Rain Rain Rain

They say that it's a new record with the rainfall. They say that the last record of note was 1983. I remember all the rain from that year. I'd have to slog through an ocean to get to the math portables as a lake would form between the two trailers.
Then I'd have to go all the way up to the history wing and sit in class dripping wet.
Then I'd walk home! And I pretty much was soaked to the bone.
Yes, those memories never leave you.

Forbes Mill

I remember in the 70s, there were still parts of a flume that went from Lexington Dam down to Forbes Mill. Back then, parents would throw you out of the house if the weather was even remotely nice with the admonishment not to come home until the street lights came on. We'd go play hide & seek out there. No one ever got hurt. And it was pretty cool.

Forbes Mill is now a history museum and a steakhouse.

So much for good weather

I hear you asking, if you keep on about the perfect weather, what's with the cold? Good question. We really are getting spanked from the Great White North. I made the mistake of trimming my citrus trees right before the last cold snap. They're trying to decide whether or not to forgive me.

On the bright side, I was downtown at Yarn Dogs since I needed more needles, and the weather was glorious. I went for a bit of a walkabout. Across the street from Yarn Dogs is Kuleto's and the Los Gatos Hotel. Yes, if you search for Kuleto's, you'll get the website for their San Francisco location, but there's one in Los Gatos.

Well, the point of my musing is that this used to be a Foster's Freeze and Sir Toby's when I first moved there. Sir Toby's was a standard deli. It closed and in the early 80s, it opened up as a fantastic French restaurant called Petite Moulin Rouge. I think. Correct me if I'm wrong. The maitre d was a delightful Frenchman who would spoil me rotten with a long stemmed rose every time we went. The food was heavenly and perfectly balanced.

After a time, I think they got tired of running the place. The chef moved down to N. Santa Cruz Avenue and opened up another restaurant that used to have marvelous New Years Eve meals with two seatings. My parents used to love going to that. I did a search, and the only French restaurant on N. Santa Cruz Ave is Pigalle. I can't remember if that was the same one or if that's a new incarnation. If you remember, please post a comment! (Even if you don't, please post your comments)

Spilled MEAT

My friend was driving home last night and heard that there was a meat spill on the Penninsula. And there were marvelous quotable quotes like "meat in all lanes" and "a butcher truck lost its load."

So, imagine my surprise when there was nothing on Fark.com!

So, being your loyal information hound, I did find some blurbs
1. InsideBayArea.com
2. SFist.com

Another Rotten Day in Paradise

Yes, it was a hideous 71F and a dreary sunny sky all day long.
Check out The Weather Channel if you don't believe me.
My mother used to tell me that Los Gatos was one of the 3 best places to live in the world due to weather. The second was in Italy, and the third was in Japan.
Who was I to argue with her?

I know, though, that I've lived here too long. When we got cool in September when school started, I said "Expect a very hot Halloween." and Everyone laughed at me. Yup, it was broiling hot. When it's hot when school starts, it's rainy by Halloween.

March came in with a peep on the 1st and then a ROAR on the 2nd. I suspect we'll have a wild ride until April 1st.

More on the Pet Rock and other Bars

I actually am old enough to remember wanting a pet rock and my parents wouldn't get me one. They said I already had a cat and a dog and why would they waste their money on something stupid like a pet rock.

Well, enough people thought it was great so old Gary built the bar Carry Nations.....Nice bar. Lots of beautiful stained glass.

It's right across the street from Mountain Charley's bar. When we first moved there, Mountain Charleys was a bar and a restaurant. The bar was well known for their belly bucking contests. Eventually, the restaurant went up the nose of the owner and they sold it to a number of less then memorable places. The best was the Alligator Bar & Grill. That's where I had my first Dixie Brewing Company Blackened Voodoo Lager.
Sorry...but "El YUMMO" :-D

Once upon a long time ago, every St. Patty's day, there would be a tricycle race down N. Santa Cruz Avenue. The "contestants" would tricycle from bar to bar and quaff a beer. I think they hit 17 bars starting from Number One Broadway on down to Magoo's Pizza (which bit the dust ages ago).

Number One Broadway was supposed to have been the senior project of a design student from UC Santa Cruz.

Welcome to My World

I laugh at all the latest with Orange County Moms and suburbia Reality. I grew up in a wealthy bedroom community of Silicon Valley. When the time came to buy my own home, I railed against buying here. After all, I didn't want to become a Stepford! The more we resist, the more it persists. The best home for the cheapest price was in Los Gatos. And so here I am again.
And I am reminded of why. It's a fun place.
There's a bar in town Carry Nations that was designed by Gary Dahl (inventor of the pet rock).
The bar Mountain Charlie's has a colorful history.
In this blog, I'll discuss the history & the current reality of that which is Los Gatos.