Rosey's Diary & Newsy Things: Rescued Belugas Brought To Seaworld SD | SD Zoo To Welcome New Gorilla | SD Music Hall of Fame Inductees Announced | Beach Baño Brings Council Bickering |

View of Golden Gate Bridge from Land's End/USS San Francisco Memorial

I'm still on my roadtrip and have parked myself in Hercules, CA for a few days to take care of some things with Darren's nephew. While I've been here, we hit Oakland Zoo, San Francisco Zoo, Land's End, and our last stop was Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf to see the sea lions to see if Chonkers was still around. I was also able to do laundry, get caught up on a lot of work, and catch up on sleep, too. I hear the weather in San Diego has been miserable, so I keep pushing back my return home, but I promise I'm not staying gone forever. I'd still like to see elephant seals at one of the lookout spots up here, and I was considering going to the Sacramento and Fresno Zoos on my way out, but I'll skip those if the weather is still gonna be gnarly all weekend. It's been pretty mellow here, especially close to the bay or beaches, but I also don't wanna drive the van in the middle of the day with extreme heat. 

Anyhow, it's been fun and I wanted to get started on this week's listings while I have strong wi-fi, so I'm gonna post this diary a little earlier than I usually do just to get it off my plate. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Rosey's Diary & Newsy Bits: Port Designates Kumeyaay Beach | Stop Jumping Sunset Cliffs | County Hot Spots Close For Safety | Billionaires Try To Bogart Kit Carson Park | TopGolf Wants Waterfront |

Otter at Moss Landing (10.3.25)

I know it's been a minute since I've done a diary post, but I was trying to maximize the end of my late nights at San Diego Zoo and Seaworld. Darren's job changed hours, so he's up even earlier---now waking up at 4am which is when I'm usually going to sleep, so we try to make time, but sometimes we are two ships in the night. We did a nice little weekend escape to Bates Nut Farm and the Oceanside Harbor, but at least now I'll be home when he's still awake. I think the last time I wrote, I was contemplating a little road trip, and I think it's gonna happen if the wildfires can stay under control in Northern California. With that, I'll be attempting to knock out two weeks of listings before I go. We'll see how I do. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite te bastardes carborundorum. 

Rosey's Diary & Newsy Things: Merry Christmas. The headlines are mostly depressing, so maybe save them for another day.

Me & Darren Took A Hike at Silverwood Bird Preserve

Judging by the dates on this post, I've been holding onto it all month, so what better time than Christmas to post, while everyone in the house is asleep and I binge watch a new series on Peacock. I really wish that I could've gone to Exile on Kettner tonight, but even with the offer of a safe and sober ride, I've been feeling like crap since Thanksgiving, so while I'm out doing hikes and the Zoo and Seaworld and shopping and living life by day, when I've opted for cocktails or a night out, it just feels like the cold/bronchitis/pneumonia whatever I have relapses all over again and I'm sick of feeling like shit. i don't know how my sinuses can be all clear all day long and the second I get home just completely stuff up and my lungs get back to wheezy. So I feel like I made the responsible and wise decision to stay home even though I know I would've had a blast and seen so many friends. 

But it is Christmas and part of the feeling-like-shit-since-Thanksgiving means this holiday season just blew past me. While I do get all in the spirit when I'm at the Zoo or Seaworld or cruising neighborhood decorations, this year we skipped all the things. We didn't get a tree. I didn't even put out my tinsel and snowmen. I didn't do any Christmas shopping. My mom and my sister are getting small gifts from me, but only because they happened to be a product that I loved from Costco and thought I'd pick up for them because they were on sale. Darren, Toby, my nieces, my Godsister's incubating twins -- gifts just aren't my love language. But I do look forward to Christmas. I'm not sure if we're doing Christmas pajamas or Ugly Sweaters, but spending time with everyone while we pig out on snacks and charcuterie and desserts and skip the traditional dinner seems like a pretty perfect day to me. 

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate. And happy all the other holidays that are celebrated this time of year, too.  
Stay safe out there. 

Rosey's Diary: San Diego Is Expensive (Duh!) | DOJ Files Suit Against Rent-Setting Algorithm | New COVID Vaccine Available | San Diego Zoo To End Late Hours & Kangaroo Bus Service |

Xin Bao (4 yo Female, Taken 8.27.24)

I haven't done a diary link post in awhile, but there were some emails and links that I had building up, so I wanted to make sure to share this before I get to this week's listings. 

Things have been mostly good. Toby is back in school, has been very busy with marching band and also was accepted to San Diego Youth Symphony and is learning to play stand-up bass. We hardly see him, but we hope that is a good thing. His trip to Finland was good overall, though a bit eye-opening as he encountered a lot of anti-LGBTQ attitudes and Nationalist points of view that he didn't really expect. 

Darren is busy at work and exhausted after work as they've been working on fire-breaking urban canyons which is a ton of manual labor. He had a work thing last week at Bowlero with his work friends and we had fun bowling for the first time in maybe a decade, but as we were leaving, I was SHOT AT by some asshole teens with I don't know- an airgun? a pellet gun? I don't know my mock-assault weapons, but I was hit in the forehead by something and it was completely terrifying even though I was uninjured and whatever hit me didn't break skin. The thought some kids can just race through a cul-de-sac and open fire with anything is pretty scary. Apparently it was part of a shooting spree they went on throughout the Eastlake area of Chula Vista to terrorize their neighbors. I reported it to police, but I don't expect anything to happen. Someday those little shits will shoot at someone who will quickly retaliate with real bullets and it will be a whole different situation. I hate all guns in all forms and blah blah there are certain reasons to have them whatever whatever. I hate them all and ammosexuals can seriously GFY. 

Back to talking about joyful things: I've probably, so far, already taken about 3000 photos of the pandas, most of which will never be shared because, well, that's a lot. Not exaggerating. I'm sharing just a few of my latest from Tuesday.  

Stay safe out there. 

Panda Preview: The Giant Pandas Are (Maybe) Ready For Their Public Debut at San Diego Zoo

 

Thursday is the big day that the San Diego Zoo finally opens Panda Ridge to the public. While the pandas arrived in San Diego on June 27, they've been off habitat as they quarantined and adjusted to their new San Diego lifestyle. The zoo made extraordinary measures to make sure nobody was getting sneak peeks or disturbing them in that time...putting windscreens across the entire Bashor Bridge, adding railings to prevent looking over, staffed the area with two guest ambassadors from open to close, erected walls around the habitats, closed off half the overflow seating for Treetops Bistro, closed the stairs at Bashor Bridge into the Canyon. They would even go so far as closing the Skyfari for "regular maintenance" whenever the pandas were exploring their yards. 

So naturally starting last week, dignitaries, media, researchers, volunteers and employees began run-throughs for the viewing. On Monday, I got the chance to see them with a friend who is a donor. We had a 4pm viewing time but got wind that they were letting people in ahead of their time, so here I'm going to divulge my recommendations for seeing the pandas. 

First of all, I do not know how they're running the time-ticketing vs the paid-viewing. But let's assume you get a ticket and a time slot. Before you even go to the zoo, plan ahead!!! The pandas are behind 8-10' high glass that is about 4 feet in front of the walking path. Any given time of day there will be reflection. I am intentionally posting my photos with heavy reflection so you can see how it looks. I wear ALL BLACK and brought a black long sleeve light jacket I use, as well as a cut up black shower curtain that I usually use for sitting. The people wearing flashy, bright and printed clothes couldn't see jack shit except everyone else's reflection. This was a late afternoon viewing, so I knew what to expect in this area after months of spending hours shooting the baby red panda, Pavitra. 

Second, I did not get one single worthy phone photo, even with my fancy new camera. If you're only bringing your phone, snap a pic or two and then just enjoy the viewing. I shoot with a pretty entry level camera, a Canon 90D and a 75-300mm lens. There are zoo regulars shooting with cameras and lenses worth $5k, $10k, $25k dollars and more. Don't try to compare your photos to their photos. Let them hobby and you enjoy your time. 

Last thing I'll say is that for this special donor preview, we had a 30 minute window, plus the extra 15 minutes we went in early. The public timed viewings will only be 15 minutes. Still, I heard a statistic that the average person spends 90 SECONDS at each animal at a zoo. They want to see, snap a selfie, maybe record a video they'll never watch, and move on. This is why the entitled maniacs get all pissed off when people don't get out of their way...their kids are cuter than you and deserve to get the best view the second they walk up to the habitat even if you've been waiting minutes or hours for that one special moment...All this to say...don't be rushed along. There will be lots of people saying "Share The Bear" but you have a window of time for the entire habitat. When Xin Bao went up to her hill, I checked out Yun Chuan (4 yo male), but he was fast asleep, so I went back to Xin Bao (3yo female) and got to see her basically rolling in her bamboo with joy, which was pretty special to watch.  But note the glare. It is harsh and everywhere, even when I blocked the yellow posts with my jacket and plastic and sat on the ground to get under the bamboo reflecting off higher on the glass. I was able to hold my black plastic up so my friend in a fully mechanized wheelchair could see the pandas when most other people couldn't see at all. I don't know what the policy will be like for the public, but I would HOPE that strollers are not allowed, as people bring WONDERFOLDS the size of my childhood day bed and think everyone else has to yield to them. The pathway was not expanded in any parts, but there is a lot more room for the first habitat with Xin Bao, who got the space of the former Takins, versus Yun Chuan who got the space of the red pandas. And speaking of red pandas, KOLA is back. Make sure to look for him snoozing high up in his tree on the right as you first enter the habitat. 

Obviously I'm so glad the pandas are back, but the zoo is going to be BONKERS and there are going to be a lot of disappointed people who only catch Xin Bao on her hill or Yun Chuan in one of his 4 hour naps. Be patient. Be a member. Don't put all your expectations into amazing views in one 15 minute visit. San Diego Zoo is posting a ton of PROFESSIONALLY shot photos and videos on their social media, where they can get behind-the-scenes and BEHIND-THE-GLASS footage. Just enjoy watching these super cute creatures. And if you're disappointed, just head next door and see much rarer animals, the Amur Leopards, or go up and visit the Guam Kingfisher who is COMPLETELY EXTINCT in the wild, and realize that conservation goes a lot further than just this hot panda summer. Photos after the jump. 

Rosey's Diary & Newsy Things: COVID Is In The Air: Cases Rising (again) | Pandas To Make Public Debut | Reviving Epicentre | Waterfront Park Expands Activities | All In For Kamala |

Ekuba, the legend (Taken 7.30.24)

Pride has passed. Comic-Con is behind us. Now we're just left with hot Brat Summer and Kamala Fever. I've been trying not to freak out about all the things, I'm not particularly looking forward to construction on my apartment starting next week and living out of a suitcase until it's done, but I'll get through it, I'm sure. Besides that, I haven't posted in a minute because besides the aforementioned biggie things in San Diego, I also got a new phone and two weeks in, I still feel like I'm still setting things up and configuring things how I want them...which is a complete pain in the ass, by the way...but I'm just trying to move forward and not sweat the small stuff. I'm trying to get listings done early this week, but after how this day went, I'm gonna guess that's just not in the cards. Ah well. You'll get them Thursday, one way or another. 

Stay safe out there.

Rosey's Diary and Newsy Things: SDMA Winner List | Gloria Submits Revised Budget | Floods Ravage Brazil | New C-19 "FLiRT" Strain Symptoms |

Baby Langur (Taken 5.12.24)

I've been watching the Emily D Baker livestreams of the Karen Read Trial because as we inch closer to November, the news is just hard to watch. My little family has a ritual where every night we watch the monologues or features from the late night shows - Seth Meyers, Colbert, Kimmel, and Fallon - and even those are hard to watch sometimes. The coverage of TFG is just too much and the comedians' impressions of him are just as bad as seeing his stupid face and hearing his actual voice. So I've been watching this trial, or listening to the stream while I work, or while I'm walking around the zoo, and I kind of regret it because the prosecution is so bad so the case has ceased to be interesting. All of this to say, I don't really have much to post this week. With Darren on the job hunt and having more time together, I feel stretched a little thin. We did have a great time at the Waxahatchee show on Tuesday, but after I came home to get my listings going and write a work newsletter, so today I felt pretty sluggish, though I still went to visit the apes and then D and I went to a River Days event to see the future site of The River Center at Grant Park. I still feel like I have a million things to do tonight but first things first, I'm posting this, then finishing listings. They'll be up in the morning. 

Stay safe out there. 

Rosey's Diary & Newsy Things: Panda Update | Oceanside Pier Empty Restaurant Catches Fire | Animal Shelters in State of Emergency | Avian Flu Hits Dairy Farms |

Tiger Cub (Hutan or Puteri?) at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (4.30.24)

I don't have much of a diary this week because I'm a little emotionally spent and physically tired. Besides my regular work, I worked at Emo Night Karaoke on Friday, then Julia Wolf on Sunday, and then after that show, Darren and I went to see A Beacon School at Casbah. I got my Monday zoo time, then on Tuesday, after I spent the morning at the zoo, D and I went to Safari Park on his day off to deliver flowers for his old work. It was definitely bittersweet because some stuff was going down at his job and sure enough, he was let go from the park the next morning. He wasn't taken by surprise by it, but it still fucking hurts. So now we have that to deal with and it is scary and heartbreaking and of course our rents just went up again, because San Diego, so I'm trying not to panic but it really fucking sucks. And I can't really talk about it because it's not my story to tell, but you know I have some thoughts.  

So yeah. Life goes on. I'll be working at Music Box on Thursday, maybe Casbah on Friday, and will probably try to partake in some Old Town Cinco de Mayo festivities over the weekend because I'm a sucker for mariachis. 

Stay safe out there. Nolite bastardes carborundorum. 

Rosey's Diary & Newsy Things: Gentrification: Protecting LGBTQ+ Nightlife | Soaring Rents | Public Park Bans Bikes | City Fails FIDO Dogs | Bird Flu | Pathogen Descriptors Rewritten |

Ficus at Fiesta Island Dog Park, before the foxtails seeded. (Taken 2.18.24)

At some point I have to stop collecting links and actually make a post. I've been trying, but work has been crazy busy...the Casbah is presenting more shows at outside venues than ever before, or at least to pre-pandemic levels and the agencies are fully staffed up with 6-12 person marketing teams to remind me -- one person -- that I'm not meeting their expectations. I love taking my laptop to the zoo to get work done, but I find more of my day actually on the laptop than actually experiencing the zoo. As a result, when I get home at night I've been trying to keep that my time, which this week means bingeing Girls 5eva. 

I went to LA last Sunday for the opening of my cousin's new business and ended up making an overnight out of it, with a super rainy Sunday at the LA Zoo and then a much nicer rain-free Monday. I helped out with merch for The Last Dinner Party on Friday afternoon and then we went to the show that night. Darren spent his days off being sick at home, so I've been trying to give him all the space at home he needs to nap and recover, but then after the kid's concert at school, he said he was also feeling sick and likely won't be going to school tomorrow. They're both negative on COVID tests, but I'm still gonna try to do all the things we did back then, because I do not want to also get whatever sinus-throat tickle-congestion thing it is. I'll get to listings this week, and I don't have any major plans besides working at our Quartyard show on Sunday but I'll definitely keep myself scarce at home if I can. 

Ohhhh! And one more thing! Remember when this was just a music site?? Tim Fears is gonna get back to posting photos here. I'll add mine when they're worthwhile than more than an IG post, but be on the lookout for his stellar shots. 

Stay safe out there. 

Rosey's Diary And Newsy Things: 2024 Is Here | Respiratory Viruses On The Rise | Election Year Nightmare |

I always imagine that I'll write some big end of the year recap and beginning of the year 'fresh start' post, but to be honest, after finding out today that our friend and sound guy extraordinaire, Otto, has passed away, it just brings back all the real shit parts of 2023 all over again. Losing my dad, losing my sister-in-law, losing O, losing so many others, human and animals alike. It was a steady parade of grief and loss. 

And not to say it wasn't also a good year, because that is life, right? Shitty things and good things and all the things in between, until it's our turn to fade out and everyone is remembering us. But let's hope that is many, many years away and we continue to grow as people with each moment we have. My "zoo year" has been incredible, I've been getting in better habits - getting up earlier, staying on top of my work, setting and hitting daily step targets, making lots of new friends from all walks of life, getting daily sunshine, getting my ass off the couch. Admittedly, that means I write and post less and I haven't been going to shows as much as I once did, which I expect to find better balance for both in 2024. 

Of course there are always goals to set...like cleaning out our studio and apartment and 'cleaning out the old', or taking better advantage when Darren actually has time off, but let's just marvel that we made it out of 2023. And while we have the shit elections to deal with this year, let's do our best to make 2024 a good one. 

I love you all. Stay safe out there. 

 

Rosey's COVID-19 Diary: Final 48 Hours of Isolation (Hopefully)

Aisha the Orangutan (Taken 6.7.21)

I'm still in my COVID isolation. If Tuesday, my testing day, was day zero by CDC standards, my day zero, one and two were the worst. Achy, dead-to-the-world sleep for hours and hours, and wheezing so loud I'd wake myself up from my whistling lungs. Those days I was taking steady meds alternating between advil and tylenol, then alka seltzer plus nighttime to sleep. By Thursday night I was feeling mostly fine, besides messed up sleep patterns, and I tried to catch up on a lot of work and email and such, though still some loose ends to clean up before the weekend ends. If I didn't have COVID, by Friday I would've been okay to pack a backpack and go to the Zoo. I won't because I understand I'm in isolation until Sunday, but just demonstrating that I feel strong and well enough to be in the world. 

During this time I binged The Bear on Hulu (which I highly recommend) and I'm watching Maggie (only recommend if you like soft-serve cotton candy and lollipop rom-com series). I've caught up on all my missed Murdaugh Murder podcasts. I'm listening to a lot of new-to-me music that I haven't really sat with this year. The Widowspeak album is amazing. But also all my favorites like Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers and Japanese Breakfast and Big Thief and then nostalgic dives back into Frightened Rabbit and Joshua James and Rocky Votolato -- whose new single Evergreen will crush your heart. I'm also back to reading a lot. I'm reading The Plot on the CloudLibrary app but will finish up today and have some good books in the queue already checked out and ready to read.  

Last night I was feeling pretty good and Darren​ and Nova both came back home so I went back to the studio for isolation and ended up ordering a pizza from Sicilian Thing's no-contact delivery and if you don't think about the fact that after tax + tip + delivery you just bought pizza for $5 a slice, it was delicious. Today Darren works so I may move back upstairs while he's gone but doing my best not to share air...they've remained COVID negative and we'd like to keep it that way, especially since Nova moves into her UCSD residential program for the first week of two on Sunday. 

I'm in my final 48 of isolation and just trying to convince myself I can do this. It would certainly be worse if I was feeling ill. Besides lingering congestion, which is pretty much what I'm used to with allergies this time of year anyway, I feel pretty good, if not a little stir crazy in this confined space. And nobody really talks about this, but if you're prone to anxiety or depression, COVID only adds to that in that when you're in the worst of your symptoms, you can very much catastrophize the situation, What if I get worse? What if I have to be hospitalized? What if I die of some related thing like blood clots or heart attack or stroke? What if I end up with long COVID and I'm just this tired forever? How do I know when I'm bad enough for medical attention? This is where the oximeter and thermometer are crucial items. And having lots of distractions to get away from all the stinkin' thinkin' while also paying attention to what your body is actually telling you with this illness that you're likely navigating for the first time, with lots of noise but little information about what to expect.

This week, the San Diego Zoo debuted baby Kaja, a baby orangutan sired by Satu before his passing. I believe Kaju was born on January 4th, but there were complications and his mom Indah had issues and they weren't bonding and so for the past 6 months, they've been nurturing that bond and closely watched. Everyone's IG photos are incredible but it makes me think the habitat has something like a COMIC-CON Hall H press line of photographers. Luckily they have this sweet Ape Cam and I can watch them move around their enclosure as baby explores and protective momma gets reacquainted with her habitat, and as curious Aisha looks on to her mom and baby bro. 

Sorry for all you fellow COVID sufferers. This totally sucks. But thanks for being responsible humans and doing your best not to pass this on. 

Mask up. This shit is no joke, even if you're vaxxed and boosted. And not a bad idea to make sure you're prepared: home tests, blood oximeter, digital thermometer, Advil, Tylenol, easy to heat and eat food and snacks, lots of fluids, supplements if you're into that kinda thing, like Zinc, C, D, B-12, and you're comfiest home clothes and pajamas. 

I'll be watching Kaja. Be well.  

CoVID-19: Spikes Falling, Could Plateau With BA.2 | CA Assembly Kills CalCare | Plea Rejected For Arbery's Murderers | Jackhole Marines Who Vandalized Skyfari Identified; San Diego Zoo Announces Basecamp Opening | Museum Month |

A sneaky photo of part of the new Wildlife Explorers Basecamp, Opening March 11, 2022 (Taken 1.27.22)

 What a day! I'm a massive anti-Monday person. The email and work onslaught just knocks me down and I generally hide from it all. But today I faced the day and it was all good news. Darren got a job interview at Deering Banjos! Then he met with his tax guy who not only got him a great return this year but modified last year's to get more money back and possible answered why he didn't previously get the Golden State Stimulus. Then we went to the San Diego Zoo for an hour to get some fresh air and -- while of course the Skyfari is still out of service because of those moron Marines who broke it over the weekend -- I got a press release that the new basecamp will be open to the public on March 11. (See full press release at the end of this post.) 

Over the weekend I had some meaningful and positive email exchanges with the principal of Hoover High and on our way out of the Zoo he called and spent a half hour on the phone with Darren and I. What an amazing person and advocate for students and though I'm sorry it started over Twitter, we probably would've just kinda moved on and that wouldn't benefit Nova in the slightest. So very positive movement and such a relief. By the time we got home, she had to get ready for derby, but was exuberant about her wood shop class and everything they learned and the hands on practice they got on the basics of hammering nails properly. And they got a glimpse of their first project "and we get to use a nail gun!" I haven't seen the kid that excited in a minute. On top of that, she found out a little more about the lacrosse team and might start practicing with some girls in anticipation of trying out, which would be huge for her. 

From derby dropoff, we swung by a store and scored some interview outfits for Darren since he probably hasn't gotten anything new besides socks since before the pandemic and found some good looks for him, and then went to Costco and restocked all the necessities before running home, dropping it all off, picking Nova back up from derby, then running to my parents to move my dad from the chair back to his bed for the night and then finally home to get this post done. So yes, it's late, but c'est la vie. And can't complain when it was a very good day. 

I don't wanna depress everyone, but over the weekend some papers came out about Omicron reinfection and just to say, even if you've had it, especially little unvaccinated kids in schools, be diligent because you/they could very well get it again. And again. And again. Unlike past variants, there is evidence that previous infection doesn't necessarily prevent against future infection. I'll find more on that and post tomorrow. Also, I intend to update listings tomorrow but we'll be running around again as we have to help my dad again and I deleted my entire template so it's going to be an even bigger pain in the ass than usual. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: CDPH Christmas Scare | Rapid Tests, PCR Tests, and How Long To Isolate When Positive | RIP Tutu |

The Family on Christmas (Taken 12.25.21)

I've tried to believe that in this whole COVID-19 pandemic, that at least we're in San Diego, where it seems the County of San Diego and the State of California have enacted measures to keep us as safe as possible with the least disruption in our lives, but I'm not gonna lie here -- California Department of Health came very well close to ruining Christmas. 

Nova, Darren and I were all COViD-19 tested on Saturday, all with negative results by the next day. But then I told you I had a couple friends over, on Sunday night and Tuesday morning, and they were notified of close contacts with people who tested positive. So we went back in for testing on Wednesday, and even for December 23, it felt quick and efficient. And while the signs about results are always the same, it would've been nice to know we wouldn't have results by Christmas. 

But I was not really worried. Both friends who had the close contacts subsequently tested negative and we're all feeling fine and healthy over here, and if we were desperate, we had a few rapid tests on hand. We spent Christmas Eve at my parents' house with all the kids and watched movies and it was lovely. Nova stayed the night with the girls and Darren and I came home and had drinks while making deviled eggs and other apps for Christmas. 

On Christmas Day, we arrived in the afternoon to a spread of food and everyone feeling festive and I guess my mom and sister have figured out the hoist so my dad isn't confined to the hospital bed 24/7 but can be put in an upright chair and everyone was feeling the vibes. We ate, watched movies, and then we had a casino night. I was dealer and my dad taught everyone his tricks of the trade for playing blackjack. It was super fun and lifted his spirits in ways I haven't seen in a very long time, for once feeling like himself and not dependent on everyone around him. My godsister and her boyfriend are going to Vegas in the spring so my dad felt needed in imparting his knowledge upon them. We played for a couple hours before we exhausted and started to wrap things up. 

And then I got a text. 

"The CA Dept of Public Health was notified of your COVID-19 test. Tap here if you tested positive and are using CA Notify (Exposure Notifications) to anonymously alert people who make have been exposed. Your personal information is not shared with other users..."

WTF?

"If you tested positive"?? How would I know? We haven't gotten results back. And, if this is a standard text to anyone who gets a test, why is this the first time getting the text after having been tested about a dozen other times in the past? Darren no longer has the app so he didn't get a text. But my heart was in my stomach. I clicked the link thinking maybe IT would tell ME if I had a positive result. But by doing so, I basically told the app that I had tested positive. And now there's no way to make it say otherwise, other than not finishing with the notification to close contacts. We hastily gathered all our things and kinda made a quick exit, rushing home so we could all do antigen tests. 

The rapid tests all came back negative. 

But I called my sister and mom to apologize anyway for our quick exit and explain what happened and then I spent Christmas Night googling everything I could about CA Notify. As far as I can tell, they don't actually know my result because it is a self-reporting tool. It only exists to ping others if I tell it to do so. But I still have questions. Was this even about my December 23rd test? Or are they catching up from my December 18th test? Or from even before then, when we tested on December 11th and December 4th? Why isn't this clear in the text? And I get that the County was closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (though, if the San Diego Zoo can be open, it seems, too, that emergency workers dealing with a surge in the pandemic should be, too) but now it isn't Christmas and I've gotten results on a Sunday before so why am I still waiting 4 days later? It is so frustrating. And I don't expect CA Dept of Health to target a text to every person who tests, but how about saying more clearly that THIS TEXT DOES NOT INDICATE IN ANY WAY YOUR ACTUAL TEST RESULT and maybe autfofill the date of the test it is in reference to. 

And this all lends to a greater problem of messaging which I've talked about a lot for the past two years. I know people who go get tested -- with symptoms no less-- who leave the testing site and go shopping or to restaurants or to shows or whatever. I mean, obviously we got tested on Wednesday, and with no results still joined family for Christmas Eve and Christmas. But if we had any symptoms and believed we had COVID-19, why isn't there clearer information about staying quarantined until you know your result, about resources available, about proper protocols until you get your result? And I wouldn't know but I hope and assume that if you do test positive, information on isolating is included with your result, but now I'm not even so sure or else why is this spreading so insanely fast? Are sick people just going about their lives? 

So yeah, I'm irritated. It's now Sunday night and we still never got results back, but I trust the antigen tests and am not really worried. But what about the 10,000 or so other people in San Diego who got tested on Wednesday and never got their results and didn't have the benefit of rapid tests on hands? I guess we'll find out tomorrow how three days of no reporting looks. And by Wednesday we'll start to know the ramifications of Christmas around the county and country. But by all accounts, know that we're still going up and aren't expected to peak until late January or early February. 

Stay safe out there.    

CoViD-19: Zients Has Had It With The Unvaccinated "A Winter of Severe Illness and Death" | CDC Endorses "Test To Stay" For Schools | County Cases Nearly Double Overnight | Giraffe Calf Gets A Name: Mawe | What Is Recyclable? |

 

San Diego Zoo Names Giraffe Calf: Mawe (Taken 12.7.21)

I really thought I could go through a day without posting, but there was so much information jammed in my inbox that I couldn't let it skip for a day. Plus, I'd like to get out and do stuff and see the world on Saturday, so it just made sense to go with my momentum. There's new information and data on omicron every day, but with delta still around, the White House COVID-19 team is done placating and keeping their soft messages to the unvaccinated. Here in San Diego, our cases nearly doubled overnight, which is not a good indicator going into a weekend of no reporting and the final dash to Christmas. 

I think I have to skip the group dinner on Monday. 

This really sucks, but we knew when the virus started to be detected globally that these things historically cycle for a couple years before becoming endemic, though with our vaccines, we never had to let it go on this long. The talking point that we lead with science has gotten so old, sometimes you should actually lead with common-sense: tell people to wear masks from the beginning because we didn't yet know enough about the virus, explain why ventilation is critical by acknowledging loudly and publicly and repetitively that COVID is airborne, and continue mask policies among all people, regardless of vaccination status unless you definitively know that vaccinated people cannot spread the virus, which we now know is not the case at all, (though there is still evidence that with delta, vaccinated people are less contagious and when they are contagious it is for a shorter period of time.) Now with evidence that omicron hangs in our airways, it seems more transmissible regardless of vaccine status. And it drives me crazy to continue to see Joe Biden in public situations, coughing into his hands instead of his elbow, pulling down his mask to talk, not wearing a better mask, hugging tornado victims in Kentucky where only 48.6% of people are fully vaccinated, and speaking at a goddamn college commencement where only 51.7% of the population is vaccinated. Stop traveling already! Time to work-from-home, Joe. We kinda need you to be healthy and stick around for awhile. 

And I guess that's true for all of us. We need to be healthy and stick around for awhile. I've left lots of links for reading over the weekend. I think I'll skip the weekend again unless something feels pressing and worth posting. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: Omicron "Cause For Concern, Not Panic" | New Variant: Same Mitigations, Still Airborne | Photos: Baby Giraffe Born at San Diego Zoo |

 

Baby Giraffe Born Approx 2:30pm at San Diego Zoo, Taken Approx 30 Minutes Later 

I know it was a long weekend and all the news is still in your face about Omicron and supply-chain and holiday shopping and cyber-Monday and inevitable double your normal emails for Giving Tuesday, but I got to witness something AMAZING today. 

I was going to the San Diego Zoo for the afternoon, as I often do on Mondays. As I entered, a Zoo employee came up to one of her coworkers at the entrance saying she just witnessed the birth of the giraffe. 

I'd been anticipating this since they put up the birthing fence within the habitat at the beginning of November. I hustled through the long walkway to the mesa and came upon about a hundred people oohing and aahing. I set up with my camera behind a couple people who eventually tired and left so I was able to post up pretty much until closing to watch the baby. The big excitement was about the baby's first steps, which usually come within an hour of birth but takes a few tries first. And so we waiting. Baby would try to get up, collapse, then get enough strength to try again, legs splayed in all directions, tumbling forward and backward, rolling to its side. 

After about an hour, the moment finally came and mom had cleaned and preened, and nudged her legs in a way more conducive to standing up and it did it! Wobbly legs, mom stood over her and straightened her legs until one step, then two, then looking for a teat. I was told the mom was Saba, and this is her first calf. She would walk away, and the little calf would follow, as the other curious giraffes looked in, necks over the fence to get close but still maintain distance. 

The whole experience was super amazing, and I filmed about 20 video clips and shot over 550 photos right up until my camera battery died. I was excited and shared it with Eric over at NBC, so he did a little writeup and photo gallery with my shots here.  You can see the first steps on my Instagram post here. And I'm gonna post some photos as the end of this post. 

As for COVID-19, just assume Omicron is gonna be and Delta is still everywhere. The US is still only sequencing 5-10% of samples and there are still no widespread surveillance programs for the public besides what we've been doing at SDUSD, but even then, weekly PCR testing is opt-in, so you know that shit is going around undetected. (And we did an antigen test when she returned from Missouri, too.) Plus, there have still been no strong statements by WHO or CDC that COVID is airborne which is really holding us all back but would likely collapse entire industries should it be said with real force.

Stay safe out there. Photos at the end. 

CoViD-19: Nobody Seems To Care About The Pandemic Anymore | A Math Explainer On Breakthrough Cases | Snow Leopard With COVID |

 

Ramil's The Snow Leopard's Female Mate (Taken 6.20.21)

I woke up from a weird dream super early this morning and was just never able to fall back asleep, so my day has consisted of a whole lot of couching. I caught up on my Bravo shows then watched some Olympics highlights. I spent some time on my balcony, played with the kittens, and tried to coax Kiwi back to living amongst us instead of hiding out in my room. By afternoon, Nova and I started watching the second season of Never Have I Ever and we're about to go to my parents' house. One bright spot: my sister finally took my niece fore her first vaccination shot. 

There weren't a lot of things to share except that many states and jurisdictions, as I mentioned earlier this week, have stopped daily data updates. California and the County of San Diego have stopped on weekends. I also couldn't get into the Johns Hopkins Dashboard, which is weird, but maybe they're giving up, too. It's not good, as we're learning that a vast majority of the country is just post-pandemic and back to living life as it was before while the experts are sounding the alarms and nobody listens.   

So nothing else I can really say about all that, so instead, I'll show you a video I took of the snow leopards at the San Diego Zoo banging it out a couple months ago. I was thinking a lot about Ramil and how, like a lot of humans, he was about to get his COVID vaccine but hadn't gotten it yet and now he's sick and will maybe have to wait before he can get it. The other thing I was thinking about is that they can't really trace where or how he got it, but the enclosures that give us humans such an up-close personal view of them also makes them susceptible to our cooties, especially when they're sleeping on the catwalks the are above your head as you walk through. I hope the amur leopards aren't sick, too. I would be stoked if the San Diego Zoo reconsidered their mask policy being that probably 60% of the visitors are kids under 12, that even though you're outside should be considered being "in a large crowd," especially in summer when it's almost impossible to socially distance. 

Someone needs to show some goddamn leadership on the issue.    

Stay safe out there. 

Covid-19: Breakthroughs, Delta, & Our Highest Case Count Since February | San Diego Zoo Snow Leopard Tests Positive For COVID | CA To Offer Park Passes At Libraries | Superspreader Olympics Begin |

Ramil, A Snow Leopard at San Diego Zoo, Tests Positive for COVID-19 (Taken 2.10.2020)

I wrote this post late last night but apparently forgot to publish.  Whoopsie. All this information is from Friday, but the state and county don't publish new numbers on the weekend anyway... 

Friday: A friend of mine dropped by after running into Darren at Pancho Villa's. I said that I intended to take advantage of the backyard this weekend, so that's exactly what we did. I moved some plants around, we set up the new outdoor rug to go under the table, and had tacos in the shade, while we watched the construction guys next door drop a huge piece of wood from their scaffolding and break our butterfly planter, which they promptly fixed. 

While he was over, he told us about his bout with COVID-19. He's a fully vaccinated adult but who has been living a little too risky for my tastes...partying, picnics, numerous trips to Mexico. He has three young boys, too young for vaccination, and they are all in summer school and after-care programs. Their mom is unvaccinated. They all got COVID. The boys were mostly asymptomatic though one did lose taste/smell for a few days. My friend felt like shit for about 5 days, but was healthy enough to care for the boys while they had to quaranting. Their unvaxxed mom couldn't get out of bed or care for them for eight days. The reverberation was that the boys had to notify their schools, and all three of their classes plus their after-care program had to shut down for two weeks as all the students and teachers had to quarantine. Even if you don't care about getting a mild upper-respiratory illness and a few days of brain fog, the consequences affect more than just you. Obviously they cannot trace the source of the illness, but naturally there's a lot of bitterness and anger at the mom for not disclosing that she was unvaxxed. But the whole story made me really think that breakthrough cases are far more prevalent than we know. Some places are reporting more than 10%, others higher, but I included a few explainers below on why that would happen, even in high-vaccinated populations. But mostly it makes me so angry how many parents aren't enforcing masking among their unvaxxed children and I hope that lawsuit by the Let Them Breathe people gets dismissed as they choose to cherry-pick their data and use old information when new variants and circumstances require looking at it all anew. 

We went to Hoover twice to pick up Nova...they were on a field trip to the beach and got back later than expected...we drove straight to the testing site at USD. Unfortunately so did everyone else because they were maxed out on walk-ins. Then we drove to the Kimball Park Senior Center in National City, but that line was about 30 deep with only about an hour left, and we opted against waiting in a huge line amidst people who all probably suspect they're infected. We'll try again in a day or two, or maybe even wait until Monday. 

I wanted to go to the San Diego Zoo today, but after all the driving around, we all kinda just crashed at home and took naps. We learned that Ramil, the one-eyed snow leopard at the San Diego Zoo tested positive for COVID-19 and so now both snow leopards and both amur leopards in their exhibit are quarantined and the exhibit closed for the time being. I would hope that this would mean more encouragement for people to mask up at the Zoo, because even though you're outside, this is peak season and it is always packed with families from open to close. There are no quiet and distanced parts this time of year. I didn't mention it, but we went to Sea World on Thursday and it was horrifying crowded with nary a person masked up, not even in the inside spaces like the sharks, sea turtle, wild arctic, or the penguins. Might have to put a pause on our visits there for a minute. 

I hope everyone is doing well. The Casbah sold out tonight and I turned down a merch gig because I'm not ready for 4 hours on the smoking patio among people who may or may not be vaxxed but who are most definitely drinking and smoking without masks. Choose your own risk is all I can say about that. 

Stay safe out there.  

CoViD-19: Another San Diegan Wins $50K; Governor Promises Better Cal/OSHA Guidance | Brexit Threatens Brit Bands | Photos: San Diego Zoo |

  

Red River Hog and Her New Piglets (Taken 6.10.21)

I forgot to mention that as we were leaving the San Diego Zoo there was a band setting up on the small stage by the entrance and there was some sort of Name That Tune happening in the event pavilion. My blogger ears also overheard a woman who was leaving her shift talking to another woman about her schedule, so putting the two together, I would expect announcements soon for summer festivities-- Nighttime Zoo and Summer Safari-- at both parks. In the meantime, starting today, the San Diego Zoo is open until 8pm and starting July 2nd, will be open until 9pm. And starting June 18, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park will be open until 7pm. If I'm being honest, I wish they would maintain a reservation system forever but you already know I'm cranky and don't really like masses of people. 

That said, we're going to try to go to Sea World tonight, while it's still restricted and reservation only, so I'm gonna cut out. I'll do the regular data report later tonight when I get home. I have notes on the Governor's briefing and drawing today and there's still stuff to come from Cal/OSHA, OSHA at the Federal level, CDC, CDPH, and the State itself, so no point in really drawing out the mask thing until we know what we need to know for sure. 

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: San Diego Approaches Goal Of Partially Vaccinated | San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Announces Relaxed Regulations Beyond June 15 | Biden Does Europe | Keystone XL Is Dead |

A Hummingbird in the Wild at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 6.9.21)

We spent the afternoon at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, partially because I wanted to get it in before restrictions drop next week, but also because our forecasters are saying we'll have record heat next week and that's not exactly a good time to head up to Valley Center. It's always fun to see which animals are active on any given day, so I got the Okapi to come over, got the Turaco to sing, got the Bighorn Sheep to come by the fence to say hi, and rhinos Holly and Mwezi hung around for a long time as we closed the day. 

I am kinda in this weird in-between, where my volume of music-related email is back to pre-pandemic levels on top of the COVID-related stuff and news briefings I get daily, so I'm gonna have to trim the offerings here a little bit. I caught up with some of yesterday's COVID update that was presented to the County Board of Supervisors, and on top of a detailed explanation of why San Diego County and the State of California will likely stay in a State of Emergency through the end of the year (detailed below and not as bad as it sounds) they also went through some info on variants, vaccinations, and that they're going to stop daily updates! So I guess I'll transition as they do. Not sure if the State will keep with daily data or not, but I'll just follow their leads. 

On our way home from the Safari Park, I got an email about the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance plans for what happens after June 15 as I was anticipating all week, and so it's kinda what you would expect-- trams and busses coming back, no health screenings or reservations, masks are merely recommended for unvaccinated, though I'll keep mine around in consideration of how many children and tourists will be swarming San Diego as a summer destination. I would imagine the same will be forthcoming from Sea World, Aquatica, and other hot spots. 

In good news, the Keystone XL is officially dead, Biden is in Europe on a "please like us again" tour, and San Diego is doing really well with vaccinations, though I wish our young influencers were doing a better job influencing the young. The Delta Variant (India) is however, causing real problems in other places, particularly the UK, so this whole thing isn't over. But I'm not gonna dive too much deeper into news because I have a night in the speakeasy calling my name. But if you need comedy/tragedy, you should watch some of the speakers from yesterday's County Supervisors Board Meeting.  

Stay safe out there. 

CoViD-19: US Lays Out Plan For Vax Surplus | CAL/OSHA: Vax Up or Mask Up | Newsom Extends Restaurant Regulatory Relief | Friday: Wear Orange For Gun Violence Awareness | Photos: San Diego Zoo |

Sometimes I don't know if I should lean positive or negative. Like, I'm in a great mood, we went back to the San Diego Zoo today and got to walk through the Hummingbird Habitat with no line this time, and it was just nice and sunny out and then I got home to a stack of packages which make it sometimes feel like Christmas when I forget what I've ordered. Today I got new waterproof/sand proof beach mats, some clothes for the kid who will not stop growing, and these cool little solar water fountains.

But I still feel like I have to go a little negative. While watching Jen Psaki today, there's this question of the 'pay-fors' for Biden's American Jobs Plan, and it keeps being suggested that  if only the government would enforce existing tax law they'd have the revenue needed. 

Then there was that report I posted last week, that we do actually have some pretty strong gun laws in certain places, but the ATF just looks away and doesn't enforce it's own rules.

We've seen the maskholes and businesses defying pandemic rules for over a year now. We've seeing all the Karen fights, the airplane incidents, the road rage, the shootings happening more frequently at workplaces and with specific targets for revenge. We've seen the nastiness in all levels of government and the Insurrection and the former guy continuously perpetuating the big lie and every talking head obsessing over whatever heinous thing that side is doing. 

And you start to see this pattern everywhere in places it really matters and places it doesn't at all...while driving it seems everyone is speeding and driving like fucking maniacs. Nobody is following rules and there's no enforcement. Today while watching the Mandrill brothers at the Zoo, someone was throwing popcorn into the habitat from the upstairs while we were downstairs, while another family kept crashing the bushes to intentionally rile them up. Do they really need to explicitly have signs NOT to feed the animals, not to tap the glass, not to scream like buffoons, especially around the shy animals? The answer is obviously YES because they had to put signs between the walkway railing and the enclosure fencing of the elephants after that dipshit jumped in for a selfie a couple months back. "Please Protect The Wildlife By Staying On The Designated Path." And then on our way out, I couldn't help but laugh that this sign was necessary, because obviously some idiot parent didn't control their monster child:

We've reentered the world (still masking up when around people). But it's hard. I would say that people have forgotten how to live in a civilized society around other people but maybe we never did? People were always getting too close to the sea lions, people were always violating personal space at concerts, people have always blasted their music as if everyone else around them wants to hear their horrible taste, people have always driven like assholes and now have bigger and faster and more dangerous vehicles with which to be so. Our American mentality is that rules apply to everyone else except me. I'm not immune. I've got my things, my rules I break or bend, too. But because of it, I applaud tonight's CAL/OSHA decision that employees must maintain mask wearing unless every employee is vaccinated and I hope it sticks. This will encourage vaccines, encourage business owners and corporations to not only encourage or supply vaccines but give the time off and pay necessary should someone experience side effects, and hopefully work as the best peer pressure for small businesses to vax up. There are no excuses anymore. Vaccines are free, widely available regardless of documentation, Uber and Lyft and Public Transportation all offer free rides, and pharmacies have committed to 24 hour vaccinations on Fridays on top of all the walk-in clinics, appointment based clinics, and workplace and school district offerings. We won't all be getting on the same team anytime soon, but at least I'm not on the team that needs a sign to not touch the fucking cactus. 

Friday we Wear Orange For Gun Violence Awareness Day. I hope you'll join me. 

Also, Friday is the last chance to comment on the Fiesta Island Dog Park (Thursday, June 10 Agenda) to the California Coastal Commission. Their popup is blocked on my computer, so if the same happens for you, email SanDiegoCoast@coastal.ca.gov and copy and paste this entire subject line and support Option B:

Public Comment on June 2021 Agenda Item Thursday 9f - City of San Diego LCP Amendment No. LCP-6-SAN-19-0142-2 (Fiesta Island)

Stay safe out there.