NOPA

I'm in San Francisco this morning.  Typical winter morning. Cool, crisp, foggy upon awakening and now sunny as I sit at brunch.  I rode the trolly from Embarcadero to Market and Van Ness and proceeded to leisurely stroll to NOPA, the district of town and now what I'll venture to say my favorite brunch spot in all the City.  The atmosphere is warm, inviting, open, conversationally loud but pleasant enough to hear those around you or your thoughts without distraction if solo.  It reminds me of Clyde Common in Portland, OR which hands down was my favorite restraunt during my Pacific Northwwest stint.  NOPA's menu is complexly simple.  Educated and elegant cocktails with Cava as the base.  Organic, hearty yet a bit daring dishes as simple as a Cream Biscuit accompanied with pumpkin butter and as complex as wood grilled green chorizo with creamy farro or even a goat cheese bread pudding with fennel and barhi dates.  Odd to comment on the restroom facilities butni find them ingenious. They have one small solo womens, one small solo mens and one unisex. In the middle of them is a common area mirror and 3 sink wash. Brilliant again to continue with the warm, welcoming, and community atmosphere.  
As i returned to the bar, I ordered.  My choices for the day were progressive.  I took my time at the elongated concrete bar as it filled faster then the main dining area.  I started with an Americano and Negroni Frizzante and added the Chicory Salad.  The salad was phenomenal! Pomegranate fuyu persimmon and bacon topped it. Talk about complextion and complimentary flavors!  Upon completion of the meal I ended and contemplated over a Supernova.   It was delightful.  It's a champagne cocktail with a dash of ten-year-old Ardberg whiskey, vanilla tincture, raw sugar (that settles to the bottom so it doesn't override the cava) and an orange twist that permeates the slightest yet perfect amount of zest both to the taste buds and nostrils.   A beautiful end to a Beautiful brunch. Next time in the City I highly recommend NOPA.  There is upstairs seating that I may ask for next time. It's open and overlooks the entire place. There are a good amount of booths and tables as well as a few height community style seating arrangements.  Thus whether your flying solo, with a date, or together amongst friends, NOPA will surely deliver.  Now onto meandering Divis and the Western Addition area to see what my future home consist of!  Cheers to you all, wherever you may be and whatever you want your Saturday the 29th of December, 2012 to be.  May your year end in beauty and the new year begin in focused sustainable intentionality.

Cheers from the City,

sc

Have you ever gone a day?

Have you ever gone a day where all you spoke were questions?  Is this even possible?  Do you think it is?  For instance, I am currently watching it snow and I like it, but why do I like it?  And furthermore, what causes snow?  Why are flakes big sometimes but small other times?  Why is snow white?  Isn't it just frozen water?  Isn't water clear and or colorless?  Can you imagine if for one day, one full day, how different conversations and communications would be if all that was spoke were questions.  What if when you ate your favorite meal from your favorite restaurant, rather than just basking in it's flavor glory you asked what ingredients were involved in it's making?  What if when someone gave you their advice on a situation that you didn't ask for, you asked them why they think that or how did they come to that advisory conclusion?  What if before you bought your last gift for Christmas you asked yourself why you were buying it?  Were you buying it because you liked it?  Were you buying it because you knew without a doubt that the recipient would like it?  Was it purchased because 'we are told that we have to buy things and or give gifts for Christmas because of tradition'.  Where did that tradition even start?  Do you even like that tradition?  Will that tradition ever come to an end and a new tradition based upon a new circumstance and new stories ever begin?  Correct me if I am wrong but Christmas is a Holiday started by people to celebrate the birth date of Jesus Christ, but how do we know when this date was?  Haven't scholars found it to be closer in date to mid-September?  Why then do we celebrate it late December?  Why doesn't the whole world celebrate Christmas?  Maybe an even better question, because some questions may be unanswerable, is why do you celebrate certain Holidays?  Why does one celebrate Thanksgiving?  Is it because of the Pilgrims?   Or what Christopher Columbus did?  Or maybe because of the discovery of America?  But weren't there already people in America when America was discovered?  What do you think?  Why do you celebrate anything?  Is it because someone at some point in time told you to do so, or is it because of a feeling, belief, desire, thought, or knowledge within yourself that drives you to celebrate?

What are you doing right now?  What are you thinking about right now?  If you wrote down your last 10 thoughts on paper, what would they be?  Can you even remember your last ten thoughts?  Are you even thinking?  Is it possible to not think?  Is it possible to not do anything, for even a second?  Why do billions and billions of people speak differently, think differently, act differently, play differently, create differently, drive differently, walk differently, look differently, listen differently, have sex differently, see differently, and taste differently?  Are there even possible answers to such questions?  If not, why do so many insist on giving answers.  Is silence a good enough answer?  Is wonder within the present energy a good enough answer.  Do answers even change the reality at hand?  What if rather than seeing difference, we saw variety?  What if humans saw the world as One Unique Sameness with many colors, forms, dialects, creations, art forms, and uniqueness's that all speak the same thing just in various forms?  

Why is this the most difficult blog post that I have written?  Is it because I am not giving my incredibly limited skew of reality through opinions of mine own  to the vastly large and never ending technological world?  Or am I still stating some of my incredibly limited skews of reality through opinions, but just in a different form?  Is it possible to withhold ones incredibly limited skew of reality through opinions at all?  I don't know, do you?

What if the word conclusions ceased and the word inquiry prevailed?  What if the thought of judgement subsided and the thought of curiosity was created?  Would life be different?  Would you be different?  What do you think?

~ Elizabeth ~

The recent Reno rain reminds me of my three years I spent in the luscious land of Portland, Oregon. This morning as I arose and got ready for work, Tess Henley's Pandora station serenaded me. My mind is filled with romanticism this time of year and Tess Henley's voice and lyrics exude romanticism. Her music brought back a beautiful memory. Here it is. 

It was a drizzly cool night in November. A close friend and I sat at North45, a bar known for their whiskey. Over two-hundred in fact, from around the world. The warmth of the whiskey on our lips, and the oak flavor on the back of our tongues assisted the night. The bar was full. The night's energy was high but in a rhythmical balance. Many women walked through the 'fogged up' glass door. The window seats were filled. We had prime spots at the center of the bar and were managing our space powerfully. We chatted work. We discussed future ideas, travel, events. And then we talked women. What we desire. What we are frustrated with. What we find beautiful, seductive, alluring, and enticing. We surveyed the room, we laughed, we gazed, we debated and then we went back to talking life and science. That is until she walked in. Her boots were sturdy, her leather jacket was weathered in a beautiful life experience way and her hair was long and free flowing with subtle curls that were incongruent yet elegantly balanced. Her scarf was bound around her neck tightly while her blouse was brilliantly unbuttoned just enough to see her soft and sensual skin. She was elegantly simple and seductively stunning. I hit my friends arm and with a smirk on my face and eyes wide open I gave him the head nod to check out the beauty that had entered our space. "She is stunning," I said. "You think," he replied. "Yes, I do." I began to share that she had just enough elegance with thankfully enough life experience and inner confidence. I could see it from her demeanor. She had lived, experience trials, persevered and knew she was beautiful. She knew she didn't have to try to hard though. She knew a like minded individual would see her depth of beauty and I'm still thankful to our universe that somehow I did! I leaned over to my friend and said, she looks like an Elizabeth. We had been guessing names periodically throughout the night. I had no reason for saying her name was Elizabeth other than a feeling. The bartender waited on them as they sat in a small two person table slightly just behind my left shoulder. The bartender returned to her post behind the bar to make their drinks. I knew the bartender enough to converse with her. I told her I thought she was stunning. She made their drinks, dropped them off and returned to the bar. I asked her if she knew her name and she said no. I asked her if she would go find out. She was curious why, but without question went with it and returned to the table. After a moment she returned to the bar and told me her name was Elizabeth! I turned to my friend with shock and confidence, actually more confidence for something resided within me when I first guessed. We laughed, embraced hands and might of even hugged a bit. It was a beautiful and powerful moment. 

After some time, we bought the second round of drinks and asked if we could join their table. They looked at each other and obliged. Conversation was fun. Many laughs filled the table. A few more drinks, many stories of our travels and current scenarios passed the night. We exchanged numbers and wished each other a beautiful night. We met a few times after. Never engaged physically, but that doesn't negate the beauty and sensuality of life and one another that we shared. She travelled and lived in Europe for close to a year after. I followed her travels through her artwork and beautiful photography she would post. I believe she is back in the majestic city of Portland, Oregon. Wherever she is, I know she continues to bring beauty into this day. So here's to Elizabeth. Here's to life. Here's to the moment and the energies that are present. May we tap into them, embrace them, and understand their names so that we can feel the power that I believe is intended. This season breathes romanticism for me, may it breathe whatever you will and desire it to breathe into you. 

Cheers, Elizabeth and all, wherever you may be.