It’s a beautiful, warm, sunny day. I should be outside working in my garden. What am I going to do? Drive to L.A - #1 smoggiest city in America. I understand it's been in the 70’s there all week, but today and tomorrow its supposed to be cloudy and cold.
It’ll be like I never left home.
Saturday, February 05, 2005
W.U.D.
Super Seeds
I went to The Mint last night expecting to see The Filthies, but found out shortly after arriving that they are playing Saturday night. Another band, called Seed, was outside playing instead. Keep in mind, these are free shows. VERY rarely does The Mint attempt to charge people to come in. Nine times out of ten, when I walk out to the patio to see band at The Mint, I turn around and walk back in again. Last night I stayed.
I was really impressed with Seed’s sound but I don’t think I am hip enough to describe it accurately. I don’t want to say anything that will come back to haunt me or them, so I’ll just say they sounded great. It is the first local band I’ve seen in a long time (wait – ever?) with a keyboardist. There are four guys in the band and I spoke to the lead singer, Chris, briefly after the show.
I’ve been thinking of adding a “Bake Interview” feature to the blog so hopefully I will be able to speak to him next week and let him tell you about Seed.
Friday, February 04, 2005
Beans
By R.G.D.
Maria Diarrhea
Had it awfully bad
She never left the house
And was terribly sad
Her mother said it was
The germs on her plate
Her brother said it was
The monkey brains that she ate
Her father said “It’s a stage
It will pass”
Her sister gagged and said
She had the stinkiest gas
Maria Diarrhea
Didn't want to be rude
But all along she knew
It was because of
The magical food.
I woke up in the middle of the night and wrote down this poem about two years ago. I would love to try and publish a book of poetry for kids. I have a few others, but not enough. Noveltown got me thinking about all this stuff again. Thanks Noveltown!
C.S.O.B.
A dirty, old, Ford SUV with a HUGE (I’m talking gigantic) sticker of a fist with the middle finger up on the back window. Under the finger, in big, bold letters, reads “It must suck to be you.”
Now there’s a dude with class.
Top Ten Places to go in Bakersfield
1. The Kern River Canyon. This is a beautiful area and a great place to get away for a relaxing picnic. There are even natural hot springs if you know how to find them. But, don’t even think about swimming in the river.
2. CALM. The California Living Museum is really cool. They have a lot of information about local plants and wildlife, a small zoo full of animals found regionally and an awesome aviary. It’s really neat to see the birds of prey up close. The spring and fall are the best seasons to visit.
3. Pioneer Village. Going to Pioneer Village makes you feel like a kid all over again. I have probably been there 50 times, but I never get tired of walking in and out of those old houses to gawk at the mannequins in their antique clothing. They have made a lot of improvements in the past few years, so if you haven’t been in a while you need to soon. And check out the Kern County Museum while you’re there.
4. Downtown. Like I said before, I love the trees, I love the houses, and I love the shops. Downtown is a great place to do everything. There are restaurants, exclusive dress shops, theaters, art galleries, antique stores, coffeehouses, and much, much more. Downtown is an excellent place to take a walk.
5. The Marketplace. Developers really did a nice job with this shopping mall. The shops are centered around an attractive and pleasant fountain and the walkways are dotted with bistro style tables and chairs that invite you to sit and people watch. There is a movie theater and several chain restaurants and many other locally owned businesses. The only drawback is it has turned into a hangout for the kids and sometimes they run wild.
6. A Basque Restaurant. If you really want the "family style" experience Noriega’s is the best, followed closely by Pyrenees. If you want to have a good time and see everybody in town, go to Woolgrowers and if you want to eat some really great food, go to Benji’s. Basque food is good all the time, but with the soup and all the food, it is especially good in the winter.
7. Go to a show. There are numerous bands playing all over town every weekend. Check them out and help support the local music scene. There are also numerous theaters such as The Empty Space and Stars. Friday night is Flicks night at the Fox where they feature independent and foreign films.
8. The Bluffs. There have many improvements to this area including grass, walkways and benches. A very romantic place to go at night.
9. Local sports. Personally I love going to the Blaze games. True Sam Lynn is not the finest ball park in the world, but it’s so small town it’s fun! Of course, there’s also Hockey and Arena Football at Centennial Garden. (Ooops – I mean Rabobank Arena.) Even the local college and high school games are fun to go to sometimes and bring back a lot of great memories.
10. The bike path. Take a walk or go for a ride along the Kern River. Just get off your butt and do something!
Thursday, February 03, 2005
The Soda Pop Shop
Does anybody else remember this establishment on the corner of Wible and Wilson near the Valley Plaza? It was not far from Larson's drive through dairy and I used to love going there with all the little glass bottles and trading them in for new bottles of soda in every variety.
Ah - the good ol' days.
Spring comes early
It feels like spring. It even looks like spring. A slight breeze blew in this afternoon and cleared the air. It’s 67° outside and I am going to go work in my garden.
A rose by any other name
The re-naming of Centennial Garden to Rabobank has many local folks all fired up. I’m not crazy about Bako selling out either, but some people just take it too far. One guy basically called the City Council a bunch of whores and several people suggested we’re going to be selling the name of our city next.
Considering all of the negative connotations associated with the name Bakersfield, I think renaming it might not be such a bad idea. I still don’t like the corporate name thing, but if you could – what would you rename Bakersfield?
No fair using the Bako nickname list.
No land - No job
I woke up at 5 o’clock this morning to the sound of what I thought was The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse charging up the sidewalk. All of a sudden there was a loud explosion sound followed by a heavy, wet, thump noise. I fully expected to find the carcass of very large water fowl on my porch. I found my newspaper instead.
The news inside the paper was just as terrifying as it’s delivery. A headline on the front page reads, “Northwest land being devoured by new homes” and a headline on the front page of the local section reads “No jobs to be found here.” Now that’s scary.
The article talks about how CSUB students were told on Career Day recently that if they want a job after graduation they should move. I don’t get it. If so many people are moving here and the land is being “devoured” by homes, why aren’t there any jobs for college graduates? And who in the world is buying all these houses?
"Best Bakersfield Blog"
Excuse me (sound of throat clearing)…I hate to interrupt, but I thought you all might like to know that Bake Town has just become the #1 hit on Google for the search string “Best Bakersfield Blog.” Uh huh, that’s right, you heard me. Now what do have to say Waist High? (sound of crickets chirping.)
That’s what I thought.
My Top Ten Places to Go in Bako in the Past
1. The Florence’s House. This is the place I spent most of my time growing up. It was the place I wanted to spend ALL my time. The Florence’s raised me, in many ways, just as much as my own parents did. They were (and still are) loving, accepting, encouraging and patient with me from the moment I first met them in 1976. I called them my Vice Family. Nearly all of my fondest memories take place in this home. It was the house on the block where all the kids went. We ate, we played, we sang, we danced , we fought, we snuck out, we called boys and hung up, we obsessed over MTV, we watched rated R movies on HBO, we played Hide-N-Seek in the dark and we had A MILLION slumber parties. If it were not for this family I guarantee I would not be the person I am today.
2. Stine School. All of the things I mentioned above are directly related to the fact that I met Flo in the fourth grade at Stine School in Mrs. Waybright’s class. We had the same teacher together every year for three years. Just as most of my fond memories of my youth center around her house, the rest center on our time together at Stine. I asked her to be my best friend on the bus on the way back from Scicon in the sixth grade and she has never left my side since. I am extremely fortunate to have found and connected with such an amazing person.
3. West High. Again, this is an extension of numbers one and two. With Flo at my side, we met and made many amazing friends; including (but not limited to) Amy, Erinn, Michelle, Karen and Maureen. We had many dangerously crazy fun times. Amy's Scavenger Hunt almost got me arrested. And then, of course, there were ‘the boys’ who shall remain nameless. Had it not been for the fact that I was so motivated to hang with Flo and not disappoint her parents and my own, I have no doubt I would have fallen by the wayside and found myself in big trouble in high school.
4. Vidal’s. A HUGE part of my high school life for about year and a half. To be quite honest, if such a place existed today, I know the teenagers would not be so quick to complain “there’s nowhere to go in Bako.” This was the 80’s version of a disco where people of all ages could dress up like Madonna or Boy George and go spin around the dance floor for just five dollars every Friday and Saturday night.
5. The Streets of Bakersfield. Before Vidal’s there was “driving around.” We used to go out with no plan in mind at all and just drive around. The fun of blasting the Violent Femmes or Madness or the Go-Go’s (the list is endless) while driving around town at high speeds and looking for ‘something to do’ provided some of the happiest times of my life. And MANY speeding tickets.
6. Local Band Shows. I can’t give a specific location, but in the 90’s my friends held the heartbeat of the local music scene. Jumping Trains, Crushing Violet, Crawdaddy… all of these bands were HUGE and so FUN! There were many journeys down to LA for shows, but the best of times were found right here and over many nights and many locations.
7. The Old Pub @ CSUB. Props to G for having it on his list. Many more hours than should have been were spent in this establishment. Drinking coffee or tea, listening to the Pougues on the jukebox, swilling beer, smoking cigarettes and debating hot philosophical, literary, historical, and social issues made us all feel intellectual and involved. Many, many good times were had in this location.
8. The Cat (circa 1990 – 1995) Monday night was Cat night - we ruled the pool table and the jukebox.
9. Skate Land. This is where all the skating parties from Church and school happened. They had a game where a small person (like me!) would get into a big metal wash tub with wheels nailed to the bottom and be pushed around the floor at high speeds. It was the only game I ever got picked first for. Many, many days were spent standing by the snack bar wishing a boy would ask me to “slow skate.”
10. The Padre – After everyone moved away and the Cat got TOO LOUD, the annual get-togethers happened here. Small, old school bar with a great jukebox, crazy decor and a fun crowd.
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
C.S.O.B
On the way to work today I was sitting behind a car with an “Abortion stops beating hearts” bumper sticker directly next to a yellow, ribbon sticker that read “Thank a solider.” As I sat thinking about her message I noticed a large truck next to me with a colorful advertisement painted on the side. Just as I turned my attention to the truck, THE SIGN CHANGED! Right in front of my eyes the “bill board” did a little flip and a different advertisement appeared. It totally freaked me out. Right about the time I started to wonder what the ad was for, I saw it change again. What a cool idea.
I want to get one of those on my car so I can flash messages to other drivers. Messages like, “You’re tailgating! Back off!” and “You should not smoke in your car with a child next to you” or "Quit picking your nose. That's disgusting." I'd have fun with freaking people out.
Hot Sludge Fun Day
There’s been a big stink going on lately about L.A.’s sludge dumping in Kern County. I blogged on this topic on 8/1/04, but I can no longer link directly to the post because Waist High threatened me with bodily harm if I did not change my comments forum to please her.
Anyway…some of you may have noticed how passionate folks get around here when they feel like Bako is being put down or made fun of. People not from Bakersfield are equally zealous in their desire to put down and make fun. So, it’s easy to see how this sludge issue has really got people nutted up.
The “Letters” section in the paper is full of people writing in to complain about Kern County becoming L.A’s toilet. We already have enough toilet references associated with this city, thank you very much. Don Maben, 2nd District Supervisor, insists it is not that bad and that Senator Dean Florez is wrong in demanding L.A. stop the flow of sludge. One local reader attacked Maben by calling him a “L.A. transplant.” Ooooo – that’s a low blow.
Now, I’m no expert in this area, but it seems to me if this sludge stuff was in any way desirable A) L.A. would not be so anxious to bring it here and B) it would be called “fudge” not “sludge.”
Bakotopia Buys me Beer
I had my free lunch with Dan the Man from Bakotopia Land yesterday. We had green Kool-Aide, I had a PB&J, he had baloney with cheese and we shared a fun sized bag of Fritos. All right, we actually went to Lengthwise, but doesn’t a PB&J on Wonder Bread sound good?
If you haven’t been to Lengthwise in a while you might have a little trouble finding it. I sure did. There’s a building where there didn’t used to be (which seems to be happening a lot.) It completely blocks the view of Lengthwise. The fact that they have neglected to erect a huge neon sign with flashing arrows doesn’t help.
You might also be surprised to learn that besides having great micro-brewed beer, Lengthwise also has really good food. I especially like the fish-n-chips. Dan ordered the Fire Fries, which are served on an asbestos plate. There is a little cup of mean looking red sauce with the fries and after sampling it Dan had a look of sheer terror on his face. He did not want to go back there. I laughed at him and called him a sissy la la.
As we sipped and munched I told Dan about my evil plot to take over the blog world. Dan listened, nodded his head, smiled nervously and scanned the perimeter for an exit.
Overall I’d have to say the meeting was quite a success.
End of the line
For once the Bakersfield Californian described something exactly the way I would. On the front page of the paper today, under a huge picture of happy customers the headline reads “Hopping on the bandwagon. Another opening day for a national eatery, another line out the door.” California Pizza Kitchen opened its first restaurant yesterday and 20 people were there waiting for it to happen. People around here get so fired up when a new chain comes to town. It’s crazy. When Red Lobster opened in 2003 people acted like it was Second Coming of the Lord. I don’t care if they do have “Jumbo Shrimp,” I’m not waiting in line for 3 hours unless there’s a ride at the end.
Right next to the article is a picture of the line that formed when Krispy Kreme came to town in 2000. One hundred and fifty people were waiting in the line. In front of everybody, at the very front of the line, stood a rather heavyset gentleman sporting an oxygen tank.
I don’t mean to be rude, but I think perhaps he might be better off getting in line at the Jamba Juice nearby.
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Lamontations
This is interesting
In my never-ending endeavors to keep my readers abreast of the latest Bako news, I found this on kget.com (Despite Waist High’s claims to the contrary, this local news station is the true “Spirit of the Golden Empire.”) They're calling the bank Rabo Bank, not Rabobank, and claim it is a New York based company, not Dutch.
Come on legitimate news sources – don’t confuse me more than I already am. Which is it?
Raborank
The news is full of talk about the renaming of Centennial Garden. The Dutch owned Rabobank is offering to pay 2.5 million for the naming rights of the arena. According to The Californian, the official name would be “Rabobank Arena, Theater and Convention Center.” Lord knows they can use the money. Centennial Garden has been losing money since before it opened. I’m sure Bakersfield is anxious to jump on the corporate sell-out bandwagon. Personally, I don’t like it.
Pac-Bell Park, Staples Center, Petco Park – the list goes on and on. It’s awful. I like names that sound like a name, not an advertisement. Names like, The Coliseum and Wrigley Field. Names with character. Names that mean something other than ‘we really needed the money.’
I know better than to try and fight this one. It’s too late. The country is too far-gone. But mark my words - If anyone EVER tries to rename Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium…there will be blood shed.
p.s. I just realized that "Raborank" sounds like something Scooby-Doo would say.
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