Category: Living

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 18, 20269:26 pm

I Don’t Believe in Coincidence

Something quite unexpected—remarkable, honestly—occurred while we were at the veterinarian office with Neko, yesterday. While he was in the back to have his wound cleaned, I sat in the waiting room vocabulary practicing in the How to Study Korean app. Someone at the front desk spoke to somebody on the phone about a dog. The animal didn’t have a microchip and would need to be picked up.

I mentally added context (correctly): Somebody dropped off the animal, hoping to locate its owner, which wasn’t possible without the microchip. The office couldn’t keep the dog. The rescuer would need to retrieve the lost pet, whose next destination likely would be the San Diego animal shelter.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 17, 202610:04 pm

Whew, Does Infection Stink

We had to take Neko to the veterinarian, today, for his first visit since 2013. He is a generally, and surprisingly, healthy cat. We adopted him from the San Diego shelter in March 2012. The professionals there estimated his age at two years. But days later, based on Neko’s teeth, the vet believed four years, which makes him likely somewhere between 16 and 18 years old.

Because of his advanced age, we were reluctant to take him for treatment. We correctly worried that all the change and stress would take a lot out of him, and it has; that could end an old cat. He was his normal old self beforehand: Alert, active, and demonstrating normal appetite. Tonight, he is listless and sullen.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 16, 20268:54 pm

Two for the Road

In six entries, I have written directly, or used photos of, the alley art gallery located here in University Heights. Chronologically: “Alley Art Gallery“; “Mutt Masterpiece(s)“; Pallet Palette; “Eighteen Years Ago Today“; “Return to Facebook“; and “In Memory of Scott Adams“.

On April 8, 2026, in front of the artwork, I passed by two bicycles put out for the taking. These aren’t the first free bikes to appear in a neighborhood alley—one person’s throwaway becoming valued takeaway for somebody else.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 15, 202610:13 pm

What is That Yellow Thingy?

I finally left behind Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and carried Google Pixel 10 Pro XL on a walk with my wife, yesterday. How can the photo capabilities be tested, if I rarely use them? Problems, all design-related: heftiness; physical balance; overall feel of the device; disabling glare/reflection from the display. I easily prefer the S26, which is better balanced in the hand and as measured by meaningful benefits.

That brings us to the Featured Image, which presents the view into downtown Hillcrest from the Georgia Street bridge. Vitals: f/2.8, ISO 51, 1/1099 sec, (synthetic) 230mm (digital and optical zoom); 11:38 a.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 14, 20269:18 pm

It’s a Ticking Security Bomb

Look what I saw at the dentist office today. Uh-oh. Windows 10 officially reached its end of life on Oct. 14, 2025. However, consumers and businesses can sign up for Extended Security Updates for, in the case of Home users, an additional 12 months of protection designed to “reduce the risk of malware and cybersecurity attacks”.

I couldn’t resist saying something to the doctor about Windows 10. He knew support had ended and that something should be done about that situation—but in the near future. He brushed aside concerns, asserting that the computer, and another in the next examining room, weren’t connected to the Internet. They’re standalone PCs. Hence, they’re low outside security risk.

Living by Joe WilcoxApr 13, 20269:25 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Jangle

Real name unknown, this fine feline earns nickname Jangle for the string of bells hanging nearby. He (or she) is the eighty-second cat found behind door or window. Location: Louisiana Street between Meade and Monroe.

I used Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra to make the Featured Image. Vitals: f/2.4, ISO 64, 1/120 sec, 69mm (film equivalent); 4:47 p.m. PDT, 4″47 p.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 12, 20269:50 pm

The AI Scoundrel

I praised the artist’s skills of Rick’s male owner to his partner. But, as she confessed, he uses artificial intelligence tools to create the stickers, which are quite popular around the neighborhood. So is the black cat, who is a glutton for attention and knows how to easily get it.

Rick joined my “Cats of University Heights” series in August 2021, when he lived in an alley house with (presumed) litter mate Pixie (nickname). She’s still there; Rick moved on to Alabama Street, where he chose new owners and has lived lavishly since.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 11, 20269:38 pm

Low Flyer

I am surprised that anyone would want to fly a kite at Old Trolley Barn Park. Trees abound, making high the likelihood of entanglement. But as you can see from the Featured Image, someone attempted to get a kite meaningfully airborne on April 5, 2026. He didn’t succeed while I watched.

Nikon Zf and attached NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens captured the moment. Vitals: f/7.1, ISO 320, 1/500 sec, 145mm; 3:20 p.m.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 10, 20269:06 pm

Welcome Home!

Ten days that may change humanity ended this afternoon, with the successful splashdown of the Orion capsule carrying the valiant crew of Artemis II. I was a junior high school student the last time humans traveled to the moon and back (December 1972). Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen have gone where no one has since.

Hansen comes from the Canadian Space Agency, and he is the first of his countrymen to go to the moon. The other three crewmembers are longstanding NASA astronauts—2009 for Wiseman; 2013 for Glover and Koch. All four are heroes tonight.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 9, 20269:51 pm

A Few Too Many

We love the book sale room, which is open the third weekend every month at the University Heights branch of San Diego Public Library. Most hardcovers are a buck a piece. Paperbacks are a quarter or five for a dollar. Prefer movies? DVDs are $1 a piece and Blu-rays are two bucks.

But who can keep track of what he or she past-purchased? The five paperbacks in the Featured Image are duplicates on their way to some LittleFreeLibrary here in UH. For each, I later bought a copy in better condition, typically new or near new.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 8, 20269:28 pm

Mother of Millions

Well, that’s what Google Image search claims are the pinkish flowers. Also known as the chandelier plant, or Kalanchoe delagoensis, the succulent is native to Madagascar.

I used Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens to capture the Featured Image, on April 4, 2026. Vitals: f/6.7, ISO 140, 1/250 sec, 105mm; 1:04 p.m. PDT. Location: Panorama Drive, in San Diego neighborhood University Heights.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 7, 20269:47 pm

Keeping Time with Changes

You may not like the Featured Image, but I do. On April 4, 2026, as I prepared to go out on a photo walk I pointed Nikon Zf with NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens attached towards the Kit-Cat to check the battery level. The moody lighting unexpectedly appealed to me, so I clicked the shutter button.

The clock hangs to the left of the Casabelle Mail Center that I purchased from Pier 1 Imports 17 years ago. The retailer went out of business during the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 lockdowns, closing the last stores in October 2020. But the desk remains and is back in full service. Our daughter is staying with us, and I abandoned my home office for her to use as a bedroom. Cluttered and cramped best describes our 772-square-foot apartment right now. But we’re glad to have her here, and using the Casabelle is small sacrifice.