Mexican restaurants to try

There was a very active discussion about this at work, so I'm noting down the best-sounding options before I forget 'em:

• La Fiesta, in Mountain View
• Estrellita
• Los Charros
• Los Portales
• La Bamba

Though of course, nothing will ever replace my favorite Palo Alto Sol.

Flood?

Out here in California we don't get what you Easterners call real winter weather - at least most of the time.

So I'm just here to tell you that today, it's raining. It's raining so much that the creek depth near my house, which was 0.0 feet yesterday, is 7.0 feet as I write this.

And how do I know that? I know that because Silicon Valley likes its toys, and so the City of Palo Alto has installed an electronic Creek Depth Measurement Gizmo somewhere in the actual creek, and the resulting data (complete with Creek Cam views!) is available on the Palo Alto creek monitor website. I can check it obsessively from my desk at work as often as I like! Oh goody!

Will my house flood? Will it not? Only time will tell!

Microbrews!

The purpose of this post is entirely self-indulgent. A new hire at work sent out a desperate plea to old-timers, asking where he might acquire some local microbrews. I'm saving their replies here for my own self-indulgent delectation. Haven't tried any of 'em yet, but soon, soon. . . .

The best result: somebody's done a cool integration of Google Maps with Pacific coast breweries.

And now, the rest of the list, in no order whatsoever:

Magnolia, a brewpub at the corner of Haight and Masonic in San Francisco: http://www.magnoliapub.com/

21st Amendment, in San Francisco: http://www.21st-amendment.com/

Beach Chalet, in San Francisco: http://www.beachchalet.com/

Pyramid, in Berkeley: http://www.pyramidbrew.com/alehouses/berkeley.php

Jupiter, in Berkeley: http://www.jupiterbeer.com/

Triple Rock in Berkeley: http://www.triplerock.com/

San Francisco Brewing: http://www.sfbrewing.com/

Rogue Brewery (from Oregon, but have a pub in SF)

Thirsty Bear: http://www.thirstybear.com/

Mountain View's Tied House: http://www.tiedhouse.com/

Faultline (mediocre reviews): http://www.faultlinebrewing.com/

Devil's Canyon: http://www.devilscanyonbrewery.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7&Itemid=15

Half Moon Bay brewery: http://www.hmbbrewingco.com/

Firehouse Grill and Brewery: http://www.firehousegrill.com/

Not a brew pub, but reputedly has a large selection of good beer on tap: Toronado on Haight St (between Steiner and Fillmore): http://www.toronado.com/

Microbrewery of mead (not beer): Rabbit's Foot: http://www.rabbitsfootmeadery.com/

Mendocino County: Mendocino brewery in Hopland, Anderson Valley Brewery in Booneville, North Coast Brewery in Fort Bragg