i woke up this morning to find my friend sent an e-mail....the subject read... Gone, All Gone
i opened it and this is what i found.....
Kepler's, the storied Menlo Park independent bookstore that drew loyal
customers from across the Bay Area, abruptly closed Wednesday, leaving book
devotees mourning another casualty of the battle with the major book chains.
For half a century, Kepler's kept its place in a tiny coterie of notable Bay
Area bookstores where browsing was encouraged, where politics and poetry were
cool, and where readers could depend on well-read employees for smart
recommendations. Jerry Garcia hung out at the store in the 1960s before the
Grateful Dead. So did Joan Baez. And for decades, book lovers could meet Jimmy
Carter, Nick Hornby or Kazuo Ishiguro without going to a big city.
From midmorning on Wednesday, customers arrived to find a locked door and a
sign that declared Kepler's was a victim of the economic downturn. ``As much as
we love what we do and would like to continue another 50 years, we simply
cannot,'' the sign said.
Customers' faces crumpled in disbelief. Many reached for a cell phone to
spread the word. Some just turned away speechless.
Fellow independent bookstore owners knew Kepler's as one of California's
literary landmarks.
``I'm going to cry,'' said Faith Bell, owner of another Peninsula independent
bookstore, which just celebrated its 70th anniversary.
But the Bell family bought its Palo Alto store building in 1952. Clark
Kepler, who took the store over from his father Roy, had last negotiated a lease
for a 10,000-square-foot space on El Camino Real at the height of the Silicon
Valley boom, said Menlo Park's economic development director Dave Johnson.
About a year ago, Kepler consulted with Johnson and other city leaders on a
strategy to renegotiate his lease with the Tan Group, Johnson said.
A woman who answered the phone at the Tan Group on Wednesday said the company
had no comment.
Clark Kepler also didn't return telephone calls Wednesday.
The store's Web site carried his parting message: ``In today's political and
social climate I would like to be there with you and for you, providing books
and writers with varied ideas and provocative opinions, but the constancy of
change will not allow it.''
Johnson said Kepler had told him he ``simply ran out of cash. . . . He told
me he's on the route to bankruptcy. . . . He also apologized for the weird way
in which he had to handle it.''
Kepler called all his employees to a 10 a.m. meeting Wednesday at the store,
then locked the doors, drew the shades and gave them the news.
``All of us were kind of worried when the ordering and receiving people were
all sent home last week,'' said Jennifer Brundage, a children's book specialist
who worked full-time at the store. Even though she was only earning $8 an hour,
she said, she loved talking to parents and children about books.
``Roy would roll over in his grave,'' said Katie Burge, a former employee
referring to the peace activist store founder, Roy Kepler, who died in 1994 of
Parkinson's disease.
Burge passed the store on her way for coffee at the cafe next door and
stopped short when she saw the sign. Her theory was that Kepler's kept too much
stock on hand. And the big chains, she added. ``Amazon killed us.''
The number of independent bookstores has dropped by half since major chains
started spreading in the mid-'90s, according to independent booksellers industry
groups. Fewer than 2,000 remain.
News of the store closing spread fast through the book publishing community.
By 3 p.m., Trish van Dockum at Harcourt Books in San Diego had gotten word. As
so many others, van Dockum was shocked to hear the news. ``It was surprising,''
she said. ``Of all the independents, I wouldn't have suspected they would be
having problems.''
Kepler's author readings were standouts, drawing full and sometimes overflow
houses to hear writers from Molly Ivins to Al Franken to Barbara Bush. Celebrity
authors Lauren Bacall, Jane Fonda and Bill Cosby packed the place. Salman
Rushdie, who was scheduled to appear again next month, and Wen Ho Lee brought
controversy. Daniel ``Lemony Snicket'' Handler, Brian Jacques and Chris Van
Allsburg drew huge crowds of children.
The steady stream of visitors who approached the locked doors on Wednesday
included Menlo Park public librarian Cathy Smith. ``It breaks my heart,'' she
said. She and the other city librarians came to Kepler's on their lunch break.
And, of course, it's where she bought books. ``I don't know where to go,'' she
said. ``I can't imagine where to go.''
Kepler's celebrated its 50th anniversary in May with great fanfare and a huge
community turnout.
``My dad had a vision of what a bookseller's role in society was,'' Clark
Kepler said in a 2004 interview. Roy Kepler determined that his bookstore would
be a community place where readers could find a book on any topic.
Karan Das-Grande, 10, was just his kind of customer. The boy's hands went up
to cover his face when he read the closing sign. ``What? What! My soccer
magazines! From England!'' he said. ``This is the only place I could get them.'
Dear Friend of Kepler’s,
After 50 years of bookselling in Menlo Park, Kepler’s is
going out of business. The decision to close our doors has been
one of the most difficult in my life. As much as we love what
we do and would like to continue another 50 years, we simply cannot.
The economic downturn since 2001 has proven to be more than we
can rebound from.
I want to share my sorrow with this ending. Kepler’s has
enjoyed the support of this community from our inception in the
1950s, through both turbulent and joyful times. I feel blessed
to have personally served as this community’s bookseller
for 26 of those years.
In today’s political and social climate I would like to
be there with you and for you, providing books and writers with
varied ideas and provocative opinions, but the constancy of change
will not allow it. So, I want to express my heart felt gratitude
and appreciation for your support over the years. It has been
wonderful.
Sincerely,
Clark Kepler
since so many people have been to that store i wonder if there will
be any community action... b/c there should have at least been a
fight?!? i guess... ::shrug:: oh well.... 
OUR WEDDING
ummm... yeah... so i'm married now... just that sounds weird....i think
we're still getting used to it... and it will take awhile for it to
sink in....not that we don't have people reminding us everying 5
seconds 
... i mean we're the same... just the titles are different... the whole
husband and wife and mr. and mrs. thing is all new to us... i mean even
the thought of us saying it makes us giggle.... but SLOWLY getting used
to it.....
we have really no pictures from the thing b/c i wasn't taking
pictures so sorry NO PICTURES... well maybe a few that i got from some
people but other than that it won't be as colorful as some of my
weekend trips
the day before our wedding we had a just family and a few friends
chinese banquet.... and we did the chinese tea pouring (yum cha) for
pat's family and some of my family participated.... i really didn't
know what to expect b/c i'd NEVER seen one before and didn't quite know
what to do.... but luckily i listened well and was able to say stuff
okay... only minor glitch was getting my heel caught on the back of my
dress but i was okay.... the food was yummy and it was fun having the
two families come together and meet... our two grandmas seemed like
they could have been friends for years! haha... they're awesome
afterwards went back to the claremont and we worked on the slide show
and different things and i around 1-2am i thought i'd try to sleep....
and right when i was about to fall asleep i hear an ALARM! the fire
alarm went off and didn't go off for half an hour until the fire dept
came to say it was a false alarm.... grrrr...
THE BIG DAY
woke up early and got ready and in the mean time trying to get our
slide show pix together... my sister came over and she did my hair and
make-up (THANKS AMY!!!!!!!!!)....
and b/c i have such thick hair it took awhile... tried to eat some
breakfast but wasn't really able to eat that much.... drove over to the
church to do a quick run through and then ran to hurry and get my dress
on and get ready.... while waiting there was a lot going on.... people
coming in and out of the bathroom... saw people who i was relieved to
see and stressing out before the ceremony....
THEN moved to another room for more anxious waiting..... and then the
music came on! the bridesmaids (janel and margaret)... and then us... i
think i never grabbed onto my dad's arm so tight.... when it was our
turn i came out and saw EVERYONE LOOKING AT US... and CAMERAS POINTED
RIGHT AT US! that FREAKED me out! i thought i was gonna
die! but i managed to walk down and try to not look nervous and
then i saw my family! a few of whom yelled out and eased my
nerves.... phew.... but throughout the ceremony i was really nervous...
but seems like everything went okay...and finally being with pat up
there i felt better too.... although my veil was giving me some
problems... it's okay... then pictures and stuff... and we drove off to
the claremont
went back to the room for a short bit and then had to go down and take
pictures....it was nice to rest a bit... then had to go back up and
change into my kimono... when i went into our room EVERYONE was
there... kinda annoying... but luckily people left... at least the ones
that needed to be there were there... my dad's cousin's family who we
visit every year we go to japan were there and helped me put on the
kimono in like 20-30 minutes (the professionals... none of that 2 hour
bs that people were telling me)... then my sister had to do my hair...
poor thing with a lot of stress and no brush she pulled it off!!!
(another THANKS AMY!) and finally down to the reception....
by then a few people were already drunk (30 minutes after the reception
started).... and we were introduced .... when i went it it was
beautifully decorated... all the months of planning and the little
details all came together and i was happy! first thing we did the
bouquet toss and my bouquet was heavy so i didn't want to chuck it too
far so it ended up falling a little short but my sister caught it
before it hit the ground... (THAT'S MY SISTER!) although part of it was
on the floor b/c of the impact when she caught it.... brian got the
garter we had a few welcome speeches from the dads and family
introductions.... and the party was on....
mainly what was on my mind at the time was FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD! i
was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HUNGRY... when we went up for the buffet i tried
to get a lot of food but i coudn't try everything.... we had like
different food stations... japantown (japanese), chinatown (chinese),
north beach (italian), mission (steak), the wharf (seafood), and i
forgot if there was more... but almost any type of food you could
find... well those general ones so it was a variety which we really
wanted people to have b/c not everyone ate the same thing... and we
wanted to have different things... not the usual wedding meal
(chicken/beef).... so it was nice... and seems like it was a big hit
with everyone...unfortunately i didn't get to eat everything... and
just watched it all go away while people came up to talk to us... but
it's expected to not eat that much... *sigh* but it looked soooooooooo
good!
everyone danced... my whole family was out there and crazy (well i
guess my mom's side... ) and there was a congo line that went around
the room... it was pretty awesome... and everyone was having an awesome
time... in the mean time we had a slideshow that ran through out the
entire reception of pictures of us through the years... which i hope
everyone at least saw themselves in the pictures... b/c we tried to get
everyone in there...
we had pass the rock at each table to the ROCKY song... and people got
a rock/mineral when the music stopped and the 3rd person to the left
got the centerpiece which was BEAUTIFUL.... all different colors and
smelled good too!
i don't quite remember what order everything was in but it went by fast
in a blur... but it couldn't have been a more perfect wedding for the
two of us... it was nice that all we had to do was sit back and relax a
bit and see how everyone enjoy themselves... we were happy to see
everyone there and glad that everyone had a good time... that's what we
wanted... 
THANKS to those who all came out to share our special day!
PIANO
it's times like these where i really appreciate it... so......... i
started back up again... taking lessons... it was really weird....
playing in front of my teacher again after all these years...but it was
nice... trying to play some of the ones i had been working on... not
quite as happy with how far i'd gotten with the pieces but that was
fine... and he asked what i'd want to do... and told him i wanted to
start playing a new piece besides the old ones to start new... but it
gets even weirder... i had "the tempest" in mind, but i thought i'd see
what he'd come up with... well i told him i wanted classical b/c i like
the challenge... so he grabbed the beethoven sonata book and said he
thought i might like "the tempest"!!! WEIRD... and the funny thing is,
is that i really liked the 3rd movement... and he picked that one out
for me to play!?!?! talk about psychic!?!? after awhile it was almost
just like old times... although i think i was a little awkward
playing... usually i just go and do it... but i was slightly
hesitant... but i've been practicing... and it's nice...
on a side note... pat got to meet my piano teacher who's also from twin
falls!?!? and he's eaten at pat's parents' restaurant... talked briefly
b/c there was another kid after me... but whatever... it was nice
again... i can't wait till next week! 
WARNING...RANT to follow... 
i hate old tires.... for about a week or so i had to deal with about
20-something tires that were ILLEGALLY DUMPED on my grandma's property
next to the store.... what the heck.... b/c it's NOT public property
it's our problem and WE have to deal with it.... so you have to PAY to
dispose of the tires.... i called around and for the cheapest place... so we had to WASTE time and WAIT in line... luckily
the guy that was helping me was nice... but super busy... some of the
other people working there sucked ass....i think i was also hot so i was
NOT in the best of moods but still... i'm glad i don't have to deal
with it anymore.... okay i'm done... i probably could write the WHOLE story but i don't want to.... i'm sick of it!
las vegas
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