Category: Misc

Hallelujah panic! UPDATE

RonTopofIt just alerted me to this situation at the Roseville Galleria:

Evacuations were ordered at the Westfield Galleria at Roseville Monday night because a “flash mob” by the Sacramento Choral Society brought an overcrowding concern.

The Galleria has had some scary moments recently so I don’t want to make light of that. But a “flash mob by a chorale society” has me thinking Onion article right off the bat. I’m so glad KCRA was on the scene to capture 54 seconds of video of people standing and walking and a voice on the overhead that you can’t hear.

On the other hand, was this really a “flash mob” at all? I’m open to the fact that it can still be a flash mob if it is a group of people only singing and not a group of people doing the dance from “Teenwolf,” but as far as I can tell it was just open to SCSO members so there was really no mob. Don’t mean to split hairs here.

UPDATE: The Bee’s Ed Fletcher is picking up what I am laying down.

Early flooding at Discovery Park?

Trail Closed SignsThese were not up in the morning

I was surprised to encounter flooding at the 2.5 mile marker along the American River Parkway this morning on my way to work. So much so I had to turn back and navigate my way to the Arden Garden Connector toward Truxel.

Discovery Park itself is quite flooded, too. Is it normal to flood out so far along the Parkway? My guess is the overflow area is actually the source of the, well, overflow.

UPDATE: Here are some photos I took on my home this afternoon… Continue reading “Early flooding at Discovery Park?”

Open thread: What to do about these Kings?

Is regicide the only answer?

Well, that sucked. There were some bright spots, most notably getting ‘Reke back, but otherwise not good. So, open thread especially for us mostly out-of-the-loop-don’t-really-care types to suggest what can be done to salvage this season. I’ll start off the discussion: More jazz bass. RIP Wayman

P.S. Sac Bee, what is the deal with the URLs lately? That one literally has “asdf” repeated about a dozen times. Is this a thing I don’t know about? Does purposely trying not to have SEO lead to greater SEO?

A very Midtown Christmas!

Swanberg’s, via Yelp

If the rain lets up in the middle of the day this weekend, and you need to head out to fill your stockings this holiday season by patronizing some local shops, the nexus of 24th-26th and Jay Street is your best bet. With shops like University Art, Fleet Feet, Dragatomi, Book Collector, Mixed Bag, and Swanberg’s, there’s bound to be something for everybody. The family and I strolled it over the weekend and it’s a fun time even for the little ones.

As a counterpoint to my own post, I’d like to get something off my chest. I do love University Art but I have to say that shopping there the last few years hasn’t been the same experience as it once was. I can’t quite pin it down but something about their offerings for kids is not doing it for me anymore. All the art supplies for kids lean toward the Crayola/Rose Art side of things — stuff you can get for much, much cheaper at Target. There are lots of kitschy/retro toy items but for some reason it seems disjointed. It seems like what originally made it such a great shop was the odd crafty kits for kids and that seems to be lacking from the current product lineup. Has anyone else had this feeling?

Continue reading “A very Midtown Christmas!”

The Prodigal Daughters Return

Hi kiddos,

If, like me, you lamented Agent Ribbons’ move to Austin, TX…rejoice!  Deck the halls, in fact.  You’ve got not one but two chances to see them before we ring in the new year.

This Saturday: Luigi’s Fun Garden at 20th and J.  All ages — and Dog Party opens, so it sounds fairly kid-friendly.  Can’t decide if I should tell my daughters and let them get all agog for the rest of the week, or if we should just drag them there as a surprise.

Already have plans for Saturday night?  Well, you’re in luck: the Ribbonses are playing again on Wednesday the 22nd at The Shady Lady, 1409 R Street.  Never been there myself, but I’m looking forward to checking it out…

Oh, and just a reminder: while it’s a shame The Crocker 2.0 is no longer free Sunday mornings (understandable, given what the incredible new wing must have cost) the third Sunday of the month is “pay-what-you-can.”  Since the weather is turning inclement, it’s a great way to spend the day.

Take care!

Open thread: Local holiday shopping

I was inspired by Stickie’s post about giftable local eats, so I’m starting an open thread for ideas, tips, rants/raves, reviews on local holiday gift shopping. I know that this is sort of a strange topic since we’re an online blog (as opposed to an offline blog which is just standing on a corner and shouting) but we’re also all about local, and there is a certain charm to picking out gifts in person.

We’re a bit behind on ours this year but we love TrailMix.net, University Art, and Gifted Gardener.

I’m a victim!

Where's my bike
Creative Commons License photo credit: Craig A Rodway

I had to leave my commuter bike locked but unattended at the 59th Street Light Rail Station on Tuesday during working hours. I did remember to remove my front wheel and lock it together with my back wheel, and I remembered to remove my headlamp and computer (odometer, speedometer, etc). However, when I returned to my trusty steed at 5:00 or so, my bike was still there but pretty much everything that was not locked down was gone.

Continue reading “I’m a victim!”

Revolution Grand Opening!

Revolution Wines will be celebrating all weekend in their new location at 28th and S. Their previous spot, an industrial space behind a hair salon, was too small for their growing winery and their penchant for serving appetizers while local musicians played. Revolution retained its urban flavor in the comfortable and funky new bistro, tasting room and winery.

All weekend, new releases of Malbec Port, Verdelho Blanco Port and Rio Tinto (a Touriga/Tannat blend) will be paired with selections from their kitchen along with cellar tours, barrel tasting and specials on award-winning wines. All day Sunday, Gina will be serving her famous Chicken and Dumpling Soup just in time for a wet weekend.

Go wish Revolution Wines good luck and prosperity on their winemaking adventure.

Free parking!

The City of Sacramento will be continuing its popular free parking program this year starting with Black Friday. Metered parking is free after 4:30 p.m. weekdays and all day on Saturdays and Sundays from Friday, November 26, through Friday, December 24. There is also free parking at the East End Garage for the first 90 minutes and $1 per hour thereafter, up to a maximum of $5. Free parking at East End is weeknights 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. and all day on weekends.

The metered parking is bounded by L and I Streets and Front St. and 29th.

Free parking map (PDF)

“East Sacramento” Target?

Mrs Cool pointed out that the new Target store on 65th at US 50 is labeled the “East Sacramento Target.” As this store is firmly located in Tahoe Park East, I would like to start an Internet campaign to refer to this as “Tahoe Park Target.” (This will start just in time to keep the political fires burning.)

The folks at Target may have been going for a strictly geographical appellation, but what they failed to realize is that so were the folks who named our neighborhoods. Who’s with me? I’d love to give my TP some love, but are there any neighborhood experts who have an even more precise neighborhood designation?