Things That Are Getting Better

Not long ago I wrote about the past decade, and how things were looking pretty gloomy. The economy, unemployment, two wars, terrorism, the environment, and much, much more. But I saw an article recently that reminded me that things aren't as bleak as they may at first glance appear. Here are a few things (there are many more) that are actually better than they were in 2000.

1. Paint...Benjamin Moore's Natura line is eco-friendly and odor free. Gorgeous, durable, low maintenance.
2. TV dinners...Remember Swanson TV dinners from years ago? Compare that to what we now have with Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Kashi and some lesser known great frozen dinners from Trader Joe's.
3. Oak Street, New Orleans. Ransacked by looters during Katrina, Oak Street is back in action. Businesses like Ace Hardware, the Maple Leaf Bar, and the legendary Jacques-Imo's Cafe have reopened and new businesses are popping up all the time. A $5.4 million overhaul helped, as has the annual Po-Boy Preservation Festival.
4.Our reputation around the world...Looks like the Ugly American has gotten a makeover. According to the Pew Research Center, the nation's standing is on the rise in Latin America, Africa, much of Asia and western Europe.
5. Surgery..New techniques in surgery are changing so fast, it's amazing. Using radio waves or ultrasound to destroy a tumor without a single cut would have been something you read about in a sci fi novels not long ago. Now they're here, and often surgeries that used to require several days in the hospital are now done on an outpatient basis.
6. Wind power. Change is in the air, literally. We now produce enough wind power to run seven million homes. The goal is to generate 20%of our power from wind by 2030, which would mean a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions.
7. Diabetes maintenance. Improving on the pincushion approach to testing one's blood, patients can now use a subcutaneous gluose sensor, which gives a reading every five minutes. One of my friends is using this and loves it.
8. Breast cancer survival rates. A recent report from the American Cancer Society found that since 1990, breast cancer mortality rates have been steadily dropping-by 2% a year among women 50 and older, and by 3.2% among women younger than 50. We all have earl detection, healthier lifestle choices, and improved cancer treatments to thank.
9. Animal shelters. Not all that long ago, 17 million abandoned dogs and cats were euthanized each year in the U.S. Today that number is around 5 million. Much of the credit goes to the advocacy movement No More Homeless Pets, which creates rescue networks and educates the public.

So next time I think our country, and our world, is going in the wrong direction, I will think about the positive strides we have taken in the environment, medicine, environmental issues, and the humane treatment of animals. Of course there's much more that is going in the right direction, but these few ideas caught my eye. We can make this a better world, Yes We Can.

Seventh Visit to Taft

I drove cautiously to Taft on Friday morning. If you remember, I left my driver's license with the guard last week as always, but forgot to pick it up at the end of my visit. So flying to Colorado was a bit of ordeal, but worked out ok, then I just had to be careful not to speed on my way to Taft. I made it, and had a fantastic visit as always. This week David was there for about two hours (our son). He always brightens up the room and makes things lively, so Ron really enjoyed that.

I said I would write about "getting real" this week. I'll try to explain. While the events of this saga are unfolding, you are busy dealing with the day to day changes, talking to lawyers, visiting lawyers, taking depositions, going to court, talking with prosecutors, and paying lawyers. This doesn't leave a lot of time to deal with the emotions you are, or should, be feeling. You're just so busy. So, when it all comes to a head and the judge tells you you'll be incarcerated for 24 months, you're numb. But reality quickly sets in and you are relieved. Yes, it sounds odd, but it is a relief to know what is going to happen. I have always felt that fear of the unknown is the most difficult thing to deal with.

Even when you finally know when and where you are going, reality has not truly set it. Ron said that for the first few weeks he was at Taft, he would lie on his bed in the afternoon, doze off, and think that when he woke up this would all be just a dream. After you do that a number of times, you realize this is for real. It is not a dream.

At Taft the inmates call it a "Come to Jesus meeting" with yourself. It does not have any religious implications. By this they mean that you have a talk with yourself and come to terms with the fact that this is where you are, this is where you will be for X number of months or years, and you better deal with it. After you have this meeting with yourself you are ready to move on to the next level, which is making the best possible life for yourself while you are there. He pointed out a man in the visitors room who has been there for many years and still has not come to terms with his situation. He's still playing the victim. This is so sad because he cannot move forward until he accepts where he it. Ron has done all of this and has moved on. He is positive and productive everyday.

Ron made a few interesting comments Friday about the whole experience. He feels that his time in Taft will add years to his life and is giving him great perspective on his life up to this time, and time to think about the future. The diet (he doesn't eat much junk anymore, just the bland food they offer), exercise and excellent health care is definitely a good thing. Plus, there is no stress at Taft. Everything is taken care of for you. Not so bad.

He also spoke about the fact that everything changes after incarceration. He will never take anything or anyone for granted again. Respect is the name of the game at Taft. I will write more about this topic next week. For now, all I can say is this is the end of the second month already. Time is moving quickly. Today is our 40th anniversary. Happy Anniversary, Ron.

San Diego Communities You Wouldn't Believe

I recently got a part time job which requires me to do a lot of driving, from Oceanside in the north, to Fallbrook, all the way down to El Cajon, Chula Vista, and San Ysidro. There are dozens of other communities that I have driven through that until now, I only heard about on the news. You wouldn't believe what's out there!

I'm always looking for new and exciting places to eat, but my dilemma now is that I'm really trying to watch what I eat. But that doesn't mean I don't notice what's out there. Most of you will never go to any of these places, so the names (some of them don't even have names) of the restaurants or stands is not important, but I'll try to give you the flavor of some of these communities.

I was in Santee today, and stopped at a gas station to read my Thomas Guide, when I noticed the most wonderful smell. It was Mary's donut shop. The smell I was inhaling was freshly baked donuts, probably glazed. I couldn't eat one, but talked to the gal coming out of Mary's and she said they're the best she ever tasted. Someday I will try Mary's donuts.

Later today I was in San Ysidro. That's the farthest south you can go in San Diego without crossing the border. It's like a little Tijuana. All the signs are in Spanish, the buildings are mostly stucco, with murals painted on many. The homes are a mix of old and in need of repair, alongside brand new homes and condos. There are vendors on the street selling all sorts of wares, from sombreros to CD's to food. Yes, lots of stalls selling street tacos. The smell was fantastic. I could hardly keep myself from indulging, but I did. Beef and chicken cooking over charcoal, fresh grilled tortillas, onions and delicious salsa. I didn't have to eat it to know how delicious it was.

One final place that caught my attention was Smokey Joe's Barbeque (no, not the one we have in north county). I went in to look around, and again the smell was overwhelming. This little restaurant was in National City, and the servers there told me that this was real southern barbeque. Pulled pork, baby back ribs, beef ribs, barbequed chicken and sausages were just a few of the many items on the menu. It looked amazing, and the prices were great too. I'd say prices were about 20% lower than what we normally pay. Other areas of National City have a large Philippino population. If you pull into a strip center the smell of Philippino food is immediately apparent. It's a strong aroma, similar to Chinese, yet different. (I think they use different spices). I just love all the cultures we have, it makes life so interesting.

Each community has it's own style, it's own character. Chula Vista has a beautiful new downtown area, with lots of shopping, restaurants, and bustling parks. Big parks everywhere, and families were everywhere on a Sunday afternoon. There are so many little Mexican restaurants in this area you wonder how they all stay in business.Most of these communities don't look like your neighboorhood, but they all have character and something special we can appreciate. Next time I hope to go when I'm hungry and try the barbeque or the street taco. My mouth is watering just thinking about that.

More New Restaurant Openings

North County is booming with new restaurants. I have four more new eateries to tell you about, most will be opening soon. It still amazes me that investors are putting up their hard earned money and investing in a restaurant in these trecherous times.

In San Marcos, another branch of The Broken Yolk is opening in the space formerly occupied by Chili's (right next to the Elephant Bar). San Marcos really needs a breakfast place.

On Coast Highway 101 in Leucadia, you will soon find Jawz. This is a grilled fish taco restaurant, that I can't wait to try. If it's any good, it will do very well. It's a little hole in the wall and I haven't seen the menu yet, but it sounds very promising.

In Encinitas, again on Coast Highway 101 and located right next to Honey's in the heart of Encinitas, is East Village Asian Diner. The diner is scheduled to open around March 8. I went by the restaurant today to check out the menu and talk to the owners. They have developed a wonderful menu, with several Asian styles represented. There is Chinese and Vietnamese, also curry dishes, several soups and lots of salads. You can get garlic noodles, wonderful soups with shrimp or pork, salads, Vietnamese style spring rolls, fried calamari, and so much more. I'm looking forward to this new addition to the area.

Finally, in Del Mar, on the corner of 15th and Camino del Mar, in the space previously occupied by Java Kai, comes Smashburger. It's a chain, new to California. It sounds fantastic. 1/3 or 1/2 pound burgers done five different ways (bacon, chilis, cheese, mushrooms, etc). Then they have sides like fries and haystack onions. They also have hot dogs done several ways, including Chicago style. So many people I know have been aching for a Chicago style hot dog, and it really doesn't exist around here. This place will be a big winner if it's as good as it looks. Many years ago, this same Del Mar center had Johnny Rockets. I don't know why they failed, but I think there is more traffic in that area now and Smashburger has a good chance for success.

As I go to these new places I will review them. If you get there before me, please let me know how you liked them. You might even save me a trip.

Gardening Odds and Ends

Thanks, Jean, for alerting me to a recent L.A, Times article about gardening. It reminded me that I haven't talked about the garden lately. Actually, since I did not plant any winter vegetables, I don't have much to talk about. This is, however, a good time of year to do a little research, see what's new in gardening and composting and plan for the spring. Even if you only plant one tomato plant in a pot this spring, try to do so. It will be fun to watch it grow, and the results will really satisfy you. In the meantime, here are two good websites to browse. http://www.blogger.com/www.gardners.com was mentioned in the L.A. Times. I spent a few minutes looking at all the great stuff they have to buy. New Bamboo Crocks for kitchen refuse is attractive and made from a sustainable material. It is $39.95. The stainless steel composting pail at $19.95 will look good in almost any kitchen and will not omit any odor. After it's full, just dump it in your composting pile outside. They also have biobags, which you can use to line the pail, or dump the contents into the bag and place in the composting pile. It's biodegradable, made from cornstarch. Other great items that they sell include gloves, knee pads, watering cans and spades. Great website.

Another good gardening website is http://www.gardenweb.com/. This site is a great resource for gardeners. They have an "ask the expert" section and a "zone buddies" section. Zone buddies is great for keeping in touch with other gardners in your area and building a network of garden buddies. They also have a section that will help you identify and describe hundreds of plants.

Finally, there is a calendar of events worldwide, so you can visit garden events wherever you travel. I feel this site would be helpful to both the casual beginning gardner and the expert.

Most importantly, get out there and do a little gardening. It's good for the mind and the body. It's so satisfying to plant something and watch it mature. Keep in mind that composting is easy and clean and will significantly reduce trash that you send to the landfill. That's good for everybody.

No More Ricky

About six weeks ago we started hearing noises in the attic, the scurrying of little feet running back and forth, and even noises in the walls behind our bed!! I knew right away we had a rat. I know what a problem they can be from past experience. When we lived in Del Mar, we had a rat problem you wouldn't believe. The rat was actually entering the house through a hole under the bathroom sink, walking by our bed (with two dogs sleeping on the bed) and into the kitchen, where he proceeded to eat anything that had been left out. This continued for weeks before he was finally caught. I didn't want this new experience with the rat to be so lengthy.

I called pest control, and they came out right away, set traps in the attic, and within two weeks, caught the rat. However, we had more rodent trouble in the meantime. We heard noises in the kitchen in the middle of the night, and when Ron went to investigate, he saw a little furry creature run through the kitchen and disappear in a small space near the dishwasher. He thought it was a mouse. Well, night after night we would hear something in there, so of course we called pest control again, and they came with traps. The rodent got bolder as time went on. He was able to avoid getting caught, and he was getting into everything. Bananas, crackers, raisins, boxed candy, he ate it all. It gives me the creeps just thinking about him walking around the kitchen and the counters. Ron saw him three times, and thought he was a mouse. Finally, we set four sticky board traps together and caught him. It turned out to be a rat, not a mouse.

I won't go into what happened next, except to tell you that my dog slept through the whole thing, I screamed and acted like a baby, and Ron had to do the dirty work. Ricky the rat is gone, but not forgotten. I hope he has no friends or relatives that know where we live.

Sixth Visit to Taft

As I drove to Taft Friday morning I thought about the fact that Ron was finishing his seventh week of a 71 week sentence (probably). That's almost 10%! When I think about it that way, it seems time is moving along quickly. One of the things I have thought about alot, and I know Ron has too, is the many ways to count time.

There are many ways to count time. One woman told me about a countdown clock. You put in the length of the sentence, and it shows you exactly how many days, weeks and months you have left. I opted not to get that. When I lie in bed at night I often think of different ways to figure out the amount of time Ron has left at Taft. How many months, how many weeks, how many more Thanksgivings, or birthdays,or the percentage of time left. Never being much of a math student some of the calculations are difficult for me, but there is gratification in figuring this stuff out.

Other ways of counting time are the traditional monthly calendar, where I X out each date at the end of the day. Another fun way that I just started is this. I counted the number of days left in Ron's sentence, put that number of jelly beans in a jar, and each day I eat one jelly bean. When the jar is empty, Ron will be home.

Ron told me that when he was in the SHU (solitary) for the first 11 days, he figured out the hours of his sentence. Time passes very slowly there.

Lucky for him, and for me, time is moving right along. I can't honestly say "I don't know where the time went", but it is moving along, and we are both focused on getting what we can out of this experience (there's a lot to learn) and planning for the future.

Speaking of time, I arrived at Taft at 8:10 this morning, handed in my paperwork to the counselor on duty, and waited for Ron to come through the door. He knows I always arrive between 8-8:30, and he is always waiting by the door for me. Well, ten minutes went by, then fifteen, still no Ron. I didn't want to annoy the counselor, especially since he was new, but I figured something must be wrong. So I asked him to please call Ron again. He said to wait, that Ron was probably "getting ready" to see me. I said, no, that Ron had been waiting for me since breakfast at 6am. So he finally called him again. Sure enough, he had not heard the first call, and was wondering where I was. He came right out and we had a wonderful, five hour visit. After 40 years (our anniversary is in one week ) you know what each other is thinking and I knew when he wasn't right by the door at 8:00, he didn't know I was there.

We had such a great visit Friday, I just left Taft and enjoyed the ride home. The next day I was leaving for Colorado to visit my kids and their six month old baby. I awoke about 4am, realizing that I had not gotten my drivers license back when I left Taft. I was in Los Angeles, not San Diego, so I didn't have my passport. What was I going to do? I went to the airport hoping I could convince security to let me on, I showed them my picture ID from the YMCA, and a picture ID from the City of San Diego which I use to make golf reservations. Would you believe it, they let me on. There seems to be drama in everything I do these days. Next week I will continue, writing about facing reality.