DM travels southish

[Drunk Monk]

Still processing being in another country this morning (btw, there already is a wall). Got stopped at customs becaiuse I'm not white not Christian and perhaps because I'm just a provost. Jk - it was because I forgot I had left an apple in my backpack. 

This mission has been successful on all counts. Headed home now. More to come...maybe.

[Drunk Monk]

According to my passport, I spent the morning in Mexico. Now I'm back in the bungalow, in bed, to get some sleep before tomorrow's commute.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Please let me know how the dentist was; Barbara needs a ton of expensive work done and has been looking at Thailand. She would rather go to Mexico, where she speaks the language and is familiar with the culture (though she is 20 years out of date)

[Drunk Monk]

Well, alright.  I'll skip to that part of the tale.

We stayed at the She-RAT-on near campus and Family Weekend ended Sunday (although we bailed on the Sunday brunch).  Our plan was to go to Tijuana so Stacy can get her teeth cleaned and check out this dentist, then come back to SD and catch a plane back to San Jo.  Mind you, this puts us on public transit all the way.

We got up early, like daybreak, to catch the 150 express from UCSD to downtown SD (about an hour ride) and then pick up the Blue Line Trolley to San Isidro at the border.  Turned out that despite the ticket vending machines for the trolley and constant reminders to have your ticket on the trolley intercom, no one ever checked.  Which was good because we were just going to use our bus day passes and plead ignorance if that didn't work.  It was another hour to the border.

The border was intense.  Despite what 45 says, there already is a wall, and a formidable one.  I am still kicking myself for not snapping a pic of the gateway to Mexico because it was all steel and oppressive, with these twisted spires (decorative?) and razor wire, and then a solid steel gate with MEXICO written in block steel letters an thick steel bar turnstiles into a dark cavernous passage.  Looked like a freakin Mad Max version of Mordor.  And it was hot.  Like high 90s.  

I didn't expect the culture shock.  The other side looked like the worst HelLA barrio, cluttered with amputee beggars trying to sling Chiclets and sketchy tourist stands.  We caught a cab to the 'dentista', about a 5-10 minute ride which was supposed to cost $7 but actually cost us $10 and mi espanol es muy malo so I wasn't going to debate that $3 (besides I felt I got a deal with the trolley).  

The dentista was www.americanbiodental.com.  It was housed in a huge casino hotel mall, that was actually nice and civilized, although it had some labyrinthine architecture that reminded me of China, weird halls and walls at odd angles.  But nice.  And everyone spoke English.  The place was clean, friendly and efficient.  The cleaning cost only $35.  One of the patients had driven down from Seattle to walk the border and said they got their work at a quarter of the price they were quoted in the U.S.  Stacy was very satisfied and she can be tough to please, especially because she's had some really bad experiences with dentists.  We may go back if need be.  The price was right, the service was good, and it's an excuse to visit Tara.  We're told that people who get major work will opt to stay at the hotel, and that looked okay for Tijuana.  We were both tripping on some of the other medical services Bio Dental offers - lots of cancer, detox, and facial treatments - experimental stuff.  

I had this initial fantasy of getting some fish tacos, but the Tijuana culture shock and the oppressive heat was too much, so when the dentista offered a complimentary ride back to the border, we took it.  The walk back to the U.S. was long, so many queues, worse than the line for a major Disney ride, but relatively empty, just a long walk in the blistering heat.  We hopped back on that trolley and high-tailed it to Little Italy for iced coffee and poached eggs at https://loftycoffee.com (highly recommended) and stayed there through lunch, kept ordering more drinks and snacks, because it was nice and had AC.  

I would tell Ms. B that Tijuana is better than Thailand.  Thailand is harsh in a different way and it seems like more of a gamble.  It depends how much she's traveled in Asia.  Thailand is Asia for beginners, but it's still edgy - only place I've ever been ripped off.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Thank you, I'll pass that on.

[Drunk Monk]

No problemo, amigo!

[Drunk Monk]

Drank an iced coffee for lunch because I was feeling last weekend and needed a bump and it kicked in now. Bother. I have a big next two days and could really use some rest beforehand. But instead, I'll recount the rest of last weekend.

So the Family Weekend program turned out to be mostly lip service. Stacy & I participated in some presentations which were largely rehash info, but we were happy for the excuse to visit Tara. We got some noce UCSD stuff and it wasn't too expensive so inext year, we might just go down and not do the program. Saturday, we took her out to another nice dinner in La Jolla and went to the only event that was worthwhile - a science museum visit at Balboa Park. What made it work was the exhibit, which focused on videogame art - Tara's dream field. The displays showed developmental sketches and gave histories of the artists along with free gameplay. Tara kicked my ass in asteroids. Then when we left, there was a Star Wars flash mob of about 50+ fully costumed peeps. I watched the mediocre lightsaber fencing and fought the temptation to school their Jedi asses.

Sunday Stacy & I went to Bird Rock for coffee and I had my 1st cappuccino. I've been a black coffee/espresso drinker all my life but recently my gut can't take the acidity triggering an acid-reflux like cough later so I've had to resort to cutting it with milk. The cappuccino was good (bird rock coffee is excellent btw). Then we had breakfast in La Jolla and met with Tara later. Took her shopping at Whole Foods, loading her up with snacks. We had reservations for dinner at this posh restaurant with a view, but their dinner menu wasn't veg friendly and they were rude so we bailed and went for Puesto tacos again which Tara thoroughly enjoyed. We walked her back to her dorm that night, said goodbye, and then got lost trying to cross UCSD to get back to our hotel.

I already recounted Mexico Monday, so we'll just leave it there. Tara comes home for her 18th birthday in a few weeks, then again for thanksgiving & Xmas, then we go back to SD in January because Stacy just picked up Hamilton tix this morning. I'll revisit this thread then.

Now I really need to sleep. I'll have more escapades for your amusement over the next 48 hours...my Halloween 2017 run.

[Drunk Monk]

Just like I started my Man at Arms thread off my El Rey thread, I should really start a San Diego thread. It always takes me a bit to remember where this thread is.

We are back again for a short trip to pester the cub before her midterms. Flew in yesterday, leave tomorrow. Back in La Jolla at Inn by the Sea with a nice balcony view of the ocean (we were gonna go cheaper and skip the view but they woken us the upgrade when we checked in). The only bummer is that i get no WiFi on the balcony.

More to come, specifically my review of our excuse for this trip.

[Greg]

Why start posting your post logically at this stage of the game?

[Drunk Monk]

Why start posting your post logically at this stage of the game?

Good point. 

Very good point.

[Drunk Monk]

The day started poorly and ended poorly. We woke to a cherry picker right outside our balcony making outrageously loud drilling noises. Ridiculous. They gave us a $50 refund when we complained. The day was better as we had lunch on campus with Tara and got her set up with some banking stuff. But it was a tough ride home - bus didn’t stop at the airport so we had to backtrack about a mile on foot - first time I ever got a tsa pre-pass and the line was longer than the regular line and after all that, the flight was delayed. 

Then we got home to find someone stole Stacy’s massage table out of her car. Crap.

[Greg]

Crap. But I thought you saw Hamilton? That's good, right.

[Drunk Monk]

Hamilton was awesome.  The trip was great overall.  It was just yesterday that sucked.

[Drunk Monk]

This week's mission: retrieve the cub after her frosh year.  Heading down this week with a layover at DOOM South (thanks in advance for the hospitality G&tQ!) then on to SD to pack up the dorm room and drive back.  I'm driving solo down which is why I'm doing it in two stops.  T will be with me on the way back.  If all goes according to plan, we'll all be back in the bungalow for Father's Day.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Go, Team DM!