On MLK day one of my roommates and I headed over to Jack London Square and rented kayaks. We paddled for about an hour and made it a good distance down the inlet, but not all the way out to the bay. The shore is lined with cranes, tug boats and huge cargo ships and several sailboats and a ferry whizzed by us as we slowly fought our way against the current to get a good view of the bridge. It wasn't the most scenic adventure I've ever been on, but it was pretty cool to launch from a pier five minutes from the heart of downtown Oakland, and as I’ve always found paddling to be, it was extremely relaxing.

Things here at St. Vincent de Paul are going well. On Tuesday the men’s center hooked up an antenna to the television and watched Barack Obama’s inauguration. I didn’t have time to watch all of it with them, but it was inspirational to see people from all walks of life engaged in the political process, which is clearly what Oakland and many places around the country desperately need.

The deadline for submitting Homeless Court applications is approaching next week so things are busy around here. Also, next Friday I’ll be heading back down to Camp St. Francis in Aptos for the re-orientation retreat, which will hopefully be a good time. There's a beach and a basketball court, so I assume I'll manage. That is all...