Idyllwild

Mark and I spent the weekend up in Idyllwild for my birthday.

Tucked in the rural San Jacinto Mountains, it's an easy 2 hour drive north east of San Diego. At about 5,000 ft. and a population of just over 3,000 it's a great mountain escape, especially if you can only get away for a few days. We could all use a little fresh air!


We stayed at the Strawberry Creek Bunkhouse. Cute place, and our hostess Kathleen was awesome. We even got upgraded to a more spacious room with a loft and an air purifier, which we later discovered was a huge bonus. In the morning, we found outside our door a cute basket filled with breakfast provisions such as fresh fruit, juice, oatmeal and warm scones with this amazing jam.... it was the perfect touch!

The small town of Idyllwild is filled with hundreds of cute little shops and restaurants. I picked up a couple of treasures in a charming little boutique called Himalayan Treasures. We also checked out many of the towns eateries and watering spots, some with better service than others, but I guess we can't expect the best of everything, right? The beer selection and the "Polenta Pie" at Aroma Cafe deserves a "let's come back" with 3.5 stars.

For us, the main objective was to get out on some of the hundreds of miles of hiking trails. Perhaps the most popular attraction, for the more advanced climbers, is San Jacinto Peak, Tahquitz or Suicide Rock.

We did a grueling hike that I didn't think I would survive, Deer Springs Trail to Suicide Rock, kicked my ass, but it was awesome! Seeing all the trees changing colors, that amazing blue sky, squirrels, lizards, we even saw a garter snake. I was on the look out for a mountain lion, but no luck this time.

The hardest part of the hike was the 2,000 elevation gain, altogether over 7,500 ft. That's hard work for our sea level native lungs!





I love the manzanita, that red bark is mesmerizing!



Here's the ">whole slideshow!

Street Scene 09

I've lost count of how many Street Scenes I have been to, at least 9, but I always have fun! Here's this years lineup....



Although it is impossible to see all of the bands that I want to see, I feel I get my moneys worth at Street Scene, this year was no exception.



I'm so glad they are sticking with the downtown location. It showcases many of San Diego's finest historic charms and classic landscapes.



We saw Davandra Banhart, Holy Fuck, Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band with special surprise guest Jenny Lewis, a big treat for Mark.









And then there was a blur of stages and masses of people and I remember seeing Band of Horses, dancing to Cake and finally saw Modest Mouse, I wanted to see them forever. Apparently so did a lot of other people, that was the most people I have ever seen at any Street Scene stage, ever.





And then, before I turned into a pumpkin, it was time to head home. I didn't make it to Cage the Elephant, but there is always next year....

Mammoth Bluesapalooza

We had a great get-a-way last weekend in Mammoth for the Bluesapalooza festival.

From Mammoth 8-02-09

The clouds and a little bit of rain didn't bother us at all, it was so pretty!

From Mammoth 8-02-09

We had a little bit of time before the festival to take in some of the sights. Can you believe there is STILL snow on those peaks?

From Mammoth 8-02-09

From Mammoth 8-02-09

From Mammoth 8-02-09

There were over 70 craft brewers handing out ALL YOU CAN DRINK tastings! You know we got our moneys worth!

From Mammoth 8-02-09

And there was music too! Eric Sardinas and Big Motor, I liked their style....

From Mammoth 8-02-09

We found a really cool bar, The Tap, a locals only kind of place, but after Rachelle ran the pool table, we fit right in.

From Mammoth 8-02-09

Mark with our friends Rachelle and David that met us up there.

From Mammoth 8-02-09

On the way out of town we stopped by Convict Lake, so peaceful and beautiful.

From Mammoth 8-02-09

Here's a slide show with all of our pictures....

Escondido Punk Rock Reunion 2009

I admit, I was a little bit nervous about the reunion. After 6+ months of anticipation, and the fact that I haven’t seen most of these people in over 20 years, how could I NOT be? I guess I was mostly worried that I wouldn’t recognize anyone and visa versa. There is nothing worse than throwing your arms open ready to embrace someone who has no idea who you are.

And I was a little worried about what might happen in terms of violence or vandalism. Back in the day, there was quite a bit of that going on when this group got together. In fact it happened all the time. Sometimes in large scale. I better shut up now.

The truth is, once we finally got there, it was just like I saw them all last week (and they remembered me!). It was all I could do to throw my arms around each person fast enough. It was just as warm and comfortable as a typical family reunion. In fact, most of them brought their family’s too. It was awesome to meet everyone’s wives, husbands and kids. We actually grew up and became responsible (somewhat) adults.

I heard several times “I can’t believe how normal every one looks”. Gone are the days of spiked mohawks, studded leather jackets, combat boots and crazy makeup, although I must admit there was a lot of body ink going on. Many shared photos and memory books and the most popular start of conversation was “do you remember when......”

A great time was had by all. It was a beautiful day filled with friends, hugs, memories and long overdue re-connections. I have a feeling this will become an annual event that I don’t want to miss!

OB Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off

Saturday was the 30th annual OB Street fair and chili cook off. As you can see from the slide show, there was a good turnout this year.



This year's Ocean Beach Street Fair featured five stages of non-stop music, an artists alley, a community mural project, a bunch of kid's stuff, a beach-side beer garden & liquorland, tons of crafts booths, a skateboard exhibition, a climbing wall, and a raffle (I hope we win!), something for everyone. I look forward to this event every year, and this year did not disappoint!

One highlight of the day was the chili cook-off, a community tradition, this is what it is all about. Shannon, Mark and I shared a tasting, which basically means we got 25 samples of each prized recipe, and we collectively voted which one was best. We each got just enough of a taste to form an opinion, and we made notes as we tried each one. Well, we tried most of them. Some of the lines were crazy long, and Shannon is right, you can only taste so much chili before it all starts tasting the same. We certainly tried a variety, some really boring, some undercooked, overcooked, and some kick ass good stuff. And loved it all!

We ran into and hung out with lots of good friends and heard some great music. We saw a friends band that covers Ramones songs at Winston's, we just missed the Chi Club, but we caught part of Superunloader from a private party on top of South Beach, that was pretty sweet. We also had cocktails and jello shooters on the Sunshine rooftop, more cocktails at Tony's, lunch and more cocktails at the Blue Parrot, and maybe a few other stops.....

Somehow, at the end of a glorious and near perfect day, we dismally discovered that 2 pairs of sunglasses, the keys to my car, the car alarm and the house keys had mysteriously disappeared.

I've never lost any thing in my life, why not start by losing something major? Let's hope this is not a trend.

The obvious thing to do is to re-trace your steps, so that's what we did all day Sunday. We did find 1 pair of sunglasses, but keys, to no avail. So, it looks like calls to a locksmith, the screen replacement co., AAA, a tow company and the dealership are all in my forecast....um, when can I start blaming this stuff on old age???

Vickie's Birthday Party

We had so much fun at my cousin's 40th birthday party last weekend. They have a fabulous house out in east county which is perfect for hosting such events. Their yard includes an awesome swimming pool and jacuzzi, basketball court, horseshoes, a mini putting green, billiards, not to mention a great place for the band to play and plenty of space for dancing. Even if the weather was less than perfect, a great time was had by all.

The live entertainment of the day was local sensation and sure to keep going places, Da Bears, a great local, young and extremely talented band. Keep an eye out for these guys.

Did I mention how FANTASTIC Vickie is??? She is truly a wonderful woman, mother, daughter, friend and cousin, and I will always love her! I hope you had a great birthday and thanks again for letting us help you celebrate the big 40 with you!



The audio didn't turn out great, but the video is still funny and a little incriminating!

NOT George of the Jungle

Mark in Zion, swinging from a rope and jumping into the water. Sounds easy......



And here is how it is supposed to be done......



He's going to kill me!!!

Doheny Blues Festival

The 12th annual Doheny Blues Festival was this last weekend up in Dana Point. It was the first time I have done this particular festival, and I would probably do it again.

I like all outdoor venues and it is always nice to be so close to the beach. It would have been a lot nicer if the sun would have graced us with it's presence, but it stayed hidden behind the clouds all day.

The lack of sunshine didn't dampen our fun, we had the pleasure of listening to some good music, and that is really what it is all about. The Saturday line up included Elvin Bishop, Sven Zetterberg, Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, The Keb Mo Band, Cedric Burnside & Lightin Malcom, John Hammond, Grace Potter, Big Sandy & The Fly-Rite Boys, and finally Brian Setzer & The Nashvillians.



My only complaints about the show was the "Event Card" that they force you to use to pay for everything. I thought it was a good idea at first, it's used just like a debit card that you can add to with cash and use it to pay MOST of the vendors for goods, food and drinks. But the problem was that some vendors wouldn't take them, and others would only take the cards and no cash. So if you have $3 left on your card and you want to buy a $5 beer, you had to go withdraw $20 from the ATM and pay the $4.40 service fee to put $2 more dollars on your card, it was really stupid.

So now that I got my rant out of the way, the rest of our mini-getaway was great! We avoided food poisoning, had an easy commute with no traffic, enjoyed some great music, and we even got upgraded with a jacuzzi in our hotel room, sweet!

Stonewall Peak

Last weekend's adventure included a hike up to Stonewall Peak, which is about an hour east from San Diego. We got lucky and had one of the most beautiful days of the year.

We met up with the rest of our crew at the Paso Picacho Campground, the trail begins just across the street. The trail surrounds you with fragrant wild lavender and white California lilac this time of year. The scars from the 2003 Cedar Fire are eerily beautiful the way the burnt limbs contrasts with the white bark of the trees.

The panoramic view from the Stonewall Peak summit is amazing. On clear days you can see all the way to the Salton Sea, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park can be seen to the east, and the mountains of Baja California to the south.

A fairly easy 4 mile hike, the switchbacks took us (with 3 kids) about 2 hours to reach the peak, and about 1 hour back down. We were all on the lookout for snakes and sure enough found a baby rattler in-between some rocks on the summit. I later learned that it is a rare speckled rattlesnake, crotalus mitcheli.

There were the customary cuts and scrapes but we avoided any major injuries all the way down the trail, until the end. About 50 yards from the bottom of the hill Paul, Marks brother, twisted and sprained his ankle, and had to be carried back to the car. It swelled up pretty good, sure hope he is better in time to go to Zion next month!

OB Oktoberfest

Who doesn't love hearing those great soft rock songs from the 70's? And when you can see them performed live in the sun in Ocean Beach with good friends and lots of beer, life is great.

We made it down to the Ocean Beach Oktoberfest to check out The Knights of Monte Carlo, America's #1 hard core soft rock yacht band, and if you have seen them, you know exactly what that means.

We heard favorites like “Ride Like the Wind”, “Africa”, “I Can't Tell You Why”, “Escape” (The Pina Colada Song), “Somebody's Baby”, “Baker Street”. It was awesome, everyone over 30 knew the words and sang along, how could you not?

From the Knights of Monte Carlo web site;

“Let us be clear– Knights of Monte Carlo are not a cover band, but are the embodiment of an era when pina coladas, ocean breezes, key parties, beards, and afternoon delights ruled the day; a time when out of every AM radio came the smooth, sultry, sexy, sounds of soft rock.”

Dark Star Orchestra

If you are not familiar, Dark Star Orchestra is a Grateful Dead cover band. They basically replicate the shows that the Dead did, meaning they play song for song the whole concert. They have been playing for well over 9 years and they play in San Diego several times a year, the shows always sell out.

Seeing them on Friday night at the Wavehouse in Mission Beach was a blast. The venue itself was new and kinda weird, but it worked. Not a bad set up, but the bar got a little congested so close to the stage.

I saw a bunch of friends that I just don't see enough, and of course, my old friend Bill Walton was there. I have seen him at more concerts this year, maybe we should start to carpool?

Bonus at this show was that the sound was being engineered by none other than Dan Healey, the guy who did the sound for the Dead for 35 years. Read this article. Did I mention how great the band sounded? I was blown away by how much they sounded like the Dead. When I closed my eyes I could almost pretend that it was Bobby, Jerry, Phil, Micky and Bill up on that stage.

Street Scene 08

Street Scene has been through a lot of changes over the years. I’m sure all experienced Street Scene goers will agree that it is definitely in a better location back downtown. That whole Q parking lot thing was just wrong.

I heard that there were major problems getting in and out from people taking the trolley system, but Mark and I had a carefree and easy experience getting there on the bus. We opted to catch a cab for the ride home, even that was easy.

We got through the gates with ease and went right to the Fulano Stage to see Spiritualized (love their website). They had a great full sound with deep elements of soul and rock. Unfortunately, I managed to shoot 2 pictures with my camera before the batteries died. My bad. So the rest of the night I was forced to use my less than acceptable cell phone camera. It is sooooo time to upgrade.

Next, we headed towards the Fulana stage to check out some of Tegana and Sara. They are not really up my alley, but they drew a big college crowd. We decided this was a good time to check out the beer garden section, which was actually laid out in a good position. A few well smuggled mini vodka bottles helped with the enhancement.

Promptly at 9:25 PM The National started. I have to admit, I hadn’t even heard of them until earlier that day. I was really impressed. Strong musicians and I love their lyrics. I got a rush from the kids around us that were really into the band, their enthusiasm was contagious.

X totally killed me. Billy Zoom, DJ, Exene and John Doe can still put it on. I saw them last when I was 16 or 17?? I can’t believe they have been around for over 30 years and they still kick ass.



Devo absolutely rocked. Talk about nostalgia. I can still feel it in my aching calves. I haven’t danced and jumped around that much since my punk rock days. But how can I complain when the band is by far older than me, and they had the tenacity to put on the hardest rocking show of the night? Complete Satisfaction.

Football Season

It’s my favorite time of the year again, football season!!!! I am looking forward to the Chargers having an awesome season, despite the disappointing finale of yesterday’s game.

After some grumbling, the guys in the football pool decided to let me play again, even though I dominated the pool last year. They will get over it. I doubt I will be that lucky again, but I hope so!

Normally, I do not leave my house on Sundays during the season. I have always preferred to focus on my games without distraction, and I kind of like just kicking it in my jammy’s all day.

But yesterday I was coerced into joining some friends at Hamilton’s in South Park to watch the Chargers. It was so much fun! Every time the Chargers scored they played that old-school San Diego Chargers song, and every one cheered, it was a fun crowd.

It was also kind of fun to take public transportation to the bar. I haven’t been on a city bus in 20 years, but since we were planning on drinking all day, it was the responsible thing to do. I also realized that there is an awful lot of San Diego that I need to explore more of. More on that later~

Radiohead in Santa Barbara

I declined invitations to go see Radiohead here in San Diego last week so that I could take a couple of days off work and go see them up in Santa Barbara. A Thursday night concert turned into a fabulous long weekend.

It was my first concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl so it hard to done right. I was extremely fortunate to have been invited by my cousin and her husband to attend the concert and stay at their incredible home for a few days.

There’s a long story, but here’s the condensed version. I caught a ride with die-hard “Radio-heads” Shannon and her friend Elizabeth, who are just awesome people. They have been traveling the world to see Radiohead for years, (this was their fourth show of the week) being my first show, they gave me all the information I needed to know, and then some!

The SB Bowl was very impressive. The rustic surrounding and natural backdrop was perfect for a late summer concert. It didn’t hurt that our seats were dead center and right at the railing, they could not have been better. The layout and the acoustics in the bowl were obviously well designed, the sound was just right.

For my first Radiohead show, I thought they were incredible. I love the variety of sounds and instruments the band plays and how Thom Yorke uses his voice as an instrument, a beautiful instrument. They are all very talented musicians, I look forward to seeing them again someday.

As usual, the rest of the weekend was filled with great food and LOT'S of great wine and hospitality. We were even treated with a special behind the scenes tour and candid conversation with the great Pinot Noir maker Chris Whitcraft of Whitcraft Winery.

There was a good deal of indulgences this weekend. I love Santa Barbara and I can't wait to go back!

Did you feel it?

That's the number one question asked today in California. If you didn't hear, there was a 5.4 earthquake today centered in Chino Hills, about 30 miles from Los Angeles.

Yes, I definitely felt it. I was at work in La Jolla/UTC on the 4th floor of a six story building. I've been through a few good shakers in my lifetime, and I would say this was one of the top three, as far as the scare factor goes.

There was a lot of noise, building creaking I guess. It sounded like there was gravel hitting the windows, not sure what that was about. It was one of those "swaying" earthquakes and it seemed to last a long time.

Shortly after we stopped shaking, I got a call from a co-worker in my company's downtown Los Angeles office, they were evacuated. They decided to close for the rest of the day until a building inspector could verify the building was safe. People were pretty shook up, but so far, no major damage or injuries have been reported.

All in all, I will still take an earthquake over a tornado or a hurricane any day!

WSP United Palace Theater, NY

I still can't decide which show I liked best, Friday or Saturday night. I guess I really don't have to make that decision, they were both special in their own way. I've seen Panic 8 or 9 times now (?) and I have never had a bad show. In fact, each show gets better and better.

The United Palace Theater was designed to impress. As soon as you walk in the spectacular entrance you are in awe. Read a great review here.



Even though there was not a bad seat in the house, Friday night we had orchestra seats so we managed to get up to the 4th row for a most excellent view.



SET 1: Holden Oversoul > Better Off, Climb To Safety, Papa Johnny Road, Sleeping Man, Sleepy Monkey > Free Somehow > Pleas > Love Tractor

Imagine our delight to see Warren Haynes on the stage in the second set. He absolutely blew us away, the energy in that theater was intense. Here is a snipet of video that Tom shot with my camera.



SET 2: Space Wrangler > Radio Child > Jam > Jack, Wondering > Second Skin > Drums > Surprise Valley* > Protein Drink* > Sewing Machine*

ENCORE: This Part Of Town > Walk On The Flood

* with Warren Haynes on guitar

You can actually listen the concert on Panicstream.com, it's easy, just click here.

Saturday's first set went on forever. I couldn't believe that they played "Hatfield", the song about San Diego. They have played that song just about every time I have seen them, I thought for sure they wouldn't play it in NY, it's like they knew I was there.



SET 1: Big Wooly Mammoth > North, Angels on High > Little Lilly > Rock > Hatfield, Hope In A Hopeless World, Conrad

SET 2: From The Cradle > Bowlegged Woman, Papa's Home > Three Candles > Airplane > Drums > Papa's Home > Henry Parsons Died

ENCORE: Let's Get The Show On The Road > Blackout Blues

They made my night with "Airplane", but every song rocked. I don't know how John Bell remembers the lyrics to all these songs, he is a professional. They played several songs from their new album "Free Somehow" all pretty cool but still unfamiliar. That's OK, somebody promised to send me a copy, it should be arriving soon.

It's going to be hard to top this show in the future, everything worked out just perfectly and had a good groove, good energy. I love it when that happens!

Adventures in New York

Have you ever had one of those vacations that you don't want to take a shower when you get home because it will somehow wash away the experience and signify the end of a beautiful thing? I had one of those vacations. It was so hard to leave New York this time, if I wasn't in love before, I am for sure now.

Even though the forecast was for a cold and rainy weekend, after a little drizzle Friday morning it cleared up and turned out to be gorgeous. I stayed in Copaigue on Long Island, previously occupied mostly by Italian-Americans, it's now a cozy little suburb with a lot of Polish-American residents.

It's about an hour train ride into the City. On Friday afternoon Tom and I met up with my friends John and Helena at their absolutely incredible apartment/condo on Fifth Ave in the Village, just a block or two from Washington Square Park. I can't believe I didn't take any pictures when I was there, it was very impressive. We had just enough time to grab a quick bite at a new sushi restaurant in the neighborhood, I think it was called Aja, pretty good.

From there we took the subway to 175th Street via subway to get to The United Palace Theater where we met up with Tom's roommate Doug, and where we would ultimately see Widespread Panic. It was John, Helena and Doug's first Panic show, so it is always extra fun to turn newbies into "spread heads"! Click here for a separate post about the actual show(s).



The rest of the night was absolute bliss. The United Palace Theater was incredible, the show was beyond awesome, I was with good friends, I couldn't of asked for anything more. I also must mention how cool NY concert goers were. I have been to a lot of shows but this was my first on the east coast, and I can't get over how friendly people were. A very different vibe, but I liked it.

After a very late night, we managed to get up and headed over to Central Park. Actually we intended to check out the museums, but the weather was so nice we just hung out in the park. I'd never been to Strawberry Fields, and also across the street is the Dakota, where John Lennon lived and died, and Yoko still lives. We hiked through the infamous "Ramble" (even saw some police activity), and then we found a quiet place in the sun to just chill out and did some people watching.



After a great southwestern diner and margarita's at Cilantro's, I took my first cab ride in NYC to the United Palace Theater for the second WSP concert. They said the Saturday night show was sold out, but it seemed to me a lot more crowded on Friday night. Anyway, the show again did not disappoint, a magical wonderide. I danced all night, even if I was deliriously exhausted.

On my final day in NY, we headed out to Jones Beach so I could see the Atlantic. I don't understand why they have a gigantic pool right next to the beach, but what do I know? There was a biting cold wind blowing, so I took a few pics and got back in the car, but it was cool to see. Speaking of pictures, my new camera did a great job, I have some pretty good stuff here, please check out the whole album here.



So, I am home again. Trying to adjust to pacific standard and life in San Diego. I suppose I will have to take that shower and look towards tomorrow. Until my next adventure...

Panic in New York!

I was up at the crack of dawn this morning to order my tickets for the Widespread Panic shows April 4th & 5th in New York, and I am happy to report I was successfull!

I was pleasantly surprised to have scored orchestra seats for the first night, and upper lodge for the second night. I don't think there is a bad seat in the house. The maximum capacity at the United Palace Theater is 3,293, and from what I have read, the acoustics are pretty good.

I was a little conflicted when I heard that Ratdog is also playing in NY April 3, 4 & 5th. I tried to figure out a way to see them both, but it just won't work. For some reason they are only touring the East coast this Spring, but it looks like they will be in California in July for the High Sierra Festival, I hope to catch them there.

Not only will I be seeing my favorite band, but I will also get to hang out with my concert soulmate Tom. I haven't seen him since October when he moved back to NY. It will be a good time. I just wish I had more time to hang out, there is so much to see and do in my second favorite city.

Doesn't this look like fun? I can't wait!

Go Chargers!

I’ve tried really hard NOT to brag about football this year, but sorry, I just HAVE to do it, my Chargers are kicking some serious butt! Along with the rest of San Diego, I was ecstatic to watch the Chargers take out the Colts today. As a team, I think they have really matured and they are actually playing as a team. I’m so proud!

Not only did my team win, but I managed to win the football pool AGAIN! During the regular season I won three individual weeks, I took first place overall, and now this playoff week win, puts me at over $550 for the season. Not too shabby for a girl, eh?

Of course the boys in the pool don’t like being beat by a girl, so there have been threats about kicking me out. I tried to ease their pain by buying lunch for the gang at Wooley’s yesterday, and I may have earned some points, until I won again today. I don’t think they are going to like it. I may be looking for a new pool to play in next year.

The way I look at it, I have been a loyal player (and payer) in this pool for 9 years, so I was due. Just like the Chargers, we were both long overdue for a super season. I am going to stay optimistic about the game against New England next week, if I can win the pool 4 times, surely the Chargers can beat the Patriots, right?

Rock the Casbah

My taste in music is a little bit diverse. In 1982 I discovered Punk Rock. I don't know exactly how it started, but it wasn't long before I was hopelessly addicted to the sound, the fashion and the rebellious attitude that was feared and loathed by my poor undeserving parents. It was dangerous and exciting, and it was probably the best time of my life.

My partner in crime in those days was Erin. We literally did some crime, and we had some crazy good times. We managed to grow up, (kinda) lost the mohawk and pink/blue hair, and we both got respectable jobs. Erin moved to London a few years ago but she was in town this year for the holidays.

Looking for something that we could do while she was in town, I ran across the line up at The Casbah. I was thrilled to see "Battalions of Saints", "The Adolescents" and "The Germs" playing together December 27th.

Granted it has been a few years since I have been in the scene, but some things just don't change. It felt like I had never left. Of course most of the crowd and the the guys (and girl) in the bands were a little bit older, but the energy was still vibrant and raw. Although I didn't make it into the mosh pit, I couldn't help but to scream along to the lyrics, jump around, and shake my fist in the air like I had something to be really pissed off about. And I did get to push a few people!

I have to say it was the Adolescents that made my night. They did not miss a beat and they played all my favorites. The Saints set list also took me back in time. As a local San Diego band I snuck into a few of their gigs over the years. It was awesome to see The Germs for the first time. With the exception of Darby Crash, they pretty much still have the original lineup. Although I still love my jam bands, my classic rock, and alternative music, there will always be a place in my heart for all things punk.