Thursday evening is going to be a huge night. Huge in that there is a lot of work to do, people to meet, facts to reel off, and discussion to be facilitated.

If I didn't already tell you for the thirtieth time, I am hosting a community meeting in a neighborhood in Berkeley.

For the last 8 weeks, my partner Jackie and I have been studying in a neighborhood in North Berkeley doing a parks and open space assessment. We've mapped, surveyed, posted fliers, posted more fliers, interviewed "key informants" (so far an old lady that has lived in the neighborhood since '77 and the legislative assistant to the City Councilperson). I've drawn, sketched, visualized, photographed, and engaged with young school-age children. I've gone so far as post my cell phone number in public places all over town in the hopes of getting more information from residents (though, oddly, only two people have called in a month....this whole affair probably doesn't strike the same chord with them...). It's been a helluva lot of work dappled with moments of triumph. And it all culminates on Thursday evening when we hash it all out with the community and tell them what we've found.

God wish me luck. I do hope I emerge unscathed. People have been known to suffer injuries at Berkeley community meetings. The hippies....they're fiesty ones.