Dec 16 2001
Lipstick
On Friday, I went to Macy’s in Union Square, braving the Christmas shopping maddened crowds and the selling frenzied saleslady at the Clinique counter to try and buy a replacement for my favorite lipstick. I had managed to lose it the week before and I wanted to wear it to dinner with Megan and my aunt that evening. It’s the one I wear the most (I’m wearing it in the picture of me in my bio), and imagine my horror when I discovered that the powers that be at Clinique had decided, in their infinite wisdom, to discontinue it.
So instead of being able to just grab it and go, I had to spend 15 minutes trying various other shades, which weren’t as good as the one I had lost, before finally selecting the least disappointing imitation. Why do cosmetic companies always discontinue the shades I like?
We had dinner that night at the historic Fort Mason Officers’ Club, which has one of the best views in the city from the dining room. The dining room is shaped in a semi-circle, with the curved part being windows which overlook Aquatic Park, Hyde Street Pier, Alcatraz, and pretty much the whole Bay, looking east toward the Bay Bridge.
It used to be that only officers, retired and active, could dine there (with, of course, friends and family). My aunt’s husband had been a Lieutenant Colonel in the Navy, and had served on the base at Treasure Island. We used to go to the Club with him. He passed away nine years ago in January, but we still keep up the tradition of having dinner there a few times a year. Since the Presidio has been de-commissioned, as have so many other military bases, there are fewer people to eat at the Club and keep it going, so they now allow the general public to have dinner there and admire the view. Just call ahead for reservations and dress nicely, and you too can enjoy one of the best views of the Bay.
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