Stanford Shopping Center - La Baguette

So, like, when in Rome....Go Shopping!

She wanted to check out the baubles at Neiman Marcus. 

We started with Starbuck's and oriented to the flowers. There were large hydrangeas, pansies, and many others. Sitting on the bench discussing the particulars of titillation, doing our best to contain ourselves, the expressions of intimacy were almost inappropriate. But Palo Alto is SO conservative.

Fortunately, I saw this picture before we got to La Baguette so the required act of noble self-sacrifice wasn't quite as difficil. (photo pre-surgery....still wearing glasses.)

Wayne Thiebaud woulda swooned.

Disappointing

I expected creativity to go with intelligence. Not so. The REI look is totalitarian and as ubiquitous as the Range Rovers. EVERYONE is wearing khaki shorts and gray t-shirts....same as the poor slobs everywhere else.

We've attained satiety, for the moment, enough for a jaunt to Half Moon Bay.

This AirBnb is surprisingly affordable.  Although the place we're in is cozy and the squirrels are amusing, the skylight is filthy, the drawer front to the silverware is falling off and I had to peel the label off the glass candle. I HATE it when they don't pay attention to DETAIL.

If the AriBnb doesn't work out, the Ritz-Carlton'll just have to do.

I CAN SEE!!

Kenn Louie jokes that he had a roofing nail go into his eye wrong end first.

Dr. Lin not only put it back together, but he took out the cataract as well. They said it was gonna be a half-hour job, but it ended up taking four hours. But Kenn got his eyesight back.

I figured Dr. Lin was the man for my cornea transplant. But he said there was too much risk of rejection in my current lifestyle and he wouldn't do it. But he agreed to fix the cataract in the right. Now, four days after surgery, I feel like I've been reborn.

Thank you to Kenn Louie for telling me about Dr. Lin. And immeasurable gratitude to Dr. Lin and the amazing team at Byers.

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

• Fellowship: UCSF Ophthalmology Residency (2012) CA
• Residency: University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine (2011) CA
• Medical Education: University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine (2007) CA



Internship: Cedars Sinai Medical Center Pediatric Residency Ended 2004 (2008) CA
Board Certification, American Board of Ophthalmology (2013)
Board Certification: Ophthalmology, American Board of Ophthalmology (2012)
B.A., Harvard University, Environmental Science & Public Policy, summa cum laude (2001)


And to the angels who helped cover the cost...you know who you are, 


Ever grateful!

Comin' Intuh Town

Someone once said, "In California it doesn't matter what kind of car you drive, it matters how shiny it is."

We're hangin' in Menlo Park, next door to Palo Alto which is, as everyone knows, the microdosing capitol of the nation. And as my Mom used to say, "There's nothing we can do about being poor, but there's no excuse for being dirty."

So, once a year, whether she needs it or not....

All Creen und Shynee!!

Vintage Japanese Hummer!

1936 Auburn

She rented us an AirBnb in Menlo Park a few minutes from the Byers Eye Institute where I was having cataract surgery.

Menlo Park is adjacent to Palo Alto, the hub of Silicon Valley and the streets are paved with gold. Property is expensive, an average suburban home can sell for 2.4M. The place is rife with Teslas, Mercedeses, BMWs and, being aware of that, she was gonna bring the Panamera. They'd bought it a few months earlier after attending the Concours at Santa Barbara.

I protested!! EVERYone around here drives a Porsche; they're like Volkswagens! So in deference to my need for distinction, she brought the Volvo.

I'm not the best planner. So I drove to the Bay Area in order to be sure I was close enough to make my evaluation appointment before the surgery. I was camping in a different park every night --- variety is the spice of life, dontchya know -- and sightseeing as I went along.

I'd arrived early at Henry Cowell Redwood State Park and as I was leaving I noticed the Auburn. As luck would have it, Erin and Brett, it's owners, came strolling up as I was photographing it. They very kindly indulged my curiosity and told how it was one of only 58 made and they were taking the roadtrip their Dad didn't live to make.

Now THAT's distinction.

Every Now & Then...

the tender morning light lights upon something you might rather have gone unnoticed.

I try and get it dug the evening before so it's ready for use in the mornin'.

Edo Japanese Restaurant - Boulder Creek

Perched on the edge of the creek, JUST before the bridge (northbound), this unprepossessing restaurant houses the best I've had since childhood in Japan.

The Salmon Teriyaki was tender and succulent without a *hint* of "fishiness." The Gyoza was amazingly equal to it's companion. 

A lovely lady waiting near the door advised on the Bento Box lunch. With miso and salad for ten dollars, it's a find!