Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, April 27-Wednesday, May 3, 2023: Dawes | Nude Party | Backseat Lovers | Adams Avenue Unplugged | Art Walk | Taco Fest | San Diego Book Crawl | Cheese Expo | Encinitas Spring Street Fair |

Over the past several weeks the pandemic couldn't feel further away. But nothing really screamed "It's Over!", it just sorta fizzled. The government declared the end of the emergency. There's no data. We rarely hear of someone we know testing positive. And to be honest, when I drove to New Mexico through Arizona, it was clear those places hadn't been using any protective protocols for months. But doing the listings today? WOW. I am not saying COVID-19 is gone or over, but it is very clear we have completely moved on. There's SO MUCH going on this weekend - San Diego Book Crawl, Taco Fest, Adams Avenue Unplugged, Cheese Expo, Lilac Festival, ArtWalk, Encinitas Street Fair...even the Rodeo! And that doesn't even touch all the concerts and regular stuff. I'm gonna try and spend the weekend catching up on life, try and beat this run-down feeling, and start going through the things we were supposed to do when my dad died by my mom didn't know how to open and forward her email...obituaries and uploading photos and creating a leaflet for his funeral and all those really unfun and hard things that we've all been avoiding. But I'm hoping to hit some street fairs and such, too. Because I'll need to get some air even if Darren is working all weekend. Sorry these are late, I didn't have it in me to pull an all-nighter.  

Stay safe out there. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, April 20-Wednesday, April 26, 2023: The Breeders | Crocodiles | Gipsy Kings | No Vacation | Earth Day | Tei Shi | San Diego Music Awards | Baby Bushka | Melissa Etheridge |

If it isn't one thing, it's another. The other day I had to transfer a bunch of data off of my phone to my computer, and then my computer started acting funny. When whatever was going on seemed to resolve, I noticed it was no longer charging. Ugh. So I need to take it in to be looked at and get a new charger or figure out what is going on. In the meantime, I bought myself a Chromebook a while ago and so all of this week's listings were done using that, but being a more compact keyboard and whatnot, it took me about twice as long to get listings done. Hopefully this is all resolved by the time I do another post, but that's pretty optimistic. I'm still trying to spend time with family and offline as much as possible but thanks again for all the comments, calls, texts, and more for me and my family. We appreciate all the love. 

Stay safe out there. Listings after the jump. 

Rosey's Diary: A Post About Dying: Grief, Relief, and The Complicated Feelings Of Loss.

Me, Mom, and Dad, Christmas 2021

It has been a long time since I've taken the time to write. I have this crazy long zoo post that I started over a year ago that I've yet to post. In it, I talk about how several of the animal daddies (hippo, orangutan, siamang, lion, mandrill) were dying, and it it was helping me come to grips with the reality that soon, I would lose my own. And now I have and I needed to write. So maybe I'll post that zoo one on another day, but for now, a diary post about losing my dad. (TW: death, dying)

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, April 13-Wednesday, April 19, 2023: They Might Be Giants | The Silent Comedy | Los Bitchos | Tenci | HEALTH | Bratty | Murder City Devils | SDMA Showcases | Christine and The Queens | Night Beats |

With everything this week, I've been trying to not do anything and also stay busy, so after a very much needed day-trip to Palm Desert with Darren, I decided it was better to get the listings done than wonder if and when I should do them and feel self-induced pressure. So they're a little different this week...I did concerts mostly at the top, with open mics and weekly events filtered down, with theatre productions and such at the bottom, since so many of those are recurring and yet also, so out of my budget, I assume they're not things people looking for something spontaneous to fill a night are looking for. I'll try to update if I hear of stuff I missed, but mostly I'm using this as my permission slip to be mostly offline and out of touch for the next several days. Thanks again for the many messages; they mean so much.  

Stay safe out there.  

Personal: R.I.P., Daddy: Big Ed Bystrak

 

After years of close calls and over a year under home palliative care, on Sunday, April 9th, 2023 my dad took his final breath. Just last week, my parents celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary, and while my dad was bedbound, the rest of us celebrated with a feast from a local taco shop and one of those chocolate mousse tuxedo cakes from Costco. A week later, he's no longer with us. 

More, after the jump.

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, April 7-Wednesday, April 12, 2023: Screaming Females | Two Another | X | Pinback | Colin Hay | G. Love | Jupiter Flight | City Of The Sun | Muse | Tyson Motsenbocker | Etran de L’Aïr |

Here's the deal. I usually at least try to separate the listings posts from my diary-esque posts, but after returning from New Mexico, I haven't gotten back on a great schedule. My dad is not doing well, my brother is likely coming out this weekend with the kids and they're obviously not doing well, and all I can do is go shoot a bazillion photos a day at the zoo and hang out with a gorilla who demands no explanations of how I'm feeling about any of it. So listings are done, possibly not ordered as much as I'd like, and I bookmarked a bunch of things to tell you but now I can't remember any of them except that if you wanna buy tickets to the North Park Music Festival, they extended the early bird pricing for maybe another week? I'll check that when I have time but by the time I do, it may have passed, so go search it if you want it. At the Casbah, we've been announcing so many shows my head is spinning, but I'm especially excited about Slothrust at Soda Bar and The New Pornographers at Music Box, which ideally I get to work and get paid to be at while also getting a chance to shoot them and just be in attendance. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. I already know I forgot some stuff in these listings, like a parade and celebration for SDSU on Saturday. I'll try to update, but I've got so much family stuff going on right now, who knows? I'll try to add the weekend roundups because those seem to be helpful between Pacific SD (which is the Union-Tribune without subscription), KPBS, and San Diego Magazine. Until then, be safe, healthy, and let's be grateful Davey is out of the hospital because I'm not ready for another amazing human in my life to die, even when he was close to it. If I find a GFM to help him, I'll add the link.

Stay safe out there. I love you all.  

Things To Do In San Diego: Saturday, April 1-Wednesday, April 5, 2023: North Park Festival of Beers | Husbands | xiu xiu | Bobby and The Pins | Band Argument | Lucero | Sunny Day Real Estate |

It has been a bit of a crazy week, and since I would actually like to have a normal Saturday life (and not sleep all day), I'm just gonna say I mostly got the listings done. I'm sure there are things I forgot, but sleep is calling my weary and exhausted body. 

Thank you for all the kind words and Venmos to me @sddialedin, which will help me get back to New Mexico when we have the actual memorial, and also to the Go Fund Me for my brother and his kids, which will help them as they try to navigate their new life. 

Also, with Darren's work schedule, it was kinda easier doing listings during the weekend, so it's possible I may stop doing Thursday-Wednesday and maybe switch it up back to Monday to Saturday or something like that. Just don't count on me for consistency is all I'm saying. I'll have listings, just maybe not in the capacity anyone else wants. 

I love you all.
Be safe out there. 
Listings through Wednesday are after the jump.

 

CoViD-19: Ending The Emergency, Research Still Trickling | Fletcher Resigns | California Passes Windfall Profit Law |

Amur Leopard Cup (4.5.23)

I've had a hell of a month, so this post is just to clean my slate of drafts. I've got a lot to talk about when I'm able. 

Stay safe out there.