Meet Winston, a large Galapagos tortoise with a small “2b” painted on his shell. Does his face look familiar? Though you may not have met him in person, the first time you saw his likeness was probably in 1982, or whenever you finally watched the Spielberg film classic E.T. According to the zoo volunteer who was… Read More Unexpected bit of Hollywood legend at the San Diego zoo
We piled into the minivan (or “mini”, as we affectionately call it, dreaming it’s actually a mini Cooper). I couldn’t tell my Burmese friend no. No, I can’t take you to the hospital because your daughter is too large for that infant carseat and I can’t install it properly. When I showed up at their… Read More The luxury of safety
I have more coffee paraphernalia than I need. Six stove top espresso makers (thank you estate sales and thrift stores), French presses, two different types of grinders, a roaster, canisters with various blends and grinds, frothers. . . We like our coffee and we like it good. I guess you can say we’re coffee snobs.… Read More Looking beyond the “best” cup of coffee
{Warning: Graphic photos of raw goat meat contained in this article} We don’t try to recreate Grandma’s perfect holiday feast for our family festivities. We’re certainly not opposed to eating a traditional American feast, but we often just go with something we really like for a meal because we like it, not because it’s tradition. My youngest brother,… Read More San Diego goat makes a tasty meal (yes, even you could make this at home)
It’s all laid out before you, from left to right. The submarine base in Point Loma hundreds of feet below. The bay surrounded by San Diego villages and suburbs. From this height, one can see the mountains in the distant east and follow them south into Mexico. The Coronado Bridge in the foreground, which looks… Read More A statue’s view of San Diego – the best panorama
One of the first Christmas gifts I remember from my early childhood was not one I received. When I was four or five my older brother received a Lego castle from Santa. It was the most amazing Lego set I had ever seen. I don’t know how long it stayed a castle before turning into… Read More Lego life
Our Christmas tree is already dead. Yep. It’s been sitting in the tree stand for three weeks and before that it was transported on a truck from Oregon, hundreds of miles away. A dead tree by Christmas is normal. There is also no snow in forecast. But I live in San Diego, so that’s to… Read More the Christmas tree is dead
Honestly, at first it was awkward. For several weeks, maybe months, it was awkward. They didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak Burmese. I brought my daughters along and committed to visiting them once a week for several months. I’m fairly certain I am their only American friend – at least the kind of friend… Read More We keep going back
Last Thursday when I posted about German Christmas markets I admit I was feeling a bit sorry for myself that I couldn’t be there this year. Traditional food and drink, artisan wares, community gathering. I was pleasantly surprised three days later by a fest that took place not two blocks from our house and supplied… Read More San Diego answers with a community Christmas Market
You can wear flip-flops to the new San Diego central market. My footwear rules are different for shopping at the San Diego market than the markets in some countries I’ve lived in. In those places, the first rule of shopping footwear is to wear something you can run in. You may need to chase down… Read More Central Market or central rip-off?
will travel with kids 