why i'll miss Berkeley

there's a good chance the commute to my new job will force me out of Berkeley within the next year. if i leave, i will sorely miss this crazy place. but evenings like this go a long way toward convincing me that i can stand the daily three hour commute longer than i thought.

i got off the shuttle tonight in West Oakland a little before 7. driving home, i passed the Tuesday night Berkeley Farmer's Market over on Derby Street. (incidentally, that's two blocks from the second place i lived in Berkeley, about 8 years ago.) i decided on a whim to stop and pick up some goodies. the air was still warm, the light just starting to dim, and even while some of the stands were packing up, the market was still crowded. i scored some luscious heirloom tomatoes, a butternut squash, and a hearty handful of okra.

i got home, changed clothes, chugged a glass of Gu2O, synched my iPod to get the day's NPR podcasts, and took off at sunset for a run up Spruce. this has become my favorite workout and a surefire way to get my endorphin fix when time is short. the sunset was gorgeous and the views of the bay from Spruce were spectacular. by the time i reached Grizzly Peak and Marin (more than 800 feet above where i started), there was only the barest trace of color behind Mount Tam and the Golden Gate Bridge, the city was lit, and i could see stars overhead. (the beauty was lessened only by the smell of clutches burning as i walked down Marin.) coming back down Cedar toward home, i passed Gregoire. the sidewalk window into the kitchen was open, amazing smells were wafting out, and a dog was standing on its back paws at the window, resting its front paws on the windowsill (leashed to it's owner, a couple feet away). as i passed, the chef was saying "shake" in a french accent, and rewarding the dog with scraps. i wondered if he was getting the Australian lamb chops with garlic cream or the grilled Coho salmon...

these days i only get 2-3 hours at home in a typical night, which is difficult to bear. but maybe it would be harder to not have nights like this one, no matter how short.