Hmm I guess I'm pretty popular
Santa Cruz, CA is dope on so many levels. There's ALWAYS something going on
every night of the week, in several different places at once, if you're looking for a good time and/or good music. And the people? Laid back, chill, friendly, and generous. Or at least this is
my perspective, but I'm a rosy-glasses wear-er

. In Santa Cruz, it's my experience that you can go into a restaurant or whatnot a few times, be friendly toward the staff, and they'll remember you and do sweet things to secure your patronage, like give you a drink or dish on the house, or come and give you a warm welcome-hug, or basically treat you like an old friend the next time you show up. Makes you feel special and popular, and you don't even have to spend a whole lot of money to get the Royal Treatment. Well, at least that has been MY experience.
I kickboxed, and in Yoga I had a hard time staying in some of the standing lunges, I'll spare you the Sanskrit, but of course it was relaxing as always and this marks the 4th day this week I've had evening Yoga--and what, just Monday I took 2 Yoga classes? Anyway, I brought a bottle of Rombauer 2005 Carneros Merlot (good shit, trust me) to the Cypress BUT......I forgot my wallet AND cell phone at home yesterday

It's OK, Peezey told me when I paid him back $20 that he lent me (Saturday I stupidly forgot to get cash when we went out), "I appreciate it, but you don't have to. I just want to let you know that whenever we go out, you don't have to worry because I'll pick up dinner and buy you drinks, whatever."

I thanked him but I certainly refuse to take advantage of the situation. It depends on how quick he is: my ex boyfriend from high school, L, always picks up dinner when we go out (we hang out occasionally, not often, he lives on the Peninsula [i.e.Redwood City for you non-Calis) because he's sweet and he insists, and I guess he also makes a helluva lot more money than I do, but I always TRY and he beats me to it! Anyway I felt like a dirtbag without my wallet, but hell, at least I brought a $32 bottle of wine with me

Uh, that I got for free

AHEM!
We both had salads and he told me some interesting stuff! First off, he said I looked "beautiful" tonight, which was sweet (I had on a fly, colorful outfit and my new crochet colorful hat and scarf, damn I need to get a camera so bad!). Then he said he joined a gym that day and went running on the treadmill for the first time in a long time--influenced by me! Then he told me he canceled his New Year's plans to go to Mexico with his older brother and friends, because he didn't feel like doing what they did--lots of coke and strip clubs. I laughed!

SO he axed me what I was up to and I have no idea, I was thinking of going to the event I attached here because I know Rastatronics and Little John (both really nice guys, John especially and yes, he
is short) but it costs $55 and I doubt there are any hotel rooms available in SF at this time......but we'll see. Additionally, I axed him if he'd be willing to go to the 12:15pm Friday (today) Yoga class with me and meet Kelly, the yoga teacher who inspired me to go on the retreat at Mt. Madonna, and he said YES!!!!

Well, Peezey definitely is sprung on me. And I certainly like him, so we'll see where this goes.......
Peezey sure must have been validated that I am "the bomb" as he told me last week, because I was networking like a MUTHAFUCKA!!!! First off, the staff at Cypress waived our corkage fee (if y'all don't know, a restaurant charges about $10-20 or so for each bottle you bring in on your own, to drink--I've brought in bottle before and they said "since you come in here a lot, it's only $5 for
you" but I guess this time they spared me the 5 bones!). Next, I saw about 5 people I knew, including that one friend of Nick's whom I taught a Yoga lesson to at 1am a few weeks ago and who paid me $1.25 in quarters as my first paying customer, Yi-ah!!! And of course, I knew the DJ Rudi B, who was there to spin Reggae, and P and I danced and drank the rest of the wine after our salads, then walked over to Cafe Mare to see the other DJ I was going to meet, Damien. There was a bouncer at the door checking IDs and remember I left my wallet at home? The bouncer acted like he wasn't going to let me in until I said, "Well, I know the owner, Jon Pierre," and he said, "Really? Oh well go right in." CHA-CHING!

I ran into Nick's boss, whom I introduced to P, and I was chatting with Damien who kept spinning, and then Damien mixed some Dancehall to
Melle Mel, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's The Message (CLASSIC! Here: ) and MAN!!!
I will dance to that song ANYWHERE, at ANYTIME! 
SO although there was a dancefloor, no one was dancing, but I just jumped right up and pretended I knew how to break dance, basically dancing quickly and using my strength and flexibility to try to appear as fly as possible. WELL! It worked, I looked up and there was some gangsta boy given me props and dancing next to me, and then a group of girls were holla-ing Big Ups and then
they started dancing with me!!! So I kicked off the dance floor before I said bye to Damien (it was getting late), who gave me a couple CDs to listen to, and P and I kicked rocks back to my car. The hug goodbye was HOT and I made it home at midnight and now I'm kind of tired but READY for tonight---
Peezey got us another hotel room for the Winter Solstice Celebration in San Francisco with a bunch of local SC DJs and party kids--pretty much the whole scene is going to be there, I'm stoked! SO today we're going to do Yoga together

then he's driving us up to the City and we'll most likely have a delicious dinner at Cafe Gratitude, and then dancing, crashing, then he's taking me back in the morning so I can make it to work on time, 11:30 tomorrow. WHEW! Busy bunny! After work I'm driving straight to my hometown for my niece's 3rd birthday and going to spend Sunday with my best friend. YAY!
143.5 lbs this morning, but I was dehydrated from the wine so it might be a false reading--either way, the scale is headed in the right direction!