It was a dark and stormy night. No, really. The rain fell in punishing waves and the wind whipped the trees like a dungeon master. There were voices, too…shrill, torturous sounds coming from the sea that was thrashing about, just yards from my bedroom window.
My mind was racing. 400 years of history were flashing before me as I lay in my bed on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Wind and weather forged this chain of four islands – spits of land surrounded by sea and constantly shifting sands.
Nelson Stoll on the set of the TV showTrauma
MONTCLARION: April 23, 2010
It makes sense that a man who works with noise for a living would also seek out solitude. Nelson Stoll is an award-winning Hollywood sound engineer who’s worked on some of the industry’s biggest films, including the Oscar-nominated Total Recall in 1990. But when he’s not capturing sound on a Hollywood set, he’s in tune with the sweet sounds of nature at his idyllic retreat in the Oakland hills.
“One thing I like about Montclair is, it’s quiet,” Stoll says. “The house I have has about a dozen trees, and there’s a small creek running through the yard. That’s pretty special.” Continue reading
CONTRACOSTATIMES.COM: MARCH 5, 2010
We’ve all shared elevators with strangers. In my case, however, they’ve been stranger than most.
In hotels across America, I’ve ridden the lift with some unorthodox travelers.
A pot bellied pig got off on my floor at ski hostel in Colorado.
In Memphis I rode up to my room with a badling of ducks – the famed Peabody ducks, if we’re name-dropping.
I’ve seen cats and dogs and even a goose in elevators – all as mascots or guests of hotels. Continue reading
MONTCLARION: March 5, 2010
Peace, love and joy. Who can argue with the powerful images these three words invoke?
I must confess, I have a weakness for uplifting messages – especially if they come in a handsome hardcover book or a glossy greeting card.
So when local artist Kay Kopit’s Art & Soul collection came to my house, I was immediately drawn to the eight little affirmations that fit in the palm of my hand.
Kay has spent two years on this collection of what she calls transformations. The colorful cards feature her original paintings and words of hope in the face of despair. No stranger to the hard edge of life, Kay, herself, has fought the demons of addiction and dysfunctional relationships. Her poignant documentary I survived is viewed by thousands each month on her website. Continue reading
There’s snow in them thar hills….
Hills Swim Club with a snow-capped Mt. Diablo in background - photo by Shad Wojtala
CONTRACOSTATIMES.COM – October 16, 2009
Once a year my husband partakes in an out of town male bonding ritual. He 
and a pal pick a city in which to immerse themselves in football. First, it’s Friday night lights with a high school game, then college ball on Saturday and the church of the NFL on Sunday. It’s understood that the wives aren’t welcome and frankly, I’m fine with it. Normally.
MONTCLARION: October 9, 2009
Are we a little jittery – or what? When a low flying plane buzzed the hills, last week, some people ran for cover. They thought we were under attack, or at the very least, were in danger of being hit by a malfunctioning aircraft plummeting to earth. Turns out it was part of a military air show for the Cal/USC football game.
It reminds me of the time I checked into a hotel on Galway Bay in the Irish town of Salthill. Weary from a red-eye flight, I closed my shades to get a little shut-eye and was suddenly awakened by a squadron of screaming jets outside my window. The room was literally shaking and I thought certain we were under attack. It turned out to be a multi-national air show in the wake of 9-11 – an incredible display of military might. Once my heart stopped racing, I realized my good fortune. I had the best seat in town. Continue reading
MONTCLARION: OCTOBER 1, 2009
To know them is to love them. Nine little storybook homes in Montclair’s quaint Fernwood neighborhood are being featured in a self-guided tour next month, put on by the Oakland Heritage Alliance. If you’ve never been inside one of these whimsical 1920’s homes, they are an architectural treat. They look like a page from a fairytale, with their secret gardens and picturesque bridges that crisscross Temescal Creek. For more information on the tour, see http://www.oaklandheritage.org/fernwood.htm. Continue reading
MONTCLARION: September 25, 2009
GOOD THEATER has a tendency to tweak your comfort level. I knew that going into “American Idiot” at the Berkeley Rep, but the temptation was too strong to resist. Here was an album of angry punk rock set to a story line — and delivered, untested, on stage. All I knew was that Green Day was local and I actually liked a couple of their crossover hits, like “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.”
But despite the fact that I didn’t fit the audience demographic, I completely bought into the angst and idealism that exploded on stage. It was a 95-minute firestorm of rage and redemption, told through the poignant words of 13 songs written when the country was bitterly divided over a war and a presidency. Continue reading
Every neighborhood should have a way for folks to get together and cultivate common interests. We all need to look out for one another! A little food, some libations and even entertainment make a block party the social event of the summer. ..like this moonlight bash on Merriwood with master didgeridoo player Stephen Kent.
