News from the 'hood

Enough about the train trip what's been going on in the Oakland lately?

• There is a new Mayor. Ron Dellums narrowly escaped having to participate in a runoff election in november by 153 votes. Somehow with all the voting they have in California I didn't realize this was the actual mayor's vote and didn't send in my absentee ballot. A lesson learned, I shall forevermore make the effort to be a more aware citizen.
  
• Voting on the big Oak to Ninth project is to occur tomorrow, I don't know enough about the project to have formed an educated opinion but I'm sure it doesn't provide enough open space. Again need to become more aware as a citizen.
• This weekend I did go visitng some of the new developments in the area. They all look pretty, have fancy kitchens which most people will use for show not cooking, use trendy wood and concrete to give the urban loft feeling. Upon coming home I realized how much I like my little apartment with it's cheap appliances, and all the wear and tear, the layout is so perfectly ordinary and functional and all my stuff fits in it.
  
• Its warm enough to sleep with the windows open and Saturday night I was awoken at some ungodly hour by what only could have been a sideshow. But I was too sleepy to go up to the roof and check it out. What with that and the earthquakes and the trains and the meowing cat it's a wonder anyone gets any sleep around here.
• The tai chi-ers at the Oakland BART are looking at losing their space. I see them every day on my way to work and just had a conversation about the group with someone on the train who remembered seeing them 10 years ago.