The Town Represents

I love my city.

It is what it is

Since August we have been trying to sell our house. We lowered our price and tried again this spring, and got an offer within the first couple weeks of putting the house back on the market. But the deal collapsed yesterday. We are bummed that we put so much time, effort, and money into this 8-month journey...

Today we are back at our cute little house after spending weeks at my mom's (she's been such a gracious host). And we're spending time reflecting on the circumstances.

Mark is strumming on his guitar, and wrote some lyrics-
The breeze
blowing through the trees
outside my window
sky is blue
My baby is asleep
in the other room
We got everything we need
When I'm next to you

I'm reading Cutting for Stone. And last night, after getting the news of our botched deal, the last words I read for the night felt apropos (@ 24% on the kindle version)-

For the first time since Sister Mary Joseph Praise's death, Matron felt a sense of peace, a sense of certainty where there had been none. She was certain that this was the spot- this was where the long voyage of Sister Mary Praise would end. She remembered, too, her first days in Addis, when things looked so bleak, so terrifying, so tragic- it was at those moments that God's grace came, and that God's plan was revealed in his time. "I can't see it, Lord, but I know you can," she said.

So here's what I can be optimistic about going forward-
1-We love being blocks from such an amazing park.
2- We love the convenience of our neighborhood. Yes, we have Peet's, the library, banks, restaurants, 2+ grocery stores- but more importantly, easy freeway access is such a perk!
3-We feel safe in the Dimond- you hear a lot more gun shots in the neighborhood we were planning to move to. This was a low priority for us in general, but somehow having a kid changes these sort of priorities for you.
4- Our neighborhood is very walkable, and encourages us to have a more active lifestyle.
5- Hopefully we'll be creative and make this house work better for us going forward. I'm looking forward to possible renovations.
6- We love the school we're slotted for, Glenview. It's public, diverse, has good test scores, has a dynamic parent community, and is walking distance from our house.
7- We love that we're in between the hills and the flats.
8-We love Farmer Joe's- and we've missed it.
9- By staying longer, we'll be able to put more equity in the house...hopefully it will be a better financial decision in the long-run.
10- The leak in our garage (which really killed our deal), only got 2 of our boxes wet.

Here's to being optimistic!

XOXO,
Rebecca

oaktoberfest for sure

So, we've been off this week. And it's flown by so fast. We stayed around Oakland- did some fun things with friends and family: Grandpa Vince visited from Chicago (so fun!) last weekend, we went to SF Zoo on Wednesday, and out to Underdog Wine Bar in Livermore today  to visit my brother. Other than that we really chilled a lot with Sadie, went on walks to Peet's (of course!), and yes, worked. Tomorrow we have a packed day- helping out at Harbor House, my old 9 to 5, and going to the most awesome (for reals) Oaktoberfest in our hood.

The biggest turning point this week is that we came to terms with the fact that we probably won't sell our house this fall. We'll keep it on the market until the staging contract expires...but the market is looking pretty bleak. On the downside, we did a lot of packing and cleaning to get the house ready. On the bright side, we don't HAVE to sell, and we really like where we live (besides it being a little smallish). So I'm trying to emphasize the positives so I don't get too bitter about the wasted $ and effort.

So here's my list, 10 things I love about where we live:
1) Great Walkability: Library, Dimond Park, Farmer Joes, Safeway, Peet's, CVS, Chase, Glenview, etc..
2) We have great new oak floors in the kitchen...they are wonderfully beautiful
3) We really like our neighbors!
4) My driveway garden rocks
5) PEET'S (this deserves to be on the list 2x)
6) Jean Quan Councilwoman - and hopefully soon-to-be mayor!
7) Sausal Creek trails a couple minutes away
8) Our bedroom paint color is perfect
9) Close to friends- nyquists, rorks, ogdens, family... and we always run into people we know
10) Oaktoberfest (but why can't they just call it Oktoberfest?)

So, i love the Dimond. And if we don't sell now, maybe we were meant to be here a little longer. And that's okay.

p.s If you're in Oakland, make sure to check out Oaktoberfest...year #3, and a guaranteed good time for all!
p.p.s. Last year they ran out of beer at 4pm.

Oakland Love

Check out the Scaper Bike movement in Oakland. The neighborhood featured is where Mark and I teach.

Scrapertown from California is a place. on Vimeo.

Jean Quan for Mayor!

We have a mayoral election coming to Oakland this fall, and I plan to vote for Jean Quan. She's a serious grass roots organizer. I have probably seen her around Oakland/my hood than any other local politician. Here are some videos from her website. And is you want to get a lawn sign click here. I plan to get mine today!

Why I Love Oakland

Oakland gets a tremendously bad rap with all its crime, murders, and drug dealing. But its a city, and cities have all that unfortunate stuff (yes, even sf). I grew up in Pleasanton, east of Oakland in the burbs. Back then we all shuddered at the thought of visiting Oakland-- thinking it was "like so ghetto." Trish and I went to a wrestling tournament in high school, got lost on our way, and had to get off the freeway and turn around in Oakland. I remember being overcome with fear. Now that I know Oakland I think we were very very silly! (btw: we got off at Park Blvd, a very nice neighborhood bordering Piedmont.)

So many Oakland families choose to have their babies at Kaiser Walnut Creek instead if Kaiser Oakland-- Kaiser Oakland is a teaching hospital and WC has midwives. We had to make the choice too. Silly as it is, I wanted Sadie's birth certificate to read that she was born in Oakland. I have some tremendous Oakland pride, and here are some reasons why:

1. Diversity- in ideas, people, neighborhoods, etc...
2. The down-to-earth people
3. Lots of parks and hiking/walking opportunities! Joaquin Miller, Sausel Creek, Lake Merritt, Lake Temescal, Dimond Park, Tilden, Roberts Park, etc...
4. The Neighborhoods: Dimond (my hood), East Oakland, Lake Merritt area, Glenview, Temescal, Lakeshore, Montclair, Fruitvale...these are some of my hangouts
5. The food: Bakesale Betties, Peet's, Full House, Pizzaiolo, Fentons, Taco Trucks on International, Barney's, Cafe 504, so much more....
6. Shopping: Urban Indigo, Farmer Joe's, Son Hop Fat, A Great Good Place for Books, Someone's in the Kitchen, The Tulip Grove. We have very few big box stores.
7. The Flats and The Hills
8. People I love-- family and friends.
9. Perfect weather! The suburbs get too hot, and sf is way too cold year-round. Oakland is just right!
10. And let's be honest, it's just bad a** to say you live in Oakland!

The list can go on and on...

If you're native here- why do you like The Town?

SADIE: MADE IN OAKLAND

*thx for the fun shirt seth and joelle!

The Upcoming Mayoral Election in the O

Oakland's current mayor, Ron Dellums, is essentially non-existent. He did get a lot of press during the presidential primaries--he travelled the state rallying for Hillary. That move ruffled my feathers! How could he make himself so available for a national election, and neglect to actively run his own city? He seems like a good guy, but well past his prime. He was a state representative in the House, and did some good then. Well into his 70's now, he has no game. Oakland is not a rest stop on your way to retirement, Mr. Dellums. This is a busy turbulent city, rife with issues--and needs dramatic reform in many arenas. Why did we elect a respected but depleted and tired mayor? Let's not ask him back, Oakland.

That brings me to the upcoming election. My district's councilwoman, Jean Quan, the underdog in the June election will be battling Don Perata, known dirty-dealer and termed-out member of the CA state senate. He's been embroiled in controversy for the past 10 years. He's never been indicted, but he's plenty scummy. As you can see, I'm not a big fan of Perata. I hope Jean Quan wins. It's a looooong shot. She's very active in the community, a real grass-roots leader. Will Oakland be brazen enough to hire its first female mayor? Someone who's not a career state politician, but knows and is committed to local issues? We shall see...

For little Sadie's future, I hope it's Quan!

JEAN QUAN FOR OAKLAND 2010!

Here's a link to a Chronicle article on the race:

http://articles.sfgate.com/2009-04-13/bay-area/17194175_1_mayor-s-race-woman-mayor-councilwoman-jean-quan