And have been horribly remiss in my participation in other blogs. Today alone, I took a training call at 7:00 then at 9:00 drove 2 other adults and 5 kids to the San Francisco Symphony, then the same 2 adults, and 4 of the kids to the SF Bay Model in Sausilito (I didn't lose one kid, he's a kindy and needed to go back), then drove them back to school arriving at 4:00 which is an hour and ten minutes past when they actually get out of school. It was a great field trip, but that many kids in the car was too much! At first it was boys in the way back and girls in the middle row, and I switched to one each on the way home, and it was still a loud zoo! I wanted them all to fall asleep, but no such luck! Then it was home, quick snack and off to Tae Kwon Do until 6:00, then cooked a fast dinner of stir fry. The Dude had put on the rice while I was gone. Dinner, reading, relaxing, the boys to bed, and now I get to see what all I missed at work today! ACK! And then I wonder why I have high blood pressure.
I have been continuing to read your blogs, but have found no inspiration to comment, or be remotely witty. I just want to veg, but I will be back at it again tomorrow!
This was an incredibly busy weekend with emotional ups and downs. Friday was another Happy Hour Play date, this time with Bellinis and head wounds! The Bellinis were delish - frozen peaches and Proseca, and the head wound was attributed to bouncing off a giant ball and into other kids - this was after human bowling, but before the potential for chainsaw juggling. Of course, I completely forgot about The Youngest's baseball practice, and damned him to the bottom of the roster for Saturday.
While The Dude napped, I took the boys to watch my nephews' baseball game. They played really well, and my oldest nephew had the save as the closing pitcher! I have no clue how he can handle that kind of pressure, but he did, and very well too! By the end of the game, my sciatic was not happy, and the boys were whinny, so it was back home for dinner.
This is looking at Chevy's in Pleasanton, Southwest from where I stood.
Oracle has a campus a short walk from the station, looking Southeast.
Looking Northeast, the Dublin side houses a Regal IMAX Cinema and large shopping center that looks just like far too many others dotting the highways of America. All of the stores are chains, and it's all very homogenized...
The outbound side of the platform, and a train heading to San Francisco. It takes about an hour by train to get to SF.
This shot is the inside of a nearly empty train, and I filtered it to make it look more bleak.
I altered the lighting on this shot to make it look much grittier than it really is. This is the suburbs, and the station is pretty clean.
This is the empty bike rack. It it usually pretty full during the workday, but by the time I got there, everyone was already home from work.
The final image is the entrance to the station from the Dublin side - lighted glass brick pillars. I like glass brick, and it is going to be a part of the dream house, where I will live.
The tubes, Not the tubes!
Now I know how a fish feels after being caught in a net!
Happy Tuesday all!
Denica's is a bakery and pastry shop. I have never eaten here, but The Dude's step dad works nearby and has said the pastries are very good.
Moving on to Lunch and Dinner, there is an abundance of restaurants, however most are franchises that you could find nearly anywhere else. Los Pericos is the taqueria near the boys' Tae Kwon Do studio, and the food there is fairly good, and really reasonably priced.
For upscale Mexican cuisine, you need to try Casa Orozco. There are only two of these restaurants, both in the tri-valley area. It is family owned and operated by the Orozco family. When they first opened, Mom and Dad would come out of the kitchen on your birthday and sing to you, then pour you a tequila shot! It made for many happy birthdays! Way before I was vegetarian, I would eat the Chile Colorado, and as far as I know, it is still the best around! the Dublin location used to share a building with a Foster's Freeze, but in recent years took over the entire building and renovated beautifully!
There is a host of Asian Food here as well, with two Asian specific markets. My favorite Chinese restaurant in the world was Great Szechuan in Livermore, and I would kill for their dry fried string beans. Alas, the family sold Great Szechuan, and I have not been able to find the same beans, nor recreate it on my own. They were spicy and salty, and had no meat! That having been said, I do like China Village. I've been going here since I was a child and first learned how to use chopsticks. 
I do not have a favorite Sushi place, as a vegetarian, I can find good veggie sushi almost anywhere, and we are so near the coast (though certainly a drive), that fresh sushi is not a problem. Amakara is new in town - this building was once a Sizzler, then a pasta place. It seems like a very popular restaurant, the parking lot was crowded at about 7:30 Thursday night.
Athens Burgers hosts many after ball game dinners and end of season parties. As far as I can remember this spot has been a sports bar of some sort for decades. they used to have fine Greek dinning in the back, but now have changed to banquet facilities.
Finally, we have McNamara's, the upscale Steak and Chop House. This is where people go for anniversary dinners and marriage proposals. It has an intimate atmosphere, and very good food.
I hope you enjoyed the mini tour of West Dublin's unique eating establishments. I can personally vouch for most of these places, and if you want to know about any others, drop me a line and I'll give you the scoop!
This first image is a flower. I shot it following an early morning rain over this past winter. If you know what kind of flower this is, please let me know, as I'm completely clueless about them! The next image is a pomegranate that was smashed open on the walkway to school. I liked the randomness of it, paired with the order of the seeds themselves.
This is C.R. Doodlebug, a very cool toy store, and above is the new location of Gary Patrick Salon. Gary cut my hair for a while, until he snipped the top of my mom's ear.
This is Murphy's Paw, a dog toy and accessory store, and the dog bowls outside the door.
This is the barber pole without a barber, and on the opposite corner is Baci a good restaurant according to my mom.
The view around the corner includes Hap's which used to be a dive diner, and is now an upscale Steak and Chop house with ala carte prices. 
The next corner brings a view of Downtown Yoga. I have several freinds who come here for yoga and love it!
Cross the street and we have what was Kolln Hardware for as long as I can remember, and it was so much more. You could buy a yo-yo or a lamp with a stained glass shade.
The next block contains some vacant store fronts and then there's Round Table Pizza. I've eaten here countless times, and it's a popular after game hang out for teens. 
This next place really takes me back. This is Dean's Cafe. This is a breakfast restaurant serving three pages of omlets. You can see their menu in the second shot. This place has been around forever, and used to only occupy the area under the first two awnings. The third awning used to be home to a sub sandwich shop. This was before Subway, before Togo's, before Quizno's.
This sushi place used to be my favorite restaurant, Cabana Dave's. Cabana Dave still caters and enters BBQ contests. It's too bad though because he had an AWESOME bread pudding recipe! Before Cabana Dave's, it was called The Outback Pub and Grill, that is until the Outback chain of restaurants opened and sent the owner a letter. 
Across the street is The Rose Hotel. On this site used to stand a St. Vincent DePaul. Now it is an upscale hotel, and the only one in downtown. 
This is a sampling of the traffic at lunch hour downtown. 
Past the bank and yet another brick building is this cute little gift shop. It's been a gift or card shop since I was small. 
Next is this tiny gas station, which has always been here on the corner.
Across this street, is another brick building, housing a pasta restaurant, and what used to be The Roxy Theater, which is now The Wine Steward.
This is next to teh Wine Steward, and is our Tack Room and Western Wear Shop. Yes, this used to be a ranching and farming community. 
With the hats on the shelves. 
This next place is now Blue Agave, a mexican restaurant and tequila tasting bar. I worked here as a bartender and cocktail waitress when I turned twenty-one, and it was called Hacienda Del Sol. The basement of this house has an entrance to the tunnels under the town. Originally, this was a hotel and brothel and also a moonshine running station. 
This is the museum, and used to be the police station when I was a kid. 
Towne Center Books is independently owned, and a great place to browse and buy books. The owner is very nice, and they love people coming in to shop! 
This is a day spa, and relatively new. 
And the bicycle shop, that has been a bike shop for a very long time. 
Another vacant business, and this one specialized in some very cool and tropical home decor. 
Pleasanton Jewlers is where I got my class ring in High School, and it still is selling them, along with other fine jewelry. 
Pastime Pool is the dive bar. When I was younger, you could find the jockeys from the nearby racetrack hanging out. 
In this building is Victoria's Salon, where I used to get my hair done. They are very nice, but my hair guy moved, so I did too.
This is a new restaurant I want to try. The menu looks good, and I like Mediterranean food.
Main Sushi has very good food, and the main entrance is fancier, but I like this door better!
