RainyDay

I can't function without Active Topics. First I get addicted to the Big O, then I get the DT's when some part of the board goes down. I gotta get a life.

I'm going out to dinner tonight so I will probably eat a light lunch today. Not sure what. Maybe some broccoli and steamed rice from the Moonstar--local greasy spoon buffet that you can do take out for $3.99/lb. Some days it's just barely okay and some days it's not bad. The broccoli is the one dish they can't screw up because it is steamed. Looking forward to Friday. Meeting a friend at Rubio's for some good old fish tacos!

What's Frito pie? If it has cheese in it, I'm there.

I never learned to do that.

Not much garlic in these guys. I have to meet with a co-worker for the rest of the afternoon so that's a good thing.

Today was gyro day. Great sort of roasted-grilled chicken. Yummy yogurt sauce with tomatoes and cucumbers. This place also makes a killer chicken salad the size of my head. And they make this incredible spinach pie--spinach surrounded by pastry in the shape of pastry snail. Greasy in a yummy olive oil sort of way. Man the food is good there. And baklava to die for. You can get various entrees but any one of them will slip you into a coma afterwards it's so much food so I stay away from the entrees. Even so, ready for my nap now.

I participated in a planning charette a couple Saturdays ago that was held at the The Oakland Box. This is a very cool little performing arts center that features music (including jazz) and spoken word, among other things. It used to be the Black Box, which I'd heard about. It's aimed at younger folk but I know a couple of old fogies who found their way there and enjoyed it very much. It's located at 1928 Telegraph Avenue in Oakland, just a couple doors down from Sears. Nice little place with an eclectic mix of events. http://www.oaklandbox.com/contact.php

I found it. Give me a week. I'm slow.

I have an older version of IE and Windows 98, sometimes that makes life hard for me. My computer is trying to crash at home so I will probably have to invest in new equipment. I'll go for Plan B and send something to the address shown, hmm, where?

it must be me. I can't even open the paypal home page.

it tells me the window cannot be opened.

What happened to the donate button? It doesn't seem to work.

Bev: This bridge doesn't give me the creeps. Something about being suspended up in the sky and long as Interstate 5 that gives me the willies.

The difference with the Millau bridge is that the supports are as tall as skyscrapers and the thing is looooong. It would be like driving through space in a car. Being surrounded by all that nothingness would be freaky. I can see how that might be appealing for many folks. It would be spooky for me. Brownie: If we are all still hanging out here when it opens, I would love a full report when you make the trip across.

Well, I found this that explains, sort of, why it has such height. See the site for construction pix. If you Google, you can find other pix. I guess the challenge was to link two plateaus in a mountainous area. http://www.a75.com/viaducengl.html http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/proj...millau_viaduct/

One co-worker wanted to know why it had to be so high. There's a teeny tiny bridge below it that gives some context for how out of scale this thing is. I guess they don't have CEQA in France (no, duh). I can't imagine something like this being constructed anywhere in the US except maybe in Nevada and then it would be a theme park.

I can barely drive across the Golden Gate because, unlike the Bay Bridge, you can look straight down over the side and see the ocean. I would be terrified to cross this thing. I'm going to pass this pic around the office.

Yup. He hates them both.

By the way, I flip in and out of this place during the day and I notice this "pinned" thread is sometimes at the top and sometimes it isn't. Is it a technical glitch? I only mention it because it seems it should be pinned to the top of the threads so folks can see it first thing.

I hope you're being funny, because it's not my intention to make anyone feel like they have to donate anything. Jim, I think RD is just making a joke about the board being down an hour or two ago. Yes, making a joke!! Just kidding, really.

Jeez, I can take a hint, already. Soon as I dig out my Pay Pal password. May take until the weekend. Can you last that long?

I've seen No Doubt once at the Greek in Berkeley, and they really rocked. They are actually better live than on their records. A really kick butt band. And Gwen can sing. There aren't a lot of girls in rock that I care for very much but Gwen is baaad. Opening for them was the Blackeyed Peas, who I liked better then than now. And another rock band whose name I forget. Crap. They're local too and made it big for about 30 minutes on the national scene. Lit. Boy, were they LOUD.

Anyone smart enough to stay out of the political forum is entitled to an obscenely decadent birthday. Happy Birthday!

You're not reading your SF Chronicle.

I hear that. No mention of it around here. If it hadn't been for the history course I took a few years ago... JM: SF had a big celebration and Oakland has a Juneteenth festival every year.