The Unlucky Card

I made two shots of this card; the Featured Image is second. For the first, I knelt on the cement and closed in with Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Oh the careless mistakes we make. Almost immediately, a torrent of ants took to my left leg and knee.

What I missed: Massive number of the insects, swarming in multiple lines along the entire stretch of bridge on University Avenue, over SR-163, in San Diego neighborhood Hillcrest. Never have I seen so many ants, easily thousands, frantically—or perhaps fervently—on the move.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 16, 202310:02 pm

One Book to Rule Them All

I don’t run the hamster wheel on Amazon Prime Day, spinning round and round searching for deals and opportunity to needlessly spend more money. But hours before the annual (so-called) sales event ended, on July 12, 2023, I came upon one intriguing item among the many suggested discounts flooding my RSS feeds (If you don’t know what RSS is, return to TikTok and resume running the mouse maze to nowhere).

Need I say, since you can see what from the Featured Image? I don’t collect books, but having something tangible and non-digital to read is always smart. You got grid down scenarios, because of summer heat or threat of cyberattacks, for example. What if Russia-Ukraine escalates to global war? I will want something to read while waiting to die from radiation poisoning during nuclear winter.

Living by Joe WilcoxJul 15, 20238:56 pm

Swinging to the Music

I considered cropping the Featured Image even tighter, but leave that for you by zooming in; please do. This is another moment from last night’s live music performance at Old Trolley Barn Park, which is […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 14, 20239:30 pm

Blues and Americana at Old Trolley Barn Park

July means live music Fridays at Old Trolley Barn Park, here in San Diego neighborhood University Heights. Despite feeling crappy all day, I walked over tonight for a look and some photos—oh, yeah, and surprise. Performer: Chickenbone Slim and the Biscuits. Perhaps you remember my sharing about the blues band back in November 2021, after finding them performing impromptu outside our auto mechanic’s shop, which is closed weekends.

The venue and crowd was way bigger this evening. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra didn’t deliver the kind of shots I have come to expect. Highlights are blown out and color is way oversaturated for the dozen captures. Details are muddy, too, as you can see from the Featured Image. Vitals: f/4.9, ISO 200, 1/60 sec, 230mm (film equivalent); 7:38 p.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 13, 202310:51 pm

Our First Wayfair Purchase Will Be the Last

When our daughter moved in with us on April 11, 2023, my wife and I had decided that an affordable, no-nonsense sleeper-sofa was needed. Our girl, who was recovering from a traumatic brain injury, would be moving into my home office and using the spare bed. Because of my snoring, Annie and I may sleep separately. We only have two beds. Need demanded another, and couch convertible seemed sensible enough choice.

Additionally, our daughter would arrive wheel-chair dependent, and she would be a fall risk. Someone snoozing in the living room could keep somewhat extra vigil, should she be injured moving, or wheeling, about. Some shopping online later, Annie and I chose the Mercury Row Villatoro 66.1″ Armless Sofa Bed Sofa, from Wayfair, for $183.16 including sales tax on April 3. We were more than satisfied with the choice—until today.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 12, 202310:06 pm

The Winslow

Sometime soon, I will share more about the evolution of the apartment complex that now occupies the property where was New Vision Christian Fellowship. I remember when families and old folks lined up for free food Fridays. Now the church’s former location is a cathedral for, according to promotional material, a “truly timeless, amenity-rich living experience”. Oh yeah?

The massive, block-long mixed-use structure, Winslow, packs in 379 apartments, which will lease in staggered fashion over the coming months. At a time when San Diego touts new buildings like this one as being the forebears of more affordable housing, Winslow rental prices sure make me wonder how.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 11, 202310:14 pm

San Diego Rents Exceed San Francisco

Holy doggie do-do, Batman. San Diego reached another shocking milestone in the housing market. Average rents are higher than San Francisco and rank third among American cities. No wonder homelessness rises across the county. Crapola, this stinks—for us peons. Landlords likely feel differently, eh.

Zillow has the skinny in its June 2023 rental report, which observes that “the most expensive major market is San Jose, where typical monthly rent is $3,411, followed by the New York City metro area ($3,405), San Diego ($3,175), San Francisco ($3,168), and Boston ($3,045)”. Maybe you don’t see $7 as all that meaningful, but SF is notoriously known for being a pricey market for housing. Not San Diego.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 10, 20239:55 pm

Delivering or Removing?

I don’t drink beer—or any alcoholic beverages, for that matter—yet for the second time in a fortnight, I write about boycotted Bud Light. The first followed a discarded can’s meaning as July 4th approached and Anheuser-Busch offered $15 off cases of 15, essentially bringing the purchase price to zero, or near it. Desperation makes sense: For the week ending July 1, 2023, sales slumped 31.2 percent year over year. Yikes!

In what I would call a pathetic plea, Anheuser-Busch chief executive Brendan Whitworth asks beer drinkers to have heart and think about the company’s 65,000 employees; no sales, no work. I’m all choked up; give me a minute to grab a hanky. Because I know what corporation would be so heartless as to put profits before employees? (Someone grab a bucket to catch all the dripping sarcasm.)

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 9, 202310:28 pm

Lafayette Hotel Misses Its Deadline

When the iconic Lafayette Hotel closed on Oct. 1, 2022, banners hung proclaiming “rebirth” in June 2023. Last month, the draping pronouncement came down, which meant imminent reopening or construction delay. Nine days into July, the latter is the circumstance. The establishment, located on El Cajon Blvd in San Diego neighborhood University Heights, isn’t yet ready for grand reopening.

Indications of continued construction can be seen on the Mississippi Street side of the building, although the frontage could fool anyone into thinking that the Lafyette is open for business—as the Featured Image and companion indicate. For good reason. Supposedly, the Lafayette reopens to the general public on July 12.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 8, 20238:48 pm

Weep Not, Mourning Dove

Along Louisiana, between Madison and Monroe, in San Diego neighborhood University Heights, my wife stopped our afternoon walk to point out Mourning Doves gathered in a tree—perhaps 10 or more fluttered about. How unexpected.

While I clumsily pulled out Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, all flew off because of the action. But one bird returned long enough for a 10x-zoom closeup that is the Featured Image. Vitals: f/4.9, ISO 50, 1/800 sec, 230mm (film equivalent); 3:54 p.m. PDT.

Living by Joe WilcoxJul 7, 202312:09 am

Totally Tortie

Last night, while I washed dishes, Cali jumped up on the Casabelle Mail Center that resumed role as my workspace after abandoning my home office for use by our daughter, who stays with us as she recovers from brain trauma.

I used Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra to capture the Featured Image. Vitals: f/2.4, ISO 80, 1/60 sec, 70mm (film equivalent); 9:18 p.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJul 6, 20238:48 pm

Christmas in July

I can’t say that I will jump through hoops seeking the ultimate sale-priced goods during Amazon Prime Day next week (11th and 12th). But keeping with the concept of Christmas in July and opportunity for me to share a previously unpublished photo, here we are together. Shop if you want.

The Featured Image comes from Leica Q2 on Dec. 21, 2022. Vitals, aperture manually set: f/5.6, ISO 100, 1/320 sec, 28mm; 12:24 p.m. PDT. Location: Maryland Place in San Diego neighborhood University Heights.