Archive for Health & Wellness
Friend-date, Food and Foot Massages
Posted by: | Comments
I went on a friend-date last night and it was so fun! A friend-date is what my friend/neighbor calls when you go out with your girlfriends (buddies, girls-night-out) instead of a romantic date. I like friend-dates, I think I’m going to make more happen this year.
My two neighbors (a.k.a. friends) and I went out to Happy Hour at the Whipper Snapper in San Rafael.The Whipper Snapper has the BEST Sangria ever. We ordered a pitcher. We also order our very favorite item on the menu – the Grilled Fish Tacos.
The Whipper Snapper has Happy Hour Tuesdays – Fridays from 5-6 it’s short but very SWEET!.
Happy Hour Menu is $3.00 Fish Tacos, Organic Fingerling Potatoes, Fried Sweet Plantains and Grilled Chicken. A glass of red or white Sangria also $3 or $3 off Half and Full Pitchers. I also just learned they have Half Price Sangria Sundays.
After our tummies were full of delicious food and drinks we decided to stroll down (or is it up) Fourth street to the Foot Massage place. It’s called X & J Foot Massage and they are located at 1099 4th Street (near A Street). It would be easy to walk right by and not even notice the foot massage place because they are located below street level right next to the Mighty Quinn (San Rafael’s own headshop).
When we walked in to X & J Foot Massage I felt like I was stepping in to another country, it’s very calming. Mellow music is playing and we were greeted by friendly staff who invited us to come sit in their very comfy and inviting reclining chairs. They then offered us tea or water as they brought us each a blanket. We looked like 3 preschooler’s at nap time all tucked in. Then they brought a small wooden barrel filled with warm water to soak our feet in. As our feet were soaking they started rubbing our shoulders and heads to get us relaxed for the foot massages. By the time we were finished I was so relaxed I wanted to take a nap in my reclining chair.
Foot massages are $30 for a half hour and $50 for a whole hour.
Beautiful Lotus Flower Photo via Flickr user Shamih
Chiropractors and Sandwiches in San Rafael
Posted by: | CommentsToday I went to see my chiropractor (who is also a client and formally a colleague). Let’s just say I’ve known them for a very long time. Drs. Norlin and Maria Merritt run Merritt Chiropractic Center in San Rafael. I’ve seen a lot of chiropractors in my time and they are the best! I get regular adjustments from Norlin who is constantly taking post graduate trainings to stay up-to-date on the latest techniques. He’s really good. I had some pretty scary car accidents as a teenager (fyi – I was the passenger, not the driver). These accidents left my neck pretty sore causing all sorts of other problems. Did you know if your neck is out of alignment it can be causing headaches and many other health related issues in your body? Anyway, getting adjusted by the Merritt’s has helped me tremendously. I feel 100 times better and have so much more energy. When you go in to the Merritt’s office you get more than a spinal adjustment, you also get an attitude adjustment – Maria and Norlin are always so upbeat and positive it’s a pleasure to visit with them.
In the next few months I plan to interview them so stay tuned for more info about the Merritt’s.
After my adjustment today I walked across the parking lot to a little deli called LJ’s Deli. I would have never even known this deli existed if Maria had not told me about it. I’ve been there a few times already and every time I’ve had superb, friendly service and delicious food. Today I ordered a turkey sandwich on a sour dough bread with cranberry sauce. Yummy!
LJ’s Delis is located at:
4380 Redwood Hwy, Ste B15
San Rafael, CA 94903
415.479.8081
Merritt Chiropractic Center is across the parking lot at
La Plaza #C414
4340 Redwood Hwy
San Rafael, CA 94903
415.472.2232
www.merrittfamilychiropractic.com
Merritt Facebook Fan Page
Twitter @DrsMerritt
Joy at Yoga Mountain in Fairfax
Posted by: | Comments
My friend Joy, the owner of my favorite clothing boutique in San Anselmo keeps telling me how much she loves Yoga Mountain, the new Yoga place she recently discovered. I suggested she write a guest blog post about it and she agreed. Thanks Joy!
I thought I would try going back to yoga classes again to balance my biking and to keep my limbs really flexible. Because Yoga Mountain is so close to home, (Fairfax), I thought, “what the heck” I’ll just make do with a local place and was I surprised! Not only is the space beautiful and simple, the teachers are all top notch. Not just certified, but really experienced and they make great corrections without hurting or forcing one’s body to do what it should not. The owner Sienna, is also a fab teacher. There are different levels to choose from and also different styles of Yoga to fit ones preference.
The studio offered a $49 intro special which was one month of unlimited classed! I got a gift of a stainless steel water bottle thrown in, which I use all the time! There are different rates and schedules offered if you check it online!
The studio also has music events that are yoga related.
I highly recommend this studio. Yoga Mountain is Yummy!
Yoga Mountain
85 Bolinas Road
Fairfax, CA
415.602.3040
—-
Visit a Farm in the Bay Area
Posted by: | Comments
I got to visit a farm! A real live family owned farm right here in the Bay Area. I also got to meet a real live farmer. Her name is Tara Smith. I want to be like Tara when I grow up. She is amazing and so incredibly inspirational. Tara started her farm less than a year ago. Before being a farmer she was working in Long Term Health Care Insurance. Two years ago she read the book The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
Tara’s farm is located in Petaluma. It was a dairy farm until the mid 1950s (which means it had never been sprayed with pesticides or fertilizers so the soil is rich with nutrients and perfect for planting).
I met Tara because of Twitter! Another Twitter friend Peggy (who I met at our Mill Valley TweetUp back in June) always talks about all the yummy food she is eating from Tara Firma Farms and I got curious.
Peggy went with me on the farm visit. When we arrived at Tara’s farm we were immediately greeted by Tara. She invited us in her home, showed us around her home a bit and then began the farm tour. We started with the baby chickens.
Tara explained to me that her chickens come in the mail in a box. Before last week I might have been surprised to hear that her chickens came in a box but I had recently read about that in the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (P.S.)
“Poultry hatchlings don’t need to eat or drink for the first 48 hours of life, as they are born with a margin of safety called the yolk sac – the yolk of the egg absorbed into the chicks belly just before hatching. This adaptation comes in handy for birds like chickens and turkeys that have to get up and walk right way, following mom around to look from something edible… Some animal-rights groups have tried to make an issue of it, but mail-order chicks from reputable hatcheries have virtually a 100% survival rate.”
Tara’s farm is not certified organic yet because she is not sure she wants to do that. Each group of animals and all of the produce need individual sets of paperwork, filled out weekly. Given that the farm is open to the public she feels that her customers can come to see for themselves and will trust that the plants are animals are grown/raised organically, sustainably and humanely.
Tara then brought me to the garden part of the farm. She explained to me that they are practicing bio intensive farming. This sounds like a very complicated practice but in the end saves a TON of water, creates 4 times more produce in the same space and they are able to farm without using any pesticides/fertilizers. She has been learning about bio intensive farming from an expert named Elijah who came from Kenya to work on her farm.
Another cool thing she learned from Elijah was how to get beetles off of her Kale plants without using any pesticides. Her Kale plants had suddenly gotten a bunch of beetles that were happily feasting on her Kale. Elijah paid close attention and noticed that the beetles were not touching the spinach plants right next to the Kale so he cut a bunch of Spinach, liquefied it and put it in a spray bottle and sprayed all the Kale plants with Spinach. Guess what? The beetles went away! How cool is that?!
After the garden tour we moved on to the full grown chickens. She introduced me to the chickens that were going to be used for food and then to the laying chickens. I also got to see her turkeys and one black duck. Notice the happy hens laying eggs coming in and out of their hen house.
I asked Tara how on earth did she figure out how to be a farmer so fast? Did she have past experience? Was she raised on a farm? No she was not raised on a farm. She had about 6 months past experience on a farm when she was in college but it was nothing like this. She learned by reading Joel Salitan’s books!
The night I came home from the farm I invited Amy (my neighbor, the professional cook) to come over and cook the pork I bought. We ended up having a small dinner party, two other friends joined us when they heard we had farm fresh pork and Amy was cooking. I asked everyone to look at my photos from the farm visit before eating. I think it is a good thing to know where your food comes from.
We had great dinner conversations about sustainable eating and my visit to the farm. I personally only ate a few nibbles of the pork off the leftover bone because I wanted to try it but to be honest I have a really hard time eating pork. Not sure if it is because I used to babysit my friend’s pot belly pig or what but eating pork is not easy for me. There is a voice inside of me that I can’t ignore that keeps telling me to be a vegetarian and especially don’t eat pork. I am not a vegetarian (yet…. again… I used to be… long story) however I think I will be again or at least be a 90/10 vegetarian (90% vegetarian). Right now I’d say I’m 80/20. However, after my visit to the farm today and reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (P.S.)
Have you ever thought about eating food that is grown or raised within 100 miles of your home? I have and it is not easy to do. I’m thinking about giving myself that challenge.
Thank you to Tara for sharing all your knowledge with me.
Thank you to Peggy for introducing me to Tara and for going to the farm with me.
To see all my pictures from the farm visit, check out my album on Flickr.
Tara encourages visitors to come by the farm. Bring your children or grab a buddy and contact Tara to schedule a visit. I learned so much from her!
Tara Firma Farms
3796 I Street
Petaluma, CA 94952
707.765.1202
www.tarafirmafarms.com
Fun Things For Kids To Do Around The Bay Area
Posted by: | Comments
Marilyn LoRusso, is the Owner and Funmaster of Kids Fun on the Go. I met Marilyn a few weeks ago at my local Toastmasters Group and was fascinated by what she does. I asked her if she’d be willing to do an interview. She agreed! 
Marilyn please tell us a bit about what Kids Fun on the Go is.
Based here in Marin County I bring fun kids classes to homes in Marin, Sonoma and parts of San Francisco. A family provides the space (room in an apartment, house, office or any kid friendly space) and some of their friends. That’s when the FUN begins! There are even ways a host family can receive the entire class series for FREE!
I offer classes in Baby Sign Language, Art, Yoga, Baby & Me and Baby & Me Fitness for children 2 months to 9 years of age and are in sessions of 4-6 weeks. I am a Certified Independent Instructor with the original Baby Signs® Programs, a Certified children’s yoga instructor, an experienced arts and crafts teacher, infant play teacher and all around Funmaster! I have been a Speech and Language Pathologist, teacher and district manager at Gymboree Play and Music Centers, owned my own retail business at the Village at Corte Madera and have entertained thousands of children, as Princess Polka Dot, with magic, face painting, balloon art, songs, games and more!
So, bringing fun and joy to children and their families is my true passion!
I have created Kids Fun on the GO to answer the growing need for fun, safe, creative, interactive and affordable play options for parents and their little ones. And, to support that wonderful growing sense of community here in the Bay Area.
What do you love most about the Bay Area?
I am originally from the east coast and have been in the Bay Area for almost 30 years. This is HOME to me! I love the beauty, weather, diversity, people, wine country, openness to new ideas, quaint towns, mountains, beaches, redwoods, wildlife, abundance of activities and proximity to San Francisco and the coast. And, I met my husband Robert here in Marin County. We live amongst all the beauty in Novato with our amazing cat, Asia.
What is your favorite place to hike in the Bay Area?
I love to hike the Tennessee Valley path to the ocean. I love bringing unsuspecting out of towners on the path and keeping the ocean a surprise! It is so fun as we are winding down the path and all of a sudden a small sparkle of ocean appears on the horizon, then slowly becomes larger and larger. I never tire of that and love finding insets of rock wall to relax in with a picnic lunch or snack once at the beach. What a special place.
The Chimney Rock wildflower walk in Point Reyes during spring is sensational. It’s an easy 2 mile loop displaying amazing wildflower shows. One year I counted 27 different types of wildflowers! It ends overlooking the ocean high on a bluff. You can sometimes see whales, hawks and often see elephant seals down below sunning themselves on the small sandy beaches.
What is your favorite restaurant in the Bay Area?
I’m a big salad lover so I am always looking for tasty and fresh salads. I love the apple/fennel salad at Toast restaurant in Novato. It’s a fun, lively atmosphere and the salads are innovative and fresh. However, when I have to have my dose of Chicken Marsala, which I have tried all over Marin county, my favorite is La Toscana in San Rafael. It is not always on the menu, but you can ask the chef to make it and they are more than happy to.
What is your favorite place to get coffee?
I am a tea drinker and absolutely love Teapod Organic Tea Bar in San Anselmo. They are an innovative tea lounge serving fresh steeped teas and tea concoctions made from all organic loose teas and organic ingredients. They have amazing tea infusers which creates your drink in about a minute or you can choose to have a teapot. It is so comfortable to hang out there with friends or your laptop and hookup to their free wifi. They even have organic take away salads, drinks, desserts and often free live music events! The owners Jaimie and Chris are so warm and inviting. They have really created a modern and fun gathering place. And they just had a baby! You might see Maddox soon hanging out at the lounge greeting customers!
What is your favorite place to bike?
I hope you meant motorcycle! My husband Robert and I love to take our Stratoliner motorcycle for day trips all around the North Bay. Asia likes to stay home and sleep. We ride through Calistoga, wine country (Napa and Sonoma), Lake Sonoma, Healdsburg, Cloverdale, Ukiah, Clearlake, Blue Lakes and more. But our favorite ride is through the Russian River area – Sebastopol, Guerneville, Occidental, Monte Rio, Duncan Mills, down the coast, through Bodega Bay, Tomales and Point Reyes. We love stopping at all the quaint shops, beaches, coffee/tea shops, and parks (we take a lot of picnics!) The joy and freedom we feel is unexplainable! We truly experience the “staycation” 2-3 times a week!
Well, now you know more about me! Thank you Sally Around the Bay for including me in your fun and informative Blog!
Thanks Marilyn! Can you tell us a little bit more about the class you offer. I know with winter coming parents of young children are probably looking for some new and fun things to do with their kids. ~Sally
Of course! Have you ever wondered what babies are thinking?
The Sign, Say and Play classes (6 months – 2 years) teach babies to use simple, easy-to-do gestures for communicating with their parents and caregivers. The Baby Signs® Program helps children develop both language and cognitive skills. Studies show that babies who sign actually develop speech sooner and have larger vocabularies when they do start talking. It can also reduce tears, tantrums and frustration!
Beebo the signing bear appears. He is a 30” plush bear with sleeves I put my arms through to model the signs. The little ones love him! We sing songs, read books, have a parachute time with dancing and bubbles, have activities specialized to the theme signs of the day and more. There are 5-6 signs taught each class. Some of the class themes are mealtime, bedtime, bath time, getting dressed, pets and at the park.
In Baby & Me classes (2 – 7 months) parents and their little ones explore fun activities through sensory, auditory and visual stimulation. Parents sing songs to their infants and many new songs are introduced with accompanying tactile play. There is a tummy fun time which is often the favorite activity! There are musical games, tactile play, parent discussions and a lot of bonding activities. We even have a memorabilia/gift project at the end of each session. It’s fun to discover what all these little ones can teach us!
In Baby & Me Fitness classes (non-mobile babies) moms can relax and have fun with their friends and their newborns during this easy fitness class designed especially for new moms and their babies. We combine gentle core strengthening exercises, yoga and breathing techniques. This class incorporates the non mobile baby into easy and fun exercises.
In the Art classes (2-6 years) we help inspire children’s imaginations and self expression with fun art activities. Through painting, sculpture, drawing, collage and more, classes encourage confidence and support artistic potential. Themed art series include 2 take home projects per class, play dough fun, songs, movement activity and more!
Yoga classes (3-5 years) (5-8 years) are specifically developed and modified appropriately by level, and are taught using the method of the It’s Yoga Vinyasa System. This is a fun and dynamic system of practicing poses joined together by breath and flowing movement. All classes include warm-up, action/play, winding down and relaxation. Busy lifestyles are commonplace for today’s kids and yoga is a wonderful way to tone the body and relax the mind. Beyond the well-known benefits such as increasing strength, flexibility and concentration, yoga is non-competitive, stimulates the imagination and is fun!
Here is a fun video about what Baby Signs® is!
Become a fan of Kids Fun On The Go on Facebook.
Time to Relax
Posted by: | CommentsSomething to do if you are looking for a little relaxation around the bay: visit a Spa and get a massage.
I got a massage last weekend! I finally used a gift certificate for Stellar Spa in Corte Madera that I’ve been holding on to for quite awhile. I’ve been under a lot of stress lately and decided it was time for that massage! So I reserved 1.5 hours of a deep tissue massage with Natasha. Stellar Spa is really nice. I don’t get massages very often so this was quite a treat.
The moment I walked in, I was greeted. They were expecting me and made me feel welcome and comfortable. I was handed a big, plush robe and slippers and escorted to the dressing room. The dressing room itself was enough to relax me. It was very nice with wooden lockers, private showers and all sorts of delicious smelling lotions and soaps. After I got in to my comfy robe and tried some of the soap and lotion I headed to the Quiet Zone. This is a room with comfy chairs and couches, a water fall, nice mellow music, filtered water, tea, nuts, dried fruit and magazines. I got myself some water and sat down to read Spa magazine and learn about all the benefits of going to the Spa. Actually I found an interesting article on healthy meals for your dog so I think Poncho is going to be trying some new food soon.
After a few moments of reading and relaxing Natasha came and told me it was time for my massage. She brought me to the room and had me lay down on a comfy, cozy bed. During the massage my robe was hung on a towel warmer.
Natasha gave me a wonderful massage and forced all that stress out of me.
I had a wonderful experience at Stellar Spa and think if I’m going to splurge on a massage for myself in the future it’s worth it to go to a nice place like Stellar and get all the extra perks.
Cafe Gratitude
Posted by: | Comments
Last week one of my favorite Twitter friends Lissa Rankin was talking about Café Gratitude (and making me hungry for some yummy raw food). I knew Lissa would have great things to say about Café Gratitude so I asked her if she would consider writing a guest blog post for me. Turns out she had already blogged about Café Gratitude on her blog Owning Pink but she told me to feel free to use the blog post here.
For the record, I love Café Gratitude. I haven’t been there in awhile but I plan to go back soon. Besides the amazingly delicious (and filling) food, one of my favorite things about Café Gratitude is the names of their dishes. All of the dishes title’s are affirmations such as “I am abundant”, “I am beautiful”. You come out of Café Gratitude feeling like a million bucks. Here is an excerpt from Lissa’s post about Café Gratitude. You can read Lissa’s full post here.
Café Gratitude is SO Berkeley. Funky, sweet wait staff with dreads and burgundy hair, colorful art and a cozy fireplace make you feel right at home on a rainy day. For lunch, we feasted on DELICIOUS raw foods. The “I Am Abundant” appetizer sampler treated us to sprouted almond hummus, kale-sea vegetable salad, hempseed pesto crustini, spicy cashew nacho cheese with flax chips, olive tapenade, and a spring roll wrapped in greens with a Thai coconut-almond butter sauce. Matt couldn’t resist ordering the “I Am Sensational” live pesto pizza, which was a buckwheat sunflower seed flatbread crust topped with pesto, sliced tomatoes, and cashew nut ricotta, topped with a sprout salad. We sipped the “I Am Cool” hazelnut milk mint chocolate milkshake, and finished with the “I Am Perfect” pecan pie made with pecan butter and dates in a macadamia nut crust.
Café Gratitude has a multiple locations around the bay: Berkeley, Healdsburg, Oakland, San Francisco and San Rafael
Authors Around the Bay: Patricia Volonakis Davis
Posted by: | CommentsMany authors live in the Bay Area and thanks to all the wonderful local book stores we often get to see authors speak and to meet them in person. Sally Around The Bay is going to start a series of local author interviews to find out their favorite spots in the Bay Area. Our first interview is with Patricia Volonakis Davis (whose book I just finished reading). Patricia wrote the memoir Harlot’s Sauce. It’s a great book about her life in Greece. I got nostalgic while reading the book and pulled out my photo album from my trip to Greece 10 years ago. Greece is such an amazing and beautiful country.
Thanks Patricia for taking the time to answer my questions!
Author Name: Patricia Volonakis Davis
Book: Harlot’s Sauce: A Memoir of Food, Family, Love, Loss, and Greece
What is your favorite restaurant in the Bay Area?
Well, since my background is Italian, I’m always looking for good Italian restaurants, and I have to say that there are two that I really love- one is Arriverderci’s in San Rafael, though it’s more Italian-American food than strictly Italian. Nonetheless, every item I’ve ever tried on their menu is excellent, they cook everything as you like, even let me trade my potato side for an extra vegetable side. I also LOVE the waitstaff, (Hello, Glenn, Hello, Danny!) because they are all in some way involved in the arts, and they come over to our table and chat with me about my writing, and so we feel like we’re going to see close friends whenever we eat there. But if you want genuine Italian pizza, the kind with the really thin crust, and all the fresh ingredients on top, you need to go to Benissimo’s in Corte Madera. My husband calls it “Benny and Mo’s”, but he’s a poker player, not an Italian.
Where is your favorite place to shop for clothing?
That is the easiest question to answer- hands down it’s Gioia in downtown San Anselmo. The prices are reasonable, the clothes are different, but trendy/chic, not too way out there, and I love all the shoes!
What do you love most about the Bay Area?
Another easy question. The people. The people make the Bay Area. I think it’s because they genuinely appreciate how stunningly beautiful the area is. And they feel blessed to live here and show it, by hiking in the area, bicycling here, eating here, shopping in the area, and most of all, doing their best to keep it ‘eco-friendly’
Favorite independent bookstores in the Bay Area?
Naturally, I’ll say Book Passage first. That’s because they have been so supportive of me and my writing. They have asked me to do workshops there and they went out of their way to make my book launch wildly successful. I love that they have great conferences and all kinds of artistic events, too. In fact, I’m organizing one really fabulous event for the California Writers Club Marin Branch that’s being held there in October. Some amazing literary names are taking part in that! They are truly a local landmark. I also love Book Depot in Mill Valley, And Booksmith in San Anselmo. In fact, Book Depot in Mill Valley was the first local bookshop I discovered when I moved here. They’ve got a great selection of books for such a small shop. Booksmith’s is one I pass almost every time I’m in downtown San Anselmo, and the owner is so gracious and accommodating.
Do you belong to any local clubs?
I belong to the California Writers Club, both the Marin Branch and the Redwood Branch, and I also belong to the Fairfax Health Club. I get my best writing inspiration from all my friends there, and the trainers are great, too!
Do you have any upcoming events related to Harlot’s Sauce?
Yes- lots! I’m speaking in front of the San Diego Feminist Book Group on July 7, for an event called “Harlots and Feminists”, there is the Instock Conference on July 18, in the Hotel Monaco in San Francisco, where I’ll be hosting a panel, The CWC Marin Centennial Event at Book Passage, The Redwood Writers Conference, and lots more appearances at independent bookshops throughout the state. You can check for updates on my Harlot’s Sauce Fan Page on Facebook, www.booktour.com or on my website at: www.patriciaVdavis.com.
—
If you are a local author and would like to be featured on Sally Around The Bay please contact me.
Want to be a better Mountain Biker?
Posted by: | CommentsMountain Biking in Marin is a very popular sport. People come from all over the world to ride the trails of Marin County. Mountain Biking is also a great way to meet people in the Bay Area. It is a very social sport. You will often see many mountain bikers socializing at Iron Springs Pub & Brewery in Fairfax after a day of riding.
My motto this summer is to do something every week to get out of my comfort zone and I challenge my readers to do the same. I will be listing various fun events I hear about to give you some ideas. I’d love to hear what you do to get out of your comfort zone this summer.
Break Out of Comfort Zone Idea #1 – Sign Up for Mountain Bike Skill Clinic
Have you been thinking about becoming a mountain biker? Do you wish you had more technical skills?
Mountain Biking Marin is offering a few Summer Mountain Bike Skill Clinics for people of all levels. Great for locals and visitors.
The clinics are on July 12, July 14 and July 19. Visit Mountain Biking Marin‘s Website to find out more information.
I’m looking for more break out of comfort zone ideas to share with my readers. If you know of any please leave a comment letting us know.
Thanks!
Just an Okay Day Around The Bay
Posted by: | Comments
Photo by Erin McDaniel
Photo by Erin McDanielToday I had plans to scope out a new café in the Castro district of San Francisco. Celia’s been dying to try a yoga class at the Yoga Tree in the Castro. She heard great things about. So I agreed to go with her to the city and leave her at yoga while I casually strolled around the Castro in search of a café.
Unfortunately my morning did not go as planned. After I dropped Celia off at yoga, I drove to my bank and went to the ATM to make a deposit and take out some cash. An angry man walked by while I was taking out my cash. He yelled saying I should give him the money I was taking out and started walking toward me. I thought I really don’t want to get mugged. Right then another man called his name and he got distracted. I don’t think he was actually going to do anything but it set the tone for the rest of my morning.
I then drove around for awhile until I found a parking place in the Castro area (not always an easy thing to do). I found a decent parking place, got out of my car and began walking toward Castro Street. It was early in the morning and the streets were pretty empty. About a block ahead of me I saw a small group of young men. One noticed me and started moving toward me. I got a bad vibe from him and decided I’d cross the street and walk on the other side of the street. He then darted across the street and came up right next to me, to the point where he was brushing against me and by the look in his eyes I could tell he was under the influence of something. He started asking me questions and walking with me. I was polite, answered his questions and told him I needed to go.
He said, why, where are you going? I said to meet a friend and then I said goodbye and have a nice day. He didn’t take the hint. He kept walking next to me, asking questions, being too pushy and making me uncomfortable. Too make a long story short I remembered what I learned in a self defense workshop in college (to go in to a place of business if someone is following you or making you uncomfortable).
I saw that Walgreen’s was open so I ducked in there. He grabbed my arm and wanted to know where I was going. I said I have things to do and I want to do them by myself. He followed me in to Walgreen’s asking me why I was so rude and I turned around and said in the firmest voice I could, Stop following me and leave me alone! He said why are you ending our conversation? That’s not very nice. I repeated myself, told him loudly to STOP following me and to go away. The staff in Walgreen’s took note and waited and watched to see what would happen. The guy grumbled, said I wasn’t very nice and went outside. He stood in front of the door of Walgreen’s.
I thought oh great what am I going to do now and I have 2 hours until Celia is done with yoga. He stayed out front for awhile so I decided what I’d do was go shopping at Walgreen’s and get some of those toiletries I’d been meaning to get. I took my time leisurely walking around while I calmed myself down and made a plan. After awhile I didn’t see him outside the door anymore so I finally got brave enough to face the outside again.
I came out, scanned the area and walked down Castro or up Castro not sure… I was walking toward Market Street. Anyway, I was mad. Mad that because of this man I was not able to relax on a Saturday morning. Mad that this man got into my space and made me uncomfortable. Mad at myself for attracting idiots like this and also thinking to myself that maybe I’ve been living in Marin so long I’m getting soft. Then I thought it’s too bad that we can’t always be soft. It’s too bad that we have to be tough and be on guard.
I turned right on Market Street and saw the café I’d been to a long time ago: Café Flore. I made it to Café Flore without seeing the guy again so I was starting to feel more relaxed. Café Flore was filled with friendly people that smiled at me when I walked in. I ordered a Chai Tea Latte, found a nice corner seat and installed myself with my book and finally began my relaxing morning.
Café Flore is located at the corner of Market Street and Noe. They have indoor and outdoor seating. Café Flore serves everything from breakfast to dinner. They also serve delicious Sangria that I tried last time I was there in the evening. Café Flore was a great reprieve for me after my somewhat stressful morning.
Café Flore is located at:
2298 Market Street (at Noe)
San Francisco, CA
415-621-8579
www.cafeflore.com
PS. Celia loved the yoga class at the Yoga Tree and wants to go back.
