COVID-19: Scott Lewis Is Pissed About Reopenings | County Health Requires Sign-In At Indoor Businesses | CA Legislature Ends Session With Loads of Bills | Photos: La Jolla Cove

This little pup walked right over to us while we sat on a ledge about 7 feet up from him (Taken 8.31.2020)

It's no secret among my family and friends that I'm bossy. I like things the way I like them, and if I don't like the way someone is doing something, I'm generally not shy about letting them know. It's why we're probably pulling Nova from soccer; they just can't seem to follow the rules and are telling us our season is proceeding to start on October 3rd, which is absolutely bonkers. 

With coronavirus, this means constantly correcting: "stop touching your face", "take your mask off from the ear straps, not the cloth part", use your elbows, arms, or feet when you have to push or pull something. When we do go to public spaces like the Zoo or Safari Park, we're adamant about not touching surfaces at all. We make sure to go to the bathroom at home to minimize the need to use public ones, and when we must use them, we keep our masks and goggles on. We don't touch railings. We're constantly hand-sanitizing or hand-washing. So I'm not surprised to find that research is showing that the novel coronavirus can last on surfaces for a few days and longer when the temperatures start to drop. It's not super concerning in Southern California but it's certainly going to affect the country through the fall, especially if people are less diligent than we are. And it should be noted that it doesn't speak to the transmission from fomites which is still unknown, just that the risk is there. 

Today was the first day of my birthday month (ha!), which means more email today than usual. It's after 10pm and I still haven't even gotten to my second email account, though I was a little distracted watchingl the last few episodes of World's Toughest Race. It is cheesily inspiring and makes me want to go on a hike, though we haven't done much of that because the few times we did, nobody was wearing masks and the trails are busier than ever, but we just got season permits for a hike that is limited to 50 people a day, so hopefully we can do that soon and often. If anyone has any secret spots they love, I'd love to hear them.

Nova's second day of school was mostly okay, though she has to learn time management and how to take criticism because she had a meltdown when a teacher told her that her work wasn't up to par, something she is definitely not used to. Her school reported 95% connectivity/attendance for the first day and it went up to 98% on the second day, so that's pretty good news. Anyway, first of the month means a ton of news and long reads today. All after the jump.

CoViD-19 & CA Wildfire Updates | County Below 200 New Cases | 625 Fires Rage On In California | Sea World Lays Out "Zoo Days" Reopening Plan

Strawberry's pose when she's on balcony lookout (Taken 8.19.2020)

Darren and I had a late Sunday night in the speakeasy and when we were finally coming back upstairs, I dropped my laptop. Today it won't turn on and so needless to say I'm kinda freaking out about it. I'm using my old one in the meantime, but it has a really hard time typing the letter V, needs a new battery and powercord, which I guess I should've taken care of when I wasn't desperate for a backup. Hopefully Davey can take a look at it on Tuesday and assure me that i didn't destroy it. Nova didn't go to soccer because she had her mandatory online school orientation, which means we haven't been to La Jolla Cove since last Monday. I'm currently bingeing the second season of Trinkets on Netflix, a show I'd completely forgotten I'd watched before. I don't really have anything going on at all this week, but hopefully it cools down and we can do a couple trips to the San Diego Zoo or Safari Park or some fun stuff before Nova's days become filled with school stuff again. Monday's briefing notes and some reading are after the jump. 

CoViD-19: San Diego Removed From State Monitor List | 100 Years Of (Some) Women Voting | City Allows For Permitted Use of Parks For Gyms, Churches |

Me & My Mom, Who Instilled The Importance of Voting Since I Was a Kid and Who Has Never Missed and Election(Taken 10.5.2019)

Last night I finished my post, said I was going to have cocktails, then laid down on my bed, and fell asleep. I woke up a couple hours later and finished the book I was reading. I hate the phrase "chick lit", but apparently I read a lot of it. This one's writing was so basic and playing into so many idiotic and cliched tropes, and I'm kinda bummed I read it, so I'll be steering clear of that author. Anyway, today wasn't much more productive than the rest of this week, just trying to stay cool. We watched The Tiger Hunter on Netflix which was a pretty great movie and made burgers at home. Then I watched Audrie & Daisy on Netflix, a documentary about two girls who were raped and bullied on social media after their assaults. Of course, the boys almost always get away with it. After hearing that Daisy committed suicide last week and man, it is an especially hard watch. 

Tonight I'm definitely heading into the speakeasy, so I'll say goodnight now and catch ya again tomorrow. 

CoViD-19 County Supervisors Board Meeting Snoozefest | Social Distancing Worked | Kids Are The Little Monster Vectors You Knew They Were

Sea Lion surfs a wave at Boomer Beach/La Jolla Cove (Taken 8.3.2020)

I tried to watch the County Board of Supervisors meeting, but it's so frustrating knowing that Fletch is the only dem vote and every single thing is an uphill battle when you've got the knuckleheads JD and KG in there. Really, really hoping we see new more representative faces on the Board come November. It's also frustrating when people keep making the same arguments over and over, why can X be open but not Y?
Let's review again: 

Successful Infection = Exposure to Virus x Time 

The arguments against Home Depot and Ross and Costco to justify opening gyms and salons make no sense because of the nature of the activities. The stores you can get in, get out, keep distanced. Not so with gyms, salons, indoor dining, etc. It's not that complicated. Then a dozen people called in to restore recreational boating and compared it to restaurants, which may actually be right, but they're actually making an argument why restaurant/bars should be closing or at the very least removing the allowance for mixed households sitting together, not why boating should be restored. Our numbers are certainly looking a lot better than mid-May, but it's still a long way to go. City Council had a meeting, too, but it was almost entirely consent items.

I don't really have much else to talk about today. I would've loved to have hit the San Diego Zoo or Fiesta Island today but I'm a woman whose cramps can shut me down for three straight days, so that's where I am today. Instead it was all Netflix; I finished The Twelve, Nova and I finished Get Even, and I started watching this amazing show called Tales By Light, about photographers who use the medium to draw attention to critical issues like poverty, pollution, or losing traditions of indigenous peoples. I HIGHLY recommend it, especially Season 3 episodes 1 & 2 on child poverty, so you can think about these poor babies working in mines and factories while we're whining that our kids need gymnastics and little league so we should just send them back to school already. 

COVID-19 San Diego Updates | Dr. Fauci Talks To Wired | Johns Hopkins Researches Ask For COVID Do-Over

Malayan Tiger At San Diego Zoo (taken 1.15.2020) #GlobalTigerDay

I'm not gonna lie, I was super bummed today. There's supposedly a heatwave coming on hard this weekend so I wanted to go to the San Diego Zoo this afternoon for a couple hours, but I woke up with gnarly allergies, which incidentally, manifest a lot like COVID-19 symptoms, so I realized it's my personal responsibility to stay home if I'm snotty and sneezy. Of course I have allergy pills and was fine after I took one, but I couldn't honestly answer the Zoo's three health screening questions, and considering they're worried about reverting back to lockdown, I'm not gonna be the jerk that ignores the rules. So it was a day at home feeling Claritin hazy and listening to the County Media Briefing and Carlsbad Councilmember Cori Schumacher's daily Facebook update and Nathan Fletcher's update, too. I'll go another time, but I guess we'll mostly be on lockdown if it's as hot as they expect. News stuff after the jump.

COVID-19 Updates | Venues In Crisis | SD Workforce Partnership Supports Unemployed | Betsy, The Idiot | CDC Thinks Humans Have Any Sense

Nova at open skate at Derby United (7.28.2020)

Well, I told you on Monday that I was feeling revitalized and rejuvenated after a weekend (mostly) without my laptop working. I'm so happy with all the changes we've made on our deck and our studio and the backyard, and we (finally) sucked it up and bought a weed whacker so Darren went to town on the yard and it looks fantastic. It would be awesome if we had a lush green lawn, but I think it's impossible in Normal Heights. We had a fun night in the speakeasy and after a disagreement about the necessity of holding onto CDs, I dove into some of my 90s and early 2000s CDs and rocked out to make my point. I spent the majority of Tuesday sitting on our balcony, enjoying the sun and so glad we're finally taking advantage of this underutilized space instead of just storage and one singular chair. I was definitely having one of those days where every time I tried to start working or check Facebook or get through email, I would last about 3 minutes before I'd have to shut it down. So it pretty much took all day and night to get through all the things. We did get to take Nova to Derby United, the new name for the new facility and organization fka Derby Dolls San Diego and she had a blast on skates. The facility is completely outdoors and everyone has to wear masks the entire time they're on grounds with no more than 15 people allowed per session, so it felt really, really safe. I wish I could say the same about her soccer, which seems to be dropping their standards pretty quickly. , so  the Today's news (and catching up with the weekend), after the jump. 

CoViD-19: The Myth of "COVID Parties" | Reopening Regression | Event Risk Assessment |

Black-Footed Cat at Safari Park (Taken 7.9.2020)

I got a press release from San Diego Zoo Global announcing that two black-footed cat kittens were born two months ago at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. "The kittens—male Ryder and female Skyler—were born to mother Arwen and father Sawyer on April 28, 2020," it says. They're currently off exhibit, but if I can find the b-roll or find a way to edit and share it, I will. Today is pretty quiet and we're going to head to Fiesta Island dog park, so I'm just gonna keep it short today. Some links after the jump. 

CoViD-19: Governor Newsom Gives Fire & Covid Updates | Cabrillo Monument Extends Weekend Hours | San Diego News of Interest | Experts Weigh In On Covid-19

Fiesta Island Leash-Free Dog Park is fully reopened (Taken 8.24.2019)

About half an hour ago, Nova asked me if we were doing anything today. Darren is sleeping after playing music in the studio all night but I think maybe I owe it to her to go do something fun and before the weather gets unbearable this weekend. I don't really have much to say today that I haven't been saying every day so I'm gonna go offline and try and have a day with the kid. News after the jump. 

CoViD-19: San Diego Mayor Expands Outdoor Dining | City Council Approves Police Accountability Ballot Measure | Chicano Federation Slams Gaspar and more!!

Koalas at San Diego Zoo (6.21.2020)

As I said earlier, we had a very productive morning. I eventually gave up on the County Supervisor's meeting, however. It is excruciating to listen to Gaspar grandstand and repeat the blatantly false talking points of the administration. If anyone who reads this is in her district, PLEASE support Terra Lawson-Remer in November. We made plans for an afternoon trip to San Diego Zoo and I know I mentioned it on Instagram, but now they give rubber wristbands by party so you're not comingling with other groups of people. It was a little more crowded than I like, but it was still comfortable and easy to avoid crowds, though I don't know why the volunteer docents can't at least remind people that they need to keep masks on over their noses and to follow designated one-way paths where they're already clearly marked, like by they pygmy hippos. Anyway, it was still pretty fun but now I'm home and see I missed a bunch of action today, so some links after the jump.  

COVID-19: Now Worse Than Ever! | County Board of Supervisors COVID Update | Doctors Urge WHO To Recognize Aerosolized Transmission of Coronavirus

Arctic Fox at San Diego Zoo (Taken 6.21.2020)

I finally caught up on sleep and woke up bright and shiny this morning. We did some upstairs cleaning, some studio cleaning, made a nice big breakfast and I've been listening to today's County Supervisors meeting and now it's just pissing me off. We knew from the beginning of this pandemic that we were looking at TWO YEARS of a pandemic if we didn't get control of it. And guess what? We didn't get control of it. Hong Kong headlines go crazy when they have TWO NEW CASES while we're normalizing 500+ new cases daily in our county alone. This thing is still fucking serious. In your youth and good health you may not end up hospitalized or in ICU or even showing symptoms at all, but the science is there that you are spreading it to other people and I'm frankly tired of everyone formulating incredibly uneducated conclusions, complaining about these shutdowns, having to wear masks, or not being able to sit in a bar or go bowling, or god forbid, not be able to go indoor skydiving or to an arcade. Grow the fuck up, let us get control of this stupid virus, wear your fucking mask. 

CoViD-19: San Diego Added To State Watchlist: Must Close (Some) Indoor Activities For 3 Weeks

Well, to nobody's surprise, San Diego is now added to the State's impacted list and will have to close specific sectors for 3 weeks (regardless of whether numbers improve in that time). The good news is that Fletch is saying the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park should be relatively unaffected, because the action is specifically for INDOOR activities related to the specific sectors. The bar rules are still pretty confusing, but just keep it simple: stop going places where you're sitting and socializing with anyone outside of your household or breathing in other people's air for any extended amount of time. It's gross that gyms are still open, but if there've been no outbreaks, I don't foresee them adding more sectors to the updated health order. Anyway, today's briefing updates are after the jump. I think I'm going back to sleep. 

LA County Closes All Beaches For Fourth Of July Holiday Weekend: Will San Diego Follow? (Fireworks are done, too)

Will It All Come Crashing Back Down? (La Jolla Cove, 10.23.2019)

On Sunday, Governor Newsom sent a tweet. 

Due to the rising spread of #COVID19, CA is ordering bars to close in Fresno, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, San Joaquin, and Tulare, while recommending they close in Contra Costa, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, & Ventura.

On Monday, San Diego proactively decided to close bars, too, effective July 1st at 12am, so like, in the middle of Tuesday night bar hours. Many questions were asked of other closings and it was left open...the County would discuss with local cities and see if additional moves were needed. 

But now LA is closing all of their beaches for 4th of July weekend. That will certainly reverberate to all other nearby counties, including San Diego. Our County and all the coastal cities within should close the beaches for the weekend with tight enforcement. The LA press release is after the jump. Sounds like Tuesday is going to be another busy day of news and briefings and fighting over whose statistics matter, what they mean. Put on your masks, shit is about to get SUPER FUCKING UGLY. I'ma go drown myself in rye. 

*updated to add their press release about cancellation of all fireworks. PLEASE DO THIS IN SAN DIEGO 

Police Reform Measures Move Forward | Covid Numbers Still Spiking | We're Still Talking About Lilac Hills? |

Father's Day at San Diego Zoo- Unmasked momentarily for the sake of a photo (6.21.2020)

Have you ever watched a show that turned out to be a total dud? I watched 13 Reasons Why when it first came out with the first season, but I recently picked up with seasons 2-4 and season 2 was meh but season 3 is horrible. And is there a more annoying character or actor than Clay? Ugh. I gave up last night and finished reading my book instead. Today was I've bounced from the County Supervisors Meeting to the Governor's media briefing, to the Mayor's briefing on police reform. It's a lot. But Lilac Hills is getting denied, so expect to see some sort of lawsuit or bullshit to continue dragging it out. It must be a super sweet job to be the paid for a job for over a decade with your expenses and writeoffs, all for your project to be declined because you just couldn't follow the rules for the 20th time. Anyway, I'm super tired and cranky, so naptime it is. Lots of updates after the jump.

CoVid-19 Diary: Reopening Incumbent Upon Guideline Adherence | SD City Council Passes Mayor's Budget | Otter Named 'Nova' | Zoo Can Reopen As Early As Friday | SD Opera Lays Out 2020-2021 Season

It is unclear if Sea World can fly as an "aquarium" and reopen this week  (Taken 12.13.2019)

My sister booked a campsite in the South Bay this week and while we're still unclear if we're allowed to meet up with them because of confusing language (campsites are open; gatherings with members outside of household are not, yet restaurants can seat different households together, and bars and breweries can reopen, HUH?), I decided that we might  try to join them, if allowed. Doesn't seem impossible to share a campsite and still keep distanced and masked, even outdoors, so I made a huge Costco run. And if those hot dogs end up just being for us at home, that would be okay, too.
But what I wanted to share was that, what I imagine is just for a limited time, Costco has stopped making their sheet cakes and instead are making 12" round cakes, since obviously no gatherings, no demand for massive cakes. They're selling for $12.99 and it seemed like we had to get one since Nova got royally screwed on her birthday back in May and because, well, we.love.cake. So there's my hot tip. Also, the Mission Valley store (and I imagine all of the others) have radically shifted where things are, so beer is now in the middle section, just before the refrigerated goods instead of on the perimeter walls. I also did a driveby and Ikea is fully open again, so I'll have to investigate that in the next few weeks, too.
I like doing my errands during the last hour stores are open...they tend to be emptier and feel safer (even if that's just in my head). I realized today that I have to adjust my mindset and read all the stats, and one stuck out to me. It's slide 18/23 of the daily briefings. I keep watching the cases rise, but this one points out that while there are 8619 confirmed cases in San Diego County, 6,501 of them are considered 'recovered'. That's 2,119 active cases, a number I can much more easily wrap my head around. I don't know if they also subtract the deaths from there or if those are included in the 'recovered' count but I can at least understand why people are pushing for openings.
I've been watching Outer Banks on Netflix and didn't expect to love the Scooby-Dooness of it. And while I'm fully turning back into a 14 year old, I had to take a break from some of the heavy shit I've been reading and am exploring a YA author named Mindy McInnis. So there's that. Things that actually matter, after the jump.

CoViD-19: A Summary of Hiking Closures

A View of Point Loma from Coronado, taken 12.28.2020

The other day I said I wouldn't post comments from a private group, but I thought this one was important. This is from Nick Gee, admin on the group San Diego Hiking Society, posted Marcg 24 around 9am. This is a constantly evolving situation:

There are numerous updated and current posts about closures to specific areas and lands managed by every agency present within San Diego County. County parks and preserves are still open, except those closed for rain damage. City parks and reservoirs are all closed. Torrey Pines State Reserve is closed. Carlsbad parks and beaches are closed. State parks like Cuyamaca, Anza-Borrego, and Palomar Mountain are open for hiking but not camping in developed campgrounds. Other wilderness areas, state conservation areas, and wildlife refuges are open. National parks like Cabrillo are open for hiking. Cleveland National Forest is open, though the two popular waterfall trails, Three Sisters and Cedar Creek Falls are closed to hiking. That's a comprehensive breakdown of current conditions on Tuesday morning, March 24th.
"The Trails" do not exist on their own. "The Trails" are a product of political acts made by many different agencies and public government entities. We really need to realize this for our future decisions of land use and jurisdiction for public lands and utilities, and private lands that surround them. Let's get serious about our hobby when this is over.

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World Beach Games Bid Adios To San Diego

I'm pissed. I need to vent.

This week in the news, there were numerous stories about the ANOC World Beach Games pulling out of San Diego. If you were unaware, the short story is that San Diego was supposed to host the inaugural World Beach Games here in October, an event which had already been postponed from 2017. For shorthand, the event was literally known as "San Diego 2019," so, uh, so much for that branding. Whatcha gonna do now, ANOC?
My thoughts, after the jump.