On the Town

Gah. The hangover.

I woke up this morning with my head splitting, feeling vaguely sick to my stomach and very, very foolish. I just don't drink very often, so it turns out that having three Long Island Iced Teas at Panama Bar in Chico last night was not such a terrific idea. I blame Amanda for the third one, though. I was tipsy after my second, and Summer and I were planning to leave soon-ish, but then Amanda had to surprise me with that third tea!

It was all fun, though. I hadn't seen Amanda in something like eight or nine years, so it was lovely to catch up in a forum outside of Facebook and to help her celebrate her 30th birthday.

Now, the sad news.

I'm not sure you'll be able to handle this.

It's bad, people.

I...lost Cali Swimmy.

He was on the table with my camera and my cell phone, when I got up to go to the bathroom. I swear that I put him back in my purse with both camera and phone when I got up to go to the bathroom, but I must have knocked him to the floor, where someone then thought he was garbage or something. : (

The good news is that I have a backup! Cali was randomly chosen from a pair of ducks I had in my bathroom and the 2nd duck is very happy to step up and be called to active duty as my lucky rubber ducky. It, too, will be Cali Swimmy. So it's all good.

It was a fun day--wandering around Chico State and downtown with Summer, reminiscing about our memories of the place and eating Jon & Bon's frozen yogurt even though it was bloomin' cold out with the threat of rain. Our evening on the town reminded us both that while Chico is a fun, happy place, there are reasons we left and damn, are we glad we grew up and made our lives what they are now.

Oh, and by the way, it turns out that potato wedges and hot tea can cure a hangover.

Oh, Chico. How little you've changed. Some of the stores and restaurants are changed, and the student union is beautiful now, but in spirit, you are the same crazy, happy, social, scantily-clad town I knew. There's something comforting about that.

This is the door to the office of one Dr. Burnham, who
tortured taught me for five years in clarinet.
He is a brilliant man, and absolutely impossible in so
many ways. Notice the white board marker graffiti on his
door.

Can you spot the duck?

Campus rose garden.

Again...can you spot the duck?

Bird In Hand is one of my favorite shops in Chico.

We went to the crazy candy store, too.

Nope, there is not.

Near campus, there are five streets that lead all the way to the school, called,
in order, Chestnut, Hazel, Ivy, Cherry, Orange. Everyone loves that
they spell "Chico" when you take the first letters. Summer and I loved this
little wall sign at Made In Chico.

Jon & Bon's. Mine was half Red Velvet Cake, half Dulce de Leche.

On the town, before I started drinking.

Amanda, Meg, Summer

Amanda and her partner, Sarah.

Summer and I, obviously. Damn, my hair is getting long.

Of course we went to Tacos de! As we went in, I may or may not have told
some guys standing in the doorway to move, as it had been 10 years and I
needed some Tacos de. One gave me a high five.

They've spruced the place up in the past 10 years.

Tacos de Acupulco has the right idea--stay open AFTER the bars close.

For some reason, I thought this was a good photo op.

NACHOS!!!!!