Oaktown

We crossed the bay Saturday for some socializing. Our first stop was the home of our first au pair. She came to us as 19 year old back in '95 and she now has a family of her own, including a great husband, one of the cutest three year olds I've ever met, and bambino #2 due next month. We took in their gorgeous view as wifey chatted them up and I read Mr. Noisy to the boy. On a side note, Mr. Noisy is the sixteenth book in the Mr. Men series, according to Wikipedia. I get the feeling I'm going to be a good grandpa, even though I expect that is a decade or so away. Say hey to Gampy DJ.

We then went to the house of my sister and her partner LA. We were spending the night and they always provide us a luxurious hotel like experience. I walked in with my CPAP and introduced myself as DJ and The Machine. We were heading out to Plum in uptown Oakland. It turns out my sister also invited my brother. I was a little pissed and I'll tell you why.

Although I've often discussed our brotherly bond, but in actuality there's been a long standing rift. You see, my brother is a tiger brother. As far back as our early days in Western PA, he insisted I spend two hours a day on penny whistle practice. After that, I'd say let's go out back and have an apple fight. But no, that was not in the plans. Next was math and vocabulary flashcards. I was really overjoyed when he joined the Navy.

But I don't want to dwell on the negative. We headed out to the restaurant. which was dimly lit and minimalist. LA referred to it as precious, which was spot on. We went with the prix fixe and became a little concerned when our first course arrived. It was a couple thimbles full of beets topped with beet puree. An alarm went off in my head. Burger! Burger! Burger! But as it turns out, our fears were unfounded. Although the portions were small, they were tasty and there were enough of them for a good meal.

We had some lively dinner conversation. Sis told me of her adventures on the hard court. She still runs full court hoops, with dudes no less. I guess my remark about her being an ex-jock was premature. She's a studette. The women are the best athletes in my family. I'd like to be out there taking her to the hoop but those days are far behind me. My brother reminded me that when he took me to a Stanford neurosurgeon back in '98, I asked the guy if I'd be able to play b-ball again. If he had to be blunt, he could have said, "No pal, but you'll be able to walk into the gym to watch your daughter play." I'm glad to be able to do that these days.