i went to the california shakespeare theater in orinda with laur, mike, and steve on tuesday to see this month's play, 'restoration comedy.' it wasn't one of shakespeare's plays, but written in the style of (a small group of men and women and their mate-switching and un-switching). my mom used to take laur and i when we were pre-teens, and i always had really fond memories of it - i remember distinctly a strong smell of wine in the outdoor theatre under starry nights, and bringing a picnic dinner, lawn chairs and a thermos of hot chocolate for intermission. this time, we brought zachary's pizza for dinner and a glass of champagne (there was a tasting) before the show. we also brought a bottle of wine to drink during the show to complement the wasabi shrimp chips (class).

i have to say, for those few of you who live in the bay, you should really really check this out. it's a great experience. the backdrop of the theatre is the orinda hills, and it's kind of in a small forrested area. when the sun sets, the stage really pops out, and the acting is really good. what's more, if you're under 30, tickets are only $15 for weekday shows! that's amazing considering they're usually almost $50. i recommend sitting in section E, where you have to bring your own seats, but you get an entire view of the stage. in august they'll show the 'merchant of venice,' and in september it will be 'as you like it.' what's neat is that it usually isn't set in shakespearean times - they're almost always set in other time periods, so it's slightly easier to understand, and the costumes aren't just pantaloons and whatever.

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the cheesy ass modern love columns usually make me want to barf, but this has been among the times' most popular stories for weeks. the pith - treat your sig oth as a trainer tasked with breaking in a naughty animal. that means use the approximation system of rewards and give no response to bad behavior. i think this method really works, or at least it makes you less stressed. serenity now! (insanity later)