Bring On Buffy! San Diego does it Once More With Feeling!

Guess what?! (Look, if you aren't a Buffy the Vampire Slayer/ Whedonverse fan skip the next paragraph, start reading at the third paragraph and come back to the second paragraph at the end)

-From San Diego City Beat- At midnight Friday and Saturday, Oct. 5 and 6, the Ken Cinema (4906 Adams Ave.) hosts the national tour of Once More With Feeling: The Buffy Musical. It's a Rocky Horror Picture Show-type production that started in Boston three years ago and is currently staged monthly at the IFC theater in New York City. This year, the live cast, who call themselves the Uncool Kids, launched a national tour and San Diego's one of only a few cities where it's scheduled to stop. Watch the episode onscreen, sing along to the songs (subtitled for virgins) and engage in all sorts of other Buffy buffoonery.

I am a Buffy fan, there I said it. I don't exactly run in a circle of people who are Buffy fans, but I am one none the less. I got my husband in to it. He went and bought me each and every season and we watch it as part of our "wow, lets wind down from life." I found odd solace in the series when I moved away from San Diego, I would watch Buffy for hours at night when I turned to my husband and said "Hey, I get Buffy. She lives on a hell mouth, I live on a hellmouth."

While I'm a Buffy fan, reading the cover story for San Diego City Beat this week I kind of didn't get it (at first). Yeah, Buffy is alive and well. There is fan fiction and comic books and people who get together to watch hours of it (I also used to do that with Sex and the City, yep, so I'm not THAT cool, Buffy fans). And yes I point out to people when Buffy people pop up on television or in movies (Willow is on How I Met Your Mother, which is why I watch it, well that and Doogie Howser; The Evil Reverend Dude, who I guess is also the Captain on Firefly, well he's now on Desperate Housewives). I know I'm not a SUPER Buffy fan though (I've seen those) as I don't wonder how it affects the world around us, nor do I think it's on the way to becoming future mythology/urban legend.

"For example, we don't know if the Minotaur in the labyrinth was real or not. We don't know if Jesus was real or not. It's all just a concept of history repeating itself," he exclaimed, excitedly slamming his fist on the table. "I believe that Buffy will actually become an important mythological figure." -North Park resident Justin Schiedel, 25

Oh City Beat, you must be waiting for the letters. Buffy as Jesus. Jesus is kinda like a super hero dude who had to save the world... Buffy is a super hero gal who... saves the world.

Any who, as a fan I read the article like "yeah, yeah, people still like Buffy." And then came this (go back to second paragraph that announces the performance of the show Once More With Feeling). My nerdy Buffy loving heart smiled today. This was the big musical episode, the one that the shows creator dreamed about. The one that I can actually sing along with (so true). It not only advances to plot in some important and surprising ways, but it also manages to pull you in and fall in love with musicals (in case you were a non lover of musicals). Plus it doesn't apologize for being a musical. And you can tell just how much fun people were having (the greatness is in the details, other people singing, dancing, the colors, the witty background one liners). I can't believe they are bringing it to San Diego.

I can't believe I'm going to miss it. Here's video of the opening song... Going Through The Motions.

Review: ABC has Cavemen in San Diego...

My notes for my review of Caveman (ABC's new sitcom all about the Geico Cavemen, who live in SAN DIEGO).

So there you go, it's in San Diego because they mention it's in San Diego and because there is a San Diego caveman weatherman on TV talking about the weather in San Diego (this would have been a VERY opportune time to make fun of the fact that it's just always sunny in San Diego, so does the weather man have a purpose? Maybe a crisis of weatherman faith? But no, he's just a zany weatherman in front of a typical looking weather background that predicts RAIN for two days by the way).

They work at Ikea, but it's not Ikea and they get to say funny words in Swedish.

Swedish words are hilarious.

Hey that guy is kind of funny... he's not one of the caveman.

They are smart Cavemen, because they write dissertations and play Nintendo Wii.

Hey so they are supposed to be in San Diego but they don't go to the beach, nor do they show the beach or talk about the beach. They don't even mention those quirky things about San Diego, like everyone wearing sandals all the time or traffic for no reason on The 8, or lots of tans. You know what made Sex and the City interesting? (besides the sex... yep you got it, THE CITY. I know I'm biased, but COME ON, it's SAN DIEGO, fairly cool place to live).

Phone's ringing. It's my Mom. She wants to know how our cat is doing. We had to take him to the hospital because he was having bladder problems. My mom begins the phone call, and I quote "so I was trying to watch this Caveman sitcom and it sucks." Mom's review is not good. I'm still giving it a chance to get better.

And now they are playing squash and talking about deformed cats (oh poor kitty). And now they are going to some very generic fancy restaurant to confront hot blonde girl who... is a Caveman collector apparently. She knows what she likes and she likes it Cro Magnon (I had to, I'm sorry).

And it's over. Something about how blonde girl might have fetish or something, nice (not really).

If I was the Gecko I'd be SO PISSED that THIS is the sitcom Geico went with (do I smell cameo anyone?). Maybe Carpoolers will be better.

...it's not...

*In truth, the show might actually play better if they just put it in LA. LA with it's incredible self conscious way of judging and presenting itself. Could you imagine Cavegirls with bleach blonde hair? Buying a million pairs of huge bug looking sunglasses? Nicole Richie, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears jokes (which you can never go wrong with?). I don't know why they chose to move the sitcom from the midwest to San Diego, when really you'd get so much more story out of the LA landscape. At this point it doesn't seem to matter to them where it takes place... or if it's funny. It did make me want to watch the show Pushing Daisy's though. Compared to what I was watching, those commercials made the show look like the most interesting and amazing thing on ABC. So Pushing Daisy's it is, if only it was set in San Diego. *

OKTOBER(fest)

Well this weekend does beginith October and therefore it is time to feature(ith) Oktoberfest. The great American (AMERICAN) festival celebrating all things liderhosen and bier (and chicken dancing).

La Mesa Oktoberfest
October 5,6 11am-11pm
October 7 11am- 6pm

La Mesa's Oktoberfest is large, crowded and the beer garden is huge, complete with stage, bands, dancing and random people that will stop and tell you all about their afternoons: "Drank so much I can't count" or "hey have you seen my shoes?" I say take your time to get there and hit it up at night (if you're going for the beer and dancing). Only do the afternoon if you plan to get tired by 6pm and go home remembering the old days when you could stay out late.

Take the San Diego Trolley Orange Line (La Mesa Blvd Stop)

Eat: Sausage, Brat or a Hot Dog
Drink: Beer
Get home: eventually


Now, now, now. The OB Oktoberfest is on it's way in right after that.
October 13 10am-8pm.

I actually never made it to this one but I've heard, like all things OB it's pretty darn fun. Plus it's easy to hit up a few dive bars here and there without missing a beat. PLUS you've got the beach and the beach goers extra parties. OB Festivals are fun because it's not just the street festival it's the entire vibe of the area. Beer garden is also usually crowded, but there is plenty of bar space. It will more likely be a younger crowd at this festival, being that they are encouraging the PB dwellers to show up.

Get there: by shuttle from PB! Free shuttle buses from PB to OB starting at 10:30am.
Pick up at 710 Beach Club

Eat: Mexican Food.

Get: your cash ahead of time, because the ATM is far away and usually has the longest line I've ever seen.

San Diego is a good place to vacation... with kids... during the fall... instead of school...

According to this article unlike what you've heard when you have kids you can still travel. In fact when you have young kids you can go ahead and travel during fall, when all those other parents have to send their kids to that pesky school thing.

And one good place to go... San Diego.

Reserve a crib at The Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego, www.hardrockhotelsd.com, and get an audio play list of lullabies performed by mainstream rockers, as well as an all-organic Baby Calming Basics gift and a "Party at My Crib" mini T-shirt.

Yep, in breaking news... San Diego is a good place to vacation. Alert the masses.

IMHO, San Diego is a GREAT kids joint, not just because of all the typical kids things (like theme parks and beach parks and parks in general) but because the general feeling of many of the restaurants, stores, and areas is a laid back, take your time, cool beans kind of attitude, one that you might not get in a city like New York or Los Angeles. We are kid friendly because we are all... big kids.

Take me to the beach, slather me in sunscreen... let me take a day. Tell the baby she can come to, if she must.

Work, shmirk...

Here's a video of The Wavehouse

Now me, I've only observed people getting busy at the Wavehouse (on the flowrider people, sheesh, keep yourself focused) and it looks HARD. Nobody is out there very long before biffing it big time (some pretty spectacular) and so I wonder, what's the big draw? Come and try to look like you're surfing, kind of, but you're not, and then you fall.

Did have a nice time sitting at the sandy bar, watching people biff it and wonder if I'd ever, in the span of time, get the guts up to even TRY it. Probably not... but we'll see. Maybe I'll put someone else on trying and writing about it... Editing prowess...

Hell no the seals won't go

I've been to both "Seal Beach" and "The Children's Pool" which is actually the same place. A few years ago La Jolla pitched a fit and "reclaimed" The Children's Pool, a small area in La Jolla Shores with a sand beach and a small pool like area perfect for swimming... or sunbathing on a rock and having your seal pup babies, or swimming with your children and not worrying so much about a strong tide or safely having your babies without worrying about awaiting sharks, or...

I went for a first date stroll and watched the seals play, sunbathe and swim while tourists and San Diegans alike pointed and smiled at them. I took my family to see "where seal beach once was" and saw a few people here and there venturing in to the water (and a few seals a little off the shore).

I knew the issue would remain contentious. And here people were like "who is going to stick up for the seals?" Turns out, the seals are going to stick up for the seals and claim their area. Sure you renamed it and put a sign up and told everyone that you were taking back the beach... silly humans... but that doesn't mean we have to go anywhere. Hell no, we won't go and we're going to poop all over the beach while we do it.

In order to make everyone happy, they decided on a "joint" use plan. They'll clean up the poop and the seals can still have their babies there if they MUST (not like there aren't sharks just waiting for them to be without this safe area).

From an LA Times article.

The City Council, stuck in the middle after years of not satisfying either side, tried in 2004 to fashion a "joint use" plan in which seals and people could coexist on the tiny beach.The beach would be dredged to increase tidal flushing and take away the excrement. Barriers would keep people away from the seals during pupping season. The beach would be smaller but cleaner and both sides could declare victory, the council reasoned.But now a state appeals court has upheld a trial court's decision that the council should put a priority on constantly cleaning the sand and water to allow human use -- even if that means driving the seals into the ocean, where hungry sharks await.

Seal sit in... seal sit in!

San Diego finally gets a sitcom and...

it's the Geico Caveman one.

Apparently it's now set in a fictional San Diego area... cute.

Reviews have been... less than stellar. And while part of me wants to give it a chance because 1. it's now in San Diego and 2. because I really like that commercial where the dude is in the airport and sees the advertisement and gets this look on his face like "man, whatever Geico suck it"... I don't know... I've always been MORE of a fan of the Gecko AND can't believe they didn't even offer him the first pilot.

I am DVR'ing the episode, but only once... and then we'll see...

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

It's OCTOBER and that means Beer, Beer, Beer...

And Oom pa pa... Oom pa pa...

Okay, La Mesa Oktoberfest holds a special place in both my and Lori's heart (Lori is the theme of the day apparently) because that is where I first danced a public chicken dance and where Lori met her now long term boyfriend. Last time we went we somehow ended up downtown (go public transportation trolley) at Moose McGillicudy's (no joke) dancing to The Disco Pimps. And eventually we got home.

Oktoberfest in La Mesa is crowded (Oktoberfests are in general) but once you find your dancing spot in front of the stage, claim it... make it yours... (There's a street fair also, offering all the fair food you can desire, cute little booths and of course beer, beer, beer.)

Below find a mini October calendar, subject to change at any time, no refunds, exchanges, returns. (Of course there's that Halloween thing coming up too...)

October 5-7: La Mesa Oktoberfest; Street Fair, Chicken Dance... Beer.

October 6-7: Julian Apple Days Festival; Beer and Wine Garden, Kareoke and Music; Vendors, Kid Games.

October 16: Waste Water Olympics; click to believe.

October 26-28: Harvest Festival Original Art & Craft Show supposed to be HUGE.

October 27: Julian Elementary & Jr. High Halloween Carnival – Cake Walk, Wheel of Luck, Go Fish & Duck Pond, Tattoos & Face Painting, Ping Pong Toss, Dime Toss – 1704 Cape Horn Drive (behind the Julian High School)

October 28: Dia De Los Muertos Oceanside; Downtown festival, fun...

Today is a short work day too

Because Lori is in town and we're going to go to a long lunch to discuss my eventual move to San Diego.

Am trying to post as much really important information as possible before then, but just warning you...

Girls lunch out...