Me & City Lights

Me & City Lights
Originally uploaded by middleagedteacher

While we're on the topic of Outfits, I'm in top-to-toe 'Buffalo Exchange' Berkeley from the 50% Off Rack. Items that aren't sold within a month of going on display are sent there. I found myself being inextricably drawn to the 50% Off Rack. I hope it's not a Metaphor for My Life or Anything.
I can't understand why this perfectly nice tartan skirt & retro shirt made from the purest nylon didn't sell in an instant.
But maybe you can.
I'm standing outside the famous 'City Lights' Bookstore in SanFrancisco. It's the home of Beat Writers like I suppose Jack Kerouac. I can barely spell his name let alone understand any of his writing.
But the shop is kind of interesting.

Now We Are Old, We Need to Dress Up, Not Dress Down

Now We Are Old, We Need to Dress Up, Not Dress Down
Originally uploaded by middleagedteacher

Freshly back from our Epic Roadtrip where we absolutely did not act or feel anything like 'Thelma & Louise', we visited the giant Salvation Army Depot in Thousand Oaks.
This place must house the World's Largest Collection of Orphaned 'Sag Harbour' clothes, with a special emphasis on Heavily Shoulder-Padded Blazers.
Fortunately, we managed to steer clear of them in favour of more streamlined ensembles as Marge is convinced that the only way that I am going to be able to 'Move Forward' in my life is by wearing Figure-Hugging Garments. I agree.
Here she is modelling a Slightly Soiled but wearable Genuine Suede Jacket. I tried hard to convince her that jackets look wonderful on her & that now that we are Old, we need to Dress Up Not Down.
She may, or may not, take my advice.
But Goody, Goody, I got to take the Jacket home. It's going to be part of my new attempt at Embracing Frenchness. You know, like Jane Birkin or Catherine Deneuve.

Always the Optimist

Always the Optimist
Originally uploaded by middleagedteacher

Once we arrived in Berkeley, I was desperate to find a thrift store to feed my Obsession. Things are going to be Soo Good when I can finally give everything up & become a Zen Master. And then I won't have to be constantly thrifting, or drinking coffee or photographing my outfits.
In the meantime, we finally found 'Buffalo Exchange' which was in the Tatts 'n Piercings part of town. I'm not sure if Old Buffalo actually qualifies as a genuine 'Thrift Shop' because it was kind of all spruced up & didn't quite have the feel that a shop that is selling a whole lot of Orphaned clothes usually has. Also, it was a bit pricey.
But perhaps I'm too much of a purist.
Here I am trying on a smart little dress with military style buttons & detailing. Sadly, I couldn't get the buttons up. Always the optimist.

Which Nobel Laureates Could We Be?

We arrive at our destination. 

Oh, I want to say right here, right now that I'm having trouble with My Tenses. Which is probably what you'd expect from An Anxious Person. 

As a travel writer, does one write in the Past or the Present Tense, I wonder? If I was a Zen Buddhist or maybe Eckhardt Tolle or Oprah, I'd say there's no such thing as the past. There's Only Now.

So I won't worry about it. I'll just stick to Present Tense. Until I get stuck in the past.

Anyway, back to Our Destination. We've arrived. And I bet you can't guess what it is or where it is? Goody Goody.

So, I'll just have to walk you through it. 

 We crawl like Snails along the 101. Which was just as well because I was reading a v. small & unsatisfactory map. We could see tantalizing bits of San Francisco in the distance - something we imagined to be the Golden Gate Bridge but it was far off & surrounded by more fog, which is one of the Themes of this Roadtrip. We also saw that Pointed Building that you see in photos of San Francisco.

But I Go on too Much.

Let me Cut to the Chase. Look at the photo below. Does that give any clues to our destination?

Perhaps Not.

 So, let me tell you.

We are in Berkeley. At the University. Actually staying inside the University of California at The Berkeley Club. I am instantly transported back to The Sixties. Student activism. Student Protests. Dustin Hoffman & Katherine Ross in 'The Graduate' which was a Major Film of my Adolescence. I sooo totally wanted to look like Katherine Ross which was out of the question. Her character, Elaine went to Berkeley where Dustin Hoffman followed her & stalked her. I was desperate to be stalked by Dustin Hoffman back then. Now I think that he's a Scenery Chewer. 

That's one of the things that I love about America. Everything reminds me of a Song or a Movie.

We are thrilled with ourselves & perhaps a little smug. We have a Suite which we imagine has been occupied by many many Nobel Laureates over the years since the Berkeley Club was built in 1902. Apparently, once you get the Nobel Prize, you get a Permanent Parking Spot inside the University designated in Red Paint. What a marvellous incentive to achieve at The Highest Level!

The suite was generously restored by the couple in the photo above the fireplace, below. Thank you, O Beneficent Philanthropists!  The only thing that jarred for us  was the rather awful painting that you can see in the last photo,  just above where Marge is lolling. 

But look at me wearing my newly-thrifted  from 'Goodwill'  'Isaac Mizrahi for Target' sweater. Once again, my boobs have drifted down to my waist. Must stop wearing stupid sports bras. 

I'm with Kat, Marge's step-daughter who is my Second Favourite Girl in the World next to my own daughter, Billie-Mae.

That's why we're here. We're visiting Kat. Whether she likes it or Not.

Oh, I must mention where I got the first two pictures from, in case you're wondering. Marge found a 'Blue & Gold Berkeley 1905 Yearbook' amongst the shelves in The Suite. I was sooo tempted to quietly put it in my bag.  But since I'm now a Non-Practising Buddhist, I resisted temptation.

Absolutely Not Room 101

More on & on we drove on & off the 101. I've always loved the 101's Name. Reminds me of that Feared Room in 'Nineteen Eighty Four', Room 101. The room that you never get out of alive.

Not that I haven't ever not gotten out of the 101 alive. At least I think I always have. 

Perhaps I'm Dead & I Don't Know It. And this is Life After Death.

I haven't told you our destination. 

We may, or may not be going to San Francisco. 

At this point, we're tantalizingly close. I look to the billboards for guidance.  

'Point of Your Summer'. Yes, that's a good one. Coming from the Southern Hemisphere, I am not officially in Summer. The supposedly hot weather I am experiencing is merely a hiatus. And as I've already said, ever since I sat in that Arctic Theatre watching 'Harry Potter' last week, I have been Chilled to the Bone. Plus Marge insists on having the air conditioner in the car turned up full blast with a fearful wind blowing. I say nothing because I'm Grateful to be driven around. 

And then I see a whole lot fish reminding me that I'm going back to school. Yes, v. soon. But I've still got more of the 101 to see. 

Occasionally we take a detour even if we don't want to. Like the Blog, the trip seems to have a mind of it's own.

Interestingly, every time we got off the 101, it was Large Vegetables. 

I'm sure the World of Garlic is fascinating & complex. But we didn't stop to find out.

We drove on in search of some Golden Arches. 

Pourquoi, you may ask? 

Since I can't have a latte from 'Zinc', I adapt. I have a Non-Fat Iced Latte with two servings of Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup & loads of ice. Both 'Starbucks' & 'McDonalds' serve this. I'm sure the massive amounts of chemicals from the syrup are coursing around my veins causing mayhem, but what the hell. Why not live a little?

We see a pair of Golden Arches in the distance & immediately take a right. We find ourselves in Castroville, the Artichoke Capital of the World. At first I thought the sign said 'Gastroville', which sounded unappealing. And then we spied this Large Artichoke, which looked unappealing. For a mere three bucks we could have a whole mess of Deep Fried Artichokes.

No thanks, we'll take McDonalds.

Sadly, the Golden Arches in the distance were a Mirage. That's what the 101 does to you.

Goody Goody Goodwill

We were driving along a long street just outside the environs of Toy Cannery Row when amazingly I spied a rather large 'Goodwill'. 

I could hardly contain my excitement. Marge groaned. 

Marge is v. kind. And she genuinely can't bear to deprive me of any little pleasures that I may have left in life. So, she made the Hybrid take a right &  found a Pleasant Parking spot right nearby.

I skipped down the hill just like Gene Kelly when he sang 'Singin' in the Rain', which I loathe, by the way.

 I knew that 'Goodwill' was going to be nothing like my local thrift shop, 'Bednobs & Broomsticks', just like I know that the lattes I have in California are nothing like the lattes from 'Zinc', my local cafe.

OMG, this blog entry has a twee Suck Up Sally personality all of it's own. Next it'll be Thanking the Universe for Having Me. Which perhaps isn't such a bad idea.

There are certain cast-iron rules about the contents of thrift shops which are universal with a some small regional differences. A Californian Regional Difference is that there always has to be a few items designed for people shaped like refrigerators with the label, 'Sag Harbour'. In fact, 'Sag Harbour's' influence is becoming so invasive that I even saw one at 'Bednobs' a few months ago. 

 Another slight rule is that if the garment is a 'Designer Label', nine times out of time, it will be 'For Target'. So it was no surprise to me when I picked up a cute little lilac sweater with 'Isaac Mizrahi' on it, it had to be, 'For Target'. But I was thrilled & thanked the Universe as I was paying.

Marge was desperate to get back on the 101, so we had to leave.

I have never read so many maps in my life or more desperately sought signs that said '101 North' or '101 South'.

 Now I can read both Maps & Signs, perhaps My Life will improve.

Toy Cannery Row

We keep driving. 

We arrive at Monterey. I know absolutely nothing about it except of course I've heard of the Jazz Festival. And then there's the song by Eric Burdon, 'Down in Monterey', which I suppose is about the Jazz Festival.

 So I didn't know what to expect. Which I'm sure is The Best Way to Be when travelling, or perhaps in Life generally. If someone said that Monterey was the Home of the World's Largest Stilton Cheese, it would have come as no surprise to me.

It was almost, but Not Quite a Surprise to me that it was on the coast. 

We drive along until we get to Cannery Row. I would rather call it Toy Cannery Row. Banners with quotes from the famous novel, 'Cannery Row' by John Steinbeck are hanging off every orifice just to remind us what this place is about & why it's famous, in case we've forgotten, or  didn't know in the first place, which I didn't. 

The rivers of Silverfish have dried up. But the buildings remain. We didn't bother to go in, but I'm sure if we did, they'd be a lot of lattes & perhaps tasteful beach accoutrements available to purchase.
Just outside of the 'rumbles  & groans & screams & rattles' I cleverly spy a 'Goodwill'.

But that's a whole other blog entry.

Then we take a quick look at Monterey Beach.

Here it is.