Woah....

It's interesting how quickly you can get acclimated to a new situation. A day or two ago, I was pining for the more vibrant Bay Area, more people around, etc etc. Now, having driven down with Vanessa to do a few cameo massage appearances/catching up with my Presidio classmates, I found myself a little, ok a lot overwhelmed, being in Whole Foods. From the busy, competitive parking lot, to the obstacle course of people and objects inside, it all felt like too much. Heh, I was now missing the mellow, friendly ease of Briar Patch, our sweet, green built co-op market we shop at these days. 

An example of how it is there: We rarely, if ever, need to park past the 2nd row of parking. Last night I went in there, sent on a mission by Vanessa to get a key missing ingredient for a peach pie she was making for a potluck we were going to at Blue Bird farm, an organic farm 20 minutes from us. I go in there, and ask a staff member if they had it. It being, um, gara gara, or some such repeated word, a form of seaweed that serves as a gelatin substitute, apparently. The guy takes me to where it is, takes it off the hook. 

He gets a wrinkled brow, and says, "Hmm, this is *way* overpriced...hang on, I think I know someone who will have another suggestion for you." He comes back with a friend, who suggests two alternatives, but one wasn't organic in this store (Yet. It's a new store from 3 months ago. Well new to this location, they keep on expanding over the decades...) and we all walk over to where they can be found. She tells me of all these different things that old school corn starch can be used for. How sweet, eh?

It turns out that that was for thickening, already covered by what Vanessa had. Ah well. The pie? Not one for the record books, but a nice effort, despite doing it, it turns out, totally out of order. We're not the world's best cooks. She's much more then I'll ever be, though, that I can say.

 I can also say that I came across a chef who was asking to trade weekly massage in exchange for making meals. Ooh, a whole foods focused, diversely abled, really cool sounding guy, making us food every week? Now, though I'm officially mostly retired from massage, that's a client I'd be happy to see every week. Though I do miss many of my clients from back in the Bay Area. Tried to see them this and next weekend, when I'm coming down with Vanessa. No dice, for the most part. Ah well, I'm meant to do other things with that time, perhaps? Ironic, it is, that I got an email today from someone asking for their boss, who wants to give his wife a massage a week for a year. Down here. Hmm, let's see if I can make it happen, with someone other then me doing it...Oh and the chef? Graham Hayes, the Gleaned Gourmet

This cafe (somewhere in I think Walnut Creek) is quite busy. A bit too. Ha, learn to be at peace and with wherever you are, Paul. Enjoy it as it is, not as you wish it were...