Great Italian Food at Piazza 1909

On Debbie's recommendation, our lunch bunch drove to La Jolla for a delicious lunch at Piazza 1909.  The restaurant is on Fay Avenue, just across from one of my old favorites, The Cottage.  Piazza 1909 is an old house turned into a charming restaurant, with five or six tables inside, the rest outside on a beautiful patio.  We were there on a cool day, so the inside was very crowded.  We were also there during restaurant week, and although the three course meal looked interesting, we ordered off the menu and shared a lot of dishes, as we always do.

First, the focaccia bread with tomato dipping sauce was delicious, and with my nice of Chianti, tyed  me over until our meal came.  First we had delicious bruschetta, with nicely toasted bread and fresh tomatoes.  Next, we had meatballs in marinara sauce that were excellent.  We also had an arugula salad and a tagiatelle with and intense meat sauce.  Finally, we ordered a pizza with cheese and prosciutto.  Everything was quickly devoured, and several in our group were ready for dessert.  They ordered a chocolate volcano, similar to a lava cake, with a scoop of vanilla bean gelato on top.  Not being a great chocolate lover, I passed on dessert, except for two spoons of gelato, which I couldn't resist.

This is a great little find in La Jolla.  The food is very good, the service friendly, and the atmosphere is very homey.  It's great for lunch or dinner.  Enjoy.

Oh, the restaurant also has some sort of a wine club, and for $60, they have a cooking class where you learn to cook three dishes and then eat it.  That might be fun to do.

I Can't Think Of Anything Else!

For the past few weeks I have sat down several times to write a blog.  You know I like to keep the topics varied and informative, but right now I'm having trouble doing that.  The only thing that comes to mind is the Covid 19 virus and what we're doing about it.  So, I have not written much lately, but I want you to know I'm still here and thinking about staying in touch with all of you.  Here are a few thoughts I can share with you.

Taking the advice of the science and health professionals is the best thing you can do right now.  Stay home!!!  I got a call from friends yesterday who wanted to bring dinner over and spend the evening with us.  NO!!!  The only person coming in our home until further notice is Dan, our caregiver.  I go to the supermarket once a week during senior hours, but I am considering ordering groceries on line.  Other than that, and a once a week trip to a drive thru for lunch (In and Out), then eating in the parking lot, is all we are doing. 

A friend sent me an e-mail this morning, trying to put our self isolation in perspective.  Anne Frank and family hid in a 450 square foot area and could not make any noise, for over 750 days.  We can all do this!  And her family had no telephone, Netflix, or other devices to keep them busy. 

Thank goodness for Zoom.  My lunch group is meeting on Zoom this week, in place of a great meal at a restaurant.  We will all have a great time, eating our peanut butter sandwiches or yogurt and just having fun.  Our Newcomers group is planning our first on line book club meeting, which I can't wait to attend.  Newcomers will also have their general meeting as a Zoom meeting, which should be fantastic.

The bridge club that we play at in Phoenix has organized an online bridge game every afternoon.  Just like being at the bridge club, same people, same competition, but you can compete in your pajamas.  That's something I also plan to try. 

So what else are people doing?  My friends who used to sit by the pool and sunbathe everyday have set up beach chairs in their driveway, brought the dog's bed out to the driveway so the dog can be with them, and they sit there in their bathing suits all afternoon. 

Several people from our dogpark have arranged walks, usually just two or three people at a time (in order to keep our distance) everyday.  This is a benefit to humans and canines alike.  Others I know are going on Facetime and reading to their grandchildren, or helping grandchildren with their homework.  My gym has set up virtual exercise classes, where you can go on line and take a class with your favorite teacher any time you want. 

I'm exhausted from keeping so busy! Next time I blog I will talk about some of the psychological effects of social distancing, and how I am coping.  We are all in this together, and we will all get though it, if we stay strong and follow the advice of professionals.  Stay safe.

The Art of David Hockney

One of my favorite artists of the past 50 years is David Hockney.  Born in 1937 in England, he has had an extraordinary career.  When Ron and I started collecting art in the 1980's, Hockney was one of our favorite artists.  At one time we had a print from his pool series, an original oil of his favorite dog, and several prints from his theatre works, which were drawings of the sets he designed for operas.  The only one we still have is the drawing of his dog.

 Ron and I visited long time friends in Phoenix recently.  Our hostess, Ellen, said the Heard Museum had a show of Hockney's Yosemite paintings.  This was the first exhibit of Hockney's in Arizona! I couldn't wait to see it. The exhibit combined the prints of Hockney's that were done in 2010 and 2011 with a few of his photographic collages from the 1980's, and baskets made by indigenous women, inspired by the same landscape that Hockney painted.  The 20 baskets that were displayed were examples of Mono Lake Paiute and Miwok basketry from early-mid 20th century.  Hockney's prints were first drawn on his iPad, then transferred to larger paper.  This is just one example of how David Hockney has evolved over the years, always trying out new techniques.

In 2018 Hockney's 1972 work Portrait of an Artists (pool with two figures) sold at Christies for $90million.  Over the years, David Hockney has done portraits, printmaking, photocollages, plein air landscapes, and theatre works, where he designed sets and costumes for opera in the 1980's.  He is truly one of the most recognized and respected artists of the 20th century and beyond.

No Restaurants to Review: What to Do? What to Do?

The last restaurant I reviewed was only about 2 weeks ago.  It was Beshok  Ramen in Carlsbad.  I'm still thinking about how delicious the soup was.  Rich, intense broth with an abundance of noodles, sprouts, egg, and pork.  Well, I won't be going there any time soon, if ever.

I know we will recover from this catastrophe, but will things ever be the same?  How many of our favorite restaurants will have closed, never to be seen again?  It's hard to know.  Most small establishments are like most people, living paycheck to paycheck.  Will no interest loans and government help be enough to keep them alive?

It's still too early to tell.  We still don't know how long cases are going to increase daily, and how long it will be until we see the curve start to flatten.  I think of restaurants like Market and Pamplemousse.  Can they possibly do enough take out to keep them afloat?  I don't think so. 

Ron has not been out of the house in over a week, so last Friday we decided to get out for a while.  Dan was with us (our wonderful caregiver).  Ron wanted to go to In and Out for lunch in the car.  We went to the Vista location, and waited about 25 minutes in line.  They have a fantastic system set up, with one person taking your order before you get to the window, then payment at the first window and food at the second window.  It was a treat, and we ate in the parking lot of the restaurant.  We plan to go to another drive through on Friday, maybe some place a little nicer.  I'll have to research and find out who's doing take out.

Difficult times call for innovation.  My lunch bunch group was scheduled to go out next Tuesday, but instead, we have all added Zoom to our phones, and we will sign is as a group and have lunch together.  Not quite the same as last month's fantastic visit to Brussels Bistro in San Clemente, but it will have to do for now. 

Keep safe everyone.  This is not a hoax.  Listen to health professionals, not politicians who have their own agenda.  Facts matter.

Surviving Coronavirus, Physically and Mentally

There's not much I can tell you about how to stay safe during this pandemic that hasn't already been said.  One Japanese doctor has suggested the following, for self monitoring yourself daily.  Take a deep breath, hold for at least 10 seconds.  If you can do this without coughing or feeling tightness, you probably don't have fibrosis in the lungs. If you do this simple check each day you can hopefully catch the virus before it become dangerous.  Another tip from the same source is to keep yourself hydrated.  Dry mouth can be a breeding ground for infection.  If you do happen to have contact with some who has the virus, frequent sips of water will wash the virus out of the mouth, down into the stomach where it will be killed.  I haven't heard either of these ideas from any American doctors, but that doesn't mean anything to me. Neither of them cost anything and they just may protect you.

Keeping yourself mentally fit is a bit more difficult.  If you plan to self distance yourself from crowds, you will probably be spending a lot more time at home.  Unless you plan on selling stocks at this time, don't look at your portfolio for a while.  It will only depress you.  Based on past performances, the market will come back.  Be patient.

How to keep yourself busy?  Catch up on the new shows and old ones you've missed on Netflix and Prime.  We just watched several old seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm, and every Sunday night look forward to a new episode of season 10.  Clean out clutter in your home and garage.  If you're like me, this will take you several days, but you will feel great.  Catch up on correspondance with friends and family.  It's a good time to reconnect with people.  If you're missing your day at the bridge club, invite a few local friends over for the afternoon.  The same goes for Canasta players and Mah Jongg players.  Play with a fresh deck of cards!  Or, play games on line.  There is so much to choose from.

Visit grocery stores or pharmacies at quiet hours, to avoid the crowds.   I plan NOT to buy grapes right now.  They have been touched by too many people, and even if you wash them, there is risk.  I will try to stick with peeled fruits and apples, which can be easily washed. Reschedule doctor appointments that aren't urgent.  I just cancelled Ron's ALS checkup and my mammogram.  He is stable so I see no reason to take him into a hospital filled with sick people.  My mammogram can be done at a future time.  These are just a few of my thoughts on staying safe during this trecherous time.  If I have more, I will let you know.  In the meantime, stay safe, don't panic, and get medical help if you think you need it.  We will all get through this.

How To Keep Your Sanity During The Coronavirus

As it appears more certain that social distancing, school and restaurant closures, and just about every form of entertainment will continue for quite a while, we all have to find our own way of keeping productive, fit and involved.  So far, my plan is working for me.

I have always been very organized, making "To do" lists and the like, and I am continuing to do that now.  I have a daily schedule of things I want to do, in no particular order, but if I do everything I put on the list, I will have accomplished a lot and another day will be put to bed.

Here is a typical day for me:

7:30am  walk pepper
8:00 make breakfast and coffee and enjoy while reading on line NY Times and e-mail. 
8:30-9:30 read (just finished The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich and am now reading Deacon King Kong by James McBride)
9:30 get Ron up and dressed and get his breakfast
10:00 help Ron arrange work for the day (he's doing tax returns)
10:30 Watch a Netflix show (just finishing Pandemic, a six part series.  How appropriate!)
11:30 Make lunch and eat
1:00 Take Pepper on a 3 mile walk
2:00  Free time-write a blog, talk to friends, text, clean garage, drawers, closets, etc.  (I'm working on the garage right now)
4:00  Play on line bridge on BBO with a friend (I could do that for several hours, but I don't)
5:00  Watch news
5:30  Make dinner and eat
7:30  Another short walk for Pepper
8:00  TV time with Ron and then bed

That's a pretty full and productive day!  Lots of exercise, some interaction with social friends by text or on line bridge, entertainment and conversation with Ron, and some cooking

I'm doing a lot of cooking these days.  Today I made a brisket, pickled beets, chicken salad, and a batch of oatmeal cookies.  I will take some food to my old, single neighbor who is not doing well.

We will all get through this.  Keep yourself busy, find new was to interact with others, find new things to do.  I'm texting a lot with my 8 year old granddaughter, which I don't usually do.  Stay safe everyone.

Generate Hope: Help For Young Girls

I went to a fund raiser for Generate Hope.  It was inspiring.  Here in San Diego sex trafficing is rampant.  Most girls that are lured into prostitution are age 14-16.  It takes years, if ever, for them to escape the horror.  Generate Hope is helping girls recover from the trauma of sex with up to 10 partners a night for years.  They need to rebuild self esteem and ultimately start a new life.

Most girls are lured into prostitution at a very young age.  They are often girls that don't feel they fit in, and are looking for someone to love them.  The sex trafficers spot these girls at malls, in front of schools, or at the movies.  They are often getting attention from a young man for the first time, and they love it.  Within weeks they are into prostitution.  They are told that they need to prostitute themselves to help pay for expenses.  (most of them run away from home to be with the boyfriend).

This all leads to an abusive relationship from which it is hard to escape.  In the past few years, Generate Hope has helped over 100 young girls recover and rebuild their lives.  Over 12,000 girls are taken in this way in the San Diego area every year.  Sex trafficing is very lucrative, second only to illegal drugs in profitability of underground businesses.  Our Newcomers group  raised over $14,000 for Generate Hope, which will go a long way towards helping these young girls.

If you've visited the ladies room at an airport in Southern California you have probably seen big signs in the restrooms and in individual stalls urging girls that are in a situation that they want to escape from to call for help.  Great idea.  This is such a serious problem.  It breaks my heart to think of beautiful young girls in middle school being lured into a horrible life.  Hopefully Generate Hope and other organizations that work to end sex trafficing will continue to fight the fight.  Unfortunately gangs, learning of the amount of money that can be made, have gotten in on the activity.  I hope laws are tough on these people that take advantage of young girls.  They must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.