COVID-19: Blah, Blah, Blah | UK Approves Targeted Vaccines, Will US Follow? | Biden Signs Inflation Reduction Act |

Lemur (Taken 8.19.22)

I have adjusted my priorities.

I do my job. I sleep. I go places. I shop. But this shit is FOR REAL! Amiright? We did the deal, but then there was/is a major government insurgency and people travel and then with COVID and you're like, duh, I told you so, but then you get COVID and you fight all the things and then someone you know who was anti-vax and has had COVID 2 or 3 times and suddenly they need insulin because now they're diabetic but they cannot see the forest for the trees and you want to wish them the best but also, perhaps if you got the vax, you would not be dealing with this bullshit. Or at least not this extreme? 

It doesn't really matter. I'm at the age that people just start dying anyway. I see these stupid pre-roll ads on YouTube and this 20 something is talking about aging and all I want (besides skipping her stupid ad) is scream in her face that nobody wants to hear about anti-aging creams or potions from a 20 year old. Bitch! Get my age and I'm just the beginning. See my mom! She will slaughter your stupid anti-aging creams and bullshit. Find love and you'll maybe live forever. Like my mom. 

I deleted COVID data this week. I just can't. Not today. You know what's up. I can't be the only fight and I'd rather spend my time at the San Diego Zoo. 

Be safe out there. 

COVID-19: CDC You're On Your Own! Good Luck! | Killer Whale Nakai Dies Of Infection At Sea World | TFG Proves Once Again To Be A Fucking Loose Canon Criminal Of The Highest Order |

 

Orca at Sea World (Taken 2.20.22)

Everytime I think I'm going to post, I get caught up with something else or some new big news drops and I just never get around to it. Over the past couple weeks, the CDC has loosened COVID-19 guidance so pretty much everyone interpreted it to mean that COVID is over and you can just resume life, when in reality, you still need to isolate if you're sick or testing positive. The end. This shouldn't be this hard. We also learned of TFG's house/resort being searched by the FBI and goddamn if he isn't the most corrupt fucking human on the planet and it is so embarrassing that I have family who are MAGA nutjobs. Whatever happens, charges need to be brought on this fucking crook so that he is never allowed to run for office in this country again. 

But what I wanted to talk about was Sea World. They lost another orca, 20 year old Nakai, apparently due to an infection. I am going to defend Sea World here. I'm not an animal expert, but some mom posted video after the death showing a couple orcas "fighting". Sea World veterinarians said this behavior is normal and called raking. If we're going to argue about the value or harm of animals in captivity altogether, then what are you even doing here? But if we can look at this is how it is and all we can do is do better for the animals, you'll notice almost all animals exhibit this behavior-- gorilla brothers Frank and Monroe wrestle and "fight" all the time and one of them recently had an enormous gash on the shoulder, from the other's teeth while roughhousing. Just yesterday, the elephant brothers were tusk in tusk and trunk to trunk "fighting" for dominance while they waited for dinner. My sibling cats wrestle all the time over balls, beds, and just to terrorize the entire household while everyone is asleep. In a perfect world, animals would live abundantly in their natural habitats, but this isn't that world. Northern White Rhinos are functionally extinct. Far too many animals in captivity have counterparts in the single or triple digits in the wild - leopards and Somali wild ass immediately come to mind -- and I support accredited wildlife facilities that are part of the AZA (Association of Zoos & Aquariums) whose goals are "promoting species conservation and animal welfare" as well as educate the public and learn from the animals in their care to help their counterparts in the wild. 

I was heartbroken when I heard another young orca died in Sea World's care, but even in captivity, animal care specialists can't 100% control conditions and outright prevent animal incidents, nor should we expect them to do so. 

Stay safe out there.   

CoViD-19: | Monkeypox Declared US, State, County Emergency | President Biden Tests Negative After 'Consequential Isolation' | Pandemic Drove Us To Drink More Beer |

 

Indah and Kaja at San Diego Zoo (Taken 8.6.22)

I've been meaning to post all week, but I'm actually trying to live my summer, too, so I'm limiting my online time. Plus my apartment is so damn hot, it just feels better to be out at the Zoo in the cooler shady areas than hoping our a/c can fight the heat.

But I did want to write briefly because today is the 10 year anniversary of the night me and Darren met, so even though he's working today, we've been kinda celebrating all week. It's a really big deal for me, after a life of crappy, emotionally abusive relationships, to find someone who loves me and respects me and treats me like a queen and I feel like we've only just begun. I'd say I can count our big fights on one hand, but none have ever been big enough to be big, nothing that I can particularly remember being so mad about we didn't immediately make up. He's been an amazing friend and partner and love, and I just wanted to acknowledge how grateful I am for that magical night at Soda Bar that changed my life forever. 

Beyond that, this week I went to the Father John Misty show on Wednesday and I'm still going to the San Diego Zoo everyday. They're open until 9 through Labor Day, after that we'll have to see how life shakes out and if I can get my ass in gear earlier in the day to pop over. I wanted to at least get this week's data up, though you're on your own for the big need-to-know news of the week. 

Stay safe out there. 

COVID-19: It's In The Poop | How Long Is COVID Infectious? | Rewilding Mission Bay Is Going To Happen, Kinda | County Offers Naloxone |

 

Indah and baby Kaja (Taken 7.24.22)

This post is shorter than most because I just wanted to get San Diego's data posted. Obviously this week was full of news that I haven't linked. That Senator Manchin may go along with the reconciliation plan is HUGE and hopefully that moves quickly. I know there's a ton of concessions, but I'm presently watching Borgen on Netflix and with these old fogeys running shit, we have to accept compromise sometimes. There was also massive flooding across the country, including in St. Louis, and while Nova's family seems okay, her grandparents are battling COVID so her summer trip to visit them and her mom is now canceled, again, for the third time since travel restrictions lifted last year. We're glad to have her but I don't know how many times we can put her through the anxiety and anticipation that results from rescheduling the visits. It's a good thing she has The Center and has found her people for a little more support and she's not quite so isolated. 

As for me, I've been doing my thing. Over the weekend I woke up early on Saturday and Sunday to go see Kaja, the baby orang who is only out until about 10:30 each day. On Sunday afternoon, Nova and I met Darren at work and enjoyed a very empty Safari Park. During the week, I take my work with me to the San Diego Zoo. I try to go every day, but on Wednesday it was super special because I got some alone time with Denny (because everyone thought the gorillas had already gone in for the night) then zipped over to Sea World to see my favorite walrus, which was also empty, at least in that exhibit, for the final hour of their night. I'm going to be heartbroken when summer nights end and the parks all go back to closing at 5 or 6pm, so I'm trying to get it all in as much as I can. As it is, Safari Park hours right now are 9am-7pm, which ends on Sunday. After that, they're back to 9am-5pm. If you have a pass, you should really take advantage. On Sunday I was pretty much alone with the volunteer and seven rhinos for over an hour at Kilima Point. Just go after 3pm. Make it a full trip and find some amazing Mexican food up there and take advantage of the competitive corner with gas under $5 a gallon. 

I don't know when I'll brave shows again, but until I do, I'm so happy to have relatively safe outdoor spaces to spend my time. 

Stay safe out there.  

COVID-19: Biden Has COVID-19 | Missing Comic-Con | Baby Orangutan Kaja |

36 year old Indah (b. 6.23.86) with baby Kaja (b. 1.4.22)
You can see the two in their public orangutan habitat at the San Diego Zoo from opening until around 10:30am each day.  (Photo taken 7.24.22)

My preview day of Comic-Con didn't happen. I had worked all night to get my listings up for the week and updating my Comic-Con page, that by the time I was done, I didn't want to steal the final hour of Darren's sleep before his long day of 100 degree temps at San Diego Zoo Safari Park, so I continued working while watching old seasons of Bergen on Netflix, which a friend recommended while I was sick with COVID-19. 

I was feeling a little funny all week. I know I tested negative and life is back to normal, but that means allergies, misery when it's hot, being tired after working late nights, still having to help move my dad to his medical bed several nights a week, wh8ich means long late night drives to Chula Vista and back. Every day I psyched myself up, then made excuses to myself for not going to Comic-Con when if I had just been honest with myself-- after having COVID I don't want it again, I don't feel comfortable in massive gatherings, I don't want to be indoors with others-- I could've just enjoyed the weekend a little more fully and without guilt. It proved true after Darren and I attempted to go the Observatory on Thursday night for Purity Ring, but left after I was done shooting. If we couldn't handle a 1,000 person venue at a not even sold out show, how was I supposed to tolerate the Convention Center? Or even navigating the crowded streets outside? I don't imagine my life will always be this way, but for now, this is where I am and I just need to be honest about that and to be okay with that. It doesn't mean I'm not sad for missing it. It doesn't mean I didn't enjoy all the pictures and posts on social media. I just couldn't pull it off myself. 

Besides Purity Ring, I did (of course) go to the zoo more than a few times, even going in the morning then going back in the evening on the same day, attempted to drive downtown for Comic-Con but got cold feet and ended up only shopping at the Grocery Outlet down there, helped my dad a few nights, drove around with Nova and Darren through downtown just to see the Comic-Con action on Saturday night, and went to the Safari Park. It was a full weekend, not the least of which because for the first time ever in all my years of having a zoo pass, I woke up early enough for the early hour open to members only. That was a whole thing, but maybe I'll talk about it another time. For now, last week's updates to explain why everyone you know is sick. 

Stay safe out there. 

COVID-19: Up, Up, Up | January 6 Hearings | Excessive Heat Warnings | San Diego's New Water Restrictions |

 

Golden Lion or Lion-Maned Tamarin at San Diego Zoo (Taken 6.9.22)

I don't know about your households, but mine feels so haywire these days. In March 2020, when everything came to a screeching halt, there was all of this ambiguity with what was going to happen. I don't need to recap how the past two years went, and it certainly wasn't the same for everyone, but for us, we went from so much time together, almost every meal cooked at home and eaten together, and learning how to orbit near and around each other while also trying to give each other personal space to like...woah. What even happened? I know it was a slow ramp up, but now it's full throttle - Nova went back to school, joined lacrosse, picked back up with derby, piano went back to in-person lessons instead of Zoom, and all of the sudden she's 15 and enjoys her free bus pass and spends almost every day after school at a youth center when she doesn't have some other obligation. Meanwhile, Darren went full throttle when hired at his job, with kinda crazy hours and a long commute, and is generally exhausted when he gets home after a full day in the sun. And then me, I'm doing what I've been doing for more than a decade, but trying to give myself more pockets of time, trying to stay in the routine of getting out of the house for some time every day, whereas the summer of 2020, I could literally stay within the confines of my yard without leaving for days or weeks on end, sitting on my laptop for 10, 12, 16 hours in a day. When we didn't know when or how it would end, we lived super cautiously. In retrospect, there are so many ways that we could've better spent that time. So many projects still left to do. 

All this to say, one would think with all this posting that I've done about COVID that I would know when the kid is too sick to go to school, yet on Thursday she was sent home by the school nurse for having a fever and a runny nose. Embarrassing. As I mentioned before, we were both sick last week, and both tested negative several times. We've now both tested this week, too, and are still negative, and she felt fine after being home, popping some cold medicine, eating, and drinking water, but she's not allowed back at school until symptoms completely resolve and she verifies again with another test. Problem is after today, they only have half days Monday and Tuesday and the year is over. So I guess we can say, she survived 9th grade, though not entirely unscathed. 

Meanwhile, we do actually try to have family time when we can, but the opportunities are fewer and farther between. I guess this is life with a teenager. We're gonna probably have to sit and make meal plans though, because this eating out all the time thing is not sustainable.      

This weekend there's an excessive heat warning and new water restrictions kick in for San Diego. My recent habit has been to go to the San Diego Zoo every weekday and find other stuff to do on weekends, but now that they're open until 9, maybe that is actually the coolest place to be. 

Stay safe out there. 

More COVID-19 Cases, Variants, Reinfections |: Summit of The Americas | January 6 Hearings Go Prime Time | Election Results |

 

Animal Ambassador Anika the Caracal at San Diego Zoo Basecamp (Taken 6.8.22)

It feels like the more haywire the world is getting, the more I need to escape. And of course, often my escape is the San Diego Zoo. I've been trying to pinpoint what has turned me into the crazy zoo lady but I actually don't feel bad about it. I mean, during the prime of the pandemic, I was online for hours a day trying to keep up with the news and information, trying to find some control over the uncontrollable. Now that we're all pretty much on our own, falling into 24-hour news or being online all the time is just not at all how I want to spend my days. I'm lucky that in general, the actual job that I have that provides me a paycheck can be done from anywhere with a laptop or mobile device. So while I sit and have lunch waiting to see gorillas or mandrills or bonobos or orangutans, I'm also checking email. I'm doing social posts. I'm being outside. I'm practicing photography. I'm sometimes even engaging with strangers. With San Diego Zoo now open until 9pm daily for most of the summer, I have life responsibilities so I know I can't be there every day, or all night, or whatever, but I appreciate the flexibility it offers, the calm it offers, and the mental freedom it offers. The animals don't talk back, they can't ruin your day. For the most part, I can set my backpack down and not be worried that someone is going to jack it. I can walk alone, even when it's dark, without having to watch my back. The ills of the outside world barely permeate the fortressed gates of the zoo. For me it truly is a safe space. Or, it was until that fractured this week. 

I was visiting with the gorillas on Monday afternoon. They are used to going in around 5, but because of the later hours, they're being kept out later, until 6:30. 6:45, 7pm. It's never the same, but they are used to their routine, so whenever the bells of Balboa Park chime  every 15 minutes, they want to know...is it time to go in now? Because of this, they interact a lot. Denny comes up to me and waits for me to share whatever new photos or videos I have on my phone. Sometimes people ask what I'm showing, so I'll tell them he likes to look at pictures of himself and his family. And it's not only me, there are a handful of people he knows and recognizes and visits with, I just haven't seen any of them this week and that's not really the point anyway. 

On this particular day, this old white dude was near me. He saw and heard me and so I see him searching his phone and set it against the glass in an attempt to get Denny's attention and pull him away from me. The gorilla ignored him, but I saw his phone and what he was showing. His friends asked what he was showing and he said, "just pictures of his family" at which point I told him he was a disgusting fucking racist and he should be ashamed of himself, that he needed to get the fuck out of there. I was shaking. I was livid. I was disgusted. I was yelling. I didn't stop cursing at him until he left. He had been holding up a picture of Buckwheat from The Little Rascals. The crazy thing is he didn't respond at all. Did he think he was being funny or clever? That nobody would see? Did he slither off because he didn't want his friends to know what he had actually done? Or was it something they, too, would find funny and relate to them later on? I have no idea. But I'm glad I didn't go with my first impulse to deck him across the face. 

With elections this week, and fake talks about gun legislation that will go nowhere and do nothing besides spur more gun sales before any restrictions could kick in (even though none will), and the January 6 hearings kicking off Thursday, which will also likely lead to absolutely nothing so long as we have this Senate and SCOTUS, the self-fulfilling prophecy of non-stop talking about inflation, corporations and investors decimating critical sectors like housing and energy and manufacturing and health care and all the many, many problems we confront every day, I think you know where you can find me. But I'll probably go back to taking the bus to save on gas and the headache of parking among the summer crowds. 

Stay safe out there. 

San Diego In High COVID-19 Transmission For 4th Week; Nobody Cares | More Mass Shootings: 18 Dead Children, 1 Teacher In Texas | Primary Season Underway |

Sloth at Sea World (Taken 5.22.22)

I started this post over the weekend and then never finished. I continued it on Monday, but then the day got away from me. So here we are now on Tuesday afternoon, as news about another mass shooting -- this time killing 14 18 students and a teacher in a Texas school -- fills the airwaves and I just really lost all my muster to write. 

As I said last week, it's so hard when everything in the news seems to be so apocalyptic - SCOTUS just laying out insane judgments over and over, shootings everywhere all the time, droughts, extreme weather, the invasion on Ukraine, war and climate refugees all over the world, Monkeypox, COVID-19 still raging, and local feeds like Nextdoor and Facebook just full of theft and homeless issues and hostility and people bitching about where people park or ride bikes or are just trying to get by each day. Meanwhile, I'm just trying to live my little life with my little family, and trying to find joy, and peace, and sleep while the world rages on. 

I've made going to the San Diego Zoo a near-daily habit, but also over the course of the past week, went to Nova's derby scrimmage and went to Sea World a couple times as I try to decide whether to extend my membership which expires in two weeks. I spent Saturday at an Upward Bound orientation with Nova, who was accepted into their 5 week program which includes two weeks of classes at City College, a half-week trip to LA to visit several college campuses, and two weeks of classes and living on the UCSD campus, then of course made her go to La Jolla Cove since we were in the area. I didn't go to the North Park Music Fest, and not in any slight to anyone, I adore all the musicians who played, I just don't think I'm ready to have dozens of face-to-face conversations about "what have you been up to?" recounting the past two years and doing that uncomfortably with everyone unmasked. I'm not ready. Especially when I personally know about a dozen people who all currently have COVID. I still very much care, and I still have to take care of my dad four nights a week, so I just can't live as freely as my peers may be able. San Diego is now a month in to being considered "High Transmission" by CDC standards, and that is with the very-reduced standards, and I'm just not having it. 

So all that to say, I'm sorry I haven't been updating because I've definitely had a lot on my mind and things to say, but I'm trying to not be so bound by my laptop and consumed by news. I'll try to get listings done tonight so they're there in the morning, and every night when I can't sleep I think that I should just get up and post all my overdue posts about Jose Gonzalez, Wet Leg, Pinegrove, and whomever else I owe posts about, but today's just not that day. 

Hug your children. 

Stay safe out there.

Free MTS For Youth Starts May 1: What To Do | Greg Abbott Is Full Of Shit | Expect More Global Price Hikes: Indonesia Bans Palm Oil Exports | Mayor Gloria: "Committed To Bike Lanes" |

Nova on her 15th Birthday (Taken 5.1.22)

I started this post last week and then, as expected, I got busy and didn't do much laptopping. Still, there were some news items I wanted to share from last week and then I can kick off the week with a fresh post at a later time. The County of San Diego has aligned with State reporting, so there are only 2 COVID updates a week now, which is a good way to lose track when surges or upticks or increases happening; looking at hospital data is just too late, so maybe just keep an eye on the poop. 

I had a pretty awesome week. My visits to the San Diego Zoo have become a weekday habit, except for Wednesday when I went to work with Darren and spent the day hanging around the Safari Park. I don't see him much on those days, but my camera has been working overtime and the park has craft beer spots all over, so for me it was like a midweek vacation day before the big weekend. 

On Thursday I worked for Quasi & Jon Spencer and the HITmakers at the Casbah. Though I'd informed the Snail Mail publicist I would no longer be attending the show, they still gave Darren my photo pass, so Nova got to take advantage, although not knowing in advance that would happen, she only had Darren's mobile to shoot with. I'll make her share those photos in a separate post. 

On Friday, I did my usual afternoon Zoo time, then met my sister at my house for some drinks before we caught the bus to Interpol at OAT. She won our tickets and they were in the 2nd to last row, but we had a blast anyway. It's not often my sister and I hang out without the kids or my parents or me going to one of the kids' games just to hang out. We took full advantage and had a blast, Interpol is always great live, and she crashed on my couch for the first time ever. 

On Saturday, Darren was working so Nova did derby in the daytime, then we rode bikes to Adams Avenue Unplugged for a bit before she had a piano lesson, during which I ate and got ready for work, dropped her at the Center, then sold merch for Sleaford Mods. It was a great night and everyone was so nice and enthusiastic and diehard fans. 

By Sunday I was pooped, but we had to help my dad in the afternoon, and it was Nova's 15th birthday. So after my parents', we stopped for ice cream in Barrio Logan and got caught up in their weekend walkabout, then went to Sea World briefly before deciding it was too crowded, then went shopping to get Nova some new clothes, and then closed the night with takeout from Himalayan Yak and Yeti, one of our favorite splurges. 

So it was all good and fun and exhausting and my posts may be infrequent and for this one I'll skip all the government briefings and COVID data because from here, I can only look forward.

Stay safe out there. 

Catching Up: Know Your BA.2 Symptoms | Boost Up | Biden Announced Oil Reserve Release | ICE Blasted By SPLC Report | Another Positive Jobs Report |

 

Walrus Kisses at Sea World (Taken 4.1.22)

I'm sitting in Bob's Razzmatazz Room at the Casbah, currently selling merch for Bob Mould and it is a perfectly chill show to get my work done. On Friday we spent a few hours at Sea World. I had a little special moment with the walrus who was just giving me uninterrupted attention for about 10 minutes, about as curious about me as I was about him, thus the super blurry cell phone photos, but it was too cute and magical to not post. By the time we left Sea World, slammed some dinner, then went to help my dad, I didn't have much motivation to do any work. So today is kind of a hodge podge of yesterday's news, and I guess things will slow down as everyone seems to just be in the living with the virus phase of life, rumors swirl that Jen Psaki is leaving the White House for MSNBC, and the war in Ukraine rages on as mixed and unconfirmed intelligence continually report conflicting accounts. I'm gonna go shoot some pics of Bob before he finishes. Also, Darren finally got the call from Safari Park that he's starting on Monday!! YAY!! 

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. 

Stay safe out there.  

Biden Meets With NATO, EU | COVID-19 BA.2 Rises In Some States | Yosemite Reservations Open | Governor Newsom Proposes $400 Gas Cards | IG Determines LA Sheriff Ranks Rife With Gangs |

 

Jose Gonzalez at Balboa Theatre (Taken 3.17.22)

I don't know if there is a correlation between allergies and anxiety or if the two just come from each side and knock you out when caught in the crossfire, but everything has been a little off this week, so I haven't had my daily trips to the San Diego Zoo to clear my brain, and I'm behind on posts, so a lot of what's here isn't exactly breaking news, but that's not why I'm here anyway. 

It was fun working for WWPJ on Tuesday, I busted ass to do listings on Wednesday before going to see Geese at the Casbah that night, and being able to take Nova with Darren and I to see Wet Leg on Thursday at Music Box. I'll get some posts up about those when I can. And for Jose Gonzalez, since I still owe that one, too. All of this has meant not having a data post in a couple days, so I tried to catch up with that, even though the data that is being reported is more limited. Like I don't know what is going on at the CDC's site, but I couldn't access any of their data today and San Diego has changed some of its reporting, too. I guess that's where we are now in this pandemic. At least for now. 

Stay safe out there.  

San Diego County Redesigns COVID Dashboard | BA.2 Rising Overseas; US 'Everything Is Fine' | Ukraine Pleads For Additional Support "We May Already Be In WWIII" | Incels Get New Scrutiny |

 

Squirrel Monkey at Wildlife Explorers Basecamp at San Diego Zoo (Taken 3.15.22)

I am trying to take full advantage of the perfect weather San Diego has been having to get out to the San Diego Zoo as often as possible before it gets too insanely crowded to tolerate and before we potentially see COVID cases rise back up. I'm hoping it doesn't happen, but the US went from about 10% of cases being the "stealth variant" to about 25% of cases in one week, we still have far too many people who are unvaccinated altogether or others who are not boosted, too many unvaccinated kids, and schools are all dropping mask requirements in a matter of weeks, if they haven't already. Feels like 4th of July all over again. It's also important to consider that while vaccination rates are actually pretty high in San Diego, more people are testing at home, if at all, so those cases go unreported, and if people can't miss work or stay home and isolate, you don't know if that checker at the grocery with a cough or that server at your favorite restaurant's sore throat is just normal allergy stuff, or if they've got COVID and are powering through. Like I said in my other post, I have a lot of shows I'm looking forward to, but I'm not committed to anything -- if it's too risky and the local situation deteriorates, I'll go right back to being a hermit at home. 

That said, I did make it back to the Zoo today, but only for about an hour, which was long enough to see the mandrills, get the turacos to sing, and then wander again through a couple of the insect houses and climb the rope structures to see the squirrel monkeys and coati before they closed. I don't know if I'll make it back on Thursday, but I'm sure I'll be back in no time at all. 

Stay safe out there. 

2 Years of COVID-19 Pandemic | 1 Year of American Rescue Plan | US Expands Russia Sanctions | SPLC Report: The Year In Hate & Extremism |

LIdo Pimienta at the Casbah (Taken 3.11.22)

I thought I would have a lot to say on the two year anniversary of the pandemic, but I think that all I've been doing for two years is talking about it. The virus has changed, what we know about the virus has changed, and I think it is fair to say that after two years, we all have changed, too. I can say I'm grateful that we survived. I know it's not over, but if we learned anything the past two years, it's to be ready for anything and roll right along with it. In many ways the world feels like it is spinning out of control and at the same time, we're here in beautiful San Diego living with perfect weather and living our little lives the best we can. Onward and upward.  

Stay safe out there. 

Two Years Of COVID-19 | TSA Mask Mandate Extended | More US Aid Approved For Ukraine In Omnibus Bill | Wordle Variants | Friday: San Diego Zoo WIldlife Explorers Basecamp Grand Opening |

A Peek At Wildlife Explorers Basecamp at San Diego Zoo
Opens to the Public on Friday at 10am (Photo Taken 1.29.22)

I'm both angry and concerned that congress dropped COVID-19 funding out of the omnibus package they passed this week. I'm concerned that with numbers declining locally that County officials will start to roll back testing, too. To me this is a terrible idea. From the beginning of the pandemic through December 1st, the county had experienced a total of 385,396 cases confirmed by PCR testing. By January 29th, that number was 686,003, meaning 300,607 people tested positive in TWO MONTHS. Why does it matter? Because once you've tested positive on a PCR test, the county tells you that you can do antigen/rapid tests, but not to take a PCR test for 90 days because sometimes the virus can linger and still be detected even if it is long dead and no longer replicating. Today is March 10, which means many of those who previously tested positive are eligible or will become eligible to take PCR tests again. We can't pull back on free testing. Meanwhile, across the country, states are already dropping to weekly reporting on cases, so CDC numbers are going to be much less reliable moving forward, and that, I think, is bad for everyone. Potentially waiting for hospitalizations to rise is too late to reinstate simple mitigations. 

I'll keep posting so long as the information is available, though life will certainly get a little more hectic with Darren starting his job next week and things pretty much back to normal at the Casbah. As I mentioned, I'll be doing merch on Friday at Casbah and Soda Bar on Saturday, plus Nova has derby, my parents still demand our help which means multiple trips back and forth to Chula Vista throughout the week, and I'm still trying to keep up my needed time at the San Diego Zoo. Today Darren and I went for a couple hours before having to get Nova to piano, took Ficus to Grape Street, then back home in time to make dinner, and then off to my parents' house. It's a lot, but we're keeping masks on and doing our best to manage. I hope you all are managing, too. It's been a long, exhausting two years. 

Stay safe out there. 

COVID Positive? Get Therapeutics | Coastal Commission Approves Cap On Short Term Rentals | EPA Reinstates "California Waiver" Allowing State To Set Emissions Standards | Senate Passed Ukraine Aid Bill; Drops COVID Funds |

A Neighborhood Lot Before They Took Out The Trees For Five-Apartment Construction (Taken 1.26.21)

Yesterday, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria announced a 'Bridge To Home' program that will fund 662 new homes across seven locations in San Diego. I was thinking about this as I watched a man setting up his new camp in our alley, and it got me thinking about how much I hate short-term rentals. Because it is all connected. According to this report from 2017, there were over 11,000 short term rentals in San Diego. The Union Tribune places the current number at 12,300. That's why San Diego's short term ordinance rules can't be implemented fast enough, though I'm with Joe LaCava and don't think they should be legalized at all. I'm happy to hear that the California Coastal Commission today voted unanimously in support of the City ordinance to cap STRs. And after I wrote all this, I was pleased to see NBC covered two stories, one on the CCC decision and another on a proposal from Assemblyman Chris Ward to tax house flippers at 25%. Do it all. I'd still love to see a legislative bill for a vacancy tax, too, to tax people who neither live in nor rent out their 2nd, 3rd, or 4th homes that sit empty, usually as some scheme to avoid taxes. 

Besides news-watching, I didn't do a whole lot today. I have absolutely no sign of a cold anymore, so either my favorite cold medicine knocked it out, or going balls to the wall with Bulleit did the trick. Nova had her second lacrosse game today and they lost 18-1 to OLP. Watching Hoover High Lacrosse is a lesson in patience and also educational disparity and inequity, but the girls do the best they can and seem to be having fun learning a new sport. 

Because I had to knock out listings today, I missed out on going to the Zoo, but today I got a media invite to the opening of Wildlife Explorers Basecamp on Friday morning and I'll probably do an afternoon trip on Thursday, too, now that I'm feeling so much better. We'll probably also work in a trip to Sea World over the weekend so Nova can check out the new rollercoaster, Emperor. If you have pets, be warned that Sea World will be doing fireworks on Saturday night to celebrate the opening of the coaster. 

Today was COVID-19 data dump day and there are some things to note: after today, San Diego will no longer be doing general contact tracing/investigating except for seniors 65+ and in congregate settings. Also, there were 75!!! new community outbreaks, including 39 in TK-12 schools, but sure, let's drop all masking. These will no longer get counted since contact tracing/investigations are how they are identified. Last, the case rate for vaccinated + boosted is actually higher than for people who are only vaccinated, but it is important to note that older populations, including those in congregate settings, are most likely to be boosted, so there's a bit of missing context in that data. I did update vaccination information for the county, but I'm gonna just drop it from the CDC and state because it's pretty moot at this point when everyone who wants to be vaccinated can be so. 

Stay safe out there. 

Order More Free COVID Tests Now | Data Supports mRNA Vaccines | Governor Newsom Delivers State of the State | Biden Bans Russian Oil Imports; Corporations Continue To Exploit Crises |

 

San Diego Zoo Safari Park Rhinos (Either Casey & Alice or Holly & Mwezi; Taken 3.8.22)

I guess I was a little premature in announcing Darren's new hiring at San Diego Zoo Safari Park. He still had to go in for an in-person medical evaluation, drug test, and other assessments. Seems like it all went well, though, because they also fitted him for his uniforms. He had to go in early this morning so I got up with him and cruised the park while he was doing his thing. I'm still a little sick, but it was pretty empty and I steered clear of people, wore an N95, and really just needed the fresh air and sunshine. I've got a couple merch gigs this weekend so hopefully I'm all better by then, but I'll still mask up and do another COVID test before just to be certain.

Obviously there's a lot in the news right now, but I hope everyone takes some time for self-care, in whatever that means for you and bringing joy.

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: SDUSD Drops Mask Requirement After Spring Break | Russian Censoring Of Socials Has Also Reduced Bots | Another Positive Jobs Report |

 

Henry The Black Rhino at San Diego Zoo (Taken 3.4.22)

I half expected to skip a Friday post, but Darren has a cold and went to bed early (tested negative on a COVID test, just in case) and so I figured I might as well get it out of the way and then put my laptop away for the weekend as much as possible. I don't particularly have anything on my mind to talk about. The rain this morning was pretty insane, right as Nova was about to walk to her bus, it started coming down in sheets, so Darren drove her and of course the downpour only lasted a few minutes before a more normal, constant rain. I went to the San Diego Zoo alone this afternoon while Darren ran some errands for his new job, and I caught the bus home. Nova and I started watching "Worst Roommate Ever" on Netflix and the two episodes we watched so far were so crazy that if they were scripted, you'd say how dumb the writers were. Perhaps it's just the way the murders are so obvious in the presentation and exposition of the episodes. Of course, I'm also watching "The Dropout" on Hulu, because I was all about the podcast and the book about Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos scandal.

We have no real plans this weekend at all. With Darren getting mildly sick, we'll keep testing him daily, but assuming he's clear, he'll be working at the Casbah on Sunday and I'll probably spend the whole weekend trying to find things to do besides putting away laundry, because that's how I roll.  

I'm finding that I really have to compartmentalize a lot; finding joy in my own personal life while also being horrified by the savage news in Ukraine and elsewhere. At least COVID-19 news seems to be mildly optimistic, though I am surprised SDUSD has decided to remove mandatory masking immediately after spring break instead of waiting a couple weeks, especially with TK-6 and their very low vaccination status, but I suppose it was to be expected that our transmission would dramatically drop to low with the new metrics. I think they're not saying the quiet part out loud that so long as you're not in a prison or in senior care, you're probably gonna be okay. I can tell you, you still won't see me eating in a restaurant or pulling my mask off in Costco. I hope Nova continues masking, but I guess we'll get there when we get there. Anything can happen in a month.   

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: San Diego Transmission "Low" By New Metrics | California Proposes New Plan For Mental & Behavioral Health of People Experiencing Homelessness | Voters Choose Energy Costs Over Climate Future |

 

Kangaroo Joey Takes A Peek at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 2.22.22)

My eyes are so heavy right now and all I want to do is sleep, but I still have work to do before that can happen and it pains me. Today we got the good news that San Diego has been lowered to the "low" community transmission level, even though the threshold now is double what it used to be. Basically it means by CDC standards, the county can drop all masking. This will be super awkward since SDUSD will maintain them because of fear of spring break cases, so I'm sure the news is going to just nail us with parents on the anti-masking side of things day after day after day.

The other good news we got today was that Darren got the job! He was interviewed on Wednesday by San Diego Zoo Safari Park and got a next day callback that they're hiring him!! He's been a taxi driver, a limo van driver, a pedicab driver, but most recently was full time doing Uber until the pandemic happened, and now he'll be a shuttle driver at the park. It's obviously one of my favorite places in the world, so I couldn't be happier about it. He'll start training in a couple weeks. It feels pretty good to get good news when everything else in the world feels so terrible right now.  

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: CDC Data Defend Vax Effectiveness on Kids | Biden Delivers Inspiring SOTU | Gas Companies Exploitation Never Stops | San Diego Approves Vendor Ordinance | SDUSD Explains Continued Mask Requirement |

 

Papa Mandrill at San Diego Zoo (Taken 3.1.22)

On Monday I was up all shiny and early and by the afternoon, hit a wall, and then took too long of a nap, which cycled into me just staying up all night. Not to waste the day, after doing some work and stuff around the house, Darren and I called in takeout sandwiches from Big Front Door and took our little picnic to the San Diego Zoo. 

Now you know I'm not usually there in the middle of the day and today was reminded why. Not only is it far too crowded for my personal comfort, but the animals are not super active. Or they eat and then they go straight back to sleep. Maybe I'm adopting their lifestyle. Who could say? There are also the dozens of field trips and apparently the Kelly Clarkson Show was doing some kind of shoot or something, too. Regardless, we ate our amazing sandwiches in the treehouse and walked around for a couple hours before we had to head home, expecting the plumber to fix the now broken fill valve. That has now been postponed until Thursday so we have to trigger the valve manually. But at least it meant I finally went to sleep and that's where I'm back with you now, to catch up on the day's work and all that. 

I won't get into the SOTU, since they're all kinda the same 'America is great, Americans are strong, we'll defend democracy, we'll help the American people, fight companies that exploit people, blah-blah, rah-rah!' but it just brings me joy in my heart that THIS is our president and I don't feel like I'm going to vomit or punch a wall like with TFG. One thing he did say is that starting next week, even if you already ordered your free COVID tests, you'll be able to order another batch. 

On Wednesday, Nova has her first lacrosse game which is awesome, but unfortunately I don't think it will count because they haven't filled their roster. I don't know how you can't get 13 girls in a school of over 2,000 students, but so it is. Darren has an interview with San Diego Zoo Safari Park, which is amazing. He has kept his search pretty local, places he can bike or walk or take public transit, but he's taking this one on a whim and it would be an amazing opportunity for him, even if the commute is harsh. Fingers tightly crossed. If anyone is hiring, he's looking for steady work, outdoor work is ideal, like San Diego Canyonlands, Park & Rec type stuff, San Diego River Foundation, but he's also worked decades in hospitality, transportation, security, and customer facing jobs. 

I'm gonna get back to watching the SOTU, full text is linked below. I don't know when I'll get listings up but I'll try to get them as early as possible. Even though it's 3am, I'm back-posting this because I need it to reflect March 1st information and data. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: More Than 66K US Deaths In Last 4 Weeks | Newsom Lays Out Gun Sense Bills | US Pulls Back Curtain on Russia | Mexican Avocado Imports Resume | Mayor Outlines Plan For Sexy Streets |

Mexico Avocado Imports Have Resumed (Taken 2.17.2020)

When I was growing up, my dad did all the household grocery shopping. He's a math and numbers guy, so every Wednesday when the new mailers for each store came out, he'd study each one meticulously while comparing them with all the coupons he'd cut from the Sunday paper and then we'd go on these grocery adventures with him to Big Bear, Alpha Beta, and Safeway, the stores that were pretty much equidistant from our house. He'd give each of us a coupon and we'd kinda treasure hunt through the store to make sure we got, say, two boxes of granola bars to matched the parameters of the coupon and the ad. 

These days he's not mobile but still sends my mom to specific stores to get specific sale items. His methods were no doubt impressed upon me as I carefully choose what stuff we get at Costco vs Vons vs Grocery Outlet. I don't think Sunday coupons are even a thing anymore, but when I get my weekly Vons email, I make note and "clip all coupons" in the app. I keep seeing the news harping about grocery bills and I definitely feel the pinch from gas prices and see the inflation around us, but it seems to me a lot more greed-based than policy based, so my only political sway is to consume and spend less. OPEC has been trying to get a barrel to $100 all year and they may finally succeed, especially with Russia's posture with respect to Ukraine. Corporate profits have never been higher. Private equity firms are buying up all the housing and jacking all the rents and inflating the housing market while cutting their own costs and any care to tenants. So yeah, like everyone, I'm definitely concerned, but if this pandemic has taught me anything, it's to be a little more practical and a lot more informed. At the moment, Vons has T-bones for $5.99 a pound and avocados are 97cents, no limit. So maybe, at least here in San Diego, a city of abundance, we can turn down the panic on the news just a notch?

Today's press conferences were pretty amazing. I recommend watching the California briefing on gun safety and proposed legislation. Governor Newsom was on fire and naming names - Ronald Reagan, the Supreme Court, and OAN, Newsmax, Bannon, Judge Benitez, et al. were all targets of his ire. It was kind of amazing. It was a huge win for groups like the Brady Campaign, Moms Demand Action, and Sandy Hook Promise.

And if you're trying to wrap your head around what's going on in Ukraine, you should watch Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics and Deputy NEC Director Daleep Singh for an explainer. My new government crush, by the way.     

In the past 4 weeks, 66,622 people have died with or from COVID-19 in the United States. If San Diego is consistent with recent daily deaths, we'll hit 5,000 deaths countywide over the weekend. It's not over. 

Stay safe out there.