(re-run) Living in Northern California, I don’t run into celebrities too often. Once I met J. K. Rowling, the Harry Potter author, when she was touring the U.S. to promote her third book. Otherwise, I’d heard that Carlos Santana came to visit his restaurant, Maria Maria, every now and then, and that some famous ball… Continue reading Sully, A Famous Face
Category: restaurant
Marathon Man
(re-run) She’d tried them all — Match, eharmony, Our Time, Chemistry, Zoosk, Okay Cupid, and Coffee Meets Bagel. She’d had her share of weirdos and had learned to use a fake name, fake town, and a fake place of work. She had been stalked in the past. Now she knew how to do it and… Continue reading Marathon Man
Having his Cake
(re-run) We sat at the bar at Il Vecchio’s next to the guy with the shaved head. My girlfriend Fran chatted him up while we waited for a table. We decided to have dinner at the bar. Adam was cute enough but not too tall. He seemed interested in petite Fran, so at the end… Continue reading Having his Cake
Lemon Meringue Pie
(re-run) Sarah thought she’d give Match.com one more try. After a round of on-line flirting with a good-looking, age-appropriate man, John asked her to dinner. Sarah said yes. They went to the Hayward restaurant and had a pleasant meal with lemon meringue pie for dessert. Things are going so well. This guy might be the… Continue reading Lemon Meringue Pie
Taking the Plunge
(re-run) Aileen had an antique store in downtown Hayward with her husband. The business grew from their first 450 square foot shop until they’d moved into a store that was 3800 square feet. Her husband did the refinishing business in the workshop, and she ran the shop. Life was good until Tom got lung cancer. … Continue reading Taking the Plunge
Jerky Jokester
(re-run) Elena lived in San Francisco. She went to the Cingular store to get a phone line. Fidel saw her and helped her get one set up. She filled out the paperwork and then changed her mind. He put the paperwork into the shredder but then asked her for her phone number. “If you want… Continue reading Jerky Jokester
To Flirt or Not to Flirt
(re-run) They found each other on Match.com. They had both lost their spouses. Don said he was looking for a good Catholic widow. He was involved with the arch diocese in Oakland. Sue was a recovering Catholic but thought maybe he was a solid guy. She agreed to meet him for coffee. He was good-looking… Continue reading To Flirt or Not to Flirt
Joe Average
(re-run) Emily met Joe on Match.com. They both liked the SF Giants. They both lived in Livermore, although he worked in Alameda and had to get up early at 4:00 a.m. for his job. Joe made an exception to stay up late one night so he could meet Emily and buy her dinner. Emily had… Continue reading Joe Average
A Different Kind of Fall
(re-run from 2018) In my 33 years in California (one and a half down south, the rest up north), I can’t remember a fall where we have not had a drop of rain by mid-November. I also can’t remember ever having three big fires in less than two years that have burned down whole communities… Continue reading A Different Kind of Fall
Don’t Judge a Book
(re-run) Of all the pick-up lines I’ve ever heard, the best one came yesterday at the Walnut Creek Octoberfest. “Now those are some sensible shoes.” Yes, I had on one-inch-heel black booties because I was dressed as a German beer garden maid, and they were the best shoes with white knee socks. “They’re good for… Continue reading Don’t Judge a Book
FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER! 