So it seems that this is the end of the road for Single Gal. I never thought I would be typing this, but I finally can take the moniker “Single” off my name—for good. I must break the news that I am getting married.  There, I said it. I will never be called Single Gal ever, ever again. I have found someone who is willing to deal with my whining, and my ability to talk about the same things over and over, without wanting to strangle me.

On Thanksgiving, it’s always a good time to think about what we are thankful for. Sometimes we race by in life and don’t ever take that time to ponder.  So please add what you are thankful for this Thanksgiving.

It has been discussed here before many times about how to make San Jose a cooler, hipper, more “it” place to be, but it seems as if Campbell may have cornered the market on “it.” Whenever you seem to meet a nice, young person in the South Bay, if they don’t commute back and forth from San Francisco, inevitably, if you ask them where they live or where they spend most of their time, it’s Campbell

Last week, regardless of what side you were on, was one we won’t soon forget. When is the last time you saw people standing in crowds cheering and weeping over the election of a new leader? I remember the feeling when Clinton was elected, the feeling of sheer optimism that here we had this smart, sharp, young new President, but I think that pales in comparison to the feeling that prevailed last Tuesday. I was watching inside a bar, and at the Sharks game, and here was an undeniable buzz I hadn’t heard or seen before. Now what happens from here remains to be seen.

I am feeling patriotic today. The historical significance of this national election is something we have never seen before, and I love the feeling of optimism, that perhaps a change will be made today in our country that will affect our lives for the better.

Even if there is little a new President can do to get us out of the gaping hole that “W” put us in, it’s nice to have that positive feeling. Even if it’s for a fleeting moment. 

It seems as we get closer to the election most voters have made up their minds and are just waiting to see how things fall. I heard someone today ask another person, “Is there any way Obama can lose?” And the prevailing opinion is that he has it in the bag. But why?

Have the people who have underlying prejudices against African Americans shelved those for this election? Or did John McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin inspire voters to fear his dying in office and Palin becoming President?

As we gear up for the election in a few weeks, I thought about a few situations that bring up a question for our public schools. We have all seen the advertisement for Proposition 8, where a little girl comes into the kitchen and tells her mom that today in school she learned that a prince can marry a prince and she can marry a princess. Then the deep voice comes on and says something to the effect of: “Don’t want this to happen to you? Well it can!” (A scare tactic at it’s worst, isn’t it?)

This raises the question: Should this topic be off-limits when it comes to our kids?

As we trudge through October, reading about the Great Depression and the Dow, layoffs and 401Ks, we also listen to the Presidential candidates promise that their way will be the way out of the slump we are in.  So who are we to believe? McCain makes promises and slams George W. and his own party for many decisions they have made. Is he part of the problem and now washing his hands of it now that it’s convenient and opportunistic for him? What can John McCain do to get us out of our slump? In the same vein, Obama has no problem pointing out the mistakes of a Republican President and how things would be different with a Democratic President such as himself in the White House.  But can Obama really make changes that will last and get us out of Great Depression, the Sequel?

Everywhere you look, everything you read, spells out impending doom. Every picture of Wall Street traders shows them beaten down, frustrated and worn. Companies are going under like an old man slipping into a bathtub. Layoffs. Bankruptcy. Takeovers. And then there are the banks.

We were always taught that having a bank account is the single most reliable and safe way to keep your money.  But now, with banks failing and on the verge of failing, does having money in your mattress and overflowing out of piggy banks make more sense?

I think that after years of writing about San Jose on this site, I have come to a realization about the crux of the problem with things in our city.

Week after week, I have become a broken record talking about what’s wrong, what’s right and how to make San Jose the place we want it to be. Many of you agree and more disagree. Many of you think that I am downtown-centric—you’re right. And many of you think things are never going to be better, no matter what.  But I was thinking about why they never will be different. And the reason is that those in power don’t think things are that bad.

More news from the “Where have I been?” file, but has anyone noticed what the culture is like at a 49er game now? I went to the game on Sunday, the 49ers vs. the Detroit Lions, and I was shocked at how different the culture of the crowd had become since I last was there.

The last time I set foot in Candlestick Park (it was actually Candlestick then, and I was happy to see on Sunday that it has changed back to Candlestick) was about 1998. And there have been a lot of changes.

September just has a feel to it. The weather is changing, the nights are a little colder, school is back in session and summer seems to become a more distant memory as each day passes.

I started thinking about how much I enjoy the end of September and look forward to the beginning of October for many reasons. The weather seems to peak that first week of October before it starts to rain, Sharks season is right around the bend, and into my head popped the San Jose Brew Ha Ha Festival. Then I wondered, “What happened to it?”

Over the past weekend, San Jose experienced a crime rate similar to one of the most dangerous cities in California. With three shootings within a few hours, San Jose is starting to become less like the “sleepy city” we talk about. Should we be alarmed, or was this violence just an anomaly?

With each Labor Day weekend that comes and goes, we realize that we have not quite had enough of summer and that the chill of winter is not far off.  But more than that, beyond the change of weather and the start of school, it’s the end to the freewheeling, weekends-away, vacations-with-the-kids lifestyle of the summer months.  So here’s to embracing the change that we all dread, and the things we look forward to.  What would you like to see happen this winter in San Jose?

This weekend San Francisco held one of its largest outside concerts, Outside Lands, which featured 60 acts on six stages in Golden Gate Park’s Polo Fields. More than 60,000 attended over the three days. Headliners such as Beck, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Radiohead, Jack Johnson, Primus, Steel Pulse and Bela Fleck, as well as many local bands, took the stages from Friday evening to Sunday night.

It’s no secret that I am single and young (in my mind), and with that comes a fervent passion for all things shopping. I wouldn’t call myself materialistic, but when it comes to new clothes, department stores and boutiques, I find myself one of America’s great consumers—always on the lookout for something new and better to wear.