The Widder Curry

Thoughts on life, family and community by Judi Curry, a long time educator and resident of the Ocean Beach, Point Loma area of San Diego.

The Widder Curry’s Projections for 2012

by Judi Curry December 28, 2011
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JANUARY: The repair work on Sunset Cliffs will finally be finished. The only problem was that during the installation of the new pipes, the cliffs eroded so much that there can no longer be any auto or pedestrian traffic on the street.

FEBRUARY: The post office, in their infinite wisdom has closed the processing center on Midway drive, thus opening the way for Lindbergh Field to take it over for the new runway.

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A Liberal Without a Party

by Judi Curry December 21, 2011
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For many years I have thought of myself as a Democrat. The principles of the Democratic Party were more closely aligned to my own political beliefs. That is not to say that I have not crossed over to vote for Republican candidates that I thought were better qualified than their rival Democrat. Shortly after I was given the privilege of voting, I voted for William Knowland; and in the not so distant past, while living in Maine, I voted for both Olivia Snow and Susan Collins, both Republicans. (And..by the way, both elected to office.)

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All I want for the holidays.

by Judi Curry December 7, 2011
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Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Some people, granted, not many, have asked me what I would like for a holiday gift this year. My answer this year, and every year since I was 16, has always been the same: “Don’t buy me anything because if I want something I usually go out and buy it for myself.”

But this year – 2011 – may be a little different. The magazine “Consumer Reports”, (January, 2012) came out this week and listed “25 great gifts.” I thought maybe I could get a few ideas from their list, as I have done in the past. After all, I have 3 children; 9 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren, besides friends that I like to remember during this time. So…pen and paper in hand, a list of those I want/need to buy for and I opened the magazine to page 16.

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What constitutes “false advertising”: a discounted manicure or a shellacking?

by Judi Curry November 30, 2011
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With all that is going on in the world today, this little problem I faced today is a small one. None-the-less, I have never liked being screwed without a climax and I think that screwing almost took place today.

Like most residents in San Diego, I receive several monthly advertisements offering me discounts, free gifts, reduced price items. This is not about those advertisements; rather it is about one particular advertiser.

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Ocean Beach Italian Restaurant – Ciao Bella – Whets the Taste Buds

by Judi Curry October 29, 2011
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A friend of mine, after reading my review of South Beach, suggested that I try the Italian Restaurant – “Ciao Bella” at 4953 Newport Ave. Since I really didn’t feel like cooking dinner for one of my students and myself, I suggested we give it a try.

This is a “cute” restaurant; facades of little houses line the walls, each one numbered. They really don’t have anything to do with the restaurant, but the décor is warm and inviting even though the restaurant was cold.

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You Don’t have to Wait for “Taco Tuesday” – South Beach Bar and Grill

by Judi Curry October 20, 2011
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In one of the restaurant reviews I wrote several weeks ago, a reader asked why I was only reviewing “national chains.” He suggested that I review local restaurants. With that in mind, a friend and I went to lunch at “South Beach Bar and Grill” on Newport.

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A Love of Writing, is it Environment or Heredity?

by Judi Curry October 18, 2011
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I have always liked to write. Once I told my former husband that I wanted to be an author but he told me that I didn’t have the experiences behind me to be a successful writer. With that statement in mind, it was close to 30 years before I tried my hand at writing again.

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Restaurant Review: The Souplantation – the “Hungry” Eater Strikes Out – Again!

by Judi Curry October 3, 2011
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I am so glad that I have written some positive reviews about local restaurants, because I, once again, just had a terrible meal from one of the standards.

A friend called me and said that he had a coupon for the two for one Sunday breakfast at the “Souplantation” on Midway – close to OB. I hesitated before agreeing to go with him, because I have never enjoyed the lunch or dinner I have had there. (I think they need more variety of salads.)

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Remembering Bob … A Memorial Poem by the Widder Curry

by Judi Curry September 21, 2011
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REMEMBERING BOB

You passed away two years ago today,
And it has been very hard.
I wish you would get your ass back here
And take care of your frigging yard.
You didn’t tell me what to do,
Now all your trees are covered in white-fly goo.

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Restaurant Review: “Denny’s – I Hardly Knew Ye”

by Judi Curry September 18, 2011
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I have had some good meals in Ocean Beach recently. “SHADES”, “NATI’S”, “OB NOODLE HOUSE,” “OB BBQ”, etc.

Tonight some friends and I decided to go to the “Village” for dinner, only to find at 6:15pm it was closed. It was suggested that we try Denny’s on Rosecrans for a fast and relatively inexpensive meal.

The first table we were shown was quite wet, so we asked for another one. Although it was wet too, the greeter came back with a handful of paper towels and dried the table.

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Restaurant Review of ‘Bergie’s’ in Old Town – Competition for ‘Hodad’s'? I don’t think so

by Judi Curry August 29, 2011
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Since I try not to drive at night and since I am on a very “fixed income”, I like to try new restaurants – at least new to me – that are relatively close to my home in Ocean Beach and not terribly expensive. Last week I read an article in the newspaper that is thrown in my driveway on Thursdays, re: a restaurant in Old Town called “BERGIE’S”. It sounded interesting, and since I don’t always have the time to stand in line AND eat at Hodad’s, a friend and I decided to try it out.

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The helicopters are still making their early morning run over Ocean Beach

by Judi Curry August 17, 2011
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An Update: February 26th of this year, I originally wrote an article about the number of helicopters flying over Ocean Beach in the wee small hours of the morning. As an insomniac I find this very distressing. I accept that I will go to sleep after 11:30pm when Lindbergh closes their takeoff routine, and, if lucky, will have the drone of the motor wake me at 6:30am. That is if I am able to sleep in the “between” hours.

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San Diego Lindbergh Field – the Newest Gourmet Restaurant in Town

by Judi Curry August 12, 2011
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“Hey, honey! Want to go out to dinner tonight?” Put on your prettiest clothes; have your hair done, have a manicure and pedicure, and I’ll pick you up about 7:00pm.”

Don’t like that scenario? How about this one:

“Ah honey, I wanted to take you and the kids out to dinner at that new hot spot in town, but the McDonald’s is no longer there so we would have to buy the kids a full, expensive meal.”

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Have the laws changed? Who rules the sidewalks?

by Judi Curry August 6, 2011
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Today, on our daily walk around the “hood”, Buddy and I had an experience that is repeating itself daily. On our walk on Sunset Cliffs, from Adair south to Osprey, we were met by the following:

7 skate boarders – that were not about to relinquish the “right of way” and would just as soon run us than move over, …

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Restaurant Review: Mission Valley’s “San Diego Home Cooking Restaurant”

by Judi Curry August 5, 2011
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For the past several months, I have listened to a commercial advertising “San Diego Home Cooking Restaurant.” A lovely woman, with a decidedly East European accent has touted the home cooking of the four restaurants in the chain. Since all of those restaurants were far from my home in Ocean Beach, I have never tried them, even though the pictures of the meals served have been enticing. (Stephanie told us the owner was from Serbia.)

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A new ‘toilet papering’ scheme – lawn furniture

by Judi Curry August 4, 2011
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Remember all the flack about the kids toilet-papering trees?

Remember the argument about what it was doing to the environment?

I even remember the lady that wrote back and said that she saw nothing wrong with it; in fact, she even drove her child to the “scene” and stayed in the car while the dastardly deed was being done.

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News and Poetry From the Widder Curry

by Judi Curry June 14, 2011
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Remember when I wrote this article about Gaston, our mail man. Here is the latest news about him:

His daughter, Maiah Gianna was born on March 22, 2011. She weighed in at 6.75 pounds and was tiny at 18″. The post office offers a “twelve week bonding period” to get to know your child.

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Atithee Dewa Bhawa – “Guests are treated like our God!”

by Judi Curry June 13, 2011
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I realize that I am not a restaurant reviewer – although I always thought it would be fun to be one – and I also realize that this restaurant is not in the 92106/92107 zip code, but it is pretty darn close – 92110 – on Midway (3185 to be precise), but I was served one of the best meals I have had in years. The “PUNJAB RESTAURANT, Taste of the Himalayas” smelled divine as we entered the small restaurant for lunch. There were 3 of us; all women that had met when we were in a water aerobics class at the “Y”.

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WHAT A RELIEF! SAN DIEGO ! Mayor Jerry Sanders has announced that San Diego has been certified as “tsunami prepared”.

by Judi Curry June 3, 2011
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I am so excited to learn that our fair city, albeit our “drunken city”, has been certified as “tsunami prepared.” I knew those signs going up on Newport Avenue meant something. I just wasn’t sure what it meant.

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Isn’t it just wonderful that our mayor has proclaimed June to be ‘drink-a-(craft)-beer’ month?

by Judi Curry June 2, 2011
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News item: The Mayor of San Diego Proclaims June “San Diego Craft-Beer Month”

Isn’t that just wonderful? What’s next? “Smoke a cigarette a day month?” Or…”Take your Dog to Work Month”, or “Change Your Motor Oil Month” or “Smoke a Joint month” or some other nonsense.

Maybe it could be “Have a San Diego Craft Beer and Get Behind the Wheel ” month. Or….”Help A Policeman Obtain His DUI Quota” month. This proclamation is one of the more ridiculous proclamations the mayor has endorsed.

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My Goodness! Is There a Caste System for Dogs, Too?

by Judi Curry June 1, 2011
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Buddy, my 10 year old Golden Retriever, has been asking for a companion for many months now. Since his Alpha Male died – my husband Bob – he seems to be looking for someone else to take his place. True, he has me, but I don’t run with him the way Bob did; I do walk with him, but we spend so much time “watering” people’s lawns that neither of us is getting a good cardio workout.

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