Buddhist license plates

A woman admiring a cashier's necklace of amethyst and dark purple stones:
"I really like that.  It looks like it has magical powers."

A local told me what her son's teacher mentioned after Valentine's day:
"She had a boy in the class who told her he didn't celebrate Valentine's day because they practice love every day at home and don't single out just one day for it.  And also he's not allowed to eat chocolate."

Favorite recent Facebook post about a Press Democrat article:
"In Sebastopol, even our newly hired policewoman is a yoga instructor. :)"

I was glad to see my bathroom cleaner noted it is gluten-free.

I dashed over to Community Market one evening just before it was closing at 10.  It was pretty hoppin'.  The cashier and I were joking that there isn't much happening in Sebastopol on a Thursday night if the health food store has a crowd.  (I should mention they do have a small bar, but nobody was in the bar.)
"After hours at Community Market," he remarked with drollness.  "It's the place to be."

As I was walking through a parking lot to my car late one evening:
Dude #1: "Look at that, it's a buddha on the license plate."
Dude #2:  "No, that can't be..."
Dude #1:  "Yes it is.  Look!"
Dude #2 bends down:  "Dude, it's the statue of liberty."
(substances may have been involved in this interaction)

At the Rialto Cinemas, where there is now a food and wine bar (in addition to really good popcorn):
Person in front of me:  "So you can just come here and get a salad and wine, and not have to see a movie?"
His wife:  "I think so."
Him:  "Would people really do that?"
Her:  "I really don't know."
Me:  "But more importantly, could you just come get some of their popcorn to go?"
Her:  "Now that is a very good question!"

I was conversing with an older gentleman at Community Market who mentioned he used to live in Sebastopol but was now visiting for a few weeks.  We got on the topic of spirituality.  "The spirituality around here is hard to describe.  It's spiritual but it's not.  Like when you go hear jazz but it ends up being jazz fusion.  It sounds like jazz but it isn't bona fied jazz."
Me:  "Kind of like 'spiritual funk?'"
"Yes!  Spiritual infusion funk."


(If only I was paid for spotting west county license plates:)
ZOOMORE
SEEK JOY
ZEBRAS
GRND WVR

Karmic debt

A Nectary customer was telling me about her Very Sebastopol neighbor.  "She is the kind of person you can't ask a question and get a simple answer.  Or even make a statement.  Like I'll say I'm thirsty and fifteen minutes later she is still talking about hydration and fourteen reasons why you should drink coconut water.  Or why hemp ice cream is healthier for you than coconut ice cream.  Or why quantum touch is better than massage.  Or what kind of tea to drink to help your REM sleep so you'll dream better.  One day she told me the type of yoga I do is not right for moving kundalini energy.  I could go on and on....'

At a coffeehouse I somehow ended up talking about the song "Age of Aquarius" with a few people.  One woman remarked, "I never really understood the significance of this song until I took an astrology workshop.  The lyrics from that song are very important!  If you know anything about astrology.  If not it's just people singing a really peculiar song about the planets."

While I was waiting for a meal at Peter Lowel's, the guests next to me:
"Here is that salt again.  There has been pink Himalayan salt everywhere we've gone this weekend."

A local told me about her land mate:  "She said it's okay for her to go into debt.  She has good karma with credit cards.  I'm thinking to myself, what does that even mean?"

A mother to her friend, talking about the neighborhood she used to live in:  "My kids got along fine with the other kids on our street.  But a few of the moms were kind of prejudiced toward my kids.  They just weren't Waldorf-y enough for them."

My friend and I were cruising around Whole Foods trying to decide what to eat.  We ended up at the smoothie counter, and he commented:  "We have been walking around and talking about tantra and ayahuasca and The Cosmic Serpent and beet juice, and nobody is fazed by any of this."
Me:  "Yeah...  That is kind of the point of my blog."


License plates:
OOOOHM
ACTION
APAWSUM
BAT NRSE







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