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What the Heck? The Story of My Randomly Sounding Fire Alarms

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Editor Note: San Diego Free Press turns 5 this month! We are dipping into our archives for memorable examples of citizen journalism that we have published since 2012. Judi Curry’s 2013 mysterious fire alarms story continues to be one of our most popular articles. Congratulations Judi!

My dog Buddy and I were awakened early this morning by the smoke alarm going off in our bedroom. (Yes, Buddy and I sleep in the same room – although not in the same bed.)  He freaked out because the high pitched noise hurts his ears, and he quickly ran into the other part of the house to hide.

Approximately one half hour later, one of the  two smoke detectors in the hallway began to beep and Buddy ran outside.  Being only 5’3”, I could not reach the two detectors to remove the batteries, and, having a broken shoulder, did not want to take the chance of using a ladder. I  waited until 9am before I texted my neighbor Mark – who is well over 6’4”, – to ask for his help in replacing the batteries.
  [Read more…]

My April Fool’s Day Story for the Year – Looking for a Man

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It has been no secret that I have been terribly lonely since my husband died seven and a half years ago. Our 51st wedding anniversary will be April 5.

I was married at 17 (to my first husband) and have been married many, many years over the course of my life. I really never lived by myself, and have always been a “pair.” The past few years have been very difficult.

Last night I was reading an article on how you can order just about anything from Amazon.com. I know that I have bought many, many things from them; have had food delivered both from restaurants and Amazon Prime. Just last week I even hired a handyman from Amazon.

So, I asked myself, why can’t I find myself a man through Amazon? I really have become an expert at online dating – I have 19 chapters of my book Liar, Liar completed, and all that I am waiting for to finish it is the chapter entitled, “She Lived Happily Ever After!”   [Read more…]

Restaurant Review: Pepe’s in Ocean Beach

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It’s been many years since I ate at “Pepe’s.” I do not even think that I was doing restaurant reviews at that time, and I have been doing reviews for almost 8 years. When Irene called and suggested that we get together for lunch I knew just where to go. And I am certainly glad that we went there.

We were early; just a little bit past 11:00am, and there was one other diner in the restaurant. We were greeted by “Ed/Pepe” with a smile and exuberance that had us feeling good before we ever sat down. He quickly explained the “special lunch menu” to us; told us we could sit where we wanted to sit, and he would make us some garlic bread. Irene asked if it was possible to have just plain bread without the garlic and he said it was not a problem. True to his word, when he came back with the bread one half of the basket had garlic bread; the other was plain.   [Read more…]

Restaurant Review: Ajisen Ramen on Clairemont Mesa

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The chain now has over 700 restaurants, but this is the only one in San Diego. The manager is from Hong Kong, and Hitomi does not think that many of the workers were from Japan, but she said the physical appearance is identical to the one in her hometown. And, surprisingly, the menu is the same also!

There are 116 items on the menu (!) plus a lunch special menu of ten items; a dessert menu featuring 14 items; the appetizer menu has 22 items, beginning at $2.25 and going up to $8.50. Hitomi and I elected to try their Gyoza – 8 pieces – for $4.50. In addition to the Ramen, which is what we went in for, they also serve Udon, Yakisoba, Tempura, Tsukemen, Rice with Curry, Chicken and/or Beef.   [Read more…]

I Do Not Remember Ever Being this Depressed Over the Results of an Election as this One.

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I Do Not Remember …

In all of the years I have voted – and I have voted in 31 scheduled elections plus special elections – ever being as depressed over the results of an election as I am of this one. I do not ever remember the feelings of despair every time the candidate of my choosing lost. I do not remember the tremendous depression that I feel now; the feeling of helplessness; the feeling of doom.   [Read more…]

“How Do I Explain to My Grandchildren that a Dishonest Man Is About to Take Over the Country?”

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For the life of me, I cannot understand why there is still going to be an inauguration later this week.  The papers regaled us this past weekend – and practically every day – with more and more dishonesty emanating from the President-Elect.  The fact checkers are on overload, checking the lies that are being told and yet nothing – absolutely nothing – is being done to prevent this monster from ruining our country.   [Read more…]

Oceana Restaurant at Catamaran Hotel in Mission Beach

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By Judi Curry / OB Rag

We were seated inside the restaurant – there was outside seating also but it was a cold afternoon – and in the center of the restaurant is a beautiful pseudo aquarium that has jelly fish swimming around in it. It is lighted, and I would imagine at night it is spectacular.

The menu was served to us on heavy boards, with the drink menu on one side and the food menu on the other. It was interesting in that printed on the back of each menu was the other side of the menu. The heavy board was not needed and the menu kept slipping out of the rubber band holding it in place.   [Read more…]

‘A New Wrinkle in the Face of Things’ – A New Year Resolution

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Lets “face” it. My husband has been gone over seven years and for the past six of those years I have tried to find a new companion.

I lost 100 pounds; I grew my hair long – I’ve since cut it – dyed my silver-gray hair brown – I’ve since gone back to being a blond; and put back some of the poundage I lost. And although I have met several men, none of them were “Mr. Right” – and many of them have been “Mr. Wrong”, as evidenced by the book I am writing entitled, “Liar, Liar.”

So I have tried everything that I know what to do to attract a man with no success. I even have been in a passive relationship, where I have pretended to know nothing so that HE could be the dominant one. That didn’t work either.

What must be the problem? I asked myself.   [Read more…]

Review: Kona Kai Resort & Spa – Vessel Restaurant

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Deb had read about the calamari and how tasty it was, but it was not on the menu. We asked Francisco if it as available and he answered in the affirmative. After a long discussion, we decided to order it and share it also. We had no idea how it would be served nor did we ask the price. (It turned out to be $14.)

When the lobster mac ‘n’ cheese was served, hot and with evidence of large pieces of lobster on the top, Deb looked around for salt and pepper. There was none – on any of the tables. ( Francisco later told us, jokingly, that “it’s better for you without it.” ) The macaroni was cooked well; the sauce was not a cheesy sauce; very light and tasty. I wish that bread had been served with it to sop up the remaining sauce, but it was not a part of the order. It was a nice order to share.

The calamari was excellent. Although fried in strips, it was not greasy; it was hot; not chewy as so many are. I suspect it was dipped in Panko crumbs, but am not sure. The accompanying sauce was also very tasty.   [Read more…]

Buona Forchetta: 32 Kinds of Pizza and Wine in a Regular Glass

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We were greeted by a decidedly Italian waitress – Valentina – who hails from Lake Como in Italy. She has lived in the U.S. for about a year-and-a-half and will be returning to Italy in a year or so. She presented us with a huge menu, including 32 different kinds of pizza’s as well as antipasto, salads, desserts, pastas as well as wines and beers.

The specials of the day change from day to day, but the categories remain the same. For example, the restaurant had a veal dish, filet mignon, seafood, pizza, risotto, ravioli, fettuccine, gnocchi, and chicken, just cooked differently on different days.   [Read more…]

Restaurant Review: Surf Check

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Surf Check (An Apparition)
Corner of Sunset Cliffs and Pt. Loma Avenue
Ocean Beach

You are quickly approaching one of the most scenic areas of San Diego, when, out of the blue, on a piece of cement no bigger than 40 feet wide, you are met with a blue and white trailer sporting a yellow surf-board on the top, and, in a wide array of colors, a “menu” featuring coffee, acai, smoothies and hot dogs.

This is just down the street from the Little Lion and at the south end of the parking lot where the new mechanic plies his trade. What is this trailer? you ask. Funny that you should ask that question, because I asked it also. I watched it being set up, wondering just what would develop and today the suspense was just too much so Hitomi and I sauntered over to find out what was going on.

The Surf Check is owned by someone that has been in San Diego – more importantly Sunset Cliffs – for years. His name is Richard Aguirre; he is the president of “Save Sunset Cliffs” and a dedicated, concerned person – concerned about so many things.   [Read more…]

An Agnostic Road to Almost Becoming A Believer (Not)

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Let’s begin this article by acknowledging that I am not a believer. I am agnostic at best; still looking for answers that I haven’t yet found. With that in mind, three things have happened over the past few years that I can’t explain, and the latest still gives me goose bumps in thinking about it. Let’s start at the beginning.

Seven years ago my husband Bob died. I joined a widow support group and one of the things we decided to do was to see if a “Medium” could bring our husbands messages back to us. There were nine of us going to Harmony Grove to find out.

As we were all coming from different parts of San Diego, we met at a central location, and I drove with Rosey to meet the others. On the way there, she mentioned that she was always puzzled why she had such a bad relationship with her mother. She said it was as if her mother didn’t like her; liked her sister and her brother, but she was always the “odd one out.” Rosey and I were the only ones in the car.   [Read more…]

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