Thoughts in the USA

Just strolling around makes you feel on vacation, to the point that puts that idiotic grin on your face.

And, it was sooooooooooo warm and sunny!

This place is really something else!

You can have a conference, party, lunch, dinner, they have rooms, you can just come and stroll the grounds.

Next time you want something different, check it out.
Whether it's during the week or on a weekend.

Apparently, not only is this place gorgeous, it's also packed with history.
Packed, I tell ya.

- - - - - - - -

OK, now I am getting this smirk on my face...
...and that would probably expand to the faces of some of my readers from far far away.

So let me just say this:

Among other things, it took me a very long time to get used to the usage of the word "history" in the USofA.
Here, a 200 year old building becomes a historical marker, and many places proudly claim "In business since 1950", which means they wallow in history.

And, hmm, how shall I put it gently: where I come from, history goes, well, a bit further.
Just a touch, y'know.

"Hey, when it comes to Western society, we go as far as 400 years!", reprimands The JohnnyB.
Yeah, well... that's nice. How's that working for ya?

- - - - - - - -

Anyway - that presentation Center used to be a school for boys, and they used to have ladders between the different floors of the buildings and all - must have been a very fun place!
Now they have staircases and other modern niceties, but the remodeling was done so that the place still retains its character and charm.
And it has a lot of both.


At some point, I realized it's actually a catholic place (well, that explains the crosses all around), but they welcome anyone through their gates.

I mean, really welcome.

And everyone!

There is even a sign that says "Welcome" in 15 or 16 languages (with an excruciating typo in Hebrew...).

So, here goes:

Y'see, in the little chapel, in a little corner, there stood a little table.
And on the little table, there was a little crystal candy-jar.
And next to it, there lived a little bottle-thingy.

I thought it contained olive oil (it looked like olive oil, OK?!?), and I was wondering (loudly, alas):
"Why would they put olive oil in such a little bottle?".

More than that - why would they have balsamic vinegar in a candy jar?

And why isn't the balsamic vinegar darker?

And why does it look like it has crumbs in it?

And then, Oh dear dear readers, as I got closer, I saw it was more like, well... kinda... very... flat... cookies... like, wafers... y'know?

Yep.
Told ya!

Well, I do have the ultimate excuse for this unforgiving ignorance.
And yet, BlaineyC and the other two took way too long a time to get over the laughter.

Good thing I was brought up to be so well-behaved, and didn't touch anything.
Bad thing I actually opened my mouth.
Silence is sometimes priceless.
Indeed.

Perhaps I should have started this post a bit differently: "A Catholic, a Unitarian, an Atheist and a Jew go into a chapel"...
A-n-y-w-a-y - look at the time...


Then it was time to head back home.

Winding road went fine.

17 North went fine.

85 North went fine. . . .

. . . but something seemed a bit weird.

And, as I saw the sign that cheerfully informed me "Oakland, 33 miles", I got somewhat uneasy, but kept on driving, sticking to my eternal optimism.
When I arrived at Mission Ave, in Fremont, I figured that perhaps I have gone a bit too far north.
And East.
And away from where I was heading.

Not that I have something against Fremont.
A lot of lovely people live there.
In fact, some of our very best friends live there.
Fremont is a very, very nice place.
Very.
But not when you need to get to Los Altos for a haircut!

Cussing with all my might, I drove back, without getting a ticket (that's the miracle of the day! perhaps all the good energy from the Presentation Center was protecting me). and made it just in time for the shearing.
My hair designer, however, could hardly do the job, as she was laughing so hard at the scenic route I took.
Yeah, VandieA, it's always funny when it happens to someone else, ain't it?

Other than that, the haircut was uneventful.

But then I got a deep cut in my thumb when I put my hand into my purse to get the wallet out (I still have no idea what caused this cut), and with a blood-dripping hand, I drove my poor-fuzzy-diddumed self (a-la ValieM) home, just to realize that I forgot my earrings at the salon.
If you happen to go there, (and I couldn't recommend it more!!!), would you please get them for me?

'cause I ain't no drivin' nowhere in the near future!

*** P.S. the photos so nonchalantly attached to this post, as if it's the most trivial thing in the world, took about 6 hours to download.
They are the very first pictures shown to the world, taken by LumiB, and I somehow managed to screw the card during the download... We almost decided to reset the card, but LexieV, who was visiting from England, has saved the day, big time, and from now on he shall be known as The God of Hacking.
But that is a whole different story, that shall hopefully be blogged by The JohnnyB.

When offered the idea, he snapped - good-tempered as always: "I will blog it if and when I feel like it".

. . .OK then.

I am going to officially put an end to this day.
It's been way too long and evenful.

Layla Tov. (means, Good Night, in the language of the land with real history).

Labels: Driving, Faux Pas, Photohgraphy

# posted by Nava @ 8:54 PM