Happy Jen...August 9th was a day of indulgence. I had a planto get a car and drive it north - I decided to check out Orr Hot Springs, a clothing-optional complex of indoor/outdoor baths, pools and saunas, filled with real spring water. It was really great, but I can't help but pine for the Japanese baths...here in California, it seems like the emphasis is more on being naked than anything else. People assert their individuality so strongly here (at Orr, in California, in America) that it literally invades your space. Bathers might learn a thing or 2 from the Japanese - a culture in which nudity was never really taboo. There, people are mindful of people around them so as to not disturb other people, thereby cultivating a sense of peace and tranquility. So yeah, I didn't get THAT at Orr, but I did get beautiful, lush surroundings, the sound of babbling water pouring into the pools, and enough peace & quiet to really melt into my own thoughts. I want to go back for sure.
So on my way back to SF, I drove through Mendocino and re-discovered Brutocao winery.
Way back in 2000, I had visited the winery with Krishnan, a guy I was seeing, and we together discovered Schoolhouse Red - a surprisingly delicious red table wine which at the time was less than $10. It's gone up to $17.99, but that didn't stop me from buying 2 bottles for old time's sake. It's not even as tasty as I remember it being before, but it didn't matter. When I saw the sign, I literally sat up and yelled "Schoolhouse Red! Omigod!" to myself in the car. So much fun to re-discover a piece of my past. It was another great birthday present to myself.
