Last month I mentioned that I would be going to FanFest next Saturday. I’m pretty excited to go, perhaps not for the reasons you might think.

Plans for 2019 ⁦@Athletics⁩ fan fest on Jan 26th at Jack London Square! pic.twitter.com/Ral66s3mt4

— Chris Giles (@chrisgiles01) January 17, 2019

I’ve talked a lot about my misgivings over the lack of accessibility at Howard Terminal. I’m glad that the A’s and the City of Oakland are creatively looking at ways to bridge the gap between the nearest existing BART stations (12th Street/City Center, West Oakland, Lake Merritt) and Jack London Square/Howard Terminal.

I think it’s best if I spent a good deal of my time determining just how easy (or difficult) it will be to get back and forth between the waterfront and the transit hubs. It’s going to pull me away from many of the normal fan and family-related activities at FanFest, but I’ll stick around for the starting festivities. The schedule:

9:30 a.m. – FanFest opens to the public
9:45 a.m. – Player Welcome Walk from Scotts Seafood down Water Street to the Ferry Lawn
10:00 a.m. – Welcome Address and Player Introductions
10:30 a.m. – Q&A Sessions begin on Ferry Lawn Main Stage
10:30 a.m. – Food Trucks open
2:00 p.m. – FanFest closes

You see, when I planned this trip last month I was on a pretty advanced track in my stroke recovery, lengthening my walks and regularly going to the gym. I also extended my available unsupervised time at home, and I thought I was in the clear in terms of my health.

On January 3rd, I woke up with vertigo and dizziness, so I couldn’t go to my normal program that day, let alone keep any food, water, or medications down. While the vertigo went away after 24 hours, I felt lightheaded throughout the entire weekend. I eventually checked myself into the local emergency room on Sunday (January 6) and got an MRI on my head. The MRI came up negative, which meant that even though nothing was found, it’s possible I had a transient ischemic attack, commonly referred to as a mini-stroke. (Previously neurologists found numerous brain infarcts.) Net result: I was told to add a daily baby aspirin (blood thinner) to my regular meds and was sent on my way.

The next week was a whirlwind for me personally, as I was recovering from whatever I was dealing with AND I was set to start interviewing for full time employment. The whole point of the recovery program is to get me back to work. I sent a bunch of resumes out, interviewed with three companies, and received multiple offers. I chose one of those offers last Friday. My first day on the job is on February 4. I’m excited about starting work again, ever the eager beaver. Thanks to all of you who supported me over the last year and beyond. Next weekend I’ll have a chance to talk with friends and family in the Bay Area, a fun weekend before I start work in earnest.

Back to FanFest.

My plan is to take a Capitol Corridor train from San Jose, arriving at the Amtrak Jack London Square station before FanFest starts at 9:30 AM. I investigated the possibility of taking Caltrain to SF and then hopping on a ferry across the bay, but the schedules don’t run early enough on the weekend. I’ve spent much of today compiling all of the various ways to get to JLS on public transit. I figured I should share that info.

Other notes:

• I haven’t been invited to any media sessions for FanFest yet.
• I intend to walk the full length between JLS and BART at least once with friends.
• The free Broadway Shuttle does not run on weekends.

Questions? Suggestions? Meetup ideas? Drop them in the comments.

Trip planning resources:

Google Transit
AC Transit
BART
Capitol Corridor
San Francisco Bay Ferry