ojai news at The Ojai Post :: blog, newspaper, events in Ojai, California

The Ojai Playhouse:
The seats have not been reupholstered since upholstery was invented. The popcorn, though seemingly fresh-popped, is the worst you will ever taste. And the bathrooms. The bathrooms scare me. They are shared with the bar next door and I have been after them for years now to fix them. The tile is missing in several places, the doors don’t quite latch because they are falling off their hinges and the smell of ammonia will sober you up right quick if you’ve over-indulged in Pangea. And the marquee is priceless. Crooked mismatched and missing letters will tell you Memories (not Memoirs) of a Geisha is playing nightly at 7:30. Despite all this, I love our local theater, which offers one movie a week and an Indie film on Sundays.

Weird Fruit:
Cherimoya, Green Plums, Pumelo, Pixies. I love them all.

Oak Trees:
Where else can you be driving along only to have to slam on the brakes for an oak tree? Nevermind that we are surrounded by a national forest with eleventy million of these trees; this town will stop at nothing to save them all. I have never been invited to an oak tree funeral, or chained myself to one, but if the opportunity ever presents itself again, I’m in!

Lesbians:
There, I said it. Ojai has steadily become the Mecca for the lesbian crowd. I’m exaggerating, but they may account for half of the single female population over 50. My husband and I were invited to a lesbian Seder dinner in Ojai a couple of years ago (which, by the way, took place on Easter Sunday). He was the only man and we were the only non-Jew heteroes, and the youngest by at least a decade. We brought a bottle of Baron Herzog’s, chanted in Hebrew and had an incredible evening with lively and unforgettable conversation!

My Mechanic:
The Saab is in the shop again with a busted a/c and the Long brothers at Ojai Valley Imports are once again under her hood and looking to me to put their kids through college. But here’s the thing: only in Ojai can you park your car in front of your favorite mechanic’s shop on a Sunday night, throw the keys under the bay doors with a note and not only will they know who you are, they will take care of you. At least that’s what they’ve got me believing.

Food:
For a town of only 8,000 (at least that’s what they will keep saying until the next census), we are so lucky to have so many options on the dining front. From roadside barbecues to the farmers market, from Ojai Frostie to Suzanne’s, from Boccali’s to Feast Bistro, there’s a place to fit every craving and budget. Just make sure you get there before 8:30, because late night dining is pretty rare here.

A Cure for What Ails:
Whether you’re seeking enlightenment, something to get rid of that ugly cold sore, a way to unknot that muscle spasm or work through your neurotic tendencies, Ojai’s got your cure. It could be an herbal remedy from the shelf at Rainbow Bridge, a guided meditation, acupuncture, massage, or a chat with Joe at Pangea over libations; whatever your poison, Ojai’s got it. I’m still trying to figure out what a Shamanic Practitioner is, so for now I think I’ll just talk it out with Joe.

Pink Moment:
The time 10 minutes before sunset yields a sacred daily ritual in Ojai. The setting sun imparts a warm rosy glow to the Topa Topa Mountains, while all life screeches to a halt to take in the magical moment. Yet I cannot remember the last time I really stopped to take it all in. I’ve taken it for granted, as I have so many of Ojai’s idiosyncrasies.

The list goes on, though. There’s the contingent of wealthy unwashed tie-died, the plethora of hiking trails, private schools, weekend festivals and coffee shops and places like Bart’s Books, where you can borrow a book from the always opened outdoor shelves and leave a quarter.

After seven years, I'm just starting to feel less on the fringes of Ojai society and getting closer to understanding the whole dreadlock, flip flop, wheat grass, holistic healing, organic non-fat decaf coffee guzzling counter culture that I have come to scoff at less, laugh at more and nearly totally get.

What do you love about Ojai?