I went to Grossmont today to get my brows threaded. I used to get my brows done here 20 years ago, and I haven’t found a new brow lady (or nail lady) near me downtown since I moved back to SD, so I thought I’d revisit my old stomping grounds.
I used to work at the bank across the street when it was Washington Mutual – it’s still a bank, but it’s Chase now. There was construction and scaffolding throughout the mall, but Super Brows was still there, along with Jamba Juice, Panda Express, Rubio’s and the movie theatre. Barnes and Noble was boarded up and closed, though. End of an era! I used to spend hours at this Barnes and Noble – writing papers for school, when you still needed actual books and couldn’t look up everything on the internet or use ChatGBT – ‘the 1900s’ as the kids say.
I used to treat myself to coffee and a sweet treat at the Starbucks inside the Barnes and Noble. I remember one time I was so excited to eat my pastry, I opened the bag in my then-boyfriend’s car and it was empty. My first thought: Did this fucker eat my chocolate croissant? We traced our steps back to the now-closed Starbucks and I saw my croissant on the floor of the parking lot. Turns out I was holding the bag upside down and the pastry fell out without me noticing ๐
Obviously, I haven’t changed much since that pastry incident, but this mall sure has ๐ฎโ๐จ
I’m not into shoes at all – I’ve worked for a shoe company for 14 years and I don’t wear the brand or utilize my discount (50% off if your kids want some light-up shoes or your parents want some memory foam insoles LOL). I wear the same pair of slip-on Vans on the regular. I only wear my boots if it’s cold or raining or the outfit calls for it LOL. I have one pair of Nike Flyknits that I only wear to work out (I got them yearsss ago, and they’re practically new since I don’t work out wear them much ๐ ).
All that to say, Nike is dropping new Air Max 1’s to go with the new Padres City Connect colors, and I have to have them! It makes more sense that it’s for the Mexico City Series they’re playing later this month with the Dรญa de los Muertos theme and colors, but the Padres have been teasing a Dรญa de los Muertos themed City Connect 2.0.
I already designed a new shirt to cricut with the new colors, so I have to get the shoes to match, right?
I live on one end of the 94 (downtown), and my parents live at the other end (Spring Valley). The 94 is littered with casino and dispensary billboards, with the exception of the occasional personal injury lawyer billboard sprinkled in. Only during Lent does Mcdonald’s advertise their Filet-O-Fish sandwich, right next to the Boll Weevil (!) sign that’s still up in Lemon Grove, even though it closed years ago during Covid.
We first saw Muse nearly 20 years ago at Street Scene in 2007. They were AMAZING, and it’s such a core memory for us when they dropped the huge eyeball balloons during their set, and something we looked forward to at every show we went to on that tour. We saw them several times after that, and they never disappoint.
In the 13 years I lived in LA, I never once went to KROQ’S Almost Acoustic Christmas, but we went in 2007 bc we were still amp’d from seeing Muse at Street Scene that year.
I last saw Muse at The Kia Forum in LA with Nori and her sister, who’s also a huge fan.
So stoked to see them in SD again with Pammie! Any excuse to relive my youth ๐
Also, I still call the venue by its original name ‘Coors Amphitheatre’ even though the sponsor has changed several times over the years – Cricket Wireless, Sleep Train, Mattress Firm, and now North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre. When I saw Muse was having a show at NICU, I was like, ‘Dafuq is NICU?!’
I walk Milo to Petco Park on the regular – it’s a solid mile roundtrip from my apartment and a relatively safe route, so I still walk him there even when the gates are closed to the public bc of special events or baseball games. The patios surrounding the park have mostly been empty during the offseason, but now that baseball’s back, the patios are full as fuck – Bub’s at the Ballpark, Villains Brewing, Nick the Greek, Tom’s Watch Bar, Knotty Barrel…
I usually just throw my hair in a top knot, put on my sunglasses, and wear my over-the-ear headphones so no one talks to me while I’m walking Milo downtown – the riff-raff who hang out in front of Park Blvd Express Chinese Food To Go, the kid who tries to sell me a ‘free’ cell phone in front of the Grocery Outlet on Market and calls me ‘queen’ LOL, the drug dealers who not so discreetly deal drugs between 10th and 11th on G, and any unhoused people along the way.
Do I dress up when I take him out? No. But do I at least look cute? Still no LOL. Unless you think leggings and my ‘Future Corpse’ shirt is a cute look. I haven’t had any ‘meet cutes’ since I got Milo, but I also try to look as unapproachable as possible when I’m out with him ๐ Do I have to start looking decent now that it’s baseball season???
Welp. Shit def took a turn and the Padres ending up losing again. At least Jess & Abe ran into former Chargers player, Donnie Edwards, in the club lounge and I was able to spot them on TV ยฏ\_(ใ)_/ยฏ
If you’re driving downtown on G Street, my apartment is the only one with the Padres flag between 13th and 14th (next to the balcony with the Christmas Stitch inflatable that’s been up since the holidays – it’s damn near April!).
My apartment’s only half a mile away from Petco Park, but I got the best seat in the house right here.
…Okay, the second best seat – Jessie & Abe have tickets behind home plate this weekend!
I first had it nearly 15 years ago at their flagship store in SF when I went there for Outside Lands Music Festival. Since then, they’ve expanded and I’ve eaten at one in SD, OC, Tempe, LA… The one in LA was conveniently up the street from my apartment.
We once went to the one in Hillcrest not realizing it was Pride weekend, and came for sandwiches, but stayed for the parade ๐๐ณ๏ธโ๐
But I digress. The Hillcrest location is within doordashing distance to my apartment! But the sandwich I always order is $17 ๐ It’s called the ‘Going Home for Thanksgiving’ (but called the ‘Tony Gwynn’ in SD), and it has turkey, cranberry sauce, cheddar, and sriracha, all on their famous Dutch Crunch bread. Boar’s Head ham used to be my deli meat of choice (as my special relationship with the Sammie’s Hammie at Rinaldi’s used to suggest), but since I’ve gone porkless, I’ve had to pivot LOL.
When I doordashed Ike’s last weekend, I saw you can buy a bag of the Dutch Crunch bread separately, so I did! I instacarted all the accoutrements I needed to recreate the sandwich at home and the result was *chef’s kiss* ๐ My first job was at Subway, so I know a thing or two about making sandwiches ๐
It was hot as fuck outside, but luckily our seats were in the shade, bc white people were def getting sunburned out there ๐
Jess and I wore matching shirts that we Amazon Primed two days ago. A Man-nana (Savannah Bananas male cheerleader) was in our section giving out yellow roses, and Jess told me to take my shirt off ๐คฃ We couldn’t find the carajillos, so I was much too sober to flash my tits for flowers!
There’s always guest stars at Banana Ball games, usually a sports legend or a musical artist with ties to the city the game is in. Today, they brought out former Padres pitcher and Hall of Famer, Jake Peavy. I was hoping it’d be a musical guest (50 Cent guest starred at their Houston game LOL) – there’s so many from San Diego – Blink-182, P.O.D., Slightly Stoopid, Switchfoot, Jason Mraz… Also, the bestie ran into a member of early 2000s boy band O-Town once at a 7-Eleven in East County bc he apparently lives in Santee ๐คฃ You guys, I wouldn’t be able to identify a single O-Town member if they were in a police lineup.
The cutest Padres fan ๐ฅฐ
Jess & Abe are going to the Padres game against the Diamondbacks in Mexico City next month. Abe’s sister is going – she was born and raised in SD, but lives in Phoenix now – so I asked if she’s going for the Padres or the Diamondbacks, and he said Padres, ofc! ๐๐ค Once a Padres fan, always a Padres fan…
The Banana Ball game was a bit too loud for little man. Jess forgot his headphones, which he usually wears at Padres games (Jess and Abe are season ticket holders). It was like 100x louder than a regular ball game. They don’t have walk-on songs, but they blast music and have dance breaks throughout the entire game. Lots of Taylor Swift and country songs I’ve never heard before ๐ So we left a little early, which was totally fine by me! We decided that, while a fun experience, Banana Ball is a young woman’s game LOL, and we probably wouldn’t do it again ๐ I’ll just keep following @thesavbanannas on insta, where I can watch their videos in the comfort of my own home at preferred volume levels ๐ต๐ป
When I lived in LA, I would easily spend $300+/month on gas alone – driving to SD, driving in LA traffic, driving to any concert venue in LA… During covid, gas prices near my apartment reached $6+/gallon in Manhattan Beach:
Now that I’m back in SD and working from home, I hardly ever drive. I walk anywhere I can downtown, doordash my food, instacart my groceries. I even have to take a picture of where I parked my car in my apartment building’s sub-garage, bc a whole week could go by where I don’t drive my car, and I forget where I parked.
At my apartment in LA, I had a free assigned parking spot in a one-level parking garage in a building that was only three stories. Here in SD, I live in a six-story building, and the garage is multiple levels. It’s $40/month for an unassigned parking spot and $240/month (!) for an assigned spot. There’s always plenty of unassigned parking spots, plus I have a permanent handicap placard from when I had the stroke. I never have trouble finding parking, I just have trouble finding my car sometimes ๐
It’s normally $15 for a day pass for visitors to park in my garage, but I just got one for Jess and it was $30! Not sure if it’s doubled bc there’s a special event nearby tomorrow, or if the price went up since I got a pass for Alicia last month. Ahh, the cost of living downtown ยฏ\_(ใ)_/ยฏ
Contrary to popular belief, I don’t believe people should have to pay to see me LOL, so I’ll always park in a spot outside for you when I can and let you use my handi – the placard allows you to park in metered street parking at no cost (literally the only benefit of having a stroke, otherwise 0/10 would not recommend).
Partly bc we had time to kill before Miloโs grooming appointment nearby this morning on Park Blvd, but mostly bc todayโs a Power Day in my Stepbet challenge, I walked Milo to get iced coffee and canelรฉs at Rikka Fika, then to Petco Park.
I walk him to the ball park whenever itโs open to the public, and the schedule said it was fully open today, but didnโt mention the free Pokรฉmon GO event happening.
Milo wondering why there’s so many nerds here today what in the Pokรฉmon GO is going on (@ Petco Park)
Also, tell me you live downtown without telling me you live downtown.
I miss you in the worst way but
I keep remembering when I
Built you up and then you caught fire
My whole world is burning now
Holding on down to the wire
Thinking you might come around
I heard Cold War Kids on the radio while I was driving the other day and wondered whatever happened to them. So stoked they’re opening for Young the Giant this summer!
Now hang me up to dry You wrung me out Too too too many times
Cause sooner or later this is bound to stop Come on, let’s savor what we’re falling for
It’s shaping up to be another epic concert year ๐ค๐ผ
With the exception of cooking competitions on Food Network, I don’t watch reality TV. It feels too scripted, too fake, with people put in impossible situations that they wouldn’t otherwise be in if it wasn’t for the show.
That being said, I got my nails done yesterday. I had a regular nail girl in LA (S/O Cindy at Chloe Nails!), and I haven’t found a good one down here in SD. I don’t get anything fancy, I always just do black gel on my short nails so my man hands look less manly ๐ Simple, right?
I went to this salon in Little Italy yesterday that (surprisingly) had good reviews. There was plenty of metered street parking, and luckily, the permanent handicap placard I got from having the stroke allows me to park in metered street spaces for free – Literally one of the only perks of having a stroke, 0/10 do not recommend otherwise. When I got there, the door was locked and the lights were on, but I didn’t see anyone inside. There was a ring camera outside, so I buzzed it, and this Russian girl lets me in. She leads me to the back where I am the only customer, and proceeds to do my nails for nearly 3 hours! I have never had my nails done by someone who wasn’t Asian, nor has it ever taken that long to get a simple one-color gel manicure, or cost that much without upsells or extras ($100!). She would literally paint one nail at a time and have me cure a single digit under the UV lamp. By the time she was done, it was nearly 7pm, and she had to unlock the door and pull up the gate to let me out. They aren’t in a shady area, so I’m not sure why they have all the security measures. Perhaps it’s bc she’s a young girl working by herself with a single customer on a Monday night!
All that to say, in the 3 hours I was there, the TV was on and playing a Netflix reality show I’d never seen before. I asked the nail tech if she knew what the show was, and she said in her heavy Russian accent, ‘No, I don’t have internet at home.’ ๐ณ An hour into the show, I realize I’m watching Love Is Blind. You guys. After 3 hours of watching the show, I am invested.
The show claims to be an experiment that tests whether love is blind, and if people can fall in love based on personality, rather than appearance. Contestants talk to each other in private pods for 10 days, and can only see each other after they’ve gotten engaged (!) in the pods. After that period, they spend time together, including with friends and family, and decide whether to get married.
I’m 6 episodes deep into season 10, and I would be genuinely surprised as fuck if any of these couples actually get married.
The one Asian contestant is paired up with a guy who looks very similar to this fuckboy I used to mess around with from Hollywood. And his one complaint about her is how disorganized she is ๐ณ I’ve seen this movie before, and I know how it ends – I suggest you run, girl.
Anyway, unlike the nail tech, I do have the internet at home, so I can just watch Love Is Blind there! Any recs for nail salons in SD would be appreciated ๐ ๐ป
I was raised on the music of the 60s and 70s, not bc I was born back then (I’m an 80s baby – I’m old, but not that old!), but bc it’s the music my dad loves – The Beatles, Eagles, James Taylor, The Zombies, Simon & Garfunkel… He would always blast his records and play along with his guitar. With the invention of streaming platforms, he listens to remastered versions of the classics on Spotify now, and let me have all his old records. Music just hits different on vinyl ๐ฅน
My parents hosted our family Thanksgiving last year, and my cousin was like, โWhereโs your dadโs James Taylor album?!โ It was always displayed front and center next to his record player on the TV console, and was such a core memory from when we were kids. Now I have it displayed next to my record player ๐ฅน
I made a playlist of all the old songs we listen to while we play mahjong. It’s titled ‘yoohoo mahjong’ bc I have a saved voicemail of my dad calling me to play mahjong and all he says is, ‘Yoohoo… Mahjong. We’re waiting.’ LOL
Anyway, James Taylor and Paul Simon are both individually touring this year, and theyโre both stopping near my apartment at my favoritest venue in SD, The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. Yoohoo, whoโs coming with???
I bought him this bed before I rescued him, and he has never used it to sleep once. Heโd rather sleep on my bed snuggled up against his mama.
Because heโs such a traumatized velcro dog, he always has to be near me. I usually work from home at my dining table on my laptop, and you can always find him nearby, either snoozing behind me on the couch or playing with his toys on the floor. Lately, Iโve been noticing him looking out the window and wondering whatโs going on outside (lots of construction happening across the street – theyโre building the largest park downtown – and people walking down G). I moved his bed underneath the window and heโs finally using it! If I would’ve known he was such a chismosa, I would’ve put his bed there a long time ago ๐
It’s time I wave goodbye from the window
Let’s end this like we should and say we’re good
We’re not meant to be, like sleeping and cocaine
So let’s at least agree to go our separate ways
Not gonna judge you when you’re with somebody else
As long as you swear you won’t be pissed when I do it myself
Let’s end it like we should and say we’re good
I met up with the girls for brunch in South Park today. The last time I remember being in South Park was for Booty Bassment at the Whistle Stop 15 years ago with these very same girls! ๐ต๐ป
Jessie treated all of us out to brunch to celebrate all of our December/January birthdays. With 4 kids between us (none of which are my own), it was the first time we could all get together since Friendsgiving.
She got us all beautiful bouquets from her favorite florist at Hillcrest Farmers Market (s/o Hidalgo!).
We were seated outside and the sun was shining directly on my face. She blocked the sun with her hand, which apparently is a common trope in K-Dramas ๐ Chivalry ain’t dead, y’all!
Who needs a man when I’ve got a bestie who buys me chilaquiles, gives me flowers, and protects me from getting sunburned??? ยฏ\_(ใ)_/ยฏ
I saw so many people walking their dogs, plenty of cafes, and cute craftsman homes in the area. Before I moved back to SD, I always said I’d live in the North/South Park area if I ever moved back. Living downtown was never a dream of mine, although I love living in a luxury building and being walking distance to Petco Park. I don’t love having to drive anywhere downtown and find parking. If I can’t walk there, I’ll drive out of downtown to go somewhere with a parking lot. I don’t love all the homeless people in the East Village and not being able to safely walk after dark. I don’t love my upstairs neighbor who stomps around at all hours of the day. Or the b who lives a few doors down with two bitch ass chihuahuas who are always barking.
I said I’d move out of downtown when my lease is up next October if the Padres don’t make it to the postseason this year ๐ I’ll eat humble pie (and banana cream pie from Seaside Market) if they do make it, but shit’s looking dire.
If you think I stop by Milk & Cookies on 10th when I’m walking Milo to Petco Park, you’re not wrong ๐ช
I also stop by Starbucks for an iced coffee. There were a couple other dogs inside today whose owners all ordered them pup cups. โPup cup for Kevin,โ said the barista while looking straight at me. A lady picked up the pup cup, so Kevin was obvi the dog. I felt they were judging me for ordering myself a sweet treat and nothing for my dog. You guys, I ordered him his very first (and last) pup cup from this very Starbucks last week. He took one lick and didnโt care for it. I also tried to break him off a piece of my lemon & blueberry cookie, and he just sniffed at it and left it on the grass. He doesnโt like any sweets! Like, are you not my son? ๐
Anyway, while I was at Starbucks, Jeff Buckleyโs โLast Goodbyeโ played over the speakers and I was transported back to college. I had this art instructor (who I had a major crush on) and this was his favorite song. I googled him when I got home and found his IG – heโs a professor in Nor Cal now, is (twice!) divorced, has a few kids and a dog whoโs also named Milo. He was always kind of an asshole, so I’m not surprised he’s been divorced a couple times, but I think we’ve established I like assholes ๐
I had leftover filling and wonton wrappers from making the ground chicken dumpling lasagna yesterday, so I made chili oil wontons today. I havenโt had wontons or dumplings since I gave up pork bc theyโre usually filled with pork out in the wild.
I got boba in case my meal wasn’t Asian enough. I walked to The Bon Cha with Milo, so I earned that boba! Get off me.
All I wanted to eat for my birthday was this viral crab rangoon I’ve been seeing all over instagram. It was def worth the hype! Christine found a hack: There are two Slurp locations inside Liberty Public Market – Slurp LPM and Slurp Taiyaki & Ramen. The LPM location always has long ass lines, but you can order the crab rangoon from the Ramen location even though it’s not on their menu. We were there in the afternoon and were able to get several orders (which we devoured!), but Shi tried to get another order to take home to her husband before we left after 6p, and they were sold out! So def go early and hit up the Ramen location to save time.
I met the girls at Liberty Public Market and we made a picnic out of it. Chel brought canned cocktails, and we were all able to find something to eat in the food hall. I brought Milo, and he met Christine and her kids for the first time. Love, love, love these girls and this space.
Shi was showing me all the tried and true viral recipes she’s successfully made, and I had to try them myself! I instacarted all the ingredients I needed last night and made Dumpling Lasagna and Japanese Yogurt Cheesecake.
I followed this recipe, but omitted the ginger (bc I hate ginger) and used ground chicken instead of pork (bc I’m still porklessin more ways than one). I topped it with Momofuku Chili Crunch and it was *chef’s kiss*. I’ll def be making it again!
This viral Japanese Yogurt Cheesecake is only 2 ingredients – plain Greek yogurt and Biscoff cookies. Add Biscoff cookies to anything, and I’ll eat it! I prefer real cheesecake, but it’s a good sub if you’re trying to have a healthier dessert.
Update 1/20/26: Was craving something sweet after dinner and almost crumbled Biscoff cookies over vanilla ice cream, but thought against it and had a healthier piece of japanese yogurt cheesecake instead. It tasted better than it did yesterday. Now I can go to bed without hating myself ๐
I was today-years-old when I found out that Petco Park is open to the public when they donโt have events or baseball games. Thereโs security guards roaming the property to keep out the riffraff, and the stadium is only a 10-minute walk from my apartment, so Iโll be walking Milo here in the offseason โพ๏ธ (@ Gallagher Square)
Walked Milo to get my morning coffee (@ Rikka Fika)
I love this coffee shop. Blocks from my apartment. Dog-friendly. Japanese. Minimalist decor. No wi-fi. Small batches of delicious pastries. Barista complimented my Future Corpse shirt today โฐ๏ธ๐ค
What I imagine he’s singing in his head when I walk him around downtown ๐
He’s so good on his leash – He doesn’t pull, doesn’t react to other dogs, doesn’t bark, always waits to poop outside, knows where he lives (he always stops when we get to my building entrance, and I always have to tell him we’re not done walking yet LOL and when we get out of the elevator, he knows the way to my apartment). He really is the goodest boi despite his abandonment issues ๐ฅน
I had all and then most of you, some and now none of you
Take me back to the night we met
Mumford & Sons – I Will Wait
Raise my hands
Paint my spirit gold
And bow my head
Keep my heart slow
Cause I will wait, I will wait for you
I’ve seen Mumford & Sons a handful of times in the past 15 years, and I couldn’t get over how skinny Marcus Mumford has gotten. Pammie was like, ‘You think he’s on Ozempic?’ so I leaned over at Jess and was like, ‘Pammie thinks he’s on Ozempic’ and she was like, ‘Abe just said the same thing!!!’ We all agreed that we prefer him chubbier ยฏ\_(ใ)_/ยฏ
When you get the midnight munchies after the show, and you eat all the chocolate in your purse and air-fried pierogies bc that’s all you have in your fridge.
I’ve never been to a baptism celebration at such a fancy ass resto! Open bar and brunch buffet is how you roll when you have kids in your 40s and are financially stable ๐ (@ Tom Ham’s Lighthouse)
Pammie treated me out to breakfast this morning (@ Morning Glory)
They don’t accept reservations, and the line is already out the door before they open at 8am, but this is my favorite resto to go to if I’m up at the ass crack of dawn. The Little Italy Farmers’ Market was also happening in the same plaza this morning, so it was busier than ever.
Yesterday at work, I received my Christmas bonus, had my annual review where they gave me the maximum merit increase + another bonus, and I got an unexpected promotion to art director. With the company selling to a private equity giant earlier this year, we’ve all been worried about layoffs, but the changes could not be better. I get to continue working from home, I got to move back home to SD and keep making LA money, I got a promotion, and now I make more than triple what I was making at my last job in SD…
I didn’t feel like celebrating bc I got some terrible news about the bestie’s cancer diagnosis yesterday, but Pammie thinks it’s important to celebrate my wins.
The bestie was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, and it’s been a rough year for her through chemo, radiation, and now immunotherapy. She was starting to feel better and see some light at the end of the tunnel with her treatments ending in a few months. She recently noticed that her boob with the breast cancer has been leaking. She said she doesn’t notice it when it’s actively leaking, but she’s seen the crust after it’s dried like when you’re lactating. I’ve never breast-fed, so I’ll just take her word for it ๐ Her oncologist scheduled a diagnostic mammogram and ultrasound yesterday to see what they’re dealing with. They found a mass, and she has another biopsy scheduled for NYE to determine the next course of action… What an end to a fucking year she’s had ๐
Also, I received compliments on the shirt I wore today at the resto. IDK why Iโm single when I have such a fantastic rack cool T-shirt collection ยฏ\_(ใ)_/ยฏ
I grew up in SD and never knew Tuna Harbor Dockside Market existed until I saw a video earlier this week of James Beard award-nominated Filipino chef, Tara Monsood, eating lobster there. It’s located right next to Seaport Village, a place I frequented as a kid, and just a mile away from my new apartment!
They’re only open Saturdays from 8am-1pm, and I thought it was a perfect place to take the bestie and her daughters who were visiting for the day. She loves lobster!
They grill fresh-caught lobster on the pier, and serve it with smoked butter, potatoes and shishito peppers ๐ I will def be back!
Alicia’s daughter shared this video of a new matcha spot in Little Italy, so we went there afterwards. When we got there, it was a small pop-up inside of a retail store. I’m not a fan of matcha (I’d rather have coffee), but both Lia and Pammie love matcha. I noticed that Pammie and I were the only Asians there – none of the workers or customers were Asian. Listen, if I’m gonna have boba or some other Asian-related food or drink, I’m gonna get it at an authentic Asian resto. Several people told us that they ordered over an hour ago and were still waiting for their drinks ๐ณ And when they finally got their drinks, they told us that they weren’t worth the wait. The cashier told us they’d be able to take our order in 10 minutes!
This place just uses influencers and buzzwords like ‘Kyoto’ and ‘ceremonial grade’ to hype it up, but it really fell short and won’t last long if they continue like this, especially with so many other (Asian) places to get matcha.
We left after that and just watched planes fly overhead for a while before heading to a legit matcha place on Clairemont Mesa Blvd. I remember when Jessie used to live in Little Italy, this guy would pick her up and park his car on the top floor of an airport parking garage and they would just lay in the bed of the truck and watch planes fly by. I always thought it was v romantic. I asked her about it recently, because I forgot who she’d do that with, and it was this guy we know not to speak of anymore. Oops, sore subject ๐
Anyway, we took them to Pammie’s favorite matcha spot off Convoy (SD’s Asian food capital) which was connected to Ramen Station, a DIY instant noodle eatery that Alicia’s daughters always wanted to try. They loved the matcha and the ramen!
Pammie treated us all out to Galpรฃo Gaucho for dinner. It’s like Fogo de Chรฃo, but better ๐คค One of the waiters came to our table and was like, ‘Any requests?’ The piano guy just did a rendition of Chapelle Roan’s Pink Pony Club, so I was thinking, ‘Does he know any Young the Giant?’ but he meant any requests for certain cuts of meat ๐ Everything was so good, but I especially like the picanha wrapped in gold foil, the grilled pineapple, and the grilled cheese drizzled in honey. We are coming back here for Pammie’s birthday on Tuesday, and probably my birthday next month ๐
I love that I have the space to host now. And a dining table that people can eat at! And I can work at. I used to do everything on my bed – work, eat dinner, engage in some light internet stalking ๐คช
I finally have a kitchen I can cook in, too! With a full-sized oven. And a fridge that isn’t shorter than I am. And a freezer that makes ice. And a dishwasher. And a double-bowl sink… An embarrassment of riches, y’all ๐
I ordered a pumpkin pie from Milk Bar, and since we have hella dietary restrictions in this crew (I’m looking at you, Pamela) I made gluten/dairy-free mashed potatoes (with Christine’s favorite Garlic Delight Dip from the fair added) and soy-free short ribs from H Mart (I instacarted them, and my shopper was some poor white girl who didn’t know how to navigate an Asian market), and naturally gluten-free rice in case this party wasn’t Asian enough. I got Marionberry Parfait Sours from Harland Brewing Co. (partly bc I like to support local breweries, partly bc it has my name in it, but mostly bc your girl loves a fruity sour), made a festive charcuterie board, homemade sourdough bread, and Thanksgiving gift bags.
For those asking, I got my buttery leather sectional couch from Poly & Bark, and this unique Banquette dining bench from Denver Modern. I paired it with a restaurant table from West Elm, and mid-century modern chairs from Amazon! I have never owned a home, but Iโve always made the rental apartments Iโve lived in feel like home ๐ Whenever people ask me what my interior design style is (absolutely no one has ever asked me that), I say itโs boho mid-century modern moo deng ๐๐ฆ
When I had my stroke two years ago, I wasn’t sure if I’d still be here, and for that I am thankful ๐๐งก๐ค
Grateful for everyone who stuck around while I recovered, too ๐ฅน Everyone else can eat a bag of dicks!
I tried to sneak a pic of baby boy mackin’ on some sourdough, and he saw me taking his photo and gave me the cheesiest cheese that ever did cheese ๐ฅฐ
I guess I could’ve walked there, but I drove ๐
So far loving this neighborhood, except my wifi (Google Fiber) has cut out twice in 2 weeks, and I work from home, so it’s inconvenient and a pain in the ass to keep chatting with customer service. Also, my neighbor above me is moving furniture or doing Zumba or running drills all day! I’ve always lived on the top floor, so I never had to deal with neighbor noise above me, but now I live on the 4th floor of a 6-floor building. IDK whether to be passive aggressive about it and bang my broom on the ceiling, be a b about it and complain to the property managers, or send my sister’s husband up to the 5th floor to see what the fuck!
Last night was a fever dream ๐๐ฅ๐ค (@ Petco Park)
My new apartment is only a 10-minute walk away from Petco Park, so we walked there and back faster than anyone could get an uber. I can’t wait for baseball season to start up again ๐๐ค
This beautiful ofrenda was right by our seats.
They allowed everyone to contribute, so I added pictures of my grandmas and Rocky ๐ฅน
We were surrounded by the most obnoxious people ever – Dodgers fans!
Deftones – Sextape
Take me one more time
Take me one more wave
Take me for one last ride
I’m out of my head
Deftones – infinite source
Just say you’re down
And pull me close, hold on to me
Face the crowd
Take hold of me, hold me tight
Deftones – i think about you all the time
All of my life
Youโve been the same
All of our days
And weโll never change
I don’t really know anyone else who likes the Deftones, so I fully intended to go by myself. Pammie decided to accompany me, and even bought our tickets! I’m so glad she went with me, bc this event was really overstimulating (but in the best way). Get you a sister as supportive as mine ๐ค๐ผ
Long drive, long night
The best night of my life
With you riding, your hand on my hand
The thought of arriving, kind of feels like dying
I donโt want to go home and be alone
Could we stay out?
Could you drive a little slower, donโt matter where weโre going
As long as Iโm with you, we could take the long way
Itโs been a crazy week of moving cities, packing, unpacking, setting up furniture, and celebrating Halloween, but I had to make time for my #1 supporter – Jason Mraz. LOL JK, I mean Pammie ๐
She had plans to go to the Mraz show by herself tonight at The Sound. Itโs 10 minutes away from her office in Solana Beach, and she usually goes into work on Tuesdays. I bought a ticket last minute bc I know going to shows alone sucks (unless itโs John Mayer, just let me pay $300 and cry by myself). Jason Mraz settled in SD a long time ago, and used to play shows at coffee shops around town. We used to watch him all the time when I lived in SD, and he was the first show I watched at The Rady Shell. How fitting that the first show I watch after moving back to SD was Jason Mraz. Feels good to be home ๐ฅน
When I ordered this drink, I expected something much creepier – blood, skulls, a spooky tiki glass… The only thing creepy about this drink is the way the alcohol crept up on me after dinner. That second Creepy Tiki was a mistake ๐
All Chel wanted to do for her birthday was go to the Candlelight Tribute to Justin Timberlake at the Fleet Science Center. I haven’t been there since I went on a field trip in the fifth grade when it was called the ‘Reuben H. Fleet Science Center’ (apparently, it’s been rebranded since I was a kid).
I left with a belly ache from laughing, my heart full, and a 3-pack of remote-controlled souvenir candles to set the mood at my new place ๐
It took me 4 fucking hours to get down to SD yesterday. They closed the 5, so they rerouted everyone to the 15 – I fucking hate taking that route bc itโs boring as fuck. It was 90-something degrees out, and thereโs nothing but casinos and outlets along that route. It detoured us through residential Corona for half an hour and through rural Murrieta for at least an hour. Any other day, I wouldโve been like โfuck itโ and just stayed up in LA, but we had plans to celebrate Chelโs birthday at Balboa Park last night and my sister had an MRI at the ass crack of dawn this morning. Her biopsy came back negative for cancer, but they found lesions that could possibly turn into cancer, so sheโs gonna have a lumpectomy to have them removed. The surgeon wanted her to do an MRI first to make sure they didnโt miss anything. She wonโt get the results for a few days, but I wanted to be here for moral support ๐
Anyway, if I didnโt already hate this fucking administration, yesterday’s gridlock would have sealed the deal. Driving down to SD from LA already sucks ass on the 5 on a regular Saturday afternoon, taking the 15 route always sucks, but EVERYONE taking the 15 route down to SD??? Fucking kill me. I doordashed a horchata cold brew latte for the road and listened to my Deftones playlist the entire time, but no amount of caffeine or Chino could lift my spirits during that long ass drive.
Iโm so glad I wonโt have to do this commute anymore after next weekend ๐ฎโ๐จ
Who needs to watch the game when illegal fireworks going off outside my apartment tell me that the Dodgers won the NLCS (again) and are going to the World Series (again), and will probably win that, too (again)… They’ve been to the World Series five times since I moved to LA in 2012, and they have won every damn time ๐ฎโ๐จ
My new apartment is blocks from Petco Park – Think I’ll see some fireworks for the Pads next year? ๐คก
You guys, I learned how to swim here as a kid! A Scare Trail through an abandoned amusement park from the 80s? Can’t be scarier than the Terrifier Haunted House at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, right? ๐ I heard you can choose between a ‘wet’ or ‘dry’ path this year ๐ณ Ya, I’m moving the week of Halloween, so I think I’ll be too busy to choose any of those paths ๐
Toured this apartment in downtown SD last night and it surpassed all my expectations:
A ton of tenants already had Halloween decorations out – I’ve found my people ๐ค
Secure garage with gate
Secure elevator that you need a code to use like at a hotel
24-hour fitness center
Rooftop terrace
Pool
Dog-friendly
Didn’t see any children ๐
Limited homeless population – I was worried there would be a ton of homeless people in the area being downtown, but the property seemed relatively safe and secure
Across the street from Quartyard (where I’ve seen concerts), but the apartment I’m looking at is on the other side of the building, so I won’t have to deal with the noise
The apartment I’m looking at faces this construction site – I found out through some light googling that they’re building East Village Green – a community park
ASA Bakery (Japanese pastries!) is in the same building
The property is only 5 blocks from Petco Park (although the Padres’ postseason hopes are dwindling). I did see a bunch of people in Savannah Bananas gear, as they were in town this weekend for Banana Ball at Petco ๐โพ
The property is also walking distance to Callie, this great resto that Jessie frequents and her husband is in a fantasy football league with the staff ๐ We always get VIP treatment there, and Jess was able to get us a table without reservations even though they were booked for the night.
Mediterranean Feast + much needed drinks with the girls. We try to get together at least once a month, but it’s been a few months despite our daily group chats. Lots of updates all around that were better to discuss in person, not a group chat where screenshots and receipts could be collected ๐ Can’t wait to be back in SD for more nights like this…
I’ve only lived in 3 apartments on my own in this life, and I have a habit of signing the lease for the first apartment I look at. My sister and her husband think I should look around at other neighborhoods before settling on this property, but I’m already in love.
The bestie moved out of El Cajon (and SD) while I was in LA, so thereโs no other reason for me to look in East County. My parents are still in Spring Valley and my sister (plus my ex and old friends) live in Chula Vista, so I donโt really wanna be too close LOL. I always said Iโd live in North Park if I ever moved back to SD. I liked that it was central, walkable, and dogs are welcome almost anywhere. But I used to see this fuckboi in North Park who lived on Arizona street, and also ended a few situationships there, so I have less than fond memories of that area. My dad actually used to live in North Park before he met my mom, but that was when it was really ghetto he says ๐ Now itโs gentrified, full of coffee shops, breweries and hipsters.
Living downtown never appealed to me before, but I like having nice things now ๐
When I was little, my mom and her sisters – who were in their 20s at the time – got into a fight with these girls who wouldn’t let my grandma use the water fountain at the park. My uncle took me and the rest of the kids home while my mom and her sisters stood on business LOL. I remember my aunt pulled out their braids and took their watches. I was maybe 6-years-old, but it’s a core memory for me, guys ๐
Don’t mess with the Cuevas ladies… They’re even crazier in their 60s ๐
Scheduled a tour for an apartment in downtown SD this weekend, but also ran into my new next door neighbor today – a tall white guy with two 6yo gray frenchies who are sisters (he got them right before covid, so they’re stage-5 clingers). The first thing I usually notice on a guy is if he’s wearing a wedding ring or not, but I was too busy loving on his sweet dogs in the elevator to notice. Besides, I don’t shit where I sleep (anymore ๐ ).
One: don’t pick up the phone
You know he’s only callin’ ’cause he’s drunk and alone
Two: don’t let him in
You’ll have to kick him out again
Three: don’t be his friend
You know you’re gonna wake up in his bed in the morning
And if you’re under him, you ain’t gettin’ over him
I got new rules, I count ’em
As I was eating my Hodad’s burger, I saw this burly ass dude sipping on a red fruity yard slush from Frozen Friar like he was at a bachelorette party in Vegas, while his wife was chugging a beer. There are two types of drinkers in the world and these two married each other ๐
Dan (the guitarist) gave us the setlist after the show, Chris (the drummer) gave us one of his drumsticks, several people complimented us on our shirts and asked where we got them bc they were only selling Everclear merch, one took a picture of me, and Doug (the lead singer) pointed out my shirt on the mic! My eyes are up here, Doug Robb ๐ Also, Iโm staying in room 1208 at the Willowโs side of the hotel tonight ๐
I posted my shirt and my pic of the setlist to my IG stories, and @hoobastank, @hoobadougroub, and @danielestrin liked and reposted my story ๐ซ I can die now. Please invite them to my funeral and have them perform Inside of You โ๐ผ
My grandma loved butterflies. Ever since she passed in 2020, weโd always say it was her visiting whenever weโd see a butterfly. At her funeral, I sent a silent prayer up above, โPlease donโt haunt me.โ ๐ LOL few things scare me more than ghosts, and she hasnโt visited me in my dreams since…
Anyway, when we heard about this Butterfly Release Memorial Celebration at Liberty Station, we thought itโd be a nice way to honor her. It was cathartic – releasing butterflies, remembering the loved ones weโve lost, and letting go of all the things not meant for me ๐ฅบ
I have been to several Padres vs. Dodgers games (both in SD and LA, both during the regular season and the postseason), and the Padres have never won against the Dodgers in my presence until last night! It was incredible. Thanks to Pammie for buying us tickets in the Agave Club ๐
Jessie and Abe were there with Baby Isaac, and Jess was wearing a City Connect shirt. I was like, โHowโd you know they were gonna wear their City Connect uniforms tonight?โ And she was like, โBecause itโs Friday!โ I was today years old when I found out that the Padres always wear their City Connect uniforms at home games on Fridays ๐ If I wouldโve known that, I mightโve cricutted a brighter shirt for today.
I saw people watching the game from their balconies in the surrounding buildings and thought, โWhat a cool view.โ Pammie was like, ‘If I bought one of these condos downtown for you to rent, would you move back to SD?โ Um, 100%! I was looking at prices of rentals overlooking Petco and the median was $4,000/month ๐ตโ๐ซ I could afford to live there if I didnโt do any extracurriculars ๐ It was like when I was living in my apartment in La Mesa, but was so poor, all I did was work at my graphic design job during the day, go to art school at night, do my homework at the library because they had free air conditioning, and eat honeydew with a spoon with Shi on hot days. Life was so much simpler back then, but I’m financially stable now ๐ People who make less money than I do have nicer cars, own homesโฆ It all depends on what you want to spend your money on. And I would rather pay for VIP access at a concert or first class on an airplane than own a nice car. I was looking at more affordable rentals (still downtown, but not overlooking Petco), and they were in the low $2,000s/month. That, I would be okay paying. Itโs comparable to the rental prices in LA, look much nicer than the apartment I live in now, have in-unit washers/dryers (some asshole hit my parked car at the laundromat last month), and Iโd save money in gas not driving back and forth from LA to SD all the time.
My boss recently told our web team (whoโs been WFH since the pandemic), that she was talking to our VP about the new buildings our department is moving into soon (the print team has been working in our current office for the past few years. They started building the new offices during the pandemic and people started moving in this month), and his boss (the CEOโs son), doesnโt plan on having the web team come in. I’ve always felt like he thought the web department wasn’t important (we get the revenue reports, and a single one of our emails generated $5 million in revenue last year, so I beg to differ), so I’m not surprised he doesn’t care if we’re in-office or not. Besides, my boss and I are the only ones who live near the office in the South Bay, because we were here before the pandemic. Everyone else is scattered throughout LA (or have moved out of state), and I know they wouldn’t be down to commute. She said itโs not official yet, but something to think aboutโฆ
I find the office environment very toxic (not all offices, just this department in particular), and I was dreading being in-office again soon. I even made a portfolio in case it was too much and I decided to leave. Iโve lived in LA for 13 years now (I moved here to work at this same company), and itโs never felt like home. Sure, it has good restos, and artists always have shows in LA, but Mexican food in SD will always be superior to Mexican food in LA (fight me), and Iโve gone to more shows in SD this year (itโs always easier than going to the same show in LA), plus most of my friends and family are in SD. If I have the opportunity to still work for an LA company (and make LA money!), but move back home to SD, I should take it, right?
– Prepared to spend the end of the year crying downtown (what else is new?) โ๏ธ
Mumford & Sons – White Blank Page
You desired my attention
But denied my affections
Lord Huron – The Night We Met
I had all and then most of you
Some and now none of you
Take me back to the night we met
Jessieโs husband is probably the closest Iโll come to having an actual husband (we have the same birthday, we both hate yellow mustard, and we joke that weโre gonna marry each other after Jessieโs untimely death LOL).
I’ve only been to two of these stadiums (SD + LA), but can confirm, Petco Park is awesome โพ๐๐ค
Dodger Stadium is nothing to write home about – It’s in DTLA, and it sucks driving there no matter what time or day the game is. It doesn’t highlight local restos like Petco does – I usually just get a doyer dog, beer, garlic fries, Dole Whip… LOL standard baseball stadium fare. You would think LA would renovate the stadium since the Dodgers have made it to half the World Series in the past decade, and they built the Rams/Chargers and Clippers new stadiums, but Dodger Stadium feels dated (like Jack Murphy Stadium vibes if you were around SD in the 1900s ๐). And it’s ranked 10/30… What do 11-30 look like? ๐
Update: #1 MLB stadium in the league and now #1 in our division! LFGSD โพ๐๐ค
Let’s get some fuckin’ french toast. And beer braised short rib hash. And lobster claws. And crab legs. (@ Tom Ham’s Lighthouse)
Pammie is starting a keto diet tomorrow, so I said I would join her. I like to carboload before starting any new fad diet that restricts my carb intake ๐
I’ve lived in SoCal all my life, and I often forget how beautiful it is here…
We ran into this girl outside as we were leaving who was talking about how she lives in Denver, and they have softball-sized hail. She got a weather alert before she went to work, so she just uber’d there to avoid dealing with the the hail storm while her coworkers’ cars were pelted beyond repair.
Another time, I remember my ex was working on a car, and there was an ice scraper tool in the backseat and I had no idea what it was. Apparently, it snows in East County ยฏ\_(ใ)_/ยฏ
My friends (who used to live in SD) were visiting from the east coast last month, and I had my A/C on. It was only 75ยฐ outside, and they were freezing. They were saying it’s been hot as fuck in North Carolina, above 90ยฐ with 70%+ humidity. I was like, ‘What’s the humidity here?’ She looks at her weather app, and is like, ‘Fucking ZERO.’ ๐
Girl, won’t you stop your cryin’? I know that you’re tryin’ Everything’s gonna be okay Baby girl, don’t you hang your head low Don’t you lose your halo Everyone’s gonna be okay Baby girl
Maren Morris – cut!
I’m such a pro, put a hell of a show on As soon as I close that door shut
I’m screaming, “Cut!” I need a moment to just let my tears fall where they want Honestly, “Fuck!” I’ve held it in long enough, I gave it all that I got
Maren Morris – this is how a woman leaves โ๐ผ
This is where itโs gonna end Not gonna try to be your friend All I want is you to get Out of my heart, out of my head This is how a woman leaves Even though itโs killing me Iโll make it look so easy That even I believe me Go ahead and look me in the eye Go ahead pretend that you’re surprised
The last time I saw Incubus was at this same venue nearly two decades ago (@ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre when it was formerly known as Coors Amphitheatre, and has since been called Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, Sleep Train Amphitheatre, and Mattress Firm Amphitheatre).
The difference between then and now is I’ve got money to buy front row VIP tickets now, their bass player has changed twice, and Brandon Boyd’s voice isn’t as strong as it used to be (he still fine, though!) ๐
I didn’t realize it was the last show on their tour. I recently saw that they canceled their show in LA, but it wasn’t until October, and it was at Intuit Dome (the new Clippers stadium) which I’ve heard lots of venue complaints about. I was just checking my email Saturday afternoon (hours before the show), and I saw an email from stubhub sent that morning that the SD show was canceled!
I couldn’t find any info online, Incubus posted nothing about the cancellation on their instagram, Ticketmaster was still selling tickets to the show, and I tried calling the venue, but it was all automated.
I finally found someone asking about it on Reddit:
Then, I got this email from Stubhub around 6pm telling me to enjoy the show!
They didn’t even send an email in between retracting the first email or saying it was sent in error. My sister lives like 15 minutes away from the venue, so we would’ve done a drive by to make sure if we didn’t get confirmation, but some people traveled from out of town for this show! Fucking Stubhub. My animosity towards them goes back more than a decade over a Beyoncรฉ concert at Staples Center (I will never call it ‘Crypto.com Arena’).
One thing about me, Iโm a vodka seltzer girlie whenever Iโm in the pool. If Iโm the only adult, I make sure the kiddos all know how to swim before auntie gets her seltzer on ๐
I went to the resort with my bathing suit already on (and my bathing suit has a built-in bra), so I forgot to pack my regular bra. I showed up at breakfast the next morning in my bathing suit with a sheer cover up over it and my sunglasses on to block the haters ๐ I expected to see some other people wearing their bathing suits (people come to this hotel for the pools), but I was literally the only one and severely underdressed ๐
My sisterโs ex was there with his family, and I ran into his wife and kid when I went to the pool without my sister when she was back at the hotel room getting her rash guard. When I posted my story to IG about being there, an ex of mine DMโd me that he was there 2 weeks ago. Moral of the story: donโt go to the Gaylord Pacific in San Diego unless you want to run into your ex ๐
They have water slides, but I have an irrational fear of getting stuck in one and having to be cut out like Homer Simpson ๐
Itโs v expensive to stay here ($500+ a night ๐ตโ๐ซ), but itโs a Marriott hotel, so Iโm down if anyone with Bonvoy points wants me to come float around the lazy river with them ๐
POV: When you work from your sister’s rooftop* ๐๐ผ
Pammie’s husband is in Vegas and her work trip got canceled, so I stayed at her house in San Diego a few extra days. I’m going back to LA tomorrow night, though, because I have a concert at The Orpheum on Wednesday.
It took me nearly 4 hours to drive down to SD today. Was it just normal Friday afternoon traffic or because 2 Chainz and Lil Jon have a show at Del Mar Fair tonight? ๐คฃ
I’ve lived in SoCal all my life and take advantage of the fact that I get to look at the Pacific Ocean for sometimes 4 hours at a time while driving in traffic, and I literally live on Manhattan Beach Boulevard, 2 miles from the beach โ๐ผ
I drove down today to watch Materialists with the girls tonight. It hasn’t gotten good reviews, but I’m just there for Pedro Pascal, the company, and the in-seat service at THE LOT La Jolla (in that order).
Update: Good drinks, great company, and excellent movie! I actually loved it. I think people were just salty there wasn’t enough Pedro Pascal in it, but I loved the storyline and was entertained throughout the whole movie. 10/10. Highly recommend ๐๐ผ
The girls and I try to get together at least once a month to stay updated on each other’s lives. One of them has an upcoming colonoscopy (lovely dinnertime conversation), and she joked that she used to ask for a ride to a boy’s house, then a ride to the club, now a ride to her colonoscopy ๐ต๐ป She said her doctor suggested rubbing petroleum jelly on her booty hole to prevent it from getting raw and irritated during prep ๐ณ When we toasted our drinks, Jessie was like, ‘Cheers to anal!’ and I nearly spit out my sake. Some dribbled down my chin, but I swallowed most of it like a good girl ๐
We always have little earthquakes in LA, but they never feel them in San Diego and vice versa. This morning, as I was in a group text with the girls chatting about one of their employees at UCSD asking to come in late today because they were still recovering from Coachella (like just say you aren’t feeling well and be on your way!), an earthquake hit SD, and it was so strong, I felt it in LA!
I hope everyone’s okay. Also, if this is an indication that the big one is coming, I should probably start wearing pants to bed.
I’m about to relive my youth this summer! I just bought tickets to see Incubus and Hoobastank.
The last time I saw Incubus was at this same venue two decades ago (@ North Island Credit Union Amphitheater when it was formerly known as Coors Amphitheater, and has since been called Cricket Wireless Amphitheater, Sleep Train Amphitheater, and Mattress Firm Amphitheater)
The only difference between then and now is that I’ve got money to buy front row VIP tickets now ๐
The last time I saw Hoobastank was more recently at their 20th Anniversary Show (@ The Echo) But before that, it had been well over a decade!
Is it 2003? Am I 21 again? My first ever blog post in 2003 was about Hoobastank, and here I am, 22 years later, still talking about the same shit ๐
It’s getting harder and harder to get together with the girls with 4 kids between us (none of which are my own ๐ ), work trips (Pammie just came back from SF, Christine is going to Belgium in a couple weeks, and Pammie has to go to Scottsdale and the Philippines next month), vacations (Jessie’s going to Hawaii next week and Pammie and I are going to Japan next month), and California being literally on fire. We’ve had dinner at Fort Oak on the books for a while, but my car has had this thing dragging under it since earlier this week, and I thought I should get it checked out before driving back to LA in the rain last night. So we had pizza at Jessie’s instead, while Abe and his head lamp fixed my car LOL, and we played with Baby Isaac and loved on her pups, Koda and Milo. I left with my tummy full, my car fixed, my heart full, and absolutely covered in dog fur.
We were talking about a friend who drinks to the point that they black out, and Iโm like, โIโve never drank so much that I blacked out,โ to which Jessie and Christine listed all the times I got black out drunk in my 20s ๐ Does it count if it happened over 20 years ago??? Apparently it does, and I could never play โNever Have I Everโ with these Bโs ๐ Are you even really friends if you donโt call each other out on your shit???
Since we were celebrating Pammieโs December birthday and Christine and my January birthdays, Jessie got us pizookies from BJโs! ๐ช
Jessie: Did you know you can get it raw at BJโs? Everyone: ๐ณ๐ณ๐ณ
My cousin threw a pool party for her 11-year-old son’s birthday today in San Diego. I spent the morning gathering all my shit because I planned on staying in SD for the week for Thanksgiving. The party started at 1pm, but I didn’t leave LA till 2pm, so didn’t get there till 5pm. I showed up 4 hours late wearing my bathing suit and ready to jump in the pool. The sun had already gone down, and the kids already went swimming (apparently I didn’t get the memo that none of the adults were swimming ๐ ). They heated the pool for me, and the kids got to go swimming a second time. Since I was the only adult in the pool with the kids, I made sure they all knew how to swim first before enjoying the jets and hard seltzers in the jacuzzi ๐
All the birthday girl wanted was to throw some clay with us at a pottery class in North Park (@ Teralta Art)
We had coffee at The Dojo Cafe before heading over to the workshop, so all the girls rode in my car. As Chel was putting her stuff in my trunk, she was like, ‘Why do you have a pair of heels back here?’ I was like, ‘Just in case I need them’ and Christine was like, ‘Need them for WHAT? Who you fucking?’
Nobody, damn! ๐ Can’t a girl just keep an extra pair of heels in her car?!
The Padres lost big time at the last two games I attended against the Dodgers (last night in SD and a couple weeks ago in LA). I wonโt be at Fridayโs playoff game in LA, so weโll see if Iโm the problem ๐
Is it me? Am I the curse? ๐
This is the highest I’ve ever sat in this stadium ๐
It’s hard to go back to the 300 level once you’ve experienced padded club seats behind home plate and free food and alcohol at the Home Plate Club ๐
At least I can dry my tears with this souvenir towel they gave away at the playoff game.
When you weren’t anticipating going to a Padres playoff game while you were in SD, so you buy an extra Cricut and customize some gear.
After my dad’s birthday dinner last night, we were watching Game 3 at my parents’ house when my dad decided that he would like to go to a game now. My sister’s husband gave up his ticket, so my dad could go in his place tonight. Don’t give Dennis too many kudosโI bought our tickets, and my sister’s letting him go to Vegas without her this weekend ๐คช
Although, I was wearing my Rams shirt when I came home from the game the other weekend, and my neighbor started chatting me up about football in the parking garage. I have lived in this same apartment for 12 years, and he’s lived in this building for a decade, yet has never spoken to me before that night. He was asking if I went to the game with my boyfriend, and I tried to tamp down the urge to roll my eyes. When I was leaving for lunch last week, I ran into him again in the parking garage. He was already in his car, so I didn’t expect to have to chat, but he stopped in front of my parking spot and proceeded to talk to me from his car. I should have told him I went to the game with my boyfriend, but I’m a terrible liar. I don’t shit where I sleep, man (at least I don’t anymore ๐).
My cousin from LA went surfing in SD this weekend, so she stayed at my sisterโs last night. We walked to this KBBQ place nearby, partly because she loves KBBQ, but mostly because she loves to get her steps in (@ Sura Korean BBQ)
Whenever people compliment me on my perfectly pulled soft serve, I tell them itโs because I used to work at Mcdonaldโs when I was 16๐ฆItโs just one of my many skillz ๐
Jessie sent us this pic of baby boy at his first Padres game. He wears a little helmet to gently shape his head, and Jess found a place that customizes cranial bands, so she got him a Padres wrap ๐ค๐
File under: Reasons I’d want a child (there are very few LOL).
Me: Look, that guy’s wearing a cape! Pammie: That’s not a cape, it’s a robe. Me: Well, that other guy’s wearing an actual robe *points at guy wearing a bath robe* LOL
The last time I had sangria slushies was at Las Hadas downtown after a Padres game, and Christine was also with me and reminded me of some very bad decisions I made that night ๐ We also ran into Pammieโs brother-in-law that same night and he told her his now infamous line, โTell your sister she was sloppy.โ Although some knee-dropping chismรฉ came out during brunch, none of it had to do with me this time ๐ Ask me again in 10 years ๐
This brunch was way overdue. We were supposed to get together when I came back from Spain, but I caught Covid. Then we rescheduled, but Pammie caught Covid in Vegas. Weโre all healthy now, but work has been stressing us all out while Shiโs over here starting a book club at her work ๐คฃ
I suggested Flama Llama because I saw it on instagram. I love llamas, so liking these fuckers fucked up my algorithm ๐
Everything was so amazing and flavorful. Iโve had Peruvian food before, but this was exceptional. Just ask Shi (she ordered 4 entrees LOL).
When Jessie suggested this restaurant, we thought it was at the mall across the street. I’ve been practicing driving, so Pammie had me drive to the mall, but it was closer than we thought. We could’ve walked there ๐
I should’ve walked because I ordered a mimosa flight thinking I would share it with the table, but Jessie and Pammie had cafe de olla and Christine drank all day yesterday and is done for the weekend (or possibly forever), so I had to polish off the mimosa flight by myself ๐
The last time I saw the Foo Fighters was a couple years ago at Innings Fest just a month before their drummer died. Jessie asked me if I wanted her extra tickets, but I’ve been in a mood. If I would’ve known she had a suite, I would’ve snapped out of my mood real quick ๐
My sister finally picked up the key to their community pool. You would think a sign like this wouldn’t be necessary, but despite all the dog parks, ‘clean up after your dog’ signs, free dog waste stations, and trash bins on every corner, people still let their dogs shit all around this neighborhood.
Pammie used to take a trash grabber and trash bag with us on our walks, and fill it up in one go. I was like, ‘You should bring three bags: one for trash, one for recyclables, and one for compost.’ She was like, ‘I’m not trying to fix all the world’s problems.’ ๐คฃ
More recently, we were on another walk, and I could hear this kid having a tantrum behind us. I turned around to give him a death glare LOL and saw a whole ass family (parents and three kids) in swimwear. We were walking back from the grocery store, so we had to drop off the groceries at the house before continuing our walk. While walking past the community pool, we saw the same family outside the gate, and the dad was trying to reach over the gate and open the door without a key, but he couldn’t do it. The kid who was throwing a tantrum earlier starts crying again because he can’t go swimming. Pammie nods at my lanyard of keys and was like, ‘You have the pool key. Want to let them in?’ I was like, ‘Not on my watch!’ ๐
My sister pays a ridiculous monthly HOA fee (half my rent!), and access to the community pool is an included privilege. I also take pictures of cars illegally parked in red zones and houses with decorations still up well after the holiday. ‘What are you gonna do with those?’ she and her husband asks. ‘Keep them on my phone in case I need a reason to report them to the HOA.’ ‘You don’t even live here!’ ๐คฃ
Pammie and D were supposed to go to a concert downtown and stay at a hotel tonight, but his friend had a birthday party, so they sold their concert tickets, but the hotel was non-refundable, so Pammie and I had a little staycation (@ Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina)
I had the biggest lobster roll I’ve ever had, watched the Padres murder the Diamondbacks, and got a free mule from the cute bartender (s/o to Giovanni!) because he thought I was sick (this is just how I sound now after the stroke) (@ Water Grill)
We went back to the hotel and watched The Idea of You. I loved it ๐ฅฐ I might have to go to Coachella next year so I can meet the love of my life…
FYI, I *love* staying in hotels. We went up to LA once for a doc appointment and were gonna stay in my apartment. My sister didn’t drive my car, so she left my house keys in SD (they were attached to my car keys). We had to stay in a hotel that night, and I didn’t mind one bit ๐
Walked to get my iced coffee at Casa de Otay this morning. I saw 7 roly polies on the way there, and I thought it was good luck, but Pammie was like, ‘I think you’re confusing potato bugs with lady bugs.’ Eps. Well, I saw 7 of them, thatโs lucky, right? ๐
It’s a beautiful day for a ball game (@ Petco Park)
When your bestie invites you to the Padres game and the seats are right behind home plate, you go right?
Our seats came with free food and drinks and access to the Home Plate Club. I def can’t go back to regular seats after this. A pair of season tickets in this area run for about $75K. Uhh, just invite me again next time your contractor gifts you tickets ๐
The Padres won and we witnessed our first grand slam in person. I had such an incredible time. Thank you, Jessie, Abe & Oscar! ๐ค๐โพ
Not to be dramatic or anything, but today was the best day of my life (@ Spirit Yoga Studios)
I was like, ‘If one of these puppies falls asleep on me during savasana, I’m gonna have to adopt him.’ I don’t make the rules ยฏ\_(ใ)_/ยฏ I can only do yoga now if puppies are involved.
I can’t remember the last time I was in PB… to get a brazilian wax at Viva Brazil? To drink Adios, Motherfuckers at PB Bar & Grill? To party with Jesse and his friends when he still lived in PB, crash on his couch, and get offered coffee and ketchup packets in the morning?
Sometimes, I forget how nice San Diego and SoCal really is. I def take the beach for granted. My apartment in LA is on Manhattan Beach Boulevard, literally 2 miles from the beach, and I never go.
Here’s to more puppies and more beaches in the future ๐ถ๐ด
Christine’s cousin, Cher, was telling me she was recently at Verbatim Books (a used bookstore in North Park), and she was showing her kids this Childcraft Encyclopedia Book Set from the 80s that she used to love when she was a kid. I was like, “OMG I had those books! The Make and Do one with all the crafts was the best.” And she tells me she opens up the Make and Do book because it was her favorite one, too, and written inside was, “Marion Choa, age 11.”
It was like a scene out of Serendipity, except there was no John Cusack LOL. For those who’ve never seen Serendipity, #1 Have you been living under a rock? and #2 Read the plot synopsis on Wikipedia.
My mom must have donated the books to a local Goodwill, and they somehow made their way to a used bookstore in North Park. Serendipity, y’all! I totally believe in fate and kismet and signs and all that bullshit. At the same time, I believe that some things just aren’t meant to be…
Maybe the love of my life will buy this set of books from Verbatim out of nostalgia, and I’ll be flipping through the Make and Do book at their house one day, and I’ll see my name written in there. Only in movies, right?
I went here today to get my eyebrows threaded, and Super Brows is still here, but Rosie (who used to thread my brows 20 years ago) isn’t ๐ I also used to work here with my ex’s sister Sheryll at Afterthoughts in our twenties. Our coworker pierced our cartilage one night with the piercing gun, and mine was fine, but Sheryll’s got infected. She ended up getting this huge growth that had to be surgically removed. I remember she named him “Wilbur” ๐คข Ahh, memories…
They’re opening a Common Theory within walking distance to my sister’s house. I was wondering what they were gonna put in this space, because we saw them wheeling in commercial stainless steel tanks one day on our walk. It’s right next to David’s condo (David is this asshole dog that barks at me whenever I walk by his balcony. IDK his real name, but I call him “David” after David Bogdanov, a convicted murderer I watched a docu of on ID who fled to Ukraine after he killed someone (the dog’s pawrents had a Ukrainian flag on their balcony LOL). Anyway, now I can get my steps in before drinking my weight in beer ๐ป
Update: My sister walked by Common Theory to see if it was open and David was on his balcony wearing a pink ass collar. He might be a she! My whole life is a lie.
Shi just wanted to go hiking and have some kid-free QT for her birthday. I would only get up this buttcrack early on a Sunday and exercise for this girl โค๏ธ
Actual footage of me waking up before the sun this morning:
And me in the car while Christine drove my sleepy ass:
Thanks to Shi for picking a relatively easy hike that was mostly flat and paved and being so mindful of my fall risk status ๐ I actually loved this little walk around the bay, and we all have birthdays in the winter, so I wouldn’t mind doing this again during the cooler months! They also do yoga on Sundays, so I’ll have to try that one of these weekends.
Sidenote: This girl ran past me on the trail and she was like, “Behind!” I moved over and wanted to say, “Yes, chef,” but I didn’t think she’d get the reference ๐
The girls were supposed to come over today, and I was going to smoke my first brisket, but I’m still scared to eat BBQ, so we just hit up good ol’ Crab Hut. I used to go here so much, they had my picture on the wall. I was the Duchess of Crab Hut on Yelp and the Mayor of Crab Hut on Foursquare LOL. Not much has changed about this place, but they now tack on an automatic 18% service fee no matter how small your party is. I hate when restaurants do that. I’m already a good tipper, but I don’t like to be forced to tip. Also, I’m not gonna add an additional tip if I’m already paying an extra 18%. Does my waiter even get this service fee or does it line the owner’s pockets??? I also hate it when restaurants charge an automatic “health surcharge” on top of your bill to pay for their employees’ healthcare. I’ve only seen it done in LA. Like, I love you, Rรฉpublique, but I’m pretty sure I’m already overpaying for this kouign amann without your additional 3% health surcharge. Don’t even get me started on alimony (I donโt believe spousal support should exist if you’re no longer spouses. All of my girlfriends who are married make more than their husbands. All of them. Separate from child support, they shouldn’t have to pay them a single dime if they ever get divorced. Ok that’s the end of my rant ๐ ).
My sister parked my car in guest parking in front of the community pool earlier yesterday afternoon so the girls could park in the garage when they came over. My sisterโs husband came home around 9:30pm and the girls were still here, so he parked in guest parking as well. When they went to move the cars back after the girls left around 11:30pm, both cars were gone. It turns out you need to have a permit to park in guest parking from 10pm-6am, so they both were towed ๐ Christine graciously offered to take us to the tow yard when they opened at an unholy hour this morning, but we had to pay $300 each to get our cars! I thought my days of parking tickets were over (one weekend, I got a ticket in LA, a ticket in OC, and a ticket in SD!), but I guess I thought wrong ยฏ\_(ใ)_/ยฏ Oh well, at least I was up early enough for Mcdonald’s breakfast ๐
At the end of this life are you happy?
Are you good with the choices you made?
Are you being yourself or just acting?
Do you wish you could start again?
When you’re on your last legs, on your death bed
When your life flashes before your eyes
Do you like who you’re with in that movie?
Or do you belong in mine?
Blake Rose songs on this cold ass day ๐ฅถ (Yes, 60ยฐ is cold af to this San Diegan).
It was after 9pm last Friday, so I was already in bed LOL and I could see fireworks going off from my bedroom window, probably from a nearby high school football game. I get up to tell Pammie, and she thought it was gunshots! I was like, โWhere do you think you live???โ She and her husband lived in the OC for 15 years before moving back SD. My sister’s husband is probably the most hood person I know, and he was born and raised in eastside! You would think they’d be comfortable amongst their people down here, but they got used living in predominantly white neighborhoods with no crime ๐
Tonight, there was an actual shooting at the brewery across the street, and the suspects are still at large. Maybe LA has made me indifferent to this shit, but I’m not concerned. I remember we were at a bar in Chicago, and the bartender had to tell this crazy customer to leave and Donna and I were just completely unbothered, drinking our cocktails while sober Pammie over here was freaking out. I’m just used to being around crazy people ยฏ\_(ใ)_/ยฏ
I love when my sister gets her hair done, partly because her hairdresser always has new chisme, but mostly because her salon is near University Heights and she brings me home something from Pop Pie.
I love bratwurst and beer towers. I’m usually in LA when my friends go to this thing every year, so it was my first time here (@ German American Societies)
We were the only Asians there, but I blended in with my pretzel necklace and beer mug headband ๐ฅจ๐บ
One of Francis’ friends was working security, and he was like, “Yooo, you like Young the Giant?!” like it was a bad thing ๐คฃ Is this like when I liked Hoobastank?! ๐
Even though my calves burn with the fury of a thousand suns (our seats were at the very bottom and itโs a looong way to the top where the drinks are), YTG is always worth it.
Here’s Francis and I texting each other during the show because our seats were right in front of the speakers and we couldn’t hear each other LOL:
I haven’t seen Alicia since before the incident, but she sent me flowers in the hospital and checks in regularly ๐
She finally used the Disney gift card I gave her for her 40th birthday and stayed at the Grand Californian! She brought me back a Dole Whip Candle. Smells so good. Love me some dole whip. And I love that all the gifts she brings me are food-related LOL I have a Mickey Mouse soft pretzel magnet from her on my fridge in LA from that one time I was supposed to meet her at California Adventure, but got into an accident on the way there and totaled my car ๐ I kept all my important documents stuck to the fridge under that magnet, even my car registration renewal that I forgot about and got pulled over in DTLA the first day it expired ๐
Jessie was like, “They drove down from Murrietta, and you guys just went to Lolita’s?” (I go to Lolita’s maybe once a week LOL). She wanted Hans & Harry’s afterward, so that’s why we picked Lolita’s in Bonita. You can’t go to SD without getting good Mexican food and having a fruit strudel from Hans & Harry’s!
Don’t worry, I bought a new Padres hat to wear at the game. My old one is probably under my Dodgers hat in my apartment in LA. I only wore the Dodgers hat when I had bedhead or to avoid getting shanked at Dodger Stadium. Jessie was like, “Didn’t you get a Padres hat at the Harry Potter game?” And I was like, “Pammie says those are for display only” LOL.
Love this girl and watching the game from here (@ Lexus Club)
When Jessie showed up at my parents’ house with the uber, my mom was like, “It’s just you two???” concerned as fuck (you get roofied once and no one lets you forget about it). I havenโt had QT with Jessie, just us, since I used to help her carbo-load before her marathons (even though I didnโt run). She has since tore her ACL , and I hardly eat carbs now after the incident ๐
We were talking about what our walk-up song would be. Mine would probably be something Young the Giant LOL and my brother-in-law said his walk-up song would be “Send My Love” by Born Jamericans ๐คฃ
Our seats had access to the Lexus Club, so we watched the majority of the game from there while we chowed down on Hodad’s and got more drinks from the private bar. I can’t ever go back to regular seats again! ๐
To top it off, our uber driver home drove a Tesla. It was my first time riding in one, and the ride was so smooth!
Jason Mraz is so awesome for doing this free hometown show! I used to listen to his local shows at Lestat’s (before there was Spotify) and saw him live countless times back in the day.
It was my first time at The Rady Shell, and it reminds me of the Hollywood Bowl in LA. Except you don’t have to deal with tandem parking and you know, Hollywood. The food is also better (the pizza at the bowl tastes like literal cardboard), and this show didn’t have seats, but they allow you to bring blankets and low lawn chairs. The view coupled with the San Diego weather was perfection. I def want to watch more shows at this venue!
We walked to the Mariott Marquis after the show to get ubers away from the venue, and Jessie convinced some guest we were staying there so he’d let us cut through the hotel with his key card. After he let us in and we were walking by the pool, I was like, “You’re such a good liar,” and she was like, “Should we get in the jacuzzi???” ๐คฃ
I also felt like myself for the first time since the incident tonight. I wore some eyeliner, drank some mules, went to a concert where I didn’t go home early after the opener, and stayed out past 9pm ๐
I was supposed to see Young the Giant tonight. Yesterday, Pammie was like, “At least the show is indoors. And I was like, “It’s at the Open Air Theater. It’s in the open air.” The show was supposed to be rain or shine, but I guess a hurricane changes things ยฏ\_(ใ)_/ยฏ
My sister will be in Hawaii the week it’s rescheduled for. Anyone want to see Young the Giant with me??? My seats are in AAA and here’s the setlist if that helps sway you at all.
Update: I’m going to the rescheduled show with my friend’s husband ๐คฃ (I know he likes this band, and I asked my friend first! Plus I would never, partly because itโs Francis Lansang, but mostly because I know Christine can kick my ass LOL).
It’s two in the morning I don’t need nobody else But you’re my tragedy Please don’t make me say it Cult of personality
I found the smallest hopscotch ever on my walk, and it was so small, I almost fell trying to do it ๐
When I saw this hopscotch, I thought of this video, because a child obviously drew it ๐คฃ
I got my bloodwork results back and everything was excellent. My rheumatologist said, “Your labs look good!” and to that I say, “But I’m hungry all the time.” ๐
The Padres lost big time at the last two games I attended against the Dodgers (last night in SD and a couple weeks ago in LA). I wonโt be at Fridayโs playoff game in LA, so weโll see if Iโm the problem ๐
