040 feet. If you start near the top like I do, it is a nice stroll down through the hills and secluded streets to BART and then a fairly good workout back by Lake Temescal and up through the Thornhill Canyon. I look for one of a kinds and the sort of strange as I walk, and this route offers a few, mixed in with the ostentatious and conservative. View Oakland Hills Walk 2 - to Rockridge BART in a larger map Starting down from Hemlock St & Lodge Ct go a few blocks on busy Colton. Just before you turn left on Heartwood keep your eye open for the yard with the merry-go-round horse on the left. For a while, retrace the Oakland Hills walk 1 down to Mountain Blvd and Montclair Village. On a weekday you will hear Montclair Elementary about three blocks away. Amble north on Mountain past the school and checkout the library a little later. Now left on Thornhill and cross under highway 13, turning ...

It's pouring down rain outside. A few days ago it snowed. Wonderful aromas are floating around the house. I have this craving for a beer, but we have to go out to a party tonight, so I will have to defer the beer. Each year around this time we have a Cajun theme Christmas party. I make a giant batch of red beans and rice on Saturday, Susan does a giant batch of jambalaya on Sunday, and I also make key lime pies on Saturday. Guests bring salads, appetizers, more desserts, vegan entrees, etc. Last tally was around 45 people arriving at our 1100+ sq foot house tomorrow evening. I think we have 22 places to sit down, maybe 25 if people sit on the edge of our bed and in Susan's office. Still, it has always worked out. People move about, sit, stand and eat, cluster and in general have a good time. They come year after year, sometimes bringing friends, which accounts for the 45 this year. Some years we do double batches of everything. This year is definitely a triple batch ye...

View Oakland Walk 1 Saroni - Montclair Village Steps Loop in a larger map When I got up this morning, there was a slight smattering of snow on the ground, but trust me, this route is usually a very pleasant walk. Sometimes I need a walking workout and am pressed for time, so just go out of my door and do some neighborhood walks. It is hilly so you can get a good workout. The only caution is that it is all hard surface walking, so pay attention to your feet. If you keep walking after soles of the feet are feeling sore, you are asking for plantar fasciitis. Build up distance over a number of weeks. For this walk I have marked the starting point near the point of highest elevation, and then you walk down for about half the time. There is also some parking space at the starting intersection. You are walking down through forested residential streets, a mix of small remodeled homes and more recent construction. In the early 1800s this was all a Peralta Land Grant , and was covered with...