January 18, 2019
Dear Everyone:
Thirty-some years ago, the bottom dropped out of the “xxx” market,
temporarily, and the Company decided to cut back on some planned
expenses. That included the
intended second half of Company Park here in “Pleasanton”.
Originally, the Park was going to be a really, really big figure
“8”, about one mile long and a half-mile wide.
Instead, the Powers That Be determined that a square mile would
be sufficient.
The Company sold what would have been the second half of the “8” back to
the Development Company from which it had originally been purchased.
The Development Company promptly donated a large Open Field to
the City of “Pleasanton”; in return for which the Development Company
immediately got the permits it needed to build that second half of the
“8” into a very prosperous business park.
The Open Field was going to be developed into a “City Center” for
“Pleasanton”. It was going
to be State of the Art everything, including a real
City Hall, shops,
restaurants, multiple hotels, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink.
But then, economics stepped in and the plan was put On Hold for a while.
Every time the economy started looking better someone would drag
out the old plan for the “City Center”, with new bells-and-whistles.
Then the economy would take a downturn and the plan would be
shelved again. Rinse.
Repeat.
A few years ago, the Development Company decided to start the whole
thing up again, with revisions, of course.
For one thing, they judged that it would be best to “uncouple”
the new City Hall from what was really going to be a shopping center.
So, the City Hall was built by the same Development Company on a sliver
of the Open Field. Big Grand
Opening a few years ago. It
really is a lovely edifice, complete with a two-story
rotunda at the
open end. I’ve actually been
in there a few times, having convinced the
City Clerk to host a Records
and Information Management (RIM) Symposium for City Clerks back in 2017.
It was very well attended, since it was free, with meals
included.
Having succeeded with that part of the plan, the Development Company
decided to tear down one of its older business parks and build its
shopping center down the street from the original Open Field.
Of course, it would require more permits and the widening of the
road, all at the Development Company’s expense, of course.
The new shopping center officially opened just in time for Christmas,
although most of the shops are still “Opening Soon!!!”
And there’s a new state-of-the-art cinema, too.
My neighbor, “Phoebe”, and I decided to check it out this week.
Of course it has the latest in “luxury reclining seats”, complete
with motors. You push a
button, and the front goes up and the back goes down, and down, and down
until you’re completely stretched out.
But that’s not all.
Each seat boasts an articulated arm holding a table tray.
There’s a broad shelf between each seat.
And one arm of the seat includes a round button.
Press the button and it lights up.
In a short while, a server arrives to take your order from one of
the laminated menus on each shelf.
Seriously. In addition to
the usual popcorn and
hot dogs, and maybe
nachos, they also serve various
hamburgers,
tacos,
quesadillas,
flatbread combinations galore, and full
meals, if you want. Nothing
like eating short ribs while lying flat on your back, I always say.
Or indulge yourself in
filet mignon with
mashed potatoes,
cipollini
onions, baby carrots and trumpet mushrooms, all in a red wine demi
reduction. Perhaps you would
prefer cedar plank salmon and grilled
polenta with roasted
asparagus and
citrus beurre blanc.
Turn the laminated menu over and there’s the drinks list.
How about washing your popcorn down with
champagne?
“Phoebe” opted for the Kid’s Menu and had a hotdog, with plenty of
mustard and relish, followed by sliced green apples and I don’t even
know what else. I made do
with a small popcorn and
Diet Coke.
By the way, the (matinee) price of admission, for us seniors, was $18
each.
As for the movie itself, “Phoebe” refused to watch
Vice, a comedy about
Dick
Cheney, so we settled on Aquaman. This is one of
the plethora of Super-Hero-Based-on-a-Comic-Book movies that now abound.
The character of Aquaman was first introduced in the 1940s, so the
producers can be forgiven for naming their creation, “Arthur”.
Any (obvious) parallels with the legends of
King Arthur, or the
Greek Hero, Theseus, may simply be coincidence.
The film stars Jason Momoa, a
Hawaiian-born actor whose career seems
based on his physique. This
is not an actor who plans to portray
King Lear in his later years, no
matter how many times he can
bench-press Cordelia.
Hopefully, he’s making a great deal of money and investing it wisely.
There are lots of up-and-coming young actors whose names I have already
forgotten. It is peppered
throughout with more established actors, like
Nicole Kidman and
Willem
Dafoe, just to keep it interesting.
And, of course, it is riddled with flashy special effects.
Like “Jeannie” said, at the end of
Avatar:
“Lots of pretty colors.”
Lots of actors “floating” in the water.
Various pieces of the “Lost Continent” in different parts of the
oceans.
If you are inclined to see this film, I do recommend using one of the
new theaters with their really, really big screens.
Otherwise, it would just be a lot of water and scrambling colors
and very hard to follow.
Rest assured, the Hero prevails; and the Villains are left alive,
prompting “Phoebe” to hope that a sequel will take place.
Meanwhile, back at the Open Field that the Development Company had
donated to the city thirty-some years ago.
It once again appears to be in the opening stages of development.
Perhaps we’ll find out what it will become in time for
Aquaman II.
Love, as always,
Pete
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