The Simple Pleasures of the Unemployed

HelloGiggles

Once upon a time, I lived my life believing that after I graduated from college I would immediately begin a career in publishing or editing. Then, the Editor in Chief job I had lined up fell through at the last minute. Rather than starting my job hunt over immediately, I spent the day of my last final on my couch with my cats, drinking beer, crying and watching Ryan Gosling movies on Netflix. Some may call this a panic attack, but I call it what it feels like when reality sucker-punches you in the face.

But, whatever, right? Now I have all of the free time in the world to do whatever I want, whenever I want. But my options are very limited, seeing as how I barely make enough money as a part-time waitress to cover my rent and car payment. I am well-known by dollar menus everywhere, and I’m also known to haggle at thrift stores (embarrassing, but true). Though I am extremely close to reaching my credit card limit thanks to gas and groceries, I am somehow still holding my life together, and I believe it is because I have fully embraced the simple pleasures of being unemployed (as a full-time employee). Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Taking long showers at 2 a.m.: Back when I was a student with morning classes, there was nothing worse than having to wake up extra early to take a shower. I am notorious for taking showers that are no shorter than 20 minutes, whether or not I shave my legs. Now that I’m unemployed and classless, I can take showers whenever I want and for however long I want, and I choose to do so at 2 a.m., right before I’m ready to snuggle up with my pillows, cats and boyfriend and go to sleep. Recently, however, my roommate told me that if I want to take showers at 2 a.m., I should take them outside in the sprinklers. We’ll see how the next few weeks unfold.

2. Eating breakfast at 2 p.m.: I’ve never been able to eat breakfast before noon, so indulging in coffee, an English muffin and an avocado as soon as I wake up at 2 in the afternoon is absolutely wonderful. I suppose being unemployed and full is better than being employed and hungry, right? Sure, why not.

3. Watching entire seasons of shows in one sitting: Some might say that Netflix is turning my brain into mush, but I’m learning more than I ever thought I would about meth labs and high school football. Thanks to the immeasurable free time I’ve been given by the selfish gods of full-time employment, I am able to watch whatever’s on Netflix for hours and hours and hours. I started my summer binge with Friday Night Lights, and spent many an episode with Matt Saracen and Tim Riggins. The three of us had seven seasons worth of fun in about a month. It was incredible. And then I got into drugs, a la Breaking Bad, a show that has simultaneously made me vomit in my mouth and yell at my T.V. screen. Poor Jesse. He’s so loveable (and hot), yet so, so stupid. Now, on to Parenthood!

4. Being able to go dancing on weeknights: I have recently turned into a dance-a-holic. I dance in my car when I drive (unsafe), I dance in bars full of creepy guys (unsafe) and I dance when I’m eating delicious food (just plain embarrassing). I simply can’t help it – I love to express my joy through movement. Since hangovers can’t negatively influence my mornings anymore, I can go out dancing any night I want, free of consequence…kind of. Maybe I should take up Zumba.

5. Being able to spend hours on Pinterest: Pinterest.com is a website that my mom introduced me to. Users are able to create virtual pinboards (like bulletin boards) and “pin” things that they find online and are compelled to share with friends and strangers alike. Popular pins include DIY crafts, wedding dresses, hairstyles and adorable animals. My pinboards consist of things I’d like to have but can’t afford, like that Alexander McQueen clutch with the skull or the Jeffery Campbell platforms that all the models wear. In my opinion, it’s more satisfying than pretending to online shop because I look at pinning as a way to plan what I’ll buy when I get that real job I went to college for. My business attire is going to be INSANELY, well, insane.

6. I can still dream big, huge even: Since I’m not tied down by a career here in San Diego, I can daydream about spending the rest of my life writing novels in the mountains or becoming a local florist in a small town, or a columnist for a big-city newspaper, like Owen Wilson in Marley & Me, puppy included. I’ve recently started sketching jewelry designs even. My future is even more wide open than I thought it was when I started college. Who knew that not getting a job could be so inspirational?

7. Having the ability to communicate with friends via long Facebook letters: Phone tag sucks. It always has, it always will. But so does trying to find an adequate amount of time to respond to friends across the country, and in other countries at that. Thanks to Facebook and getting to go to “work” at 5:30 p.m., I am able to lounge in my bed (no office chairs or hovering bosses for me!) while writing long, detailed messages to the people I miss dearly. It’s ridiculously heartwarming and cozy.

8. Having clean clothes all of the time: Back when I was in school, my closet would be full of clothes, none of which were clean. I’d go through all of them (and that’s saying a lot) before I ever once had time to even think about doing laundry. Laundry became such a stressful, daunting task that it would actually make me angry, and because of this, newly clean clothes would never end up on hangers or in drawers. It was messy. But now, I do laundry once a week in small doses. Finally, I feel accomplished.

9. Having the option to go to the movie theater for 10 p.m. showings of new releases, particularly Ryan Gosling films: Because I don’t have to wake up at 6 a.m. to get ready for work at a downtown office, I get to catch a late-night movie with my younger sister whenever I want. Our most recent movie venture was the midnight showing of Paranormal Activity 3. It’s a good thing I’m unemployed because I wasn’t able to fall asleep until it was light outside.

10. Getting to spend as much time in thrift stores as I feel like: In my opinion, it’s pointless to go to thrift stores if you don’t have time to browse every rack and every shelf full of knick-knacks. The stress of missing out on a one-of-a-kind item that I could have purchased for $2 can easily ruin my day. Now that I have a full 12 hours to spend in such charitable shops, thrifting has become a relaxing release for both my bored mind and my wallet. You should see how much leopard-print clothing I have in my closet now. And my weird mug collection has completely taken over the second shelf of my kitchen cupboard. Seriously, my life is fabulous.

North Park Community Planning meetings discuss residents’ concerns

SD Uptown News

A series of meetings this month addressing issues in the North and South Park communities has allowed residents to express their views about issues from the area’s thriving bar and restaurant scene to the proliferation of utility boxes in the area.

On April 20, the North Park Community Plan Update Advisory Committee meeting addressed both the positive and negative effects of North Park’s booming bar and restaurant scene.

“What mix [of retail to hospitality] do we want?” was the primary question of the evening—many attendees expressing the view that balance is important.

The more bars and restaurants, the “[m]ore drunk people will be set loose on the residential community,” said one. The “already intrusive” noise level, as well as existing parking issues, will increase, added others.

Last year, the community protested Stone Brewing Co.’s arrival in South Park. Elizabeth Studebaker executive director of North Park Main Street, an organization that promotes community development supporting arts, culture, and entertainment, while preserving the historical integrity of North Park, said crime statistics are used to consider new alcohol licenses in the area.

There’s been closer scrutiny of the licensing process based on crime statistics,” she said. Studebaker also noted that growth of the hospitality industry in North Park is due to the district “catching up” to other areas. “North Park has been a commercial district since the 1930s; the residential areas grew up around it. But there was little hospitality industry,” she said.

North Park residents at the meeting, however, expressed concern—proposing increasing latenight private transit services and extending food-serving hours to offset detrimental effects of the area’s night life, along with turning a designated area into an arts and entertainment district.

David Cohen, owner of West Coast Tavern on University Avenue and North Park Main Street board member, suggested that turning University Avenue and 30th Street into an arts and entertainment district concentrated in a four-block square would be the most effective way of managing the influx of people who visit North Park for entertainment purposes. He emphasized the need to “focus efforts on making [an arts and entertainment district] clean, safe and pedestrian friendly in the evening,” citing Little Italy as an example of what North Park could be if its services were “upped.”

Participants also discussed free parking and using the parking garage on 29th Street. However, Susan Tinsky, executive director of the San Diego Housing Federation, expressed the importance of turning North Park into a car-free community. Calling cars a “detriment to our quality of life,” Tinsky proposed incentives to “get people out of their cars,” thus reducing the strain on parking availability.

While agreeing that reducing car use in North Park would benefit the community, however, one participant noted that people who drive from outside the area would still need a place to park. Still another attendee furthered the discussion by saying that, as technology advances, cars will need a place to “plug in.”

The permit process also arose for discussion. No matter how the area’s night life evolves, the advisory committee acknowledged it is in the city’s best interests to enforce the permit process for businesses. “The laws exist,” committee chair Vicki Granowitz said, “but they aren’t being enforced.”

Fast-food establishments with drive-thrus, the growing popularity of food trucks and the “unsightliness” of utility boxes were next on the agenda, the main complaints about the latter including: their “unsightliness,” “dangers posed to pedestrians” and “negative effect on property values.”

As an alternative to utility boxes, Cheryl Dye, principal of Dye & Associates, proposed underground vaults. She cited goals of reducing the ratio of units to homes, eliminating transformers in front of properties, identifying placing options for underground vaults, reviewing progress on new technology and design standards, expanding easements so as to maintain adequate pedestrian walkways and running SDG&E lateral conduits underground to electrical service panels.

Earlier this week, on April 27, concerned residents presented a series of steps to resolve the utility box issue, including creating a task force with the city, to the Community Planning Committee.

Also on April 27, the North Park Community Association Board of Directors meeting discussed a variety of topics, including: this year’s Summer Concert Series (volunteers are needed); the ALBA/Community Park Security Camera and infrastructure improvements, elections of a new board of directors and president.

For a schedule of community meetings in North Park, visit: northparkmainstreet.com.

Interview With Larry Gray

Cat Tales

Many cats and kittens call the Friends of Cats shelter home. It is where some were born, where some were taken and where some will spend the rest of their lives. As such, it is important for them to feel comfortable and safe in their habitat, and the only way to achieve this is to make sure every aspect of the shelter is in working condition.

As us humans know, having repairs done at home can be quite costly. Whether it be a plumbing problem or a leak in the roof, money is required to ensure a decent fix. This can be stressful for a shelter that relies on donations. For Friends of Cats, that’s where Larry Gray comes into play.

Gray is what Friends of Cats calls their jack-of-all-trades. Not only does he hang out with the cats that reside at the shelter, but he also fixes things so as to better the cats’ safety and well being – for free.

“I’m predisposed to doing charity things,” Gray said. “It was really something when I was asked if I could help out at Friends of Cats… They give me a little direction and then I’m just on my own to do what I do.”

And he certainly does a lot. Currently, Gray is replacing the ceiling inside the unit in which pregnant cats have their kittens. The dry-wall ceiling had collapsed, so Gray decided to replace the entire thing. In the past, Gray has replaced windows and window sills that were damaged by termites, as well as a door that had a tendency to spring open if it wasn’t latched correctly – an inconvenience that could have resulted in cats escaping. His favorite project, however, was installing cabinets in the clinic area of the shelter.

Gray came across some exceptional cabinets at the home of a woman he does maintenance work for. She gave them to him, and he used them to create wall-to-wall custom-built cabinets for Friends of Cats. Gray cut the cabinets down to size so they could fit along the length of one wall, and added glass doors to them as well.

“They look really nice with the glass doors,” Gray said. “It’s nice that they can put the medical supplies behind glass doors instead of on mismatched open shelves.”

One of Gray’s future maintenance plans involves putting stained-glass windows in the Cozy Cottage.

“Something that really struck me is the Cozy Cottage,” Gray said. “It’s for the cats of people who passed away or can no longer care for their cats. They prearrange to have their cats taken care of for the rest of their lives… I always make a point of going into that unit.”

It is apparent that Gray is an animal lover at heart. He has been visiting the furry residents of Friends of Cats for over 10 years, and volunteering his fix-it skills for the last three months - usually on weekends. Aside from doing work at the shelter, he spends about four months out of the year house-sitting and pet-sitting for the people he does home maintenance for.

Gray also has three cats of his own, named Cinnamongray, Maya and The “Waah-Waah” Kitty, so-named because of the “rwow-rwow” noise she makes on a regular basis. “They are my children, but with cat-like features,” Gray said. “My whole world revolves around them,” a statement with which I’m sure we can all relate.

If Gray’s story gives you the charity itch, there are a variety of ways in which you can help Friends of Cats, as well as Gray himself. Besides donating materials like vinyl siding or sheeting, decorative rocks and woodchips are always in demand for the shelter’s landscaping. If your schedule doesn’t allow for physical volunteer work, monetary donations are always appreciated.

According to Gray, “People could help out the most by signing up for a membership or making a donation and signing up for Cat Tales. Get in touch with April [Volunteer Coordinator] or Janet [Shelter Manager] to help out with volunteering. Even just making regular trips over to get acquainted with the cats and give them contact with people helps.”

Gray serves as an inspiration to all of us here at the shelter, and we are excited to see his future finished projects.

Interview with Janet Bianchini

Cat Tales

Friends of Cats is always welcoming new personalities to our family. Usually these personalities come to us in the form of cats, but recently we added a new human – Janet Bianchini.

Sharing our passion for animal rescue, Bianchini, took over as Shelter Manager on April 11 of this year. Having grown up with a variety of pets, Bianchini understands and appreciates our mission here at Friends of Cats, and we are happy to have her expertise at the shelter.

“My passion for animal rescue definitely comes from my parents,” Bianchini said. “We always had cats as pets, and they were always strays that we found or our neighbors found and gave to us.”

It was this passion for the well being of others that led Bianchini to receive her masters in social work, and subsequently work in the field for 10 years.  Though her work was mostly with developmentally delayed adults, Bianchini never lost her passion for animal rescue.

“When [my husband and I] moved to San Diego, our real estate agent put us in touch with Chihuahua Rescue of San Diego,” Bianchini said. “We started fostering one dog at a time, but now it is pretty common for us to have six dogs at a time in our house. It has been such a rewarding thing in my life to give these dogs that have been literally and figuratively thrown away a new chance at life.”

About six months ago, Bianchini realized that she wanted to dedicate more of her time to working with animals. “I was aware of Friends of Cats,” she said, “but I had never been out to the shelter. I was excited to get the opportunity to come on board as the shelter manager… It is such an honor to be the voice for these helpless animals and to hopefully make as big a difference in their lives as they are making in ours.”

Bianchini’s workday at Friends of Cats consists of coordinating daily shelter activities. Though it is common for new management to make big changes when they take over leadership, Bianchini doesn’t plan on making any major changes until she fully sees how everything works. Some things she does plan on adding, however, are ways to market the shelter.

“Getting our shelter out there will raise awareness for the need for help to continue to help all of the cats and kittens at the shelter,” she said.

In getting the word out there, Bianchini will be able to accumulate funds to make necessary repairs to the shelter. “The Box Car has suffered roof damage and water damage. I am working to apply for grants to complete other repairs around the shelter, too.”

Outside of Bianchini’s shelter cats, she has two cats of her own that she rescued as kittens, 13-year-old Sammy and 9-year-old Penny, as well as two Chihuahuas, Luigi and Daisy. She is also still involved with Chihuahua Rescue of San Diego. We are excited to move forward with her and make life for the cats at our shelter even better. 

Summer Guide

CityBeat
Contribution to the Summer Guide Feature (written in the style of "choose your own adventure")

Firehouse – P.B.
You wake up to the sun forcing its way through the cracks in your blinds. It is finally summer, and you are finally ready to wake up before noon and bare your legs on a pleasant walk to Firehouse – it’s breakfast time. As you arrive, panting slightly, you notice the valet (duly noted for those less-than-hydrated hangover mornings). You choose to be seated on the second level and begin eagerly examining the menu. There’s something about pancakes that makes you feel like you’re on vacation, so you don’t hesitate to order Firehouse’s Hippy pancakes, which are literally covered in blueberries, bananas and toasted granola. You also intuitively order the black currant-infused iced tea – lounging on the rooftop patio while indulging in delicious food and staring at the glittering ocean will undoubtedly get a little heated. You take note of the impressive fire pit and cushioned patio furniture surrounding it. Maybe you’ll come back tonight – if it’s a Thursday you can take advantage of the $3 wells, drafts and bottled beers. After you’ve finished your meal and tipped generously, you:

1. Go Downtown
2. Go to North Park (to buy a swimsuit at Fables by Barrie)
3. Stay in P.B.

SD Coffee, Tea and Spice; Bub's Dive – staying in P.B.
After getting a wind chill while lying on the beach to let your food settle, you make your way to San Diego Coffee, Tea and Spice. You order the best chai latte San Diego has to offer and sip on it while you people watch. You come to the realization that old people have the coolest clothes, so you decide to make your way to the thrift stores on Garnet. After finding a few super-cool tees at Goodwill and some pants you can turn into cut-off shorts at the Cerebral Palsy Thrift Shop, you realize you’re starving. Bub’s Dive is the first place that comes to mind, so you swiftly make your way to the bar whose floor is covered in peanut shells. You feed many dollar bills to the digital jukebox behind the bouncer so as to prevent any annoying music from ruining your face-stuffing lunch hour. Gorillaz, White Stripes, The Black Keys, The Rolling Stones and “Move Bitch” by Ludacris make your cheese-covered Lunch Lady Tater Tots and saucy Russian Roulette Wings even more satisfying. You eventually find the one crazy-spicy wing, and, while soothing your tongue with a big glass of ice water, you notice CityBeat columnist Enrique Limón walk in. After raving to him about the adventurous wings you just ate, he tells you he needs a ride to a “spicy” place, but he can’t decide between Hillcrest or South Bay, so you:

1. Take Enrique to Hillcrest
2. Take Enrique to South Bay
3. Tell him to take a hike and instead stay in P.B. and go to Surf Indian