Chicken Ranchers of Petaluma

When you think of chicken ranchers, you probably aren't thinking this is something the immigrant Jews were involved in.  Well, if you thought this, you'd be wrong.  Beginning around 1920, thousands of Russian Jews came to America, to escape the harsh and anti-Semitic practices of Russia.  Most came to through Ellis Island, but many, who heard about farming opportunities near San Francisco, went west.  In Czarist Russia, Jews were not allowed to own land, but here in Petaluma, for a small price, Jews could buy a few acres of land, and begin farming.

Hebrew free loans and some local banks with low interest loans were often available to immigrants to encourage them take up chicken farming.  Life was good for these immigrants.  They prospered, and welcomed new immigrants to their community.  In early 1930, a community center was built, but interestingly enough, they did not want a shul (synagogue) attached to the center, that is, until they discovered that if they had a synagogue, the building received tax benefits.  They changed their minds and built the shul.  Money talks!

Most of the immigrants to Petaluma were not religious, in fact, according to many children and grandchildren of the chicken ranchers, most of the immigrants were Atheists.  Most were raised in religious families, but upon settling in America, most were liberal Atheists.  They were, however, strongly culturally Jewish, continuing to speak Yiddish, sing and dance traditional Jewish songs and dances, and kept up all religious holidays.

As time went on, Jews started to become active in community politics.  They started to organize workers.  One man tried to unionize  apple pickers in the 1930's, long before Caesar Chavez came along.  He and others who tried to unionize were terrorized by groups that fire bombed their homes, harrassed their families, and even tar and feathered them.  None were ever punished for these acts.

After viewing a movie on the Jewish chicken ranchers, many of the  seniors at Seacrest told their stories.  What I discovered was that Jewish chicken ranchers existed all over the country.  Men and women told stories about family members in New Jersey, New York, Wisconsin, and San Fernando Valley, that had owned chicken ranches.  Today, all the ranches in Petaluma are gone.  Most chicken ranching has moved to the south, where it is less expensive.  The Jews that farmed in Petaluma have moved on, too.  They have assimilated into American society.  The people that told the stories about the Jewish chicken ranchers have fond memories of this period of their life, and realize that nothing like that could happen in the 21st century. 

Foods You Probably Won't Try Ever!

I'm going to tell you about some foods that are eaten around the world, none that I have tried nor ever would, but are eaten by millions of people on this planet.  Why do they eat these mostly insects, that most of us would never touch? Price.  They're abundant and for the most part, free.  Many of these foods are eaten in poor areas of the world.  They'll eat anything to stay alive, and eating these creatures proves it.

Fried spiders are eaten in Camboida.

Witchitty grub is something indigenous Australians in the desert ate as a staple.  Raw, it tastes like almonds, and lightly cooked, when skin crisps, it tastes like roast chicken.

Escavol is also known as "insect caviar" in Mexico.  It is edible larvae and pupa of ants.

Becondegi is from South Korea.  They're silkworms.  It's a popular snack sold from street vendors throughout South Korea.

Sago Delight is bug from South East Asia.  It's creamy when eaten raw, and tastes like bacon when cooked.

Stink bugs are eaten in Africa.  They used to flavor stews or eaten raw.

Mopane worms from South East Asia are usually dried or smoked, then rehydrated with tomato or chili sauce to flavor the worms.

There are many other exotic insects eaten throughout the world, but I'll never know if these descriptions are accurate or not.  I don't plan to try any of them ever!  Maybe you're braver than I am.

Escape From Margaritaville Will Make You Feel Good

Want to spend two hours, clapping your hands, singing songs you know, and just overall feeling good all over, go see Esacape to Margaritaville, now playing at the La Jolla Playhouse.  We went on Tuesday night, a few nights before their official opening, and they were still tweaking some of the scenes.  I really haven't enjoyed an evening at the theater this much in a long, long, time.

If you liked Mama Mia, you will love Escape to Margaritaville.  They've taken a simple story and woven many of Jimmy Buffett's best songs into the story.  It will make you smile and cheer.  I felt, for two hours, that I was in Margaritaville, enjoying the island along with the guests at the Margaritaville Hotel.  The cast was terrific.  Dancing and singing was outstanding.  The special effects were fun.  In all, just a wonderful evening.

If you want to go have brunch with the cast, call Torrey Pines Hotel, where on June 10 they are having a brunch with the cast for $95.  No, I won't be there, but for some this is a great opportunity to meet and chat with members of the cast.

When I get in my car today, I will set my Sirius radio to the Margaritaville station and keep the good feeling going.  I hope you get a chance to see this wonderful show before it hits the road, hopefully for Broadway.

Getting Ready For Summer

Getting ready for summer means getting your grill ready for barbequing.  I recently saw several recipes for skewer meals which are healthy, easy to prepare and delicious.  Here are several recipes, one beef, one chicken, and one vegetarian.  They're ready to go in no time at all.  I hope you enjoy them.

Beef Skewers

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 green bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large white onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
8-10 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Combine the steak, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl, mixing until the steak is evenly coated.
3. Slide a piece of steak down the skewer, followed by pieces of green pepper, red pepper, and onion. Repeat until there is a 1-inch gap on the top of the skewer.
4. Repeat with the remaining skewers.
5. Grease the surface of the grill by rubbing the grates with a tongs and an oiled paper towel.
6. Grill the skewers for about 10-15 minutes with the lid closed, flipping them halfway.
7. Serve!

Roasted Veggie Skewers
Servings: 8-10

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 zucchinis, sliced into rounds
3 cups cremini mushrooms
2 medium red onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 yellow bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
4-5 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat grill to medium heat.
2. Combine the oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and pepper, stirring until mixed.
3. Slide a zucchini slice down the skewer, followed by pieces of mushroom, red onion, and peppers, repeating until there is a 1-inch gap at the top of the skewer.
4. Repeat with the remaining skewers and vegetables.
5. Brush each skewer liberally with the oil mixture.
6. Grill the skewers for 12-18 minutes with the lid closed, flipping halfway.
7. Serve!

Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
Servings: 4-5

INGREDIENTS
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup soy sauce
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
¼ cup green onions, chopped
1 pineapple, diced into 1-inch cubes
4-5 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat grill to medium heat.
2. Combine the chicken, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame seeds, and green onions, stirring until evenly coated.
3. Chill and marinate for at least 2 hours.
4. Slide a piece of chicken down the skewer, alternating between chicken and pineapple, until there is a 1-inch gap on the top of the skewer.
5. Repeat with the remaining chicken, pineapple, and skewers.
6. Grease the surface of the grill by rubbing the grates with a tongs and an oiled paper towel.
7. Grill the skewers for about 12-18 minutes with the lid closed, flipping them halfway. Brush the skewers with the leftover marinade during grilling, if desired.
8. Serve!

Getting Your Palate Ready For The San Diego Fair

Every year, the food at the San Diego County Fair is more outrageous than the year before.  This year is no exception.  In case you missed the article in the UT recently, here are some of the fatty foods you can expect to find this year.

1.  Krispy Kreme fried chicken ice cream sandwich.  Take a Krispy Kreme donut and cut it in half, put on a piece of fried chicken, top that with a slab of vanilla ice cream maple syrup and fruity pebbles.  I can't even imagine what that might taste like.

2.  Jalapeno popper and bacon grilled cheese.  Take sour dough bread, load it with gooey cheddar cheese, bacon and crispy jalapeno cream cheese poppers, and you've got a new twist on grilled cheese.  At least this sounds good to me.

3.  Maui cowboy spam banh mi burger.  I'm a lover of Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches, but this one I would stay away from.  A slice of spam, pepper cheese, pickled vegetables (cilantro, red peppers, green onion, jalapeno) and chipotle mayo are piled on a ciabatta roll.  I'll stick to the traditional banh mi sandwich.

4.  Deep fried buffalo chicken ravioli.  Take a slightly spicy chicken ravioli, dredge it buffalo hot sauce seasoned breading, and fry.  Top with a variety of dipping sauces, including ranch and marinara.  That sounds like it might actually be good.

5.  Bacon wrapped grilled veggies.  This is something I would love.  Take fresh asparagus, wrap in bacon and grill.  Top with brown sugar and cayenne pepper.  They also offer pineapple slices wrapped in bacon, which sounds delicious.  Actually, anything with bacon has got to be good.

 If these delectable goodies don't grab your attention, you might try the deep fried peanut butter meatballs.  Yuck  Sounds awful to me, one who LOVES peanut butter.  If you're a Weight Watcher, none of these things will work.  Points for the Krispy Kreme fried chicken sandwich are probably over 40 points!  If I go, I'll head for the corn stand!

A Morning At Target

I will often stop at Target on a weekday morning after I work out.  It's usually around 9-10:30 am, and the store is filled with shoppers, mostly moms and their young children.  Mothers have dropped off the older kids at school, probably gone to the gym to workout, while their toddlers attend day care at the gym, and then they go to Target.  The women I am referring to all look alike.  They are all wearing black yoga pants, tennis shoes, a cute, tight fitting shirt, and more than likely have a phone to their ear.  The kids are in the shopping basket.  When they finish their shopping, which often takes a long time, as they run into friends along the way and stop and chat, they go to the in store Starbucks for coffee and treats for the kids.  All the money they saved shopping at Target will be spent at Starbucks, where the cost of refreshments for mom and two small kids runs $10-$15.

I used to have the perception that the shoppers at Target were less affluent than those that shopped at more high end department stores.  That is simply not true.  Everyone shops at Target (just like everyone shops at Costco), because everyone wants to save money.  I just find it so funny that all the women that shop there during the week look like the trendy moms in Brentwood, Beverly Hills, and Larchmont, in Los Angeles.  It may just be the location of this one particular Target that I go to (Encinitas), as I have gone to other Target stores and have not noticed the same thing. Just a silly observation that I thought I would share.

Superfoods You've Never Heard Of

It amazes me how new superfoods keep being discovered.  The foods are not new, it's just that we've just recently learned of the amazing benefits of some of these foods.  I'm thinking about acai, a berry from South America, that until 15 years ago was relatively unknown.  It is now known as a superfood, with amazing antioxidant benefits.

Wait!  There's more.  Here are some other foods that you may or may not have heard of, that also offer us great benefits.  Here they are.

1.  Baoba...This is the fruit of a tree that grows in 31 African countries.  It's edible black sees, white flowers and leaves contain antioxidants, 10 times more than acai.  It is also a prebiotic, a good source of fiber, Vitamin C, magnesium and potassium.  It's seeds can be cooked and substitute for coffee.

2.   Sea Buckthorn...These are tiny orange acidic berries that grow in clumps on a long stem.  They are high in healthy fat, omega 7's, contain 15 times more vitamin C than oranges.  They also contain vitamin E and amino acids.  Sea Buckthorn is often used in skin products.

3.  Cherimoya...I love this round or heart shaped fruit from South America.  It also grows well in Southern California.  In fact, when I lived in Los Angeles, my neighbor had a cherimoya tree and gladly shared the fruit with the neighbors.  The fruit is white and creamy, sort of tasting like a melon.  It has black seeds, which I don't think are to be eaten.  It is high in antioxidants and might fight off diseases like cancer.

4.  Romanesco.  It looks like cauliflower, but actually has properties of both cauliflower and broccoli.  It is high in vitamin C and K and antioxidants.  Its a great addition to salads or stir frys.

The list of superfoods just keeps on growing.  Try adding some of these to your diet.

More Than You Can Ever Eat At Eggstasy

On our February trip to Phoenix to visit some high school friends of Ron's, do some tax work, and simply relax, we had breakfast at Eggstasy one Sunday morning.  Eggstasy gives new meaning to the word gigantic.  I was mighty hungry, yet still couldn't finish my meal.  Ian and I had just played 2 hours of pickleball at the local courts.  Although the weather was beautiful, around 70 degrees, the sun was hot and I was tired.  Ron and I met Ian and Carol there for Sunday brunch.  We were not disappointed.

The restaurant is large and noisy.  high ceilings, cold floors and windows add noise, so much so, that you're almost screaming to be heard.  If I went back again, I would go at an off time.  I like to talk to the people with whom I am dining.  Anyway, they have a long row of tables in the middle of the restaurant that are put next to one another, like a huge family table.  Around the rest of the restaurant are tables for four or six.  There's also a bar on one side, where some singles chose to eat their breakfast.  The bar offers specialty coffees, juices and mimosas.  Our server was so friendly and helpful and made the task of ordering from the huge menu painless.

Everything a Eggstasy is huge.  I ordered one of the many savory crepes.  It had spinach, mushrooms and cheese, and was topped with a cream sauce.  I was served three large crepes, of which I could only finish half.  Ron ordered a french toast that was enough for 2-3 people.  It was huge slices of thick brioche bread, dipped in batter, fried, and topped with cooked, sweetened apple slices and carmel sauce.  Carol ordered a healthy bowl of quinoa and veggies, topped with a couple of fried eggs.  She actually finished her meal.  Ian ordered a traditional bacon and eggs breakfast with delicious hash browns and toast.  The menu offers just about any breakfast or brunch item you could think of, from plain old oatmeal, to eggs benedict, and every kind of egg or omelette dish, crepe, waffle or pancake you could think of.  How about pumpkin cheesecake pancakes?

Food was delicious, service was great, and except for the high level of noise, this place is a winner.  It's on Shea in Scottsdale.  Try next time you're in the area.

The Hippo Roller Is changing Lives

In the Western world we take clean drinking water for granted, yet 1.2 billion people live in areas of water scarcity.  In 1991, two inventors from Pretoria, South Africa invented the Hippo Roller, which has been changing lives for people living without running water, throughout the world.

In Africa, 40% of the poorest households do not have piped in water.  They have an economic water scarcity.  That means 750million African suffer from the lack of safe drinking water.  Women and children are negatively impacted more than men, because they are the ones forced to collect water for their family or village.  We all have seen images of women dressed in colorful costumes walking, with a jug of water on their head, from the river where they have collected clean water.  They spend hours doing this every day, and the results are devastating.  Long term neck and spine damage, and lack of education (girls need to collect water rather than attend school), and no time for economic activities are just some of the negative affects.

The Hippo Water Roller has  changed this difficult work for many villages.  First, the roller relieves women from the difficult task of actually carrying the water.  The Hippo Water Roller reduces travel time for water collection by 20%, and is changing lives for the better.

Through the use of the Hippo Water Roller Project, tens of thousands of hippo rollers are in use, transporting 5 times more water to homes and gardens.  Of course the project needs donations to get the rollers to even more people.  Go to Hippowaterroller.org to learn more about the project.

Working Military Dogs Help Keep Us Safe

My dog park friends were talking one day about the importance of working dogs in our society:  from therapy dogs, to police dogs, to military working dogs, they all have an important job to do.  Steve was telling us that in Virginia, on one of the military bases, is a huge veterinarian center that treats working dogs that have been injured in the line of duty.  Therapy dogs are used in hospitals, convalescent homes, and schools.  Barbara told us about her granddaughter's friend who teaches Special Education, and brings her black lab to class.  The children read to him, and his mere presence calms the kids.

So what do the dogs get for the loyalty and hard work they do?  In the military and police forces, they get A+ medical care and often a home with their handler upon retirement.  It's a win/win situation

The Defense Department's Military Working Dog Program is responsible for the health and welfare of over 2,300 dogs.  These dogs, mostly German and Dutch Shepherds and Belgian Malinois, are smart, aggressive, loyal and athletic.  They will defend their handler to the end.  The dogs support the war on terror, help safeguard military bases, detect bombs and other explosives.  They inflict fear in an aggressor often greater than a human with a gun.

Dogs have been used by the military since the Revolutionary War.  The biggest surge in the use of canines came during WW11, when there were 10,000 specially trained canines, mostly sentries, but some were scouts, messengers and mine detectors.  They are commonly used today to sniff out bombs, drugs or explosives.  Their noses can smell things 5-10 times more sensitive than a human nose.  They work for the pleasure of pleasing their handler, and are rewarded with love and affection, good medical care, and a forever home when they retire.

Are Sharks Colorblind?

I was out for lunch with my Convoy Lunch Brigade group a few weeks ago.  We were talking about wet suits and how uncomfortable they are, and we all had hilarious stories to tell of trying to wiggle into wetsuits and put on flippers for a snorkel adventure.  Then the conversation turned to the Solana Beach veterinarian  who was training for a triathlon a few years ago and was attacked and killed while swimming along off Fletcher's Cove.  He was wearing a full black wet suit, and one of the women at lunch said the shark might have mistaken him for a seal.  We talked about whether sharks were colorblind, and the consensus at lunch was that they were not.  I had to come home and check that out.

Sharks are unable to distinguish colors, even though their close relatives rays and chimeras have some color vision, according to new research by Australian scientists.  Their study shows that although the eyes of sharks function over a wide range of light levels, they only have a single long-wave-length-sensitive cone type in the retina and therefore are potentially totally color blind.
The new research on how sharks see may help to prevent attacks on humans and assist in the development of fishing gear that may reduce shark bycatch in long-line fisheries.  The study shows that contrast against the background, rather than color per se, may be more important for object detection by sharks.  This may help us to design long-line fishing lures that are less attractive to sharks as well as to design swim wear and wetsuits that have a lower visual contrast to sharks.

My friends at lunch mentioned that in Australia one finds wetsuits in many colors, not just black as we have here in the U.S.  They thought this was to keep the sharks away, but after reading this article on sharks and their lack of ability to differentiate colors, red or white or blue wetsuits will not keep sharks away.  As we all know, swimming alone is never a good idea for many reasons, shark attacks being just one reason.  Sharks are colorblind.  This might be new information to you, as it was to me.  Just thought you should know.

The Shame Of Manzanar

When I was teaching school in Los Angeles, I met a colleague, whose parents had been interred at Manzanar.  I had never heard of Manzanar, but when she finished educating me on the subject, I knew this was a terrible stain on America, and hoped for it never to happen again.  The shameful treatment of Japanese Americans, most of who were American citizens, must never happen again, yet this piece of history is being talked about today.  The fear is that many Americans fear Muslims, and that something like Japanese internment camps could happen again.

Soon after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, racial prejudice was intensified.  This lead to fear of potential espionage and sabotage.  In 1942, FDR signed executive order 9066, which authorized the military to remove anyone who might threaten the war effort.  This was interpreted as anyone who was of Japanese descent, without due process.  Japanese, either citizens or visitors, were removed to one of the 10 interrment camps in rural areas  of California, Arizona and several other uninhabited areas.  They were given an ID number, and removed, often not even given time to collect their belongings, and in many cases, not given time to take care of financial matters, including property and businesses.

My friend's parents, along with their parents, were taken to Manzanar. There was distrust of anyone with Japanese ancestry, although no charges of espionage were ever brought against a single person.  In all, 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were interned for years.  Everything they owned was taken from them, yet, families were kept together.

Life at Manzanar was difficult.  Families lived in small barracks, were paid next to nothing for their labor, yet they made a life for themselves.  They organized, formed schools and churches, and had a political structure.  They even had their own newspaper.  When they returned to society after the war, families had nothing.  Their homes or farms were gone, their businesses were gone, yet they started anew.  They have thrived.

I say the same thing I say about the Holocaust.  NEVER AGAIN.  This was a shameful thing that our nation did to a most productive immigrant group, and we must never do anything like this again.  I believe that people and groups are more outspoken today, and this could not happen.  I believe that our system of checks and balances will keep our leaders in check.  Interrment must never happen again.

Bob's Steak and Chop House

Ron and I joined our friends Richard and Laura at Bob's Steak and Chop House in La Costa recently for a wonderful dinner of fine food, good atmosphere and good company.  Bob's in at the La Costa Resort, and has occupied their fine dining space for the past few year.  Other restaurants have failed in the past, but Bob's looks like it is here to stay.

The first Bob's opened in Dallas in 1993, and they now have numerous locations throughout the country.  They all offer simple elegance, a lively atmosphere and big drinks and big steaks.  The food was great.  Our waiter, Ryan, treated us like royalty.  He was attentive to every detail, without hovering.  Here's what we had.

If you go, be sure to split.  We started with a wedge salad which Richard and I split, and a chopped tomato, onion and blue salad, which Ron and Laura split.  The wedge was one of the best I've ever had.  It was loaded with chunks of blue cheese, and had an ample amount of dressing.  Some crispy bacon and fresh chopped lettuce made this the perfect salad.  Then Ron and I split the 16 ounce rib eye.  The steak was split in the kitchen, so each serving had the steak, a half of a large baked potato (there were other potato options), and a huge, cooked carrot, glazed, which was delicious.  We also had a side of creamed spinach, served in a small crock pot.  Yummy.

Bob's also offers fish and chicken, and lots of appetizers that I will try next time.  The restaurant is expensive, but if you split as we did, the bill was $90 for the two of us, including tip.  Also, we brought our own wine, and there was no corkage fee.  I don't know whether the lack of corkage fee was a special, but it sure helped keep down the price of the meal.  You should check on that before you go.

Bob's is not a place you would typically think of for a nice evening out, but I can assure you won't be disappointed.  Great food in a elegant, yet simple restaurant, and a walk around the resort, especially in summer, make this a nice evening out.  You might even stop after dinner for a toasted marshmallow at one of the outdoor fire pits.

Discovering The Architecture Of San Diego

The San Diego Architectural Foundation recently opened the doors of many iconic buildings to the public, and I couldn't wait to see them.  Each site had a volunteer to guide you through the building, or in some cases, just give basic information about the building.

We began our tour at the historic U.S. Grant Hotel, on Broadway, in the heart of downtown.  The hotel is currently owned by the Secuan Indians, and after a $56million renovation, have restored it to probably better than the original.  Crystal chandeliers sparkle, yet the furnishings are sleek and modern.  The hotel was built from 1905-1910, by the son of President Ulysses S. Grant, as a tribute to his father.  Other historical buildings that we toured in the Gaslamp area included The Keating Hotel, San Diego Chinese Historical Museum, Gaslamp Museum at the Davis-Horton House and the historic Brunswig Drug Company building, which now houses an architectural firm.

The city was divided into sections, each area having about 10 iconic buildings to view.  Bankers Hill, Downtown, East Village and Barrio Logan are other areas of interest to see at another time.  This is such a great way to explore the city, bit by bit, and learn something about the architects and early settlers that influenced San Diego.

After several hours of walking and visiting these historic buildings, we decided to stop for lunch on Broadway at Biga, a restaurant that looked interesting, yet none of us knew anything about.  I can tell you, they have fantastic pizza.  We ordered two pizzas for the four of us, one burrata, and the other mushroom, and they were delicious.  Biga means "dough starter" in Italian.  According to our waiter, the dough starter was brought over from northern Italy by the owner, when he opened the restaurant.  The dough is fantastic, and cooked over a wood burning pizza oven, it is light and chewy and crispy.  The restaurant also makes homemade bread, again cooked over the wood burning fire.  I couldn't resist a loaf of date and bacon bread, which I will try for breakfast tomorrow.  All in all, it was a

wonderful discovering more of San Diego.

Girls Getaway

Everyone needs a little getaway once in a while.  Fran, Judy and I spent two days in San Diego, where we ate, drank, walked, talked, and had an overall really great time.  We stayed at Pulse, a Marriott timeshare on A Street in downtown San Diego, in the middle of all the action.

After a quick lunch at the Taco Stand (we visit the one in Encinitas often), we headed off on foot to explore downtown.  We walked through the Gaslamp, stopping for a quick latte at Starbucks and a few shops for some shopping, continued down near the Convention Center, through Seaport Village and the Headquarters, and ended up at the Embarcadero.  There's so much construction going on in the area it is really amazing.  It will be beautiful when it is finished.  We were tired, so took an Uber ($5.95) back to our hotel.  This was Judy's first experience with Uber, and she was amazed.  She couldn't believe how simple and efficient the process was, and what a nice driver we had.

After a quick rest and a delicious mojito to refresh us, we headed for dinner.  Another Uber (also $5.95) took us to Oceannaire, a wonderful fish restaurant.  We opted for salads and appetizers, rather than a full dinner.  Calamari, escargots, crab cakes and a delicious spinach salad with dates and bacon, along with a nice glass of merlot, satisfied our hunger.  We couldn't resist the baked Alaska for dessert, and were so glad we did.  Flaming meringue and strawberry ice cream and brandy satisfied our sweet tooth.  Then it was off to the theatre across the street to see First Date.  It was a cute musical, that finished off a wonderful day.

The next morning we headed for the Donut Bar, a well known donut and cronut shop across the street from Pulse.  A donut and a cup of Starbucks, and we were off to Barrio Logan to El Cuatro Milpas to pick up the best tamales.  Lunch in La Jolla at Georges at the Cove, completed a wonderful getaway.  Thank, Fran, for putting this getaway together, and to Judy for completing our super fun threesome.