Ripple by the Grateful Dead

When I hear the Grateful Dead, it instantly brings me back to my time living in Piedmont.  In fact, I have written about this before.  I lived in that adorable apartment for 2 years and there are plenty of fun memories from that time.  Above all, the Grateful Dead puts me in a contented, relaxed mood.  I can't pinpoint any particular song associated with a specific memory, but the music and the vibe always remind me of Tisha and Jeff.  Jeff's family has a cabin in Pinecrest on the same street as Nick's great aunt and uncle. I met Tisha and Jeff during an epic 3-day weekend in Pinecrest.  Come to find out, they lived just down the street from us in Oakland.  Tisha and I even resemble each other, especially our curly blonde hair.  I seem to remember we have also a mole in the same place.  Or maybe I'm making that up, but it's too weird of a thing to make up.  She will have to confirm, even if she is confirming that I am losing my mind. In any case. it all just seemed serendipitous and Nick and I were beyond thrilled to have met a fun couple who lived very close by, who we both really enjoyed.  Thus began a friendship.

Tisha and I both like to entertain and we threw some very elaborate brunches for the 4 of us.  Tisha is a fantastic cook and I have used quite a few of her ideas and recipes in my own entertaining. They lived in an adorable little house with a great patio in the back. I love her style and her decorating.  Their house makes you feel immediately comfortable.  On brunch days Nick and I could walk down to their house and spend half the day lounging in the sun, eating amazing brunch food, drinking Mimosas, listening to music and laughing.  Often times we'd move on to the (late lamented) Kings X for a beer or two.  Jeff joined Nick's softball team and Tisha and I occasionally got mani-pedis together or played hooky and went to an A's game. They came to all of the events surrounding our wedding.  I once called Jeff late at night when I needed help in an emergency.  I held their first baby for hours when he was first born.  Then they moved up into the Oakland Hills and we moved to the wilds of West Oakland and later Livermore.  Pinecrest weekends also became less frequent in later years and now, for me, they are non-existent.  Between geography and kids and situations, I no longer see them, except for Facebook.  I still think about them though....when I hear the Grateful Dead.  In fact, I think it's time for another brunch!