2021 CoViD-19: US Surpasses 20 Million Cases | Funeral Homes Out of Space | Torrey Pines Bluff Collapse On Video |

Kitty loves the tree (taken 12.31.2020)

Tonight on the news, Dr Anish Majadan from LA being interviewed said, "the risk that you take will kill someone else in your community," but apparently that message doesn't matter when you see people out just living their lives like normal. We hadn't left our house since Christmas but Nova had a low-level fever all week and then complained about 'itchy toes' and I kinda freaked out and frantically read everything I could about COVID-toes and so we finally went in for tests yesterday. Nova and I both tested negative and it was nice we got our result less than 24 hours later, but it's also kinda traumatizing that Darren didn't get his back yet. We figure his will come back on Sunday, but it's nice to feel we're in the clear--until we go back into the world and risk exposures. We got grocery delivery today and I kinda hate the thought of making someone go do my shopping so it will be nice to hit Costco again sometime soon. I also took advantage of an Uber Eats promo for $30 off and to use up $25 I had in my Uber wallet and we got a deep dish, calzone, and salad from DiMille's. I also hate the thought of making someone pick up my food and the cut Uber takes from the restaurant, but we were feeling in an isolation rut until the tests came back and wanted to use up my money instead of letting Uber have it. 

We're watching The Midnight Sky on Netflix tonight, so I'm gonna cut out and get to it.

2021 Begins: CoViD-19: UK Releases Preprint on B.1.1.7. Variant | 585 Reported Deaths in CA; 58 In San Diego | County Reports Record 4,478 Cases |

Fiesta Island Dog Park in the Before Times (Taken 1.11.2020)

We had a quiet New Year's Eve at home. Earlier in the day, my friend Angie dropped by a bottle of mezcal for my help with the virtual North Park Festival of Arts, and later in the evening Jeff came by so we could share a bottle of bubbly distanced in the backyard, but other than that, we watched Death To 2020 on Netflix, and as the night went on we jumped around on East Coast feeds of NYE programming, watched Schizophonics on the Casbah's Twitch, and then went outside to see all of our idiot neighbors shooting off fireworks and freaking out the dog. And being who we are, we watched news clips and then closed the night with the ultra-fascinating programming of NatHab and everything you ever wanted to know about North American moose. Low-key good times. 

But then while doomscrolling before I went to sleep, I found a thread about the COVID UK Varian and it freaked me out and I had awful, terrible, no good dreams and I couldn't shake off the horrible feelings left from the dreams. So, of course, here I am to purge the feelings,  share the bad news, because that's what I do. California reported a record 585 deaths in the last 24 hours, with San Diego reporting 58 on top of yesterday's 62. The thread that freaked me out was about the Imperial report released on the "UK Variant" so I'm still trying to wrap my non-science brain around what it all means, considering we now know it is considered widespread in San Diego based on the four unconnected cases sequenced here. 

We tried to distract and ended up watching Kamau Bell on the CNN Roku app and that's depressing, and then we went outside to sit in the sun for awhile and Nova told us that her toes were bothering her which raised alarm bells. Combined with her low-grade fever this week and her barfing the other day, I completely freaked out and insisted we go get tested. The experience is not a big deal, but it felt like we were in closer proximity with strangers for longer than we've been with anyone in a month, but all in all it took about an hour and now I guess we'll know when we know. I'm calmer now and not freaking out, but I'm gonna have to suck it up and pay the extra for grocery delivery because we can't really wait until test results come in before reloading on groceries. Doing the right thing is definitely not ever the easy thing. Happy New Year anyway. 
Today's reading and data after the jump. 

CoViD-19 NYE | Mayor Gloria Demands COVID Enforcement | STFH NYE | Watch The Schizophonics Live Tonight | SD Reports 3 Additional B.1.1.7. UK Variant Cases |

Ficus (taken 5.12.2020)

It's New Year's Eve and we're hanging around the house waiting to watch The Schizophonics on Twitch while also watching celebrations from around the world. Did you see that sick drone light show in Scotland?? Imagine if we could end fireworks forever with that! My dog and all the dogs I know wouldn't be forced to find house hiding spaces all night long whenever some dork shoots off fireworks in our neighborhood. 

I feel like I wrote everything I wanted to say in my last post, so I'm gonna cut and get to hanging out with my family. I hope everyone has a happy, healthy, and safe New Year's Eve and a better 2021. Darren and I used to go to Mexico for New Year's Day but obviously won't be doing that this year, so I'll be back and doing all this again tomorrow. xoxo. Adios, 2020.

2020 Diary & Photos: Lists Of Everything That Kept Us Thriving, Sane, and Finding Joy In This Year of Chaos

My birthday was one of many summer trips to San Diego Zoo (Taken 9.28.2020)

I started this post in August, and then things started opening up again and I thought that it was no longer relevant, but as everyone gets around to their end of year lists and reflecting on the year, I thought I'd revisit and finish the post once and for all....after the jump.

CoViD-19 California Reveals Safe Schools For All Plan | UK COVID-19 Variant B.1.1.7 Found In San Diego | Local Flu Cases Rising |

 A summer photo sess at our favorite Balboa Park fountain (Taken 8.27.2020)

I'm watching the news and it is hilarious/terrifying how people cherry-pick what they heard from today's Governor's media briefings. There are parent groups that have wanted schools open all along directly countering parent groups and teacher unions who want the science to be followed before schools reopen. So just to be clear, what the governor said today was that a "county must have 7-day average case rate of less than 28 cases/100k people per day to implement plan." Our county is currently at 76.3 unadjusted and 38.1 adjusted so they're all getting in a tizzy prematurely. Remember we were teetering around 6.8-7.2 for over a month back in Oct/Nov so to move down below 28 (which is 4x the previous metric, by the way) is going to require less community spread, and as in the plan, the capacity for weekly asymptomatic testing for staff and students. We're pretty confident Nova will not be in school the remainder of this school year unless Biden's administration comes in like bulldogs and gets their shit together for vax distribution, mandated masking, and extensive increases in testing, PPE, and supply-chain needs. As Dr. Carlos del Rio of Emory University  on PBS Newshour said, "This is an incredibly complicated operation to conduct...Even for a credibly competent government, this is not an easy thing to do."

Things are still mostly chill around here, though I'm kinda freaking out because Nova had a slight fever and yacked today and as we know, we did go to my parents' house for Christmas. We think it's from some spoiled food she ate today, but we're keeping an eye on it and feeling like assholes, even though Christmas was her only time out of the house in like two weeks besides our nighttime dog walks. And are we supposed to test and isolate and mask in our own house now? You can read and watch so much but then you get a scare and feel paralyzed. It also made me wonder if anything else has been studied on food-borne transmission of COVID-19. The WHO and CDC still don't consider these risks, and there was some stuff from China about traces found on frozen food, but that was left amounting to nothing or not studied further, I don't really know. There are a ton of notes for today's State and County briefings but I'm going to get offline before my eyeballs pop out of my head. 

Be safe out there. xoxo

CoViD-19 Tuesday: Stay-At-Home Order Extended | Congressman-Elect Dies of COVID-19 | CoViD Variant Detected in CO |

 

So long ago before we knew what we know (Taken 4.29.2020)

It's been an exciting day around the household. Slept in. Woke up. Had burgers and homemade fries for lunch. Watched California media briefing. Hung outside until our property manager showed up and told us they have to get pest control to come out before the new neighbors can move in. (Just wait until it floods again, or in the summer when the ants take over, we wanted to tell him) We watched the evening news, I worked through my inbox, then we made amazing tacos, and now we're about to watch the second half of Hamilton. 
I was joking when I said it was an exciting day, but we're happy to be home and healthy and we can't really ask for more than that. 

CoViD-19: House Vetoes Covidiot-in-Chief, Dems Dare Senate To Act | How To Fight COVID At Home |

Masked Up at San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Taken 11.18.2020)

I guess part of the thing about writing a blog, or regular social media posts, is that I'm not a very motivated person when it comes to sending out holiday cards. I think I've sent cards one time as an adult and it's been a couple decades. But I love receiving them. We don't get many but I look forward to the ones I do get. And it was completely understandable that we got even fewer after this crazy year, but today we got that unmistakable writing from Susie and her beautiful card she designed from boygirlparty and all is right in the world. 

It's so hard to see it snowing in our local mountains and not race up to play in it. In winters past, we would drive up to Cuyamaca with the van, but last time Darren had a hard time with the chains because we were already in the thick of an active snowstorm before we put them on. Since we've barely used the van this year at all, I wouldn't really feel safe driving it up without a big inspection. We also have a problem with the headliner falling, which may be among the first things we spend our *massive giant* relief checks on. It seems like such an erroneous and unnecessary way to blow $300 but it's actually really unsafe and hard to drive when it's falling on your head. 

One other thing I had on my mind, and was reminded by this facebook post that's going viral which I'm pasting at the end of this email, was that on top of all of our efforts to stay home as much as possible, and wearing double masks and goggles when we have to go out and shop or do laundry, I've been following recommendations I've seen since early in the pandemic. I take daily Zinc, C, D3, B12 and a Probiotic. We bought a no-touch thermometer and do temperature checks everyday, sometimes multiple times a day because we bet who will be closest to 98.6. Today I re-upped a vitamin order from Costco and have a pulse oximeter on the way. We always, even pre-pandemic keep a fair amount of aspirin, Tylenol, and Advil on hand. We always keep a stash of Emergen-C, local farmer's market honey, and tea in the pantry. Thankfully none of us have had any symptoms or even contacts, as far as we know, though you can be certain we'd get tested if we ever thought otherwise. I read a tweet from a woman who tested positive and thinks she got it from her building's elevator and it's just a reminder that, even if you're alone, if you're in a confined space like an elevator, any bathroom that isn't your own, any retail or restaurant for pickup , you should at the very least be masked up. We'll be waiting our turns for our vaccines but won't hesitate to get them. I dunno. I'm not a doctor and have read enough to believe we're being as safe as possible, but even if we're wrong, I'd rather go overboard than not have done enough. Maybe I also rationalize that it offsets me and Darren's whiskey and beer speakeasy nights. Healthy living, except when we're not, ya know? 

CoViD-19 Monday Relief, Kinda | EDD Nightmares | Morning Briefings: WHO, NY, NJ, CA | "Surge Upon Surge Upon Surge"

My sister's puppy, Roxy (Taken 12.25.2020)

We did it. I finally gave in an bundled Disney+ into my Hulu account so that we could watch Soul. Darren has always been a fan of jazz, but recently discovered a trove of Thelonious Monk performances that were previously unavailable, so he's been watching and rediscovering old favorites incessantly the last couple months. We've also made Nova a fan of A Late Show with Stephen Colbert and band leader Jon Baptiste, so it was a no-brainer that we were going to watch the movie before we were filled with spoilers. So all I'll say is that we enjoyed it. This means I can finally see Hamilton, as I'm probably the last American who's never seen it, but don't expect me to watch any of the universes because I'm not interested.

For today, however, it's all media briefings. I watched the World Health Organization's presser and marked a couple links I think everyone should watch. Then, since I was already up early, I watched New York Governor Cuomo's briefing and then New Jersey's, caught the local news, and then watched Governor Newsom. I was a little disappointed he didn't address EDD and why it's been mostly down all day, he seemed pretty resigned today with the 'sobering' numbers. And I can't blame him. You can only shout at the abyss so many times, and it's clear that places like Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino and other super right wing trumpy areas are just going to keep defying the state orders without any enforcement. It's gross. Especially because it's mostly wealthier white people who think everything should open at the risk of the BIPOC service workers who are the ones getting sick and dying with higher frequency. Last night I was looking at this link that was on my COVID-19 resource page called Covid ActNow and that's probably why I've been up since 3am. 

Anyway, some of the numbers for the day haven't come in, namely the US numbers from The Tracking Project and the San Diego County Numbers, so I'll do another post later tonight. If you're on EDD and awaiting news, just hold tight...I'm sure we'll know more by the end of the day. 

CoViD-19: Stay Home Sunday | California Reports 50,141 Cases, 1/3 Of New US Cases | HR 133 Signed Including COVID-19 Relief |

 

My parents have a strange collection of musical stuffed animals (Taken 12.25.2020)

It has been another cozy day at home. I'm in my Christmas pajamas and Santa snuggie and a pair of fuzzy socks. We've been enjoying the tamales we picked up from MexMart, and have been working through Christmas leftovers all weekend in our lounginess. I've even started enjoying football again, which is unexpected. Have you ever noticed how the enthusiasm level of the announcers for the Chiefs and Seahawks games is super elevated and they sound like they're being punished when they have to do Chargers games? It's kinda funny when you catch it. 

I'm posting a little earlier than usual because there was recent *breaking news* that the covidiot-in-chief signed HR133 which is the massive bill that keeps the government running through September, is a general spending bill, and the inclusion of the $900b stimulus/pandemic relief program. So it appears there was no reason for the delay except abject cruelty and political stunting. I'm watching the stupid dumbasses on KUSI and it is unbelievable they can even call themselves news. Their misrepresentation of information and facts makes me irate.  

Speaking of information, numbers are a little funny right now...some testing sites were down for the holidays so the San Diego positivity rate is really high, some Government departments were closed, and judging by current county job postings, San Diego is short of needed medical examiners and is even looking for a Public Health Medical Officer. There was below average national testing, resulting in California representing 1 in 3 cases nationally. The fact that three friends lost their dads in the past week makes me think that numbers will be really grim as the data catches up. Be safe out there, and don't forget that you're supposed to quarantine travelled during the holiday. 

CoViD-19 Saturday: Stay At Home Order Extended | As UI Benefits Expire, Covidiot-In-Chief Golfs |

Mom & Dad and the grandkids (Taken 12.25.2020)

I don't have much to say today and not a lot of news. UI benefits ended today while the occupier went golfing. We watched Warriors on Netflix and it's super good and super intense but I'm kinda surprised there's no trigger warning at the beginning. Darren had to run out for dog food today, but otherwise it was a loungey all-day pajama day. 

Today's data and numbers are abnormal due to the Christmas holiday and fewer testing sites. I would presume that there were certainly some Christmas deaths, there's just non reporting due to the holiday. The stay-at-home order would have expired in a few days if our numbers were improved, but instead, the new order says we'll be under the stay-at-home order until all regions in the state are out of it, so we're gonna be here awhile. 

California Christmas Diary & Photos: Sun, Family Fun, and Seventy Degree Perfection | Our Sunshine Tax Pays Off

My cousin made custom "Maybe Next Year" sweatshirts for all the squad (12.25.2020)

I already gave my explanation about why I'd be spending Christmas with my family in spite of warnings, so I'm not going to justify or make excuses again. It was a perfect San Diego day, so we stayed longer than planned as we could more freely hang apart outside. I'm pretty sure there were pre-discussions about me being really anal or the 'mask nazi' in the family because anytime I came within 10 feet of anyone, if their mask had dropped beneath their nose or it was off so they could eat or drink, they'd get these big eyes at me like they were in trouble. And that's okay. If I'm mean or stern because I'm looking out for all of our health, I'll take those labels. Because it was as perfect a day as we could ask with the current circumstances. Photos and more after the jump. 

CoViD-19 Christmas Data

My sister, niece, and puppy Roxy (Taken 12.25.2020)

Merry Christmas, Everyone. It's a heavy Christmas for a lot of people, particularly the people missing the 321,992 known deaths from COVID-19 and the nearly 120,000 people in the hospital today, and people who couldn't be with loved ones today. 

I'm gonna skip all the articles and reading today, but the data is still worth sharing. I'll save the rest of Christmas for a separate post.  Stay healthy, my friends. 

CoViD-19 Christmas Eve | California Surpasses 2 Million Cases | GOP Blocks Relief | Tonight: Exile On Kettner |

Attempting to recreate the photo from 2014 (Taken 12.25.2019)

So I already confessed to having gone to Vons today, but now we're home watching the news and it's a reminder that we should be terrified to be out in public, when the news is interviewing travelers and they say things like, "I'm not worried, plus I've got my number one fan on my side," (while pointing up to ? Jesus? God?) I hate to break it to that 60+ year old black woman, but statistics are not on her side here. 

Since I already got my other post out today, I'm doing my daily data a little early, but the County has only partially updated, so I'll throw in hospitalizations and ICUs if they update later. For now, we're enjoying Christmas Eve around home. I made a huge breakfast of bacon, eggs, hash browns, and tortillas, we watched Love Actually, and now we have my giant rib roast in the oven, driving the dog crazy from the delicious smells coming from the kitchen. 

Don't forget that tonight is Exile on Kettner Blvd, the Casbah's annual Stones tribute night, and it will be free on Twitch starting at 7:30 (donations welcome and encouraged.) 

Peace out, y'all. Merry Christmas Eve!

CoViD-19 Christmas: "Stay Home. Don't Travel. But if you do..." | The Mistakes of Thanksgiving | The Mixed Messages of Christmas |

 A Family Christmas While Dad Was In The Hospital (Taken 12.25.2014)

Christmas is tomorrow and everyone has obviously made their own pro/con list about how to celebrate the holidays. And it is so hard. There are so many mixed messages. There are stay-at-home orders and restrictions and mask requirements and unenforceable quarantine guidelines. We know we should stay home, but we create our own loopholes. Every news story and politician and health expert sounds the same. "Stay home. Don't travel. But if you do..."

 

It's easy for me to say that no way I would get on a plane or a train or even public transportation during this pandemic. Like I might feel safe in a plane, but not in the airport. I might feel safer on a roadtrip, but I don't think public bathrooms are safe. During the pandemic, I haven't even allowed us to be anywhere away from our house long enough that we would have to use public bathrooms. Even with back and forth restrictions and some loosening over the summer, me and Darren haven't worked, we haven't been to any restaurants besides grabbing takeout about a dozen times between the same four spots, and my last time at the Casbah was March 13. 

Maybe it's over the top. Maybe it's not enough. 

But my family lives 10 minutes away, and I've definitely had my share of distanced/masked/mostly outside visits with them. 

Still, I follow the data. I know that the virus is everywhere. I know that people are openly defying stay-at-home orders. The news showed a grocery worker practically in tears because people are going and getting tested across the street and then coming into her store for groceries. She rightfully believes that if you think you need to be tested, you should be quarantining if nothing else, at least until you get your results. And then there are people who are going out or working when they actually have symptoms and it's astounding.

But we're still doing Christmas with my parents. I'll tell you why, after the jump.

CoViD-19 California Sets Highest Daily Death Record | Stay-At-Home Lawsuit On Hold Until January: Stay Remains In Place | I'll Take "One-Term Lunatics" for $2,000, Alex (RIP)

Goofy Ass Picture of Me and My Sister at Sea World Christmas in the Before Times 12.13.2019

I fell out of the habit of sharing what I'm reading and watching because I'm still reading Becoming by Michelle Obama, my checkout of Barack Obama's A Promised Land is going to run out before I can listen to the whole thing, and everything I've been watching on streaming has been news, media briefings, Bravo or just crappy brain junkfood. I thought I'd be 50 cheesy Christmas movies in by now, but we don't have Lifetime or Hallmark, and the ones on other services have been meh, though I loved Jingle Jangle, Happiest Season was pretty good on Hulu, and You Are My Home was not typical sappy fare, pretty tragic actually, but good. I started watching a movie from the early oughts the other day and had to turn it off because Chris Brown was in it. I don't have to make a big to-do about it, but I realized just how many actors and musicians I won't watch or listen to because they're such pieces of shit in real life. The list is long, my friends. 

Anyhow, Christmas is only two days away and it is so hard not to run out to Costco and Vons and Target and Big Lots and Ross and buy all the things, but we're trying not to be part of the problem over here. It's like when you're in traffic complaining about traffic without acknowledging that you are the traffic. I'm also a little sad because we love spending the holidays at the Zoo or Safari Park, but that is obviously not an option right now either, and probably won't be well into February or March the way things are going. As it is, I'm in a major quandary if we should even go to my parents' house on Friday, but I'm saving that for a separate post because the decision making is really taxing. 

Today Governor Newsom did a short briefing before having a little conversation with Dr. Shirley Weber and Alex Padilla, so notes on that are below. After watching all of that, my neighbor dropped by with her dog so we chatted for a bit (masked/10 feet apart/outside) and then I watched the County's Media Briefing. They had an administrator from Scripps health as a guest and he was much more straight about the crisis around us and it is dark. Meanwhile, I said to keep an eye out for the Pacer's vs San Diego County/Gavin Newsom/State of California Case (Superior Court Case #37-2020-00038194-CU-CR-CTL) and I'm not gonna spend money to get court documents nor do I really understand legal speak, but if I'm reading it correctly, today's hearing was canceled ("ex parte was vacated") and the next "motion hearing" isn't until January 22, 2021, so strip clubs and restaurants, for the time being, must follow the current stay-at-home orders. I think. I'm also gonna guess that somewhere in the ROA (Register of Actions) is where KPBS got ahold of the outbreak information (if it wasn't just from the county with a wink, wink and a 'you didn't get this from me.') I can't be sure, both are just suspicions. Anyway, lots of stuff today. 

CoViD-19: QuaranTuesday | Virus Mutations Raises Red Flags | San Diego Case Rate: 36.3/100k | CA Names Padilla to Senate, Dr. Weber to Sec of State

Hotel Del Coronado Christmas (Taken 12.28.2019)

Another day at home. Our apartment management guy came by to let us know the neighbors will be moving in...the delay was because there were some mice that needed to be dealt with. I guess that's what happens when you leave an apartment unused for 6 months. Fortunately we had someone come a few years ago who closed up the 'mouse superhighway' so we haven't had a problem, though I know from my neighbors that this is a huge community problem.

I also talked to my sister and got the scoop on her father-in-law, but then we kinda got in a fight because she just got tested on Saturday, and even though they're negative, they should still be quarantining. Instead, they let him stay the night, and then today she's over at my parents' house after running errands, which for her usually means a dozen stores. It's like, how many risks are you going to take and bring into my parents' house? We'll still plan on the outdoor Christmas thing and leave if it gets weird or unsafe or uncomfortable. 

I was waiting all afternoon for the Dr. Ghaly briefing but never found one. Instead, we watched Biden's address, sat out in the sun for awhile, ate some of the no-bake cheesecake I made last night, and then I allowed myself a lovely afternoon nap while Darren watched the NBA and Nova made sugar cookies and frosting from my Betty Crocker cookbook which I've finally shared with her. We will definitely have to make some supply runs, but hoping that we can get through the weekend before it's necessary. Darren and I plan on a speakeasy night so I'm gonna wrap it up now. Beware the performative politics out there. What matters is deeds, not words. Keep an eye out tomorrow for new information on the strip club/restaurant case, news on 45 trying to performatively veto the relief bill, a briefing from the state to extend Stay-At-Home orders, and a briefing from the County. 

"Our darkest days are ahead of us, not behind us." - President-elect Biden (12.22.2020)

CoViD-19: Stay Home Monday | Winter Solstice & The Great Conjunction | KPBS Discloses SD Outbreak Locations | Relief Bill Passes Both Houses

Hotel Del Coronado Christmas Tree (Taken 12.28.2019)

Monday was the winter solstice and the date of the great conjunction with Jupiter and Saturn so close that they appear as the "Christmas Star." It was really pretty to watch the planets appear closer and closer over the past couple weeks, even if I couldn't capture it adequately with my camera. We had another day of not doing much...sitting in the yard, watching our daily visit from a hummingbird, stopping my cat from pouncing on our yard bunny. 

We watched the long briefing from Newsom, the always depressing PBS Newshour, and now I'm filling my brain with the junkfood that is Bravo. Darren has stepped up his cooking these days and his terriyaki chicken thighs are *chef's kiss*. It's hard to believe that Christmas is just a few days away, and while I'm usually a little bummed that we don't get a white Christmas, or even a gray and cold one, I'm not complaining this year, since we plan on staying in my parents' backyard the entirety of our visit. On the plus side, my sister and the girls' tests all came back negative, but her father-in-law decided to just show up unannounced so that could really skewer all the plans. I don't mean to be rude, but dude drove from Arizona unannounced. Not only should my sister's family be quarantining, but how incredibly rude anytime, let alone a pandemic. I don't really know how she's handling it, but I wouldn't let the guy in my house or near my kids and if he's planning on joining in on Christmas, we'll be staying home after all. Seriously. WTF? People are unbelievable. Which leads me to my super-rant. After the jump. 

CoViD-19: Relief Is Coming, Aid For Venues | Vaccine Rollout & Allergy Guidance | Virus Mutations Raise Concerns | SD LEAs Violate Disclosure in Tactical Gear Acquisition

Teddy Bear Christmas At Hotel Del Coronado in the Before Times (Taken 12.28.2019)

I have so much to talk about today, but I'm gonna put a lot after the jump, because today was actually a lovely day. I'm trying to reset my circadian rhythm so I didn't let myself sleep all day as I had been from our DDD experience last week. I woke up to Nova and Darren in the kitchen, and she was inspired by the bag of yeast I bought to make pizza dough from scratch. I spent some time outside, the weather perfect, and I went through some things to donate from the studio, put away laundry, and I messed around shooting Jupiter and Saturn at dusk. For the pizza makers, it ended up being about a six hour process and I wasn't super happy that D had to run to Vons for mozzarella and other stuff because I'm trying to make us fully quarantine so we can do backyard Christmas at my mom's, but I told him that's it: if we run out of stuff, we run out, or we can do grocery delivery, but there will be no leaving the house for us besides late night dog walks. 

Meanwhile, I caught up with my sister on the phone, and she told me that a girl from my niece's soccer team tested positive. The girl hadn't been to practice since Tuesday, and they've been doing outdoor, separated, workout only practices, but (a) I was so glad we pulled Nova from her team when we did because it was easy to see how the rules slip and (b) it made me mad because her program (though not her specific team) were the ones shown over and over on the news demanding the reopening of youth sports and competitive play. My sister and the girls found out on Saturday and all went and got tested, so hopefully they'll get their results tomorrow, but they're on lockdown now, too, or as my sister said in soccer speak, the DL. 

More and more friends are testing positive or knowing people who are sick. I found out a college pal who lives in London is a long-hauler after getting COVID in March and her symptoms are debilitating and devastating. Another friend's dad died last week. And then I caught myself fighting with someone on Facebook who is literally making up her own statistics, fighting with nurses and people who work in hospitals and morgues that they are all just exaggerating the numbers and danger. It is maddening. California is quite literally the world epicenter at the moment. If you think you don't know anyone adversely affected by COVID-19 at this point, you're are just not paying attention. 

Anyway, lots to get to today, so all of that after the jump. 

CoViD-19 Stay Home Saturday | County Sets Weekly Records with 18,016 New Cases,129 COVID-19 Associated Deaths | Momentum Builds To Audit McConnell Election

Spreckels Organ Pavilion at Christmas (Taken 12.6.2019)

Obviously this whole restaurant thing has made me really mad. Local media uses words like "whiplash" and "yo-yo" to talk about the opening and closing of restaurants, but the stay at home order was never lifted. The county had already voted to appeal if the judge's ruling went against the order. When the state AG stepped in last week with a cease-and-desist, it should've been obvious that the state will continue the fight. Restaurants who thought it would be safe to open, when their headlines are back to back with nightly local and national records being set for deaths and positive cases and the lack of hospital beds and nurses and ventilators, you have to wonder what kind of business acumen some of these people even have. 

Meanwhile, my feed is full of friends who tested positive, or who are dealing with someone in their own lives who is sick, and in a couple cases, losing their own relatives to complications from COVID-19. And then I get mad all over again, because people are fighting for the right to go to a tasting room, and I'm just hoping that Darren stays safe and healthy when he has to unavoidably go to the laundromat to do our laundry. And I keep reading articles or posts from people who "took every precaution" and still got sick. One story was about a couple who "needed a break" so they took a weekend trip out of their home state and ended up sick. Hate to break it to you, but if you're traveling, you're not "taking every precaution." San Diego reported 129 deaths this week, breaking the last record of 96 set last week, and 58 the week before that, which surpassed the highest death weeks in July with 56 and 55 deaths. 

Besides all that, we've been home, besides Darren doing all of our laundry, hopefully enough to get us through for awhile. This evening I was experimenting with shooting Jupiter and Saturn in anticipation for the "Great Conjunction" on Monday. I don't have great gear, but the camera we got this spring has a wi-fi function with an app so I can use the tripod and change setting and snap the pic with my phone which is kinda fun. 

Be good out there. And make sure to look up to the sky every once in awhile. 

Saturday: Casbah Hosts Merch Pop-Up At Vinyl Junkies Record Shack From Noon-4pm!!

 

On Saturday, December 19, the Casbah will be hosting an outdoor merchandise pop-up in the driveway of Vinyl Junkies Record Shack to get all of your last minute holiday purchases. It'll happen from noon - 4pm. Drop by and say hi to Tim Mays, Luci, Ted, Doom, and Will who will be manning the fortress. Please wear your masks to protect yourselves and our staff. 

Vinyl Junkies Record Shack is located at 2235 Fern Street, San Diego, CA 92104