Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

A Night Together

Wine Carnage
Wine Carnage

When my friend Kerry finally decided to move down to San Diego from Santa Barbara, I thought we'd have nothing but time together. She and Mia were among the lucky few to keep up a long-distance relationship for over seven years; over that time, the four of us friends (Kerry, Mia, David and me) had struggled to find time to get together, be it wine tasting in Santa Barbara, retreats in Los Angeles, or date nights in San Diego. They found a place in La Jolla, with a gorgeous view of the coastline.

What I didn't realize until they were settled and unpacked, is that geography was not our only obstacle. Kerry, a screenwriter, can never predict her schedule. And just when it seems my calendar opens up a bit, I go and take on volunteer projects or media gigs, anything to keep me in the state of extreme agitation and stress to which my body is apparently addicted. So though Kerry's been down here in my town for almost three months now, last night was only the second time I'd seen her since she moved.

Mia and David are just as busy, not only on their own things (both of them are photographic artists, but Mia also has a day job), but also with their partner's -- they each play the same role in their relationships, that of gardener to a couple of neurotic flowers. Because there was no time for any of us to cook (not as if I would even if I had time, I leave such tasks to the skilled), Mia ordered Thai food.

Sponsored
Sponsored

We started with rose champagne and worked our way through (I'm embarrassed to say how many bottles) of fine reds, comparing our overbooked calendars the way chefs compare scars. Kerry revealed a new secret movie project she's in the running to write. I shared tidbits about how it was to emcee TEDx America's Finest City, and some of the new face-lift administration going down at the Reader. David sought Mia's counsel on one of the photographs he's working on for his summer summer show at the Granary Gallery on Martha's Vineyard.

"The show is on July 17, but we haven't even had time to figure out when we're going," I said. Each year we use David's summer exhibition as an excuse to spend some time with his parents, who live on the island. "With all the work we're doing, horrible as it sounds, I can't imagine leaving. Plus, we don't even know when we have to move!" I took another gulp of wine -- we were past the point of sipping and swirling. "Everything's happening at once."

At the end of the evening, much later than any of us are usually able to stay awake on a weeknight, we exchanged hugs in the entryway as we bid our friends goodnight. We all knew better than to ask when we'd see each other next.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Poway’s schools, faced with money squeeze, fined for voter mailing

$105 million bond required payback of nearly 10 times that amount
Next Article

Poway’s schools, faced with money squeeze, fined for voter mailing

$105 million bond required payback of nearly 10 times that amount
Wine Carnage
Wine Carnage

When my friend Kerry finally decided to move down to San Diego from Santa Barbara, I thought we'd have nothing but time together. She and Mia were among the lucky few to keep up a long-distance relationship for over seven years; over that time, the four of us friends (Kerry, Mia, David and me) had struggled to find time to get together, be it wine tasting in Santa Barbara, retreats in Los Angeles, or date nights in San Diego. They found a place in La Jolla, with a gorgeous view of the coastline.

What I didn't realize until they were settled and unpacked, is that geography was not our only obstacle. Kerry, a screenwriter, can never predict her schedule. And just when it seems my calendar opens up a bit, I go and take on volunteer projects or media gigs, anything to keep me in the state of extreme agitation and stress to which my body is apparently addicted. So though Kerry's been down here in my town for almost three months now, last night was only the second time I'd seen her since she moved.

Mia and David are just as busy, not only on their own things (both of them are photographic artists, but Mia also has a day job), but also with their partner's -- they each play the same role in their relationships, that of gardener to a couple of neurotic flowers. Because there was no time for any of us to cook (not as if I would even if I had time, I leave such tasks to the skilled), Mia ordered Thai food.

Sponsored
Sponsored

We started with rose champagne and worked our way through (I'm embarrassed to say how many bottles) of fine reds, comparing our overbooked calendars the way chefs compare scars. Kerry revealed a new secret movie project she's in the running to write. I shared tidbits about how it was to emcee TEDx America's Finest City, and some of the new face-lift administration going down at the Reader. David sought Mia's counsel on one of the photographs he's working on for his summer summer show at the Granary Gallery on Martha's Vineyard.

"The show is on July 17, but we haven't even had time to figure out when we're going," I said. Each year we use David's summer exhibition as an excuse to spend some time with his parents, who live on the island. "With all the work we're doing, horrible as it sounds, I can't imagine leaving. Plus, we don't even know when we have to move!" I took another gulp of wine -- we were past the point of sipping and swirling. "Everything's happening at once."

At the end of the evening, much later than any of us are usually able to stay awake on a weeknight, we exchanged hugs in the entryway as we bid our friends goodnight. We all knew better than to ask when we'd see each other next.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Poway’s schools, faced with money squeeze, fined for voter mailing

$105 million bond required payback of nearly 10 times that amount
Next Article

Now what can they do with Encinitas unstable cliffs?

Make the cliffs fall, put up more warnings, fine beachgoers?
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader