AFA Event: Martinis and Manicures in SF

Attention all San Francisco Bay Area readers: The American Fertility Association is holding its popular free Martinis and Manicures event on Monday, June 9, at Nova Nail Spa in San Francisco. This your chance to get your questions answered about the reality of your biological clock, the effect of STDs on your fertility, environmental toxins and more fertility-related topics--all in a fun and friendly atmosphere. Here's the 411 from Vivian Rodriguez of the AFA:

What: Manicures & Martinis*, a 90-minute conversation and Q & A with Marcelle Cedars, M.D., UCSF Center for Reproductive Health

Where: Nova Nail Spa, 811 Mission Street, San Francisco, California 94107

When:Tuesday, June 9th, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM

Why: Because wise choices now improve your chances of having a child later.

Who: Women in their 20s and 30s

Cost: Complimentary! A credit card is required to hold your reservation. A fee of $50 will be charged if you no-show.

* Also available: The “Fertilitini”, an organic, alcohol free cocktail!

To make a reservation please contact Vivian Rodriguez at 646-861-3226 or vivian@theafa.org. For more information, please visit www.theafa.org.

And here's some information about the Manicures and Martinis event in Denver.

I'd like to go to the event, although evening events in San Francisco are hard for me these days what with my job and such. But if I go, I'll post a report. And if you go, send me yours!

Reading at Bookshop West Portal

As part of the Word of Mouth Bay Area (WOM-BA) Mini-Tour last Thursday, my co-author and childhood pal Dana Fredsti and I read from Secret Seductions at Bookshop West Portal in San Francisco. Here are some pictures:

Co-authors Dana and Cynthia in action...

Dana and Cynthia post-reading, and looking forward to a glass of wine.

The theme for the evening was "Guilt, Pleasure, and Guilty Pleasures." The other readers were the very talented Jill Wolfson and Catherine Brady. Guess who handled the "Guilty Pleasures" (and comic relief) segment of the night's proceedings? Yeah. Yours truly. The highlight of the evening was when the 8-year-old boy wandered in while I was reading about having sex in a car. Oh, did I feel guilt then.

Afterwards, we headed back to Dana's pad and quaffed a few nice glasses of a Brutacao Zin while her sweet cats scurried around us. Just the reward for our travails.

Calling all rum lovers!

Hey, this is a strange request, but here goes. Send me your favorite mojito recipe! I need one for the book I'm writing about seduction, and I'm trying to create a scenario with a Cuban vibe.

I'll give you credit (anonymously, if you want). Thanks...

"Mad Men" is the best show on TV today. Period.

I know I'm supposed to be writing about movies in this blog, but some television shows outshine anything on the big screen today. "Mad Men" is one of those shows. If you're missing it, you're missing out.

Think the characters drink and smoke a lot? You didn't grow up in the 1960s. You didn't grow up with my dad.

I've got the season finale on TiVo, waiting for me. Don't tell me what happens.

(Photo courtesy of Mad Men.)

I'm feeling a little better about Grey's.

After last week's disastrous episode, Grey's redeemed itself a little tonight when it depicted Addison having an experience that is sadly familiar to every infertility patient: Everywhere Addison turned, someone was getting pregnant.

It's almost eerie. When you're not trying to get pregnant, you hardly notice pregnant women. The moment you start fertility treatments, however, is the signal for the Universe to start a baby boom. Pregnant bellies pop up up (or out) everywhere; you can't walk down the street without tripping over a stroller. Best of all, you get to enjoy other womens' stories about how their husbands got them pregnant the first time out, or in between business trips to China, or most cruelly, "just by accident."

Of course, Addison--having the advantage of being a fictional character--handles it with grace and aplomb. My reaction was/is usually to have a second glass of wine. And then feel guilty about it, because all the advice out there tells you not to drink when you're trying to conceive. In yet another cruel twist of Fate, the time when you most need to drink is precisely the time when you're not supposed to.