Yesterday, I braved atmospheric rivers and met up with Jess and Cathy, two women I’ve been friends with since childhood. I’m staying in Sonoma County, California for a few months and they live close to San Francisco.
Last year, we got together when another classmate of ours, Michael, was in town and the four of us had a fascinating conversation about high school in the 80’s, mean kids, sexual assault, and how we were all The Breakfast Club’s “Basketcase.”
When Jess, Cathy, and I settled in at our table at Sweetwater Music Hall, a server asked if he could get us drinks. “I’d like a Bloody Mary, except with tequila, which I think is a Red Snapper,” Jess said.
“I thought it was called a Bloody Maria,” I said.
“I’d like The Tam CBD cocktail,” Cathy said.
I requested a cocktail with a fancy name that began with a D that none us of can remember.
When Cathy told us her toddler son is obsessed Frozen and loves to wear a long blonde wig and a princess dress, and that a woman accosted her for letting her son wear “girl clothes” while in line at a coffee shop, she asked, “Is it weird that I let my child wear whatever he wants?”
“No,” Jess and I said at the same time.
“What’s weird is thinking that there’s something wrong with letting him wear what he wants,” Jess said.
“Yeah. I’m starting to feel like the boxes we’ve all been conditioned to fit into are crumbling and that more and more people are beginning to realize that the patriarchal bullsh*t isn’t working for us,” I said.
We talked about how we all feel like consciousness is rising. That people are starting to shift in terms of doing what society says we’re “supposed to do,” and instead open up to doing what feels good to each of us.
When the server asked if he could get us anything else, Jess said, “I’d like a Corrected Coffee.”
“What is a Corrected Coffee?” I asked. A whole new world of fancy named beverages was opening up right in front of me.
“It’s coffee with some sort of booze and a simple syrup,” Jess said.
After we finished our drinks and food, we walked in the rain around Mill Valley, the adorable town we were in, until we found the Mill Valley Lumber Yard. A fantastic outdoor seating venue with shops and restaurants with fun names like, “Bloomingayle’s” and “Maker’s Market.”
There, we ducked into a bakery. Cathy ordered a brownie and offered us each a bite.
It was mouth meltingly delicious.
“Ooo. Is that a Golden Milk?” Cathy pointed at Jess’ cup.
“What is Golden Milk?” I asked.
“It’s an Ayurvedic elixir with amazing benefits. It’s been used for thousands of years as a way to improve digestion, circulation, and joint health due to the powerful anti-inflammatory impacts of turmeric root, plus ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper. It’s delicious!” said Cathy.
“I feel like I’ve entered a Bay Area secret society of things with weird names,” I said.
“You have,” Jess said.
“Just embrace it,” Cathy said.
So I did.
What creative, weird names have you come across lately?
