9/29-10/3
We hate coming down on the middle of the fence (ouch!), but the way things have been going for the Athletics lately, Oakland fans have every reason to be concerned … or elated. Compared to the last few seasons, when the A’s soared into October with spectacular late-season home records, the A’s have been mediocre at home as of late. Heck, even the opposing players have taken to physically attacking the fans, a reversal of past season scenarios. But considering how the A’s have been bounced from the post-season in the first round the past few seasons, maybe it’s good that the team members are hitting the post-season with a little limp and a big chip on their shoulders (depending how they do with the five remaining games on the schedule). The odds are still steep against Oakland adding a fifth championship flag to the top of Mt. Davis, but crazier things have happened. They play Seattle Wednesday and Thursday, ending the season with games against Anaheim Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Info: Oakland.Athletics.MLB.com— A.J. Hayes
Eric Byrnes Credits: Al Cameron
Sat 10/2
Nurture Nature
Bugs, the Field, and U
This weekend kicks off Creeks, Wetlands, and Watersheds , the fifteenth annual conference by the Watershed Project. Each weekend offers bay-wide activities (usually two, occasionally one) designed to get kids and adults, educators and parents off their duffs and out into nature. This Saturday, check out insect activities suitable for students at “Garden Bugs: The Good, the Bad, and the Wiggly” in San Leandro from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Or, at the same time in the Marin Headlands, learn how to “Draw Your Own Field Guide” and determine connections between science and art. Info: TheWatershedProject.org or 510-231-9430. — Stefanie Kalem
Tue 10/5
Fight Like a Girl
As they go through life, girls and women are sometimes challenged to kick actual, physical ass. If and when the time should come, some skills are awfully handy, not to mention the confidence that having those skills will bring to various nonviolent situations. Dara Connolly has combined her considerable experience and knowledge of tae kwon do, yoga, and other martial arts to create Kurukula Self-Defense for Girls , a workout cocktail of karate, kung-fu, and tae-bo. Tuesdays from 6:15-7:15 p.m., Dara teaches kurukula to young women aged nine to sixteen at Albany Karate for Kids, 718 Talbot Ave. $15 per class, $109 for a month’s worth of unlimited classes. For more info, call 510-847-2400 or visit AlbanyKarateforKids.com — Stefanie Kalem
