Sunset for Cinema

I've just finished a week of working at our Cupertino site, which has fewer Redwoods and more chaparral, not to mention a bigger creek and better views at the tops of the hills. There are fewer trails though. There was a boy with Down Syndrome in my group, and he was super cute and super excited to be there. There was also a boy who said he wants to be a biologist when he grows up. He even brought his own field guide with him, and I saw him referring to it from time to time.

During the week, we got a bit of rain, although it rarely got heavy. Just enough to bring out the newts and moisten the dust.

Speaking of childhood, the local dome theaters that marked the landscape of my youth are falling one by one. The Century Theaters were once five: Century 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25, but now they are three, 25 and 24 having been reduced to rubble in the name of "progress", although the way I see it, "progress" is usually just a euphemism for greed. Developers are swooping in with their avaricious plans. The three remaining domes have fallen under the jaded gaze of the people who toppled the old Town & Country shopping center across the street, where the sprawling shopping dystopia called Santana Row malevolently squats. It looks like Santana Row is soon going to engulf the property where the domes currently reside.

Last week, I happened to be near the remains of another old movie theater, the Meridian Quad. The only physical evidence that it was ever there is this sign:

Why was I there? I was inside the pizza place getting face painted by clowns. Yes, clowns need to practice this kind of thing. I then went to work, where my coworkers weren't surprised at all. In fact, my boss didn't even ask why my face was painted. I love my job.