Happy Thanksgiving to you all. Share the day with family and enjoy the annual feast. Go for a walk and enjoy the fall colors. Be thankful for what you have and be kind to others.
I love the cool weather and the fall colors. It seems like we went from Summer to Christmas in two weeks. Now we have HOLIDAY BOUTIQUES, CHRISTMAS LIGHT SHOWS, and CHRISTMAS PARADES...
There are always fun things to do in Contra Costa many of them are free! Take a look at the EVENTS PAGE. WINEMAKER DINNER in Danville, ICE SKATING in Concord, TRIVIA GAME in Walnut Creek, FREE NATIONAL PARK DAY Nationwide, MARIACHI DIVAS in Antioch, and more.
There is always fun things to do in Contra Costa many of them are free! Take a look at the EVENTS PAGE. MUSIC in Danville, ICE SKATING in Concord, TRIVIA GAME in Walnut Creek, WINE TASTING in Walnut Creek, FARMERS MARKET in Brentwood, and more.
HALLOWEEN HIKE, in Antioch, HALLOWEEN BBQ, in Pleasant Hill, BRAZILLIAN HALLOWEEN PARTY, in Richmond, RAPHAEL JOSON in Danville, BARRANCO LIVE, Lafayette, WOLFMAN ON A FLOATING MUSEUM, Richmond, LAST FOOD TRUCK NIGHT, in Antioch,
MASQUERADE BALL in Lafayette, HARVEST FESTIVAL in Oakley, Makers Market, Walnut Creek, SS RED OAK TOUR, Richmond, JAMES CLARK ELVIS TRIBUTE DINNER SHOW, Brentwood, FALL FEST in Danville, AUTO RACING in Antioch
Today! FOOD TRUCKS in Antioch, KEN COOPER in Walnut Creek, MARIACHI SAN MIGUEL in Antioch. Friday! WILLIE BARCENA COMEDY SHOW, Brentwood, RIPPLERS in Walnut Creek, BONAFIDES in Richmond, HOWELL DEVINE in Martinez, LED-ZEPAGAIN in Antioch, MICHELE LAMBERT in Danville.
Today! FOOD TRUCKS in Antioch, DOUG HOUSER in Walnut Creek, MARIACHI SAN MIGUEL in Antioch. Friday! RELYKS in Clayton, JAMES FUNK in Richmond, KILLBILLIES in Martinez, MICHELE LAMBERT in Danville.
Fun Starts Today! Today! NATIVE ELEMENTS in Concord, DAVE LAND LIVE in Clayton, FOOD TRUCKS in Antioch, JOHN PAUL HODGE in Walnut Creek, MARIACHI SAN MIGUEL in Antioch
Today! OKTOBERFEST in Antioch, CAR SHOW in Pittsburg, a four-day FESTIVAL starts in Walnut Creek, the UNORIGINAL BAND plays in Concord, BRAZILIAN HAPPINESS in Richmond, Mariachi Band in Antioch, Contra Costa Fun Starts Today!
CONCORD has ZEPPARELLA, (a rocking women's Led Zeppelin tribute band) playing FREE tonight at Todos Santos. BRENTWOOD has Cherries Jubillee being prepared tableside at CAP'S RESTAURANT. ANTIOCH has San Francisco-style Cioppino on their Sunday Brunch Menu. WALNUT CREEK has a Red Help fundraiser tonight (for firefighters struggling with PTSD) at HESS BREWING COMPANY.
Are you tired of P2P messages? I'm hoping these political text messages STOP next week. Politicians are allowed to circumvent FCC rulings because they are politicians. I've been using BLOCK when I get these texts but they persist. After reading this article I'm going to simply use the word STOP and see how that works.
Make Your Vote Count! Whether you like Newsom or not we should all vote by September 14th. I started "getting familiar" with the ballot weeks ago (ran out of time) and forgot about it. My sister-in-law asked me who was I voting for? The question startled me, I had to admit I was not through deciding yet. I don't want to be "one of those voters" the one who votes party, or votes for a name they like, or flips a coin. I will finish my homework and cast my vote Saturday, Sept 4th. I hope you make your decision soon and vote.
The Rolling Stones Never Missed A Beat With Charlie Watts. Every time the Rolling Stones tour I ask myself why? The simple answer is "It's Only Rock and Roll" and they like it. One website shows they have played in more than 50 countries including China, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates. The band has changed over the years but they never missed a beat and we can all thank Charlie Watts for that. Thanks for more than 50 years of rock and roll. I miss you already.
It's Time To Vote Again. First, you vote "yes" or "no" on Newsom being recalled. Then you vote for one of 46 candidates for governor if Newsom is removed. According to the Secretary of State to be a candidate for governor you had to pay $4,200 or gather 7,000 signatures to be on the ballot (I guess that's why we have 46 candidates). If you choose to write a positioning statement (Official Voters Guide) that's $9,800 extra. If there is a recall of the governor I think the new one will come from the 34 candidates who are in the GUIDE (so that's 12 I don't have to research). As a registered independent I will read the write-ups and choose a candidate regardless of their party.
The Dixie Fire is Huge. News reports say this is the 2nd largest fire ever in California. Since its start, July 14th, it's consumed nearly 1,000,000 acres. I have no idea what 1,000,000 acres looks like. Google says Contra Costa County is 458,000 acres. That makes the Dixie fire twice as large as Contra Costa County. Now, that's a lot of ground.
Happiness is All-Around. There are many things, every day, to get our daubers down. Fortunately, there are more things that will make us happy if we look around. Help a friend, the laughter of a child, a flower in your hand can snap you out of a foul mood. Now, when you are feeling right, eat something tasty, wash it down with a cocktail, and then dance to some live music!
Olympic Spirit Always Brings Me Back. From the opening ceremony, I'm hooked. Countries I never heard of with three or four athletes parade around the track with their flags just like everyone else. How many medals the USA wins is not important to me as countries that win their first gold medal. Bermuda and the Philippines come to mind. What about the 17-year-old Alaskan girl that won gold in swimming and lives in a state with only one pool in it? Media hype, blood, and guts are not for me. I prefer the spirit of the Olympics and the stories that show our humanity and make us feel good about the world we live in anytime.
Restaurants are open, we have music in the park, we can shop without a mask. I'm feeling safe (I still wash my hands a lot). Now I hear things are spiking and hospitals are filling up. People are dying. It's people who have not been vaccinated. Isn't the fear of catching Covid, giving it to a friend, or a family member more important to you than your long-term fears or the inconvenience? Get vaccinated, do it for someone you love, please.
Lots of the fun things we missed last summer are back. Lots of dates are circled on my calendar. There are some really good bands playing at Todos Santos Plaza starting tonight. Car show and a band tonight in Pittsburg.
Oysters, Prawns & Mussels are on the Brunch Menu @ Lone Tree Golf & Event Center, Earth, Wine, & Fire @ Flemings Steakhouse, Walnut Creek, $5 Blackjack in Antioch, Sip Wine like They Do On The Mediterranean Sea, and the Mariachi's Are Back in Antioch!
My friend Don Huntington and I went to the LONE TREE THAI restaurant recently for lunch. He tells me he always orders the same thing there. He's paying $10 cash to the 10th person who correctly guesses his favorite dish (he's already given me the cash so no wait for the winner HA!). Only one entry per person. I'll monitor the emails and if you are the winner I will ask you for a mailing address to send you the sawbuck. You have a 50/50 shot of being correct. Much better than the lottery. Good luck. BTW I ate the other dish and it was yummy.
After 6 or 7 months of ordering home-delivery groceries, I did my own shopping this week. I used to love grocery shopping. I could spend two hours shopping every aisle looking for treats and bargains. After spending all that time shopping it would upset me to stand in line to pay for groceries. The longer I waited the more I wanted to remove items from my cart for making me wait. On my recent visit, I realized what a time-waster shopping is. I not only save "line-time aggravation" but I also save shopping time. I have made the change. The only reason to go grocery shopping now is to meet someone. "Excuse me, you look like a fine cook, have you ever cooked with this?"
Uva Uvam Vivendo Varia Fit... It's Latin, it means "the changing vine becomes the living vine." It's from a scene in LONESOME DOVE a popular 1989 miniseries. It reminds us of an important truth. Changes are going to come whether we want them or not. Some can be especially difficult. That's when we have to adapt and do the best we can or it will eat us alive. I love this show and I appreciate the life lesson reminder.
