Click images for desktop size: "The Wall Of Wonder" by Akareshe How often do you get to use the word "splendid"?
We had a splendid weekend.
The kind where you forget everyday that was less than perfect, where you forget everything except the moment you're living in. We all need those kind of moments or else we end up believing in George W Bush and accept gasoline prices.
Friday night we treated ourselves to Indian food. We set out for the Indian All You Can Eat Buffet. When we got there it was a bit too dowdy and depressing so we went to check out this place we pass by frequently. Its an odd little place next to and attached a rather suspect looking motel.
It took a leap of faith to enter. We were fascinated because they advertise with one of those dodgy plastic signs a luncheon that is $6.95 for vegetarian and $8.95 for NON_Vegetarian.
The prominent promise of vegetarian food seemed odd outside of L.A. Going in there was a good gamble. The owners had done a solid job of taking a mediocre space and trying to make it special. Even as it rained heavily we watched people come and go. Very busy, friendly and good food.
There was a large group of guys at the table near us. They weren't obnoxiously loud or anything like that but they were close enough I eavesdropped when I heard them talk about their recent trip to London. Mainly they were talking about going to The Walkabout, a rowdy bar in London that caters to crazy Aussies on their 2 year working visas to the mother land. As these guys were all clearly in the mid to late 40's and had the haircuts to prove it this intrigued me. These weren't the kind of guys I think of as having a good time at The Walkabout.
I wonder if its changed or I had.
Saturday was nothing but cold and rain. It ran from the spitting rain designed to annoy everything but plants, to torrential downpours. We made the longish drive to the Farmer's Market and the Oriental Grocery Stores.
The Farmer's market was a slight downer.
Click images for desktop size: "What Its All About" by MLB There weren't very many farmers about. It was rather sparse pickings and we had come prepared to buy!
Still we made some heavy scores. We got beau coup gluten free baked goods, including cookies and raisin bread. I also got some wheat free chicken kebanos for the dogs. (They loved them.)
We also got a chunk of halvarti cheese with jalapeno. It was cheaper than the stuff I get at the local deli but not that much cheaper and it was nowhere as good. Even that seemed like good news; it confirmed that we can guilt free buy the stuff at the deli.
We went to a new fancier looking Oriental Grocery store. It was packed. Getting a cart was an impossibility, so had to lug the stuff around in my arms.
There were things I liked about the store. I always like the whack juxtapositioning of products, pots and pans on the shelves above the soups bases, toys and dolls mixed in with the green goods. As jarring as it looks to my Western eyes it must make sense to the rest of the world. Every Asian grocery store worth anything from Hong Kong To New York seems to do it this way.
Even though this store was neater, more modern and surface nicer than the first one we went to last month I didn't like it as much. We got some staples and a few cool enough things but still decided to trek on down to the first store.
The first one was much more chaotic, much friendlier and warmer feeling. Good produce and crazy juxtapositons. I got a pound of frozen shrimp for five bucks. The shrimp were in between the bok choy and the apples . . .
We spent the rest of Saturday getting the dogs ready for the big dog walk on Saturday.
Giant dogs and small bath tubs . . .
Sunday was bright and crisp and cool. A perfect autumn day . . . The mud didn't look too bad. We headed off to the big dog walk and it was one of the most magnificent events like this that I ever attended. It comes close to the anti-vivesection walk in London where the cops shadowed our every step in tanks and helicopters while little old grannies beat London bobbies on the head with their protest signs screeching "Boots kills beagles. Boycott Boots." Great stuff even with tear gas!
This dog walk was at this rather exclusive Inn and grounds. The Inn is on 300 acres. Its exclusive enough and beautiful enough that it books out for weddings with a $35,000 deposit!
The other thing that made the walk memorable is that it is the only one I've ever been on that was LEASH FREE!
Now, it says something positive about the owners of this magnificent property that they would donate their grounds leash free to a pack of wild and crazy dogs!
And RAH! they were all totally insane!
Click images for desktop size: "Choise'" by Anonymous It was great! We keep meeting people asking if we'd seen their dog. (They always seem to have found them.)
Our dogs were a big hit. They made sure to say hello to everyone. My little blind dog did the whole walk on his own power (on lead which he resented slightly.) My puppy was a bit nervous about me being off lead. She kept having to check on me when she would rather have been off having adventures. But she enjoyed herself none the less.
My puppy got two "She's gorgeous!" andone, "Boy, that dog sure loves you!"
The two giant poodles got 2 "Pretty!" and one request for photos that they refused to sit still for!
We even ran into the woman who runs the burger bar, who had told us about the event. She is now braced for my puppy's birthday party planned for the 15th.
I was tired so we left before they passed out the awards and ribbons. I gather we were entitled to something but we had gotten enough pleasure so that awards seemed superfulous.
Add to that the ability to feel smug about having so much fun in the name of saving a dog's life and, well, is there anything better than that short of falling in love?
I need, we all need more weekends like this. To see the world without flinching, to see a world with a wisp of hope and a tureen of good feeling, we all need good weekends like this.
And to climax the time I ate corn on the cob Sunday night, sweet corn and I ate it ON the cob.