LA DOLFINA

There is so much to love about my hometown that I've decided to do a series of posts about it starting with a true classic, The Barbershop. When a guy walks into a barbershop he doesn't want surprises. Continuity means something.   Every barber cuts hair more or less the same way and it's all over in 10 or 15 minutes. The barbershop is a man's world. The men who frequent them don't miss the frills or fancy decor of a salon. The barbershop customer seeks a different kind of comfort and visits these small, spare shops because they're dependable and inexpensive, and their barbers give good quality haircuts. Clients gravitate toward the distinct male aesthetic that eschews trendy fashion magazines and aromatic flower arrangements. The tools, tonic and lather are set against a classic 1950's backdrop: smoked glass and wood paneling. Beneath displays of unbreakable combs, pocket hairbrushes and old-time tonic bottles, there are newsweeklies spread ...

While visiting one of my favorite blogs, Everton Terrace , I was blown away to discover that the Popsicle was invented in my hometown! "Once upon a time people danced on the stage, lounged on the beach and swam in the pool.  They awed at champion swimmers like Johnny Weissmuller and muscle bound men like Jack LaLane.  They rode on the hand-carved carousel and screamed while aboard the roller coaster as it dipped and rose and dipped again." Once upon a time at Neptune Beach.      "In 1905, Frank Epperson, then only 11 years old, left a stir stick in a mixture of powdered flavored soda and water out on the porch.  That night, temperatures in San Francisco reached a record low.  When Epperson woke the next morning, he discovered the drink had frozen to the stir stick, creating a fruit flavored 'icicle', a treat he had named the Episicle."  "He then waited 18 years before releasing it to the public.  In 1922, the ice-lollipop w...

This is my hometown... Alameda, California I took a stroll this afternoon... to check out the patriotic decorations around town. This neighborhood is called the "Gold Coast". Tomorrow the parade will make it's way down Grand Street, which is in the heart of the "Gold Coast". It is the 35th Annual Mayor's Fourth of July Parade and celebrates the volunteer spirit in honor of the residents, community and business members who serve our community. There will be 135 parade entrants in the Order of March. It's as classic as parades get. It's one of my favorite things about our fair island city. Neighborhoods all over town have block parties. The homes that line the parade route set up tents and chairs and serve mimosas and brunch in their front yards. When the parade is over... the streets get blocked o...