I don't remember whether I've mentioned this website here before (and I'm too lazy right now to look it up), but I thought I'd give a shout out to MarinNostalgia.org, a great resource for those of us who grew up in Marin, or anyone who's curious about what life in our county was like in decades past. It's an online time machine of sorts run by San Rafael Realtor Jason Lewis, and includes features on people and places from Marin's recent past, as well as a discussion forum. And of course there's the '80s Arcade, where you can relive those long-ago afternoons at Straw Hat Pizza, Marin Pizza Pub, or Old Town Billiards (where our parents told us not to go, but we went anyway).

Unlike other resources dealing with the past, Marin Nostalgia doesn't focus on quaint old horse-drawn buggies, steam trains, and hardy pioneers, but rather on the Marin County of the past 50 years. If you grew up or lived in Marin in the '50s, '60s, '70s, and '80s, there's probably something here for you. Better yet, participate in the forum and share your memories and old photos with others hungry for information on Marin's past.

Anyhow, check it out, as there's more to it than I can casually describe here. The word nostalgia is usually a loaded term, but having lived in Marin both now and then I kind of think that the past version was a more pleasant--and certainly a more affordable--place.

BTW, one of my on-and-off obsessions has been the long-defunct Marin Pizza Pub, which used to be on Third Street in San Rafael, near Montecito Shopping Center and United Market. Apparently the Wurlitzer theater organ (formerly of the Fox Theater in San Francisco) that was the focus of the place still exists; here's an article on it. The Pizza Pub used to be the place for birthday parties, and had the aforementioned organ, a bubble machine, a disco ball, and even rudimentary video games. I think it closed some time in the '80s. You young whippersnappers and johnny-come-latelies don't know what you missed out on...