Food

It seems that longtime Bay Area institution Mother's Cookies, maker of such childhood delectables as Circus Animal Cookies (pictured), has abruptly announced it's going out of business. A childhood without pink and white frosted animal cookies? Unthinkable! Better go stock up on a bag for my kids, and myself, of course. Seriously, I always considered these a special treat growing up, and it's sad to see another remnant of my childhood disappear.

They're certainly not the best cookies out there, but there's a certain kind of colorful charm and junk food appeal to them. And you can eat an entire bag without even trying. Really! Go try it while you still can, and make sure you have a big cold glass of milk on hand, too.

So yesterday we made the mistake of checking out the new über-mega Safeway that opened up today in Novato (or Ignacio, if you want to get technical and all). It's the anchor tenant for the new Hamilton Plaza shopping center, which seems to be shaping up nicely. Only Safeway is open at this point.

Anyhow, they had a preview on Thursday afternoon and evening, and apparently everyone living within a 50-mile radius of the place decided to show up. Seriously, you had a hard time finding a parking spot, let alone even getting into the store. You'd think people had never seen a Safeway before. It's a Safeway. A SAFEWAY!