Plastic Alto with Mark Weiss

Let’s Play Two with Chez Franc ‘Chez-cago’ dogs
(Note: I took about 26 photos at Mitchell Center and a few more at Farmers Market but will have to suffice with just two: 1, Jacquetta the Chez Franc Queen; 2, Weiss driving to the hoop past the shocked and awed group of 8 year olds, me later feeling more George Costanza than George McGinness or George Mikan…)

Jacquetta Lannan, Chez Franc mobile, at Mitchell Center grand opening, December, 2014

Part 1:
Jacquetta said she could not break my twenty, so I said “let’s play two” and I bought two “Chez-cago” dogs, with bacon peppers and an edible and remarkable bun. Jacquetta (jack-wet-uh, although I botched it the first time, even though I was coach by one of her husband’s co-workers I had met on Uni Ave) was a little taken aback at how much more I knew: that she went to Smith, that she was woman of the year by the Chamber that her honey is “Eliot Sprinker” of “Asset Management” — they are taking over my old yoga studio, while she is taking over the old book store.

I had posted earlier suggesting “A Confederacy of Dunces”, it’s about a famous hot dog vendor in New Orleans.

Terry, my Terry and I met at Bruce Beasely’s studio in 2009 so I have to sign off, posting here from Mitchell-Morgan Library in Palo Alto at their opening gala. To hear Elise DeMarzo ring him in.

I will update with more impressions of this event and facility beyond the food trucks.

I was a South Sider before I was All Palo Alto or hence the Chicagoisms. I gave the second dog to Marie Ridgley, who said she would bring Jacquetta to the May Fete. Terry my Terry hit me up for another sawbuck, distracted by other commish-types Jim Midgal, Ally and Mr. Richter.

Maybe I will bug the hot dog queen for a better snapshot.

Prt 2:

Lannan. Jacquetta Lannan. Comped me a coke, after I comped Marie Ridgely a $10 Chicago Dawg. Ok, full disclosure.

The rest of the fete included sightems of: Ken Dauber, Bruce Beasley, Stoller the PV artist and wife Naomi; Elize DeMarzo of Palo Alto Staff the former commish who Bruce called the best administrator he had met in over 40 public art placings; Mary Vincent; Seth Birnbaum, Laurie Birnbaun, 2 kids in tow, or they towing Pops, bits of chase and pursuit, 9 year old Brinna and 3 year old I will call him Zack, Audrey Daniel the filmmaker and photographer who I last saw about 40 years ago; Greg Betts, Ryhenna Halpern of Staff; Alison Williams freelance staff; Lacey who manages the room but I’m on her slag list; (also Greg kinda froze me, even though he kissed Terry, same topic: Jeremy); a former Paly soccer goalie who marked Albertin Montoya circa 1992, Drew Harrell, Drew Harvey; and his son; I missed seeing Nancy and Karen but Terry did (Nancy sent me a text noting the “funn band” and then “Gunn not funn”); Mrs. Dauber Michelle I think who once said I was funny and liked my line about Ken being “the new Sheriff”; another filmmaker with a wide-brimmed hat who I presume is not Betsy Franco; some Asian dancers; some kids from Rock School; Sheena Chin a library commissoner; two ladies from Rec Foundation who heard me out re the 7-acre park coming to the Fry’s spot; (one was head of foundation, so I will have to update her name: ); Ally Richter I think I had already; a little boy not just face-painted as a tiger, he really was a tiger.

I also met Mrs. Moskovitz the Munchie Monger who said her son (The EBAY Wiz and Tastemaker) said to go for med-marijuana license; Lighthouse String Band who I gave a new tagline: Keepin’ it Reel.
That’s all I got. Thank you Seth for shooting my wake up the echoes moment: I am the slow moving guy in orange not very far off the ground; we checked and I can touch the net but not the rim.

weiss drives for bucket

minutes I am still writing, if you call this writing, but rather than another part, in keeping with my baseball doubleheader Ernie Banks motif I am going
EXRA INNINGS

Jacquetta Lannan
Athena Young Professional Award
WHEREAS, Jacquetta Lannan has been selected by the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce as the Recipient of the Athena Young Professional Leadership Award, which underscores the positive impact she made in the local community; and
WHEREAS, Jacquetta Lannan began her professional life as an employment attorney before following her dream of owning a restaurant and holds a Grand Diploma in French Cuisine from theInternational Culinary Center; and
WHEREAS, the Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce honors Jacquetta Lannan as founder of Chez Franc LLC and as the recipient of the first Athena Young Professional Leadership Award; she isrecognized for her community service and mentorship of other women, which began when sheestablished California Workplace Investigations to fairly investigate workplace violence,discrimination, and harassment complaints; and
WHEREAS, Jacquetta Lannan, through her work with the Junior League of Palo Alto-Mid- Peninsula, led a class of 80 women on civic leadership, led a committee to provide health and nutritioninformation to over 100 local families, and a myriad of other community service projects; Ms. Lannan serves on the Junior League Board Directors and continually demonstrates her deep belief incommunity service to help other women. NOW, THEREFORE, I, Nancy Shepherd, Mayor of the City of Palo Alto, on behalf of the YADDA YADDA YADDA

edit to addle, later that night: all this is making me hungry again. Hungry for baseball, here in Football and basketball season. I clicked on this photo of the Ernie Banks statue at Wrigley, from my 2009 sojourn with Dao Strom and her band. The statue says “let’s play two” on a different face of the pedestal. Apparently “Ernie Banks” is a pet name Jacquetta has for Eliot, coincidental or they are pulling my…leg. You thought I would say “hot dog”. Which actually does remind me of Mr. Parker, on my first day of baseball practice in Los Altos League when we moved here in 1974, having me throw with his son, Billy Parker, a 6th grader to my being a 5, quite an honor, and he said “Why don’t you play with this hot dog” he actually called his own son “hot dog”. I think I reminded Mr. Parker of my memory of that story — and that his wife, who had just passed away, gave my mother a recipe for a delicious spinach salad — when I visited him, roughly midpoint between Joan’s passing and his own. The “sprinkle” part, maybe I was channeling Annie Sprinkle somehow. Close enough for cyberspace, and Plastic Alto. If I change the actual first reference, it nullifies the comment and I want to keep the comment; maybe I can put Sprinkle in “quotes”. Someone said recently that the English language is broken now that “literally” means both “literally, as in not figuratively” and “not literally, as in figuratively”.

and on Monday I posted on PAW:
Wasn’t this a $25 M project?
Now, it’s $46M.

I say we are done with bond measures for awhile.

(Although so far I am liking the Mitchell Center; I like it a lot better at $25 M however)

And we are drafting a petition to move the Jeremy Lin sign to JLS where it is at least historically accurate.

edit to add, a week later: Jacquetta Lannan says she will open for lunch on Cali Ave, the former Know Knew Books, on Monday, January 12 and I may be the first in line.