Bump And Grind

Your Boulevardier met an old friend -- actually, his junior high music teacher -- for coffee at Peet's early this afternoon. The gentleman wanted advice on a new gadget he had purchased, and Your Boulevardier was happy for the excuse to get together and chat -- about musical instruments, electronics, mutual friends, travels, and the joys and complications of life.

Not long before we arrived, a car just outside of Peet's had missed its parking spot and plowed into Marshall Steel Cleaners. Your Boulevardier does not know the circumstances or if anyone was hurt.




This incident isn't the only automotive excitement in town. Last night after 9:00 p.m., as Your Boulevardier was driving home from a rehearsal, he noticed the CHP directing traffic at the intersection of Santa Maria Avenue and Castro Valley Boulevard. It turns out a vehicle had crashed into the control box that's planted in the lawn near the bus stop between Rigatoni's and the corner. (Truth be told, Your Boulevardier had never noticed the box before.) This rendered the traffic lights nonoperational.

Hit the Bench

On Sunday morning Your Boulevardier noticed that the bench and trash receptacle by the Castro Village sign seemed to have taken quite a beating recently.



Anybody know what happened?

Whac-a-Pole

The bright yellow posts between Pet Food Express and Chipotle are built to be hit by cars and trucks that do not quite make the turn into the adjacent driveway. They seem to have done their job once again. Your Boulevardier noticed that the canary columns were all akimbo this afternoon, the asphalt at their bases cracking and lifting. Closer inspection showed that the poles, rooted in and filled with concrete, are set in position to protect the pipes hidden in the shrubbery behind them (and visible near the leftmost pillar in the picture; remember, readers, that you can click on any photo for a larger view). The sacrificial stakes served this purpose ably, and now resemble a Roman Numeral IX. Better nine than eighty-six.

Monday Morning Meanderings

Basking in his newfound fame, Your Boulevardier took to the streets this morning sans chien. (She will come home this afternoon.) The usual haunts were visited: Peet's, where a skeleton crew scrambled to keep up with orders; and the Post Office, where a line of impatient patrons stretched out the door at 9:30 a.m. and parking had begun to get, shall we say, creative.

Around town, a few bits of weekend randomness were noticed. The corner of the curved awning at XOTek Windows (at the intersection of Castro Valley Boulevard at Nunes Avenue) had, apparently, been struck by a tall vehicle; stucco lay in chunks on the sidewalk below, and scrapes were visible in the fascia. Across the street, the large concrete refuse container by the Blockbuster Video bus stop had been pushed from its moorings to a random location. (For what it is worth, the container on Redwood Road in front of Safeway, near to Peet's, was shoved from its appointed spot months ago and has never been relocated.)

Your Boulevardier walked up Castro Valley Boulevard, then turned north on Lake Chabot Road a piece. He noticed that the former professional office buildings across from Eden Hospital are being deconstructed from the inside out. While Sazio's Italian Restaurant, Sushi-Ya, and Theadora's Salon seem to cling to existence (though Yelp describes Sushi-Ya as closed), the establishments surrounding them are vacant and stripped to the studs, while the exterior remains largely unaffected. (Gutted like a fish, a sushi-eater might say.) A peek along the culvert behind the buildings finds that the structures' innards have, for now, been tossed out back; from the street, the parking lot looks clean and tidy. This demolition strategy confuses Your Boulevardier, since the debris will need to be hauled back through the buildings before it can be trucked away -- unless, of course, the buildings themselves will be demolished, in which case heavy equipment can be used to scoop up everything. But if that's the case, why bother with the interior demolition in the first place? Why not do as was done at McDonald's -- simply crush the buildings and pick the valuables out of the rubble?

The Power of the Pole

Your Boulevardier, accompanied by the Trust BoulevarDog, trekked into downtown Castro Valley this afternoon. (The reason for this journey will be revealed soon.) Upon arriving at the intersection of Castro Valley Boulevard and San Miguel Street, he noticed telltale piles of white ashes in several places on the street. It did not require much more investigation to notice that a PG&E crew was hard at work on San Miguel, just north of The Boulevard and across the street from Blockbuster Video.

According to a flagman who was directing traffic (while conversing on his Bluetooth headset), a car had taken out the first telephone pole on the street last night. The crew was replacing the pole; a crane and several trucks' worth of electricians were on the job.

It's never good to be in a serious collision, but if one must be in a crash, it is perhaps less awful to do so within 50 yards of a fire station, as this person had done. Emergency response would be swift, no matter the hour. Your Boulevardier hopes that nobody was hurt in the collision, but it takes considerable force to damage a telephone pole so he is not optimistic. If readers have more details, please provide them in the comments.

And Speaking Of Things On The Move

Here's a startling bit of video of the aftermath of a car crashing into a dentist's office on Redwood Road. Video is from the Castro Valley Forum.