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)






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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

 

 

 

 

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