Best Buys
“Oh, no,” I protested as Patrick unrolled the small, ornate rug he had purchased at an estate sale. “Look at that thing. It’s dingy, and there’s a stain right there in the middle.” “C’mon, it’s …
“‘Don’t you worry there, my honey/ We might not have any money, but we’ve got our love to pay the bills.’” The Ingrid Michaelson song “You and I” purred from my lips, aimed at my …
“What’s different?” asked Patrick. “I didn’t have time for mascara this morning.” “Oh.” He didn’t say any more, but I knew what he was thinking: She really does look better with mascara. “A lot of …
“According to Tim Allen, the only reason men are alive is for lawn care and vehicle maintenance,” smiled my friend Kate, gazing at our overgrown backyard. “And grilling and serenading wives,” I added, winking at …
Last summer I had a chunk of my eyelid removed, my first skin cancer. Even more fun, I got to go back a second time because the doctor didn’t get it all. Since then I’ve …
I found a single white dog hair in my coffee this morning. Ten minutes later, I was on the phone with Chad Davidson of the Pawlished Paw Mobile Grooming (619-792-7138; pawlishedpaw.com). “When you’re looking for …
Well, the Rapture didn’t happen, but it did get me thinking about firearms. When the tribulation comes, I want to know how to shoot. Marc Halcon, owner of American Shooting Center in Kearny Mesa (858-279-7233; …
“Henna is usually part of joyful occasions,” explained Wardah Halim of HennaTrendz in Chula Vista (858-366-3374; hennatrendz.com). “Marriages, birthdays, graduations, sweet 16s, bar mitzvahs.” A few of those occasions are in the Kelly family’s near …
“Last time you bought hotdogs for a Saturday picnic, I was still tasting them on Monday,” grumped Patrick. “I don’t have the cast-iron plumbing that the kids have. So maybe this time, get some grown-up …
As life has increased, golf has decreased for my man, Patrick. He developed his golf habit as a teenaged caddy at Annandale Country Club in Pasadena. He played three times a week then. Now he’s …
“Paragliding?” I asked. “Like when they pull you behind a boat?” “No,” replied Patrick. “That’s parasailing. Totally different. This is freedom, man.” John Ryan, owner of the Hang Gliding and Paragliding Center in La Mesa …
The chinaberry tree and rock roses are in full bloom. The spring breeze carries the aroma of sage and honeysuckle. Orange-and-yellow western tanagers fly through the yard daily. Spring is in the air, summer on …
“We were sitting around a campfire in 2005,” recalled Michael Hawkins, owner of San Diego Hot Tub Rentals (858-578-8822, sandiegohottubrentals.com), “and we saw an inflatable hot tub in a Popular Science magazine. We thought, That …
The conversation at the annual Kelly spring barbecue turned to spring-cleaning. “Spring what?” laughed Angela. “My spring-cleaning lasts all year,” said Monica. “It should really be called ‘year-cleaning.’” Nancy freshens the paint on the doors …
A sole, fuzzy photo of our miniature schnauzer Nellie is all we have to remember her by. What were we thinking? We weren’t. So when gal-pal Bernice adopted a terrier, I insisted that she get …
The family from the frigid East is coming for Easter, and they want San Diego water fun, no matter how cold the Pacific may be. Kellys don’t surf, but maybe kayaking… “We’re the real deal, …