Pre-adventure update

At the Oakland Coliseum

THB manages to get a foul ball at an A's game, May 21, 2017. We're sitting in the lower deck, just one section off alignment with the pitcher and catcher. It's not too crowded (unusual for a Red Sox game, they normally bringing thousands of their fans to augment the A's faithful), so THB has his game bag on the seat next to him (LB is in the seat on his other side).  A screamer is hit just over the screen and the guy in the row in front of us puts up his hands. THB is ducking away to avoid getting crushed (and clinging to his scorebook). After it calms down a bit (1 second?) THB looks around and the ball is lying on top of his game bag! Perfect: the guy in front takes the hit and THB walks away with his first foul ball in over 15 years.

Hess Wineries: Colume' and Napa

THB and DB celebrate Bob and DB's b'day by visiting the Hess winery and art museum in Napa (the second floor of the museum is closed for earthquake proofing) and buying some of the Napa and Argentinian wine we sampled when at the Hess owned Colume winery (and touring the Turrell Art Museum on the same property). Still to come: a side-by-side taste-off of the Argentinian and Napa Malbecs.

Livia Marin: Sin Titulo No 7

Mixta: Fotografia, papel, hilo dorado (gold thread)

DB and THB admired Livia's work when at the Patricia Ready Galerie in Santiago and, while unable to find the ceramic piece to go with this mixed media picture, we're thrilled to have another memento of the trip we took earlier this year to S. America.

THB and MQ go to Sacramento to play in a bridge tournament and we stay at a Hampton Inn. If you can read the sign in the pic, or not, it says rooms 208 to 245 are to the left. THB is in room 209. Turns out 209 is not between 208 and 245, it is to the right. Hmmmm...and, THB's shower comes complete with everything except that little knob or switch that makes the water come out of the showerhead instead of the bathtub nozzle. Good news: our bridge playing was a lot better for 3 of the 4 sessions and we came home with some gold points. 

Skateboarders taking a shortcut through E-ville fenced off property

"Baja" molded concrete chairs added to the beach house deck

THB and MM take a ride on the Bay Bridge and make it on to Yerba Buena Island and can see all the way to SF

Okay, so the bike hat doesn't exactly fit over THB real hat

The last of the concrete pillars undergoing deconstruction

The view to the west from west side of Yerba Buena

THB at a Braves vs A's game with Braves Fan (aka, bro) and LB (aka daughter). LB was sitting two sections over, came to visit the older generation. Note give-away in THB's lap, aka sea gull poop protector

Announced crowd: 18K...must have included the 5K sea gulls that didn't show up until the 7th inning