Ygnacio Cafe, Walnut Creek

5/10/13

HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS WAS HERE?

I think I'm on some sort of sandwich kick right now. So for today's lunch I headed out on foot in search of something with veggies. I compiled a list of places I hadn't tried, and started walking. I had literally walked 2 minutes when I saw Ygnacio Cafe. Oddly, they weren't on my list...  I asked the woman working if they were new and she told me they'd been there a long time.



I decided to order the "Fit for Life" veggie sandwich on sourdough with no mayo, but everything else was fine."Everything else" includes cream cheese, avocado, tomato, lettuce, sprouts, and black olives. $5.95 It was very good. I probably would have like to see my cream cheese and mustard spread a little more than they were, but I did this myself. I also toasted it before eating.

I like their menu and I'll be back to try the "Real Crab Meat Melt" $7.95.

Evolve Fitness & Coaching, Lafayette

5/13/13

WOWSERS! WHATTA WORKOUT!

Evolve Fitness & Coaching should have a parenthetical "aka" following it: (aka Kick Yo' A$$ Fitness & Coaching). I don't want to intimidate anyone but working out with Jennifer will really KYA! To be fair, husband and I aren't regulars at the gym (though, we're trying to start a regular fitness program) and we have only recently stepped up our level of activity.

That's how we met Jennifer: in our effort to become more fit. Sports Basement in Walnut Creek has free fitness classes from time to time (see their online schedule) and Jennifer has hosted a Basement Bootcamp class there that we've attended twice. Both times were incredible workouts. We were really excited to return and see the same instructor. The best part of the class is her encouragement. It's been a small group number when we've attended and she's really there right next to you, helping you not give up.

When you're trying to do push-up after squats and jumping jacks and your arms are screaming "NO!!!", Jennifer is right there doing push-ups next to you, telling you "YES. You can do it, Amy. Keep going." Don't try to hide in the back of the class (Casey P.!) cuz she will find you!

Her workouts are intense and require dedication and focus. We leave there feeling like we just did something awesome, and we're proud of ourselves for doing it. It's a great feeling. She's mentioned that she does outdoor classes at Lafayette Reservoir. I imagine those are just wonderful - what a great place to get in shape!

Taco Del Sol, Ensenada, Mexico

12/26/14

After a few hours of walking around the streets of Ensenada, I realized how hungry I was and how excited I was to eat some authentic Mexican tacos and salsa. We stopped at a small taqueria and waited several minutes at a table out front, before moving on and finding Taco del Sol. I looked over the tables out front and accepted seating here after seeing a few salsa bowls sitting next to each basket of chips.





















Tacos a la carte were cheap (just over $1 each), margaritas were around $6 each and were delicious (not too much Sweet n Sour, like we find at home).  Live music was played around us, and wifi was free (but the connection was really hard to keep so I wasn't about to send any emails or facetime with my cat-sitter).


The restaurant manager (or owner maybe?) was dressed in colorful running shoes with a matching shirt - we bonded over the fact that runners have to wear bright colors in order to avoid cars - a truth both at home in CA and here in MX. He was very fun and friendly. Food was great too - my shrimp taco and fish taco were both fried and very tasty. The fresh tortillas were the best part. I live close to a tortilleria that makes homemade shells, but the ones we had at Taco del Sol were so so so much better. I don't know what the difference was, but I've never had tortillas as good as these. The salsa was good too. Three salsas were brought out with the chips, but our server was happy to specially make one extra hot for me.




















Lots of stickers from racing teams and Baja 1000 participants adorn the door at the front of this establishment. It's a great spot for racers and vacationers alike. There weren't a lot of casual taco places on the main road through the shopping/hotel region of Ensenada, so I feel really lucky to find a place this great!

Oakland Internet Cat Video Festival,Great Wall, Oakland

5/13/13

ME GUSTA MY GATOS

I seriously love my cats. They are so spoiled and loved. In the home my husband and I share, there are three supreme rulers: Autumn, Phyllis, and Regan. So when I heard about a Cat Festival featuring famous cats of the Internet, I was pretty excited. Deciding it best to leave our girls at home, we ventured to the Great Walll with 3 friends, hoping to make a day of the cativities.











We were slightly disappointed by the number of vendors present. I think we were hoping for more, as it became difficult to envision us there for more than a few hours.


We wanted to stay until dark to watch the videos, but had arrived when it opened and ran out of things to do. We did enjoy some of the cativities like making cat puppets and watching face painting, but would have liked to see more options.



The in&out privileges were nice and the event was well-organized. EventBrite ticket sales were great and when we couldn't pull up on our tickets on our phone, the people at the gate were able to smoothly handle this problem and we didn't hold up the line at all.





Shirts and other items were sold. Would have liked to see more food than we did, but tried something new and enjoyed it. Beer was sold at a booth from Luca's Taproom, which is next door to the Great Wall.



The line stayed pretty long though! Very noteworthy was the girls band that played. A group of young (high school-ish) girls sang and played instruments - they were really awesome.

All in all it was very much worth the price ($10 in advance) and we had a great day and took some great photos. Even some in a photobooth with prop cats. The $5 fee went to support the kitties and was very fair!

I will definitely return next year if the festival returns.

Cue Productions Live!, Concord

5/20/13

HEY LITTLE CUTIE!

What a cute little venue! Our friend Chris G recently found tickets to see a play at this local spot, and to sweeten the deal, the tickets were half price ($10 instead of $20). Our group of four met there to watch the performance of "Salome" (pronounced Sallow-May) by Oscar Wilde.

I'd never seen it and didn't know what to expect. What I did expect was a small theater, and this place is exactly that; but not in a bad way. For this production they utilized their space really awesomely, so that the play more or less took place in the center of the audience seating. We saw a burlesque show in Vegas that attempted this same concept and failed, so I was happy with the comfortable seating and performance area here.  Some of the chairs had cushions or pillows on top of the seat, for extra comfy. Thank you for that! Great idea.



We really enjoyed the play and enjoyed getting to see a live show so close to home. We'll definitely check out this spot again.

Oh, and a cash bar sits in the back ($4 beer, $5 import beer). They don't sell during the show (duh) so make sure to buy two at a time if your'e thirsty.

Jessica Yurash Bodyart, San Francisco

5/22/13

BODY BEAUTIFUL
Nothing is more beautiful than the body: all shapes, sizes, colors.

I've been around professionally painted beauties while working at the Playboy Mansion, and I've seen outstanding work from artists and friends at Burning Man. I love seeing the final product of this type of art. It's really more than just painting. You are transforming a person and decorating their bare skin. It's very beautiful.

Jessica painted faces at an event I attended and additionally had a full body-painted model as well. The model was so awesome to look at. The room temperature was warm and she had arms hugging around her for pictures but the paint looked just as great at the end of the evening as it did when I first saw her. The attention she generated in the room was phenomenal.  The model told us it took a few hours to be completely painted, which made sense given the great detail. Her back sparkled and her smile shined. She was the belle of the ball!

Jessica's work really impressed me. It also inspired some creativity. This would be a really fun gift (to my selfish self). I'd love to see models like hers at private events and galas!

Phosphorus, Ensenada, Mexico

12/26/14

During our cruise to Ensenada my husband and I walked into Phosphorus with the intention of getting just 1 drink, in order to use their free WiFi before boarding the home-bound ship. I was thrilled that the signal was strong and we had no connection problems.

We sat down at the bar and in moments had two ice cold Tecate Light bottles and one cute bartender directly in front of us. The bar is pretty large but it was mostly empty on this Sunday afternoon. Daniel was bartending and he totally engaged us in conversation. We ended up staying there much longer than we'd planned; he kept us laughing and really enjoying our afternoon.  ($180 - pesos)





Great music played on the speakers, the women's restroom was clean, and the bar is really open so the sun shone down near our seats - it was the highlight of our vacation to Mexico. I started planning our next 3-day cruise before we even made it home, and on our itinerary is another stop at Phosphorus! But only if we get the same awesome bartender!

Nelson Staffing, Pleasant Hill

1/2/15

I wasn't at Nelson Staffing to look for a job, but I did come in to take a typing test to certify my typing speed. They closed early on New Year's Eve so I missed my chance to take the test that afternoon, but called and the lady who answered said they would reopen on Friday (1/2/15). I returned mid-day Friday and the receptionist was very welcoming.

She brought me to the room behind the reception area which is set up with about ten computers. She sat me down in front of one and explained how the test worked. I typed for five minutes and then met her back at the front desk.  She printed out a paper that read my score: 82 wpm with 0 errors. Okay, not bad!

Payments need to be cash. I paid my $12 and proudly received my certificate.

Otaez Mexican Restaurant, Oakland Airport

1/3/15

Our last trip out of Oakland on Southwest was one of my favorite experiences at an airport. Why is that, you ask? Because of the delicious airport food I had for breakfast (well, almost lunch). I saw the Otaez taqueria and decided to board my flight with some Mexican in my belly.

An order of veggie tacos ($8.25) and chips & salsa ($3.50) was delightfully more food than I was expecting. I filled up a few plastic cups at the salsa bar and my food was ready really shortly after - which was great because it was almost time to board. I couldn't even finish the large serving before getting on the plane, and was sad to toss a lot of it (not wanting to bring it on board and torture the other passengers with my delicious aromas).

Reasonably priced and much better than I expected - I'll definitely get more tacos here next time we fly through the same terminal.

Bijou Skin Therapy, Walnut Creek

12/9/14

Almost two months ago I had an amazing experience with Jewel and I wrote her an awesome review, but I posted it to the Indulge Salon google+ page since that's where she is currently located - Indulge Salon still earned five-stars from me - but Jewel was really the reason my experience was so wonderful.

Jewel exceeded my expectations when I arrived for my appointment. She was on time and I really liked the pleasant surroundings both in the salon and in her private area at the back.  Her products were top of the line! The European facial I received was a French line of items that she also sells (but she's not pushy with the sales at all).

The facial was relaxing and rejuvenating; both for my face and for my mind. I left feeling cleaner and prettier, and it was noticeable for days after.  My immediate thought at the finish was how many people would love to experience this treatment. Facials can be good, or they can be bad. Jewel's was awesome. Treat yourself; treat your wife; treat your dad. It doesn't matter who gets to lie on her comfortable table, wrapped in her soft robe, whoever that person is, they are lucky!

9 Game Zone, Pleasant Hill

12/8/14

What a cool find! My husband and I saw the new sign for 9 Game Zone and went in to see what it was. The place has only been open a couple of weeks and looks like it has a successful future ahead. This bar/karaoke/pool/gaming lounge offers something for everyone!








There are several booths set up with touch screen computers and many others hooked up to PS3 consoles. In the center of the large room there are really nice, brand new pool tables. Near the bar there is a karaoke stage.

Karaoke

They are still waiting to obtain their beer/wine license - but it's coming soon! VIP rooms line a walkway to the back, and can be used for private karaoke parties or other private events.

On Sunday night (12/7/14) they had a pool tournament with free entry and live music playing. Regular pool games can be played by-the-hour or for a flat $10 fee, with annual membership ($10).



The young manager was very welcoming. He is a student at DVC and very outgoing. I think he'll do well running this kind of business. If you're looking for some place new to check out, I'd recommend visiting this gaming zone with your 21+ friends.