It’s been another action-packed week at the Cafe. Lots to report, less left to do. We’re fully staffed for the moment. We got (and continue to get) lots of great applicants, and I think we’ve got a really great team coming together. In addition to Katie, Sarah (who’s now going by Curly), and Donna, we’ve [...]

Firstly: I’m lame for not posting since about forever ago. So much has happened in the Actual world in the past few weeks, and I’m sure I missed lots of golden opportunities to amuse, titillate, engage and otherwise entertain you all. For this, I apologize. I do have some excuses, though… The last couple weeks [...]

I ran out of gas yesterday. Luckily, I was only about a block from a gas station when the truck started sputtering, and I only had to push it across the street and up to the pump. I had been running errands for a couple days knowing that there was almost nothing left in the [...]

Another two-week gap between posts. I wish I could find the time to post more consistenly, but at the moment, I can’t. So… Construction is well underway. We’ve got almost three weeks behind us, and things are progressing nicely. Most framing is done, rough electrical and plumbing are just about done, and we’ve got a [...]

It’s been an exciting couple weeks. So exciting, in fact, that I haven’t been able to find a free hour to sit down and write about it until now. First, and best: we finally managed to get building permits last Thursday (not even a week ago). The city finally agreed that a single rest room [...]

Last week was another busy one, although the one big blocking problem is still blocking. I had a brief glimmer of hope on the City of Oakland front late last week, when I got an email from the Chief Building Official asking for some clarification on the history of my situation, which I provided. Unfortunately, [...]

It’s been a busy time – lots getting done, lots to do. So much, in fact, that I started this post about a week ago, and am just getting around to finishing it now.   I’ve been working on furniture and interior decor quite a bit – sanding tabletops and putting together tables, scouring the [...]

It’s been a little while since I’ve been able to find time to write a blog entry, but I’ve had some really interesting days lately, and I wanted to communicate some things before they slipped my mind entirely. First, and most momentous…   I had made the ride several times before, riding my bike down [...]

I’ve been pondering this issue for a while, and I think it’s time to turn it out for feedback. Those of you who know me personally know that I’m no luddite. I like technology – I think it’s really useful. However, I think that we often immerse ourselves in it to our detriment. And so, [...]

First, and most exciting (to me, anyway):   The City of Oakland Redevelopment Agency has been talking about installing pedestrian-level streetlights on San Pablo for some time now. The project is officially underway, and a crew came out late last week and marked off their locations (photo). Ground will break this week on the project. [...]