Rosey's Diary & Newsy Things: NYE | San Diego 2026: GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER | Zoo Goss | Everyone Is Sick | RIP Tim Lowman |

It's been a few weeks since the last diary post and while I always intend to write some deep and thoughtful wrapup of the year, there's always something...my cat went missing and then after more than 2 months, we found her deceased, almost literally next door, and then the holidays snuck up, and I've been going to the Zoo and Seaworld on the regular, and then I've had this pain in my neck and back whenever I'm online for any stretch of time so I'm trying to work that out, and then it was Christmas, and then I got the news over the weekend that Tim Lowman died, and I've just chosen to be out living, rather than holed up writing or aggregating or generally getting myself worked up about the horrible, egregious, disgusting things happening by the current administration, and it's all just too much. And while I haven't said anything on socials about Tim, the news is absolutely heartbreaking and devastating and I can't stop thinking of beautiful little Marlow growing up without her amazing daddy. We have been friends for many, many years, but over the last few, most of our interactions consisted of running into their little family as they traversed the zoo, and usually I could get Kizzy and Handsome, the African Gray Parrots, to engage in some communications. Of course the passage of time also brings great things...Toby got the care he needed, my God sister had her twin babies, I got to go on an epic California roadtrip, and overall, my family is all doing well, albeit after losing both Ficus and Tikka this year. So yeah, I'm a happy and fulfilled person striving to be better in 2026, but 2025 was just a super fucked up trash year on many levels and not everyone made it out alive, but all the rest of us can do is keep on keeping on and hope (and act when we can) for a better tomorrow. 

I love you. Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.   

Things To Do In San Diego: Friday, December 26, 2025-Thursday, January 1, 2026: Big Sandy | B-Side Players | Mumford & Sons | Funky But Chic | Barefoot Hockey Goalie | Paul Cauthen | Slacker | NYE | Starcrawler & Plague Vendor |

My not-so-little friend, Denny, who turns 11 on 12.26.25

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, December 18-Thursday, December 25, 2025: Manual Scan | Urethane | Save Ferris | Gary Shuffledust | Emo Nite | Band Argument | El Vez | EXILE ON KETTNER BLVD |

I am completely checked out for the holidays. I still have work...an annoyingly abundance of it, actually, as every agent feels like they need to 'check in' on their shows 2 and 3 and 4 months out, even though they know that nobody is buying tickets for April a week before Christmas. But that's beside the point. I'm feeling the Christmas spirit and just want to be out in sweaters and beanies and scarves and drinking hot cocoa and seeing twinkling lights and hearing annoying Christmas music on repeat. We got a tree after skipping last year...we just kinda ran outta time and didn't get one, but this year I was looking and got a tip on Costco putting all their trees on clearance for $13 and I couldn't resist, even though it's massive and taking up our whole living room. Toby is home for winter break from UCSD, Darren is getting a couple days off, too, and I've just been trying to keep up with all the things. So listings are done, but I'll have to do NYE over the weekend or next week, because I'm beat. 

I love you all. Thanks for helping me survive 2025. Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do San Diego: Thursday, December 11-Wednesday, December 17, 2025: The Slackers | Har Mar Superstar | Hasan & Ronny | Rose City Band | Electric Guest | & Loads of Holiday Fun!

Once again, I really fucked up my sleep schedule to get my listings done on Tuesday so I could go to the Andy Bell show at Music Box and imbibe in some adult beverages, so I'm just gonna post and say that I did my best to get it all in because obviously I didn't do a separated page for holiday stuff. Maybe next year. 

I'm sure there's plenty of fun to be found for you and your family. Full listings after the jump.

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, December 4-Wednesday, December 10, 2025: Holiday Celebrations + | Shane Hall | Agriculture | Jonathan Richman | Matte Blvck | Aterciopelados | Say Anything | Vienna Teng | Safe Mind | Andy Bell |

I was gonna do a full blown diary post, but I'll just do it here, since everything is connected anyway and I'm sleepy. Today I found out that the San Diego Zoo parking lot is no longer a free lot for December Nights at Balboa Park. Even though I was told that Zoo Members will just have to show membership to park free for the weekend, it still feels like I was kind of blindsided by this news. Parking will be $35 for non-members, complimentary if you're a zoo member OR a zoo guest with prepaid tickets for admission for the day. I highly recommend reading the San Diego Zoo's information page here and be prepared. 

Parking at the San Diego Zoo on Friday, December 5 and Saturday, December 6 will be $35 per vehicle (debit/credit only). Parking for San Diego Zoo ticket holders and San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance members visiting the Zoo during this time will be complimentary.

You can also see the City's outline of Paid and Free Parking and shuttle information. It still baffles the mind that the two main Park Boulevard bus lines will NOT be running to the park, the 7 and the RAPID 215, and in fact, part of the bus lane between President's Way and San Diego High has reverted back to a general traffic lane. 

I think this is now the third year that paid parking has been a thing at December Nights, and I get it, the City is broke and there are projections of 300,000+ visitors over this particular weekend, but what really infuriates me is that while the City claims that this was implemented to recover the costs of having the free event, WHY THE FUCK IS THIS OUTSOURCED EXCLUSIVELY TO ACE PARKING?! It feels like "parking and traffic management" should fall under the purview of CITY SERVICES and that this FOR-PROFIT company shouldn't be managing traffic and parking EVER, let alone for this event. I wonder if I can FOIA for the City's contracts with Ace? Because they certainly DO NOT know what the fuck they are doing when they're in charge of Zoo parking management on regular weekends and the clusterfuck I can feel they're going to create when they're operating from 6am-11pm (!!!!) is going to be on the scale of that Big Bay Boom when all the fireworks exploded at once. I'm not worried about me...I've got nothing but time and am a veteran when it comes to navigating the parking around these workers who are functionally undertrained and understaffed for the task they're entrusted to manage, but maybe this can be a test drive and the Zoo can bow out of Ace Parking as managing the parking when it comes to year-round paid parking at Balboa Park and the Zoo. The sad thing is the execs don't even really know or see how bad it is because they use the garage and don't have to experience the green shirts stopping traffic all the way down Zoo Place into Florida Canyon. Pack your patience. Or just go at the end of the night...traffic usually gets back to normal around 9pm, which still gives you a couple hours of December Nights. 

We are so fucked. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.