It's been awhile since I've posted and so many things have been happening.

I had some minor surgery last week to have some things growing on my body that shouldn't be growing. It was all very quick and took only an hour in my doctor's office, and did hurt a bit. It's a pretty common procedure and tons of people have had it.

What else ...

I went to a gem and mineral show on August 6 in Golden Gate Park and bought all kinds of fun stones. I will never buy beads in a bead store again after seeing the prices. There was a woman selling pearls for 60% off. I haven't take the class on how to knot pearls, but I think I will so I can make my own pearl necklaces.

Afterwards a friend met me for a late lunch and we went to this italian place on Judah and had a New York maffioso experience. There we were sitting in the restaurant when a bunch of italian maffioso types walk in. Who knew there were maffioso types in San Francisco living in San Francisco. Those people are everywhere!

I kept having flashes of "The Godfather" movie because the mafia guys always knew where to eat at the best italian restaurants in the New York City/New Jersey area. I had always fantasized of eating in some obscure italian restaurant in New York city and having maffioso types walk in, which would be the clue that the food in the restaurant would be fantastic and authentic. I just didn't think I would be having the experience in San Francisco.

And yes, the food at this italian place was great! The portions were amazingly generous and cheap, totally cheap! I had a half sized order of spaghetti with marinar sauce and it was like a normal full order. I wanted to try the spaghetti to see how authentic it was. If an italian restaurant makes a decent spaghetti then you know the rest of the dishes will be very good. The spaghetti was very good and very authentic tasting. I am definitely eating at this place again.

I've seen this place for years and it doesn't look fancy but it's definitely a culinary gem of authentic italian food with maffioso types as an added attraction to boot. The italian boys were noisy which only added to "I must be in an italian restaurant in New York city somewhere". And these guys were big like you definitely wouldn't want to get into a fight them because they looked like they would beat the pulp out of you and then tremendously enjoying the experience of seeing blood squirt out of you.