Bicycles are better when covered in fur.
Trip Start
Feb 07, 2009
1
28
48
Trip End
Apr 16, 2009
Chico, California
Monday, March 23, 2009
Donna is of course an excellent host. Her cooking would rival any chef and I have been treated to meals that would rival anything found in your favourite restaurant (well that is unless your favourite restaurant is of the vegetarian nature). Duck Breasts with Orange Sauce, Baby Back Ribs, incredible salads... mmm, mouth watering and stomach gurgling just at the thought.
I've soaked up the chance to unwind with Donna and her wonderful friends and family. We've been for bike rides through the streets of the small city and it's amazing central park (me on Donna's fabulously furry bicycle). We've spent time in the garden planting tomatoes, marigolds, Basil, Jasmine and other delights. We've laughed with Luna Bug, the wonder dog. We've made candy, and sat in Mexican restaurants.... it's all been just lovely.
St Patrick's Day visited us in Chico, though to be truthful we'd both forgotten what day it was (yeah I know, me forget St Paddys???? ), until we were cycling through the streets of Chico and we came across hoards of drunken rowdy boys and girls from the local university. Not much difference between Chico and Chch in that respect, though I did note that there was a distinct absence of Irish music coming from the students' houses.... music was more along the lines of hip hop and pop, with very limited Irish lilts to any of it. But they were wearing green at least.
Donna and I did manage to get ourselves into the Irish spirit for a short while and spent a small portion of the afternoon in local pub Duffys, dressed in our green and enjoying local Irish musicians The Pub Scouts. The evening was spent with Donna's friends at a local cafe where Sharon's friend Sharon had some of her hand made shoes on display. She makes leather shoes and boots that are so amazing ... I wish I had the link for her website so I could share it (Note to self get link off Donna!!)... anyways... not such an Irish night, but Donna's friends were indeed awesome and a lot of fun to talk with.
A major highlight of the week would have to be Friday night out in town watching local musical legends Sparks n Cinders. These guys have been playing since the 70s and tend to only play a few shows a year, but when they do play you have to be there! The music is a mix of Reggae, Rock, and Funk and the band is so tight you'd think they played together every week. The bar was packed and the vast majority of those on the dance floor were fans and friends of the band who have been following them since they started out. Donna's good friend Jerry (husband of Donna's good friend Adrienne) cranked it out on percussion, playing the bongos like they were an extension of his hands. Just the way good music should be. It was refreshing to see so many folk of an older generation out there on the dance floor. Hopefully I'll be shaking my booty in the same fashion 20 years from now. J
Sad moment of the week came when Julie and Bobby had to cancel their plans to come stay for the weekend, as Julie lucked out and picked up a nasty case of Strep Throat. I blame the Berkley House :P Anyhow we soldiered on, Donna and Amy (from San Fran) and I spent my final weekend doing just the same as we started out doing... relaxing.. with farmers markets, visits with Donna's friends, great food and a lot of laughing....oh and we watched MILK with Sean Penn... Did he get the award for that performance? I don't remember, but if he did he deserved it. Was a really good film and he was fabulous in it.
OHHHHHHHHHH one other thing... Donna's friend runs Needham's glass studios in town and is BRILLIANT when it comes to all things stained glass or lead lighting... so if you're headed Chico way be sure to check it out.( http://www.needhamstudios.com/about/mick_needham/)
Okay, so that was short but sweet and just skated over the edges of my time here, but there's so much to be done out there that I just can't spend more time elaboration right now! Once again leaving is a sad thing... it's brilliant to see friends, but horrible when it comes to the goodbye part. I keep hoping that maybe one day I'll stumble across a bucket (read: a boat load) of gold bullion and I'll be able to fly in all the people I love into once place at one time and have the best party ever known to man. Ahhh dreams are free!!
Time to get me on a plane and get to Portland.
