FRIDAY FIASCO / THE SHAME OF WHAT AMERICAN HISTORY LOST WHEN THE EAST WING FELL

THE VANISHING WING

A PillartoPost.org Opinion Essay.

By PillartoPost.org / History is supposed to whisper from the corners of a building. The White House once did that flawlessly—its plaster seams, its creaking floors, its echoes of laughter and argument belonging to everyone who ever stepped inside. 

But this week, as demolition crews reduced the East Wing to dust, a quiet century of memory was carried off in dump trucks. The East Wing was born of war, not vanity. In 1942, as German U-boats prowled the Atlantic and the fear of attack reached Washington, Franklin Roosevelt ordered architect Lorenzo Winslow to design an unobtrusive structure on the southeast side of the Executive Residence. 

Its real purpose lay underground: a reinforced shelter—the Presidential Emergency Operations Center—hidden beneath a modest reception hall. Above it, the First Lady’s staff and visiting dignitaries found temporary offices; below it, the continuity of government found a fortress. 

Its architecture was deliberately unassuming. The West Wing might have held the nerve center of policy and power, but the East Wing balanced it—the yin to the yang of executive command—a place where humanity and hospitality entered through the same door. 

For eight decades, the East Wing served as the unofficial chamber of America’s evolving womanhood in public life. Eleanor Roosevelt held all-female press conferences there, signaling that the modern First Lady would be more than a hostess. 

Jacqueline Kennedy used the same hallways to direct her historic restoration of the mansion, turning faded relic into national museum. 

Betty Ford, Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton, and Michelle Obama followed—each leaving an imprint of policy, poise, or reform. Their causes—equal rights, health awareness, arts, nutrition—were first drafted in those compact rooms where the nation’s social conscience often outpaced its politics. 

Losing that space severs a visible timeline of the First Ladies’ expanding influence. 

The offices were not ornate, but they held the fingerprints of progress. Tourists rarely thought of the East Wing as glamorous, yet it was their entrance. School groups began their White House tours there; service members received medals in its foyers; staffers composed invitations by hand in its basement calligraphy room. 

To walk those corridors was to see the living heartbeat of the People’s House. 

Moments before the bulldozers attacked our house

Demolition doesn’t just remove walls—it wipes away the memory of movement: the click of heels on marble, the murmur before a state dinner, the applause from a Christmas choir. The East Wing’s modest grace was democracy’s front porch. 

Beneath all this civility sat the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, the White House’s subterranean command post. Conceived after Pearl Harbor, expanded during the Cold War, and used during both 9/11 and January 6, it symbolized the endurance of the republic when chaos reigned above. 

Though officials promise a modernized facility elsewhere, the destruction of its original structure erases a Cold-War relic every bit as instructive as a fallout shelter or missile silo—one that quietly guaranteed the continuity of civilian rule. The East Wing was never designed to impress; it existed to steady the presidency. 

It offered proportion—a counterweight of modesty beside the grandeur of the residence and the high-octane West Wing.

In its absence rises the skeleton of a ballroom, paid for by private donors, rationalized as modernization. But in the exchange, something immaterial has been lost: the nation’s sense that its leaders inherit, rather than possess, the house they occupy. 

The bulldozers may or may not have acted lawfully; the loss is moral, aesthetic, and civic. 

You cannot rebuild provenance. You can only remember it. 

TRUMP DESTROYS HISTORIC EAST WING:

Sources: National Archives; Library of Congress Architectural Division; Society of Architectural Historians Statement (Oct 2025); Washington Post, NPR, AP, and Reuters coverage of East Wing demolition. © 2025 PillartoPost.org  

THE FOODIST / YES IT'S POSSIBLE TO EXPORT FLAVOR ACROSS INTERNATIONAL BORDERS

TACOS EL FRANC COMES NORTH: TJ’S MICHELIN-RECOGNIZED TAQUERÍA ARRIVES IN NATIONAL CITY (SAN DIEGO COUNTY). 

By Holden De Mayo, PillartoPost.org Taco Editor 

There’s a new smell wafting through Westfield Plaza Bonita—smoke, spice, and nostalgia. The legendary Tijuana taquería Tacos El Franc, a Michelin-recognized name south of the border, has opened its first U.S. outpost, and for taco traditionalists it’s a small culinary border crossing worth celebrating. 

Founded in 1974 as a humble street stand and later a brick-and-mortar on Tijuana’s busy Avenida Sonora, El Franc’s journey north feels like a victory lap for a city whose tacos have defined an entire region’s appetite. 

The new location sits inside the large mall’s restaurant wing, next to the kind of chain eateries that make this debut all the more audacious. Instead of neon margaritas and frozen platters, El Franc doubles down on simplicity—meat, tortillas, and smoke. 

A wall of sizzling grills anchors the room, and the scent of adobada—marinated pork carved straight from the spit—drifts toward the terrazas where diners crowd in after a day of shopping. 

Two patios, a modest bar, and a bright open kitchen lend a casual elegance, polished but not pretentious. What the space lacks in street-corner grit it makes up for in confidence. 

There’s an understanding among staff and customers alike that this is no experiment—it’s a translation. Partner Roberto Kelly, speaking at the opening, promised “authentic tacos as if they were on the other side of the border.” 

On that point, the kitchen delivers. The adobada taco remains the headline act: smoky, pepper-bright, with just enough fat to melt into the tortilla. The carne asada—grilled over mesquite—lands juicy and fragrant, especially when chased with a spoon of their green salsa, sharp with lime and cilantro. 

The supporting cast is equally strong: tripa, suadero, cabeza—each with its own rhythm of texture and seasoning. Quesadillas ooze a clean, salty cheese that softens the edges of the spice, while the beef-tallow fries are a guilty-pleasure side that probably shouldn’t exist but thankfully do. 

Tortillas are sturdy, handmade, and warm; salsas come in small bowls rather than packets, as they should. 

Prices reflect the move north—tacos run around three to four dollars each, more than Tijuana’s curbside rates, but fair for the quality and setting. 

Union-Tribune photo

Service is brisk and friendly, with the kind of practiced ease that shows the staff have eaten here too. Lines can grow long at dinnertime, so aim for a late lunch if you want elbow room. Some may miss the chaos of the original—cars idling, horns blaring, smoke curling into the night air—but authenticity isn’t always about the street corner. 

El Franc’s National City edition is an act of preservation: same recipes, same rhythm, but in a space where Southern Californians can linger over their tacos instead of rushing back across the border. 

After nearly five decades of perfecting the humble taco, El Franc arrives in the U.S. like an old band on a new stage—tighter, cleaner, but still with soul. If this first location is any sign, the franchise has managed what few taquerías can: exporting flavor without losing faith.

USA location: National City/Bonita shopping mall

DESIGN / WEARABLE DARK MATTER

 Some mornings, all the design you need for Halloween fits on a T-shirt. Case in point: this clever “Raven Crow Coffee” look from Shawn Craft. It pairs a stoic blackbird and a steaming mug under the words, “Hello Darkness My Old Friend.” Whether you’re quoting Simon & Garfunkel or summoning your first cup of the day, the humor lands dark, smooth, and perfectly roasted. Order this
tee (sizes L–XXL) directly from Shawn Craft’s online shop or via their social media ad feed. A fine way to declare your devotion to both caffeine and irony. 

ARS HUMANA / WHY THE NINES ARE SO HISTORICAL

 

[Original Essay by PillartoPost.org]--To be "dressed to the nines" is to be turned out with obsessive care, finished to perfection. The phrase goes back to eighteenth-century Scotland, when "to the nines" meant "to the highest degree." It's a tidy metaphor for the way history piles up, polishing a decade until its final year shines--or cracks--and a new one steps into the light. 

For our purposes, one observation makes 1979 perhaps the most amazing year so far: The genesis of the Information Era because 1979 was the last year of the analog era. After that, the world began to recompose itself on silicon, not steel. 

 By the mid-1980s, the personal computer had left the lab bench, and household routine found new electrical habits. Marking 1979 this way sharpens the pattern. Years that end in nine often feel like thresholds because they're where a decade's energy--its appetites, technologies, resentments, and experiments--either culminates or explodes. 

Consider the sequence, the ways the nines keep showing up as hinge points you can touch, taste, or hold in your hand. 

--1789 brought the French Revolution, which remade politics and manners across Europe. 

--1809 gave us the birth of Abraham Lincoln in Kentucky; a century later, in 1909, his face went into every American palm when the Lincoln cent debuted, the first U.S. coin to carry a president's likeness. 

--1849 pulled a continent west with gold fever. 1869 welded oceans together as the transcontinental railroad joined the American coasts and the Suez Canal opened to the world. 

--1899 gave us aspirin, Bayer's new medicine that became the first mass-market pharmaceutical and changed the way pain and fever were treated everywhere. The twentieth century's nines were no less dramatic. 

--1919 breathed new borders and fresh grievances into Europe after the Great War. 

--1929's Wall Street crash plunged economies into ruin. 

--1939 ignited the Second World War. 

--1949 set the Cold War's architecture--NATO on one side, the People's Republic of China on the other. 

--1959 was a cultural coda: Chevrolet's extravagant tailfins marked the end of yearly motor-car theatrics. 

--1969 moved the human species off its ordinary stage with the moon landing and Woodstock, a literal and figurative leap. Then comes the pivot: 

--1979, the last full year the world could still, with a straight face, call itself analog. After that, microchips and software replaced levers and ink. 

--1989 tore down the Wall in Berlin. 

--1999 gave us Y2K jitters and the height of the dot-com bubble. 

--2009 blended the inauguration of Barack Obama, a symbolic global moment, with the accelerating rise of smartphones and social media, tools that now shape how publics gather and how commerce spreads. 

2019 closed the arc with protests across global cities and, almost unnoticed, the first cases of a virus in Wuhan that would infect the world and define the decade to come. We still call it Covid-19.

There is no mystical rule about the digit nine. It is, however, a useful seam through which to read history. It is part coincidence, part human habit--we like round numbers and tidy chapter endings. 

End of an era 1959 Chevrolet

But when you pull the thread you find not just politics but everyday artifacts: the penny in your pocket, the aspirin bottle in the cabinet, the Chevrolet with its last extravagant fins, the typewriter that gave way to a keyboard, the phone that gave way to the screen in your hand. Those small things matter because they shape how people live. 

That is why the nines look less like numerology and more like a ledger of consequence aka watershed years.

 

MONDAY MEDIA / SUPERMOON SHOTS

 

The Harvest Supermoon sets in the clouds behind the city landmark, a weather vane in the form of an angel fixed atop a spire of the Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia, early Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) 

Things are so hot on planet Earth lately. Let's look to the sky for some peace. 

GUEST BLOG / By The Associated Press--October’s supermoon — a phenomenon when the moon is closest to Earth, making it appear larger and brighter — is the first of three this year. The subtle difference can be observed without special equipment if skies are clear. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors is worthy of a National Geographic Magazine spread. 

Over the Harbor Freeway, Los Angeles, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) 

Rising behind the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn skyline, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Gray) 

Supermoon rises behind spires of the Duomo gothic cathedral, in Milan, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) 

Tower Bridge, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in London. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) 

Over San Francisco Bay and behind the Bay Bridge as seen from
Alameda, Calif., Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) 

NO KINGS RALLY GOES PEACEFUL

 MORE THAN 7 MILLION PROTEST TRUMP & CRONIES & POLICIES ACROSS AMERICA.  LARGEST NATIONAL PROTEST IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY

SUNDAY REVIEW / A SHORT STORY BY THE FIRST WOMAN NOBEL PRIZE WINNER IN LITERATURE

 

FROM A SWEDISH HOUSEHOLD [aka "The Cowboys"] 

GUEST BLOG / By Selma Lagerloff, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1909, becoming the first woman ever to receive the award. The Swedish Academy praised her “lofty idealism, vivid imagination, and spiritual perception.” 

*** 

It was late in the autumn when the two poor vagrants came to the homestead. They had tramped far, and the woman carried a child on her back; both were tired and hungry. 

The husband was away, but the woman of the house received them kindly and set food before them. When she had given them what she could, she said: “You must go on your way now, for my husband will soon be home, and he does not like tramps about the place.” 

But the man answered: “We can go no farther tonight. We are so worn out that we must lie down and sleep, even if it be out on the road.” 

Nobelist Selma Lagerloff

The mistress was troubled, for she knew her husband would be angry if he found them there. Yet she could not turn them away. At last she said: “Well then, you may sleep in the barn, but you must be gone before he comes in the morning.” 

So she led them to the barn, spread hay for them, and they laid themselves down. The woman laid the child by her side, and soon all three were asleep. 

When the husband came home that evening, his wife told him of the wanderers and begged him not to be angry. 

Angry from fear he said: “We cannot harbor such folk. You do not know who they may be. There are many thieves and evil-doers abroad. If they are found here, we may come to harm.” 

The woman pleaded for them, but he was not to be moved. 

In the morning he went to the barn to send them away. There he found them still asleep, but when he looked closer his heart was struck with fear, for he saw that they were the outlaws who had broken prison and whom all the country was seeking. 

He stole back to the house and told his wife. “Now you see what you have done,” he said sternly. “If they are found under our roof, we are ruined. They will say we have harbored them of our own will.” 

The wife was greatly troubled. “What shall we do?” she asked. “If we tell the officers, they will be taken and hanged. Yet if we let them go, we shall be thought guilty.” 

The man said: “There is but one thing to be done. We must fall upon them while they sleep and kill them. Then we can say we defended our house against robbers.” 

But his wife cried out: “No, that you must never do. Think of the poor woman and her child! Better let us perish than that innocent blood should come upon us.” 

Then the man said: “If we let them go, they will come back to us for food, and then we are lost. You do not know these outlaws; they are hard They will not leave us in peace.” 

Still the wife held firm. “I will never consent to it,” she said. “Let come what may, I will not have them slain here in their sleep.” 

The husband pondered long, but at last he yielded. “Well then,” he said, “we will let them go. But if evil comes of it, it will be on your head.” 

So they let the wanderers sleep in peace. At dawn the woman rose, slung the child again upon her back, and went forth with her man. They thanked the mistress for her kindness, but she only said: “Go quickly, and God be with you.”

And so they went their way. 

No one knows what became of them, but neither the master nor the mistress ever saw them again. 

COFFEE BEANS & BEINGS / TARIFFS AND COFFEE — IS THERE A PROBLEM?

 

Where is our modern day Samuel Adams to shout :...no taxation without representation?"  Did we the people mandate tariffs on our cups of coffee?  Hell, no.  Fuck those who did!

What's in the cup next to your computer keys?  Tea?  Unlikely.  Instead our daily ritual is under siege.  And are you going to let Washington rip the coffee mug from your hand?  Enough.  Stand up to the Orangutan! 

Meamwhile, at dawn's early light, the grinder hums, the kettle hisses, and the dark liquid fills the cup. But behind that ordinary comfort is a policy move in Washington that threatens to turn coffee—the most democratic of beverages—into a luxury. 

This year, new tariffs dropped like a hammer on imports from key trading partners. Rates run from 10 to 50 percent. Unlike steel or textiles, coffee has no domestic fallback. The United States does not grow enough beans to matter. Every sip depends on international supply chains, and every tariff mark-up lands directly in the consumer’s cup. 

The result has been swift and sharp: coffee prices up more than 20 percent in a single year, according to the Consumer Price Index. In cafés, the chalkboard menus creep higher by the week. Roasters face impossible margins. At grocery stores, shoppers grimace, downgrade brands, or quietly walk away from the aisle. 

The anxiety is not about a latte—it’s about whether a morning habit, shared by two-thirds of American adults, is being priced out of reach. A bipartisan fix has been floated. Congressman Don Bacon of Nebraska and Congressman Ro Khanna of California have introduced a bill to exempt coffee and its derivatives—roasted beans, decaf, even husks—from the tariff regime. 

But the odds are long. Passage requires a divided House, a filibuster-proof Senate, and a willing president. Washington rarely aligns on consumer urgency, even when the evidence scalds. That is the ominous truth. Tariffs were meant to protect American industry. In the case of coffee, there is no industry to protect. There is only the consumer. And if the exemption fails, the most democratic drink in America may become the first casualty of a trade war few asked for. 

FRIDAY AND ANOTHER GREAT FALL FOR MCCONNELL

83 AND COUNTING

Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, 83, fell to the ground in a Capitol hallway Thursday afternoon as he made his way to Senate votes. McConnell, who announced in February that he would not seek reelection, fell to the floor while two volunteers from the environmental advocacy group Sunrise Movement approached the senator and asked him a question about Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions. He did not respond to the question. But he did manage to rise and limp out of camera range. Wags not sympathetic to the ancient one wondered what would have happened if the question that was asked would have been about the Epstein saga. 

THE FOODIST / DREAMING OF THE BEST / VIA AI PIX

The 10 best restaurants in the USA as selected by leading AI sites: 

The French Laundry (Napa Valley) Yountville, CA

From ChapGPT5  

The following list is not a ranking of trends or fleeting hype. These are enduring temples of taste—each a destination where craft, art, and hospitality align so perfectly that the memory of one meal can haunt you for years. Call this list whatever you like—elitist, aspirational, impossible. But the next time you catch yourself daydreaming about the perfect meal, these are the places your mind will visit first. 

 1. The French Laundry – Yountville, CA – Contemporary French  A symphony of precision: stunning plating, seasonal brilliance, impeccable service. Expect enchantment, though ambition sometimes overshadows emotional resonance. 

2. Eleven Madison Park – New York, NY – Plant-Based Fine Dining  Artisanal, daring, boundary-pushing: the plant-based tasting is elegant and conceptually bold, though its lofty prices demand equally unforgettable execution. 

3. Alinea – Chicago, IL – Modernist / Molecular Gastronomy  Avant-garde theater disguised as dinner. Molecular tricks, edible balloons, and sensory playfulness. Sometimes brilliance eclipses warmth, yet every course insists food is art. 

4. Canlis – Seattle, WA – Pacific Northwest Fine Dining  Glass, water, mountain. Pacific Northwest elegance framed in family grace. Cuisine rooted in terroir and quiet mastery. Hospitality so gentle it hums. 

5. SingleThread – Healdsburg, CA – Japanese-California Fusion / Farm-to-Table  Japanese precision meets Sonoma abundance. Each dish whispers balance, season, and gratitude. Service feels ceremonial—an edible meditation in a room of light. 

6. Saison – San Francisco, CA – Wood-Fired Contemporary American  Fire-kissed luxury. Ingredients worshipped, flames speaking louder than words. The tasting evolves like jazz—smoke, silence, and sudden crescendo of ocean sweetness. 

7. Manresa – Los Gatos, CA – California Farm-to-Table  Farm-driven refinement from David Kinch’s garden muse. Earth, salt, and sun find harmony. Every bite tastes like the Santa Cruz morning dew. 

8. Per Se – New York, NY – French-American Haute Cuisine  Thomas Keller’s cathedral to craft. Polished as silver, restrained as prayer. Perfection practiced nightly, though its soul hides behind immaculate glass. 

9. Blue Hill at Stone Barns – Pocantico Hills, NY – Farm-to-Table American  Farm becomes fable. Dan Barber’s fields feed philosophy. Diners taste the soil’s intelligence—an honest sermon in the language of carrots and care. 

10. Le Bernardin – New York, NY – French Seafood  The ocean refined to art. Eric Ripert’s touch is precise yet soulful. Every plate glows with restraint, proof that purity still seduces.   

From Google's AI Mode: 

Atomix, New York City

 This site passed the buck and had others make its picks. Below are some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the U.S. based on the 2025 rankings by The World's 50 Best Restaurants (North America list), and the 2025 James Beard Foundation Award: 

From 50 World's Best Restaurants/North America List 

-- Atomix (New York, NY): Ranked #1, this intimate Manhattan restaurant serves a 12-course Korean tasting menu on bespoke ceramics. 

--Smyth (Chicago, IL): Ranked #4, this tasting menu-only spot sources produce from a dedicated local farm. 

--SingleThread (Healdsburg, CA): Ranked #8, this restaurant and inn features Japanese-inspired, sustainable kaiseki-style dining. 

--Le Bernardin (New York, NY): Ranked #9, this elite French restaurant is a New York institution, known for its refined seafood. 

--Le Veau d'Or (New York, NY): Ranked #10, this Manhattan institution was updated in 2024 and serves classic French fare. 

James Beard Foundation picks 2025: 

--Frasca Food and Wine (Boulder, CO): for its Northern Italian cuisine. 

--Jungsik (New York, NY): for its contemporary Korean fare. 

--Atomix (New York, NY): for sleek site; contemporary Korean menu.

--Kato (Los Angeles, CA): for its inventive Taiwanese-influenced cuisine. 

--Myriel (St. Paul, MN): for its elegant and thoughtful tasting menu. 

DESIGN / PRAGUE’S DANCING HIGHRISE

Prague has always been a city of poise and posture, but then came a building that decided to dance. Rising at the corner of Rašínovo nábřeží and Jiráskovo náměstí, overlooking the lazy bend of the Vltava River, the “Dancing House” looks like a waltz frozen mid-spin—a collision of whimsy and structural genius.  

Designed by Croatian-Czech architect Vlado Milunić in collaboration with Frank Gehry, the 1996 high-rise (officially called Tančící dům) still stops locals and tourists alike in their tracks. The left tower—curving, glassy, and almost shy—is said to represent the actress Ginger Rogers. The right—solid, concrete, confidently leaning into her—is her dancing partner, Fred Astaire. Together they turn an otherwise polite Prague skyline into a cinematic pas de deux of postmodern design.  

Architect Vlado Milunic

At the time, the city wasn’t quite ready. The structure, built on a lot bombed during World War II, divided opinion: was it an eyesore, or the bold future of Czech architecture? Nearly three decades later, the answer is clear. The Dancing House has become as beloved a landmark as the Charles Bridge or the Astronomical Clock—proof that a city rooted in Baroque and Gothic can still groove to modern rhythms.  

Inside, the building’s choreography continues—undulating corridors, mismatched windows framing the river like film stills, and a rooftop restaurant with panoramic views that make even skeptics forgive the daring curves below. Gehry once called it “a building that refused to stand still.”  

In a city famous for its cathedrals, spires, and cobblestones, the Dancing House is that rare architectural improvisation—part sculpture, part high-rise, all rhythm. 

 DESIGN FACTS  

Location: Rašínovo nábřeží 80, Prague 2, Czech Republic  

Architects: Vlado Milunić (Croatia/Czech Republic) & Frank Gehry (USA) 

Completed: 1996  

Style: Deconstructivism / Postmodern Expressionism  

Nickname: Tančící dům (“The Dancing House”), also known as “Fred and Ginger”  

Structure: Reinforced concrete core with glass-and-steel façade  

Height: 9 stories (plus rooftop terrace)  

Function: Mixed-use — offices, gallery, and rooftop restaurant “Ginger & Fred” 

Notable Feature: The rooftop dome sculpture—nicknamed “Medusa”—crafted from twisted metal tubes, representing energy and motion.

Atop the Fred & Ginger Restaurant

 

TIME TRAVEL / PUB CRAWL 79 BC

 

Good evening. This is Walter Concretus, reporting to you on a TV set not yet invented from the city of Rome. The year is 79 B.C. Dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla, master of Rome by sword and decree, has shocked the Republic. He has resigned his office, disbanded his bodyguard, and returned quietly to private life. 

Tonight, we take you inside a popina*, where the common citizens of Rome react to this extraordinary event. The tavern is crowded. Soldiers who fought in Sulla’s campaigns drink beside merchants and freedmen. The marble counter is lined with steaming pots of lentils and spiced wine. Dice clatter on wooden boards, but conversation turns again and again to one subject: Sulla’s retreat from power. At one table, a grizzled veteran insists that the Republic is safe again, that no man will dare follow Sulla’s path. 

At another, a young tribune shakes his head — he warns that ambition is not so easily retired. Across the room, the tavern-keeper pours another cup, muttering that Rome has seen strongmen come and go, but the poor still pay for bread and wine. This evening, the popina* echoes with speculation. Will the Senate truly govern? Or has Sulla’s march shown every ambitious general the way to seize power? 

For now, Rome celebrates its dictator entering his favorite popina as a private citizen. 

But in the years ahead, history may remember 79 B.C. not as an ending, but as a beginning. 

This is Walter Concretus, CBS News. You are there. 

START MONDAY WITH GOOD NEWS / MERCY SHIPS: FLOATING HOSPITALS

Founded in 1978 by Don and Deyon Stephens, MercyShips.org is a humanitarian organization headquartered in Garden Valley (near Tyler), Texas. Its mission is as bold as it is simple: bring world-class surgical care directly to nations where access to safe surgery remains a luxury. 

Operating entirely on donations and volunteer service, Mercy Ships deploys fully equipped hospital ships to African ports, transforming harbors into floating medical centers.   

Each ship is a self-sustaining community. The Africa Mercy, a converted ferry launched in 2007, houses five operating rooms, an 82-bed recovery ward, laboratories, and accommodations for more than 400 crew members. The Global Mercy, commissioned in 2021, is the organization’s first purpose-built hospital ship. With six operating rooms and capacity for nearly a thousand people, it stands as the world’s largest civilian hospital ship.   

Life aboard these vessels is as challenging as it is purposeful. Volunteers—surgeons, nurses, engineers, teachers, cooks, and deckhands—sign on for months at a time. They share compact cabins, work long shifts, and take meals together in common dining halls. Many bring their families; schools on board ensure children continue their education while their parents serve. The environment is communal, international, and deeply mission-driven.   

Mercy Ships deployments, known as “field services,” typically last eight to ten months and occur only after an official invitation from a host nation. Advance teams work with local ministries of health to prepare for arrival. Once docked, surgeries begin immediately. Tumor removals, cleft palate repairs, orthopedic corrections, and cataract procedures are performed on board, while dental and eye clinics operate onshore. 

Deck officers aboard the Mercy Ship “Global Mercy” take a brief pause on duty. These maritime professionals help keep the hospital ship safely crewed and seaworthy as it delivers free surgical care along the African coast. 

Equally important are the training programs—local surgeons, anesthetists, and nurses learn techniques that strengthen their national health systems long after the ship departs.   

In 2024 alone, Mercy Ships completed 4,746 surgical operations and more than 13,000 dental treatments. With Global Mercy now fully operational, the fleet is expected to serve more than 1,500 surgical patients annually, expanding both reach and impact.   

The World Health Organization estimates that five billion people lack access to safe, affordable surgical care. In some African nations, nine out of ten who need an operation cannot obtain one. 

Mercy Ships does not claim to solve this crisis—but it bridges an immense gap, one patient and one surgery at a time.   

For the volunteers, it is a voyage of skill and spirit. 

For the patients, it is often a passage from despair to recovery. 

And for those who watch these ships sail, emblazoned with the promise of healing, it is proof that compassion can still chart a course across any sea. 

SUNDAY REVIEW / PSYCHOLOGY TODAY PH.D CALLS AUTHOR DAN BROWN'S NEW THRILLER FAST PACED, FUN READ BUT ...

DON'T BELIEVE THE SCIENCE BEHIND "THE SECRET OF SECRETS" 

 GUEST BLOG / By Betsy Holmberg, PH.d writing in Psychology Today Magazine--Dan Brown’s latest thriller, The Secret of Secrets, follows neuroscientist Katherine Solomon as she reports how low GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the nervous system, expands consciousness. She states in her research that low levels of GABA enable things like telepathy, remote viewing, and more. She explains that on our deathbeds, we experience a precipitous drop in GABA, revealing to us what lies beyond. Her science leads to a mind-bending cat-and-mouse chase around the most beautiful parts of Prague. 

It is a fun and riveting read. 

But is it real? 

Does lowering GABA levels open the aperture of awareness so we can sense a greater connection to each other and all that this universe is? Like everything Dan Brown writes, it sounds very convincing. And exciting! But unfortunately, the science is wrong. 

GABA, or gamma-aminobutyric acid, is a neurotransmitter that hyperpolarizes neurons. GABA mutes neurons, so they are less likely to fire. This produces a calming effect on the brain, helping to reduce stress and anxiety and improve sleep. 

Our thoughts are also affected by GABA levels. We have two thought networks: first, the default mode network (DMN), which is our internal, automatic network (aka the thoughts that make up our inner monologue), and second, the central executive network (CEN), which is the network we use when we focus on something. For example, when you are in an anxiety spiral and your thoughts are spiraling, you’re listening to your DMN. When you write an email and think through what you want to say, you are using your CEN. 

Increased GABA levels correlate with deactivation of the DMN. It helps us turn off our inner monologue so that we can focus better on external tasks and the world around us. 

Therefore, low GABA levels don’t lead to expanded consciousness—they actually make us more internally focused. Low GABA makes it impossible to turn off our negative self-talk. When individuals are low in GABA, they tend to experience symptoms like anxiety, insomnia, depression, and even suicidality. 

If what you are reading now this leads you to think, “I want more GABA!” Here are a few actions you can take: 

1. Eat foods rich in GABA or its precursors. Do a quick search online, and you will find lots of healthy food options that are rich in GABA or its precursor, glutamate, such as spinach, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms. 

2. Increase your vitamin B6 intake. B6 is an essential vitamin for converting glutamate into GABA, and many of us do not get enough B vitamins. Supplementation can help us round out our dietary needs. 

3. Limit alcohol intake. Alcohol can interfere with GABA-A receptors, making them less effective. 

Relatedly, the thought network literature shows that regular alcohol use leads to increased functional connectivity in the DMN, probably in part caused by impairments in GABA activation. 

 It is a thrilling concept to think that modulating a neurotransmitter could lead to greater awareness and perception. Unfortunately, the science is not there to support it. 

Like the rest of his works, Dan Brown’s The Secret of Secrets is an incredibly fun romp. He does a wonderful job bringing to life real cultural and historical places. 

Unfortunately, the science he shares in this work is not as real as the history. 

***

CRITICAL SNAPSHOTS —

The Guardian--“Weapons-grade nonsense from beginning to end — but irresistible for Brown devotees.” 

Washington Post--Brown “clearly had fun writing this,” and the energy carries the book, even through “corny dialogue and cosmic overreach.” 

Los Angeles Times--“A dense thriller that doubles as a meditation on consciousness … you’ll want to clear your schedule and just read.” 

New York Times--“A wistful testament to the power of the printed word.” Ingenious plotting and pacing, though “hyperactive prose” keeps it from Da Vinci-level resonance. 

Kirkus Reviews--“Fast, vivid, and occasionally over-explained.” Commends settings and drive; sighs at “info-dump” detours. 

The Telegraph (UK)--“A ludicrous fantasy full of laughable writing — yet oddly fun if you don’t take it seriously.” 

The Times (UK)--“Fond of cliché, hyperbole, and mixed metaphors … the first half is fun enough before it drifts into new-age fog.” 

The Independent (UK)--“Unavoidably silly, but Brown embraces the silliness with verve — thrillers, not high literature.” 

 Le Monde (France)--Notes a shift from rationalism to mysticism: “Langdon becomes a believer.” Warns fiction and pseudoscience blur at times. 

Bookreporter--“Another instant classic” that “packages complex ideas into page-turning accessibility.” 

Book Marks (Aggregator)--Overall verdict: Mixed. Critics agree on brisk pacing; divide over whether the ride justifies the noise.

PillartoPost.org online daily magazine style blog--We agree with Los Angeles Times, Kirkus Reviews and (UK) Times.  And, we ask author Brown when will he add a Cast of Characters list to help pull us out of "new age fog."  He does provide a map of Prague, however.

COFFEE BEANS & BEINGS / CAFE SANTO AN ENDURING BLESSING IN LA'S EAST SIDE

520 W Whittier Boulevard, Montebello, CA 

When Culinary Backstreets profiled Café Santo in 2022, it read like a love letter to a project just finding its footing. Marlon Gonzales and his partner Pilar Castañeda had finally brought their Oaxacan-inspired pop-up into a permanent home at Montebello’s BLVD Market. They wanted to offer more than caffeine—they wanted community, culture, and craft. Three years later, Café Santo is still pouring strong, and the vision has held. 

The first impression hasn’t changed much: white walls, spare décor softened by potted cacti and hand-drawn graphics from Oaxacan artists. The space feels curated but not sterile, a little gallery with an espresso machine at its heart. Instagram in 2025 shows the café as bright as ever, with that same minimalist warmth. It remains the market’s most inviting street-facing tenant, coaxing customers off Whittier Boulevard into a space that feels both local and international. 

The coffee continues to be the backbone of Café Santo. Gonzales still works with trusted collaborators like Casa Tostadora in Boyle Heights, sourcing beans and dialing in roast profiles that reflect his Oaxacan roots. Patrons today rave about the Oaxacan mocha, a deep chocolate-coffee hybrid that bridges two traditions with elegance. Yelp reviews from this summer note consistently strong espresso work, even if some find the prices edging toward upscale Los Angeles norms. 

But Café Santo was never meant to be just about coffee. From the beginning, chocolate was its other pulse. In 2022, they served three house drinking chocolates with origins in Oaxaca, made in collaboration with Rito Chocolateria and Reina Negra. That practice endures, and while the lineup rotates, the chocolate-espresso interplay still defines the menu. Weekend specials like memelas and minimalist breakfast burritos remain part of the draw, alongside chilaquiles that reviewers describe as “worth the trip alone.” 

If the early years promised ambitious cultural programming—mezcal pairings, art openings—today’s Café Santo seems to focus more on daily service than on staging elaborate events. Their Instagram highlights fewer community gatherings than before, a sign perhaps of pandemic aftershocks and the practicalities of running a small shop. Even so, the café continues to collaborate with local artists, and Cuarto Central, Pilar’s art studio nearby, helps keep creativity flowing. 

The verdict in 2025 is similar to that in 2022: Café Santo is more than a café. It is still an expression of Oaxacan identity transplanted to Montebello soil, still a stylish and soulful spot in an area not always known for specialty coffee. Where it once embodied promise, it now embodies resilience. Three years on, Gonzales and Castañeda have shown that their project is not a novelty but a sustained contribution to Los Angeles coffee culture. 

BODY DYNAMICS / WHY WE YAWN

Understanding the involuntary human yawn  

You don’t decide to yawn. It decides for you.  

Triggered by fatigue, boredom, or sometimes sheer social mimicry, a yawn is a built-in reflex that begins deep in the brainstem. The act itself is simple—an open mouth, a deep breath, and a brief stretch of jaw muscles—but what it triggers under the hood is a physiological reset.  

When we yawn, our body inhales deeply, flooding the lungs with air. This boosts oxygen intake while reducing carbon dioxide in the bloodstream. The sharp intake of breath also increases blood flow, especially to the brain, which is thought to help regulate temperature and keep the brain alert. One popular theory holds that yawning cools the brain much like a radiator.  

Neurologically, yawns involve a cascade of signals—starting in the hypothalamus, passing through the paraventricular nucleus, and then activating cranial nerves that control jaw movement and breathing. 

That big stretch? It’s your body instinctively trying to shake off drowsiness or inattention.  

And yes—yawns are contagious. Seeing, hearing, or even reading about yawning (sorry) can trigger the reflex. Scientists call it “social mirroring,” a behavior linked to empathy and group bonding in mammals. Dogs yawn when their owners do. So do chimpanzees. And most definitely, humans.  

So next time you catch yourself mid-yawn, don't stifle it. Your brain may be telling you something—and it might just be asking for a second wind. 

WHEN A POPULAR STRAWBERRY FIELD TURNS FALL ORANGE

Plenty of time left this month to catch the fun at Carlsbad Strawberry Company.  And, the speakeasy, too.  Yes, it has the feel that your Uncle Billy created this in his backyard, but homemade is part of the charm.

 [Carlsbad, CA--PillartoPost.org]--Each fall, the Carlsbad Strawberry Company exchanges its famous berry fields for a sea of orange. The farm’s annual pumpkin patch has become one of North County’s most beloved seasonal stops, drawing families, photographers, and romantics who still believe October should smell like hay and cinnamon. 

The I-5 pumpkin patch goes well beyond pumpkins, unfolding into a full fall-festival landscape with marigold and sunflower rows blazing along the walkways, rustic photo backdrops, tricycle races, picnic tables shaded by canvas tents, and pens of goats, sheep, and rabbits tended by patient farmhands.  

From the moment visitors roll off Cannon Road, the scene feels both cinematic and homemade. Children scatter toward the pumpkin rows while parents line up at the corn maze entrance or the tractor ride that loops the property. The air carries a trace of sea salt and straw—reminders that this is still a working coastal farm at heart, not a pop-up attraction imported for the season. 

By late afternoon, sunlight glows off the marigolds, and couples queue for portraits against the towering “pumpkin house,” one of the property’s signature installations.  

General admission, currently fifteen dollars, covers entry to the fields, flower rows, games, and shaded picnic zones. Extras—like the mile-and-a-half corn maze, petting pens, or the evening haunted maze—are ticketed separately, and costs can rise quickly for a full day’s immersion. But few visitors seem to mind. 

The variety keeps the experience fresh: one moment you’re lost among the a-mazing corn stalks, the next you’re sharing caramel corn at a picnic table or watching toddlers chase tricycles across the dirt lanes. Fridays and Saturdays in October extend into the night, when strings of Edison bulbs turn the entire farm into a lantern-lit carnival.  

The Carlsbad patch earns points for atmosphere more than spectacle. It’s festive but never forced, rural without feeling remote. What’s impressive is how well the site balances its multiple audiences—parents, photographers, couples, and school groups—without losing its easygoing charm. 

Crowds are inevitable on weekends, and some activities close half an hour before the posted time, but the staff keeps things moving with an efficiency that suggests they’ve done this for years.  

Carlsbad’s pumpkin patch isn’t the largest in Southern California, nor the most elaborate, but it remains one of the most authentic. There’s something quietly rewarding about watching a toddler hoist a pumpkin half their size while surf winds ripple through the corn. The place feels earned, the way local traditions should.  

For those seeking a genuine fall outing—one that trades synthetic haunted-house thrills for sunlight, laughter, and a faint scent of straw—the Carlsbad Strawberry Company’s pumpkin fields deliver. It’s a short drive, a long memory, and one of those small-town pleasures that keep San Diego’s northern edge grounded. 

On balance, call it a four-and-a-half-star experience for ambiance, family fun, and authenticity. AND, a speakeasy for adult refreshments.  

Open daily through October, 1050 Cannon Road, Carlsbad. carlsbadstrawberrycompany.com/pumpkin. 

It's farmy and a-mazingly corny.

SILLY US, WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG WITH WASHINGTON WATCHING OUR MONEY?

Where does the Stock Market stand as Washington hits a standstill? 

GUEST BLOG / By Angelo Kourkafas-- Angelo Kourkafas is responsible for analyzing market conditions, assessing economic trends and developing portfolio strategies and recommendations that help investors work toward their long-term financial goals. He is a contributor to Edward Jones Market Insights and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, FORTUNE magazine, Marketwatch, U.S. News & World Report, The Observer and the Financial Post. Angelo graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Athens University of Economics and Business in Greece and received an MBA with concentrations in finance and investments from Minnesota State University. 

NOTE: Edward Jones has been financial advisor to PillartoPost.org for more than 20 years. 

 Key takeaways

 Here we are again, the Government has shutdown.  The U.S. government has shut down, halting nonessential operations and delaying key economic data releases such as jobs and inflation reports. 

 Economic impact limited for now - While a prolonged shutdown could weigh on growth, the current economic momentum driven by resilient consumer spending and record artificial intelligence (AI) investments should help cushion the blow. 

 Labor market softening - Hiring is slowing, though layoffs remain limited outside the government sector. With official data unavailable, the Fed may rely on weaker private indicators such as ADP payrolls, keeping its focus on the labor market and continuing interest rate cuts. 

 Market resilience persists - Stock momentum continues, led by AI and rate-sensitive sectors. Shutdowns have historically had minimal long-term impact, and any pullbacks may offer opportunities to add exposure to underrepresented areas of portfolios. 

 At the stroke of midnight on Sept. 30, the U.S. government officially shut down after lawmakers failed to reach a funding agreement. The immediate impact: a halt to nonessential government operations, widespread furloughs and a pause in key public services. 

 For investors, perhaps the most consequential disruption is the suspension of critical economic data releases, such as inflation and employment reports, that markets and the Federal Reserve rely on to guide decisions. 

 Under normal circumstances, we'd analyze the September jobs report, scheduled for release on Oct. 3. But with the data on standby, we're shifting our focus to examine where the economy, labor market, Fed policy and financial markets stand as we navigate this period of statistical silence. 

 Economy: Still growing 

Since July, economic data have broadly surprised to the upside, driven by: 

--Resilient consumer spending 

--Heavy AI investment 

 As a result, the Atlanta Fed currently estimates third-quarter GDP growth at 3.8%, signaling strong momentum just before the data blackout. 

More specifically: Retail sales have accelerated over the past three months through August, reaching their fastest pace since early 2023. While the September report may not be released on Oct. 16 if the shutdown continues, auto sales for the month came in better than expected. Additionally, same-store sales tracked by the Johnson Redbook Index (a sample of large U.S. retailers) grew at a solid 6% pace in September.* Both datapoints are reported by the private sector and not impacted by the shutdown. 

 On the AI front, investment in equipment and intellectual property is contributing meaningfully to GDP, growing at its fastest rate since the internet boom of the late 1990s.* Major tech firms are doubling down: Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Meta alone are projected to spend nearly $400 billion on capital expenditures next year, roughly 30% of total estimated S&P 500 investment spending. 

 Shutdown impact 

 As outlined in Government shutdowns and the markets - 3 things to know, we expect a short-term slowdown in growth during the shutdown, followed by a quick recovery once funding resumes. Because furloughed federal workers are guaranteed backpay, the shutdown tends to delay rather than eliminate spending and economic activity. That said, businesses dependent on government contracts may experience permanent income loss. 

 Historical precedent suggests a potential drag of 0.1%-0.2% on quarterly GDP growth for each week of closure.* The longer the shutdown lasts, the more noticeable the economic impact, and the greater the political cost for both parties and pressure to reach an agreement. The upshot: While growth may slow in the fourth quarter, it does so from a strong starting point, with activity likely rebounding in the first quarter, assuming the shutdown lasts weeks rather than months. 

 Bottom line: Keep calm and carry on 

Driving at night with headlights suddenly off is unsettling, but swerving in panic rarely leads to good outcomes. Similarly, making abrupt investment changes in response to a government shutdown may not be prudent. 

We think the combination of a growing economy, rising corporate profits and declining interest rates supports a positive outlook for stocks. This won’t eliminate bouts of volatility along the way, but against this backdrop, we’d view market pullbacks — particularly any weakness spurred by government shutdown anxiety — as a compelling buying opportunity. 

We continue to favor U.S. large-cap stocks with high exposure to AI. However, given these stocks’ multiyear outperformance, investors may want to use pullbacks to diversify into underrepresented areas with catch-up potential, such as U.S. mid-caps and cyclical sectors. 

TUESDAY TRAVEL / SAILING CENTRAL CALIFORNIA, AN IDYLL WITH JENNIFER SILVA REDMOND

Morro Rock as seen from Watchfire

First in a series of sailboat adventures from the author of "Honeymoon at Sea." 

GUEST BLOG / By Jennifer Silva Redmond-- In June of 2020, my husband Russel and I sailed out of San Diego's Mission Bay and turned right. We stopped at a few points of call on our trip north, but, due to pandemic restrictions, there wasn’t much socializing along the way. 

Then a Small Craft Warning kept us stuck in Oxnard for a week, so it was late in June when we sailed past Santa Barbara. 

A few days later we rounded Point Conception on a calm morning, motoring north (one wants to avoid weather at that Cape, so we were willing to motor). We sailed into Morro Bay that evening and and pulled up to the dock at the always welcoming Morro Bay Yacht Club. 

We both love the central coast of California, and were looking forward to spending time there with our dear friends Neil and Brad. Russel and Neil share a birthday week, so we four often meet up to celebrate together the second week in July. Sometimes that week’s activities are built around a fun staycation at Neil and Brad’s lovely home in the California desert, but this year we’d agreed to meet up in Morro Bay for a few days of touristing. They had reserved a waterfront hotel room so the four of us would be able to take turns being afloat or ashore. 

Morro Bay (above, as seen from Watchfire) is surrounded by beautiful coastline and bucolic farmlands and there’s plenty to do—from galleries and shell shops to the farmers market and art shows in the city park—but I was still wracking my brains for a perfect big event when I saw an ad for Sensorio. 

For those who have not experienced this “happening,” it is a multi-acre light show spread out in the rolling hills near Paso Robles, and promised to be a very unusual evening. Uniqueness is key when you are trying to choose a birthday experience for the guys who have everything! 

Neil and Brad arrived late on the first day so we only briefly met up at their hotel room to make plans over drinks. They’d brought gourmet snacks as usual, so we nibbled on smoked salmon and soft cheeses with herbed crackers, and sipped the cool Italian white wine Brad had selected. 

Brad—tall, dark, and striking with bright blue eyes—has a Texas twang and a booming infectious laugh. Neil is handsome in a more golden way, bronzed by the sun with long silver locks, given to witty throwaway quips that have us rolling. We all decided that the next day would feature a seafood dinner prepared on the boat, so we needed to include a trip to the local fish store to see what was fresh on offer. 

The next morning we four strolled down the main coastal drag of Morro Bay, admiring the famous Shell Shop and peeking into many of the shops. They were suitably impressed with our favorite, a combination interior design gallery and plant nursery, with every kind of succulent, fern, bonsai, and cactus in every kind of colorful pot or vase. 

The weather that day was perfect, as Morro Bay often is, sunny with clouds and a cool salty breeze. I pointed out our favorite restaurant, Windows on the Water, which was closed for a private event, and we told them the story of the two of us going there one year for our wedding anniversary. 

At the fresh oyster bar we’d met another couple who were also celebrating their anniversary, and it turned out they’d also gotten married on May 27th, 1989. Astounding odds to have booked neighboring tables, since none of us were actually from Morro Bay. 

The outdoor tables at Giovanni’s were thronged with diners but the fish market was bountiful as promised, so we bought a few tasty treats and nibbled on samples of tangy smoked fish as we strolled. 

The afternoon flew by as we reminisced about previous birthday bashes at diverse locations. Neil and I have been friends since 1986, when we met while working at a new restaurant on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, so our humorous repertoire of “remember that day” stories runs deep. 

Russel met Neil in 1993, and Neil introduced us to Brad just a couple of years later, so we four have over twenty- five years of hanging out and throwing parties together to draw on. 

There was time to catch up on everything that had been happening in our lives, including some work drama and a few new pursuits. Neil has always been encouraging to me in my work, and Brad even hired me to edit copy for the company he runs when I was first freelancing. I pointed out the yacht belonging to a chef whose book I had edited and helped with publishing, including Russel shooting the perfect book cover photo. 

The conversation was comfortably rambling as we strolled further down the waterfront to see the wildlife the bay is justly famous for. There were plenty of sea lions—no surprise as we’d heard them barking off and on through the night. We soon stopped to gawk at a dozen or so sea otters basking atop the kelp beds. Otters in the wild are irresistible and we oohed and ahhed appropriately. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent resting from our big outing, then we rowed them out to our boat for a festive happy hour and a dinner of grilled black sea bass and veggies. There are not many places where you can still buy fresh-caught black sea bass, but Giovanni’s is one of them, and the white-fleshed fish was flaky, smoky, and delicious. 

We toasted to the perfection of the setting and to the “birthday boys.” The next day started with breakfast at the popular Dorn’s Breakers Cafe atop the hill overlooking Morro Bay. It was cool and gray but not raining so we sat outside and shivered in our shorts. 

The day warmed up quickly as we drove up the coast to San Simeon. We skipped the Hearst Castle tour since we’d all been there before but we did hang out at the state park beach and ogle the elephant seals, and their Goldendoodle Otis got to run and play in the breakers on the beach. Our dog, Ready was more of the hang out in my kennel in the shady car type of canine, so she was happy to be brought back to the truck. 

Leaving San Simeon, we drove south past Cambria and then directed them to turn east onto Hwy 46. This road is one of our favorite drives in the world, maybe second only to Highway One through Big Sur. The sun had come out and the scenery of rolling green hills along the winding road was as good as we’d promised. 

We stopped at a winery our chef friend had recommended for some red wine tasting, while Neil, our designated driver, walked Otis around the gorgeous grounds. Then we headed east again through more incredible views to Paso Robles. 

A vista from Denner Winery's Patio

By this point the mercury was hitting 90 so we were happy to retire to a shaded courtyard eatery for drinks and snacks. As the sun sank lower, we headed out to Sensorio, only a ten-minute drive out into the low hills outside of Paso Robles. The parking lot was already crowded but we found a perfect spot, our senior pet was happy to retire to her kennel in the truck in a shady location. Otis is a service dog so he was able to accompany us onto the grounds; having handed in our tickets we walked in the entrance gate and looked around. 

Photos cannot do Sensorio justice, it really has to be experienced in person. 

At first, with the sun not quite set, the sight of rolling fields studded with thousands of plastic light wands was disappointing, but as the sun set and the sky darkened, the hills came alive with the multicolored dots of glowing light. We strolled slowly around the loop and took a hundred pictures, then went around again and simply gazed in wonder at the dazzling vistas. 

The next day we opted to show them some of our favorite places in San Luis Obispo. SLO, as the natives call, is a college town full of wonderfully dusty and jumbled bookstores, colorful art galleries, and quirky boutiques. We wandered the labyrinth of historic streets and alleys, taking tourist shots at the gum wall, and posing on the quaint bridges. We peeked into galleries and bookshops while discussing art and literature—holding forth about our personal favorite artists and authors. 

Novo, San Luis Obispo, CA

Soon we were hungry again, of course, because we four share an appetite for life! Of course we suggested our favorite place for lunch or early dinner, Novo, right on the river. Fresh local foods, creative cuisine, and friendly service is the icing on the cake when you are sitting in an shady oak grove overlooking the rushing water; the views are fabulous and the tree bower makes it an oasis even on a hot day. it is dog-friendly, of course, so Otis could stretch out calmly at their feet and Ready could dance with excitement under our table (mealtimes always brought out her youth and vigor). 

The tablecloth was covered with dishes and speckled with sunshine filtering down through the oak leaves, and we had fun dissecting every dish and sharing tastes of everything. I took a bite of my fresh grilled salmon salad and sighed happily. 

Seeing these three dear faces, all digging in with gusto, I was filled with gratitude. Not only for the perfect setting and the days of summer fun we’d spent together, but for my friends themselves and Russel, my very best friend.

***

Note: An earlier version of this essay was originally published in Womancake Magazine in 2024; it is reprinted here with the permission of that publication. 

Enjoy Womancake Magazine at: https://www.womancake.com/ 

 

Honeymoon at Sea: How I Found Myself Living on a Small Boat can be purchased online or please feel free to order it at your favorite bookstore. .