Happy Hour ii attendees: George, almost-birthday boy James (make sure you check him out on the 26th), Bob (who took some gorgeous pictures last time of Gareth, Chad, Eva, Robyn, Jhames, and Xian, and one of me looking rather disheveled), Phil (who Beastblogged), Lisa & Jim, Leah, Katie, Melissa, and Sarah. Chad showed up just in time to escort me home.
All the girls (and some of the boys) wore the sparkly hairclips I'd picked up at the beauty supply on 13th & Broadway (six pair for $1.49! You gotta love Oakland). George dropped his TiBook in my lap and let me pick my own songs from his ridiculously lengthy playlist for a CD that he burned on the spot, and loaned me part two of the White Teeth miniseries that I missed a few weeks ago. Lisa and Jim brought me the ultimate three-CD roadtrip comp and a point-n-shoot camera in a Shop Oregon bag.
Blogging was discussed at great length, as were local free museum days, jazz, and pirates. We terrified James with extensive descriptions of furries and the people who spend a disproportionate amount of time dressing up like anime characters (Katie knew what they're called, but I can't remember). I had more mushroom caps and some chunky tomato soup, but in my heart I was drooling over Jim's plate of bangers & mash.
Next time
Lunch, the second week of July.
The best way to allay the misery of missing me: keeping yourself busy
Thursday/19: Matthew Sperry memorial show at Club 21.
Saturday/21: Free Huey on the side of the Alameda County Courthouse, 9 p.m.
Saturday/21 in Portland (tell your friends!!!): Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls 2003 Showcase at the Aladdin, starring my enormously talented daughter, who learned how to play "I Wanna Be Sedated" yesterday.
Every Sunday: Bloody Mary Sunday.
Ongoing, through October: Oakland A's kicking butt.
June 27 & 28: Dinosaur nights at the drive-in.
July 1: Bud Bowl.
July 2: A frighteningly large number of people coming together in Oakland to share their love of Howard Dean.
July 4: Ledisi and the Oakland East Bay Symphony (and a bunch of fireworks) at Jack London Square.
And plenty of sunny afternoons and balmy evenings for checking out this year's best of the East Bay and the best events in the Bay Area.