Mission Mission

Hot new look for the summer – a gently worn, authentic Eddie Bauer bag. Real deal Mission District grime and good times embedded in the thread. Stop being a Chrome drone or Timbuksnoozer and get some stylee. Guaranteed to keep your booze brisk and your tacos crisp while you’re chillin at Dolo parque this summer. Nuff said!

It’s a drink on the menu at Rock Bar. First it’s great because it’s fun to order. Then it’s great because it contains Powers Irish Whiskey, Averna, St. Germain, and Angostura and creole bitters.

(The new bowling machine was not immediately enthralling, but it could grow on me.)

We were all pretty bummed to find out a while back that Valencia Playground and Pool was closing for renovation that would take over a year.  While we welcomed the idea of modern improvements like a new turf soccer field and futuristic playground equipment, there were also a number of concerns voiced by the community regarding access to these improvements, since the other recently created soccer fields in the Mission (Garfield and Franklin) have replaced the free-form pickup nature of the sport with rigid scheduled blocks restricting use that are a massive pain in the ass to reserve.

While efforts were made to reach out to the primarily-Latino footballers who played in this park and agree to a compromise on when the area would be available for free use, there was some skepticism as to whether the new allotments and enforcement would be fair.  Well, starting next week we finally get a chance to see how it will all work out, according to Patrick Hannan from the City Fields Foundation:

The full park will open later this summer but the new soccer field will “officially” re-open with a small ribbon-cutting ceremony at 930am on Tuesday, May 22 followed by some soccer play with the students from Everett Middle School. The soccer field and Valencia Street play area will remain open through the rest of construction.

Please join us! Should be a nice event and you can be among the first to try out the new soccer field.

Of course, not everyone seems happy about the news:

What’s the deal with every new playground not having shade? I can’t wait for this place to open, but it will probably take 5 years for whatever stupid little tree they put in to grow enough to provide shade. I’ll just have to take an umbrella.

and

I guess Im the complainer here. I hate this park. First they “accidentally had to cut down all of the beautiful huge mature trees. Then they removed all grass with cement (I mean side to side, front to back). Then they put in a bunch of kids shit even though there is a full great kids area just a few feet away. I hate it.

And those both seem to be reasonable points.  What’s your take on the situation?

Previously:

• They’re closing the park
• Valencia soccer sucker punch melee
• Mission Playground adds new concrete rubble pile play area
• New wave Valencia playground sprouting
• The sun sets on the playground of the future

They played a sold-out show at Slim’s last Thursday night, and I’m sure this rendition of “Bitchin’ Camaro,” full of praise for San Francisco, Philadelphia, reality television and gay marriage, was a highlight:

(Thanks, Uselysses!)

Relatively new pie pusher Mission Pizza has finally published their menu and boy the choices are overwhelming! Three types of Mission themed pies plus a Mexican Mariachi to boot. Somehow though they’ve amazingly been able to procure all toppings at the same cost. No matter your slice, you pay the same price! The only variable in price seems to be pie size. Any theories as to this egalitarian pricing scheme?

SFist reports:

[A] representative of the now-shuttered bowling alley was spotted checking out the space left vacant by a Delano’s Market at 27th and Geary. Adding some legitimacy to the rumors that Serra Bowl could eventually re-open out in the avenues, the alley’s owners recently posted on their Facebook page, asking for help scouting out spaces large enough to house a bowling alley. [link]

Meanwhile our former Delano’s is going to be a dumb Fresh & Easy or something?? Tragic!!

Pretty and locally made. Now in stock at Pushbike:

These awesome rucksacks from Freight Baggage are very popular for a daypack. There’s a drawstring closure under the flap, waterproof vinyl liner, and the same great straps as on all the Freight backpacks/rolltops!  We got a couple medium rolltops in stock too and lots of hip packs! [link]

They’ll go quick, so get thee there quicker. (Because one of these beauties would make a great addition to your history of backpacks.)

When Thee Oh Sees play Brick & Mortar Music Hall, something special happens. It’s an intimate venue with a serious sound system, and those are two qualities that really lend themselves to epic Oh Sees shows.

So we’re very excited that the band is playing at this venue again this Wednesday night, with the Mallard, Burnt Ones and Warm Soda opening up. And we’re excited that we get to give away a pair of tickets! If you’d like to play, tell us in the comments section below why you deserve to win. A winner will be chosen based on merit. Contest ends tomorrow (Tuesday, May 15, 2012) at noon.

(To be safe, you might also want to buy tickets here as we’re told the show is very close to selling out.)

For now let’s watch this new Oh Sees video, which depicts what is clearly a typical 24 hours in the life of an Oh Sees tour:

[Video via the Bay Bridged] [Photos by the Tens]

Now here’s a set of pipes you can bring to the park without worrying about cops.

[photo by potential past]

Tim Harrington, the Art Director and Animation Instructor at BAYCAT (where I’ve spent my 9-5 for the last 8 years) did an offsite animation workshop at his wife Ali’s 4th grade class at Dianne Feinstein Elementary School last Friday. The result was too good not to share. Gotta love San Francisco’s diversity.