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| Uptown Oakland |
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| Flora in Uptown Oakland |
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| Make Westing: A bar so hip you don't need to wear undies! |
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| Cafe van Cleef: And this is before the big band and the Showgirls! |
Flora restaurant, in Uptown Oakland (which let's face it, is one block from Midtown Oakland) is an art deco restaurant with the best quail and Corpse Revivers, my new favourite tipple.
These days you'd think it would be easy peasy for Kevin and I to slip out for dinner...it should be. But the problem is the youngest three are challenging the authority of the eldest, 15 year old Harley who also happens to be the babysitter. Jackson is a teen now and Tallulah, 11, has been training to be a teen all her life. The nine year old, Cy, takes orders only from Teddy who is a 6lb Maltese teen (dog).
Bottom line, it's a shit show, people. While we're at dinner, it's Lord of the Flies back at our house. And without those fabulous British boarding school accents. Which would be fine if the kids just sent us conch signals but there's the little matter of the phone. And the phone calls come. And they come. It's lies, tears, accusations and recriminations and that's just on the first course. Bring back the conch I say, the cellphones must go the way of Piggy's glasses.
We're usually out the door at 5pm and back home by 8pm, auld that's us. Sat night we did a whoohoo and stayed out an extra hour, drinking first at the hipster bar Make Westing where they have bocce ball court.
We said to the barman:"Wow we are the oldest people in this bar!" The barman replied:"You'd like it during the week, it's a more mature crowd."
After dinner we "hit" the jazz bar Cafe van Cleef (remember it from here?) but we just couldn't keep our eyes open until 10pm when the big band and the Showgirls come on.
What's a late night for you?
It's all over by 10 for us too!! Went to a dinner party recently and stayed out until 12.30 - none of us realised, and when I announced it was 12.30 there was a rush for the door.. with young children we were all going to be getting a wake up call at around 6am. There's nothing quite like standing with a hangover in your kitchen at 6am flipping pancakes for your ungrateful children.
ReplyDeleteLaughing hysterically at the Lord of the Flies re-enactment at your house... I used to babysit my cousins when they were 16 and 14 for the same reason, it would descend to fight night without me there. Although there were no mobile phones back in The Olden Days, so their parent's were blissfully unaware until returning home to Chaos.
Love your dress, not phallic looking at all to me though xx
Hilarious that you babysat your cousins when they were 16 and 14 - now we have teens I can see why! Flipping hangovers, I was a lot fitter when kids were small and 6am starters and we had to get out of the house earlier but I could not return to those days..
DeleteGreat post! Hope to see you in my blog real soon! I'm your follower!
ReplyDeleteKisses from VV!
Ha ha - very true with the kids. My eldest is getting to the point where he "could"babysit the others ......not likely though!! He'd kill the younger brother and abandon the little girl to her own devices ! I love that dress btw. x
ReplyDeleteThe prawns at flora look more penis like than the flowers on your dress LOL
ReplyDeleteI saw that too Vicky.
DeleteJodi - Please say you went up to "pantyless" and mentioned that she might be unaware that her skirt lining was riding up.
Love that the kids call you. At least you don't have to worry, "Wonder what their doing now?"
Vicky - that's what I thought too. Plus the prawns have the same retro Seventies thing going on as the dress!
DeleteLinda - shoot, I actually never thought of doing that! This is the Bay Area and I actually thought that was the look she was going for! (shows how clueless I am)
DeleteJody, Have to say that dress is amazingly flattering and I love your gold shoes and cuff! I see no penis looking items, but men will see phallic images in anything!!
ReplyDeleteYour nights out sound like ours. Now that our Jackson is a high schooler he's the official sitter and it doesn't always go well...One has to get out though and the sitters were not much older than the high schooler..It must have been nice for our parents in the days before cell phones!
Looks like fun in Uptown...underwear or not!! Good for you guys getting out!! Too many parents don't and that's not good for the kids or the parents!!
xx
Kim
Oh yes, forgot to mention that 9 is late for us. :/
DeleteThe dress looks great on you and the food looks yummy!
DeleteOn weekends, I'm up until 1 or 2 sometimes!
Kim, yes, that's pretty much our midnight too, bewitching hour!
DeleteRose - night owl! You must get loads done with all those extra hours
I love that dress Jody, phallic or not!
ReplyDeleteI'm oh so familiar with those quick evenings out fraught with phone calls, I managed a day at work over Easter and it was full of emails from my daughter saying "I'm in my bedroom crying" and "he's been mean to me again". That was a great day!!
I still have some very late nights out; obviously only when I'm collecting number 1 from some party or other - I sit outside the party house in the car at 1am wearing dressing gown & slipper hoping no one sees me!! That's as good as it gets nowadays!
Love that image of you in your gown and slippers. you know the PJ pant thing is right IN now (paired with PJ top for best effect plus stilletos) so you are right on the money
DeleteI only have 2 kids and that seems to work better. With 3 it seems more like 10 because the extra one acts as a catalyst for chaos. I have friends with 3 and it happens to them too.
ReplyDeleteA late night for me would be 1am, but dinner in France doesn't start until 8pm at the earliest so I wouldn't be home until at least 10pm.
As for real time emails, that's just mean of kids, and totally unnecessary, trying to spoil their parents' night out. Make them write up their moans in an essay, or suggest a title 'I don't like my parents going out and having fun without me' Discuss.
Unless the house is on fire or real murder is being committed, frankly you don't want to know what's going on at home (which you can well imagine anyway)!!
PS the dress looks very stylish, and the woman with no undies must be a tad exhibitionist. Put it away love.
I agree. The "we're breaking up!" always works well Sarah.
DeleteGorgeous dress :) I try to get to bed as I can, it depends on when my youngest is ready, haha. But, she's been doing better. SO, sometimes I get to go to bed at 11, a rebel I am, haha! I hope you have a great weekend xx
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I don't seem to get our much together as with his sporty things and my evening rehearsals, at the moment we just long to have a night in on the sofa together.
ReplyDeleteYou're looking as classy as ever, Jody. And pleased to see you kept your bum covered up.
Love the pic of you as your old lady role in the play on Facebook Trish - did not recognise you
DeleteI spent most of my life working in nightclubs etc so going to bed before 3 in morning is still difficult even with the early morning pitter patter of tiny feet being inevitable.
ReplyDeleteYour nighclub days will set you up with for life for four tinnies, Thud!
DeleteThe Lord of the Flies comparison really made me smile especially the bit about the boarding school accents! I think your dress is fabulous!
ReplyDeletehttp://missbbobochic.blogspot.co.uk/
i love that dress. i don't know what that says about me though.
ReplyDeleteah i remember the nights out with 3 boys and a sitter at home. truly scary stuff. truly.
xo
Best not to know really..
DeleteI like the dress! Happy Weekend to you!
ReplyDeletewww.rsrue.blogspot.com
Thanks for stopping by Regine!
DeleteNo kids yet but man I am feeling it today after drinks/appys last night with my gal pal. Only had two drinks! 9:30pm is max for me, clearly.
ReplyDeleteLove the DVF dress!
Love your dress and cuff:) Thankfully we have got to the stage where there are no rows when we go out, although the youngest still gives us orders on what time we come back at!
ReplyDeleteOH< that shot of the NO UNDIES!Had to have a thong on and it went a hiding!
ReplyDeleteYou two are very lucky to be slipping out as often as you do!The night is over for MOI by 10........tonight I have the ballet and it does not start until 8!I'm a bit concerned already!
That sounds like me, I would feel quite panicky about that. Movie beforehand? You have time
DeleteLOL to the bartender
ReplyDeleteGuess only weekdays the mature go on a bender haha
Listening to the dog would be fun
Eat whatever you want and go crap out in the sun
It looks like a place to dine.
DeleteDarwin's time:which cell phone survives.
You and Kevin had a wonderful time.
I nicked this from Edgar, one of my readers and fellow bloggers
I don't get the thing about the pattern on the dress...looks OK to me.
ReplyDeleteYour dress is gorgeous and very flattering Jody! Your evening out sounds like fun and the food looks delicious. What the heck is up with the bare backside?! Wow.. whatever goes these days I guess.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I blinked.. and now WE are the older folks. Both kids have moved on with my "baby" graduating in June and starting a one year masters program in Tax accounting at UW. So.. I typically don't flip pancakes anymore but I remember those days!!!
Have a great weekend and Happy Mother's Day!
xxleslie
We went out for our wedding anniversary last night - being America, we booked for 6.30PM and were home by 8.30 - in bed by 9pm. Party on.
ReplyDeleteLove your dress...
It's always the early bird special for us too. We'll be all set by the time we head down to Florida for retirement
DeleteAlso! Happy Wedding Anniversary!
DeleteCan you comment on your bracelet? I love it! Who sells it?
ReplyDeleteHi Rose, yes I bought it on College Avenues in Oakland from Stella C
Deletehttp://www.stellacarakasi.com/#!earlyspring-2013/c17xv
They buy in really cool very inexpensive jewellery to pair with their clothes- I will call them and see what the brand is.
Hi Rose, ultimately sold by this company (who no longer does it, but they have others...)
Deletehttp://marlynschiff.com/c-6-bracelets.aspx
I love that you have embraced the term "shit show", which originated (at least for me) from the east coast, and from my college roommate Maggie Heffernan, eldest of 7. her parent's version was smoothed away by another martini and - you made a great point - no cell phones to interrupt them! if there was a true emergency, you'd call the restaurant or country club Or home where they were, and there had better be blood or serious injury when they returned home (usually just dad; mom wasn't done partying in her 7th month of pregnancy:-)!
ReplyDeleteI am still a late-night partier once in a while - latest recently about 4 am - but my husband had gone home LOOOONG before me - like, almost half a day before me! someone has to be responsible for the chocolate chip pancakes on SUnday am.
Purloined from John, best term ever, says it all.
DeleteA late night is watching a full length movie on the sofa. After dinner! Woohoo, get me, little party chicken... xx
ReplyDeleteAbout the same as you. We don't quite go out at 5pm but we're rarely out past 10pm.
ReplyDeleteI was lucky that I never had those calls but I do remember being out with friends a few years ago and the kids were fighting so much the wife left and went home, while her husband stayed with us enjoying his meal. Would NOT have been me, that's for sure.
Ye i would have stayed. Worse to go home and referee.
DeleteNo undies?! That seems to be a trend. Scary. x
ReplyDeleteHappening over your way too?
DeleteI've never heard of a penis dress. Don't think I'll ever wear one. Unless it's a penis dress kilt. Lord of the Flies back at your house? Good thing it's not a mouse ;) That's one hip bar. It was a very late night for me. Don't even ask....
ReplyDeleteOh goodness that dinner looke freaking delicious!!!
ReplyDeleteI found you through your cousin, The Blue Grumpster!
ReplyDeleteI've been to San Francisco several times, but never to Oakland!
That looks like a great fun place!!
That photo of the dress (and of course, you) is quite attractive!!
~shoes~
He's not my cousin...that I know of?
DeleteYour cousin? Shoes must know something that we don't know haha. Your cousin?
DeleteYou looked positively breathtaking in DVF dress. Who said the flowers looked phallic??!!! Erm...the chaos in your house sounds like all those times when I was babysitting my 3 younger siblings and 3 dogs and a cat. It was mayhem. BUT back in our days (sigh....getting old here), cellphones didn't exist so my parents were blissfully unaware of the chaos that ensued at home (strangulation, warfare, dogs used for "horseback" riding...you get the picture).
ReplyDeleteI used to eat all the choccie biccies in their tins and then had to somehow cover that up.
DeleteOH, this is a good one, too. I love that dress on you. I wrote a piece in my parenting column for the newspaper last week with the title, "Does Parenting Get Easier" You just confirmed it does not. I laughed out loud about what was going on at your home. The rule in our house is that we have to stay out til the kids are put to bed or else, it's not worth going out. So, we pull in about 9:30 pm to be safe, and then watch TV. It's like a night off. The sitter can then go out on the town, and we have no problems getting sitters because we're home so early, and they still have a night of fun ahead of them.
ReplyDeleteYes and I used to get depressed and annoyed when parents of older kids used to tell me this! Sounds like us with the 9.30. when the kids were really little it was actually hard to stay out that late as we were so knackered!
Delete