1280 Willow Pass Rd, Concord
Back last October I noted that Hobby Lobby was opening in Concord where Tower Records used to be and they have now opened. I dropped by and couldn’t believe how huge it is! A lot of Americana-type goods here that I haven’t seen elsewhere, very interesting stuff. Use one of their 40% off coupons for an even better deal.
Lose Your Lawn Hand-On Workshop:
Creston Rd, Walnut Creek
Sunday, June 21st, 2014
9:00am – 1:00pm | $25Would you like to transform your thirsty, high-maintenance lawn to a beautiful, water-efficient landscape? You will get hands-on experience “sheet-mulching” – an easy, cost-effective way of removing unwanted grass (or weeds!) – and learn from Garden Designer Kelly Marshall about drought-tolerant plant selection. Also find out about the great local water district lawn-conversion rebates!
An inspiring sustainable garden tour and delicious lunch is included!
2151 Salvio St, Concord
Back in April I noted that the Brewing Network-owned Hop Grenade Taproom & Bottleshop bar would be opening this spring in Concord next to Todos Santos Plaza and their signage is now up with an expected June opening according to their Facebook page:
We still don’t have a hard date for the soft opening (heh) but we hope to soon. Crazy how this construction business is a moving target, but such is life. We are working on it every single day and will post here first when we have a real date. Still looking like June is the best I can say…
Located across from the Rheem Shopping Center on Moraga Rd. in Moraga is an empty lot with dozens of wooden beams lined up as if in attack formation for the past few months. Anyone know the meaning of this?
Closeup:
Evening Discussion on Wallace Stegner’s Works:
Swan’s Fine Books
1381 Locust Street, Walnut Creek
Thursday, June 12th, 2014
7:30pm – 8:30pm | FreeIf you are interested in Wallace Stegner…
…please join us on Thursday evening, June 12th, for an informal discussion on Wallace Stegner, the author and the man. Leading the discussion will be James M. Dourgarian, Bookman, ABAA, one of the country’s foremost experts on John Steinbeck and Wallace Stegner, and a Walnut Creek resident.The format will be informal, with Jim beginning the evening talking about Wallace Stegner’s life and moving into some of his works. You will learn more about what went into writing the works and how they are viewed today by collectors. Questions and open dialogue will be welcome towards the end of our time together.
Since seating is limited, please R.S.V.P. to hold a space. There is no charge to attend and light refreshments will be served.
1669 Willow Pass Rd, Concord
Next door to Seoul Jung Korean BBQ in the Park ‘N’ Shop strip mall in Concord a new Japanese restaurant will be opening by the end of June called Seoul Jung Sushi Boat Japanese Bar & Grill. Obviously this is the same owner.
15 Fiesta Ln, Lafayette
Back in April I posted some scuttlebutt about an upscale men’s salon called 18/8 coming to Fiesta Ln. in downtown Lafayette near The Cooperage. Based on the signs in the windows I’m happy to see this has now been confirmed.
Cooking with Kids at Walnut Creek Yacht Club:
Walnut Creek Yacht Club
1555 Bonanza St., Walnut Creek
Saturday, July 12th, 26th & August 9th, 2014
1:00pm – 3:00pm | FreeThe spaces at these classes are highly coveted, and are limited to the first fifteen to sign up. Please call now if this is something that you would like your budding chef to experience.
The three classes are held on Saturdays, from 1-3 pm.
And here are the dates:
July 12, July 26, August 9Chef Kevin chooses a dish that is seasonal, delicious and fun to prepare with the kids, ages 7-13.
We’re sorry, but this is for kids only! Please drop your sous chef off at the aft deck at
1:00 and pick him or her up at 3:00.
These classes are as much fun for Chef Kevin as they are for the kids, so we do not charge for them.
From the Lafayette City Manager:
Earlier today, Acalanes High School went on total lockdown after a student texted a threatening message. After an all-out response from the Lafayette Police Department and Acalanes faculty and administration, the student was arrested, taken into custody, and it is likely that s/he will be prosecuted for the action. There are lots of things wrong about this, but among the most regretful is that the high school seniors were scheduled to have their senior picnic at 10:30A, and this stupid act disrupted their celebration. Anyway, everybody’s breathing easier now, and the police and school personnel can chalk it up as a very realistic drill. All involved commented that the twice-annual active-shooter drills paid off big time. Whew.
Photo by Flickr user A. Currell
I hate planning birthday parties. Not the actual planning part, but the unknown. Living in the East Bay with two small kids however means birthday party planning is a given, twice a year. Two big decisions are the entertainment and the food. Considering the great weather we’ve been having lately I decided to host it in the backyard and promptly found a fun and educational group to keep the kids entertained for a while.
For lunch, pizza was the obvious choice, and not trusting a phone order, the morning of the party I drove over to a local, to-be-unnamed pizzeria. I inquired about ordering a few pies later in the afternoon. “Sure, no problem” he replied. Then I paused, looked him in the eye, and although I didn’t see his soul, asked him whether he was sure there wouldn’t be a problem delivering a few pies in the afternoon. “Absolutely” he replied, “no problem at all”. Relieved that I was able place the order I went back home to make the final arrangements before the party began. I even requested delivery 15 minutes before the entertainment would finish in case they were late.
15 minutes before the entertainment was to finish, everyone was having a great time. The pizza would soon come, certainly within 15 minutes I thought. 5 minutes passed, I glanced at my watch, then 5 more minutes. I called the pizzeria and inquired about the delivery. They checked and told me it was on its way and would take 5 – 10 minutes. Perfect I thought. I planned this just right. 5 minutes after the entertainment left the kids were sitting at the lunch table and I was sure the pizza was coming any minute. 5 minutes later with no delivery I called again. I was put on hold for a long time, and then told that I would receive a call back from the manager. 5 minutes later I receive a call from the manager who blamed traffic and the driver but insisted that he was on his way. By this time, with the kids restless I decided to serve the birthday cake first and, after waiting 5 more minutes, opened the garage door to head out to Safeway to pick up sandwiches instead. Finally, 40 minutes after the expected delivery time the pizza guy came. The kids got their pizzas (after the cake), and it wasn’t a complete disaster. After the party I got a call from the manager again who apologized, didn’t charge for the pies and sent a gift card as well which was considerate.
That being said, I hate birthday party planning because of the unknown. Has this ever happened to anyone? What would you do?