It's about that time

That Thanksgiving time. When life becomes about what time you have to get up to make a turkey, and finding ways to make your meal special. Everyone is trying to convince me to go "simple" (what with the baby and the family coming and all) but I find myself perusing The Food Network site going "ooo, not impossible to make a complicated gravy involving marinating roast turkey wings", oh yes, not impossible.

Put a few surprises on your menu (if you haven't already) or go and have a surprising buffet.

Either way, the Holidays are upon us. A hop, skip and a jump to Christmas.

Happy almost 2008 (that's just how quickly it goes).

Am off tomorrow and Friday (for two very good reasons, family and shopping), so today we'll try to fit in what we can. OOOO The Day After Thanksgiving, somebody should make a movie... it can be brutal.

Good Lord I've been slacking

Actually I've been sick (and I've been slacking).

Just wanted to take a TGIF moment, sign out, and post a few things while on my way to the weekend.

Here's looking at you sore throat with nasal dripping (TMI? Oh well, it's the truth).

-Cutcha

Good day non beach drinkers!

After a VERY long night of sleep I'm finally feeling a bit back (considering the last few days I've just felt very, very tired with a sore throat). It looks like today is shaping up to be a good day, what with what with the bags under my eyes gone and my voice returning, I'm planning on going in to town today and getting me a really good burrito! (Go Rico's Tacos, our local burrito joint).

Enjoy your Wednesday people, I will be.

Bare with me...

I'm outtie 600 billion today. Am currently on the move with the babe and will settle in quickly to my parents house (going for a visit). So posts may be sporadic, if at all. Hopefully will at least get weeky round up posted soon, again, as soon as I can.

Mom's Wear Flats:And Baby loves disco.

*Editors Note* When I first found out I was pregnant I went shopping with my mom for shoes (because, that's what we do) and I found the absolute perfect pair of sandles known to woman-kind, ON SALE. "I'm getting these," I said. "You can't get those," my mother replied. "Look at how high that heel is, and those many, many straps. Moms wear flats." Moms wear flats, and they never use their credit card to buy a new hair straightener or the Arrested Development DVD's. I tried to get used to that idea, that for the REST OF MY LIFE I was going to be wearing flats and buying onsies with a side of diapies and nappies or whatever you call them. I mourned and by month 7 when I couldn't fit my swollen feet into anything but thong sandles, I tried to accept my new flat life. The more and more I learn about motherhood though, the more I learn that everyone does it their own way and you don't necessarily have to do it just like Mom did (even though she did a pretty good job, look at me!). So I wear heels (sometimes) and flats (others). I dress for occasion (but occasionally overdress) and I try my best to have fun with it. Because Mommyhood should be nothing if not fun. Moms Wear Flats is a new feature here on My San Diego... Your San Diego, all about My San Diego, as a Mom. Get ready for the ride.*

This week Moms Wear Flats is talking up Baby Loves Disco because, OH MY GOD somebody read my mind and finally brought the club to the Moms (and Dads). My husband (non dancer that he is) is going to hate this idea, but I'm all for it and if I could go (unfortunately, schedule does not permit at this time) I would SO BE THERE, IN HEELS. I'd probably bring Vanessa and Rachelle with me (because, back in the old clubbing days, we were always with each other, fending off those guys that just sort of dance up on ya). Rachelle does know how to back that thing up (as soon as I can go, I will provide all necessary reviews and pictures).

Basically Baby Loves Disco goes like this: The fun spills out from all corners of the club: bubble machines, baskets of scarves and egg-shakers, a chill-out room (with tents, books and puzzles), diaper changing stations, a full spread of healthy snacks and dancing, LOTS of dancing. But at it’s core, Baby loves disco is a community event that brings kids together with kids and parents together with parents.

It's at a CLUB. Yes Moms, you get to go dancing at a club and break it down, baby style. In San Diego you can check out: Aubergine On 4th 500 4th Ave

-all parties from 2-5pm. tickets are $12 required for all walking humans. (non-walkers free!) -Aubergine on 4th will have Valet parking out front, however there is free parking on the street and numerous lots near the venueTickets -if tickets do not sell out in advance, there will be a limited number of tickets available at the door and they will be CASH ONLY.

The next event is scheduled for NOVEMBER 4!!!

From my family to you and yours: Happy Post Halloween Day

Waking up from my candy coma I'm ready for the slide on in to Thanksgiving followed by the hop, skip and jump to Hanukkah/Christmas. Yessiree, it's a busy time of year. Lori has already started planning for her big shopping outings!

This will be my first Holiday season shopping with a child in tow, so we'll see how it goes. I have a feeling it will cut down on all "oooo, this is cute for ME" purchases, being that I don't have a lot of perusing time before baby gets a little... done with shopping.

On with the day...

My San Diego: We're pushing back guest blogging features until next week when we can give them their due

*Next week we will be back with guest bloggers contributing perspectives on their San Diego, but this week we're taking a break, what with the crazy changes in schedule and all. Instead I'll share a bit of my own fire story. Tomorrow RACHELLE IN THE CITY will tell us all about her week so far, fire and all.*

My San Diego is reading all about these fires and checking in with those that I love and care about. My San Diego is quick with the humor and quicker with the responses to it's state of emergency. My San Diego is all over the news but knows that it deserves more than just a passing "have you heard about all that going on in San Diego?"

I believe San Diego will recover much quicker then people expect. I know there will be many stories of hope and love and survival and probably a few stories that are sad and heart wrenching. The massive inundation of news media will not overwhelm San Diego (even though it's starting to overwhelm others) and people will keep their positive attitudes and "California" mentality.

Lori is back at work (a good worker she is, she worked any way while glued to her television at home). Vanessa checks in from PB and says "just like PB, people are still going out, still meeting up with their friends." Rachelle has sent in her article for this week and it's about more then just a fire, it's all about her new home. Maybe it remains fire week (we cover the news and the news covers the fire) but I'm telling you, San Diego bounces (I've seen it before).

In 2003 I was confronted with the "what are you going to pack at a moments notice?" question. Though I felt safe in my home in Clairemont, worry was all over my (at the time) boyfriend's face. And then we got word that the fire had jumped the freeway right by our house, that others were leaving and that we might just want to water down the area around our house.

"Pack" he said. "Figure out what to take."

I thought about it. My life wasn't the clothes, the dishes, the pictures (which, thanks to digital cameras were all stored online). So I packed what I needed, a toothbrush, my Sex and The City DVD's and my computer.

"That's it?!" He was frantic. How was he going to fit EVERYTHING in to the car? How would he leave his books and movies and carpets and mugs behind?

"That's it," I said. I watched him stressing out in the living room, huffing and hyperventilating. I walked over to him and hugged him tightly. "It's just stuff," I whispered. "Fire is cleansing," I said. "In my tribe, when something is over, when it's done, we burn it, we let it go."

We hugged for a while longer and waited for news over the television, we waited long into the night but they managed to get things under control. The next day we went to lunch in PB (where the air felt a little cleaner) and we wore masks and saw ash gathering on the streets like snow. It was almost like... a new day.

National News Roundup: This is still not Katrina

I'm noticing a disturbing trend in news reporting about the great fires of 2007. It's a "this is not Katrina" and "since we are doing such a good job lets pat ourselves on the back and forget all about that pesky Katrina stuff." From CNN:


President Bush will visit the area Thursday, the White House said. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff arrived in San Diego on Tuesday afternoon. Chertoff promised a different federal reaction from the one in New Orleans in 2005. "We have been preparing and planning and training together for the last 2½ years," he said. And the scene at Qualcomm Stadium on Tuesday did seem to live up to Chertoff's expectations as volunteers cheerily handed out chairs, food and water.



You're right people, this is NOT Katrina. Lets just ignore the fact that they are two completely different parts of the country, that they are two completely different kinds of natural disasters and that they are happening in two very different ways. Lets even gloss over the idea brought up on CNN this morning about "the difference in socio-economic status" of a lot of the evacuees. Heck, lets even ignore the lessons that probably were learned (heard something mentioned about having ALL resources available immediately after the disaster rather than in phases? Really, that took you that long?). Ooo, lets even ignore the fact that Mrs. Bush Sr. hasn't showed up yet to tell those at Qualcomm how happy they should be to have such good accommodations and how they probably like it better there.

No, lets just focus on this. The San Diego city center is in tact. It has mostly been homes destroyed in these fires, not businesses. In a city of suburbs, expansive and connected by freeways there has been ROOM for people to run. It is not a city underwater with little to no way out. It is not people stranded on rooftops with signs asking for help.

Apples and oranges and all that, just let it go. Give California it's props for reacting so quickly, for wanting to help, for banding together, for offering 420 friendly accommodations via Craigslist. I love San Diego, and will continue to tell everyone it is THE place to be, but we are NOT Katrina, and what's the point in letting us know that every 20 minutes? Thank you for all your help on this one Federal Government and News Media but guess what, you still can't get out of the whole Katrina debacle.

So concentrate on the now... and concentrate on still hoping for some New Orleans forgiveness, because when the Supreme Court is STILL denying insurance claims, well, don't tell me you're doing EVERYTHING you can do for those survivors.

This week it's all about Halloween (next week is all about Halloween too)

If you haven't figured out your creative (or non creative but sexy, or creative and sexy, or culturally relevant) costume yet, well, that's what the Internet was invented for (that and blogging, IMHO). Get to it! I'm going as a professional writer, I'll be dressed in my PJ's, carrying around my remote control, with a copy of "The Writers Market" in my hand (today on The View, something about the baby doing the breast stroke during a water birth or something?).

Once the costume is picked out it's just a hop, skip and a jump to deciding which of the MANY Halloween night activities get the honor of your presence. Like most good parties, many of the activities are happening this weekend (though Halloween is next week), so get out your pencils and start penciling them in.

Might just have to go with the Golden Hill Block Party... because it's free. They sure do know the way to a writers heart.

Also this week, well today as a matter of fact... ABBIE! Today is Abbie day people, so be ready. Abbie is going to tell us about relationships, Abbie is going to write us into a haze of "we want more Abbie!" Stay tuned...

And we're featuring Bill Osterie, artist and musician on My San Diego this week. You should see his work, amazing. And then check out his work and webpages. Coming up.

Happy Week...

-Cutcha

HA HA

It's because I'm sick.

I thought "am I really just losing it? I'd rather watch old episodes of Charmed then gather and post information about all things San Diego? Hello, we're coming up on more original content! This is good stuff, am I crazy?"

Nope, just sick. Woke up today with a horrid sore throat and massive headache. Am now on couch with quilt that Lori made me, husband making breakfast.

Bare with me...

Today is Fat Girl, Skinny City day!!! Cee will be posting all about her search for the perfect Halloween costume. And of course we're going to start making Halloween plans.

In the great "Halloween Decoration" wars of 2007, I am in second place (grrr) as the people DOWN the street just put up glowing pumpkin lights all over the tree in their front yard AND a glowing spider web in their windows AND glowing hands on their lawn... back to Target I go.

This week it's all about Abbie & we begin Halloween(Fest)

I have two major goals in my quest to be a grown up, the first is to get a job that I love and the second is to over decorate my (bazillion dollar) house during major holidays.

I'm working on it (both the loving job AND the cheesy decorations), this year being the year I bought a crap load of purple lights and stuck them up all over the outside of the house. (Of course my across the street neighbors have been in some kind of 3rd grade copy cat war, I buy paper spiders they buy paper spiders, I buy a smashed witch for the garage, they buy a smashed witch for their garage, I buy a crap load of purple lights...last night I peeked out the window and saw their... crap load of purple lights.)

Anyway, Halloween takes preparation and provides for creativity (lots and lots of creativity) and in San Diego, Halloween provides for AMPLE celebration opportunities. We're gonna start all things Halloween this week (yep, bust out your sexy costumes, dress like the tart you've always wanted to be and call it a night). You've only got so much longer to walk the long walk in Balboa Park or check in at the Haunted Hotel in downtown (but will you check out? oooooooo).

Also this week: All about Abbie! Abbie is a writer/ future contributor who will be sharing her thoughts about love and relationships in a weekly feature for My San Diego... Your San Diego. This week Abbie will tell us all about her San Diego (Wednesday) and we'll learn more about her during the week. Look for her article next Monday!

On a more personl note, I'm feeling less "ooo, snarky, snarky, witty comment about San Diego" this week then I have in the past. I don't know if it's because Fall is here, or maybe because my house is a mess, but my brain has been wandering the last few days, so bear with me.

On to the show...

Happy Indigenous Peoples Day!

Or day some guy who thought he landed in India proceeded to try and destroy a group of people who got here before him any way.

Dear Christopher Columbus:

I hear some people are upset that we no longer take a day off to celebrate the day you discovered us. Others (only in Berkeley, HA) have decided to use it as a day to celebrate the people you murdered, oppressed and deemed no better than animals.

I don't really blame you (per se) for the attempted destruction of a rich and interesting culture. I often wonder what was lost because of your short sightedness, meaning what great scientific discoveries were destroyed because of your brute nature, what great philosophical thinkings were lost because you chose to conquer a land rather than explore it.

I digress. The truth is I don't know a whole lot about you, just what the story books say. You "discovered" America, you brought Europe to us poor non discovering Natives and you made darn sure they kept coming back. (By the way, today I turned on the TV and DISCOVERED re runs of 7th Heaven, I had no idea they were there before so therefore I want credit for said discovery, and a day off of work). Needless to say, I won't be celebrating you today.

Don't worry, federal offices, state offices, courts and Coronado and Carlsbad still give you your props. So will most banks and parking meters.

*San Diego might be having a parade in downtown today, I've heard conflicting reports*

*Rachelle lives in vista but calls it San Diego cause it sounds cooler* AND *Fat Girl, Skinny City* - We have a lot coming up this week, actually.

It's Monday! And things have been in motion all weekend (as long as you ignore yesterday when all my husband and I did was watch the marathon of Rock of Love, GO LACEY!).

Say Hello to Rachelle and Cee who will be contributing weekly columns starting this week!

Rachelle just moved to San Diego. After 7 years of dating her San Diego guy she married him, packed her things and took off in a Uhaul to her new home in San Diego, CA (well Vista, but she calls it San Diego cause it sounds cooler). Now she has to start a brand new adventure in a brand new city. Follow Rachelle as she settles in to our city by the sea. Read all about her adventures and experience San Diego (again) for the first time.

Rachelle's article Rachelle in the City will be featured on My San Diego...Your San Diego every Thursday! Watch for her first article this week! (And more about her will be coming!)

Cee is a fat girl in a skinny city. She believes that every story is going to be funny later, no matter how stressful or disheartening. And she believes that even though San Diego is a skinny city, you can still be a fat girl and have it all. Cee will tell you all about being a fat girl in a skinny city, dating, dancing, shopping and enjoying the weather.

Cee's article Fat Girl, Skinny City will be featured on My San Diego... Your San Diego every Tuesday. Check it out TOMORROW!

And that's not all. We're negotiating right now with two other possible contributors (Abbie and James, I'm calling you out ONLINE!) so we'll be seeing how that works out! I'm excited (I'm also sad that it didn't work out with Bret and Jess, no I'm not, GO LACEY).

From The Editor

Happy October(fest):

I was all set to write this letter yesterday, before I picked up Lori at the airport, so that I could get it done and have it out there but I’m glad didn’t. Yesterday after we’d had lunch, done some ever important cheesy Halloween decoration shopping (everything holiday, everything cheesy) and gone back to my house to visit with my husband we finally ended up at dinner, just the two of us.

We’ve been friends since our freshman year in high school, kept in touch and visited through college and finally ended up living together in Pacific Beach in a two bedroom apartment, with parking, on Turquoise street. About a year and a half ago I moved away and she moved in with her boyfriend.

It’s funny because I look back on my time in San Diego in three very distinct parts (or seasons as I often compare my life to a television show, how original huh?). The first season was all about my move and introduction to the wonderful world of San Diego. I lived in an apartment that was very overpriced, because it had a pool (something I thought I HAD to have, but never, not once, not one single time, used). I marveled at how different San Diego was from ANY city I’d been to before. I made it to the beach (probably three times, all when friends came to visit) and I explored what was easily accessible and didn’t require any friends (since I hadn’t made any yet). And I made fun of how girls dressed when they went to class at San Diego State (short skirts, high heels).

The second season was my first real “grown up” relationship, where I moved in with the guy I was dating and tried my hand at domestic bliss. Since he was a San Diego native I actually spent the year seeing a whole different part of SD, the local music part, the house party part, the restaurants his Dad liked to go to, the taco shops he went to from high school and all through college. Didn’t end well, but I did leave that relationship with a new look on San Diego.

The third season was Lori. It was Two Small Town Girls… in a big city.

I left San Diego for several reasons, a job offer that promised stability and predictability, a chance to be closer to the small town I grew up in, a change in life. My reasons for leaving San Diego were, at the time, “practical” but now seem “Moo” (like a cows opinion, doesn’t matter. It’s Moo). I had an idea of what I should want “as a grown up”, house, car, husband, child, office, parking spot, benefits, retirement plan and I actually got absolutely everything I wanted.

At dinner I talked to Lori about it:

“I constantly apologized for the life I was living, like it wasn’t a real life.”
“Why would you feel that way?”
“Because I had an idea of what real life was supposed to be, and it didn’t really involve any fun. It was job, house, family, retirement. Everyone told me that's what would make me happy and I thought it would make me happy. I was wrong.”
“Most people have to experience a wrong decision before they know exactly what they want. At least you figured it out.”
"And now it's time to go back."

Life is as much about making the wrong decisions as the right ones. It allows for inspiration. And it allows you to realize that a once foreign city did become home... My San Diego seems far away but I am working my way back.

This month, besides beer, we’re working on more specialized and original content. We will continue with “My San Diego” and have upcoming contributions from Blogger Cat Dirt Sez, musician Mike Press , artist Jean Beanabou and singer Toni Valdez who tell us all about their San Diego.

We'll also be starting a new feature, all about Rachelle, who is a brand new transport from New Mexico, making her way through San Diego. You can experience San Diego (again) for the first time.

And we will continue with all things San Diego. If you'd like to contribute, be featured, have an idea for an article or just want to give a shout out, you can email cutchawrites@gmail.com

And enjoy the beer.

-Cutcha

A You Tube Day

I rarely play around with You Tube (seriously. Okay, so I've been known to view a intimidating chipmunk or two, maybe an over crazed Britney fan, or a Sesame Street mash up but I am not a You Tube peruser by nature). Once my friends' son came over and played on You Tube for over four hours, looking up whatever crossed his mind (most of that involved Pokemon).

But this weekend I decided to take a bit of a San Diego You Tube tour where by I found a few interesting things, not the least of which was the tendency to put images of San Diego to cheezy 80's jazz easy listening music.

Skeptical as I was, I found myself watching the following video with... wait for it... a tear in my eye. Maybe it's Bon Jovi, maybe it's that he's thanking San Diego for loving him and he REALLY MEANS IT. Whatever it is... I didn't make it all the way through before I decided watching videos of a beautiful San Diego when I am currently in exile from said San Diego is NOT what one should do with their Sunday... unless they are a glutton for punishment... or they want to have their musical moment while in pajamas with a rerun of Monk on the TV.




*tear* oh God let's not start this again...

For more information...

about me
about what's up with me and Lori
or to see my personal blog

From the Editor: Allow myself to introduce... myself.

Welcome to My San Diego blog, a blog dedicated to my (and your) San Diego. At this point we are in the beginnings of what will be (we hope) an exciting endevour into the blogosphere. My San Diego Blog wants to let everyone explore the world of all the different ways you can see/experience/taste/smell/love San Diego. We have many (planned) upcoming features which we'll be getting up and going as soon as people get off their butts and email me but I asked them to (I'm learning this Editor thing, gimme a break).

Some upcoming features:

My San Diego (whereby various community members tell you a little about their San Diego)

Rachelle's World (whereby newby San Diegan Rachelle tells us about moving/ living/ searching and learning in San Diego)

What San Diego wears (whereby we check out what real San Diegans are wearing for the various seasons)

What's in the shop window (whereby we feature a local boutique and what they are putting in their shop window, what's hot in fashion people?!)

San Diego is my city. And (truth be told) I never though it would be. I expected San Diego to be a stop over on my way to a "real city" like New Y ork or Los Angeles. I came to San Diego (on my own) about five years ago when I started Graduate School in creative writing. My first year as a San Diegan I was almost sure that I could actually make it in the Southern California world of full time flip flops and drizzle "rain storms." Despite my better Northern California girl judgment I was hooked.

San Diego (to me) has become a city like no nother (nothing can compare to the outdoor festivals, the beach, the neighborhoods, the weather). And then, luck of luck, my best friend Lori moved down from our small town and we shared an apartment together along with other various city adventures.

We started a blog. "Two Small Town Girls... in a big City" recounted our adventures out and about in San Diego (and a little about living on our own in a big city) and was named best of msn spaces and featured on msn.com. We were living the good life, the single in the city good life that featured a lot of this, this, this, and this.

And then I moved. I attempted to become a "grown up" which meant leaving San Diego for a new job in a new city. After a year away I am planning my triumphant return to SD. Many (many) things are different for me now but I have figured out one very important thing, San Diego is where it's at and ain't nobody gonna tell me any different.

You can love a city...

Welcome to My San Diego...

-Cutcha

You can find out more about Editor Cutcha Baldy by visiting her homepage: http://cutcha.googlepages.com/ or her my space page www.myspace.com/cutchawrites