Stamp Show at the Red Lion Inn in Eureka Saturday and Sunday Sept 29-30. There is a little "showing" at a stamp show, and a lot of buying and selling. The real reason for these get togethers is to attract dealers who set up booths and bring their wares. Internet buying is fun but nothing beats actually seeing (and making deals for ) the real stamps. Better than virtual reality!

Fiber Fair at the Mateel in Redway next weekend Oct 6-7. I'll be hosting the fashion show at 4pm Saturday. A great place to get natural fibers (eg wool, cotton) in various states from just harvested to completed clothing. Lots of classes in knitting, spinning, weaving etc, tons (really) of fiber, books, fashions, generous supply of door prizes - and of course the joy of hearing me MC the fashion show.

I can now reveal that I left the Townhouse last night, too late to take any pix, walked by the liquor store and got a Chronicle, then continued down 4th to F, turned right and was lured directly into the Ritz. I got a nice breaded pork cutlet served on inedible shreds of cabbage with rice and an excellent dipping sauce.(Japanese name begins with a T).To accompany it an Australian Syrah. The waitress told me that there was an off-menu local Syrah available also, so I got one to compare with my Australian wine. Alas finished the one before the other came, so can only report that both were good. They pour a generous glass at the RItz. For dessert, over to Bon Bonbiniere (sp?) for green tea ice cream cone. Walked the alleys back to the motel. I feel totally safe in the Eureka alleys after dark. Is it real, or is it a side-effect of the Syrah?

For dinner this evening I knew that I had to be quick because I was going to the stamp club at the Senior center for the first time in about a year. I left the Townhouse and walked north on 4th one block to the Southeast Asia cafe (or something like that- its where the Reggae restaurant was). Had pork with noodles, it has a Thai name I think which I read to the waitress who probably can't pronounce it either. Excellent with a glass of the house red - not huge but $2.50. Whole meal about $13 with tip. I suggest you go there before they realize that their pricing is well below market.

Stamp club was a huge success. I got a good set of the Falkland Islands Silver Jubilee stamps, mint. If you're a stamp collector living anywhere near Eureka you should go to the club meetings a time or two and see if you like it enough to become a regular. Great place to build your collection. Meetings are the 4th Tuesday this is, every month. 7-9pm at the Senior Center on California St. Don't be late, the Seniors insist on the front door being locked at 7:30pm.

And I am at the Townhouse. I broke a tooth (who knew my teeth would get old too?) and had to get a temporary crown, and tomorrow it appears that I need to be in Orleans at 10 am. Mapquest says 2 hours from Eureka, that's 4 from my house and I don't want to get up at 5:30a.m. and drive all that way. But hi-speed internet or not, motels are not home.

So here's the plan: I work on over turning a grand jury indictment from Siskiyou county until 5ish, then I get the camera and take a long slow walk into the Old Town restaurant district to see who's open and what kind of food I want. Candidates: Waterfront Cafe, Hurricane Kates, Ritz, Mazattis, and the japanese restaurant, anything else that looks good. Of course it's Monday....

Anyone who wants to guess which restaurant I pick has until I get back about 7pm to register their guess as a comment. It doesn't count if you see me at a restaurant. I'm the incredibly handsome white bearded guy with the Harry Potter book. (or newpaper, no promises).

Well, I didn't get through the appetizer listings at Patrona's this evening. I had considered the beet salad, but settled on the gorganzola fig pizza (hows that for a diet choice) a glass of zinfindel, and the peach cobbler. What a meal. One of the best I've had in years.

I was in a philosophic mood this evening, too. I had Harry Potter #6 (Half-Blood Prince) with me but I was in a Sartresque mood. There were the waitresses, pleasant and happy when you ordered something; there was the wine king who knew his vintages, there was the person initiating others into the art of really good food. In the words of the song "We're all dodging our way through the world" playing our roles (who was I? Everyone's grandfather, I think). The thing is that as soon as we leave the magical world of the restaurant we all take on other roles, grandpa ED becomes the advocate for the oppressed and unjustly accused, or the motel patron hoping the internet doesn't break down - and like that. Philosophy, or just a Shakespeare hangover ("all the world's a stage...")

What a meal.

Much to my surprise I'm back in Ukiah tonight. My morning court call in Willits was actually in Ukiah (Mendocino seems to be slowly cutting back on its outlying courts in Willits and Ft. Bragg, which is a pity. It may cost more to have full service courts in those places but it serves the interests of justice, which must be worth some expenditures). So I'm back in the Best Western, even in the same room - just as well, I left my walking shoes here - and the internet which was blazing away this morning has been a bit fitful but now its ok.

I thought I'd eat at Schat's because I saw a sign a while back offering dinners. Checked it out this afternoon- they don't offer dinners any more. Probably back to Patrona's. Here's the plan: rather than a full meal and then dessert, which is definitely over the diet top for me, how about a salad and then dessert? Right now I'm inclined to give it a try. Ask me later how it worked.

It is raining. It seems that fall fell early this year. Second rainfall of the season. Montgomery tells me we had 2" while my sweetie and I were off watching plays. Its global weirdness.