We're still going to Phipps way more often that would seem reasonable. As I have mentioned, we have a membership, so it's no big thing at all to jump in the car and wander over. While advance reservations are required, I have yet to need to make them more than a half day in advance. On top of all of that, they are doing a fantastic job of enforcing social distancing and masks and all of that, so basically we're the only people we see while we're there.
But going to Phipps a lot has led us down a slippery slope.
Since Waffalonia closed, we had to find a new Oakland favorite spot. It just so happens that Fuku is doing a solid job of filling that void. We are all in on bubble tea is what I'm saying. And Fuku makes you order in advance via an app and then they leave your order on a table at the door. Basically, it's no contact, just as the lord of 2020 and its giant ball of suck demanded.
So. The routine is now Phipps and then walking along back streets to Fuku to pick up bubble tea. Notice I said "back streets." Oakland is full of students at this point and while the vast majority appear to be wearing masks everywhere they go, it's less stressful if you just avoid them. The wild thing about Oakland is that if you go just one block over from Forbes, there's not really any people. You might pass on or two runners, but mostly it's wide open.
There's an advantage above and beyond avoiding people in going that way - you also avoid allllll of the things that Mila finds distracting. She doesn't get to see Dippy, which means I don't have to stand by Dippy for 45 minutes. Mila also doesn't see the flowers and wide open grass across from the Carnegie Library, which absolutely saves me another 15+ minutes.
And then there's the carousel. Mila loves carousels and the one across from the Cathedral of Learning is at the top of her favorites list. She has ridden every single animal on that thing and suuuuuuper wants to repeat that feat.
While I live to make Mila happy, I could do without stopping 15 times in one block when I'm just trying to get bubble tea. So, back road.
Hey, y'all. Did you know that you can see the carousel even from a block away if you happen to peak through the buildings at exactly the right moment? I DO NOW.
::sigh::
