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.  

Things To Do In San Diego: Wednesday, July 27-Tuesday, August 2, 2022: The Lumineers | RHCP | Guerilla Toss | The Havnauts | Blind Owl Summer Slam | David Gray | Hotel Mira | The Beths |

Me & Brian of Silversun Pickups, Circa 2010

Summer is so weird. San Diego doesn't have the giant festivals that other places have, but we're getting our share of touring bands. We're also getting a large share of COVID, so maybe stay home if you test positive and spare your music community of your contagiousness until you're negative. I don't know where the CDC invented 5 days, but I don't know anyone who has tested positive for fewer than 10. It's maybe a good time to explore your local Concerts in the Park, and I used to track them pretty well, but I don't anymore. You can find them. Bird Park, Kate Sessions, Pioneer Park all probably have stuff this time of year. 

I'm not doing any shows for now, but was happy to hear Silversun Pickups announced a show at Observatory on my birthday. Maybe I'll feel different or conditions will change again by then. If you are going to shows, be safe, wear a mask, and maybe chill on the woo-hooing. 

Stay safe out there.  

New Show Announcements:

• August 21 - Francis Blume, Lauren Leigh, Lindsay White @ Casbah
• September 13 - Josie Cotton @ Casbah
• September 28 - Silversun Pickups, Eliza & The Delusionals @ Obsevatory
• September 30 - Plague Vendor @ Casbah
• October 15 - Jake Scott @ Observatory
• November 11 - Måneskin @ SOMA
• November 13 - Friendship @ Voodoo Room, House of Blues
• November 19 - MEZERG @ Soda Bar

Wednesday, July 27, 2022:

• The Lumineers: Brightside World Tour, Gregory Alan Isakov @ Pechanga Arena
• Red Hot Chili Peppers, Haim, Thundercat @ Petco Park 
• Zach Person, Video Rose @ Casbah
• The Dream Syndicate - 40th Anniversary Tour @ Soda Bar
• Wheeler Walker Jr., Channing Wilson @ Belly Up (Sold Out)
• Tulengua, TX, Soul FLow, 18Scales @ Music Box
• The Shane Hall Band, The Vindys (Ohio), Ash Easton @ Pour House
• Dance Gavin Dance 'An Evening With Friends' Tour, Royal Coda, Body Thief @ House of Blues
• Tiki Oasis Opening Party with Slack Key Ohana, Tiki Mug Giveaway @ The Luau Bar 
• Riff City Comedy @ Whistle Stop
• City Soul Collective with DJ Sergio Tahini (Jake Najor), Sure Fire Soul Ensemble @ Til-Two Club
• Emerging Composers | San Diego New Music @ Athenaeum Art Center at Bread & Salt
• Gilbert Castellanos Young Lions Series & Jazz Jam @ Copley Auditorium, Panama 66
• Twilight in the Park: Ginger Cowgirl/Stacy Antonel @ Spreckels Pavilion, Balboa Park (Free,6:30-7:30pm)
• Here There Are Blueberries @ La Jolla Playhouse
• Pretty Woman: The Musical @ Civic Theatre
• Electric Louie Land @ Seven Grand  
• Bored Teachers Summer Break Comedy Tour with Thomas English, Devin Siebold, KC Mack, Miss Smith, Honest Teacher Vibes @ The Magnolia
• All Souls, Ape Machine, Los Pinche Pinches @ Brick by Brick
• Jason Hanna and the Swingin Bananas @ Riviera Supper Club
• Rockin' Aces @ Tio Leo's
• Leonard Bernstein's New York @ New Village Arts
• Dial M For Murder @ The Old Globe
• Something Rotten! @ Moonlight Amphitheatre
• Maverick City Music Kingdom Tour with Kirk Franklin @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre, SDSU
• Summerfest Open Rehearsal I @ The Baker-Baum Concert Hall, The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center (2:30PM)
• Taylor Clark in San Diego @ Tower Bar
• Jemere Morgan, Willz @ Winston's 
• Karaoke @ Rosie O'Grady's 
• Tyler Ray @ Salvation Stage, House of Blues (FREE)
• Blues Jam @ Navajo Live
• Karaoke @ Bancroft Bar
• Trivia Wednesday @ Quartyard 
• Tradewinds @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
• Open Mic @ 710 Beach Club

Thursday, July 28, 2022:

• Guerilla Toss, Forty Feet Tall @ Casbah
• Sam Ritchie, Kass Rose Gold, Moon Panda @ Soda Bar
• Leo Kottke - an evening with @ Belly Up (Sold Out, Seated Show) 
• Tony Jaw Karaoke Competition @ Ken Club
• Brett Eldredge, Nate Smith @ The Magnolia (Moved From OAT, SDSU)
• Cory Pesaturo @ Museum of Making Music
• Twilight in the Park: Marine Band @ Spreckels Pavilion, Balboa Park (Free,6:30-7:30pm)
• One Hot Night tour // One Less Guest, Lords of the Satellite, Heaping Teaspoon & The Brain Ghosts @ The Holding Company
• Victoria Robertson @ Plaza Bar, Westgate Hotel
• No Swoon, Hex, The Morning Room @ Tower Bar
• A Tribute to The Music of Djavan @ The Jazz Lounge
• Freqs n' Beats with J. Anders, Yazi, Bizzy Balboa, DJ Almond Eyez @ The Merrow
• BLAH Jazz hosted by Louie Valenzuela @ Blind Lady Ale House (7-10pm)
• Pretty Woman: The Musical @ Civic Theatre
• Witnesses @ California Center for the Arts, Escondido
• Here There Are Blueberries @ La Jolla Playhouse
• Leonard Bernstein's New York @ New Village Arts
• Dial M For Murder @ The Old Globe
• Vamp/So Say We All @ Whistle Stop 
• Something Rotten! @ Moonlight Amphitheatre
• DJ Julz & Guests @ The Rec Room, Park & Rec
• Some Suns, Gypsy Sally @ Winston's 
• Jimmy Ruelas @ Seven Grand  
• The Emergency Exit Band @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
• Aztec Open Mic @ Aztec Brewing Company, Vista
• Lyrical Exchange Open Mic @ Queen Bee's
• Open Mic with Whit @ Pour House 
• The Rumours, Deathboys, Kilfeather, Silent Vice @ Til-Two Club
• Open Jam with Jeff Ousley @ Navajo Live
• Arts & Crafts @ The Rabbit Hole
• Mercedes Moore @ Tio Leo's
• Good Faith Nite Market @ Quartyard 
• Karaoke @ 710 Beach Club

Friday, July 29, 2022:

• Blind Owl Summer Slam feat Chest Fever, Lord Howler, Justin John Rodriguez, Jesseray Smith. Sleepy Pearls in the Razzmatazz Room @ Casbah
• Moans, Anthony Cullins, Auz Fontaine @ Soda Bar
• Prince Again, Generation Idol  @ Belly Up
• Benefit for WRAAP (Women's Reproductive Rights Assistance Project) with Nicole McFly, The Havnauts, Scary Pierre, Loudmouth @ Black Cat Bar 
• The Green, Stranger @ Beach House
• Whitney Shay & The JazzKatz Orchestra @ Dizzy's
• Club Sex Beat with Black Light Odyssey, Mysti Tonik, 7th Stranger, Javi Nunez @ Ken Club
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 In Concert @ The Shell
• Padres CocktailFest @ Gallagher Square, Petco Park
• Padres vs. Minnesota Twins @ Petco Park
• Here There Are Blueberries @ La Jolla Playhouse
• Riot Scene Presents HOMETOWN HELL: Blackcast, Dreaming Of A Day, Mandala, Defy The Tyrants, Upon The Water, Ghostlife, Good For Nothing @ SOMA Sidestage
• Trio Gadjo @ Panama 66
• Simon Patterson, Fashawn, Mitchy Slick, Sir Veterano, Flii Stylz @ Music Box
• Atomic Groove's Summer Groove Happy Hour @ Belly Up (Happy Hour 5pm)
• MohaviSoul @ Grand Ole BBQ & Asado
• Juneshine at Moonshine @ Moonshine Beach 
• Steven Cade @ Moonshine Beach 
• Coriander Flats @ Moonshine Flats 
• Freddie Walton @ The Luau Bar 
• John January @ Aztec Brewing Company, Vista
• Los Tortugas @ The Rabbit Hole
• Chloe Lou & The Liddells @ Humphrey's Backstage Live (5pm)
• Carlos Velasco @ Veranda Bar, Westgate Hotel 
• Led Zeppelin 2 @ House of Blues
• Vokab Kompany, Purple Kief, Simple @ The Holding Company
• Witnesses @ California Center for the Arts, Escondido
• Bonneville 7 @ Rosie O'Grady's
• Be Maeva @ Seven Grand  
• Pretty Woman: The Musical @ Civic Theatre
• Leonard Bernstein's New York @ New Village Arts
• Dial M For Murder @ The Old Globe
• Something Rotten! @ Moonlight Amphitheatre
• SummerFest Opening Night: Side By Side @ The Baker-Baum Concert Hall, The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center
• The Sound Station, Sellwoods (Portland),Thee Allyrgic Reaction, w/ DJs Tony The Tyger and Richard Whig @ Tower Bar 
• Jerry 'Hotrod' DeMink @ Salvation Stage, House of Blues (FREE)
• Rock of Ages @ Park & Rec
• REO Brothers @ Heritage Event Center, Sycuan Casino
• The Happys!, Doah's Daydream @ Winston's 
• Latino Night with Los Angeles Negros de Chile, Los Arson @ The Park at Viejas Casino 
• Plenum (Joy Division tribute), The Touchies, Super Buffet @ Pour House
• Dig Nitty @ Pour House (5-8pm)  
• Ventralis, Car Radio, Michael Montano @ The Merrow
• Karaoke @ 710 Beach Club
• Pocket Candy @ Riviera
• The Cramp'd, The Humblers, Cut-Rate Druggist @ Til-Two Club
• The New Catillacs @ Tio Leo's
• Liquid Blue @ Humphrey's Backstage Live (8pm)
• Blackout (Scorpions), Chosen Arrow @ Navajo Live 
• A Tribute to The Music of Djavan @ The Jazz Lounge
• Spin Nightclub: Unicorn Takeover @ SPIN
• The Remnants @ Fast Times
• Sake and Karaoke Fridays @ Mikami

Saturday, July 30, 2022:

• Blind Owl Summer Slam feat. Mrs. Henry, The Loons, Barbara Wire, Fresh Veggie Micro Brass, The Fazes in the Razzmatazz Room @ Casbah 
• Banda World - Live Banda X Perreo Party @ The Observatory North Park (18+)
• 2000's Indie Dance Party with Black Crystal Wolf Kids, Geezer @ Soda Bar
• Jerry's Middle Finger - an evening with @ Belly Up  
• Booty Bassment with DJs Dmitri & Rob Moran @ Whistle Stop
• The Farmers @ Navajo Live
• Ashanti @ Electric Ocean Summer Concert Series, Sea World
• The Havnauts, Hutchie (SEA), Matt Caskitt & the Breaks @ Pour House (9pm) 
• The Calvins, Punch Card, Matters Most, Mutates @ Ken Club
• Swingin' With John Saavedra @ Panama 66
• Padres vs. Minnesota Twins @ Petco Park
• Club Sabbat Fetish Night @ SPIN
• Richard Marx @ Agua Caliente
• Chickenbone Slim @ Pour House (5-8pm) 
• Dial M For Murder @ The Old Globe (2pm & 8pm) 
• Something Rotten! @ Moonlight Amphitheatre
• Pretty Woman: The Musical @ Civic Theatre
• Witnesses @ California Center for the Arts, Escondido
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 In Concert @ The Shell
• Here There Are Blueberries @ La Jolla Playhouse (2pm & 8pm)
• Tristan's Birthday Party with Hailey Wild @ Aztec Brewing Company, Vista
• Get On Your Feet! - An 80s Celebration @ Balboa Theatre
• SummerFest: Point Counterpoint @ The Baker-Baum Concert Hall, The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center
• Jenny Scheinman Quintet @ La Jolla Athenaeum
• Rock of Ages @ The Rabbit Hole
• The Flipside Burners @ Grand Ole BBQ & Asado
• Gimme Gimme Disco @ House of Blues
• A Tribute to The Music of Djavan @ The Jazz Lounge
• The Journeymen @ The Holding Company
• Mind Power -DJ OG Mike Giant, Profile, Marasulu @ Tower Bar
• Bywater Skanks @ Seven Grand  
• Rodriguez Jr. Live, Maikm, Chrysocolla @ Quartyard
• Cassie B Project @ Moonshine Beach 
• Steven Cade @ Moonshine Flats 
• EYE, Parasitic Existence, KUSHTAKA @ Til-Two Club
• Konrad Malinowski Quartet @ Riviera 
• 8 East Band @ Mr. Peabody's
• Kottonmouth Kings, Sleeping Faceless, Lil Stone, Freebass Record, Deadly Dispute @ Brick By Brick
• Igor & Red Elvises @ The Merrow
• Milky Wayne presents Mike Holmes, C13, Parker Lewiz, Q. Hype, Mercy Soul, Campthechamp, Mackstar Mitchy, Hosted by Bizzy Balboa, Music by DJ Willi @ Black Cat Bar 
• Holly Hofman @ Plaza Bar, Westgate Hotel 
• Ron Houston & The Berry Pickers @ Salvation Stage, House of Blues (FREE)
• Tribe Divine @ 710 Beach Club
• Zeptune ( A Tribute to Led Zeppelin) @ Winston's (9:30pm)
• Metal Show and food drive @ Winston's (2pm) 
• Love Hate DJ Sets @ Park & Rec
• Groove Mercenaries @ Tio Leo's
• Janice Edwards @ Humphrey's Backstage Live (5pm)
• Wildside @ Humphrey's Backstage Live (8pm)

Sunday, July 31, 2022:

• David Gray @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre, SDSU
• Hotel Mira, The Zolas @ Casbah
• The Jack Moves, Weapons of Mass Creation, Los Shadows @ Soda Bar
• Leon Bridges - The Boundless Tour, Little Dragon @ The Shell
  
• Michael Franti & Spearhead, Tropidelic @ Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay
• Claudia Gomez presents Tap Jam @ Panama 66 (3-5pm)
• Sunday Concert with Bob Plimpton @ Spreckels Pavilion, Balboa Park (Free, 2pm)
• SummerFest: Beyond Bach @ The Baker-Baum Concert Hall, The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center
• Birds Kill Bugs, Machine Politik, Wabash Canons @ Navajo Live 
• Feels & Stucco @ Whistle Stop
• The Hips @ Winston's (4pm)
• Padres vs. Minnesota Twins @ Petco Park
• Karaoke "Jose Sinatra hosts O.B.-o-ke - San Diego's Best Karaoke" @ Winston's (8pm)
• Leonard Bernstein's New York @ New Village Arts
• Dial M For Murder @ The Old Globe (2pm & 7pm) 
• A Midummer Night's Dream @ The Old Globe 
• Something Rotten! @ Moonlight Amphitheatre
• Pretty Woman: The Musical @ Civic Theatre
• Get On Your Feet! - An 80s Celebration @ Balboa Theatre (3pm)
• Salsa and Bachata @ Moonshine Beach 
• Karaoke @ The Merrow
• Jazz Jam @ Aztec Brewing Company, Vista
• Kimmi Bitter, The Hill Family Band @ Sycamore Den (6-8pm)
• Jason Cruz & Howl, QUEL BORDEL, Al Barnes @ The Holding Company (2:30pm)
• Riot Scene presents Takers Leavers (OC), other acts TBA @ Pour House  
• The Ginger Cowgirl/Stacy Antonel @ Grand Ole BBQ & Asado
• Shipwrecks Fest: Sage Armstrong, Ciszak @ Quartyard (4-9pm)
• Anthony Ortega Jazz Quartet @ Mr. Peabody's
• Twerk and Chill DJ Sets @ Park & Rec 
• Robin Henkel @ Salvation Stage, House of Blues (FREE)
• Turnstyled, Junkpiled (songwriters in the Round) @ Til-Two Club
• Salsa Sundays @ Queen Bee's (All Ages)
• Rob Thorsen @ Veranda Bar, Westgate Hotel (11am-1pm)
• Third Project @ Humphrey's Backstage Live (8:30pm)
• DJ West @ 710 Beach Club (3pm)
• Karoake @ 710 Beach Club (7:30pm)
• Trivia @ The Holding Company (7pm)
• OGR (Old Guys Rock) @ Fast Times
• Trivia and Sake Nights @ Mikami
  

Monday, August 1, 2022:

• Nick Dorian, Dry Humor @ Soda Bar
• Lady Dottie & The Diamonds with Rick Lyon @ Tower Bar
• San Diego International Summer Organ Festival: Chelsea Chen @ Spreckels Pavilion, Balboa Park (Free, 7:30pm)
• Electric Waste Band @ Winston's 
• Manzanita Blues Band @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
• Bark at the Park @ Petco Park
• Blue Monday with DJ Camilla Robina, DJ Heather Hardcore @ The Merrow
• Trivia Night w/Kyle @ Pour House 
• Padres vs. Colorado Rockies @ Petco Park
• SummerFest: Encounter: Under The Influence(r) @ The JAI, The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center
• Monday Blues Jam @ Aztec Brewery, Vista
• Open Mic with Jay Cain @ Mr. Peabody's
• Karaoke @ The Holding Company
• Caliente Mondays Salsa y Bachata @ Tio Leo's
• Karaoke @ The Holding Company
• Jaws the band @ Navajo Live 
• Line Dancing Lessons @ Moonshine Beach 
• Mic'd Up at Moonshine  @ Moonshine Flats 

Tuesday, August 2, 2022:

• The Beths, Rosie Tucker @ Belly Up
• Jupiter Flight, Velzy, Michael Montano @ Casbah
• Helena Holleran, Sahara Grim, Crystal Rose @ Soda Bar
• Sheryl Crow, Keb' Mo' @ The Shell
• New Found Glory - 20 Years of Sticks and Stones, Four Year Strong, Be Well @ The Observatory
• The Tourmaliners, Surfer Joe (Tiki Oasis Pre-Party) @ Tio Leo's
• Twilight in the Park: Summer Winds @ Spreckels Pavilion, Balboa Park (Free,6:30-7:30pm)
• Sketch Party -Drink & Draw @ Whistle Stop
• Reggae Tuesdaze Presents Psydecar (Tim's BDAY Party), DJ Brizion @ The Holding Company
• Songbirds of Shelter Island @ Humphrey's Backstage Live
• Matt Hall's Jazz & Cocktail Party @ Seven Grand  
• Dial M For Murder @ The Old Globe (7pm) 
• Here There Are Blueberries @ La Jolla Playhouse
• A Midummer Night's Dream @ The Old Globe (8pm)
• Vicki and Carl Zeiger Insights Seminars: A Midsummer Night's Dream @ The Old Globe (7pm)
• Padres vs. Colorado Rockies @ Petco Park (Day Game & Night Game)
• SummerFest Artist Lounge: Joyce Yang @ The Atkinson Room, The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center (SOLD OUT)
• SummerFest: Open Rehearsal II @ The Baker-Baum Concert Hall, The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center (2:30pm)
• Open Mic Comedy Night @ The Rabbit Hole 
• Blues Berry Jam @ Queen Bee's
• Trivia Night @ 710 Beach Club
• Karaoke @ The Merrow
• Karaoke @ Aztec Brewing Company, Vista
• Tuesday Jazz Jam @ The Jazz Lounge
• RIXE (France), Castillo, Self Sabotage, DJ JoeKim77 @ Tower Bar
• Bluesday Tuesday - Open Blues Jam @ Winston's
• Karaoke @ Bancroft Bar
• Terrible Tuesday All Vinyl DJ Night wtih DJ Lexicon Devil @ Pour House 
• Karaoke @ Peabody's
• Trivia Night @ Park & Rec
• Karaoke with Christine @ Navajo Live 

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. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Wednesday, July 20-Tuesday, July 26, 2022: COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL | Purity Ring | S. Carey | Brian Posehn | The Shins | The Chicks & Jenny Lewis | Tig Notaro | State To State |

Brian Posehn Performed At The Casbah For Comic-Con 2018 (Taken 7.19.2018)

It's funny to look back through Comic-Con photos from years past: some years I just took pictures of parties, mostly me and Tim Pyles drinking at various themed events and trying to get all the free swag we could get. Other times, I took a lot of street views from the Omni Rooftop, where we'd spend a lot of time at the Wired parties, waiting to bump into celebs, and other years I just took pictures of stuff - merch and collectibles and building wraps and activations, often of things that were a blip in pop-culture. Then in 2018 and 2019, I ended up working at a few shows slinging merch, so I didn't really experience the full party action as in years past. 

I didn't really even know that I was still eligible for a pass until a couple weeks ago, so I didn't get the usual flood of emails that would normally come, and then I got COVID-19 and to be honest, I don't know how much I'll use my pass -- I definitely have some post-COVID PTSD and do not want to put myself in a situation to contract it again. It was always a joke to talk about the hygiene of the crowd - loaded up with costumes and merch and backpacks and sleeping overnight in panel lines and the like, but I'll spare that and just say I hope everyone has an amazing time, that everyone gets proper rest, and that everyone takes the COVID protocols seriously. Yes, we have vaccines, but our case rate is just as high as when the whole thing was canceled last year, and that's only officially reported cases. With home tests, that number is estimated by some to be only 10% of actual cases. (For example, July 24th, 2021, the County had 1264 new cases. On Monday, the County reported 1,188 official cases, with most home tests unreported).

I've modified and edited my past COMIC-CON page tab because it still has some useful links and information, but for the most part, things feel a bit subdued. And that's okay. There is no shortage of events and activations and things to do and explore whether you're a local, a COMIC-CON attendee from elsewhere, or you just happen to be in San Diego and want to experience the non-CON things in the City. Check this post as I'll update throughout the weekend if I get a line on any cool shit I missed. 

Most of all, be safe out there. 

Rosey's COVID-19 Diary: Getting Through The Big Sick

 

FlowFlex Test on July 15, 2022

I'm hoping I'm at the end of my COVID-19 experience. I believe that I was exposed on July 2nd. That day I sat in an AT&T store with Nova until I got fed up with the poor customer service and drove to another, where getting a new phone set up took a little over an hour inside, we were the only ones wearing masks. That day we also went to Costco...I went in the store while Nova waited in the food court. That night I worked at the 411 show at the Casbah and as I've said, I was mostly masked but definitely had some unmasked conversations with a few friends on the patio. Any of these places could've been my exposure. 

However, it is also possible my exposure was at the San Diego Zoo. It's the only place I go with regularity, I had gone on July 3rd and July 4th. I had gone nearly every day before July 2nd, except for July 1, when I went to the Safari Park with Darren. I could've been exposed there, but I doubt that. I was almost never near other people and wear a mask whenever people are close, and sometimes even when they're not.

Whatever the case may be, I got COVID-19. All my experiences and how I'm getting through it, after the jump. 

CoViD-19: Breaking Free of Isolation | San Diego Enters CDC High Community Transmission Risk |

 

Ajani the Mandrill Smiling (Taken 7.14.22)

Posting this is a little premature. 

I guess everything I'm doing is a little bit premature. 

I took a home test on Wednesday and the positive line was so faint, I declared my battle won. I geared up to go to the San Diego Zoo in the evening, then thought better of it. I was sure I could make it until Friday.

Alas, I could not. And Darren had the day off on Thursday and the weekend could get a little crazy with Nova coming back from her on-campus UCSD residential program and PRIDE events and I took another test -- again with a line so faint and only visible in the bright outside daylight -- and declared myself officially over it. SHAME! SHAME! To be fair, the literature here is super murky. After re-reading tonight, I think I now know that any positive test is still positive and "dead virus" isn't being read on home antigen tests, only in lab PCR tests, so justifying one for the other was a mistake or intentionally confusing or whatever. 

Point is, I went out in public, with an N95, and people suck so bad at boundaries that IF I still have live virus and IF it can escape my mask and IF anyone caught it from me, then they should've backed the fuck off in the first place without me having to bitch about personal space. There is no reason ever for a grown ass man, a total stranger, to touch my body EVER, let alone in COVID times, and least of all so you can photo-op with a gorilla. 

And now I join the selfish masses. I'm not going to stop living for a stupid virus.

It's a lie, of course. I thought I was doing the right thing, I guess it just depends what you read. I'm still living in a separate studio from Darren and sleeping on a cot. The second cot I'm sleeping on, by the way, because I was leaning over to grab something on Wednesday night and put too much weight on a fragile end pole of the first cot and broke it. It's not unusable but I'm not using it while I sleep down here, that's for sure. 

And so this is my current predicament. I'm living life...going to the Zoo, having dinner and drinks with Darren (outside, of course), and trying to ease into normal life, all the while the thought of being in shared indoor space with anyone ever gives me the heebie jeebies, even being outdoors freaks me out if I'm not free to move often and away from anyone, certainly not being within a sneeze length of any strangers, inside or out.  I could just keep testing with home tests indefinitely until we completely run out and still get that ever so faint line, or I can just do my best, get to ten days --- YAY FRIDAY -- and carry on.  

The burden is real.

San Diego has been in high case transmission for nearly two months. This week, we moved into "high community transmission" under the CDC's standards which takes cases + hospitalizations + hospital beds into some unknown maths. That is a really big deal. The County has no courage to mandate masks again, but if they did, they would've been mandated two months ago, if not especially now. 

I don't know if I need to lay this out, but I'm on an extended show hiatus. And shopping. And I haven't eaten inside a restaurant in over two years. That's not changing. If you in the very rare, off-chance see me, maybe just say hi from a distance. And for those of you in public without masks, I really have nothing to say to you. Like, nothing. Please don't talk to me. Mind your space and spit and aerosols. Unless you catch me at the Zoo --- outside and distanced and minding my business. That, I think I'm allowed. And maybe I'll say hi. But only if you're wearing a mask and mind goddamn normal human spatial boundaries. 

Stay safe out there. 

I will say this. A Zoo trainer once told me that while most animals, particularly apes and related animals, show their teeth in anger or threat, that mandrills actually SMILE. Before I got sick, I would spend a lot of time with Ajani and Isoke, but then there was some construction on their habitat so I hadn't seen them in a very long time. On Thursday, when it was quiet and still and nobody else was around, I got some time with both boys. They do this full teeth smile, but I almost never capture it because I'm just trying to BE with them. Thus, not my greatest photo ever, but it means so much to me. 

Rosey's COVID-19 Diary: In The Home Stretch? When To End Isolation | Omicron Subvariants Still Spreading | Governor Newsom Signs Gun Law | Humane Society Waives Adoption Fees | Little Blue Penguins Debut |

 

Indah and Kaja, Screenshot From San Diego Zoo Apecam (Captured 7.13.22) 

I feel like I'm in the home stretch of this COVID-19 isolation. Darren had the past couple of days off, so we were mostly minding our separate spaces, being creative to eat with one another at opposite ends of a long outdoor table. But at some point, you kinda just realize it's easier to isolate completely than wondering if any encounter is going to be the one the spreads this nasty virus. I'm trying to follow the advice of professionals, but when all of that is conflicting, at some point you just have to go with consensus: I am wholly symptom free, I haven't used a fever reducer in over 24 hours (and at that, it was for my cramps, not a fever or headache), and I feel pretty great. I have a handful of home tests left, but now I don't know if using one today, on my 8th day, is a waste of a test, a get out of jail card, or does it set me back to the idea that I'm isolating through Friday if I'm following the CDC, or Monday if I'm following the WHO...or am I isolating until a completely negative test, which could be even longer? These are all the things every single person is left with deciding for themselves when you become COVID-19 positive and it really, really sucks. And it shouldn't be this way. We had an abundance of tests because we took advantage when the government was sending them out, but to be honest, rather than free tests, I don't understand why those costs haven't been driven down. If tests were $2-$3 a piece instead of $10-$15, this virus would not be so out of goddamn control because people would be testing a whole lot more.  

I have been in this studio for many, many hours by myself these past two weeks and while I still have a ton of cleaning and projects, I'm dying to go to the San Diego Zoo. I've been watching the cams, but obviously it's not the same as being there and I can't wait to just be able to leave the gates of this property for any reason. But mostly I wanted to write to thank everyone who has reached out, and just appreciate that all those anxieties I had in the beginning are mostly squashed, I'm still alive, and though long-COVID symptoms or reinfection will kinda always buzz me in the back of my brain, I'm not quite so freaked out about any long-term issues from this particular illness this time around. I'm still not able to help my dad, that is the one situation where I will wait until I'm fully negative to see him and my mom. 

For now, I'm in good spirits, I'll put this dumb cot away until tonight, and I'm going to go back upstairs so that my animals know that I haven't abandoned them. I may emerge into the world sooner rather than later. I've never really been known for my will power. 

Stay safe out there. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Wednesday, July 13- Tuesday, July 19,2022: SD Pride 2022 | Los Dug Dugs | Polica | Clap Your Hands Say Yeah | COIN | Light Asylum | Rise Against | Joss Stone | The Temptations & The Four Tops |

What a dumb time to be sick. Between Pride and upcoming Comic-Con, getting COVID sucks, and though it looks like I'm mostly in the clear now to go back into the world, I'm going to be even more cautious about how and where I spend my time with other humans. Plus I went to bed at 8:30pm and woke up at 4:30am, so I wouldn't say I'm back to normal. Still, this is the kid's first PRIDE, so I imagine I may find myself taxiing her around while Darren works all weekend. But I'll be laying low. You, on the other hand, have lots of really fun options this weekend and should fully live them up. Listings after the jump.  

Rosey's COVID-19 Diary: Welcome To COVID Mania!

Mani the Tamandua and San Diego Zoo Explorers Basecamp (Taken 6.6.22)

What a day. I was in a place earlier today, so I want to write briefly because my day got so much better. I'll tell you all about it after the jump. 

ma·ni·a

• mental illness marked by periods of great excitement or euphoria, delusions, and overactivity."many people suffering from mania do not think anything is wrong"
• Similar: madness, derangement, dementia, insanity, lunacy, dementedness, psychosis, schizophrenia, mental illness, delirium, frenzy, hysteria, raving, violence, wildness
• an excessive enthusiasm or desire; an obsession.

Rosey's COVID-19 Diary: Eternal Isolation

Amahle The Hippo (Taken 6.17.22)

It's Sunday afternoon. Counting time is weird. I guess it was premature of me to test at 1:21pm today if my day zero was Tuesday after 6pm. But as I expected, I am still very positive on home tests. Like sometimes when you take a home test, you have to look at the line to see if you're still positive, the line can be so faint. And apparently other times, when it knows it knows, and even 5 minutes before the 15 minutes was up, there was that ugly purple line. 

It is so upsetting. But then I Googled because that's what everyone would do, right? Even if you've been reading STAT News and Med-Twitter and Becker's and CIDRAP and and everything from Dr. Wachter and Dr. Jha and Dr. Topol, and been getting at least a dozen daily COVID-19 specific newsletters for months on end, when it comes down to it, when it happens to you, you want to know as much as you can. Like am I still contagious? Do I still have to isolate? And the answer is very much YES to both. Indulge my misery, after the jump. 

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.  

Things To Do In San Diego: El Vez | Frau Eva | Jim Rao Fan Club | Bayfest with Atmosphere | Willie Nelson | Adia Victoria | Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 | Ikana |

I know I missed a couple days, but I did finally get around to doing the listings. Mostly because my COVID-19 bed rest has my sleep even more messed up than normal, so I'll definitely spend most of the weekend offline...or at least not working and bingeing on whatever shows and movies I can find between all the streaming sites. And probably watch some San Diego Zoo cams, too, because I miss my babies. I'm going to believe that I've already gone through the worst of this illness and that I'll be fine to do listings for the big upcoming Pride and Comic-Con weekends but I guess I can only take it day by day. Time flies, until you're sick and isolating. 

Be safe out there. COVID is all around us and as I can attest, it fucking SUCKS. 

In addition to the listings, SaN Diego County put together a pretty rad guide called The Upside of Outside that is worth looking at for fun stuff around the county. 

COVID-19: Mild Ain't Mild. BA.5 Takes Over | City, County, State All Reporting Rising Cases, Hospitalizations | More Stuff About Shooting |

I Miss Denny (Taken 6.9.22)

I feel like after two years of posting about COVID-19, that I'd be more prepared than most people for what to do and how to handle being sick. Let's set aside that I tested positive on a PCR test in December but had no symptoms and wasn't even told I was positive until 11 days later, when I'd already tested negative on numerous home tests. That didn't really count, as I never went into isolation. Still not quite sure that wasn't some big lab fuckup so I'm still doubtful I was positive. This time, I'm trying to do everything right and I can see just how and why so many have been so frustrated about the whole process. I mean, on top of being sick which is already physically painful, emotionally draining, and psychologically isolating. My COVID-19 experience, after the jump. 

COVID-19 Got Me | News Recap: San Diego Extends Safe Parking, Cases On The Rise, KBJ Sworn In But Not Before SCOTUS Damage , New Laws In Effect and more.

Southern White Rhinos at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 7.1.22)

I had been accumulating news articles all week as I usually do, but I kept putting off publishing because I wanted to add last week's COVID-19 data from the County. Would I rather sit at my laptop and post or catch some time at Nighttime Zoo? Would I want to sit on my laptop or go to San Diego Zoo Safari Park with Darren? Would I get any work done when I sold merch for 411? The answer, obviously, is that the fun stuff won out and I didn't post. And then obviously there was just horrific news...how much do I feel like posting anymore? Bullshit SCOTUS decisions, insane January 6 hearings and evidence of crimes and these fuckers still aren't locked up, another high-profile police shooting, and of course yesterday's massacre at a 4th of July parade. I just can't post it all. Nor do I want to. 

And that's been my life. I go to the San Diego Zoo nearly every day, the exception being when I took Ficus to Fiesta Island Dog Beach on Thursday, or spent the day at Safari Park because Darren only had a partial day. The 411 show on Saturday night was super rad and while I was masked most of the time, even outside, I got loose, close talked to a few too many people. After the show I was up super late and had drinks at home on my balcony while I did my usual torrent of -ordle variation games, so it wasn't out of the ordinary that I slept most of Sunday while Darren worked and Nova went to a friend's house. Thankfully that turned into a slumber party, so I was mostly home alone all day on the 4th, too, until I caught the last hour and a half of Nighttime Zoo to see the hippos. We watched some TV together briefly last night, and I went to bed relatively early, until the dog woke me up at 3am to let her out. I felt a nose tickle, so I popped some Sudafed, and I stayed up to read until I faded back off to sleep. 

Today, however, I shouldn't have been so tired. The Sudafed should've definitely worn off. And the usual allergy pill I take should've cleared my sinuses. And so I started to panic. Do I have a sinus infection? Why is my inner ear bothering me? I tore apart my room to find my Sharp Healthcare information...which I've been paying for since the start of the year but have yet to use. I thought, I'll give them a call in a minute but should at least COVID test first. 

Fuck. 

You know you've seen lines where it is super faint and people can't tell if it's positive or not so they take other tests? Yeah, this wasn't like that. It was dark. Very positive. Even 3 minutes before the 15 minutes was up. 

Fuck. 

Nova is going to LA for the next three days. She and Darren will test when they get home tonight. In the meantime, I'm down in the studio which I definitely should've taken more time to clean up in healthy times but at least I have wi-fi and a stereo and a fridge and a bathroom and a cot if I end up sleeping down here. I'm going to try to do listings while I'm here but the major symptom...besides the congestion...is just utter exhaustion. So maybe you get listings this week. Maybe not. But know that Omicron is SUPER CATCHY. I wear a mask whenever I'm inside any building that isn't my home, especially in public bathrooms, grocery stores, and the Casbah. This shit is airborne and I don't know how much exposure it takes to get it, but here I am, with not a lot of potential exposures to even count, and I still got it. You can see last week's County Data here, but I'm not in the mood to post it all out. 

Stay safe out there. 

Things To Do In San Diego: Wednesday, June 29-Tuesday, July 5, 2022: The Havnauts | Miniaturized | Three Dog Night | Drug Hunt | Digable Planets | 411 | T.S.O.L. | Jason Mraz | The Cramp'd | Kraftwerk | 4th Of July | CAAMP |

It's a holiday weekend which means things are kinda nutso around here, so once again I'm gonna skip all the digging for photos and new show announcements and just get to the listings. Between Darren having a crazy work schedule this week, Nova wrapping up her "commuter week" at City College for Upward Bound, and having to run down to help my dad every night for the rest of the week, I'm stoked that I get to work for 411 on Saturday night at the Casbah but the rest of my week will mostly be me trying to get my work done and clock in zoo time when I can. I've decided I will also renew my Sea World pass, in case anyone was dying to know, because they're on sale through July 4th for $120 and I figure my visits warrant what comes out to $10 a month. Maybe later if Nova and Darren decide they want to join me, they can just get fun passes or whatever. If I'm being honest, if I didn't have to help my dad out, I would probably just camp at the Casbah this week, because with The Havnauts on Wednesday, the debut of Miniaturized on Thursday, and Drug Hunt & Well Well Well on Friday, there is some good, cheap fun still to be had in this city, but 411 was a big deal to me in high school and I'm stoked Mario asked me to work for them.  

I used to take the time to do an extensive 4th of July rundown, but I'm ready for fireworks to just be retired from our region entirely, and I appreciate IB's efforts to do a drone show as an alternative to explosives...as I explained to Nova, of course I think fireworks can be beautiful, but for the pollution, harm to people with PTSD, the sheer agony they cause pets, local wildlife, and animals in captivity, and the fact that our country has far too many guns and shootings to know the difference between the pop-pop-pops, I just think they're something we can and should retire forever. Doesn't mean I don't oooh and aaahh and look up when they're there, but I definitely wouldn't miss them should they just cease to exist forever. So CBS8 seemed to have a pretty comprehensive list, which I've linked, and I'll link other lists if I find other good ones without a paywall, but I'm not gonna take the time to round them up on this page. And let's be honest, recent SCOTUS decisions and piss-poor political will makes this Independence Day a whole lot more dim anyway. 

However you choose to spend your week and holiday weekend, be smart, try and keep it outdoors, and mask up when you're indoors. County case numbers AND hospitalizations are on the rise, and if you're like me and took your booster a while ago, you're just not nearly as protected as is ideal and spoiler alert, past infection doesn't necessarily create hybrid immunity as old variants get outpaced by new ones.

Stay safe out there. 

COVID-19 Still All Around | SCOTUS Monumentally Sucks; Affirms Guns Have More Rights Than Women | Sapporo To Acquire Stone Brewing |

Toucan at San Diego Zoo (Taken 6.27.22)

It was a really rough week for news. So much so that every time I've tried to post I kind of end up just slamming my laptop shut and walk away from it. But we live in California which for all its faults, still means something. I can't even delve into minority rule and how our state population of like 23 states combined or some nonsense, so I'm just going to focus on what I can, put this post into the world, and find joy where I can, which as you know means almost daily visits at the San Diego Zoo. 

Depending on what time I can get there and how long I can stay, I have a lot of little routines. Lately, if I can get there before 6, I try and visit the golden lion tamarins in the Parker Aviary, and this funny thing has happened; I've kinda made friends with a toucan. Where they used to kinda hide up in the treetops, this particular toucan is loving all the new attention in its aviary and when it hears the camera snapping, will come down from the top of the aviary, flying down and landing sometimes inches from my camera. Not claiming this is just a me thing, but it is pretty special when it comes right down just inches from you. Last week I missed a couple days and was jonesing, but then more than made up for it with near-daily trips except for Friday when I went to work with Darren at the Safari Park. That morning he bought me a safari, Behind-the-Scenes: Saving Giants, that took us to the Nikita Khan Rhino Rescue Center, where we got to spend time with Olivia, a pregnant rhino who is due in the next couple months, we got to see Future, one of the young rhinos conceived by IVF, and then we got to spend some time between the two elephant yards while they snacked on some treats. It was a nice day, though hot AF, but it was a great distraction from politics and the embarrassing onslought of fundraising emails by every politician and PAC and progressive group. 

And so I guess that's where I am. I'm a Californian who feels pretty powerless. All I can do now is find little bits of joy where and when I can. I recommend that you do the same. 

Stay safe out there.  

Things To Do In San Diego: Wednesday, June 22-Tuesday, June 28, 2022: The Black Angels | Indigo Girls | Calexico | Howard Jones | Bright Eyes | Chris Gethard | She & Him |OB Street Fair | Norah Jones | Femi Kuti |

I am so glad I started these listings on Monday because I have been low-mo this week. The change in weather has my allergies crushing my soul. Tonight I'll be working at the Casbah for The Mars Junction and I worked on Monday for Orgone so my work/sleep schedule is all out of whack. As a consequence, I haven't been to the San Diego Zoo since Monday which bums me out. Maybe I'll pack up and spend the whole day tomorrow. 

In the meantime, there are a ton of great shows this week. Calexico does two nights at Belly Up, Bright Eyes, Howard Jones, Tenacious D, Norah Jones, and  Femi Kuti are all in town this week. I might try to sneak over to Soda Bar for comedian Chris Gethard, too. We'll see. 

Have a great week. 

COVID-19: Cases Still Rising, FDA,CDC Approve Vaccines For 6mo-5yo | Father's Day | Juneteenth | New Sidewalk Vendor Rules Kick In on June 22 |

 

Superdad Darren (Taken 3.5.22)

I have been building this post for a week, but it was just a dumb week. On Monday, I worked at Broncho and subsequently lost my camera battery charger, which basically cost half of what I made that night to replace. Darren had a few days off so time management is a little trickier when he's around. We went to the Zoo together on Tuesday, and of course that night I happened to eat shit when I fell in the Cool Critters house at the Zoo, so I was in agony that night. I did spend some time this week organizing my photography on my laptop, which was at least 6 months of photos just in one folder that I had to clean up. I worked for Cass McCombs on Wednesday but maybe ate something bad and was super nauseous the whole time I was there. A friend ended up covering for me, but I basically had to forego the pay for the 3 hours I was there since he was the one who had to deal with the end of show wrap up. All that and then there was recently some internet "upgrades" in my neighborhood that have left my wi-fi slow and busted all week and I just didn't feel hypermotivated to post. Thus the listings being so late last week, and this post barely coming out now.  

The week did get better; I got my zoo time in, Darren's Golden State Warriors won the NBA championship, I worked for Modern English on Saturday night with no problems in what was a pretty easy shift. It was nice seeing so many friends who told me they love my Zoo pics or still read this site every post, so thank you to you all for keeping me motivated when it feels like I'm just barking into the ether. On Sunday, Nova came to the Zoo with me for a couple hours and afterward we spent Father's Day with my family once Darren got home from work. Today, being the superdad he is, he took Nova and a friend to work and paid for them to do the ZIpline and I'm sure is spoiling them with extra treats around the park. I'm just trying to wrap up this post so I can go to the Zoo before I work for Orgone tonight at the Casbah. I am definitely appreciating that today is a holiday because work is a little calmer than most Mondays, and I'm going to go take advantage of that. 

Stay safe out there.

Things To Do In San Diego: Thursday, June 16-Tuesday, June 21, 2022: Southern Culture on the Skids | Bob Dylan | Modern English | Joe Purdy |

I know, I know. I'm two days behind on listings. I'm kinda over this week. Sorry. I may update new shows and stuff, but not right now. I have stuff to do, a Zoo that hasn't seen me in two days, a shower that needs to be taken. Listings after the jump. 

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.