Correction from a previous blog:
My friend actually said - when we were in downtown Santa Rosa dealing with aggro-bike riders and meth users - "We aren't in Kansas any more."
(And by Kansas, she meant Sebastopol.)
My friend's colleague was telling me about a roommate she once had when she lived in northern Sebastopol: "He was so into eye gazing. I think he may have even taught a class about it? Or something like that... I couldn't ask him a question without him gazing intensely into my eyes. For a while. I'd say, 'Look, we are just talking about the garbage pick up. Can you stop staring and just answer my question?'"
Looking for holiday cards one evening in Copperfield's I heard a woman ask how late they were open until. The worker answered, "Nine o'clock."
"Nine o'clock? In Sebastopol??" I responded, I guess more loudly than I realized because the other half dozen people in the store all laughed.
"This is very exciting," another shopper added, noting that every other shop on Main Street was already closed at 7:30.
I quipped, "We can pretend we're in San Francisco."
I was sitting in front of Whole Foods one evening finishing a smoothie when a woman walked by and said in a resigned tone (to everyone sitting on the benches): "The moment you realize your vegan salad has goat cheese in it."
For some reason this prompted me to say: "The moment you realize your chakras are not aligned."
Which in turn gave way to an impromptu popcorn-style group outburst. Some of the exclamations:
"The moment you realize gluten-free bread sucks."
"The moment you realize you burned your last scented candle."
"The moment you realize you were so relaxed you left your raincoat at yoga."
"The moment you realize it's been too long since your last astrological reading."
"The moment you realize your acupuncturist did know what she was talking about."
A text from a friend when we got separated shopping in downtown:
"I'll be over there in a minute. I am listening to a guy tell people how spiritual pyramids can save the world."
Me: "Duh. Everyone knows that."
Her: "An energetic vibe something that runs on something and if people around the pyramids tap into something it can help stop climate change and make the world a more peaceful place because of something. I'm not really getting all the lingo."
My friend used to work in Santa Rosa and had a co-worker who lived in Sebastopol. Another co-worker inquired of him: "Why is it the women out in Sebastopol dress like Peter Pan pirates?"
And as always, the west county-themed license plates abound:
YIELD 2{love}
ROCK KAT
NMASTEE
R GENIE
ECO RIDE
A humorous blog about Sebastopol encounters
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Hippie chicks and hypocrites
Since Milk and Honey changed ownership I have not frequented the shop as regularly as I used to. I was looking for a gift last week and after browsing for approximately four minutes I'd overheard a conversation about a customer explaining which vagina candle was the best, how quickly their phallic candles have been selling, and an app for vagina emojis.
Me, laughing: "This is why I haven't had as much material for my blog in the last few months, because I don't come in here as often!"
My friend and I had dinner at Slice of Life recently and she noticed the kale caesar salad has "massaged" kale in it. Over in Rohnert Park, she says one doesn't generally see massaged greens in salads one orders. When the waitstaff asked us about dessert, my friend wanted to know if any of the desserts had been massaged. (We agreed if the chocolate cake was massaged it should be with lavender oil.)
Walking through the parking lot of Coaches Corner, my friend and I couldn't help but notice an abundance of west county-esque bumper stickers. There were the standard issue COEXIST and GODDESS ON THE LOOSE ones. Additionally I saw a few I hadn't seen before:
VEGAN POWER
SORCERER ON BOARD
IT'S TIME TO AWAKEN =)
(the smiley face is part of the bumper sticker. "It's time to awaken" in clouds, with a smiley face -
a text from the Great Divine)
CHRISTIANITY HAS PAGAN DNA
HIPPIE CHICKS ON BOARD
A car at the Barlow sported a triple-array of bumper stickers:
What would Tara do? What would Durga do? What would Kali do?
(And actually, if you know anything about these goddesses, that would be three rather different answers to the same question.)
For Black Friday, Funk N Flash (a downtown store) was offering a "blisscount."
An impassioned diatribe from a Whole Foods shopper:
"I know that eating hot dogs is not a very vegan thing to do! It makes no sense that I won't touch eggs or yogurt or brie, but I'll eat a hot dog. I know it's not logical, but my love of hot dogs is not logical."
Person with him: "And pastrami."
"Okay.... yeah, pastrami, too. I'm a vegan hypocrite when it comes to pork and good sandwich meat. What can I say?"
License plates around town:
CA{heart} ZEN
OSTPATH
DEER TRL
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog/
Me, laughing: "This is why I haven't had as much material for my blog in the last few months, because I don't come in here as often!"
My friend and I had dinner at Slice of Life recently and she noticed the kale caesar salad has "massaged" kale in it. Over in Rohnert Park, she says one doesn't generally see massaged greens in salads one orders. When the waitstaff asked us about dessert, my friend wanted to know if any of the desserts had been massaged. (We agreed if the chocolate cake was massaged it should be with lavender oil.)
Walking through the parking lot of Coaches Corner, my friend and I couldn't help but notice an abundance of west county-esque bumper stickers. There were the standard issue COEXIST and GODDESS ON THE LOOSE ones. Additionally I saw a few I hadn't seen before:
VEGAN POWER
SORCERER ON BOARD
IT'S TIME TO AWAKEN =)
(the smiley face is part of the bumper sticker. "It's time to awaken" in clouds, with a smiley face -
a text from the Great Divine)
CHRISTIANITY HAS PAGAN DNA
HIPPIE CHICKS ON BOARD
A car at the Barlow sported a triple-array of bumper stickers:
What would Tara do? What would Durga do? What would Kali do?
(And actually, if you know anything about these goddesses, that would be three rather different answers to the same question.)
For Black Friday, Funk N Flash (a downtown store) was offering a "blisscount."
An impassioned diatribe from a Whole Foods shopper:
"I know that eating hot dogs is not a very vegan thing to do! It makes no sense that I won't touch eggs or yogurt or brie, but I'll eat a hot dog. I know it's not logical, but my love of hot dogs is not logical."
Person with him: "And pastrami."
"Okay.... yeah, pastrami, too. I'm a vegan hypocrite when it comes to pork and good sandwich meat. What can I say?"
License plates around town:
CA{heart} ZEN
OSTPATH
DEER TRL
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog/
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Pawn shops and poisonous snacks
I don't know what the conversation was about up to this point, but I overheard a woman at Slice of Life say to her table-mate: "He was wearing a sweatshirt with an om on it, what do you expect?"
A worker at Rite-Aid told me a guy came in asking her if there was a pawn shop in Sebastopol. She told him she really didn't think there was one around here, maybe in Santa Rosa. "I kid you not, he pulled out a big bag of crystals. He was trying to pawn crystals. I thought, if you're trying to do that, this would be the right downtown to be looking for a pawn shop."
I pulled up behind a truck with a large picture of a vodka bottle, noting it was gluten-free. In all fairness, the truck was probably not from Sebastopol. But I was relieved to know I could buy gluten-free hard alcohol. (A number of years ago I saw an ad for vodka, stating that it was "low carb." The vodka advertisers stay on top of the current trends. Maybe next week I will discover vodka with chia seeds.)
At a small gathering I ended up talking with a friend of a friend who mentioned she had read several of my blog posts. "I thought you must be exaggerating some of these stories until I took my five year-old to a group play date at the park, and couldn't believe how the kids gave him horrified looks when we pulled out 'real' gummy bears. Not organic, fruit-sweetened Whole Foods type of gummies, like the other kiddos had, along with their edamame and kale chips. These were the real deals. One of the kids pointed to them and told my son these were 'very bad for you,' and he wasn't allowed to eat poison."
"How was the workshop?"
"SNAGs galore."
Another friend also told me about S-SNAGs, which means "sexual-spiritual new age guy." A term she and her roommate came up with after attending a tantra retreat.
Sitting in downtown Santa Rosa with a former neighbor, we watched a few strange interactions of passers-by (several drug addicts, two smokers who stopped right in front of our table and a very hostile guy on a bike) after which she observed, "I don't think we are in Sebastopol any more."
Friend #1: "I didn't really know what chakras were til I moved to west county."
Friend #2: "I didn't know what chakras were til I started reading Cami's blog!"
And the license plates continue:
GO HIKIN
RAIN DNC
COZMO JO
RAW MAMA
A worker at Rite-Aid told me a guy came in asking her if there was a pawn shop in Sebastopol. She told him she really didn't think there was one around here, maybe in Santa Rosa. "I kid you not, he pulled out a big bag of crystals. He was trying to pawn crystals. I thought, if you're trying to do that, this would be the right downtown to be looking for a pawn shop."
I pulled up behind a truck with a large picture of a vodka bottle, noting it was gluten-free. In all fairness, the truck was probably not from Sebastopol. But I was relieved to know I could buy gluten-free hard alcohol. (A number of years ago I saw an ad for vodka, stating that it was "low carb." The vodka advertisers stay on top of the current trends. Maybe next week I will discover vodka with chia seeds.)
At a small gathering I ended up talking with a friend of a friend who mentioned she had read several of my blog posts. "I thought you must be exaggerating some of these stories until I took my five year-old to a group play date at the park, and couldn't believe how the kids gave him horrified looks when we pulled out 'real' gummy bears. Not organic, fruit-sweetened Whole Foods type of gummies, like the other kiddos had, along with their edamame and kale chips. These were the real deals. One of the kids pointed to them and told my son these were 'very bad for you,' and he wasn't allowed to eat poison."
"How was the workshop?"
"SNAGs galore."
Another friend also told me about S-SNAGs, which means "sexual-spiritual new age guy." A term she and her roommate came up with after attending a tantra retreat.
Sitting in downtown Santa Rosa with a former neighbor, we watched a few strange interactions of passers-by (several drug addicts, two smokers who stopped right in front of our table and a very hostile guy on a bike) after which she observed, "I don't think we are in Sebastopol any more."
Friend #1: "I didn't really know what chakras were til I moved to west county."
Friend #2: "I didn't know what chakras were til I started reading Cami's blog!"
And the license plates continue:
GO HIKIN
RAIN DNC
COZMO JO
RAW MAMA
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Sugar-free treats and other west county horrors
I don't know what it is about Halloween that seems to bring out the Sebastopol moments in abundance. I stopped by the Grateful Bagel the day before Halloween and had just missed someone announcing, "I don't celebrate Halloween, I celebrate Day of the Dead." A customer was complaining how you couldn't bring up any f-ing holiday around here without offending someone. She had worked at a small restaurant and mistakenly upset a whole table by wishing them "a happy Fourth." According to her, even Presidents Day was dicey, and of course it was wise to go nowhere near Christmas.
Somebody holding several bagels asked me if I was the blog lady (although I thought she said "blah lady," and I was much more intrigued with that premise), which launched some interesting commentary:
One man told me his neighbors have a sign on their front door which reads, Trick-or-treaters welcome, but beware all candy is sugar-free.
Another woman mentioned a Waldorf class in which the students had to dress up as either a plant or animal, and one of the boys wanted to be scary and asked his mom if he could at least be poison oak.
Her husband said there is a banner a few doors down on a fence that says, BE LOVE. But on Halloween they somehow cross out the LOVE and it reads BE SPOOKY for a night.
An ex-co-worker showed me a picture of her friend's son, who dressed up as a non-organic banana - scary because he was a GMO banana and full of toxins.
Another former co-worker was invited to a party in which one had to dress up as a goddess, a Tarot archetype or a woodland creature. She said the most creative attendee was dressed as a Hanging Man/bat.
A friend of mine who works at Whole Foods made a joke about seeing me twice in one day. Then added, "That is nothing. There are people I see who come in for breakfast, lunch and an afternoon drink. And sometimes they have dinner here, too."
We both wondered if they ever actually leave Whole Foods parking lot.
Standing in line at Community Market, a female customer announced:
"Good, my pizza card is full. I can trade it with my roommate for chlorella powder."
And this evening, back at Community Market, a cashier and I were examining two herb-infused chocolate drinks I was purchasing, trying to determine if they were identical. The containers didn't look exactly alike, but he pointed out the only difference between the two was one said "Fair Trade" and the other said "Ethically Sourced."
"What is the difference between fair trade and sourced ethically?" I asked, out of curiosity.
"I have no idea."
Points of distinction in Sebastopol.
An acquaintance was telling me about her property, on which there are 10 different renters in cottages and small houses. There is a small meeting place where they hang up notes for each other. Her water heater had gone out twice, so she posted a note asking for info about water heaters, but apparently her "t" looked like an "l" and she got responses about water healers: two people asking what water healers are, another land-mate referring her to an herbalist who practices Native American medicine, one telling her about a massage therapist whose massage is very "watery" and another recommending a watsu specialist to her.
I asked how many responses she got when she corrected the message to water heater. "Just one," she said, laughing. "I hadn't thought about that til now. There were a lot more suggestions being left for me when they thought I was asking about water healers. Whatever those are!"
License plates:
HOHM PLT
HLF SPD
ORCA LVE
SHAMAN9
NO 2WEAT
Somebody holding several bagels asked me if I was the blog lady (although I thought she said "blah lady," and I was much more intrigued with that premise), which launched some interesting commentary:
One man told me his neighbors have a sign on their front door which reads, Trick-or-treaters welcome, but beware all candy is sugar-free.
Another woman mentioned a Waldorf class in which the students had to dress up as either a plant or animal, and one of the boys wanted to be scary and asked his mom if he could at least be poison oak.
Her husband said there is a banner a few doors down on a fence that says, BE LOVE. But on Halloween they somehow cross out the LOVE and it reads BE SPOOKY for a night.
An ex-co-worker showed me a picture of her friend's son, who dressed up as a non-organic banana - scary because he was a GMO banana and full of toxins.
Another former co-worker was invited to a party in which one had to dress up as a goddess, a Tarot archetype or a woodland creature. She said the most creative attendee was dressed as a Hanging Man/bat.
A friend of mine who works at Whole Foods made a joke about seeing me twice in one day. Then added, "That is nothing. There are people I see who come in for breakfast, lunch and an afternoon drink. And sometimes they have dinner here, too."
We both wondered if they ever actually leave Whole Foods parking lot.
Standing in line at Community Market, a female customer announced:
"Good, my pizza card is full. I can trade it with my roommate for chlorella powder."
And this evening, back at Community Market, a cashier and I were examining two herb-infused chocolate drinks I was purchasing, trying to determine if they were identical. The containers didn't look exactly alike, but he pointed out the only difference between the two was one said "Fair Trade" and the other said "Ethically Sourced."
"What is the difference between fair trade and sourced ethically?" I asked, out of curiosity.
"I have no idea."
Points of distinction in Sebastopol.
An acquaintance was telling me about her property, on which there are 10 different renters in cottages and small houses. There is a small meeting place where they hang up notes for each other. Her water heater had gone out twice, so she posted a note asking for info about water heaters, but apparently her "t" looked like an "l" and she got responses about water healers: two people asking what water healers are, another land-mate referring her to an herbalist who practices Native American medicine, one telling her about a massage therapist whose massage is very "watery" and another recommending a watsu specialist to her.
I asked how many responses she got when she corrected the message to water heater. "Just one," she said, laughing. "I hadn't thought about that til now. There were a lot more suggestions being left for me when they thought I was asking about water healers. Whatever those are!"
License plates:
HOHM PLT
HLF SPD
ORCA LVE
SHAMAN9
NO 2WEAT
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Granolier than thou
In front of Whole Foods late one evening two gentlemen were conversing next to me. One was a photographer and another photographer had been talking to them a few minutes before. "That was an interesting coincidence that you were both photographers," one man observed. The other replied, "Well, it's not that much of a coincidence."
To which the first man responded: "It's a much bigger coincidence than two massage therapists who would have sat down at the same time."
I mentioned I wrote a blog about Sebastopol and the non-photographer told me when he tells others where he lives they will say things such as, "Those Sebastopolians, they think they are so entitled." His response, "No, they don't think they are entitled. Some believe they are anointed, though." (Self-anointed, we practically uttered at the same time.)
And I can't remember the exact context but he was talking to a student about some people at Sonoma State and the woman retorted, "Well... some people are more granolier-than-thou."
From my neighbor Daniela:
"I told the Kiddo that we would be going to the Sebastopol Community Center for the Valley Fire Benefit. I said there would be music and dancing..."
Her reply, "Will there be hippies there?"
Daniela: "Probably. Why?"
Her: "Because I like hippies... What's a hippy?"
The weekend before the eclipse I was walking at Ragle park, talking to a couple. We were commenting how full the moon was and I asked if the eclipse was Saturday night or Sunday night. The guy replied, "As a citizen of west county, I feel like I should know that. But I don't."
.
Whole Foods has had some changes, as the supplements section has moved into a space of its own. Two cashiers were joking about the rearranged aisles, and one brought up seeing macrame the other day.
"I can't deal with all these changes! Why are we selling macrame?" she wanted to know.
The other cashier speculated, "This is the Sebastopol store. Maybe it is helpful for balancing your chakras."
I was walking toward Whole Foods and saw a pair of young teen boys fly past the produce, one smacking a cantaloupe and causing it to fall, crash and split open. Another woman and I stared at each other for a few seconds as we approached each other, with looks on our faces as if trying to register that we did actually just see a teen knock produce to the ground. As she went past me, she relayed, "That's what being a 'bad boy' in Sebastopol is, I guess."
A group of us were group-chatting about an upcoming birthday brunch and one woman described drinking yerba mate everyday and how her mother thinks it is an addiction.
Me: "Well, Sebastopol would be one cracked-out town if that is the case!"
Somehow this led to talking about other Peruvian plant drinks and she mentioned ayahuasca, adding #cvssebastopol at the end of her message.
"Lol... CVS or Rite-aid in Sebastopol may have ayahuasca. Or at the very least Whole Foods."
License plates, the continuing saga:
NLITEN UP
MOK TANS
OUTER PT
B OHMM
To which the first man responded: "It's a much bigger coincidence than two massage therapists who would have sat down at the same time."
I mentioned I wrote a blog about Sebastopol and the non-photographer told me when he tells others where he lives they will say things such as, "Those Sebastopolians, they think they are so entitled." His response, "No, they don't think they are entitled. Some believe they are anointed, though." (Self-anointed, we practically uttered at the same time.)
And I can't remember the exact context but he was talking to a student about some people at Sonoma State and the woman retorted, "Well... some people are more granolier-than-thou."
From my neighbor Daniela:
"I told the Kiddo that we would be going to the Sebastopol Community Center for the Valley Fire Benefit. I said there would be music and dancing..."
Her reply, "Will there be hippies there?"
Daniela: "Probably. Why?"
Her: "Because I like hippies... What's a hippy?"
The weekend before the eclipse I was walking at Ragle park, talking to a couple. We were commenting how full the moon was and I asked if the eclipse was Saturday night or Sunday night. The guy replied, "As a citizen of west county, I feel like I should know that. But I don't."
.
Whole Foods has had some changes, as the supplements section has moved into a space of its own. Two cashiers were joking about the rearranged aisles, and one brought up seeing macrame the other day.
"I can't deal with all these changes! Why are we selling macrame?" she wanted to know.
The other cashier speculated, "This is the Sebastopol store. Maybe it is helpful for balancing your chakras."
I was walking toward Whole Foods and saw a pair of young teen boys fly past the produce, one smacking a cantaloupe and causing it to fall, crash and split open. Another woman and I stared at each other for a few seconds as we approached each other, with looks on our faces as if trying to register that we did actually just see a teen knock produce to the ground. As she went past me, she relayed, "That's what being a 'bad boy' in Sebastopol is, I guess."
A group of us were group-chatting about an upcoming birthday brunch and one woman described drinking yerba mate everyday and how her mother thinks it is an addiction.
Me: "Well, Sebastopol would be one cracked-out town if that is the case!"
Somehow this led to talking about other Peruvian plant drinks and she mentioned ayahuasca, adding #cvssebastopol at the end of her message.
"Lol... CVS or Rite-aid in Sebastopol may have ayahuasca. Or at the very least Whole Foods."
License plates, the continuing saga:
NLITEN UP
MOK TANS
OUTER PT
B OHMM
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Divas vs. the goddess
I was with my young niece on a kid's horse ride outside a market and I asked her where she was going on the horse.
"For a ride."
Where to?
"Whole Foods."
Me (after laughing for a moment): "And what are you going to get at Whole Foods?"
"A special drink. Something with coconut water in it. And a special drink for the horse, too."
Favorite recent Facebook post (thanks Elise):
A man sitting outside Community Market, sighing, talking on his phone: "Yes... there are a lot of divas in Sebastopol..."
"Mom, am I allergic to gluten-free? Because I had gluten-free today."
My young niece has also taken to telling me, when I eat at her house, that something doesn't have dairy in it as I can't have dairy. It is very sweet, and often I'm eating things such as steamed green beans or quinoa when I'm there. But I did notice recently she informed me some black bean tacos didn't have dairy, and they actually had melted cheese.
I asked her if the rice and veggies were dairy-free and she said yes, which was true. Then I asked her if ice cream is dairy-free and she said yes.
"Do you know what dairy is?"
"No," she said. "What is it?"
And another from a woman I was helping out in the kitchen, preparing for a tantra workshop. Another female flitted in and talked to us for a few minutes, using the word goddess liberally about others and herself. When she left, I noted to the woman I was cutting mangos with: "I don't think I could ever refer to myself as a goddess."
She chortled and replied, "I think most women who use the word goddess a lot are really talking about divas, not goddesses. But don't repeat that here, this is not a diva-free zone."
Which reminded me of a "historical" quote from a former co-worker and Sebastopol resident: "I liked the word 'goddess' until I moved here."
There were many people around here in deep mourning for Harbin Hot Springs which was destroyed in the Valley Fire. I did have my own humorous Harbin story, from years ago. It was the first time I went, and having just moved to the northbay from Palo Alto I was still acclimating to Sonoma County. It was a stretch for me to go, still shedding elements of the conservative religion I was raised in. My friend said, "No pressure, just take a bathing suit and wear it. Nobody will care." I felt like I stuck out all day with the suit, and probably had more stares because I was actually clothed. After a long afternoon sitting in the May sun I was in the changing room hiding in the corner. Out of the blue, in the middle of changing (i.e. wearing next to nothing) a dude exclaims: "Look at her sunburn!" I didn't even realize he was talking about me until 30+ people turned around to look at my sunburn. After walking around all day in a swimsuit, a one-piece no less, it was definitely unexpected to have dozens of people scrutinizing my tan line. For me it wasn't the pools. That was my Harbin baptism.
(apparently my main hobby now is license plate gazing:)
MR MAPLE
MMOO MOO
NO GAS NO
"For a ride."
Where to?
"Whole Foods."
Me (after laughing for a moment): "And what are you going to get at Whole Foods?"
"A special drink. Something with coconut water in it. And a special drink for the horse, too."
Favorite recent Facebook post (thanks Elise):
A man sitting outside Community Market, sighing, talking on his phone: "Yes... there are a lot of divas in Sebastopol..."
"Mom, am I allergic to gluten-free? Because I had gluten-free today."
My young niece has also taken to telling me, when I eat at her house, that something doesn't have dairy in it as I can't have dairy. It is very sweet, and often I'm eating things such as steamed green beans or quinoa when I'm there. But I did notice recently she informed me some black bean tacos didn't have dairy, and they actually had melted cheese.
I asked her if the rice and veggies were dairy-free and she said yes, which was true. Then I asked her if ice cream is dairy-free and she said yes.
"Do you know what dairy is?"
"No," she said. "What is it?"
And another from a woman I was helping out in the kitchen, preparing for a tantra workshop. Another female flitted in and talked to us for a few minutes, using the word goddess liberally about others and herself. When she left, I noted to the woman I was cutting mangos with: "I don't think I could ever refer to myself as a goddess."
She chortled and replied, "I think most women who use the word goddess a lot are really talking about divas, not goddesses. But don't repeat that here, this is not a diva-free zone."
Which reminded me of a "historical" quote from a former co-worker and Sebastopol resident: "I liked the word 'goddess' until I moved here."
There were many people around here in deep mourning for Harbin Hot Springs which was destroyed in the Valley Fire. I did have my own humorous Harbin story, from years ago. It was the first time I went, and having just moved to the northbay from Palo Alto I was still acclimating to Sonoma County. It was a stretch for me to go, still shedding elements of the conservative religion I was raised in. My friend said, "No pressure, just take a bathing suit and wear it. Nobody will care." I felt like I stuck out all day with the suit, and probably had more stares because I was actually clothed. After a long afternoon sitting in the May sun I was in the changing room hiding in the corner. Out of the blue, in the middle of changing (i.e. wearing next to nothing) a dude exclaims: "Look at her sunburn!" I didn't even realize he was talking about me until 30+ people turned around to look at my sunburn. After walking around all day in a swimsuit, a one-piece no less, it was definitely unexpected to have dozens of people scrutinizing my tan line. For me it wasn't the pools. That was my Harbin baptism.
(apparently my main hobby now is license plate gazing:)
MR MAPLE
MMOO MOO
NO GAS NO
Monday, September 14, 2015
Blessed truffles
I was at the police station on Saturday morning while a yoga festival was taking place in the plaza. As I was waiting, some loud microphone chanting and audience response was happening. The woman in front of me asked what was going on today in Sebastopol? The cop was very p.c. and replied, "I'm not sure," but with a look on her face that said, "Well, it's Sebastopol, so you're guess is as good as mine."
I do things as a blogger that I normally would not do. The police station exchange led me to ask a number of people in front of Whole Foods what they thought was going on across the way. (There were some booths, a big red tent, lots of flowers, some chanting and singing.)
I mostly got "Yoga something" and a few "music festival?" responses as there was singing and drumming echoing across the square. One person ventured, "Chanting for peace rally" and another: "the northern California version of Diwali."
And my favorite: "Isn't this just a normal Saturday morning in Sebastopol?"
My niece was on a tire swing with two other toddlers. They were having fun and screaming pretty loudly. At one point one of the boys bellowed, "It's too loud! Everyone stop and take a breath!" All three of them did stop for a minute and took a big breath together.
(Then they went back to screaming.)
A woman came up to me in the Barlow and asked if I wanted some dark chocolate soft candy - infused with either blackberry sage or ginger chai. Of course it was impossible to turn this down. But what made it Sebastopol-like? She explained this chocolate "medicine" was not only organic and raw, but also blessed.
At Whole Foods I overheard somebody talking about a new restaurant: "They have Kombucha on tap!"
And at Safeway: "They won't eat Ritz crackers. They are really too progressive for that."
A friend reached her Sebasto-limit. A few of the texts between us during her meltdown:
Friend: Take your chakra singing bowl and add it to the bonfire that the drum circle is pounding their drums around! And while you're at it toss in your business plan that is likely written on a napkin to launch your business as a health coach, yoga instructor or alternative healer!
Me: Business plan written on a napkin while drinking lavender tea.
Friend: My pendulum is going to swing and I'm going to become a Republican and start waving an American flag just so I can be alternative in this town!!!
Me: Vote for Trump! Start only eating things with gluten!
Favorite t-shirt:
(YOGA)
POSER
Each week I think I won't see any new license plates, but inevitably I always do...
MYSTICO
WAEL FOX
WTR FARY
I do things as a blogger that I normally would not do. The police station exchange led me to ask a number of people in front of Whole Foods what they thought was going on across the way. (There were some booths, a big red tent, lots of flowers, some chanting and singing.)
I mostly got "Yoga something" and a few "music festival?" responses as there was singing and drumming echoing across the square. One person ventured, "Chanting for peace rally" and another: "the northern California version of Diwali."
And my favorite: "Isn't this just a normal Saturday morning in Sebastopol?"
My niece was on a tire swing with two other toddlers. They were having fun and screaming pretty loudly. At one point one of the boys bellowed, "It's too loud! Everyone stop and take a breath!" All three of them did stop for a minute and took a big breath together.
(Then they went back to screaming.)
A woman came up to me in the Barlow and asked if I wanted some dark chocolate soft candy - infused with either blackberry sage or ginger chai. Of course it was impossible to turn this down. But what made it Sebastopol-like? She explained this chocolate "medicine" was not only organic and raw, but also blessed.
At Whole Foods I overheard somebody talking about a new restaurant: "They have Kombucha on tap!"
And at Safeway: "They won't eat Ritz crackers. They are really too progressive for that."
A friend reached her Sebasto-limit. A few of the texts between us during her meltdown:
Friend: Take your chakra singing bowl and add it to the bonfire that the drum circle is pounding their drums around! And while you're at it toss in your business plan that is likely written on a napkin to launch your business as a health coach, yoga instructor or alternative healer!
Me: Business plan written on a napkin while drinking lavender tea.
Friend: My pendulum is going to swing and I'm going to become a Republican and start waving an American flag just so I can be alternative in this town!!!
Me: Vote for Trump! Start only eating things with gluten!
Favorite t-shirt:
(YOGA)
POSER
Each week I think I won't see any new license plates, but inevitably I always do...
MYSTICO
WAEL FOX
WTR FARY
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
The land of conscious healing mindfulness
A woman who had moved here from the south bay was telling me about a Facebook group she joined this summer, the members being mothers of children where her daughter attends pre-school. "With all the different issues about being parents to toddlers, most of the posts and comments have been about fresh plums and zucchini. And where to buy cheap but durable yoga pants."
(Apparently the best recommendation was CVS.)
A friend was watching her sister's kids in the plaza for a few hours and sent me several texts about the experience. Here are some excerpts:
-We have competing groups, some people dancing to The Cars "Shake it Up" and some dancing to drumming. I want to see who wins.
-The drummers won.
-Now we have hula-hooping to the drums.
-Dancers now giving each other epic hugs. No.... it is a GROUP EPIC HUG. How Sebastopol is this??
Someone I knew years ago was visiting here for the weekend, and was disappointed he did not have very many "Sebastopol moments" after following my blog. (I have explained numerous times the encounters are few and far between the regular mundane moments of my life, but people don't believe me.) He was happy to hear a heated exchange about the virtues of bioflavonoids in Community Market. He also read the community board, as I had told him some of the fliers can be rather entertaining. His response: "There are a lot of classes and workshops up here that have 'conscious,' 'mindful' or 'healing' in the title. When I come back I'm going to hold a workshop called Conscious Healing Mindfulness and I think a lot of people will attend just because of the title."
I was chatting with someone who does not live in Sebastopol but goes to a gym here. At one point he made the comment: "I do the treadmill a lot. When I was at Gold's [gym] in Santa Rosa people would talk about their kids, drinking beer, shopping at Costco. The other day when I was in Sebastopol on a treadmill the two people next to me were arguing about organic greens."
Which reminded me of a conversation that took place around me, at Coaches Corner years ago (probably during the spring):
Young woman: "What date is Easter?"
Guy: "It's different every year."
Young woman: "But why?"
Guy: "I have no idea."
Second woman, on a treadmill: "It's the first Sunday after the first full moon after equinox."
Both stare at second woman blankly. Finally the guy says, "Oh. Really? Is that true?"
Second woman, "Yes, really. I don't make these things up." She walks away.
Young woman: "You're all about equinox, how come you didn't know that?"
Guy: "I like solstice, not equinox."
Young woman: "Isn't it, like, the same thing?"
Exasperated sigh. "Um.... no, it isn't."
The license plates don't stop:
EGO TRIP
PREEUS
K PEEPS
PLLW TOK
And the bumper sticker that made me laugh:
NAMASTE, BITCHES!
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
(Apparently the best recommendation was CVS.)
A friend was watching her sister's kids in the plaza for a few hours and sent me several texts about the experience. Here are some excerpts:
-We have competing groups, some people dancing to The Cars "Shake it Up" and some dancing to drumming. I want to see who wins.
-The drummers won.
-Now we have hula-hooping to the drums.
-Dancers now giving each other epic hugs. No.... it is a GROUP EPIC HUG. How Sebastopol is this??
Someone I knew years ago was visiting here for the weekend, and was disappointed he did not have very many "Sebastopol moments" after following my blog. (I have explained numerous times the encounters are few and far between the regular mundane moments of my life, but people don't believe me.) He was happy to hear a heated exchange about the virtues of bioflavonoids in Community Market. He also read the community board, as I had told him some of the fliers can be rather entertaining. His response: "There are a lot of classes and workshops up here that have 'conscious,' 'mindful' or 'healing' in the title. When I come back I'm going to hold a workshop called Conscious Healing Mindfulness and I think a lot of people will attend just because of the title."
I was chatting with someone who does not live in Sebastopol but goes to a gym here. At one point he made the comment: "I do the treadmill a lot. When I was at Gold's [gym] in Santa Rosa people would talk about their kids, drinking beer, shopping at Costco. The other day when I was in Sebastopol on a treadmill the two people next to me were arguing about organic greens."
Which reminded me of a conversation that took place around me, at Coaches Corner years ago (probably during the spring):
Young woman: "What date is Easter?"
Guy: "It's different every year."
Young woman: "But why?"
Guy: "I have no idea."
Second woman, on a treadmill: "It's the first Sunday after the first full moon after equinox."
Both stare at second woman blankly. Finally the guy says, "Oh. Really? Is that true?"
Second woman, "Yes, really. I don't make these things up." She walks away.
Young woman: "You're all about equinox, how come you didn't know that?"
Guy: "I like solstice, not equinox."
Young woman: "Isn't it, like, the same thing?"
Exasperated sigh. "Um.... no, it isn't."
The license plates don't stop:
EGO TRIP
PREEUS
K PEEPS
PLLW TOK
And the bumper sticker that made me laugh:
NAMASTE, BITCHES!
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Thompson twin parties
From Alice who sent an employment ad for a West Sonoma County church:
"Potential employees must have a sincere interest in candle magic, intentional prayer, folk magic, folk art, folk lore, and herbology, and must be willing to take on all manner of assignments as flexible team players."
The ad is titled Smallest Church in the World/Office/Candle Services. (Which made me think of Milk and Honey. If any small business were to have a Candle Services department, it should really be them!)
Alice also mentioned a Sebastopol moment she had: "I was in the square a couple of years ago and asked some white dreadlocked dude for 'a light.' He said, immediately and totally seriously, 'Jah is the light. What you seek is fire.'"
After my last post, a woman told me about a Saturday in Ragle park a summer or two ago:
Essentially, it was a very crowded weekend with lots of soccer games and parties going on. Her daughter's birthday party was situated between two other events. One was a "very trendy hipster" family that talked a lot about organic food, raw cacao and which festivals had the best clothes. The other was a Christian summer camp-like group that sang a lot of songs (which was how she knew it was Christian). The funny thing being that apparently the name at the entrance for both groups was Thompson, so families kept getting sent to the wrong group. "It was so funny seeing the looks of confusion as families walked up to either group. It was me and my husband's entertainment for about an hour. You could tell by the attire alone if they were walking up to the right party or not."
Multiple people have commented to me that the Rialto Cinemas now has hummus plates, Mediterranean, Caesar and spring salads in addition to their popcorn.
I was in the parking lot of a grocery store and ended up asking an older couple what their license plate meant. It turned out it was the name of a business they used to run in Tahoe. I explained I do a local blog and sometimes include license plates which was why I was asking. After a few minutes of conversation I realized they didn't understand the explanation about my blog and I'm pretty sure they were under the impression I do a blog solely about license plates.
(Which does not seem too exciting. "And today I saw another license plate...")
Speaking of which:
BARE FTD
ERTH ECO
IM WONKA
ALLZ WEL
Slowing down in SebTown...
"Potential employees must have a sincere interest in candle magic, intentional prayer, folk magic, folk art, folk lore, and herbology, and must be willing to take on all manner of assignments as flexible team players."
The ad is titled Smallest Church in the World/Office/Candle Services. (Which made me think of Milk and Honey. If any small business were to have a Candle Services department, it should really be them!)
Alice also mentioned a Sebastopol moment she had: "I was in the square a couple of years ago and asked some white dreadlocked dude for 'a light.' He said, immediately and totally seriously, 'Jah is the light. What you seek is fire.'"
After my last post, a woman told me about a Saturday in Ragle park a summer or two ago:
Essentially, it was a very crowded weekend with lots of soccer games and parties going on. Her daughter's birthday party was situated between two other events. One was a "very trendy hipster" family that talked a lot about organic food, raw cacao and which festivals had the best clothes. The other was a Christian summer camp-like group that sang a lot of songs (which was how she knew it was Christian). The funny thing being that apparently the name at the entrance for both groups was Thompson, so families kept getting sent to the wrong group. "It was so funny seeing the looks of confusion as families walked up to either group. It was me and my husband's entertainment for about an hour. You could tell by the attire alone if they were walking up to the right party or not."
Multiple people have commented to me that the Rialto Cinemas now has hummus plates, Mediterranean, Caesar and spring salads in addition to their popcorn.
I was in the parking lot of a grocery store and ended up asking an older couple what their license plate meant. It turned out it was the name of a business they used to run in Tahoe. I explained I do a local blog and sometimes include license plates which was why I was asking. After a few minutes of conversation I realized they didn't understand the explanation about my blog and I'm pretty sure they were under the impression I do a blog solely about license plates.
(Which does not seem too exciting. "And today I saw another license plate...")
Speaking of which:
BARE FTD
ERTH ECO
IM WONKA
ALLZ WEL
Slowing down in SebTown...
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Never a lack of planetary references
I overheard someone talking about an (epic) hug when I was coming out of Whole Foods recently: "...and her heart center was touching my heart center, it was a truly delighting moment. Even a hug can be very special when you have just finished a lot of meditating."
Person he was talking to: "Medicating? What kind of medicating?"
"No, meditating. Me-di-ta-tion."
Walking my niece at Ragle Park, I ended up talking to a park employee while my niece slept in her stroller. I asked if there were any amusing experiences she had encountered there (okay yes, I was fishing). At first the worker said no, then after a while she remarked: "Well, you do have the barbeque and soccer families, and then kind of the 'tai chi' area of the park, and the two rarely mix. Except at the playground, where it's more of a free-for-all. I remember one day when a girl came up to her mom, sobbing and saying 'that little boy called me a hippie girl.' I thought to myself, there are much worse things you could be called. And since he was wearing a poncho, I don't even think he meant it as an insult."
On the back of a large RV in the Barlow: "Ah... Joy"
I received an email from a local who told me an astrologer she went to mentioned one of the funniest questions she had been asked: "Since pluto was redefined as a dwarf planet, how does that affect my astrology chart?"
Which for some reason reminded me of a bumper sticker I saw a while back: Republicans are from Mars, Democrats are from Venus. (Quite Sebastopol on several levels.)
A woman to a deli worker at Community Market: "I'm from South Carolina. You don't see so many tofu options in South Carolina, I can tell you that..."
I was talking to someone in the plaza one quiet afternoon and we both noticed a guy giving an actual massage about thirty feet away - massage table and all.
The person I was talking to commented, "I would be too self-conscious to get a massage in public. But maybe it's nice to be outside, more relaxing... that's why he's doing it out here. It is really nice weather today, good not to be indoors."
My more skeptical side came out, and I countered, "He probably just doesn't want to pay for on office."
She nodded her head, half-smiling. "Well, yeah... I could also see that being the case."
License plates:
NX2 JPTR
ZIN PIG
ARTY GUY
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
Person he was talking to: "Medicating? What kind of medicating?"
"No, meditating. Me-di-ta-tion."
Walking my niece at Ragle Park, I ended up talking to a park employee while my niece slept in her stroller. I asked if there were any amusing experiences she had encountered there (okay yes, I was fishing). At first the worker said no, then after a while she remarked: "Well, you do have the barbeque and soccer families, and then kind of the 'tai chi' area of the park, and the two rarely mix. Except at the playground, where it's more of a free-for-all. I remember one day when a girl came up to her mom, sobbing and saying 'that little boy called me a hippie girl.' I thought to myself, there are much worse things you could be called. And since he was wearing a poncho, I don't even think he meant it as an insult."
On the back of a large RV in the Barlow: "Ah... Joy"
I received an email from a local who told me an astrologer she went to mentioned one of the funniest questions she had been asked: "Since pluto was redefined as a dwarf planet, how does that affect my astrology chart?"
Which for some reason reminded me of a bumper sticker I saw a while back: Republicans are from Mars, Democrats are from Venus. (Quite Sebastopol on several levels.)
A woman to a deli worker at Community Market: "I'm from South Carolina. You don't see so many tofu options in South Carolina, I can tell you that..."
I was talking to someone in the plaza one quiet afternoon and we both noticed a guy giving an actual massage about thirty feet away - massage table and all.
The person I was talking to commented, "I would be too self-conscious to get a massage in public. But maybe it's nice to be outside, more relaxing... that's why he's doing it out here. It is really nice weather today, good not to be indoors."
My more skeptical side came out, and I countered, "He probably just doesn't want to pay for on office."
She nodded her head, half-smiling. "Well, yeah... I could also see that being the case."
License plates:
NX2 JPTR
ZIN PIG
ARTY GUY
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Ohm my goddess!
I go to a weekly restorative yoga class. Some weeks we end up using a myriad of pillows, bolsters and/or blankets. Recently I heard a regular comment, "In this class, no prop left behind."
I was following a young boy (who could not have been older than eight) and his father through the produce section at Whole Foods. The boy whined, "Dad, you're not taking my gluten-free diet very seriously right now."
My friend was at Ives park with her toddler and heard some kids playing "healthy drive-through." The kids playing cashiers would tell the others that the food "has no fat, no trans-fat, no calories."
And I was chatting with a youngster at a birthday party who ended up telling me the guidelines his mother has given him for shopping at Trader Joe's: "She asks me, is it healthy? Is it organic? Is there high fructose corn syrup? Then it's a no." And lastly, "It's always better if it's on sale."
I also noticed a small sign for a specialty drink in a health food market: "Ohm my goddess, you have to try this!"
There is a cashier at Community Market who will gladly tell you how many karma points you are earning when you round up your purchase and donate to a good cause.
And I was informed what a ved-head is: those who are studying or "really into" Ayurvedic medicine.
Last week I met a woman who was walking her dog near Ragle who mentioned her dog's name was Firefly. Her horse's name is Stormy and her cat goes by Wind, although she does call her Windy and neighbors think her name is Wendy. "My next animal will have an earth name, to round out the four elements."
"What are some name possibilities?" I wanted to know.
"If it's a male, Clay. If she is female, Dusty or Demeter."
All earthy names, I had to agree.
The license plates don't cease:
707 DRFT
HKY POKY
TOPAZ
WINE DON
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
I was following a young boy (who could not have been older than eight) and his father through the produce section at Whole Foods. The boy whined, "Dad, you're not taking my gluten-free diet very seriously right now."
My friend was at Ives park with her toddler and heard some kids playing "healthy drive-through." The kids playing cashiers would tell the others that the food "has no fat, no trans-fat, no calories."
And I was chatting with a youngster at a birthday party who ended up telling me the guidelines his mother has given him for shopping at Trader Joe's: "She asks me, is it healthy? Is it organic? Is there high fructose corn syrup? Then it's a no." And lastly, "It's always better if it's on sale."
I also noticed a small sign for a specialty drink in a health food market: "Ohm my goddess, you have to try this!"
There is a cashier at Community Market who will gladly tell you how many karma points you are earning when you round up your purchase and donate to a good cause.
And I was informed what a ved-head is: those who are studying or "really into" Ayurvedic medicine.
Last week I met a woman who was walking her dog near Ragle who mentioned her dog's name was Firefly. Her horse's name is Stormy and her cat goes by Wind, although she does call her Windy and neighbors think her name is Wendy. "My next animal will have an earth name, to round out the four elements."
"What are some name possibilities?" I wanted to know.
"If it's a male, Clay. If she is female, Dusty or Demeter."
All earthy names, I had to agree.
The license plates don't cease:
707 DRFT
HKY POKY
TOPAZ
WINE DON
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Pro-probiotics
A woman, taking her toddler from her husband at the entrance of Community Market: "What tow truck? I don't see a tow truck out here."
"No, a tarot truck. It's white, you'll see it."
I mentioned to a pseudo-neighbor, who has not lived in Sebastpol for long, that half the items from a Whole Foods gift bag were coupons for probiotic drinks. She responded, "I have never heard people talk so much about probiotics! I don't think I ever thought about probiotics before I moved here. Sebastopolians drink probiotic drinks or take probiotic supplements, and even get mad at you if you do not take them after a round of anti-biotics. They look at you in horror. Folks are very pro-probiotics around here."
Someone I used to work with told me about an end-of-the-year picnic she and her first grade daughter attended. "The funniest part of the lunch was how many kids couldn't stop talking about 'cow's milk.' Like they'd never seen it before. I asked the boy sitting across from me what kind of milk he had at home, and he rattled off 'almond, soy, sometimes coconut.' He sipped the regular milk that was there with trepidation, like somebody handed him a beer."
I was talking to somebody on the phone and she suddenly half-laughed and said, "I just realized a giant Ganesh is staring down at me. This is very Sebastopol." She had pulled over to the side of the road near the community center and a large van had a Ganesh blanket hanging over the back window. She added, "I'm not sure how I feel about this."
The person who had told me about her neighbor complaining about the numerous solstice events mentioned to me after reading the last blog post: "I didn't even think of it also being Father's Day on solstice. Here she is complaining about lack of family time when it's Father's day weekend!"
Yes, I replied, for some around here solstice may trump Father's day. Or at least it'd be a draw. (Just ask Rex.)
"This little piggy went to Whole Foods. This little piggy stayed home. This little piggy had tempeh, this little piggy had none..."
HNG FIVE
OLD SOCK *
BLSSSS
ZEN DUCK *
(* I'm not claiming I always understand the reference)
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
"No, a tarot truck. It's white, you'll see it."
I mentioned to a pseudo-neighbor, who has not lived in Sebastpol for long, that half the items from a Whole Foods gift bag were coupons for probiotic drinks. She responded, "I have never heard people talk so much about probiotics! I don't think I ever thought about probiotics before I moved here. Sebastopolians drink probiotic drinks or take probiotic supplements, and even get mad at you if you do not take them after a round of anti-biotics. They look at you in horror. Folks are very pro-probiotics around here."
Someone I used to work with told me about an end-of-the-year picnic she and her first grade daughter attended. "The funniest part of the lunch was how many kids couldn't stop talking about 'cow's milk.' Like they'd never seen it before. I asked the boy sitting across from me what kind of milk he had at home, and he rattled off 'almond, soy, sometimes coconut.' He sipped the regular milk that was there with trepidation, like somebody handed him a beer."
I was talking to somebody on the phone and she suddenly half-laughed and said, "I just realized a giant Ganesh is staring down at me. This is very Sebastopol." She had pulled over to the side of the road near the community center and a large van had a Ganesh blanket hanging over the back window. She added, "I'm not sure how I feel about this."
The person who had told me about her neighbor complaining about the numerous solstice events mentioned to me after reading the last blog post: "I didn't even think of it also being Father's Day on solstice. Here she is complaining about lack of family time when it's Father's day weekend!"
Yes, I replied, for some around here solstice may trump Father's day. Or at least it'd be a draw. (Just ask Rex.)
"This little piggy went to Whole Foods. This little piggy stayed home. This little piggy had tempeh, this little piggy had none..."
HNG FIVE
OLD SOCK *
BLSSSS
ZEN DUCK *
(* I'm not claiming I always understand the reference)
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
Friday, June 19, 2015
Monks and the munchies
I was recently thinking not much has happened in the way of "blog material." The next day I was sitting outside of Community Market and a guy went by me pointing something at me and bellowing, "Zook attack! Zook attack!" It took me a moment to figure out what a zook attack was until I realized he was holding zucchini.
Walking into Whole Foods last week, I saw several female (I believe Tibetan) monks: barefoot, shaved heads and in monastic attire. Someone at the deli commented to me, "You know if we lived anywhere else, it would be cool seeing these monks outside. Here, nobody thinks anything of it. It's like 'monks, healers, reiki masters... blah blah blah - pass the salt.'"
(Himalayan salt, I'd imagine.)
A woman told me her neighbor was complaining about this time of year, and she thought she meant kids being out of school and having to entertain them. As it turned out, the woman was complaining about solstice and the "far too many solstice events" going on this weekend. How can one spend time with family, she was lamenting, when there are solstice activities day and night all weekend long?
The cashier and I were chatting about how many people were in line at 8:45 one evening at Whole Foods. He mentioned it wasn't too uncommon for it to get crowded right before the store closes. "There are a lot of people here right now who... you know, basically have the munchies. I would say we're not selling a lot of fresh produce right now." I did notice the two people behind me had potato chips, corn chips, lemon bars, pop tarts, coconut something-balls and cookies. And several Kombuchas to balance everything out.
I had a Sebastopol moment when I moved recently. A friend was laughing at me that I had no food to bring to my new place, but I did have an entire box of supplements.
License plates, the sequel:
FULZ GLD
SMPLFY
DRM LRGE
BR CNTRY
Walking into Whole Foods last week, I saw several female (I believe Tibetan) monks: barefoot, shaved heads and in monastic attire. Someone at the deli commented to me, "You know if we lived anywhere else, it would be cool seeing these monks outside. Here, nobody thinks anything of it. It's like 'monks, healers, reiki masters... blah blah blah - pass the salt.'"
(Himalayan salt, I'd imagine.)
A woman told me her neighbor was complaining about this time of year, and she thought she meant kids being out of school and having to entertain them. As it turned out, the woman was complaining about solstice and the "far too many solstice events" going on this weekend. How can one spend time with family, she was lamenting, when there are solstice activities day and night all weekend long?
The cashier and I were chatting about how many people were in line at 8:45 one evening at Whole Foods. He mentioned it wasn't too uncommon for it to get crowded right before the store closes. "There are a lot of people here right now who... you know, basically have the munchies. I would say we're not selling a lot of fresh produce right now." I did notice the two people behind me had potato chips, corn chips, lemon bars, pop tarts, coconut something-balls and cookies. And several Kombuchas to balance everything out.
I had a Sebastopol moment when I moved recently. A friend was laughing at me that I had no food to bring to my new place, but I did have an entire box of supplements.
License plates, the sequel:
FULZ GLD
SMPLFY
DRM LRGE
BR CNTRY
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Bikram devils
At my birthday dinner recently there was unusual ketchup that came with apparently numerous orders of fries. Some sort of sauce that was ketchup-like mixed with fresh salsa and spices. It kept being referred to as "very west county" ketchup.
Overheard by my sister:
"You need to take a psychological selfie."
Someone was telling me about a roommate they had a few years ago who worked part-time at a crystal shop (no longer in existence). Regardless of the topic, she could link it back to flower essences, which she made and sold. "Of course some things are obvious - insomnia or depression or some health issue. She could tell you the flower essence that would cure whatever it was. But after a while my boyfriend and I started purposely bringing up really weird topics to see if she could somehow still relate them to flower essences. Random things like car parts or different kinds of squash. She never caught on and she'd always bring it back. It was like six degrees of separation from flower essences."
During my yoga class last week, which is on the plaza, we kept hearing alternating background noise of intense drumming and clapping for the basketball game. When I was walking out to my car I ended up talking to someone who was watching the drumming and dancing. As the music paused some applause erupted from the restaurant where the game was on. He commented, "See, around here there is something for everyone on a Thursday evening." African drumming, dancing or play-offs... within yards of each other.
I was on the computer at the library and several high school boys were sitting at a table behind me. They were talking about finals, a girl, summer vacation, etc. But suddenly the conversation got louder and a bit charged. I couldn't figure out what they were talking about, but after a moment realized they were trying to figure out if they could all go to a yoga class together the next day.
An email from a local: "Kinda strange to pull up next to a van on 116 that is bright red with devils on it and then realize it is advertising yoga."
(Hot yoga I presume.)
"How is it the Hubbub Club has never made it into your blog?"
(this is actually a very valid question)
License plates, part twelve:
VISHNUS
RHIIBIT
B GR8FUL
BARN KID
MAD U LK
Overheard by my sister:
"You need to take a psychological selfie."
Someone was telling me about a roommate they had a few years ago who worked part-time at a crystal shop (no longer in existence). Regardless of the topic, she could link it back to flower essences, which she made and sold. "Of course some things are obvious - insomnia or depression or some health issue. She could tell you the flower essence that would cure whatever it was. But after a while my boyfriend and I started purposely bringing up really weird topics to see if she could somehow still relate them to flower essences. Random things like car parts or different kinds of squash. She never caught on and she'd always bring it back. It was like six degrees of separation from flower essences."
During my yoga class last week, which is on the plaza, we kept hearing alternating background noise of intense drumming and clapping for the basketball game. When I was walking out to my car I ended up talking to someone who was watching the drumming and dancing. As the music paused some applause erupted from the restaurant where the game was on. He commented, "See, around here there is something for everyone on a Thursday evening." African drumming, dancing or play-offs... within yards of each other.
I was on the computer at the library and several high school boys were sitting at a table behind me. They were talking about finals, a girl, summer vacation, etc. But suddenly the conversation got louder and a bit charged. I couldn't figure out what they were talking about, but after a moment realized they were trying to figure out if they could all go to a yoga class together the next day.
An email from a local: "Kinda strange to pull up next to a van on 116 that is bright red with devils on it and then realize it is advertising yoga."
(Hot yoga I presume.)
"How is it the Hubbub Club has never made it into your blog?"
(this is actually a very valid question)
License plates, part twelve:
VISHNUS
RHIIBIT
B GR8FUL
BARN KID
MAD U LK
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Crystals and computers
Facebook comment from previous blog:
"Wait, I thought everyone wants to rent to Virgo's. We are neurotic, clean, meticulous and even if our chakras or our, what was it, Qi?, is not aligned or in tune, at least it is dusted and we know where to find it. Or maybe not. What does Qi look like? I can't find mine in my file cabinet."
I was coming back from a walk in the laguna area and heard a few people talking about the lack of parking near the community center that week. One person said, "It's that World Drummers-Dancers thing going on." In his defense, we could hear drumming in the distance.
To which the woman beside him countered, "No, it's something like International Belly Dancing Tribes Competition."
(They were making it harder than it was. That would be Tribal Fest.)
Favorite recent text:
"Found myself walking down Main Street in Sebastopol recently, listening to a guy trying to convince me that vibrations must have color. How could I not think of you?"
My niece and I were driving through town and came up behind a red Prius, which is what her mother drives. After realizing it was not "Mama's car," we ended up seeing seven red Prius vehicles during our short drive. Even at three years old she wanted to know why are there so many red Priuses around here?
A friend told me she had a visitor from Washington. At the end of the week, she asked how her visit had been. "It's been great. But I've never been on vacation and felt so much pressure to eat healthy."
I was looking at some gifts in a downtown store and half-overheard a guy say to the woman he was shopping with: "I could get that, but it doesn't really go with my 'look.'"
"Oh, and what look would that be?" she asked, half-laughing.
"You know, new age tough guy."
(I had to turn around and look, and indeed that was his look.)
The license plates don't stop:
STARRY
ATLNTSS
SPIIICE
REUSE IT
And from a friend since I just got a new laptop:
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
"Wait, I thought everyone wants to rent to Virgo's. We are neurotic, clean, meticulous and even if our chakras or our, what was it, Qi?, is not aligned or in tune, at least it is dusted and we know where to find it. Or maybe not. What does Qi look like? I can't find mine in my file cabinet."
I was coming back from a walk in the laguna area and heard a few people talking about the lack of parking near the community center that week. One person said, "It's that World Drummers-Dancers thing going on." In his defense, we could hear drumming in the distance.
To which the woman beside him countered, "No, it's something like International Belly Dancing Tribes Competition."
(They were making it harder than it was. That would be Tribal Fest.)
Favorite recent text:
"Found myself walking down Main Street in Sebastopol recently, listening to a guy trying to convince me that vibrations must have color. How could I not think of you?"
My niece and I were driving through town and came up behind a red Prius, which is what her mother drives. After realizing it was not "Mama's car," we ended up seeing seven red Prius vehicles during our short drive. Even at three years old she wanted to know why are there so many red Priuses around here?
A friend told me she had a visitor from Washington. At the end of the week, she asked how her visit had been. "It's been great. But I've never been on vacation and felt so much pressure to eat healthy."
I was looking at some gifts in a downtown store and half-overheard a guy say to the woman he was shopping with: "I could get that, but it doesn't really go with my 'look.'"
"Oh, and what look would that be?" she asked, half-laughing.
"You know, new age tough guy."
(I had to turn around and look, and indeed that was his look.)
The license plates don't stop:
STARRY
ATLNTSS
SPIIICE
REUSE IT
And from a friend since I just got a new laptop:
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Here is to happy chakras
A few weeks ago I was at lunch with some co-workers, outnumbered by several who do not live in Sebastopol (although we all work in Sebastopol). One said, "I could never live here. There is a one-way street through the middle of town. You are driving and can't turn this way, and there are protesters over there... where are you supposed to turn??"
I have been looking for a place to live and so have spoken with a few landlords on the phone. One in particular sounded quite quirky, and just as I was thinking that she inquired: "Before we get any further I should tell you I'm a Libra with a Scorpio rising. What about you? Hopefully not a Virgo-anything." Semi-dramatic sigh. "I really don't do well with Virgos." (I had told her I pay my rent early, am clean, employed and would not be around much. But Virgo would apparently trump all those things.)
And because I am in the process of packing my things I have found items I didn't remember I had. One was a card from a woman whose daughter I had babysat years ago. At the end she had written, "Thank you very much for all your conscious childcare." Another was an "energetic" picture of a woman someone had drawn for me a long time ago, with smiley faces adorning each of the chakras.
My co-worker (from Santa Rosa) was "quizzing" her young daughter Yahel, asking her some random questions. One was, "What is the capitol of California?" To which she answered, "Sebastopol, of course." Her mom also told me that one of her kids' dreams is "to be Sebastopolians."
(Of course if the question had been: "What is the yoga pants capital of the world?" then her answer would have been correct.)
At Ragle Park I heard a mom tell her son it was getting time to leave. After a few minutes she said, "All right. We really need to go. I have to drop you off before my class! And you do not want to be around Mommy if she doesn't get her qi gong fix!"
More license plates:
LIKMNDS
YINIFY
PRNYMA (bonus points if you know what this is referring to)
And you know when you are coming out of Starbucks, and you see this in the car parked next to you?
I have been looking for a place to live and so have spoken with a few landlords on the phone. One in particular sounded quite quirky, and just as I was thinking that she inquired: "Before we get any further I should tell you I'm a Libra with a Scorpio rising. What about you? Hopefully not a Virgo-anything." Semi-dramatic sigh. "I really don't do well with Virgos." (I had told her I pay my rent early, am clean, employed and would not be around much. But Virgo would apparently trump all those things.)
And because I am in the process of packing my things I have found items I didn't remember I had. One was a card from a woman whose daughter I had babysat years ago. At the end she had written, "Thank you very much for all your conscious childcare." Another was an "energetic" picture of a woman someone had drawn for me a long time ago, with smiley faces adorning each of the chakras.
My co-worker (from Santa Rosa) was "quizzing" her young daughter Yahel, asking her some random questions. One was, "What is the capitol of California?" To which she answered, "Sebastopol, of course." Her mom also told me that one of her kids' dreams is "to be Sebastopolians."
(Of course if the question had been: "What is the yoga pants capital of the world?" then her answer would have been correct.)
At Ragle Park I heard a mom tell her son it was getting time to leave. After a few minutes she said, "All right. We really need to go. I have to drop you off before my class! And you do not want to be around Mommy if she doesn't get her qi gong fix!"
More license plates:
LIKMNDS
YINIFY
PRNYMA (bonus points if you know what this is referring to)
And you know when you are coming out of Starbucks, and you see this in the car parked next to you?
Monday, April 27, 2015
WCOUNTY vibes
I was by the Cookie Company and heard a woman say to her friend, "Let's go get some cookies and sit outside and listen to this wacky guy playing the ukulele. Oh, look, people are even giving him money. I love this town!" I also saw a flier for a room rental, which apologized at the end of it: "I'm sorry, I know this is Sebastopol. But I am not a healthy eater, not vegetarian and I have a free pass to a yoga studio I never use."
And while walking by Rite-Aid a few days later with a group of people, one commented while looking at her phone:
"Hey, the Apple Blossom festival is on the new moon."
Person walking with her: "I don't think that was planned."
Third person. "Well, you never know around here."
A singer who recently performed here was swigging cherry bark syrup during her performance. She joked in between songs this was the Sebastopol version of a Red Bull.
Guy standing by my car while I was loading some groceries, talking to his friend on speakerphone: "What kind of vibrations are you talking about? Because look where we are. Festival vibes. California vibes. Ocean vibes. West county vibes... Just saying 'vibes' doesn't help."
I was at Papas and Pollos with my toddler niece. We went to sit on a bench and there was a small, thick pillow. "I want to sit on the meditation pillow," she told me.
Several weeks ago I was running late meeting someone so I called to let her know I'd be there shortly. She was waiting in the plaza, and texted me back: "Don't worry, I'm fine. Just sitting here enjoying the sun and a nice contact high."
License plates cont.:
WCOUNTY
NOTICE
WDSTK 2
LI-10 UP
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
And while walking by Rite-Aid a few days later with a group of people, one commented while looking at her phone:
"Hey, the Apple Blossom festival is on the new moon."
Person walking with her: "I don't think that was planned."
Third person. "Well, you never know around here."
A singer who recently performed here was swigging cherry bark syrup during her performance. She joked in between songs this was the Sebastopol version of a Red Bull.
Guy standing by my car while I was loading some groceries, talking to his friend on speakerphone: "What kind of vibrations are you talking about? Because look where we are. Festival vibes. California vibes. Ocean vibes. West county vibes... Just saying 'vibes' doesn't help."
I was at Papas and Pollos with my toddler niece. We went to sit on a bench and there was a small, thick pillow. "I want to sit on the meditation pillow," she told me.
Several weeks ago I was running late meeting someone so I called to let her know I'd be there shortly. She was waiting in the plaza, and texted me back: "Don't worry, I'm fine. Just sitting here enjoying the sun and a nice contact high."
License plates cont.:
WCOUNTY
NOTICE
WDSTK 2
LI-10 UP
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Envision your supplements returning
A friend of mine who describes herself as "entirely unspiritual" texted me when she was in Sebastopol recently: "Love the envision."
Yeah, I thought when I read it, I have no idea what she is talking about. About a week later I was in my car and noticed white and blue streamers spelling out the word 'envision' on a fence right before I got into town.
Oh, that envision.
At the park with my niece, I seated myself on a bench next to a woman watching several young children. She told me they had been in a coffeehouse on Main Street and as she was getting everyone together to leave, she set her phone down with a bottle of supplements. A few minutes later she realized she didn't have her phone. Racing back, she was relieved her phone had been turned in. But the bottle was gone. She laughed, remarking, "You've got to love a town where someone turns in an expensive phone but swipes a bottle of digestive enzymes."
Wandering around the Farmer's Market, I heard a babysitter say to a young boy: "Well, let's look and see. If your mom packed snacks it's probably cashews and chard and celery sticks. If your dad packed it then you probably have cupcakes and gummy bears."
Little boy: "I want some chard."
Babysitter: "Seriously... that's your first choice?" Then she muttered parenthetically, "I don't think I knew what chard was at your age."
Filling my water bottles at Whole Foods I half-noticed a teenager walk up to her mom who was next to me. She dumped some items in a cart. Her mom handed some hummus back to her daughter shaking her head. "What is this garlic-basil-cilantro-parsley-pesto-pine nut stuff, probably with kale in it? She won't eat that. Just plain hummus, or better yet maybe some artichoke dip."
(And yes, I had to ask her to repeat her descriptive diatribe for me. It was actually just pesto hummus.)
And also at Whole Foods: "I think we need to get the right wine. I mean, we are serving a bunch of liberals tonight."
More license plates:
U BECOME
H20 FALL
N HRMONY
C BRZES
Yeah, I thought when I read it, I have no idea what she is talking about. About a week later I was in my car and noticed white and blue streamers spelling out the word 'envision' on a fence right before I got into town.
Oh, that envision.
At the park with my niece, I seated myself on a bench next to a woman watching several young children. She told me they had been in a coffeehouse on Main Street and as she was getting everyone together to leave, she set her phone down with a bottle of supplements. A few minutes later she realized she didn't have her phone. Racing back, she was relieved her phone had been turned in. But the bottle was gone. She laughed, remarking, "You've got to love a town where someone turns in an expensive phone but swipes a bottle of digestive enzymes."
Wandering around the Farmer's Market, I heard a babysitter say to a young boy: "Well, let's look and see. If your mom packed snacks it's probably cashews and chard and celery sticks. If your dad packed it then you probably have cupcakes and gummy bears."
Little boy: "I want some chard."
Babysitter: "Seriously... that's your first choice?" Then she muttered parenthetically, "I don't think I knew what chard was at your age."
Filling my water bottles at Whole Foods I half-noticed a teenager walk up to her mom who was next to me. She dumped some items in a cart. Her mom handed some hummus back to her daughter shaking her head. "What is this garlic-basil-cilantro-parsley-pesto-pine nut stuff, probably with kale in it? She won't eat that. Just plain hummus, or better yet maybe some artichoke dip."
(And yes, I had to ask her to repeat her descriptive diatribe for me. It was actually just pesto hummus.)
And also at Whole Foods: "I think we need to get the right wine. I mean, we are serving a bunch of liberals tonight."
More license plates:
U BECOME
H20 FALL
N HRMONY
C BRZES
Monday, March 30, 2015
West county highs
Favorite comment from the last blog (regarding Sebastopol landlords):
"I love the ads that say no pets, alcohol, illegal drugs or cigarette smoking. Horses OK. 4/20 friendly. Good, because my horses love to get high."
I was speaking to an acquaintance visiting for the weekend who was shopping for her nephew's graduation. She liked the downtown shops but hadn't been able to find anything for him. She looked around and sighed, "The divine feminine has kind of taken over this town, hasn't it?"
A month or so ago there was a woman stalker at Hop Monk who was asked to leave and ended up "peeling out" of Sebastopol (in a Prius) with a cop chasing her, resulting in an accident. There were some funny comments on the webpage for the Press Democrat article:
"Don't bars usually have bouncers to throw out unwanted guests, you had to call the police to have this lady thrown out?"
"It's Sebastopol. They don't have bouncers they have people that ask you nicely to leave and offer patchouli oil as a parting gift. Haha"
"They offer patchouli oil and a zen buddhist mantra."
My friend and I met recently at a café for dinner. She was laughing at the Himalayan salt on the table, observing: "I know in Sebastopol this is really normal. In other places people would be like, what the hell is this pink salt?"
Some more "west county" names from a first grade classroom in Sebastopol: Quest, Juniper, Sequoia, Kairan, Kovanni, Mystic, Orion, Aurora, Jenner and Iris. (I remember someone telling me, "In other parts of the country somebody is named Iris or Rose after their grandmother. Around here it is after the flowers.") I also heard from someone who grew up in this area that when she was younger, she had neighbors who named their twins Daydream and Deja Vu.
Quintessential Sebastopol bumper sticker:
This is what a goddess looks like
Latest license plate sightings:
SOLRNOW
ZINOMA
{hand}2 BODHI
YOGA HI
HIGH 5
In full disclosure, I was not quite in Sebastopol, more like Sebasto-Rosa. But a car owner after my own heart:
OVR IT
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
"I love the ads that say no pets, alcohol, illegal drugs or cigarette smoking. Horses OK. 4/20 friendly. Good, because my horses love to get high."
I was speaking to an acquaintance visiting for the weekend who was shopping for her nephew's graduation. She liked the downtown shops but hadn't been able to find anything for him. She looked around and sighed, "The divine feminine has kind of taken over this town, hasn't it?"
A month or so ago there was a woman stalker at Hop Monk who was asked to leave and ended up "peeling out" of Sebastopol (in a Prius) with a cop chasing her, resulting in an accident. There were some funny comments on the webpage for the Press Democrat article:
"Don't bars usually have bouncers to throw out unwanted guests, you had to call the police to have this lady thrown out?"
"It's Sebastopol. They don't have bouncers they have people that ask you nicely to leave and offer patchouli oil as a parting gift. Haha"
"They offer patchouli oil and a zen buddhist mantra."
My friend and I met recently at a café for dinner. She was laughing at the Himalayan salt on the table, observing: "I know in Sebastopol this is really normal. In other places people would be like, what the hell is this pink salt?"
Some more "west county" names from a first grade classroom in Sebastopol: Quest, Juniper, Sequoia, Kairan, Kovanni, Mystic, Orion, Aurora, Jenner and Iris. (I remember someone telling me, "In other parts of the country somebody is named Iris or Rose after their grandmother. Around here it is after the flowers.") I also heard from someone who grew up in this area that when she was younger, she had neighbors who named their twins Daydream and Deja Vu.
Quintessential Sebastopol bumper sticker:
This is what a goddess looks like
Latest license plate sightings:
SOLRNOW
ZINOMA
{hand}2 BODHI
YOGA HI
HIGH 5
In full disclosure, I was not quite in Sebastopol, more like Sebasto-Rosa. But a car owner after my own heart:
OVR IT
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
Friday, March 13, 2015
Klm down and have some warm (hemp) milk
A local Facebook post:
Sebastospeak: this morning at drop-off, I asked another mom how she was... her reply: 'Grounded.'
(And I like "Sebasto-speak.")
The same friend from the above post told me her young daughter relayed a story to her that began: "This morning when I was 'om'ing'..."
She added, "I don't know where she was taught that, she didn't learn that from me!"
A pre-schooler to her play mates by the sandbox at Ives Park: "Don't come over here, you are going to step on my kale garden!"
A friend passed this on to me and it made me laugh:
Diva: $1000 Sonoma County Landlords @!(sebastopol)
"I have noticed that properties for rent in Sonoma County are so pet 'unfriendly', more so than other counties in the Bay Area. Why, with all of the open space these properties are sitting on, are pets not allowed?? These ads describe these 'jewel-like' settings, lots of land, we are peace-loving landlords, blah, blah, blah... Yet, they do not allow animals?? It is a given that all landlords are greedy, apparently they are soulless and void of any trace of humanity as well. Don't post how idyllic and peaceful and peace-loving you are, then write, NO PETS!! Just write what you mean: I am a greedy, money-hungry, cold-hearted waste of space, seeking the perfect, pet-free human being to occupy my janky shack for significantly more than it's worth . oh, and by the way: namaste, have a beautiful day."
A body worker who works with a group of holistic practitioners told me an email came to their office: "I just moved here and am looking for a new massage therapist. Do you have one there who is not into energy healing, who won't make me draw an angel card or talk to me about astrology or what colors I should be wearing more of to attract different energy, or that I should stop drinking espresso and try green tea, etc.? Or do I have to go to another town?"
License plates around town:
KLM DOWN
CRZY LUN
GREYWLF
The guy I was with replied, "Hempsters."
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
Sebastospeak: this morning at drop-off, I asked another mom how she was... her reply: 'Grounded.'
(And I like "Sebasto-speak.")
The same friend from the above post told me her young daughter relayed a story to her that began: "This morning when I was 'om'ing'..."
She added, "I don't know where she was taught that, she didn't learn that from me!"
A pre-schooler to her play mates by the sandbox at Ives Park: "Don't come over here, you are going to step on my kale garden!"
A friend passed this on to me and it made me laugh:
Diva: $1000 Sonoma County Landlords @!(sebastopol)
"I have noticed that properties for rent in Sonoma County are so pet 'unfriendly', more so than other counties in the Bay Area. Why, with all of the open space these properties are sitting on, are pets not allowed?? These ads describe these 'jewel-like' settings, lots of land, we are peace-loving landlords, blah, blah, blah... Yet, they do not allow animals?? It is a given that all landlords are greedy, apparently they are soulless and void of any trace of humanity as well. Don't post how idyllic and peaceful and peace-loving you are, then write, NO PETS!! Just write what you mean: I am a greedy, money-hungry, cold-hearted waste of space, seeking the perfect, pet-free human being to occupy my janky shack for significantly more than it's worth . oh, and by the way: namaste, have a beautiful day."
A body worker who works with a group of holistic practitioners told me an email came to their office: "I just moved here and am looking for a new massage therapist. Do you have one there who is not into energy healing, who won't make me draw an angel card or talk to me about astrology or what colors I should be wearing more of to attract different energy, or that I should stop drinking espresso and try green tea, etc.? Or do I have to go to another town?"
License plates around town:
KLM DOWN
CRZY LUN
GREYWLF
4 HEMP
--which reminded me of talking to an older gentleman who owned a coffee cart that he would take to music festivals around the north bay. On a particularly hot afternoon during the Sebastopol Celtic Fair my date and I were attempting to cool off in the shade next to his cart. He told us there was a group of hipsters who were upset with him that he didn't have more non-dairy options for a chai latte. He did offer almond, soy and rice milk. I asked him what they had wanted, and he answered, "Hemp. They really wanted hemp milk. Never-satisfied hipsters."The guy I was with replied, "Hempsters."
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
The land of interesting names
While I was waiting for a chai, I overheard a gentleman to his friend (I don't know what the topic was): "Well, it depends on which dimension you are in. If you go into another dimension, it could play out very differently."
I was clearing some things out of the back of my car, most of them recycling items. I asked my friend's daughter, who is six, if she could hand me a soft drink bottle. "This is a pro-biotic drink," she corrected me.
"Yes," I said as she put it in my bag.
"Soda is not good for you," she added in an admonishing tone.
At the library I ran into the "Q is for Quan Yin" girl. I asked her how she knew about Quan Yin, given that she is quite young and looked like neither a Sebastopol hippie darling nor a Waldorf child. She informed me, "I just know." Her mother overheard me talking to her and sat down next to us.
"Well, she did not 'get' Quan Yin from me. And she definitely did not get that from my husband."
I asked if they had ever been to Milk and Honey. The mom had, but she wasn't sure about her daughter.
A few minutes later the young girl murmured, "Jade."
"Of course!" her mom exclaimed. Turning to me, she said a bit quietly, "I forgot about her babysitter from a while back. Very into... counter culture. When I ran into her a few months ago she had changed her name again, to Dawnlight. Or something along those lines."
"What is Earth in Upheaval?" someone asked me.
"It's a mechanic place."
"To fix your car?"
I nod.
"What kind of a strange Sebastopol name is that? It's a place to take your car??"
After the last post (mentioning a dog named Blissful), I got an email that read:
"When I was in college my parents rented out a cottage on our property in rural Sebastopol. The woman that rented it had three cats. I can't remember all their names, but two of them were Celestite and Lavender Fire."
In the parking lot at Whole Foods, a teenager in front of me was telling someone on her cell phone, "She is goth, but she is very balanced goth."
A woman I know went to a presentation regarding essential oils at a small store in Sebastopol. After a somewhat lengthy discussion about the positive attributes of essential oils, another woman interrupted the presenter: "You're in Sebastopol. We are believers. You are preaching to the choir."
License plates of the week:
INTUIT
YOGAMOM (thanks Bryan)
MRLIN
SOUL LVL
And a humorous article about New York dudes channeling northern California dudes:
"If You Give a Dude a Kale Chip"
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/give-dude-kale-chip
I was clearing some things out of the back of my car, most of them recycling items. I asked my friend's daughter, who is six, if she could hand me a soft drink bottle. "This is a pro-biotic drink," she corrected me.
"Yes," I said as she put it in my bag.
"Soda is not good for you," she added in an admonishing tone.
At the library I ran into the "Q is for Quan Yin" girl. I asked her how she knew about Quan Yin, given that she is quite young and looked like neither a Sebastopol hippie darling nor a Waldorf child. She informed me, "I just know." Her mother overheard me talking to her and sat down next to us.
"Well, she did not 'get' Quan Yin from me. And she definitely did not get that from my husband."
I asked if they had ever been to Milk and Honey. The mom had, but she wasn't sure about her daughter.
A few minutes later the young girl murmured, "Jade."
"Of course!" her mom exclaimed. Turning to me, she said a bit quietly, "I forgot about her babysitter from a while back. Very into... counter culture. When I ran into her a few months ago she had changed her name again, to Dawnlight. Or something along those lines."
"What is Earth in Upheaval?" someone asked me.
"It's a mechanic place."
"To fix your car?"
I nod.
"What kind of a strange Sebastopol name is that? It's a place to take your car??"
After the last post (mentioning a dog named Blissful), I got an email that read:
"When I was in college my parents rented out a cottage on our property in rural Sebastopol. The woman that rented it had three cats. I can't remember all their names, but two of them were Celestite and Lavender Fire."
In the parking lot at Whole Foods, a teenager in front of me was telling someone on her cell phone, "She is goth, but she is very balanced goth."
A woman I know went to a presentation regarding essential oils at a small store in Sebastopol. After a somewhat lengthy discussion about the positive attributes of essential oils, another woman interrupted the presenter: "You're in Sebastopol. We are believers. You are preaching to the choir."
License plates of the week:
INTUIT
YOGAMOM (thanks Bryan)
MRLIN
SOUL LVL
And a humorous article about New York dudes channeling northern California dudes:
"If You Give a Dude a Kale Chip"
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/give-dude-kale-chip
Monday, February 23, 2015
Sebastopol tidbits
Returning from a walk, I saw someone I knew in the parking lot by the Teen Center. It looked like a kid-friendly event was coming to an end, lots of parents and children walking to their cars. I asked her how the event was, and her response: "It was nice. There always seems to be a number of Sebastopol feral children running around at something like this. I don't know where their parents disappear to. But it was fun."
Another afternoon I was walking by the Teen Center and a woman was asking about a class that was just starting. Someone else, standing at the door, said to her pointing: "It's in the room over there. Just follow all those women with the long, flowy pants."
I was asked if I wanted to buy some Girl Scout cookies one day outside a grocery store. I shook my head, as I can't have refined sugar or dairy right now. But I was curious. "Has anyone asked about gluten-free cookies?" I inquired.
One of the girls smiled and nodded her head. The scout leader standing behind her started laughing. "Gluten-free, sugar-free. Somebody asked if we had organic ones. I mean really, we are talking about Girl Scout cookies. There's nothing special about them just because we're in Sebastopol."
Waiting outside the library for someone, I heard a twenty-something complaining to her friend about texts from her "crazy landlord." She started to read one and muttered, "It is probably something really important like which aromatherapy candle she ran out of."
Favorite pet name:
Blissful (a small white dog)
From an email:
"You've got to love driving through Whole Foods at dusk and having a man dressed in tie-dye sweats from head to toe step right in front of your car and walk slowly just at the particular angle where you can't go to the left or right. Just have to slowly follow him as he walks aimlessly nowhere."
And my sister and I watch the Oscars last night in a bar. Right next to a sign that said, "You Are Loved."
Favorite license plates:
IAMAGEM
RX YOGA
B NICER
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
Another afternoon I was walking by the Teen Center and a woman was asking about a class that was just starting. Someone else, standing at the door, said to her pointing: "It's in the room over there. Just follow all those women with the long, flowy pants."
I was asked if I wanted to buy some Girl Scout cookies one day outside a grocery store. I shook my head, as I can't have refined sugar or dairy right now. But I was curious. "Has anyone asked about gluten-free cookies?" I inquired.
One of the girls smiled and nodded her head. The scout leader standing behind her started laughing. "Gluten-free, sugar-free. Somebody asked if we had organic ones. I mean really, we are talking about Girl Scout cookies. There's nothing special about them just because we're in Sebastopol."
Waiting outside the library for someone, I heard a twenty-something complaining to her friend about texts from her "crazy landlord." She started to read one and muttered, "It is probably something really important like which aromatherapy candle she ran out of."
Favorite pet name:
Blissful (a small white dog)
From an email:
"You've got to love driving through Whole Foods at dusk and having a man dressed in tie-dye sweats from head to toe step right in front of your car and walk slowly just at the particular angle where you can't go to the left or right. Just have to slowly follow him as he walks aimlessly nowhere."
And my sister and I watch the Oscars last night in a bar. Right next to a sign that said, "You Are Loved."
Favorite license plates:
IAMAGEM
RX YOGA
B NICER
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Oh Ganesh
I was standing behind a woman at Community Market who was returning a lunar calendar because it did not start in January, it began in July and had special designations for different moon phases. Several of us were joking about how untraditional this calendar was, and one fellow customer observed, "You know it is very unconventional if you can't even get away with selling it in Sebastopol."
In my yoga class I attend the conversation can naturally tend toward healthy living topics. After a recent class one of the women said to me, "At this other class I used to go to this woman kept talking about - I thought - a 24-hour cheese cycle. She would bring it up a lot, and I kept thinking 'What in the world is a cheese cycle?' I didn't know if it was some weird digestion thing she was talking about. I finally had an acupuncturist mention the body's 24-hour chi cycle and realized that is what she had been referring to. Which of course made a lot more sense."
While I was looking for some ginger tablets at Community Market:
Customer: "Do you have something for stress?"
Worker: "Yes, a few different supplements."
Customer: "What about something for persistent cough?"
Worker: "Yes... {explains several options}."
Customer: "That's great. Do you have something that will make my roommate stop talking so much about himself?"
At work I was sharing a story about (years ago) accidentally eating homemade cat food that my vegan roommate had prepared. It was pretty strange and bland-tasting, and when I found the veggie casserole about an hour later I realized "Oh, that is what she had made for dinner. What did I eat??"
As a good follow-up Sebastopol inquiry, my co-worker asked, "Was the cat food vegan?"
Good question. I honestly couldn't remember.
My friend showed me a key chain she got for her birthday: What would Ganesh do? She was explaining to her "rather puritanical" grandmother who Ganesh is, and her grandmother asked, "So this elephant god, do you pray to him?" She told me, "I wanted to say to her, 'Well, I don't but there are people around here who may. Or maybe have a Ganesha on their alter. But I thought that was getting too Sebasto-complicated for her.'"
Another friend was shopping in the produce section at Whole Foods and heard a young girl ask her father what "conventional" means. His reply: "Poison."
Favorite license plates:
ZEN BIZ
OGANESH
In my yoga class I attend the conversation can naturally tend toward healthy living topics. After a recent class one of the women said to me, "At this other class I used to go to this woman kept talking about - I thought - a 24-hour cheese cycle. She would bring it up a lot, and I kept thinking 'What in the world is a cheese cycle?' I didn't know if it was some weird digestion thing she was talking about. I finally had an acupuncturist mention the body's 24-hour chi cycle and realized that is what she had been referring to. Which of course made a lot more sense."
While I was looking for some ginger tablets at Community Market:
Customer: "Do you have something for stress?"
Worker: "Yes, a few different supplements."
Customer: "What about something for persistent cough?"
Worker: "Yes... {explains several options}."
Customer: "That's great. Do you have something that will make my roommate stop talking so much about himself?"
At work I was sharing a story about (years ago) accidentally eating homemade cat food that my vegan roommate had prepared. It was pretty strange and bland-tasting, and when I found the veggie casserole about an hour later I realized "Oh, that is what she had made for dinner. What did I eat??"
As a good follow-up Sebastopol inquiry, my co-worker asked, "Was the cat food vegan?"
Good question. I honestly couldn't remember.
My friend showed me a key chain she got for her birthday: What would Ganesh do? She was explaining to her "rather puritanical" grandmother who Ganesh is, and her grandmother asked, "So this elephant god, do you pray to him?" She told me, "I wanted to say to her, 'Well, I don't but there are people around here who may. Or maybe have a Ganesha on their alter. But I thought that was getting too Sebasto-complicated for her.'"
Another friend was shopping in the produce section at Whole Foods and heard a young girl ask her father what "conventional" means. His reply: "Poison."
Favorite license plates:
ZEN BIZ
OGANESH
Friday, January 23, 2015
SeBASTopol cat
A friend who lives in a different part of Sonoma County was in Sebastopol for the day. She had read a few of my blogs and was determined to experience some Very Sebastopol moments. I explained that they just happen, you can't really force it. She then decided, being much more extraverted than I am, that she wanted to ask anyone walking down the street what they thought about the alleged vortex.
Her: "I just want to ask people, do you feel the Sebastopol vortex?"
Me: "That question in and of itself is actually Very Sebastopol."
Pause. "Okay. I see your point."
Her friend, who lived in west county years ago, pointed out that certain words have different connotations in Sebastopol. "When someone is talking about alignment, they are usually referring to something spiritual."
"Chakras," I agreed. "Or at the very least, a chiropractic adjustment."
"Right," he replied. "In other areas if someone is talking about alignment, they are probably talking about their car. My ex-girlfriend even used to say she was going in for a 'tune-up' when she got a massage." He noted it is the same with the words: light, transformative and someone being conscious.
I asked if there were any other differences he noticed between living here and where he currently lived. He responded, "Discussions about spiritual topics were so common. Now when I end up talking to someone and it goes off on a spiritual tangent it surprises me - hardly ever happens. Here they were a dime a dozen."
At Milk and Honey a young tweener walked up to her mom holding a Bast stuffed animal. Her mother asked, "Where did this come from?"
"Um, from Egypt."
Mom, laughing, "That's not exactly what I meant, but all right..."
My niece and I were at the library sitting at a game and puzzle table. We were going through an alphabet board and I was saying words for the different letters. We got to Q and I was stuck for a minute. "Q is for...?" A young girl piped up from the other end of the table, "Q is for Quan Yin."
My favorite recent text:
"I just saw license plate OHM M G. I thought you made that up! But I just drove up behind it, lol. It actually exists!"
License plate of the week (from my sister):
4ST GIRL
(p.s. I love that people have been texting/emailing me about amusing license plates they have been seeing...) =)
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
Her: "I just want to ask people, do you feel the Sebastopol vortex?"
Me: "That question in and of itself is actually Very Sebastopol."
Pause. "Okay. I see your point."
Her friend, who lived in west county years ago, pointed out that certain words have different connotations in Sebastopol. "When someone is talking about alignment, they are usually referring to something spiritual."
"Chakras," I agreed. "Or at the very least, a chiropractic adjustment."
"Right," he replied. "In other areas if someone is talking about alignment, they are probably talking about their car. My ex-girlfriend even used to say she was going in for a 'tune-up' when she got a massage." He noted it is the same with the words: light, transformative and someone being conscious.
I asked if there were any other differences he noticed between living here and where he currently lived. He responded, "Discussions about spiritual topics were so common. Now when I end up talking to someone and it goes off on a spiritual tangent it surprises me - hardly ever happens. Here they were a dime a dozen."
At Milk and Honey a young tweener walked up to her mom holding a Bast stuffed animal. Her mother asked, "Where did this come from?"
"Um, from Egypt."
Mom, laughing, "That's not exactly what I meant, but all right..."
My niece and I were at the library sitting at a game and puzzle table. We were going through an alphabet board and I was saying words for the different letters. We got to Q and I was stuck for a minute. "Q is for...?" A young girl piped up from the other end of the table, "Q is for Quan Yin."
My favorite recent text:
"I just saw license plate OHM M G. I thought you made that up! But I just drove up behind it, lol. It actually exists!"
License plate of the week (from my sister):
4ST GIRL
(p.s. I love that people have been texting/emailing me about amusing license plates they have been seeing...) =)
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
Friday, January 9, 2015
Need to find a good astrocartographerphysicistshaman
(From a friend:) Man, sitting outside of the plaza coffee spot, talking to someone next to him: "Have you noticed that the kids around here know a lot more about martial arts than in other places?"
Woman, talking on her cell phone in the Whole Foods parking lot: "She said they are in a white Prius. Which narrows it down to half the cars in the parking lot."
A man standing in front of me in line at Community Market was explaining why he prefers shopping there rather than at Whole Foods. His reasons: "The hot bar is much better and they are not serving the same food they served since the late 90s. It is less manic over here. And people don't step right in front of you as you are driving through the parking lot." (I can attest to the last one.)
I was waiting outside the library and some people were crossing the street. One remarked something about jay-walking, and another responded: "I am not jay-walking. I am joy-walking."
I overheard a woman saying to someone in front of Copperfield's, "I finally am visiting Sebastopol. I have heard so much about it at Burning Man."
Favorite (local) FB post:
"I've overheard one too many conversations on chakras today. Lord-- please help me relocate soon."
And several funny comments to the post:
- Will have to tell Cami about this. Not sure if she can see, even if I tag her if y'all aren't fb friends?? I mean we are all one anyway, right?
- My Akashic Astrocartographerphysicistshaman told me during my last colonic that she could see that although Cami is not my FB friend that we are karmically intertwined through the Dolphin Moon Tribe of Atlantis.
- Move to Brooklyn... No chakras here.
Favorite license plates of the week:
SYRAAAH
SAGESSE
LUNAR {heart}
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
Woman, talking on her cell phone in the Whole Foods parking lot: "She said they are in a white Prius. Which narrows it down to half the cars in the parking lot."
A man standing in front of me in line at Community Market was explaining why he prefers shopping there rather than at Whole Foods. His reasons: "The hot bar is much better and they are not serving the same food they served since the late 90s. It is less manic over here. And people don't step right in front of you as you are driving through the parking lot." (I can attest to the last one.)
I was waiting outside the library and some people were crossing the street. One remarked something about jay-walking, and another responded: "I am not jay-walking. I am joy-walking."
I overheard a woman saying to someone in front of Copperfield's, "I finally am visiting Sebastopol. I have heard so much about it at Burning Man."
Favorite (local) FB post:
"I've overheard one too many conversations on chakras today. Lord-- please help me relocate soon."
And several funny comments to the post:
- Will have to tell Cami about this. Not sure if she can see, even if I tag her if y'all aren't fb friends?? I mean we are all one anyway, right?
- My Akashic Astrocartographerphysicistshaman told me during my last colonic that she could see that although Cami is not my FB friend that we are karmically intertwined through the Dolphin Moon Tribe of Atlantis.
- Move to Brooklyn... No chakras here.
Favorite license plates of the week:
SYRAAAH
SAGESSE
LUNAR {heart}
www.facebook.com/sebastoblog
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