Gon-dole-a or Gone-du-la?

My girlfriend swears by the later, and she has been to Venice, so I am inclined to agree. It still doesn't ring right in my ears though... No matter, because one way or another you will not care as you are being whisked around Lake Merritt this Sunday on a free ride in one. Oaklandish, who were supposedly the inventors of urban capture the flag (sounds pretty awesome), are blasting underground radio tunes over the oasis and serving up food, beer and free gondola rides all day. Check THEIR SITE for more details. According to past participants and funcheapsf.com, it is not an event to pass up!

I don't usually like watching sports, but I really want to see the Oakland A's play at least once this season, and come on, actually being at a baseball game, not to mention paying only $2 for that honor (5.50 once you factor in service fees), is pretty rad even if you are not a big sports fan. . . So book your tickets for Sept 23rd before they sell out of cheap ones. Since the healthiest offering at the park are french fries, pretzels, and ice cream, stop by El Jalicience Taco Truck on your way there. The only question is where are we drinking beforehand. . . ? It's a little creepy sounding like a frat boy so I am going to go now....

Buy your tickets HERE

Two Mile Wines, End of Summer (Nooo!) Party

Though I still am not ready to embrase even the conception of the summer winding to a close, I will probably be at Two Miles Winery this Satuerday regardless. Not only is it an unexplored treasure that is practically in my backyard, but afterall, what better way to forget about shorter days and colder tendancies than to drink away any recolection of them. Opps, that's not what mature and wine savy efectionados like us do! They promise to have a DJ, some art, bites to eat and wine wine wine! I am guessing that they will still be charging, but hopefully some good discounts will be on offer. You can find more information on their site: http://www.twomilewines.com/

It's my birthday and I'll invite you if I want to (please come...)

So rather than going out to an expensive dinner, or having people climbing over each other in Natalie (my girlfriend) and my small studio, I have decided to invite you and anyone you know to meet up with me at Abco in Oakland this Saturday. If you haven't been there before, here is the deal: Abco is a cooperative living/artstudio/who-knows-what, that occasionally hosts parties. This particular night they will have bands and a grill set up that you can BBQ on. You can bring your own alcohol and drink and smoke and probably even shoot-up in the corner freely. Yeah!! They ask for a "donation" for their services which is usually around $2 and never more than $5, and the party starts at 7pm (I was thinking of getting there at 8ish) and goes till the last person drops. Should be a lot of fun... If for some reason it isn't we can always make the trek over to Cafe Van Kleef or any of the myriad of downtown Oakland bars. In addition to being my birthday on the 25th of this month, it was also my good friend Steve Wai's birthday about a week ago so come celebrate us both! Hope to see you there! If you have never met me before check out the invite on facebook so you know who to buy a beer for :) http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119570263929

Tonight Tonight, duuu duuu du du

Ready for a night that's a little out of the ordinary? Yeah? Well then after you spend some time at Art Murmur, and attend the sure to be fun Best of the East Bay Party, which includes free entry to the Oakland Museum, head over to Numi Tea. Tonight they are celebrating their 10 year anniversary, and if rumors prove true, they know how to party. Admission is based around donations -5 bucks should be fine- and well worth the music, snacks, and fire dancing you will be relishing inside. I am excited to know now that Numi is based out of Oakland, for all you fellow locavores, you can't get much more local than that! Follow the links above for more information...

Travel Across the Bay for Free Beer and Concert, I Think Yes.

As mentioned previously, there are always those random events that call for a trip into our less-rough-around-the-edges cousin, San Francisco. This Thursday just happens to be one of those occasions, but you need to act quickly. The event is sponsored by Amstel Light, who will be providing beers free of charge, while you revel in the blissful, and sometimes not so blissful sounds of Shiny Toy Guns. The host promises to deliver "a unique nightclub experience fusing art, live music, dance and DJ’s in true Amsterdam style." But RSVP quick before they run out of space!

You can do so by emailing HERE , and mentioning SF Station in the subject heading. Thank you to SF Station btw for the heads up.

time: doors at 8pm
location: Ruby Skye