Oh Ella, California is missing you.

Hello my dear Q — That’s me. All I need to do now is adopt a way of speaking in which every exhalation issues forth the word “like.” (“It was, like, wonderful, like, because they had, like, huge lattes.”)

Green and sunshine — that is what all of us need. NOW. I hope that happens soon, Danielle.

Yes indeed, you have to visit LK. I liked To the Lighthouse, the first part more than the second. I am a sort of conservative theater-goer, and people singing as they rowed to the lighthouse was not my cup of tea. Still, the set was beautiful and the dinner party scene very moving.

I don’t much like Starbucks. Once I went there and the woman behind the counter asked me what size I wanted, tall, grande, or vente. I said: “Er, grand, please.” There was a short pause then she said: “You mean grand-AY.” I wish I’d said: “No, I mean GRAND!” Grande?! What kind of word is grande?!

BlogLily, fyi, if you get a chance, do see To The Lighthouse at the Berkeley Rep. It is sooooo fabulous.

Eoin, You’ll be happy to know that Bodega seems to be a place where the pub is not dead, and people know how to hang out.

Emily, your comment made me think about how sometimes, when a place is everywhere, that’s a good thing. Look at the carnegie library, for example. Nothing wrong with the proliferation of those! As for Starbucks, here in the Bay Area, the attitude among hip coffee drinkers is that Starbucks represents “starter” coffee — and that’s a good thing for those who’ll then graduate to Peet’s (where the truly good coffee is, apparently). I’m a tea drinker most of the time, so this is mostly lost on me.

Ms. OP — I had a great time too!

Hello dear Mick, Nice to hear from you. A baby’s about to arrive in your house — I can see why you’re not spending a lot of time writing comments!

I’ll admit, U-Dad, that, while in Starbucks, seeking tea, I refer to the size of tea I want by the terms I know and love — large, medium, small.

Kate, Your hinterland sounds lovely — I love snow, and snowy landscapes. I guess we all long for that kind of coziness, but around about now, it’s time for bulbs to be issuing forth some signs of spring, don’t you think?!

Kristen, Me too. Why that’s so funny, I can’t quite say, but it’s a very succinct statement of outrage and condemnation.

I didn’t dare ask for tea, Melanie, worried I might be infringing on some code about which I was unaware. (Actually, I’m pretty sure tea is cool — there was chai on offer, after all.)

Litlove, You’ve enriched my day greatly with the expression we “fell about laughing.” I’m going to use that the moment I get home today.

Hello Doug — a double double! It sounds like a good hand in cards. Here’s to Bunns and those truckers and throwing things out before they’re past their prime.

HMH — I KNEW you’d be roasting organic fair trade coffee over at your house. That sounds so delicious and just right. xo

Polaris, Not that far, right??

Dear Ann, How fun. I love it when people get married in places that offer vacationing possibilities. I’d highly recommend this part of the coast.

Lucette, I’d assemble a bird flu kit if I knew what to put in it. But I’m afraid it involves hoarding antibiotics or some other such thing, and I don’t know how to do that!

More truckers than bikers tho….

Doug

Still laughing.