Today I went with C&K to see Caravan Parade at Stern Grove. They are like a cross between Triplets of Belleville and Rosin Coven. They call their music electro swing with some jazz thrown in. I like some of their songs very much but they do wear on the nerve over time. My favs are the ones without the girl singing, just the guys playing and the DJ guy doing weird things to his voice in a microphone.

Friday was going to see Richard Lewis at Cobb’s comedy club with a friend. I remember Richard Lewis from years and years ago and he is getting on in years. His act was stories that wandered all over the place and he had a hard time remembering what he was talking about before he went of on a tangent. There were lots of laughs but I felt unsatisfied because there were at least 6 threads left hanging that I could remember. A lot of story set up without the punchline conclusion.

Before the show, my friend and I had loads of time to find dinner. I got a chance to explore without needing to worry about my food issues. I forgot how much I love that. We wandered many blocks in North Beach and on a side street we found Cafe Maria (http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-maria-san-francisco). I am hesitant to give it rave reviews because it will become packed and unavailable. It gets as many stars as I can give. It is very much a local’s restaurant. Some patrons told us it was good and relatively cheap while we were wandering by and checking out menus. One of them gave us some parmesan from a big wheel. It was the customers welcoming us that sold me on the place (and the prices were a step under the prices we had seen on Columbus).

Usually I like to not engage in chit chat with the staff but it felt very warm and welcoming here. They gave us a table in the back near a door that could be opened (I was overheated from walking). They gave us olives and bread w/ butter. When I finally got around to tasting the bread, it melted in my mouth. Oh, it was good european bread. The place was mostly seafood but that didn’t bother me. I was in a really good state. I got to explore and find something new and good. I felt comfortable and welcomed. I felt safe and like there was something I would be able to eat without worry. I was really happy, like I haven’t been in a long time. I would get bouncy and bubbly and other times I just sat there with a smile on my face soaking the feeling it. I had cheese and spinach ravioli with half cream tomato sauce and half pesto sauce. My friend had the pasta bolognese which looked and smelled wonderful (but was too spicy hot for me sadly). The waitress took good care of us even though she had two tables of 13 she was also taking care of. The owners would check in with us and talked with us. They are trying to figure out what they want to have for their dessert menu and was interested in suggestions. Half the staff is Brazillian. I would love to see it serve pasta and the meat on a stick. That would be fun.

It has great reviews on yelp already. I am sure it will get swamped and will no longer be a great tucked out of the way place, *sniff*. I will remember it fondly as a place where I was actually happy.

Wed, a friend treated me to Mrs Warren’s Profession at Cal Shakes. I can recommend this as well. Cal Shakes is a wonderful site for plays, they have food which is reasonable for captive audience prices. Mrs Warren’s dresses were incredible and I loved watching her move in them. It takes place in Victorian England. The accents were so well done that I had a hard time remembering I wasn’t watching something on PBS or listening to NPR. The evening was perfect. I had been warned it gets very cold and it was a warm night and needed a long sleeve shirt over my tank top. It was hot when I got there but cooled off enough by the time the play started. It was nice to see a performance.

Besides mooching bridge toll, all this was damn cheap. My friend treated me to the play because he had comps and liked to have company. Stern Grove was free (a friend gave me a dollar to donate). I paid $6 in fees for the free ticket to the comedy club and I paid $12 for dinner. Really, all I need is people to do things with. I really wanted to go to the Neverwas Haul open house which was free (they were selling food and drink for $5 to raise money) and because I was on my own, I never made it out of the house. I had people to meet there but they would be there with or without me. It feels like a switch: With someone=go, just for myself=don’t move.

There is a science comedian that I would like to see for $10 coming up. Shows I can get free tickets to (pay just the fees) is a show about filming the Life of Brian with Monty Python’s Flying Circus Aug 15th and another one I think from the Netherlands called Men: A User’s Guide Aug 20th. Both of these are part of the SF Improv Festival. I have a party to go to in two weeks that I really hope I can get myself to. Last year I was in the zone and it was wonderful. The year before, I was so out of step that I felt awkward and miserable. The year prior to that, I couldn’t get myself to go at all.

I have therapy on tues and maybe a get together on Fri. That is all I have for the entire week. One more therapy session next week and then that party. I feel like I am putting so much effort into finding people to do things with and am always needing to put more energy in and that I am starting to run out of steam.