By Judi Curry

Recently, as some of you might remember, I wrote an article about the influx of rats that have inundated Sunset Cliffs and our neighborhood in South OB.

In that article I mentioned the amount of trash that is being generated by people having parties on Sunset Cliffs; food trucks parked in the parking lot selling food to passersby; walkers, joggers, runners, and bicycle riders that finish their snack – or their picnic – and just walk away from the trash that they have generated.

A situation has a new concern for me and others in the Sunset Cliffs area, that I have not mentioned, primarily because it happened after the article appeared.

A few days ago as I was driving south on Sunset Cliffs towards my home, when in the lane going north there had to be at least 100+ people riding their bikes.

By Judi Curry

Nightly since before July 4th, my southern Ocean Beach neighborhood has gone to sleep and been awakened by the sound of firecrackers. I can count on one hand how many nights this has not been the case. They start early and go on until the wee hours of the night.

Frequently there are large parties with cars parked in the Sunset Cliffs parking lots, with cars parked on Sunset Cliffs itself, and with cars parked on all of the side streets leading to the ocean. Those cars that are parked in the lots almost always have lights with them to shine on the revelers dancing, smoking, and shooting off firecrackers. (Please notice that I purposely use the word “firecrackers” – not fireworks.) Yes, sometimes fireworks are used, but usually it is M80s that echo off the water’s edge and project all the way up to Santa Barbara Street. (Just ask people that live near the Thursday Club.)

Restaurant Review

Soi-OB-Thai Street Food
1916 Cable Street
Ocean Beach, CA 92107
619-230-5885
www.SOIOB.COM

By Judi Curry

Hitomi and I had heard a lot about the Soi-OB-Thai since they opened. I like to give a restaurant a chance to get out the “kinks” before I eat there and review it. However, today Hitomi could wait no longer and so we went to the computer and looked up their menu. (She had heard about their North Park location so convinced me that they knew what they were doing.)

There is a very extensive menu, including starters, a variety of soups, pan fried noodles, curries, salads, rice dishes and SOI specials. They have one dessert listed – “mango and sweet stick rice.” It is seasonal, so not always available.

We decided to start with an appetizer, and selected an order of “Shrimp Wraps.” ($7)

Rubio’s Coastal Grill
3556 Rosecrans St.
Suite 101B
San Diego, CA 92110
619-223-2631

My First Review in Many Months and It Isn’t a Good One

By Judi Curry

Because of Covid-19, I had elected not to eat at any of the outside restaurants, nor have any food delivered to the house. Since I am in the vulnerable age group I felt it was safer to just stay at home and try different recipes for my 4th cookbook. I have pretty much followed that routine until yesterday. What changed my mind?

The other day was “National Avocado Day”! I love avocados. In fact, I have two productive avocado trees in my back yard, but they are not yet ready for picking. “Rubio’s” had a promo of “free chips and guacamole” if you purchased other items. How could I turn that down? (I make a wicked guacamole; Hugo’s makes a good one also. Do not like the one at Sunnies because it is too salty for me.) Since I received the notice about the “freebie” earlier in the week I found myself edging closer and closer to ordering on-line and having it delivered.

By Judi Curry

Within the past few weeks, Sunset Cliffs has become a more dangerous place to live than ever before. Dangerous because of the noise and air pollution; dangerous because of possibility of more accidents, both “cliff-wise” and automobile wise; more dangerous because our first responders will not be able to fulfill their job because of the additional traffic on the road. Yes, I am angry; upset, tired and irritated.

Let’s start with the new 4 way stop signs on the corner of Pt. Loma Avenue and Sunset Cliffs Blvd.

I counted 29 cars stopped at the corner going north after the sunset yesterday. Prior to that I watched people speed up once they passed the stop sign, going south to watch the sunset. I watched people on motor scooters and bikes ignore the signs completely and just go through them while cars were making turns onto the same road as the riders.

I watched – and hoped – that there was not an emergency because if there was there would be no way that our first responders would have been able to respond because there was no place for the lines of cars to go. They could not have pulled over; chaos would have reigned. But just because there were no accidents yesterday,

By Judi Cury (written on June 4 )

As a mother of three, grandmother of 18 (including 5 “greats”) and as an opponent of people owning guns for reasons other than hunting, I am faced with something I never thought I would have to reckon with in my lifetime.

I can already hear people saying “what about the 2nd amendment?” and my answer is that that amendment was written a long time ago, when carrying a gun was a safety measure. I have never been able to fathom people carrying rifles, for example, for purposes other than hunting for food to put on the table. I am violently opposed to killing animals for trophies; I am opposed to people killing people as well. I am against most guns of all kinds.

Two things happened today that have caused me unrest – along with the Corona Virus, and the horrible murder of George Floyd. I received the following message this evening:

“Tomorrow is National Gun Violence Awareness Day, when people across the country will wear orange to show that they are part of the fight against gun violence in America.”

Fairouz Restaurant and Gallery
3166 Midway Drive #102
San Diego, CA 92107
619-225-0308

By Judi Curry

One of my very favorite restaurants is going to have their Grand Re-Opening on Monday, June 1st. I am so excited! I met with Al Nashashibi this afternoon and was pleased to see the changes that will be taking place, the new paint, and the concern for maintaining safe distances for the diners.

First of all, something that will change the place entirely is the absence of the buffet. With the new Covet-19 rules in place, it is impossible to still have a buffet and be safe. Tables and chairs will be placed strategically in the area where the buffet used to be.

By Judi Curry

Maybe because I am a blond – with a lot more gray – but I am very puzzled by the new mandate that our Mayor is putting into place.

Effective sunrise Monday, April 27th, ocean access will begin.

That means you can go into the ocean and kayak, swim and surf. But it also means that you cannot sit on the sand; you can’t lie down on the sand; you can’t play volleyball and you cannot engage in group activities. You cannot go boating; you can’t walk on the piers, but you can run or walk on the sand. Does running or walking mean that if you have the virus you won’t deposit the germs on the sand, but if you are sitting you will?

‘Who Would Have Thought …’

By Judi Curry

Ever since my husband became ill with lung cancer and had difficulty talking, I have never slept well at night. (I can take delightful naps during the day – but then I don’t sleep at night!) Because it was difficult for him to talk, or even get out of bed, he would turn on the light when he needed help and it got to the point that even a small flashlight would wake me up.

Now, ten years later I am still having difficulty sleeping but added to the sensor lights going on because the skunks, squirrels, raccoons and other animals think that my home is a thoroughfare, I am worried about the outcomes of the COVID-19.

I am not necessarily worried about myself in spite of being in the age group that is – or used to be – the most vulnerable,