Happy Memorial Day

Hey, so we didn't bbbq, but we did raise a glass to the memory of those that have fallen in the name of freedom. Thank you to every one who has served our country to protect our freedoms.

Nail & Hair Salons

I was driving down University the other day just shocked & amazed at how many antique stores are now hair or nail salons (or both).

When growing up, everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING was an antique store. It was a miserable place for growing up because there wasn't much to do. At the bottom of College Avenue on E. Main Street, there was a video game arcade where they had a pool table, pinball, and they must have had other stuff. We enjoyed pinball, my brother and I.

I think that I mentioned that the Town of Los Gatos had to put in a morotorium on more hair or nail salons. I'm sure that the rents are astronomical. And yet, they stay in business, so it must be what the market can bear. It's just ... well, there needs to be more fun things in town. Another bookstore besides Borders. More places to just hang out and be a kid.

Perhaps Los Gatos kids these days are just too busy being shuttled from activity to activity to tutor to activity that they don't have time to just be kids. And that's too bad.

Listen to the radio...

I was driving yesterday with the windows down and music from my iPod playing. Every car around me was playing a different song, and while part of me thinks "rightous" another part of me misses that time when you'd pull up to a stoplight, and the guy in the car next to you was playing the same song that you were, because you both had it set to 98.5 KOME (hey, there's KOME on your dial!) or 92.3 KSJO. Sometimes it was KMEL, KEZR or KFOG. I can't remember the numbers anymore.
But it was a real rush when you realized that everyone around you was listening to the same song as you were at the same time. Nowadays, it's just a fluke.

Who would expect rain in may?

So, it was a very wet weekend here. I have some corn planted, and for the first time in 3 weeks, I didn't have to water them. I must say, I'm not at all used to the idea of rain this late in May. I can't even remember such a time, and I've been here 30 years.

I was reading an article in the Merc that said, and I quote,
Instead of a glorious beachside wedding on the Monterey Bay, a bride and groom tied the knot inside a banquet room.

``It's very stressful for the parties involved,'' said Liz Williams, a concierge at the Seascape Resort in Aptos. ``They still wanted to have it outside, but it's just not the right way to go, with people all dressed up in their finery.''


end quote.

Can you imagine *that* Bridezilla wanting her guests to get soaked & ruin their clothes just because she had to have HER wedding HER way and anyone who gets in HER way will be steamrollered. Thank goodness someone had the good sense to be firm.

And that, my friends, is why I eloped.

Mythbusting!

Go Kari!
Local girl, Kari Byron, is now one of the stars of Mythbusters, at least according to my male friends.
Read all about her history in Los Gatos here

I love Mythbusters, although, I have disagreed with some of their methods like why you don't lockstep over a bridge...they chose the wrong kind of bridge to test it on! But that's another rant.

Kari, you do Los Gatos proud!

The Lost Day

I have no idea what happened to yesterday. I showed up to work and a peer was sick, so I had to do my work and his work. It was a long day. I dragged myself out of the office and drove home, walked in the door, and hubby & daughter were yelling at one another over her homework.
Great.
I turn around, and go to the Big Mac Supper Club to take out dinner. (I did like the Asian Salad) I walk back in the door, and they're at each other's throats. Ugh.
Didn't McD's have an ad campaign years ago about how french fries are friend makers? Believe it, baby. Dinner became more relaxed, homework was finished, and we laughed the rest of the evening about it.
Supersize me with that relaxation.

ColdStone

So, in a small town, you wonder if a premium ice cream store can really survive let alone *2* of them. Coldstone Creamery is in downtown and on the Boulevard. And truth be told, it's always busy when I go in. Huzzah. I won't say that premium is better then non-premium. There's something to be said for going to RiteAid and getting a triple scoop of chocolate chip, mint chip, and vanilla.

Let's face it, I grew up on Dolce Spazio's. I really miss Cassis Compote, but they haven't had it in years. I also love the pumpkin gelato that they make in the fall.

So what do I get at Coldstone? Well, last time, I bought coffee with Butterfingers smooshed in...

Mother's Day

Ok, Mother's Day Weekend has officially started. I hope you made reservations at Viva or California Cafe. No? There's so many restaurants now in Los Gatos. I'm not sure which one to pick either. I think I'll just stay home & have the husband bbq some ribs for me.
Speaking of which, some really tasty ribs are at Little Lou's BBQ.
I usually get the tri tip salad, my daughter loves the pork ribs, and my husband loves it all. And try the potato salad. I'm really a snit when it comes to potato salad (no egg, no relish, nothing fancy), and this stuff is so tasty. I could eat the whole large side by myself. Oh and be warned, the hot links really are hot.
I'll order the Captains Platter, and then walk down to either Kings Court Liquors or Trader Joe's to pick up some wine or beer.
Maybe I'll do that tonight! It's either that or Outback...

Affordable Treasures

Affordable Treasures used to be over in King's Court Shopping Center (where Lundardi's is), and it was always small and cramped. Then they moved to Los Gatos Blvd right next to Jack in the Box, and whoah nellie! Did they expand! It's actually really cool. I love looking at the Oriental Trading Company catalog. However, I really don't want to buy a gross of anything. Affordable Treasures buys things by the bulk, and I can get a few for treats or a bunch for a class party.

The other day when I went hiking with the Brownies, I stopped to get metal whistles and compasses. Now, a bunch of 2nd grade girls are going to be pretty rough, so you don't want to spend a lot, but you want something special. And they had what I wanted and for $2 each whistle and compass, we were in business!

Goodness, I'm in the dark

Well, last night I was blogging about something and the power went out. So we went outside and chatted with the neighbors and walked around to see who had power and who didn't.

That's the one thing I love about our neighborhood is that it's so friendly. People watch out for everyone else. Cars drive carefully. We have court parties on 4th of July and New Years Eve.

And when the power is out, there's a party in the making :-) Too bad it came back on at 930, but it was time to get the kids to bed for school.

Oak Meadow Park

It's time to go out & feel like a kid again. Oak Meadow park is free for residents, and yes, you have to show your driver's license.

Parking is hit or miss. If you can't get parking directly in the main lot, continue up the hill and turn right onto University. You usually can find a spot there, and walk down the steep trail.
Or, if it's after hours, I think you can park across the street in the doctor's lots. There's actually a large number of office buildings back there, including my opthalmologist, Dr. Basham who rocks. He weilds a mean laser for cataract surgery or detatched retinas.

So, back to the park. What I love is going on the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad. It's not a long trainride, so it's good for very young kids. But it's just fun. And then there's the restored carousel. Who doesn't love to feel 7 years old again on a horsey going up & down to carnival music?

Idamina's

Whenever Senior Prom season hits, I always miss Idamina's Dress Shop. It was right on the main drag, and had some of the most beautiful clothing in the world (well, in my mind, anyway). Dad would take us there to find something for Ma for her birthdays and Mother's days.

I once needed a formal'ish dress for a piano recital. And at the time, it HAD to be a McClintock. So we went to Idamina's and found a perfect forest green calico dress. The staff helped me try it on and then had me stand on the raised dais with the three way mirrors usually used for brides. I thought I was worth a million bucks right then and there because of the way they treated me.

It's hard to find that kind of service nowadays especially since everyone wants it cheaper. But it'll never be better. And so Idamina's faded away. Sure, she was getting old, but there was no one interested in maintaining a high end dress shop. Nowadays, there are only boutiques if you want high end clothing. I truly think they've gone the way of the payphone booth.

From Sambos to Baker's Square

Once upon a time, there was a very cool breakfast place that had the best pancakes called Sambo's. They'd provide a mini comic book to keep kids happy while they cooked up the flapjacks, and it involved Little Black Sambo who chased a tiger around a palm tree so fast that the tiger turned into a stack of pancakes which Little Black Sambo ate.
Before you send hate mail, this was in the 70s. It was totally racist, absolutely. And that's why they changed it.
It became some "Garden" place and then something after that before finding it's current owner of Baker's Square at some point. My brain doesn't work as well as it used to. As a teenager in '83, we went there after a night of sampling from a beer keg all night for breakfast. I couldn't eat a thing.

It wasn't a bad place, but something happened in the last few years. We'd go on occasion after getting our hair cut at Christina's of Los Gatos (395-HAIR), and the service got downright *surly* last year. The wait-thing argued with me over my choice of wine. I chose white instead of red to go with my BLT. Go figure.

And after 2 of the mini-bottles of wine, I'll forgive most anyone for anything, but the last time we were there, they messed up my order, and then didn't make it right, and then my wait-thing never came back. Ever. So we had to just walk up to the register to pay.

I guess I'm not surprised that it's never busy there. They need to fix the inner problems before they can fix the external problems. Pity because it's so convenient to go there.

Manressa

Ok, the jewel in the crown of Los Gatos has got to be Manressa. It's tucked away in Little Village Lane which is between N. Santa Cruz and University between highway 9 and Bachman Avenue.
This place was listed in Zagat Survey as being, I think, 2nd only to French Laundry in the Bay Area. I've talked with some people who went there, and wow. Talk about an incredible anniversary experience.
We have some friends who went there just for dessert and thought it was worth every penny.
I'm saving my pennies.

Spring Fever

Goodness, I got spring fever but bad yesterday. Maybe thinking about hiking at St. Joseph's Hill did it for me. Saturday, I hike the Cholone trail at Pinnacles. The hills were so green...and so was the poison oak. Yikes. Sometimes that trail was pretty narrow too.

So Monday, I had to hike at Almaden Quicksilver Mines. The trails thankfully are wide and the poison oak is not so obvious. But the wildflowers were incredible. I saw both big and small of every color under the sun. Thankfully it wasn't too hot. I don't think it got over 80, and a breeze started to blow around 130 when we needed it the most.

Get Out and enjoy it now while we can. In a few weeks, it's going to be a hot time in the old town.