Prom 2014, South Bay

How we ended up attending prom...

The website Yelp.com has teamed up with govoluntr.com to encourage users of both sites to volunteer.  As a reward for volunteering at least three hours during a 30-day period in February and March, volunteers are invited to an event hosted by Yelp.  Last year the event was a Good Karma Ball at Castlewood Country Club in Pleasanton.  It was the first yelp event my husband Casey ever attended.  After attending many events between then and now, we were excited to attend the Yelp Helps Prom held this year in Milbrae, with lots of our new friends. February 15, 2014 was the first day you could begin your volunteer hours, and we had ours completed with the Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation that morning by noon!  We had a month to plan for prom because we were guaranteed to be invited.

March 27, 2014 - Getting ready for prom

I found an online deal a couple weeks before prom to get a massage at Ooh La La Salon in Concord. I bought a 60-minute massage for Casey for $40. Prom was on a Friday night, so we were taking the day off of work Friday, and I figured getting a massage after work the Thursday before that would be a nice treat.  While he relaxed, I did my own thing at the salon.  I had purchased a deal for myself: 3 bikini waxes for $40.  After all, the hotel where prom was taking place had an indoor, heated pool.  Never, never, ever purchase a "deal" for something like a bikini wax.  Perhaps you might get lucky and it's a high end salon just being nice, but it's more likely something that is going to leave you dazed and bruised, as was my experience.  No details or pictures necessary here, but let's say Casey had a better time in the salon than I did!

March 28, 2014 - Prom day has arrived!!

Casey and I made sure to get our beauty rest the night before prom.  We slept in on Friday morning - a rare treat for us! We finally got out of bed, packed of things, and loaded the car.  Before we left, Casey went to our downstairs neighbor's home and picked some of her flowers to make us each a fresh floral corsage and boutonniere.

We drove across the bay over the San Mateo Bridge, which was the longest bridge in the world when it opened in 1929.  Seven scenic miles later we were back on land and decided to look for lunch. It was already 1 pm and I was getting hunger-cranky.  I was happily shocked to see a Pizza My Heart location.  The tiny pizza counter from the beach village of Capitola with no room for customers to even sit has expanded to a new location?!  Burlingame PMH was so big! Lots of seating, same great pizza and prices.  We bought matching shirts ($1.75 each) to commemorate Casey's first time there) and some of their amazing hot sauce ($1 each).

We strolled around downtown Burlingame after lunch.  What sort of Twilight Zone city was this?! Here's a breakdown of the stores as you walk down the streets: Hair salon, nail salon, blow dry salon, high end fitness clothing, hair salon, food, hair salon, high end kitchen supplies (Sur La Table, which we did patronize), nail salon, blow dry salon, and maybe more food. At one point we started car watching: Bentley, BMW, Jaguar, Corvette, ANOTHER Bentley, Lexus... etc. So, it was exactly like walking around downtown Walnut Creek, where I grew up.  :)

At 3 pm we went to the Westin SFO in Milbrae and checked in.  Having initially declined a room with a view, we changed our mind once we arrived.  Their "uplift and unwind policy" meant hot tea and live piano in the lobby.  Jillian at the front desk upgraded us at to a Bay View room on the top floor, where we could see planes coming and going in and out of SFO, at no extra cost.  We left the hotel and walked along the Bay quite awhile, before returning and swimming in the hotel's pool.

We had a bite to eat and a couple Bloody Mary's at the hotel's restaurant Grill & Vine, leaving me a little less than an hour to get ready for prom.  Before we knew it, it was 8 pm and we were in line to show ID and get our dance on.  Three hours of dancing and mingling with friends, while drinking complimentary cocktails and champagne and eating small bites, flew by! It was only a two hour event so we felt blessed by the extra hour of fun, but stopped across the street at Aloft Hotel's W Xyz Bar for a last call drink and salad, before we went to bed at midnight. The last prom I attended was in 1999, and about as fun as this one. Except all my friends and I probably kept the fun going past midnight back then!  But then again, my prom date this year got lucky (wink wink), which definitely wasn't the case at my first prom!

Saturday, March 29, 2014 - Going back to our side of the Bay

We woke up at 11 am on Saturday after the best night of sleep I can remember having in a very long time. No cats, no noise, no light in the room: a heavenly combination.  We were granted a 2 pm check-out, so we used the fitness center and took another swim in the big pool.  It had started to rain so we sadly couldn't walk along the Bay again, which would have been a different view now that it was high tide.  It was 1 pm when we left the hotel, once again starving for breakfast.  We met another couple that had attended prom at Nini's Coffee Shop in San Mateo. After a long wait, we were seated and ordering close to 2 pm.  After the breakfast we drove home, stopping on the way to do a notary at La Pinata in downtown Concord.  Three sisters were eating lunch and we happened to be about 10 minutes away when they called hoping to find a mobile notary.  They were thrilled at the fast service and low price. Now it was homeward bound for real, even though we were slightly reluctant to face reality again after the great night out. The cats were super excited at our return. They decided a celebration was in order, and did little dances on our bodies and sang us songs all night long. Oh, how I missed the Westin's comfy, quiet bed!

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Casey and I really had nothing on the calendar for the rest of the weekend, so Sunday we were able to relax at home. I fed our outdoor birds, realizing as I stepped outside that our outdoor rodent had chewed through the thick plastic of the bird food container. Plastic bits and food everywhere; it was a mess!  I really don't want to kill the little guy, but he's stock-piling food in my closet, he chewed a small hole in my cat stroller, and now this! And I can't stop feeding (him) the birds, because they won't come back and nest on my porch without a food supply!  It's been a year-long dilemma for us with no solution in sight at this point since I love my birds so much.

In the middle of the March Madness games I received a call for a notary (of course).  It was at Concord-Dalis mobile home park and Casey went with me.  As soon as I walked in I could smell the recognizable scent of severe illness.  As I looked at the ID of the man signing his health care directive in my presence, I wondered how long it had taken for him to no longer be recognizable as the man in his driver's license photo.  I wondered how long he had to live.  I looked at the sad face of his brother, and his brother's wife.  And then, I told them about prom.  I told them about Burlingame and the posh salons. I told them about our hotel and the pool and the food we ate.  And I smiled and smiled and smiled and excitedly shared everything about my weekend. The three of them listened, and began smiling too.  Something in the room changed. The sick man told me that my happiness made him feel happy, and to not lose my joy.  We left feeling both sad for the loss this family would soon experience, but happy that we had made a difference and been able to bring smiles to a dark place.  My reward for our good deed? A bowl of fried jalapenos and an El Presidente margarita from Chili's Restaurant in Concord.  Yes, it was a good lunch, a strong drink, and a great weekend!

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Mom's birthday weekend, March 21-23, 2014

March 21, 2014

 

Had we not just had delicious lobster ravioli at my in-laws, I would have never offered to make my Mom dinner for her 59th birthday. My North Bay parents recently sampled the sauce-free ravioli at Costco and bought a couple packages. We in turn, hunted down some after four trips to Costco in search! It was sold out almost everywhere, but the Danville location got some in, just in time.  My (East Bay) mother and father, sister and brother-in-law, and husband Casey and myself would all be at the day-early birthday dinner so we prepared two packages. Each one was placed in 6-quarts boiling water for 3 minutes, then drizzled with olive oil. The dinner was fantastic and we only had 3 ravioli left over! My mom had a pretty chocolate cake, but we were all too full to eat any of it!

 

March 22, 2014

 

My mother called me the morning of her birthday and told me she'd gone Costco shopping for all the items I needed (which I'd mentioned at dinner the night before). She also purchased a $200 gift card for me. That's my Mom! That's exactly who she is! It's her birthday and she's spending the day standing in lines to help someone else. Unfortunately I wasn't home to receive her thoughtful presents.  Our friend Valerie came by our house and the three of us drove up to Petaluma, for another great lunch with the in-laws. 

 

We picked up Matchi (Casey's grandmother) at her home across from Wickersham Park. All of us joined my North Bay parents and enjoyed fresh bread and butter, hot potato leek soup, homemade Swedish meatballs with a delicious sauce and large noodles, and a crispy, crunchy salad. After lunch we said hi to two of their fluffy cats, and then Matchi, Valerie, Casey and I all headed to the new Graton Rancheria and Casino in Rohnert Park.

The casino was super nice inside.  It was full of blinking lights and singing machines, all in neat rows. Non-smoking areas were clearly marked and rather than the smell of cigarettes you get in a lot of casinos, it was scented with a light citrus air freshener. It seemed like they had a lot of staff walking around, which is good for a Saturday afternoon, but we also noticed a lot of trash (empty water bottles left on machines, coffee cups sitting on top of machines, etc.)  There are complimentary drink stations where you can order a free non-alcoholic drink or purchase an adult beverage.  A drink woman came around one time only during all the hours we played. This was surprising since sometimes people don't want to give up a machine to get a drink refill.  You'd think it wouldn't be very difficult to staff a brand new casino.  I bet the drink ladies at Cache Creek are making sure people don't stop gambling and get up from machines when they're thirsty. Being that's the next nearest casino, Graton is their biggest competition.

I ate a couple of delicious tacos from the food court. The Casino has a moderate sized food court with pizza, ice cream, The Habit hamburger, and some other options. I went to the Mexican joint and was not disappointed with my little street tacos. I sampled some warm scone treats from the Starbucks next door, and enjoyed people watching before we went back to our favorite machines.

We ended up going home with some money in our pockets, but that was likely because Matchi kept handing us $20s to play with. She spoils me like my own grandmother did. It made me wish I saw my Nana as much as I see her, but she's all the way down in Anaheim Hills and we don't get down there nearly as often as we'd like to.

After dropping Matchi back off at her home by the park, we drove to the other side of Petaluma and stopped to retrieve a dish we'd forgotten at the St. Patrick's Day party the week earlier. It sat waiting for rescue on the front porch, and I was satisfied that my pretty dish was back in my possession. (My own fault for not taking the veggies and ranch dip in a container I cared less about, but it was a happy ending nonetheless.)

We made one final stop and said hi to Casey's Uncle and paternal grandfather, Pa, who live together on that side of town. It was a much appreciated visit and before long we were back on the road, headed home. It was a long, full day spent with friends and family, and our cats were happy when we finally crawled into bed with them.

March 23, 2014



I woke up to my ringing phone and tried to mask the "tired" in my voice as I said hello. Of course, it was a call for a notary. I was happy to hear the couple was across the street and told them I could meet them in 10 minutes. I was out of bed and running to my car 8 minutes later, making it there right on time. After I finished up their quick signatures (no travel fee charged since it was so close), I took the newly earned $20 into Trader Joe's and bought some fresh eggs and veggies. Casey slept a little longer until I woke him up with a hot plate of breakfast. 

My Mom stopped by with my groceries and house supplies while Casey was across the street getting a haircut. It was a productive Sunday so far! We decided to enjoy the nice weather and got our cat stroller out of the back closet. We attempted to put both cats in it together but they just aren't good enough friends yet.  Phyllis won the coin toss and went around the block with us while Regan got some alone time at home. Poor alone kitty with nobody to bully.

We stopped at an open house (condo) on the walk.  I went in to the 1,100 square foot, two story condo and was amazed at the $379,000 asking price. It did have a one-car garage, but really wasn't any nicer than my own condo. An extra 1/2 bath, a backyard patio area, and an enclosed garage were valuable commodities, but that's still a LOT of money for a condo in Concord! Plus, mine has a great location, and this one is on a busy street that you can only turn right out of - forcing you to make a U-turn to go the other way up Treat. Not convenient!  We aren't looking to sell any time soon, but it's nice to know what the nearby values are.

Our final stop for the weekend was an evening dinner party and retirement celebration for our friend Mark Cornelius. He no longer plans to work as an attorney, and is pursuing his acting and singing interests instead.  His band Durt Cheap played at the dinner which was held at the new Pleasant Hill Senior Center. We had a wonderful time meeting new people and listing to the great music.  Plus, the center's full time chef (Susan) catered the event with her husband and the food was just outstanding. Healthy and light, fresh and delicious!  We had a fantastic time at the party, which ended for us shortly after Mark and his band played our wedding song, "Forever and Ever, Amen" by Randy Travis.  We went home smiling with great wedding memories and another great weekend behind us.

From Remillard Park, Mill Valley, to Shorebird Park, Berkeley 1/26/14

January 26, 2014

 

The week of January 20th, Casey and I attended a "Bodacious BBQ Bash" at the Best Lil Porkhouse in Corte Madera. We won the best hat contest, thanks to my Mom and Dad loaning us a pair of matching hats.  Our prize was two tickets to a Sunday afternoon event at the Community Center in Mill Valley. Sunday, January 26th ended up being one of the best days we'd had all year.  (Granted, we were only three weeks into the new year)  :D

 

The event we had won tickets to was called Loving Spoonfuls. I researched the fundraiser as Casey drove the pretty drive into Mill Valley. It was a benefit organized by the Community Institute for Psychotherapy, raising money for the less fortunate families in the area.  The Community Center was packed! The parking lot was full and we circled once before asking a gentleman if he was leaving and following him to his car. We waited patiently as he slowly set himself down and prepared to back out. Another car pulled up at that time around the corner from us and began waiting as well.  We inched forward so that he could see us (even though it was impossible he hadn't already seen us).  Finally, Man #1 backed out in a way which allowed us to pull in first. Car #2 threw a fit and began yelling. I stepped out of our vehicle, approached this red-faced, middle-aged man and explained calmly how we had come about that spot. He sped off, obviously headed to the same event as we were going to.  Luckily it was packed inside the big Center and we never again crossed paths.  Inside we found the top chefs and restaurants providing appetizers, soups, and desserts. The "spoonfuls" we received were mostly small plates/bowls full of food! We were barely able to sample half of the 20 or so challengers.   The three hour event wouldn't be nearly enough time for us to get through everything. We ate until we were full, walked a couple laps around the beautiful field and property, and then decided to hit the road. We will definitely purchase tickets for the 2015 event. (Around $30)

 

We began our drive home and I immediately went into "What's Next?" mode. I was ready for more fun! I saw California Historical Landmark (#917) on our left. The Melting Pot restaurant is located at this landmark on Sir Francis Drake Blvd.  During the period of 1891-1915, the Remillard Brick Company functioned as the largest brickmaking firm on the Pacific Coast. A plaque placed on the tall kiln in 1989 tells a little history about this single remaining structure. Across the street is Remillard Park.  We stopped here after noticing the walkway along the shoreline.  Artist Dennis Patton is responsible for a giant sculpture of Sir Francis Drake along the walkway. We stared at the beautiful piece, reminded that the nearby Drake's Bay in West Marin was a landing point by the English admiral. We then played on the rocks and climbed down to the water. Some litter sat at the water's edge, but it was mostly a beautiful, scenic day with bright sunshine, blue water, and even bluer skies.  The warmest winter in January on record for California meant we'd seen a lot of these warm, sunny days.

 

After Remillard Park, we decided we'd had enough fun and we should go home. Hahahaha...!!! That's definitely NOT true. I asked for one more little detour and Casey suggested we walk along the
Berkeley Pier. I can't even describe how excited I was to stop there.  I hadn't been there in over a decade. Literally!! It was the year I graduated from high school. I remember being on a first date on 9/9/99, and we walked the length of the pier at the end of the night. Here I was almost 15 years later with my husband, very excited to return and check out this popular pier.  It was probably the best day to walk along this pier; it is not a quick stroll and we were both very warm when we reached the end of the section that is maintained and open to the public.  The original pier stretched 3.5 miles into the water. 2.5 miles of pier remain, but less than a mile of that is accessible.  At the end of the 3,000 foot walk down the pier, you can see parts of the continuing pier in the distance ahead. As we walked back to the shore I stopped to look at all of the graffiti. Every spot that a person is able to spray paint on this pier has been covered with pictures and words and colorful tagging. It's on the railings, the benches, and even the wood boards we were walking over. We also saw the head of a bat ray that a fisherman had caught, cut, and left behind. Lots of people were fishing the pier, and lots of people had caught fish. Most of the fishermen had the decency to clean up after themselves, but some left behind trash, food, and sadly, this smiling fish head. 

Back on land we regretted leaving my refillable water bottle in the car, and I decided to buy a bottle of water from a mobile food cart conveniently parked nearby. It had coolers of ice cold drinks and tables for sitting, with music playing on a nearby boombox.  The Eat and Run food cart owner was friendly and kind while we purchased my water bottle and a soda for Casey. The food he handed to another passerby looked terrific. And what a great spot to be able to work all day; lucky him! He seemed like a very happy person.

The Shorebird Park Nature Center is walking distance from the pier.  The Adventure Playground is made from all recycled materials and has a captivating view of the marina, but the children playing on the large structure seemed not to notice all the blue in the distance. Picnic sites and BBQ are also here and there is a large lawn where we watched a man try to learn to throw a Frisbee.  The Nature Center building was closed, but is home to a bay aquarium and a fresh water aquarium.  It is an example of green building, and is the first municipal strawbale building in the United States. (A building method that actually uses bales of straw, if you were wondering).  They also use a solar photovoltaic electrical system to power the aquariums, computers, lighting and other equipment and promote educating the public on marine conservation.  Land animals frolicked around the building and lawn, and signs noted other protected animal life nearby.



Our final stop (for real) was at Rotten City Pizza in Emeryville.  I had a crispy, thin slice of arugula pesto and a spinach. Casey ordered pepperoni. We love this pizza spot. They often have a variety of types available by-the-slice, even on a Sunday evening. Ordering well-done guarantees their thin crust will be served hot and brown.  We ate upstairs next to a pool table at some tables with a TV.  The sun was setting and we drove the last stretch through Emeryville on our way home.  A beautiful sunset, ending a beautiful day.  All thanks to two matching black-and-white cowboy hats at a BBQ party.

 

 

St. Patrick's Day Weekend, March 2014

March 15, 2014 - Our weekend started out like any other: me checking my paper day planner to see what sort of activities we have planned. Two full days of fun were ahead! (shocking)

We got up Saturday morning and headed to Concord Produce Market.  We only needed a few veggies for ourselves, but we weren't here for us. The night before, our friendly neighbor who cares for her terminally ill husband told us that she hadn't been able to work her night job the week before because he wasn’t doing well and she needed to be home with him.  As a result, she hadn’t had money or time to buy their groceries. We were so saddened by this that we didn’t even have to discuss what to do.  We filled and purchased bags of fresh fruits and veggies for her, and brought them home. I cleaned and cut them and we took them to our neighbor, wishing only that we could do more. She’s a wonderful woman.

I also washed and cut some veggies for us, while my husband made a wonderful Ranch dip using a Mexican sour cream that was just outrageously thick and creamy.  We would take the peppers and carrots and dip to the evening party we were attending.  Our Irish friends Sean and Molly hold an annual St. Patrick's Day party at their home in Petaluma. With their dad, they make tons of amazing corned beef, soda bread, and other dishes. Sean moved to Chicago several months ago but surprised everyone by flying home this weekend for the party. It’s a pretty big deal: Shamrocks are shaved into heads; hair is dyed green; everyone is drinking beer or whiskey. It’s where I’ve met most of Casey’s friends.  He’s brought me to the party with him the last three years, since we met.
 

 Before the party we stopped for lunch with Casey's parents and grandmother. They served lobster ravioli (from Costco), Caesar salad with homemade dressing and croutons, and crunchy, fresh garlic bread.  The ravioli was so full of lobster no sauce was needed. The flavor was great by itself. We plan to make this dish for my mother's birthday dinner this coming weekend.  We tried to stop at the Petaluma Visitor's Center after we left their home for the party, but it closed at 4:00.  (Casey grew up there, but I want to check out the Center anyhow!)

 

A couple of beers and several hours later we hugged our goodbyes and started our one hour drive home.  We hadn't had much to drink, but the car in front of us on State Route 37 could probably not say the same thing. Inconsistent speed and an inability to stay inside the lines. The one lane road is dangerous enough without adding alcohol. We made it home safely, happy to be off the road.  As we watched the news before bed, we were not surprised to see the already high number of DUI arrests in our area.

March 16, 2014 - Sunday Funday!

We met at 11:30 a.m. for lunch at Rocco's Pizzeria in Walnut Creek with my co-worker Stacey, her two adorable children, and her sister Shelby.  While the food was terrific, the service was best described as hellish. Service is always a little slow here, but no glasses were ever refilled (soda, water, alcohol). We had to hunt down the $100 bill at the end, and everything in the middle was a nightmare too. I wanted to pull the owner aside (since he was in the restaurant) and tell him about our experience, but it was almost 1 p.m. now and we had somewhere to be.

We rushed to downtown Walnut Creek and parked in the garage on Locust Street. Casey paid a flat $3 event parking fee with his credit card and left his wallet in his lap. As we hurried from the car to the Lesher Center for Arts next door, neither of us heard it drop to the garage floor. Our girlfriend Julianna was picking up her ticket at Will Call and Stacey and her family were already inside as we barely made it to the theater in time. Our $14 tickets in hand let us into the Fantasy Forum production of Sleeping Beauty! While it was mostly geared toward children, we had a fantastic time and really enjoyed the performance.  Afterward we walked around the Bedford Art Gallery on the first floor. Admission is free with your ticket stub.

I returned a missed call on my phone and expected the unknown number to be for the mobile notary service I provide.  I was surprised to hear a woman's voice inform me that Casey had dropped his wallet, and her and her husband Kyle had found it.  They own OC Watch Company a few streets over from the parking garage.  They had left town already and I asked if I could pick it up from their store on Tuesday when it was open again (closed Sundays and Mondays).  This was not a problem.  How lucky are we! It's the good karma coming back from me finding a wallet a couple months ago and laboriously working to track down the owner (which I finally did!)

We were invited to Sunday evening drinks at Milo's Lounge in Concord but turned this down and headed home to relax away the rest of the evening. Wonderful weekend!

*The weekend is over... but as a note:

March 17, 2014 - Happy St. Patrick's Day! I wore a lot of green to work, but this was otherwise a very uneventful Monday  :)

March 18, 2014 - Totally Terrific Tuesday

I arrived at work this morning knowing I'd pick up Casey's wallet today.  What I didn't know was that Acro Cats started it's statewide cat circus tour.  Upon learning this, I bought tickets for their San Francisco performance at the end of May. ($24)  Can't wait to tell all my friends abut it. I have been waiting sooo long for the cat circus!  It couldn't have been a more perfect day!!