Conversation on chat today:
“AOL has had a high profile in Mountain View since the acquisition”
(Yes me and my friend regularly have very professional, boring conversations about local companies.)
I thought about her comment, and replied:
“I’ve had a low profile in Cupertino since I moved to France in 1995.”

So I thought that was really funny. I went to Coffee Society- darkly profiled in the photo- a few weeks ago with a friend on our sojourn Down South. I can give people a quick idea of what life was like in the 80s/90s South Bay: “When Coffee Society was the only cafe for miles.” It’s true. Sally K, Darren and I would drive our solo occupied vehicles miles and miles to visit Los Gatos’ very crunchy Roasting Company, or, when it was still alive, drive 20 minutes to downtown San Jose for the Phoenix, an amazingly great bookstore and cafe. That was on San Pedro alley, a neat little cobblestoned bit o’ history in San Jose. Needless to say it closed. When Coffee Society opened, we were all so excited. We would linger in Clean Well Lighted Place (open until 11PM!) and then loiter in Coffee Society getting the new drink of the times: Mochas.

My sister Jenny had an art show there in ’94. I broke up with my Junior Prom date there in ’89. Something like “You are here, and I am here” hands shown in varying heights. I have no idea what that means, and luckily he didn’t ask.

I remember sitting in Coffee Society- I used to take art classes and photography classes, basically classes on everything, at De Anza Community College across the way, and would hang out at Coffee Society before and after class. Once I was sitting there and everyone was playing with fancy calculators. Well, they weren’t, they were Newton’s. Good friend of mine Rebecca– her ex Joel (hi Joel!) worked on the Newton and she remembers being @ the cafe, during happy times with fun people, doing exciting things (not like me- hanging out before and after classes wishing I was in France.) Friend Cliff also remembers Cupertino at that time- fun stuff going on, all very exciting, not bored to tears and hoping to escape to France, like me.

The recurring theme in this post of “going to France” had a funny little denouement as I went there planning to live there for 5 years and left after 2 months.