HotFudge Memoirs

THEY’RE GONE

2007-08-07T22:17:00.000-07:00

This past June, one Saturday morning, Screg and I decided to take the Trolley for fun; something we always wanted to do to see all the places that the Trolley goes. The last time I took the Trolley was about 6 years ago when we went to a Martial Arts Convention at the San Diego Civic Center. It was a fun ride; we got an early start from South Bay, parked his car at the Trolley Station parking lot and headed on the Trolley.

The Trolley routes are divided into three sections by color codes: Blue, Orange and Green lines. We took the routes of riding from South Bay’s Chula Vista through National City, Barrio Logan, Southeast San Diego, Downtown San Diego, Hazard/Mission & Fashion Valley, Old Town, Qualcomm Stadium, Grantville, San Diego State University, La Mesa, El Cajon & the last stop of Santee Town Center in which we had lunch at ‘RoadHouse’ in the strip mall. After lunch, we headed back on the Trolley and rode the reverse direction back to South Bay all the way to the end route of Tijuana Mexico and then from T.J. back to our starting point.

One of the things I noticed was our route through Old Town we passed by one of my favorite stores in which I discovered was closed; Pier 1 Imports Clearance Store no longer exists. I have shopped at this store for years and have bought nice items for the home at reasonable prices. When we got home I called one of the Pier 1 Import stores and the sales clerk said that they closed all of there clearance stores nation wide; I guess they weren’t doing too well in sales. Although I admit the last time I was there browsing most of the items were starting to look pretty gaudy; there were still a few things that caught my eye that I didn’t buy. Well, since it is an outlet store you’re not going to find those items at the Pier 1 Import stores or online.

One thing for sure is that it doesn’t take long for these vacant buildings to become a target for graffiti. I will miss finding bargains at this store. Oh, and I can’t wait for our next adventure…..riding the Coaster!!

KILATZIN, Just For You.....

2007-07-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

Wendy's introduce.....The Baconator

Satisfy your Bacon fixation with six strips of hickory smoked bacon piled high atop two 1/4 lb patties of fresh, never frozen, beef. Complete with two slices of American cheese, mayo and ketchup for a mountain of mouth-watering taste.

Go on, obsess a little.

GOING UP OR DOWN? (Elevator Etiquette)

2007-06-30T15:00:00.002-07:00

I have been really annoyed with students at this college that I transferred to and it relates to the elevator. On several occasions I have been put in a position where I am either going up or down an elevator and when the door opens have a student standing right in front of the door and didn’t have the courtesy to move the HELL out of the way so that I can get my ASS out of the elevator. Or, I have had some students have the audacity to squeeze by me and not say excuse me just to get on the elevator first instead of letting me out!

Does anyone know that when it comes to proper etiquette and an elevator you are technically suppose to let the person out first before you enter? It does make sense because why would you enter an elevator by having to squeeze by someone and go behind them to the back of the elevator instead of just letting them out first; when if you would have just let them out of the elevator in the first place you wouldn’t have put yourself in a position to have to squeeze by them to get in the elevator, PHEW!

I’ve had to say excuse me to some of these students standing right in front of the door so that they can get out of my way so that I can come out of the elevator which is something that I shouldn’t have to do. In addition, I was so pissed about the whole situation that I just flat out told some of them that they should let me out of the elevator first before they enter; some have apologize and some just don’t say anything. It’s just annoying to me to have to move out of the way so that they can get in the elevator. Students come in all ages, but this has occurred with the younger students (straight out of high school – early 20’s). Maybe these students don’t know what proper etiquette is when it comes to an elevator or maybe they just don’t care.

Now holding the elevator for someone is a different story and I must say that so far I haven’t had this problem with students at this college. I recall one day when I had just got on the elevator and I heard someone running and panting; I press the button to keep the elevator doors open until the person arrived. When she got on the elevator I was thinking to myself, this person looks familiar; it was just she and I on the elevator and when I looked back I realized it was Elphie. Gosh I feel old, I can’t believe how much she has grown; I remember when she was around 9 or 10. I recall when Screg and I ran into her at a neighborhood ice cream shop and she was with a friend; still in high school at the time and now she’s in college.

In the elevator we briefly talked about what a great college this was, the beautiful campus and how nice the people were. My work shift had ended, tired and ready to go home, when the elevator doors open as we headed for our cars in the parking lot; I told her to have a great weekend and we said our goodbyes.

Sushi and Ice Cream

2007-06-10T11:59:00.001-07:00

These past months I’ve been on this Sushi and Ice Cream Kick. There are several casual dining Sushi restaurants and creameries that have opened in our area that I’ve been wanting to try. Well, I’m not into Sushi like Screg but I do like Japanese food. I must say the new sushi places that have opened in the South Bay area have all been disappointing to me.

The first place we tried was House Sushi or is it Sushi House located on Telegraph Canyon Road. The second and third places were Sushiya and Tokyo Grill, both located in the Otay Ranch Town Center and the fourth was California Sushi Bar across from Otay Ranch Town Center. I usually order the combo bento of beef and chicken teriyaki with soup, salad and tempura or California rolls.

With all of these places it was mostly the way the beef was prepared that was a disappointment. The beef was tough, chewy and the teriyaki sauce was drizzled or basted on top of the beef at the last minute instead of being cooked in with the beef. I’m not a big fan of chicken breast which is usually how chicken teriyaki is served, but the chicken was rubbery and undercooked instead of tender and juicy plus the teriyaki sauce was added on top of the chicken the same way as the beef.

I have this thing with sauces in which I prefer that their cooked-in with the meat instead of being poured on top at the last minute; I especially despise it when restaurants do this with bar b que sauce. I’ve known some restaurants to cook the meat and dip it in the bar b que sauce or serve the sauce on the side or at your table.

Sukiyaki, my favorite Japanese dish seems to be hard to find at Japanese restaurants, you don’t see it on menus too much; but when it comes to teriyaki beef I do prefer for the meat to be thinly sliced. There is still one more new place, Kyoto Sushi that will open soon in the new Shops at San Miguel Ranch that I want to try and hopefully I won’t be in for a let down.

With ice cream, both Screg and I have tried years ago dull, blah, bland “Cold Stone Creamery.” We are not fans of Cold Stone, we have the same opinion of Cold Stone and that is Yuck & Boring! We find the taste of their ice cream to be flavorless, not sweet enough and we don’t like the texture. Other places with the same concept of ice cream being mixed-in or blended with fruit or dry topping; Maggie Moo's located in the Park Valley Center, Marble Slab, Moo-Time and Carvel. Well, we’ve tried them all and both Moo-Time located in Coronado and Carvel in the Shops at San Miguel Ranch ice cream is overly sweet. Marble Slab in the Otay Ranch Town Center taste is similar to Cold Stone. Although our preference in ice cream is hard like Baskin Robbins over soft serve like Diary Queen, we have never been disappointed with Maggie Moo's; their texture and taste, just right!

Isn't Maggie adorable?

Now Showing: A Double Feature

2007-04-08T11:45:00.000-07:00

When was the last time you saw double feature? For me, it was way back in the 70’s when my family and I would go and see ‘Blaxploitation,’ films and ‘Chinese Martial Arts Cinemas’ starring Bruce Lee or other martial artists.

With blaxploitation films I remember “JD’s Revenge and “Sugar Hill” (just to name a few) and with Chinese Cinemas there were a couple of other Bruce’s on the big screen that did martial arts such as “Le” and “Li.” I even remember some female martial artists that could kick some serious ASS; like ‘China Doll’ and ‘Kung Fu Mama’. Back then it was usually 2-3 movies for one low price of around a buck or two.

Well, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez bring you “Grindhouse”, an action packed double feature of “Planet Terror” and “Death Proof”. Quentin gives Grindhouse that 70’s look. In addition; he’s added imaginary previews of made-up movies.

Tarantino was influenced by Chinese Cinema and Blaxploitation films.

Grindhouse is an American term for a theater that mainly showed exploitation films. Grind-houses were known for non-stop programs of B movies, often consisting of a double feature where two films were shown back to back. These films were all exploitation 70’s genres (e.g. kung fu, & Italian horror—also known as giallo, sexploitation, "good old boy" redneck car-chase movies, blaxploitation and spaghetti Westerns.)

My cousin thinks Quentin has a demented look… That he and his films are weird. But I like Tarantino’s films and so far he hasn’t let me down yet.

Grindhouse is now playing at a theatre near you and I can’t wait to see it!

THE REAL ITALIAN JOB

2007-03-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

Everyone will always affiliate the “Mini Cooper” car with the movie “The Italian Job”. Sales of the Mini Coopers did skyrocket after the movie.

In my opinion, the Real Italian Job is the Chrysler 300. This car exemplifies, Italian, Bad Ass, Don’t f—k with me! I haven’t seen the inside of these cars but I love the exterior; especially the sleek, black ones with the tinted windows and big chrome wheels.

Screg and I refer to the Chrysler 300 as the Mafia car.

You be the judge.

A Sad Day in Rock History

2007-03-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

1951 - 2007

Holy Shit! Lead singer, Brad Delp of the Rock Group Boston was found dead yesterday in his Southern New Hampshire home by his long time girlfriend; he was only 55. There was no evidence of foul-play, he was a fairly healthy guy; a non-smoker and vegetarian for four decades. Brad was described by his neighbors as a generous and friendly down-to-earth person; he was the type of guy that would help his neighbors shovel snow off thier lawns and driveways. In addition, he also performed several concerts to benefit various charities.

I still can't believe it. I remember when Screg and I saw them perform in concert a couple years ago at Pechanga. They were awesome! Brad's high range voice, he still had it when they performed that year. We were so looking forward to seeing them perform again in concert; we would check the Reader Newspaper every week to see when they were coming back to San Diego.

I heard the news on the radio and was pretty pissed off at the media for not covering any information on his death; it was the usual same-ole-shit about Anna Nicole Smith. I was also pretty bummed about the radio stations not playing any of his songs as tribute to him.

In my opinion, Boston was one of the greatest rock groups of all times. I'll be playing Boston alot in my car this week. Rest in peace Brad, you'll be missed!

WATER FALLING FROM THE SKY

2007-01-31T22:34:00.000-08:00

I love Rain! Love the smell of it. I like walking and driving in it. I like watching the rain while sitting on my front porch or listening to the sound of it while sipping a hot cup of cocoa in front of the fireplace. It’s been raining here in San Diego these past couple days and since we don’t get rain too often I enjoy it.

San Diego’s Weather Men have their own interpretation of what a storm is. It’s funny because whenever we are expecting rain they consider it a storm. It can drizzle, sprinkle or shower and they call it a storm. In New Orleans our storms consisted of lightning, thunder and heavy rain which flooded the streets. I recall several times when lightning struck in the house it was so bad that objects on the wall would fall down.

There are places that rain nearly everyday like London and Washington State and people that reside here can’t seem to tolerate a little rain every year.

It irks me when I hear Californians complain about a little rain when it doesn’t rain here too often. They want it to be sunny all the time; what is so wrong with a little variety or at least a little rain sometimes. Besides, California is a desert; therefore we need the rain and I don’t have to worry about watering my plants for a few days.

So, enjoy the rain!

Misheard Lyrics

2006-12-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

I was looking through a book that my cousin gave me before she left for Alaska. The book title is “Scuse Me While I Kiss This Guy and Other Misheard Lyrics” by Gavin Edwards. I’m sure that we all have interpreted lyrics differently than what they are really saying. These are pretty amusing so I thought I’d share some of my favorite funny ones with you in this format:

Wrong Lyric
Artist
Song Title
Right Lyric

Scuse me while I kiss this guy
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Purple Haze
Scuse me while I kiss the sky

It’s a hard egg
Bonnie Tyler
It’s a Heartache
It’s heartache

I got shoes, they’re made of plywood
John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
You’re the One That I Want
I got chills, they’re multiplying

Sweet dreams are made of cheese
Eurythmics
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
Sweet dreams are made of this

We are the Mormons
Asia
Heat of the Moment
The heat of the moment

Mice aroma
The Knack
My Sharona
My Sharona

And there’s a wino down the road/I should have stolen Oreos
Led Zeppelin
Stairway to Heaven
And as we wind on down the road/Our shadows taller than our souls

Take your pants down and make it happen
Irene Cara
Flashdance…What a Feeling
Take your passion and make it happen

Everytime you go away, you take a piece of meat with you
Paul Young
Everytime You Go Away
…You take a piece of me with you

You need Kool-Aid, baby I’m not foolin
Led Zeppelin
Whole Lotta Love
You need coolin; baby I’m not foolin

Secret Asian Man
Johnny Rivers
Secret Agent Man
Secret Agent Man

Baking carrot biscuits
Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Takin Care of Business
Takin care of business

Like a drifter I was born to wear cologne
Whitesnake
Here I Go Again
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone

I’m mad about food, you’re mad about cheesecake
Belinda Carlisle
Mad About You
I’m mad about you, you’re mad about me, babe

She’s got a chicken to ride
The Beatles
Ticket to Ride
She’s got a ticket to ride

I wanna eat Twinkies with you
Silk
Freak Me
I wanna get freaky with you

Alex the Seal
or
Olives have feelings
The Go-Go’s

Our Lips Are Sealed
Our Lips are sealed

She wore raspberries and grapes
or
She wore rags, very good rags
Prince and the Revolution
Raspberry Beret
She wore a raspberry beret

Last night I dreamt of some bagels

Madonna
La Isla Bonita
Last night I dreamt of San Pedro

Love will get you like a case of Ex-Lax

Gang of Four
Anthrax
Love will get you like a case of anthrax

Lice! Lice! Lice! Yeah!

Thompson Twins
Lies
Lies! Lies! Lies! Yeah!

She’s got electric boobs, her mom has two
or
She’s got a lot of booze, Samoan Sue
Elton John
Bennie and the Jets
She’s got electric boots, a mohair suit

We’ll keep on farting until the end
Queen
We Are the Champions
We’ll keep on fighting until the end

My anus is the centerhole
J. Geils Band
Centerfold
My angel in the centerfold

And doughnuts make my brown eyes blue
Crystal Gayle
Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
And don’t it make my brown eyes blue

Tuna hot-dog
Van McCoy
The Hustle
Do the hustle

A rooster or maybe even an idiot cheese
Rose Royce
Car Wash
A movie star or maybe even an Indian chief

My anus will fix it, you’re addicted to love
Robert Palmer
Addicted to Love
Might as well face it, you’re addicted to love

Ain’t no woman like the one-eyed Gott
The Four Tops
Ain’t No Woman
Ain’t no woman like the one I’ve got

Four-legged woman
Or
Bald-headed woman
The Bee Gees
More than a Woman
More than a woman

Looks like tomatoes
Barry Manilow
Looks Like We Made It
Looks like we made it

The way she brushed her hair and farted
Paul Simon
Graceland
The way she brushed her hair from her forehead

Everybody’s got a hungry horse
Bruce Springsteen
Hungry Heart
Everybody’s got a hungry heart

The ants are my friends/They’re blowin in the wind
Bob Dylan
Blowin in the Wind
The answer, my friends, is blowin in the wind

Lay down the salad
Eric Clapton
Lay Down Sally
Lay down, Sally

There are spirits eating my Cheerios
The Police
Spirits in the Material World
Wee are spirits in the material world

I’ll never leave your pizza burnin
The Rolling Stones
Beast of Burden
I’ll never be your beast of burden

SOUTH BAY’s MARKETING SUCKS!

2006-11-02T19:54:00.000-08:00

And in the South Bay, of which I have been a resident for over 10 years, we have (particularly in our area):

2 Vons
2 Ralphs
2 Kohls
2 Pier 1 Imports (with a third along the way)
1 Henry’s (with a second on the way)
3 Rite Aid
3 Panda Express
3 McDonald's [Not even my favorite. I prefer Jack in the Box or Burger King. McDonald's rarely changes its menu. Burger King has better burgers than McDonald's. Jack in the Box has more variety and is always introducing something new.]

The Payless Shoe Source chain is becoming like Starbucks Coffee: one on every corner. [There are other good shoe stores that can be put in the South Bay besides Payless, like DSW.]
Does it make sense to have all this duplication? Especially when they're all relatively close to each other?

When it comes to marketing, South Bay’s SUCKS!

It would be nice to have a nearby Albertson’s or Food-4-Less. A Trader Joe's and/or Whole Foods would compliment our Henry's.

Fine-dining? Miguel's and Island's? YUCK!! More like crappy semi-casual dining. That’s why Screg and I and my friend "T" usually go West or North to eat at places in Mission Valley, La Jolla, Hillcrest or Downtown San Diego.

But where were Tower Records and Borders and Soup Plantation years ago? I guess the marketing execs ASSUMED that South Bay residents don't like to listen to music, don't like to read, and don't like to eat healthy. Well, at least a Soup Plantation opened a couple of months ago. But prior to that, the last healthy restaurant we had in the area was Soup Exchange [which folded several years ago].

And I know that we have Target, WalMart and K-Mart, but what about a Homegoods, Stein Mart, Burlington Coat Factory or Cost Plus? Give us something more besides just Kohl’s & Pier 1.

Well, one of the largest malls in San Diego County www.otayranchtowncenter.com has just opened (literally) next door. [BTW we'll also be getting a smaller shopping village www.sudprop.com/development/vwe.] This large mall has close to 100 stores and restaurants, including Barnes & Noble bookstore and PF Chang, Cheesecake Factory, King’s Fish House, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, California Pizza Kitchen & Chili’s. For all you campers, bikers and hikers, there’s REI. And for the movie goers, there's AMC theatres. I’ve been following the status of this new mall through their website and signed-up for their special grand opening offers and received a free $20 gift card at Lucy’s. [In the smaller shopping village we'll be getting a Trader Joe’s, a Border’s, Pat & Oscars, Brigantine, Pei Wei, Busalacchi’s Trattoria Fantastica, Broken Yolk restaurant and another Henry’s.]

During the grand opening, Screg and I took a leisurely evening stroll to the new mall. As we made our way thru the crowds of excited and wide-eyed shoppers, gawky teenagers, kids, whistling traffic directors(?), and dogs, who did we run into but Shogun, and Lotus. [Apparently, there was leather jacket calling Shogun's name. Or was it that bread store?]

Nothing really grabbed us. We don’t like or shop at stores like Banana Republic. We’re not into brand names nor the prices that are found within. I know that their clothes will last and never go out of style, but I’m a trendy kinda of girl that likes her outlet and bargain stores.

I decided to take advantage of my $20 gift card from Lucy’s. [OF NOTE: When we first walked into Lucy’s, I was asked by one of the workers: "Is this your first experience?" NOT: "Is this your first time shopping here?" OR "Have you shopped here before?" BUT "Is this your first experience?" WTF?] Lucy's is a work-out/active-wear apparel store for women and (I must say) a HIGH-ASS STORE! I would not pay between $60-$85 for a pair of pants or top. Ultimately, I ended up using the giftcard towards a pastel blue t-shirt off the sale rack for $20.

As with all things, the new mall hype will die down eventually. I remember when Horton Plaza, Plaza Bonita & the North County Mall were the happenin' places. I know Screg and I will be regulary beating a path to the AMC theatres.

Are the researchers and marketing execs getting it right this time? We shall see...

UPSCALE VIETNAMESE RERSTAURANTS

2006-10-15T15:21:00.000-07:00

I love Vietnamese food! I saw a coupon for 20% off my entire food bill at ‘Saigon on 5th’ restaurant in my uptown coupon book so I decided to give them a try. They are located in Hillcrest and I went there for dinner from work; Screg couldn’t join me because he had martial arts. The décor was nice, but I should have known that I was going to be disappointed. As their logo said “Fine Vietnamese Cuisine” which means it’s an upscale gourmet restaurant and it was going to be Americanized and not authentic.

Of all the Vietnamese restaurants that I have gone too on El Cajon Blvd, University Ave, Linda Vista, Mira Mesa and Clairemont/Kearny Mesa, I think I’ve tried them all and for the most part I’ve never been too disappointed. At these restaurants I’m use to the squirt bottle of plum and hot sauces on the table so that they are within reach; this way I can put as little or as much as I want in my Pho. I love the rich beef broth flavor that these restaurants provide in Pho.

At Saigon on 5th, I ordered a chicken broth Pho and they served it with a small amount of plum and hot sauce in a little dish on the side. I wasn’t too crazy about the taste of the chicken base broth. I also ordered the fried spring rolls and the fish sauce that it came with was watered down. Out of curiosity, I also wanted to try their peanut sauce to see how it tastes and that too was a let down. The last time I was this disappointed was when I went to ‘Rice Jones’ another upscale Vietnamese restaurant in Hillcrest, same concept as ‘Saigon on 5th’,Canine told me that Rice Jones folded. What the hell was I thinking, upscale Vietnamese food; never again!

I MISS H. SALT FISH N CHIPS

2006-09-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

I love fish and other seafood’s and its interesting how fast food fish places don’t seem to do as well as fast food chicken places. Through out the decades we’ve only had 3 popular fish places; they were H. Salt Fish N Chips which later became Captain Kids Galley and we also have Long John Silvers. Captain Kids Galley folded years ago, but Long John Silvers still exist. I was glad to see Captain Kids go because their fish didn’t nearly taste as good as H. Salt. With Long John Silvers, when they first opened the fish was good and they gave you big pieces. I visited Long John Silvers about a year ago and was very disappointed; the pieces were thin, flat and small with a lot of batter.

I love my Southern roots of the way fried fish is prepared; we fry it in yellow corn meal, but I also love the way the English prepare fried fish and the malt vinegar with tarter sauce, ummm. The English fry their fish in a batter made with milk, eggs, flour and sometimes beer sort of like tempura, but has a different texture and taste to it. Tempura has a lighter texture then batter and for those of you that don’t know this, Chips is an English term for French Fries. I like their chips because they are steak cut french fries and not shoestring french fries.

I remember all the various fast food chicken places that existed at one time in San Diego. There was Picnic-n-Chicken and the theme song for their commercial:

Pic - nick - n - chic - ken
It’s
The pick of the chick

I didn’t care for Picnic n Chicken, their chicken sucked!

There was also Pioneer Chicken; I like their batter; it had a golden orange color and was crispy and flavorful.

Still going strong are Church’s, Popeye’s and KFC. Church’s at one time folded in San Diego and then they came back. Their chicken is always oily and the batter is not seasoned unless you order it spicy.

Growing up, I recall lunches at H. Salt with my family when we were out running errands on the weekends and I’ll also never forget their hush puppies and Sarsaparilla drinks; Sarsaparilla is Root Beer. Several years ago Screg and I were in the L.A. area and came across an H. Salt and I just had to try them again. Apparently, they still have a large chain of them going strong in the L.A. & Long Beach area.

I was in the east county area buying plants at a nursery and discovered a fish n chips place call Tugboat. I decided to give them a try and I must say that they weren’t bad, no H. Salt though, but, they tasted pretty good. Their batter is lighter because they use and fry their seafood in tempura.

Regarding trademarks, I’ve always wondered what the “esq” meant with H. Salt. I knew it stood for ‘Esquire’, but I never knew why it was added to their name until now. I visited their website and ‘esq’ was added to their name for an “English touch”. Esquire in the dictionary defines: Formerly an attendant on a knight; In England, a member of the gentry ranking just below a knight; title of courtesy placed after a man’s surname.

One other trademark I’ve always wondered about “Why was Dennis the Menace affiliated with Diary Queen?” Well, I went to their website and it looks like when the first DQ opened in Japan in 1972 Dennis the Menace became a Spokescharacter for DQ.

WHERE HAVE ALL THE COWBOYS GONE?

2006-09-10T11:08:00.000-07:00

One Saturday, I was on my way to teach my class and just about a block from the college at a light my car decides to stall on me. Dammit, I said; thinking to myself of all places that my car could have stopped why not on the College Campus; this way I could have just walked to my class without being late. I wish the car could have held on just a little bit longer and stalled on campus. Thank Goodness it was at a light and not in the middle of an intersection. So, I did the obvious of trying to re-start it again which made a choking noise as if it wanted to start but I had no luck. It’s not the battery, this I know for sure because there was still some juice to the car when I tried re-starting it. I couldn’t just leave my car there so at this point I knew that I wasn’t going to make it to class on time. So, I put my hazard lights on and called the admin office to inform my students that I was going to be about an hour late.

In the midst of this all one thing I must say is that Californians are rude! There was nothing that I could do but call AAA to tow me and you would not believe all the honks I got. I’m thinking, screw all of you people, what do you want me to do, just get out of the car and push it myself. These people honestly must have thought that honking at me will solve the problem and the car would just suddenly start; they should have just gotten off their asses and helped instead of honking. I was on my way to work, where were these people going; I highly doubt work. Considering some of them had their families in the car and it was a Saturday, shopping would be my guest. I see all of these young & older healthy men passing me by in their cars, honking and not one of them took the initiative to help a damsel in distress. It was actually a single woman with her child in a van that got out and pushed me to the side of the road.

It didn’t take AAA long to arrive; 30 minutes. I could have had them tow it to the nearest auto repair shop, but that would have taken more time, plus I prefer taking it to my own auto repair shop. I didn’t want my students waiting any longer so I had them tow it on campus. By the time they hooked the car on the tow truck and drove me to the college I was 45 minutes late. After my class ended I had them re-tow it to the auto repair shop and they diagnosed it as the Timing Belt and some other items related to the Timing Belt which was going to cost me over $1,000 to repair. Since I had the car for almost 10 years and it had over 123,000 miles I felt that it wasn’t worth pumping that kind of money into the car; so, I ended up just buying a another one.

Remembering Kim

2006-09-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

I normally post and respond to other blogs about once a week but didn't have the desire to after I had heard about Kilatzin’s sister Kim.

I had the pleasure of meeting and seeing Kimberly on just a few occasions so I didn’t get a chance to really know her well. All were related to Kilatzin’s wedding. One time was at her parent’s house in which we all caravanned to Kilatzin’s wife’s parent’s house for their engagement party. The other times were the wedding rehearsal, wedding day & reception. We didn’t have a chance to talk much at all the events except for the Wedding rehearsal and dinner afterwards and I remember her asking me how Scregman and I met.

After reading about her professional and personal accomplishments... WOW!!!... She was really amazing!

Kim was a very caring and self-sacrificing person. She must have really felt a calling to do what she did: to help and care about people in Africa and to want to make a difference. Few people would have given up their American lap of luxury to go live under such conditions.

None of us have any doubts about Kim's achievements. For those who believe in a superior being or an after life, some would say that she has graduated (so to speak) to a higher level - - her calling being served.No one knows why we’re here - - some believe we keep coming back until we achieve our mission. In my opinion, she really lived hers and no one could ask for anything more.

PUERTO NUEVO STYLE MY ASS!

2006-08-11T09:07:00.000-07:00

Everytime when I get that craving for Mexican style lobster I go to the Bonita Store or Rockin Baja Lobster and every single time I go I’m always disappointed. Then why even go? They are the only 2 Mexican style lobster places that I know of without having to go South of the Border. Also, maybe I think something magical will happen and they will change and prepare Mexican style lobster the way its suppose to be prepared. Their lobster is overcooked; dry, had no garlic at all and not enough butter. In addition too dipping the lobster in the butter there’s also something about basting it with lots of butter when cooking on the grill; it makes the lobster very tender and not overcooked.

I use to get Mexican style lobster at 3 places before they folded, two places were located in CV one on Bonita Rd & the other on E. St and there was this place in Mission Valley. These places prepare Mexican style lobster the way its suppose to be prepared; grilled and basted with garlic, lots of butter and Mexican spices. The lobster is so tender that it comes out of the shell easily.

One thing I know about lobster is that Vietnamese & Mexican style are the best. American/English style is just boiled in water and dipped in butter but doesn’t have any flavor. Vietnamese style is my favorite, they sauté theirs and prepare it so many ways. I’ve had it sautéed in butter, garlic, salt & pepper, green onions, onions, ginger and tamarind sauce (not all at once of course). I’ve never been disappointed with Vietnamese style lobster, it’s always tender. My first taste of Vietnamese food was when I came across this restaurant on Fairmount and University Ave, it folded years ago and I ordered a whole crab. The crab was prepared fried or stewed with brown gravy, green onions and lots of garlic; boy was it good. It had so much garlic in it that I left the restaurant reeking with garlic.

Can anyone please tell me where I can get some good Mexican style lobster without having to go south of the border?

INDEPENDENT MOVIE THEATRES

2006-08-04T00:39:00.000-07:00

Was craving Mexican food, so I went to a small Mexican restaurant in downtown CV and noticed that there was a for lease sign on the Vogue Theatre.

I don’t know how long the lease sign has been on the Vogue Theatre, but I’m noticing that more independent theatres are folding and this is also the case for Drive-In Theatres.

This takes me back to when Mann theatres were popular and started slowly folding. The Mann Theatres existed before Regal and were more popular than AMC, Pacific and United Artist. At the Mann Valley Circle, Cinema 21 & Loma Theatres was where I saw blockbuster films such as ET, Star Wars, Close Encounter of the Third Kind, Saturday Night Fever and others.

I remember other smaller independent theatres that I use to go to that no longer exist; they were the Fiesta Twin in downtown CV and Century Twin on 54th & El Cajon Blvd.

Many years ago I took my cousin to see a horror flick at the Palm 3 in IB, was it called Studio 3 or Palm Studio 3? Anyway, at that time the theatre was slowly going down hill and was already in the process of folding. I never forgot her exact words when we walked into the theatre and that was “Are we walking into Hell!” It was so dark, dingy and grimy in that theatre and the walls were painted a very dark color, I think black or red. That was my last visit there.

There were also the ones located in Downtown San Diego, the Balboa, Casino & Aztec where I saw all of the Bruce Lee films & some “B” Movies; before they became XXX movie theatres. To re-develop downtown and develop the Gaslamp District, these theatres have later turned into food and clothing stores or under construction for another project.

The Spreckles in downtown San Diego use to be a movie theatre then it closed years ago and re-opened as a playhouse. This was also the case for the California on 5th Avenue in downtown San Diego in which they closed years ago and is not in renovation at this time. I remember seeing the Exorcist and American Hot Wax along with other “B” movies at these theatres.

Then there were the others, the La Jolla Cove, the Park on Park Blvd and the Guild on 5th Ave in Hillcrest in which I saw the movie Hairspray.

I noticed that although some of these theatres have folded they don’t tear down their signs since some of them are historical landmarks.

There’s an artsy-fartsy side to me where I also enjoy Landmark Films. There are still some Landmark theatres left, but not many; the Ken, La Jolla Village, Hillcrest Cinemas and the private own one, Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills on Goldfinch.

With Drive-In’s you saved a bundle of money because admission was based upon a car-load of people; not per person and you got to bring in your own food. The last time I went to a Drive-In was in the 70’s with my family; it was the National City one where the swapmeet is now located. I think there are only 2 left, Santee and South Bay in IB.

You couldn’t beat the price deal of these theatres; although the movies were a bit older you still got to see 2-3 films for one low price. The food there wasn’t all that great but still cheaper than the regular theatres.

Why are these theatres folding? I read an article in the San Diego Union-Tribune years ago which said that most people now like the idea of multiplex theatres which they have more of a variety. In addition, people like the idea of having theaters in a mall; this way they have the flexibility of shopping, dining and seeing a movie.

I’M ON THIS GAME KICK

2006-07-31T01:27:00.000-07:00

When you’re into Perfection, Keep on Your Toes
You have to be quick, cause here how it goes
Push the plunger down, set the timer
Put the pieces in place
Don’t be slow, with Perfection
You gotta move on fast, move on fast
Before the pieces pop-up before you put in the last
And that’s perfection

I still remember the song to that commercial from many years ago when growing up and it keeps ringing in my head to the extent that I’m on this game kick. Not electronic, video, computerized or internet games; but board games. I’ve been having this fear that the board games that I grew up with will no longer be available and will eventually become obsolete; because everything is either or going electronic, video, computerized or internet.

I had some of these board games growing up and don’t remember what happened to them. Even some of the stores that only specialize in board games are folding. I remember Game Keeper, they had a couple of locations, well they all folded and now there’s only 2 places left; Game Towne and Game Empire that sell an extensive selection of board games.

You can still find some of these board games at drug, department and toy stores, but these places don’t have the variety of sizes, various kinds of woods and creative game pieces in Chess, Checkers, Backgammon, Mancala, Dominoes, Chinese Checkers or Mah Jong. These places lack the originality and uniqueness of these board games because most of them are made out of cardboard with plastic game pieces. The game stores game pieces come in wood, jade, marble, stone, tile & metal and of course you would have to be willing to spend booco bucks for wood, distinctive game pieces and larger sizes of these board games. I must admit that the average board games such as Monopoly, Clue, Life, etc are less expensive at drug, department & toy stores than these games stores.

Another thing that I like about these game stores is that I saw a lot of games that I never even heard of in addition, they still have some of the older games that I would estimate date back to the early 1900’s maybe even older. They also have different kinds of Chess; I even saw a Star Wars Chess set. You’re not going to find these games at your typical drug, toy or department store.

When I went shopping for these games there are some many versions of Monopoly I was overwhelmed, but I still prefer the original version. There were also several Pop Culture Games that interest me, but they were expensive. Mulysa, I went to a couple of places that only specialize in board games, Game Towne & Game Empire but still no luck in finding that game you described to me with blocks and marbles; I’ll keep my eye open though. I bought some of these games for TC; her birthday is coming up soon, Mulysa’s kids and myself.

FAREWELL TO TRAVELING ABROAD.....I THINK

2006-07-24T16:38:00.000-07:00

Well, Scregman and I took our last trip abroad to Italy and I must say that this was the best trip ever. The gondola ride, lagoon cruise to Venice, ruins, grottos, boat ride around the Isle of Capri, Naples bay, Tuscany’s countryside, Pisa’s leaning tower, Amalfi’s Coastline & Tivoli’s Fountain. Italy is truly a beautiful country with exception to Rome, it’s so dirty and there is graffiti everywhere; we saw the Vatican and the Pope lives in the Ghetto. Rome does have cool fashion, like Paris I did see some unusual clothes there I ended up buying 3 skirts in Rome. The natives are nice; they have great food especially the seafood and Gelato is excellent. Our tour guide was awesome and our bus driver, the way he rode those curves along the Amalfi Coast plus we met allot of nice people on the tour not like the Buffalo Herd of ladies that we met on the Spain tour. I’m not one for talking badly about people but these women were so rude that they deserve this title.

Why is this possibly the last trip abroad? Simply because there are no more places left that I’m interested in seeing. Scregman is not too big on traveling but when he comes along for the ride he has a great time. I started traveling alone early on and saw every place that interests me.

When I first started traveling I had an interest in the tropical places and wanted to see what they were like; so my 1st, 2nd & 3rd trips were the Bahamas (Nassau), Hawaii (Waikiki-Oahu) & Jamaica (Montego Bay) all 3 in which I had several bad experiences, maybe because I was traveling alone; more on those later at another Blog. Then I started to have an interest in Europe in which I went on to London, Switzerland, Northern Italy & Paris some were with a group or my cousin. Other destinations include Colorado, Missouri, Virginia, Canada, New York, Alaska, Australia, & Spain.

My cousin moved a couple of times, first to Denver in which she lived for 5 years; she loves the snow and wanted to see what that was like. That is what brought me to Colorado 3 times when I use to go and visit her, twice was to visit my cousin and the third was with her to visit her friend and go cross country skiing in Vail. Five years later she moved from Denver back to San Diego to take care of her sick mom with cancer and then from San Diego to Alaska.

With Missouri I’ve been there twice. The first time was to visit a friend in St. Louis of mine and her family and the second time was when one of my co-workers/friend who doesn’t drive lost his father and asked me to drive him and his sister there for the funeral. This was in a small town in the outskirts of Missouri in which we had to fly part of the way to Missouri and rent a car to drive the remains of the way to the small town because they didn’t have an airport.

In Richmond, Virginia, my cousin had a friend that moved there; she knew this friend when she lived in Denver so we both decided to go and visit her.

What took Scregman and I to New York was his high school friend wedding.

I decided to go to Vancouver when I helped my cousin move from San Diego to Alaska; so we droved along the coast, through San Francisco, Oregon & Washington said our goodbyes, she went on to Alaska and I to Canada. Three years later I went to Anchorage to go and visit her.

With Sydney, I’ve always wanted to see it and it helped financially because Scregman has an aunt and cousin that live there, so we had a place to stay and didn’t have to worry about hotel expenses and we rarely ate out because Scregman’s aunt cooked nearly everyday.

I’ve heard from several people that Africa was the best trip they’ve ever taken and how there’s nothing like a Safari ride. I have 2 cousins that live in Japan and one cousin in Germany that really like it there. I’ve also heard from co-workers that have done the Amazon Rain Forest and really enjoyed it; I just never had an interest in any of these places.

I’ve heard great things about Amsterdam from friends and co-workers, Amsterdam scares me, I consider it the country of Sin because there are just too many things that are legal there. And then there is Prague, one of my co-workers just came from there and he said it was awesome.

The only other place that I would consider traveling abroad to would be Sicily. Our tour guide on the Italy trip said that we gotta come back to Italy to see Sicily; I’m very curious about the little villages where the Mafia came from. Last, there’s still the Americas and their National Parks; I have to see Yosemite and Yellow Stone.