Sisterly Weekend

At exactly this time (noon) one week ago, I was having Chinese food with my sister on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland. She suggested that I fly up a couple of weeks ago so we could spend quality time together since it may be the last time before she makes the move down south again for grad school. Mind you, we have never done such thing as adults. Since I came to UCR in the year 2000 and she took off to Berkeley the following year, the only times we are together is with our parents and family when she comes down to visit or on mini get-aways with my boyfriend. Jackie and I were long overdue for a vacation like this: Girls only, baby!

As soon as she found the flights for me and I booked them, I knew I wanted to go to wine country. Jackie's only request was to visit Yosemite before she left her beloved Bay Area for at least two years. A Living Social deal and hotel-reservation later, we had our 4-day weekend planned.

Of course, one assumes Napa when they think of wine. But Jackie found a deal we couldn't resist: a three-hour pedicab wine tour in Sonoma for two. Then I found out that there was a mission, the northernmost mission in the state, located there too and we were set. We headed to Sonoma on Thursday afternoon.



Wineries anyone?

Goofing off in the hotel room.

El Pueblo Inn had beautiful grounds, looked like you could go hiking in them. Also, a 24-hour Jacuzzi and pool. 

I look fat here and the eating fest hadn't even begun.

A stroll about the town.

The mission! This is my fourth one. Only 17 more to go!

Time to eat!

After checking out different spots, we settled on The Red Grape.

Choices, choices.

I had pesto pasta or another but Jackie's pizza was DELICIOUS! I want to go back just for that again.

Walking off the food in front of City Hall.

"One ticket, please."

Jackie wanted another drink.

I didn't want any more wine. So I searched for a tequila-based drink online and requested an Envy. 

I tied a knot before Jackie had time to bust out with her camera.

Me and City Hall at night. 

Jackie and City Hall.

Drinking makes one do silly things, like taking over the playground once all the children have gone to bed.

Wine/tequila/slide happy.

We concluded Day 1 by hitting the Jacuzzi. Jackie tried doing a couple of laps in the pool. But the most memorable part was the star-spangled sky. We identified the Big Dipper right away and that's when Jackie said that there's an app for that.

At 11am on Friday morning, we were ready for the wine tasting part of our trip! We were disappointed when John, our pedicab driver, told us that tasting fees weren't included, only the ride to the winery, chocolate, cheese, and wine tasting rooms. He comforted us when he said that he had 2-for-1 deals, though. He asked us if we wanted a picture in the cab and because we hadn't even gotten started, we said he could take one later. Well, we were so wine-happy that we forgot. It wasn't until Sunday that I reminded Jackie, We never took that picture in the pedicab. Oh well. Here's a picture of John as consolation.

Sebastiani, the oldest running winery in all of the West Coast. It survived legal operation during Prohibition because it supplied the mission ;)

Jackie burned her ass a few minutes before the picture was taken. I told her not to wear a dress. Little sisters, they never listen.

A painting of Sonoma inside Sebastiani.

Original equipment.

The Vintner's Calendar.

Mission carved into the barrel. I look like a barrel too...

John shared the history of the flags in Sonoma.

Cheese tasting. I brought back a piece of Colby.

Envolve tasting room.

I have to pause here for a second and explain how our stop to Walt at the end of our pedicab tour turned into a three-hour tasting affair. John told us he wouldn't be towing our chocolate and cheese anymore because his duty ended there. He walked us to Walt, a house-turned-wine-tasting facility, and left us in very good hands. After we chose the $20 tasting over the $10 one (so we could spend more time with the cuties, per Jackie's suggestion), Ezekiel, the worker, sat with us and began to explain the first wine. That led to the 180-minute conversation with him. We learned about his previous employment, his family, his music, and his knowledge of 90's TV trivia, like "What was the name of Shawn's teacher in Boy Meets World?" and "Who was the man who sold the house on Full House?" (I failed the questions despite being a fanatic of both shows). After following him behind the desk with a Nick Offerman look-alike to watch a scene from Three Men and A Little Lady on YouTube, I nudged Jackie in the back and told her it was time to soak up the wine with solid food. Ezekiel and Nick Offerman #2 said it wasn't closing time yet but it was for Jackie and me. Ezekiel told us the tastings were on him but I still gave him $20 as a tip for making us laugh while keeping it easy on the eyes.

Somehow, we made it to the park across the street and found a few benches that kept us from kissing the ground. Jackie passed out before even laying on the bench while I kept watch without choice. When I couldn't keep my lids from sticking together, I sat back too and took a nap. My mom would've been so proud, her two wino daughters passed out on a park bench.

I'm not as evil as Jackie, I don't have images of her.

When we were both calm and collected, we strolled the town one last time in search of food and souvenirs. The first was easy to find, the latter, not so much as everything closes at 5pm or 6pm.



Sad, sad drive back to Oakland. We didn't want to leave. We wanted to go in the Jacuzzi again.

Crossing a bridge.

Passing through it.

On Saturday, Day 3, Jackie drove her friend Ashley and me to Yosemite, a 3-4 hour drive, to make her wish come true.

Arriving...

We're here!

First stop.

We didn't know if there was only one waterfall or many.

Ashley and Jackie.

Jackie and me.

On our way to the falls (the word of the locals).

Getting closer.

Beautiful bridge.

Bffs.

Almost there!

Strike a pose. 

We arrived!

Courageous people look like ants on top of the rocks.

Spotted this girl sketching under the bridge while her boyfriend patiently waited for her. It looked awesome!

Taking a break.

If we would've known, we would've gone in.

Crazies jumping illegally off the bridge.

More crazies.

You'll find someone soon, don't get desperate.

With Ashley's glasses.

Although Tuxie wasn't invited to the trip, she passed out that night like Jackie and I did.

There weren't big plans for Day 4. I wanted to go to Berkeley and stock up on Cal gear for work-related purposes. But before that, I wanted to go to church. We had salsa lessons planned for the evening.

Although there is a Catholic church two blocks from Jackie's apartment, she took me to a non-denominational church she has attended with her friends. She likes it because the pastors don't give the Catholic-guilt. I'm willing to try anything, nowadays, as long as it brings me comfort and spirituality.

I appreciated the lecture but the big church-production thing wasn't for me. I want to give a Christian church a try next before becoming fully involved in Catholicism once again. (If my mom finds out where we went, she's going to disown us faster than God or La Virgen de Guadalupe). Then we grabbed lunch at BJ's before hitting up Berkeley.

You can bet I followed that sign...

...but I didn't find Channing Tatum in the Berkeley street fair.

After a quick car wash, we headed back to Jackie's apartment and changed into our dancing gear. Jackie has attended a salsa class with her friend several times before and thought it would be fun for us to try. Her friend didn't make it this time.

We arrived and there was a middle-aged man practicing last weeks' moves, I assume, in the mirror. There were about two couples and more single middle to mature-aged men on the floor. After the mermaid-looking instructor taught us our moves, we all stood in a big circle. When she said switch, us ladies had to switch from man to man. They were old, they were young, they were short, they were Asian, Indian, and White. After going around once, I was sweating despite the AC. I knew the men were perspiring more because I smelled them and their deodorant or body sprays. My hands felt dirty too from holding on to all of their hands. Jackie said we were welcome to stay for the next class but I was too hot to continue. Plus, the number of people in the second class tripled so I told Jackie that we should leave and she unquestionably agreed. These are my favorite quotes from some of the men that evening:

"I don't want you to leave yet."
"Are you from the United States?"
"Nice dress."
"I never thought I'd see you again."
And my favorite, "Are you ladies coming back?"

We practically ran out of the dance studio. We laughed as Jackie realized how much she missed her dancing partner friend. I told her to let him know how much she appreciated him. When she did, Jackie said she needed a margarita. After a substantial amount of research, we simply headed to Chevy's. Under a beautiful sunset, we sipped on watermelon margaritas while we shared a flautas plate.

My last night up north.

I don't think Jackie and I would've had as much fun had we taken said vacation years ago. It's not until recently that she and I have really become friends, something we had never been before. Now that we're mature, we can agree to disagree and accept each other for who we are without criticism; we weren't ready before. I wouldn't have described Jackie as lovable and giving 10 years ago. I mean, she spent ALL WEEKEND driving without a single complaint or moan like I most have likely would've. She withstood my OCD quirks and driving suggestions in a respectful manner. I am so glad that Jackie is free-spirited and unafraid because she takes me out of my comfort zone and makes me willing to try new things. I mean, she's very close to leaving the life she created and has sustained for eight years in the Bay Area to pursue her Master's degree at USC and I am very proud of her for that. I think I can call my sister my best friend for the very first time today. I'm so lucky to have her moving close to me again...

Thank you, Sis, for the wonderful memories. Let's make this the beginning...

 Oh yeah, happy 4th!

A Gatsby Soiree

My friend Lupe and I agreed to celebrate her birthday a few days early last Friday night.  We had just talked about a new restaurant and whiskey bar at the end of the street from Curves where I work out and she shakes her money maker. Needless to say, Lupe knew exactly where she wanted to go.

The place is called ProAbition. Initially, I had noticed men in suits of all ages smoking cigars in the outdoor patio area when I drove by looking for parking. I didn't think women were allowed until they began to appear slowly but surely as the weeks went by. When I checked out their Facebook page, they had hosted burlesque dancers on opening night. I couldn't believe that I had missed it. One of my favorite movies is Moulin Rouge and I imagined the restaurant on ribbon-cutting day to have been a scene straight from the film.

As Friday approached, I went into panic mode, asking myself the dreaded question that strikes all women before hitting the town for the night: What am I going to wear? This question woke me up the morning of. I had told Lupe that I wanted to show cleavage again after a ten year hiatus. She, on the other hand, was going to wear a sundress. Postponing the inevitable--the moment I would step into my closet and give a deep I-have-nothing-cute-so-why-do-I-even-bother sigh--I enjoyed a bowl of Cocoa Pebbles instead. As I checked my Facebook page, I saw that Lupe had shared a post from ProAbition: 

IT WAS GOING TO BE 'THE GREAT GATSBY' NIGHT! My heart jumped with excitement. I texted Lupe right away, We gotta give costumes a try. It has been my dream to dress like a flapper. I would have done it last Halloween but I wasn't invited to any parties. Since then, I have decided to save the roaring 20's for my future house warming party, when ever that happens. I have had ample opportunities to buy the perfect fringed dress from some no-name clothing store in L.A. or Ross but because I have no place to wear it to, I didn't see the point in buying it. First rule in fashion: if you see it and like and it's priced right, just get it. You never know when you'll need it. Last Friday I kicked myself for not following such law. But I didn't panic. I knew I had something that would let me into Jay Gatsby's party. I had watched the movie the night before and was full of possible ideas. I wasn't going to let the $500 Grand Prize slip away so easily.

I found a black and grey dress that I wore to a wedding years ago that could work. And that's when  I spotted a new blue flowy number I bought in January. I took a picture of both and sent them to Lupe. She expressed a liking for the latter but I still promised to go to the closest clothing store later that day. As predicted, I had no luck. But it all worked out because when I saw Lupe at Curves in the afternoon, she gifted me a head piece and a purse she had purchased at an antique shop earlier. It all went perfectly with my ensemble.

With the most important accessories in place, I was left to figure out what jewelry would go best with my attire. After toying with different combinations of blue and black pieces, I settled on pearls, mostly because I had agreed to meet Lupe at 7pm and it was already ten minutes past the hour. Since my purse was black, I pulled the look together with black t-strap heels and off I went.

I picked up Lupe at our fitness establishment and together we made our way to ProAbition. As I attempted to take a picture of the reflection of us on a storefront window, a random guy volunteered to capture us in our best attempts to play the role of Daisy. I will admit, I worried that he was going to run away with my camera. He didn't and here's the proof.

Lupe was PERFECTION!

Our chauffeur.

I yelled, "Lift a leg." She's so cute.

All reservations were booked which meant we had to sit at the bar. We didn't mind because ProAbition, a piece of Fitzgerald's imagination, took our breaths away as soon as we stepped inside.

Lupe, giving her seal of approval. 

After securing a spot at the bar, we asked the bartender what she recommended. She quickly got to work on two "popular lady drinks."

"Who said we were ladies," I whispered in Lupe's ear.

We tried both drinks and I let Lupe choose the one she liked the best in honor of her birthday. She said the tall drink was too sour. I told her that it tasted like pepino con limon y chile. She agreed and opted for the short glass. Meanwhile, our friend Chris met up with us and the night was complete. We ordered blue cheese string fries because they were free with a coupon we received from Curves for giving blood the day before; that's the game of give and take.

Blue cheese string fries gone.

It was very hard to decide on dinner. Once again, I allowed the soon-to-be birthday girl make the pick. She asked me if I had ever tried duck and surprisingly enough, I had. We agreed to share the duck and Chris opted for the ProAbition salad. We also ordered more drinks. Since ProAbition is a whiskey bar, Lupe asked for a round of Whiskey sours.

Before: Duck

Salad

After: duck. I joked that the white potatoes were the duck's eggs.

Hydrated and fed, we were ready to mingle.

We finished eating just in time for the big band to start playing. Unfortunately, Chris left because she had to work early the following morning. Lupe and I followed the crowd into the room with the music. We were overwhelmed by the decor and the sound and bottles floating about with sparklers on top to their respective owners (check out the flyer again and you'll know what I'm talking about).

In the middle of the second song, a group of people appeared on the dance floor. It was like someone had opened a 1920's time capsule and let them out. Their costumes seemed to be original pieces from the era in perfect condition along with their hair and dance moves. The guy, who I had the luxury of getting kicked by during a number, took turns twirling two girls around as the band played for them.

Phat Cat Swing

I swear his coat was a 1920s original.

Lupe had warned me she had to drive her hubby to work that night. At 10:30, when I succumbed to not having a partner or the faintest idea how to move to the music, I chose to leave with her. We walked to our cars, pulled out of the parking lot, and drove away. I was making a left turn when I saw Lupe waving at me. I made a u-turn and pulled up next to her when I noticed that my dashboard was dark and turned my lights on. Hence the waving of the arm; I had made a call as soon as I got into my car and got so distracted that I forgot to turn them on.

I drove home content. I had spent three hours at a really cool place with delicious food and awesome people. I couldn't wait to go to ProAbition again (Lupe was there the following night, that's how good it is). But I was glad that 20/20 would still be on when I got home.