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Do the Hustle.

Not just a cheesy seventies song, “Do the Hustle” is surely the most universal Marin mantra for December.  You straggle into the front door loaded down with bags of groceries, mixed with gifts that need to be hidden quickly, and then a few hours later you realize you have safely tucked the milk and ice cream away at the bottom of the hall closet.  Surely the car keys also disappeared into one of those stray bags. Maybe they will magically appear underneath the Christmas tree. 

No matter how rushed things get, no way should you miss a single holiday party or event.  Every open house, every luncheon and every office and cocktail party needs you!  Pull out those old sparkly tops and evening purses! Put on those uncomfortable shoes! 
One year, after a long week of too many commitments, leaving a late night party that had welcomed far too many raucous children, I was carrying my forever merry four-year-old (still that way today at age 17) to the car.  “I’m partied out!” I moaned, to which she replied, “I’m partied in!”

Whether you are partied out or partied in, we all need “strategery” for this season.  For example, when shopping, the best plan is to either go early or late. Anything in between will take you twice as long.

Best days to hit the Village:  Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.  Arrive shortly before the opening bell at 10:00 a.m. Be prepared to leave no later than 11:30 a.m.  Do not even think of a twenty-minute Starbucks commitment, but the Nordstrom coffee bar right across the way is often lineless.  If you can’t go on a weekday morning, go during the last hour or so before closing time, and repeat as necessary.  Do not venture in that general direction on the weekends, unless stressed out people, long lines and parking in the marsh put you in the holiday spirit.  (But do be sure to stop by the marsh. The birds are amazing right now!)

Grocery shopping tactics:   Steer clear of Safeway between 2:30 pm and 5:30 pm daily.  Again, the first hour after opening and the last hour before closing have the shortest lines.  You will unfortunately miss yakking with many of your friends in the aisles during these off hours, which is an important holiday and year-round ritual that we extroverts cannot live without.  After all, what better place is there to get the local news than the produce section?

 Same goes for the Farmer’s Market:  If you head up to the Civic Center on Sundays or Thursdays, arriving early (8 am on Sundays, 9 am on Thursdays) will get you the best selection.  Show up at noon for the best deals.  The last thing farmers want to do is haul all that just-picked fresh produce back home, so they offer discounts in the final hour or so.  And here’s a new Only-in-Marin touch:  farmer’s market valet parking – only $3.

A green light for the stop light in the Old Square.

While one woman who has lived on that crazy corner for over 30 years says she can’t recall a single accident, the precariousness of upper Old Square’s intersection (where Tamalpais, Magnolia, Redwood and Corte Madera Avenue converge) has resulted in a unanimous vote by the Town Council to put in a traffic light.   The convincing crossing guard who works the corner relayed stories to the Council that made crossing the road sound like an episode of “Fear Factor”: Take a cell phone, a latte and a two-ton SUV, add some blinding morning sun, and walk your kids across a hilly spot where oncoming, turning traffic thinks it never has to stop!  Town engineer David Bracken gave some very thoughtful rationale about how a light would not only improve safety but improve traffic flow. (All of this is according to my husband Bob who sat through the 2 ½ hour meeting. I was home looking for the milk and the keys.) 

Businesses on the square supported the idea, and I think we should support those businesses.  While you’re sitting in your car waiting for the light to change, take a minute to look around and think about doing a little shopping.  Speaking of shops, did you see the pretty new clothing store called Canvas on Magnolia Avenue?   It is beginning to look a lot like Mill Valley around here.  Is that a good thing?  More about that later. 

For now, let me know your choice for the Twin Cities’ top story or issue of the year. Stay in touch, keep breathing, and do keep an eye out for my keys, won’t you?

Happy Hustledays,
Neighbor Pat
Pravasio@fhallen.com 

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