Senior Valentines Dance Noon. The Russ Guardino Band will play at this Valentines Day dance for seniors. $3. Oldemeyer Center, 986 Hilby St., Seaside. 899-6809.

Parents' Night Out 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30pm. Kids and parents dine in stress-free style as the grownups enjoy exquisite food and wines while their kids are entertained by VIP Childcare. $95 includes two parents and one child, with $15 for each additional kid. Call the Rio Grill at 625-5436 to sign up.

CASA Volunteer Orientation 6pm. Help a child get the care she deserves by becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate. This orientation explains how to do it. CASA Office, Suite E, 18921 Portola Dr., Salinas. 455-6800.

Big Fat Greek Auction 6-9pm. Bid for great prizes (including trips and cookies) and help raise money for students needing financial aid at CSUMB. $45 per ticket, $80 for two. Event takes place in the campus ballroom on Sixth St. Call 582-4141.

Valentines Exhibit 7pm. The Sophia Room at the Thunderbird Bookshop opens a special Valentines Day exhibit with poetry and readings attesting to the power of love. Reservations encouraged. Thunderbird Bookshop, 3600 The Barnyard, Carmel. 624-1803.

Author Lecture 7pm. Author Leonard Shalin discusses themes in most recent book The Alphabet and the Goddess about the conflict between word and image. $20. Irvine Auditorium, Monterey Institute of International Studies.

Relationship Talk 7-9pm. Dr. Tom Bishop and Sarah Bishop discuss how to form and keep healthy relationships. Free. Community Room in the Crossroads Shopping Center, Rio Road, Carmel. 624-8110.

friday 2|14

Valentine's Day Luncheon 11:30am. Music by Lee Durley and Bob Phillips, with a Creole chicken lunch and a raffle. Reservations encouraged. Sally Griffin Senior Center, 700 Jewell Ave., Pacific Grove. 375-4454.

Open Mic Night 6pm, 8pm. Two open mics, one G-rated, the other for teens and older, will take place this evening. Free. All Saints Church, Ninth and Lincoln, Carmel. 624-3883 ext. 18.

Multi-Media Monologue 6pm. A re-telling of the murder of his father in Chattow, Alabama by Carl Ray, part of National Black History Month. CSUMB University Center, Sixth Street, CSUMB. 582-4580.

Romantic Evening 7pm. Join the Aditi Foundation for "Many Moods of Love," an evening of dance and song at India's Clay Oven. Special "Sweetheart Buffet." $19.95. India's Clay Oven, 150 Del Monte Ave., Monterey. 655-0725.

Poetry Reading 7pm. Poets Edward Jarvis (whose day job is as a chiropractor) and John Schatz (a cardiologist) read their work. Both poets are known for their unique and quirky perspectives. $5. Thunderbird Bookshop, 3600 The Barnyard, Carmel. 624-1803.

saturday 2|15

Meditation Workshop 8:30am. Sally Kempton, author of The Heart of Meditation, will lead a half-day workshop on the art of deepening one's meditation practice (see story pg. 42). Siddha Yoga Meditation Center, 2560 Garden Rd., Monterey. $60 at the door.

Peace Demonstration 9:45am, gather at pre-determined spots in Monterey County to car-pool to Santa Cruz for the 11am anti-war march and rally, part of International Day of Action to protest impending U.S. military action in Iraq. Monterey location: behind Mervyn's at Del Monte Center. Call 372-1143 for details.

Whale Of An Art Show 10am-5pm today and Sunday. More than 60 artists and craftspeople, including ceramics, wood, fine art and photography, jewelry, garden accessories, toys, sculpture and original music recordings. Free admission. Custom House Plaza, One Portola Plaza, Monterey.

Fort Ord Volunteer Planning 10am. Help plan how to beautify Fort Ord at today's meeting. Take Reservation Rd. to Imjin Rd. and follow the "BLM Special Event" signs to the Chuck Haugen Memorial Building. 394-8314.

Peace Rally 11am-1pm. If you can't make it to the big Santa Cruz march, join fellow peaceniks in Pacific Grove's Jewell Park for speakers and a rally. Central and Jewell, Pacific Grove. Free.

Ed Ricketts Lecture 2pm. Learn about one of John Steinbeck's dearest friends through slides and letters from Katie Rodgers, author of a new book on Ricketts. Monterey Public Library, 625 Pacific St., Monterey. 646-3949.

NAACP Awards Banquet 6pm. The Monterey Peninsula branch of the NAACP holds its Annual Life Membership Awards Banquet, with speaker Benjamin Todd Jealous, former head of the domestic human rights program of Amnesty International. Reservations required. Embassy Suites, 1441 Canyon Del Rey, Seaside. 394-4445.

Buckeye Barn Dance 6-10pm. Eight Second Ride performs at a BBQ dinner/dance with free line dance instruction. Beer and wine for sale. Hidden Valley Music Seminars, Ford Road off Carmel Valley Road, in Carmel Valley Village. $25 advance/$30 at the door.

Sweet Strings 6:30pm, 8:00pm. Gretchen Taylor's Wildflowers string trio present "Sweet Strings," romantic melodies from different eras and cultures. Indian buffet follows. Reservations advised. India's Clay Oven, 150 Del Monte Ave., Monterey. 373-2529.

Contra Dance 7:30pm. Newcomers can show up for an introductory lesson at 7:10, then the dance kicks off, with caller Warren Blier and the music of Luceo. $8 non-members, $7 members, $4 students, kids under 12 free. Monterey YMCA, 600 Camino El Estero, Monterey. 372-7528.

sunday 2|16

Women's Workshop 3pm. Jalaja Bonheim presents a lecture on women's sexuality from a spiritual perspective. $25. Community Church of the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel Valley Rd., Carmel Valley. 899-8565.

monday 2|17

Nutrition Talk 6pm. Nutritionist Barbara Quinn will speak about "logical weight management" at tonight's meeting of the American Association of University Women. $20 includes buffet dinner. Monterey Elks Club, 150 Mar Vista, Monterey. 620-0655.

tuesday 2|18

California Writers Club 6:30pm. Guest speaker is Frances Vardamis, author of Russian Doll and Ancestral Voices. Variety of entrees served. $10, reservations appreciated. Barnyard Community Center, The Barnyard, Carmel. 625-2965.

wednesday 2|19

Future Of Life Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the DNA double helix with Time magazine and Nobel Laureate James Watson. Through Feb. 21. Registration tops $1900. Visit www.thefutureoflife.com for details.

Osteoporosis Discussion 11am. Learn how to prevent and treat osteoporosis. Sally Griffin Senior Center, 700 Jewell Ave., Pacific Grove. 375-4454.

Widowed Persons Social 11:30am. Monthly meeting every third Wednesday for widowed people to socialize, through the Widowed Persons Association of California. Optional lunch. Elks Lodge, 150 Mar Vista Dr., Monterey. 646-8940 or 373-7069.

Absinthe and Art 1:30pm. Explore the history of the potent drink absinthe and its influence on art and literature in 19th-century Paris with instructor Nancy Johnson. Free. Gentrain Forum 102, Monterey Peninsula College, 980 Fremont St., Monterey. 646-4000.

ongoing events

Feel the Beat 7pm. Drum circle meets each Monday, no drum required. Sing, dance, chant or drum your heart out. Free. Unitarian Church, Aguajito Rd. at Hwy. 68, Carmel. 624-7404 or 643-2298.

Belly Dancing Extravaganza Every Friday night at Kalisa's La Ida Cafe. Seating starts at 8, show begins at 9 and goes on until midnight or later. Kalisa's, 851 Cannery Row, Monterey. 656-0957.

Belly Dance Classes On-going Tuesday and Wednesday classes at Hartnell College in Salinas and the Carmel Ballet Academy in Carmel. Egyptian, Persian, Gypsy and Turkish techniques. Call 643-2775 for details.

Eagle Watching Tours Lake San Antonio offers Eagle Watch Boat Tours from Jan. 5 through Feb. 23. $10 per person, $8 for seniors and kids under 12. Call the Monterey County Parks Dept., 755-4895.

Cribbage Club Cribbage enthusiasts meet every Wednesday at 6:30pm in the Oldemeyer Community Center, 986 Hilby, Seaside. Call 883-0963 for details.

Peace Vigil The Peace Coalition of Monterey County holds a vigil for peace every Sunday from noon to 2pm at Window on the Bay Park, Monterey. The Salinas Action League holds a peace vigil every Friday from noon to 1pm outside the Salinas Post Office; and the Women's League for International Peace and Freedom passes out anti-war information every Monday from noon to 1pm outside Morgan's Coffee and Tea in Monterey. The public is invited to stop by or join the vigil.

MPC Certified Farmers' Market Every Thursday from 2:30-6pm, this farmers' market sells produce, crafts, fresh food and much more. Monterey Peninsula College, Parking lot A, 930 Fremont St., Monterey.

Old Monterey Market Place This year-round, rain or shine market takes place every Tuesday from 4-8pm. Vendors offer a wide variety of fresh produce, flowers, arts, crafts and jewelry. Alvarado St., Monterey. 655-2607.

Family Night The Monterey Recreation and Community Services Department hosts evenings for teens and their families to play, talk, eat and enjoy. Billiards, ping-pong, foosball, video games and more. 5-8:45pm. Monday: Monterey Youth Center, 777 Pearl St., Tuesday: Casanova-Oak Knoll Park Center, 735 Ramona Ave., Wednesday: Hilltop Park Center, 871 Jessie St., Thursday: Archer Park Center, 542 Archer St. 646-5665.

Poetry Workshop Every Wednesday from 6:30 at Bookworks, at 667 Lighthouse Ave. in Pacific Grove, come share and improve your poetical rants. Call Ryan at 373-3829 for more information.

announcements

Junior League Scholarships Available Women over 21 are urged to apply for a scholarship from the Junior League of Monterey County. Applications due March 30. Call for criteria, 375-5356 and send information to 391 Decatur St., Monterey.

Junior League Crabfeed No-host cocktails and dinner will be available to those who attend this crabfeed which will raise money for the Junior League. Reservations required by the 14th for this event on the 22nd. Call Amy McAfee, 373-2240.

Big Sur Photography Workshop Deborah Samuel, former editorial photographer for GQ, Esquire and Rolling Stone, will lead a weekend workshop in creative photography March 14-16 at the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur. $600 includes lodging; $400 without lodging, includes meals. Registration deadline 2/20. Call 667-2574 or e-mail to photography@henrymiller.org.