Big Sister

Celebrity sighting: Stone Pony edition

photo by Kevin Dooley
Some rights reserved

Saturday was one of those great days. The weater was cold and clear. I ate a huge breakfast. I drank Philz coffee. I went to a craft fair and bought something. I saw Andrea. I watched two episodes of Freaks and Geeks ("Kim Kelly is My Friend" and "Tests and Breasts"). I knit a ton (started and knit 3 repeats of the Rainy Day Scarf, worked on the Curiously Clever Clogs). Then when things just couldn't get any better we went to see music. Music that started before 9pm. I love that! John had read about a band from San Pablo called Los Cenzontles playing at the Make-Out Room as part of MAPP this month.

Before we even got there we ran into two of John's former co-workers, who were also headed to see the band. It was a banner day! We were being social! Then, to top things off, the band was awesome. They perform a mixture of Mexican pop and traditional folklorico music. People (included us) danced, sang along, and generally whooped it up. As we were chatting with one of the former co-workers at the end, she said, "I think someone said that Linda Rondstadt is here."

Wha?

At that moment I turned slightly to my right and sure enough there she was. Linda Freaking Ronstadt!! At the Make-Out Room! I grabbed Paul who was hanging in the back and pretty much at that same time, several other people discovered she was there. Some guy even appeared with a record to sign (swift thinking!). She looked kind of like someone's mom (actually with the same haircut as MY mom), wearing Uggs and going to see a band at the Make-Out Room. It was an excellent ending to an excellent day!

Is she or isn't she?

Several years ago, there was this great restaurant on Valencia Street called Val 21. The dinners there were terrific, but the meal to eat there was brunch. You will never forget the first time that you have challah French toast and for that Val 21 earns a special place in my heart. I will also remember Val 21 as the first time I ever spotted the "woman who looks so much like Tracy Chapman that she has to be Tracy Chapman woman" (yes, woman twice, it just didn't sound right without it). I shared my celebrity spotting with friends, none of whom believed me. I would see her from time-to-time always around the same few blocks in the Mission, then I didn't see her anymore.

On Wednesday I had a very reasonable breakfast (VRB) before work at Boogaloo's. I had some eggs, some fruit, some coffee cake, and lots of coffee. I brought some Sara Shatford Layne to read. I was set. Then in walks the "woman who looks so much like Tracy Chapman that she has to be Tracy Chapman woman." She sat behind me so I wasn't able to stare at her and memorize her face for comparison, so maybe I'm wrong. But seriously, if she is not Tracy Chapman then I hope she is getting paid as her double to keep fans off of the real Tracy's trail because she looks a lot like her.

So, tell me, is Tracy Chapman a San Franciscan or isn't she?