Nobody # 782

Sunday, August 30, 2009
Nobody # 782

Nobody Asked Me But:

The Health Insurance Guy

If I can tell
That you are well
Then I will sell you
Hope - for cash.

Should you get sick
Then I'll be quick,
Use every trick,
To let you crash.

And if you die
No time to cry
Or say goodbye,
I've got this guy
Who wants to buy
Hope.

For cash.


THE SAN DIEGO TRIP or “SOME LIKE IT HOT!” (But we do not!)

Would you believe we delayed New York City until next month to escape the heat and instead went to San Diego (the world’s greatest climate) where it was 88 degrees at 8pm on my birthday? It was in the 90s all week and much of our time was spent seeking shade and a cool breeze – mostly in vain. New York City, by the way, had a week in the 70s.

So much for the low. Here are the highs of an excellent trip:

The Julian Pie Company. Tom ordered Julian pies for Christmas two years ago and they were delicious, so we took the inland route to SD and stopped at their Santa Isabel bakery for pie. My pecan with whipped cream was a 10++ AND was not as good as Barbara’s boysenberry-apple. We also bought a couple dozen of their delicious small pieces of cinnamon piecrust shaped like little hearts and apples.

As most of you know, Jim’s and my birthdays are exactly one month apart, his is September 26, and we always celebrate with a meal. Tuesday he and Vicki drove down from Hemet, and we had an excellent time with lunch at a Mexican restaurant a block from our hotel and then our usual fun trip to a bookstore – this one about two blocks from our lunch place.

We tried three new restaurants that we had read about or seen on The Food Network.

HODADS is a hamburger spot on the beach that came with high recommendations from the “Hamburger America” book and also from a couple we talked to the last time we were in La Super Rica. It was crowded, noisy and about 300 degrees. Barb liked the hamburger a bit better than I did. It was about 8 inches tall and loaded with too much of everything – and that was their single. However, their fries and onion rings were great.

We went to Café 222 in downtown SD for my birthday breakfast. Feeling daring and reckless, I had the French toast stuffed with peanut butter and bananas that had been recommended by Bobby Flay. It was good but so rich that I thought I had one the mega lottery. Half was all I could manage. Barb had a cornmeal waffle that was quite good.

On our last night, the Hob Nob diner provided us with good food and a thrill getting there. We had Map Quest directions and were almost there when we had to move into the right lane to allow an arriving Southwest 737 to land. Or so it seemed. We heard a roar, looked up and there it was right beside us as it skimmed the top of our hill just before touching down at SD International. No wonder pilots consider landing at Lindberg Field a dangerous undertaking.

Our room was small but nice at the Glorietta Bay Inn where we have always wanted to stay. It is the former Spreckels’ Mansion, and I loved sitting on the terrace between 6 and 8 am, drinking coffee and reading an excellent book (Rickard Russo’s new novel - “That Old Cape Cod Magic.”)

One afternoon we crossed the street and had a very good time wandering through the Del Coronado accompanied by the ghosts of Jack Lemon and Marilyn Monroe. But they “liked it hot” more than we did.

QUICKIES

The view of the San Diego skyline from Coronado remains one of my favorites.

In a small Coronado grocery story I was surprised and honored to discover a wine named in my honor. It is called Fat Bastard.

Speaking of wine, – two or three Christmases ago, Barb gave me a Trader Joe’s gift card so that I could buy a case of Two-Buck Chuck. But when I was ready to make my buy the card was missing. We search everywhere but to no avail and finally wrote it off as a senior “lost and never found.” So imagine both our surprises on my birthday when I found it in the glove compartment of my wife’s car. Happy drinking!

We had lunch in this (pictured) Mexican walk-up in the middle of fifty miles from nowhere. The food was very good, so if you are ever in the neighborhood, try it.

We could not believe the number of large casinos we saw on this trip. Are these good for the owners or the patrons? I have my reservations. (Sorry but I couldn’t resist.)

TED KENNEDY

The San Diego Union Tribune described the late, great Senator as “prodigiously skilled – and flawed.” But then, – aren’t we all? Especially flawed is the Union Tribune, which is the poorest excuse for a large city daily (San Diego is the nation’s 8th largest) that I can think of. It can best described as a very few pages containing very little.

Was Ted the greatest Senator of the 20th Century? He is certainly in my top 4 along with LBJ, William Fulbright and Robert Marion La Follette. More on this next week.<<<

New USC basketball coach Kevin O’Neal said recently that the person he would most like to trade places for a day with is Johnny Cash. Since both Cash and USC basketball are dead, O’Neal gets his wish.

BACK TO HEALTH INSURANCE

Did you know - that in a recent customer satisfaction survey the only business that ranked lower than health insurance was cable television?

Did you know – that the average American household spends $15,000 on health? This includes premiums paid by employers, but much of that is diverted from wages and salaries, which makes it an expense. So nobody is getting their current coverage for free.<<<

And finally, another gun rant. Shortly after we arrived home on Friday we heard sirens. Going outside Barbara was surprised to find 7 police cars and 4 fire vehicles. A 17-year-old neighbor boy, whom we did not know, had shot himself in the head. Think of all the life that he will never live. No, the gun by itself didn’t kill him. But it sure made his decision easier.

(These two picturew are of my birthday eating places - breakfast on balcony and dinner at sunset.)