No oysters harmed by dog teeth.

Yesterday we had an adventure to Oakland. We used to just run up to the Bay Area at the drop of a hat, in fact spent most of the week up there during the dotcom days between grad school and going back to the horse world. Now it's a big adventure day and seems so far away. To drive the hour and a half. To go shopping. And hang out.

It wasn't just shopping, it was also visiting. But since I had a whole Sunday off with no dog show or seminar or lessons or horse show, I paired it with salvage. To further the cause of the bathroom remodel. Armed with tape measure, I went back to my old haunts of years ago.

Starting with urban ore. Measured and dug through many stacks of granite and cabinets and examined tubs, to no avail. I decided I want a brand, spankin' new toilet after digging thru the racks of old ones. I think I can afford that. So nothing. And I refrained from buying the giant white rocket, although now of course I wish I had.

Then went up to omega. Which is the expensive salvage place. Everyone else there was gay couples buying clawfoots. Or at least perusing through the high priced clawfoots. Our bathroom gets a home depot plain old regular non clawfoot style tub for $200. They did have the holy grail of white marble counter slabs but not one in my size, the only close one had big pitts and rust stains and it wasn't the exact measurements I am exactly in need of. So much for salvage scores. I did buy some giant metal letters that spell out d o g s for $10 each. Which actually I love more than even a white marble 24" counter top for the bathroom. I had to refrain from quite a lot of things in there but never found just the right thing I need.

Then up to Kelsey's new house which is also known as a mansion! It is very, very, beautiful and very large, up in the hills of Piedmont. All the dogs could run free up and down the stairs, with the basement it is 4 stories tall and has a beautiful tiered yard, also perfect for dog running. And a front porch that dogs can perch on and bark at unsuspecting souls who dare walk below. It has all the rubbed antique bronze bathroom fixtures and giant wood windows, and etc. etc looks like House and Garden Home Beautiful in every way. It is no dairy farm with a mobile home for sure.

Timmy couldn't go. That used to be exactly what he spent a lot of his younger days doing, sitting in the car at urban ore and hanging out with the other dogs at someone's house, before anyone owned a mansion. He layed in his bed at home. The other dogs had to refrain off eating the food set out on one of the patios and not leap on people and generally try to have good behavior, which they did thank god. I believe only one chunk of salami was ripped out of a hand and no dogs ended up on the desert table or in the pile of oyster shells. Because this kind of cookout involved bbq oysters and drinks with Pimms. I have to hang out with my classier friends a lot more often so I don't completely devolve into the pirate toothed ranch lady drinking wine and juice in a plastic tumbler I am most of my days.