Many of us in the local lindy hop, jazz, and circus scenes are devastated by sudden death of local musician Rob Reich last week. Rob was a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader who was well-loved by so many in the Bay Area. I didn’t know Rob well, but I always loved listening and dancing to his…
Category: SF Bay Area
A Magical Visit to the Snoopy Home Ice Rink and the Charles M. Shultz Museum!
I can’t believe I’ve lived in the Bay Area this long and never been to the Peanut’s themed ice rink and museum in Santa Rosa. As someone who loves themed entertainment, and a skater, this is straight up my alley. Built in 1969 (the year of my birth!), Snoopy Home Ice was created by Charles…
2024 Round Up: Skate Travels and Teaching, Hiking SF, Challah for Papa
As I wrote in the previous post, lots of 2024 was spent dealing with external events that impacted my life. Which was a lot. But I also accomplished quite a bit. Published the Definitive History of Yehoodi.com I began 2024 with the release of a 39-page history of the online community Yehoodi.com, a labor of…
2024 Year in Review: Bad Knees, Bullies, Death and Unexpected Joy
At its face, 2024 was not the best year ever. Let’s run down the awfulness: But honestly, despite all of these events – and in some ways because of them – 2024 was still a pretty great year. Let’s break it down. Problems Money Can Solve Someone said “You are fortunate if you have problems…
Tribute to the Kouign Amann Krew (2017-2024)
In 2017, I was completely obsessed with French pastries. If there was a new bakery in town, or a favorite shop had a new seasonal item, my brain just couldn’t let it go. I simply could not sit still knowing there was a delicious pastry only a few minutes from me that I hadn’t tried…
Photo Shoot in Historic West Oakland Train Station
Way back in 2017, my friend Aurelia invited Hanah and me to participate in a unique photo shoot in a long abandoned train station in West Oakland. How could we say no? Hanah and I put on our favorite vintage-y outfits and met up with Aurelia in an industrial part of West Oakland I had…
Racing Paper Boats in the Gutter with Ken Shimabuku
One of my fondest childhood memories was when I was maybe ten or eleven in suburban Pleasanton, California. It must have been autumn, because the leaves had fallen, it had been raining steadily, but it was still pretty warm out. Ken Shimabuku was an acquaintance at my school who seemed like the coolest kid ever….
Notes on Hiking the SF Crosstown Trail Solo
Yesterday I accomplished a goal I have been thinking about for a few years: hiking the entire San Francisco Crosstown Trail in one hike. Honestly, was really damn hard for me, so I’m pretty proud of myself! I’ve hiked the trail once before, during my birthday week last July, spread out over two days. When…
Little Kid Wants to Battle Me at the Rink!
The cutest moment I’ve ever had at the roller rink. Her name is Dream, and yes she will definitely kick my ass in a cypher soon. Thanks to Norm for this incredible footage.
Model Trains Make Me Happy
Model train dioramas just fill me with inexplicable pleasure. I realized this in Kyoto, Japan last year, when I visited their incredible train museum. I kind of lost track of time when I found their interactive model train area. It hit me again when I went to the Alameda County Fair this summer and went…