I once heard an analogy that being in a bad relationship is like owning a bad car. The more time, money, and energy you put into it, the harder it is to let it go. …

Ron Peyton Age: 34 Occupation: Hair Stylist Lives: University Heights "Bingo wings," is my current favorite slang. It's a euphemism for the big upper-arm area of a chunky girl. You can imagine her jumping up …

Thirty Years Ago I was amazed that you would print your whitewash of the 7-Eleven Corporation in this week's Reader ("It's a Pretty Good Deal," July 21). These stores have become a black spot on …

Name: Larry Davis Vehicle: 1995 Toyota pickup Lives: University City Surfing: Windansea Beach, La Jolla "Not born here, but raised here," Larry Davis said. "Moved here from Memphis, Tennessee, when I was two or three. …

Name: Julian Vereda Home: San Diego Vehicle: 1991 Jeep Wrangler Surfing: Avalanche Jetty, Ocean Beach While serving aboard the USS Cleveland (LPD-7), Julian Vereda saw the greatest site ever offered to any surfer: Cortes Bank …

Chris Hall Age: 32 Occupation: Remodel/construction Lives: Mission Valley "Slam Pick" is what we call the last girl at the bar. She's just hanging out until closing time, waiting to get picked up. A lot …

Title: Gooseberry Gumdrops Address: http://gooseberrygumdrops.blogspot.com Author: Michael Rheinbold From: Tierrasanta Blogging since: March 2007 Post Date: April 13, 2007 Post Title: Pistol Skittles Things continue to go south for our fearless hero. My roommate, Vladimir, …

Name: Tom Downer Home: Normal Heights Vehicle: 1971 Volkswagen Bus Surfing: Dog Beach, Ocean Beach Tom Downer's wife calls his '71 Volkswagen Bus his "beach garage." Tom says, "It's still the only vehicle I can …

Amber Hinajosa Age: 28 Occupation: Law Office Queen Bee Lives: University Heights Whenever someone upsets me I say, "I am going to Connie Chung you." As in, "I'm going to kick your ass." Or if …

Thirty Years Ago Otto Bos, Mayor Pete Wilson's new, young press secretary, was leaning back, telling a reporter about how he had been the head zucchini cooker with Del Monte Foods in Oakland before he …

Name: Seth Roloff Lives: Alpine Surfing: Avalanche Jetty, Ocean Beach Vehicle: 1984 Mercedes 300SD Turbo Diesel Seth Roloff's 1984 Mercedes 300SD died in its spot on this hazy Saturday morning. "I was excited to see …

Janet Age: 34 Occupation: Corporate Executive Lives: North Park I follow language, especially slang. I've heard two new ones recently. One of them is "shrimping." It's a foot-fetish thing where someone's big toe is sucked …

Thirty Years Ago For over six months staffers in the newsrooms of Mrs. Copley's Mission Valley papers have been chattering about their boss's affair with Democrat businessman Richard Silberman: what private parties and weddings the …

Jacquelyn DaniellEnglish major, Biola University If you are looking for something artistic this summer, The Fountain will not disappoint. Darren Aronofsky's latest film is the story of a man's quest to save the life of …

Title: Casing the Joint: Weblog from the Linkery Address: http://porterx.com/blog/ Author: Jay Porter From: North Park, Golden Heights, etc. Blogging since: September 2005 Post Date: June 19, 2007 Post Title: Today Is Reuben Tuesday We're …

Name: Junko Brunelle Home: Ocean Beach Vehicle: 2000 Ford Focus wagon Surfing: Ocean Beach Pier Junko Brunelle doesn't like Fords at all. "They break too easily," she says. But she bought her Focus wagon for …

Jennifer Morrison Age: 31 Occupation: Interior Designer Lives: Hillcrest Oh, "beefy-T" is one of my favorites. It's a man-y, muscle-y guy who looks like he can throw you around a little. It's a big man …

Thirty Years Ago LADY BLUE -- Personal computing? Origami? Tolstoy? Underweight? Lack of skill at chess? Large feet? Colorblindness? Wait a minute, I'm not colorblind. Moron man. BOB HOHMEYER made me blow my whistle during …

Title: Doc in the Box Address: http://docinthebox.blogspot.com Author: Sean Dustman From: Mira Mesa/Miramar Blogging since: 2003 Post Date: April 3, 2006 Post Title: The Other Jungle We've bent over backwards trying to get basic services …

Name: Jess Hamilton Home: Pacific Beach Vehicle: 2005 Toyota 4Runner Surfing: Tourmaline Surfing Park Jess Hamilton is an electrician. He says his job affords him the time and means to indulge in his hobbies. "I …

"The Wednesday Wonder" -- that's what my roommate called this guy whom I was seeing. This is before the term "friends with benefits." But we weren't even friends. I was 23 and had just started …

Kip Reese Age: 34 Occupation: Web designer Lives: Ocean Beach I like the word "celebutard." It's three parts: "celebrity," "debutante," and "retard." It's pretty self-explanatory; it's any of the crop of young, really dumb girls …

Thirty Years Ago I'd kill them. I'd do whatever was necessary to get the hostages free, and then put the terrorists on trial and give them the death sentence. If you have to negotiate to …

Title: Grow This Address: http://growthis.blogspot.com Author: Weeping Sore From: El Cajon Blogging since: September 2006 Post Date: May 22, 2007 Post Title: Slave to a Springtime Passion for the Earth ...become like me, Slave to …

Name: Onika Miyashiro Home: Pacific Beach Vehicle: 1992 Dodge Dakota Surfing: Tourmaline Surfing Park Onika Miyashiro surfs competitively -- a couple years ago she took second place in the Junior Women's category of the PB …

The first time I ran a personal ad, this is what it said: "21, Cal Berkeley student, brown/brown, seeks tattooed proletarian man age 21-31. Ideally, a cross between Chet Baker and Mike Ness. Bonus points …

Cy Maronage Age: 26 Occupation: Law Student Lives: Mission Bay Park I say "That's what she said" a lot. It's a contest with my girlfriend to see who can say it the quickest. Like, if …

Thirty Years Ago Ruby Yamada was born in Omu, a village of northernmost Japan, in May of 1903, and then came to the United States when she was 20 years old. A short time later …

Title: Leucadia Address: http://leucadia.blogspot.com Author: Funky Leucadian From: Leucadia Blogging since: May 2005 Post Date: May 26, 2007 Post Title: Leucadia/Encinitas Will Absorb Carlsbad's Traffic The following was posted in the comments section in the …

Name: Bernie Calderon Home: San Diego Vehicle: 1994 GMC Yukon Surfing: Tourmaline Surfing Park Bernie surfed for a few years when he was a teenager. He says he gave it up to "go to school, …

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania There's a rumor circulating among my friends that you can't be popular in the belly-dance scene unless you "party." Not like the Nevada brothel Moonlight Bunnyranch's iteration of the word. I mean the …

Rhianna Bruno Age: 28 Occupation: Nurse Lives: Rancho Bernardo My friend Niki and I say "chubi" instead of "bitch." If you type "bitch" into a cell phone, the predictive text will write "chubi" first. The …

Thirty Years Ago When we reached Interstate 30's exit 104, just east of Dallas, Blue Diamond pulled off and minutes later the King's Kid pulled up. Blue Diamond went on into Dallas and I had …

Title: Pirate Paloma's Song of the Day Address: http://piratepaloma.blogspot.com Author: Paloma From: La Jolla Blogging since: April 2007 Post Date: May 22, 2007 Post Title: Song: "Platinum Blonde" by Blondie God, I love Deborah Harry. …

Name: Phil Boone Home: Carlsbad Vehicle: 1939 Ford Fordor Deluxe Surfing: Carlsbad "You never think you're going to get old," Phil Boone says. "You never plan for it. I'm retired now. Spent 28 years as …

Teresita Capuli Age: 34 Occupation: Writer Lives: Chula Vista I say Agamemnon a lot. If something's aggravating, instead of shortening it to aggro, I lengthen it to Agamemnon. I think he was an Egyptian or …

Thirty Years Ago A psychiatry department whose founder personally recommends valium to come down from LSD and once took a year off to be team psychiatrist for a professional football team is bound to be …

Post Title: The Mama Mafia If there's one thing I've learned from the Mafia and the Supernanny, you gotta demand respect. It's the key to effective parenting. So when my three-year-old spit on me, I …

Name: Mike Chious Home: Downtown Vehicle: Custom Dune Buggy Surfing: Ocean Beach From the desert to the beaches, wherever Mike Chious drives his custom dune buggy, a crowd of guys gathers. "My friends are trying …

Thirty Years Ago TO ALL MY male "friends" who stood me up at my stag party (Dennis Johnson excepted): You'll pay for this! Katherine George II. ANITA. Saw last week's Reader on your desk. Thought …

Title: Mark Dice Address: www.markdice.com Author: Mark Dice From: Vista Blogging since: February 2007 Post Date: April 9, 2007 Post Title: Rescue Me Co-Star Daniel Sunjata Says 9/11 an Inside Job Tony Award-nominated actor Daniel …

Name: Dan Belec Home: Carlsbad Vehicle: 2003 Ford Ranger XLT Surfing: Tourmaline Surfing Park, Pacific Beach The surf gear in Dan Belec's truck is minimal. He has a Block Surf pad to keep his Sunny …

I met Todd five years ago in Tampa, Florida. We were servers together at Bella's restaurant. Todd was so charming, energetic, and fun that I immediately had a huge crush on him. We became friends …

Thirty Years Ago "These guys complaining ought to get down on their hands and knees and thank God that they have a job that pays them so good. Because if it wasn't for NASSCO, they'd …

Title: Fiction Is Good for You. Read More. Address: www.domesticmacguyver.blogspot.com Author: Domestic MacGuyver From: Clairemont Blogging since: April 2006 Post Date: April 21, 2007 Post Title: Episode 1: Voices He didn't know who they were …

Name: John Walker Home: La Jolla Vehicle: 1954 Chevrolet 210 Station Wagon Surfing: Tourmaline Surfing Park, Pacific Beach John Walker is an encyclopedia on old cars. "'54 was the last year of the volumetric style …

Thirty Years Ago Newcastle disease is not limited to our feathered friends; it affects people too -- at least when the new castles are moderately priced condominiums for sale in Ocean Beach. So it came …

Title: Ad Blog: News and Views about Advertising, Branding, Marketing, and Copywriting Address: www.kuraoka.com/adblog/ Author: John Kuraoka From: San Carlos Blogging since: 1997 Post Date: April 18, 2007 Well, here again is someone making a …

A few years ago I got back from a birthday weekend in Vegas feeling pretty lucky, so I gave this guy I knew a call. We didn't know each other too well -- I'd only …

Thirty Years Ago Terry Judkins would seem perfectly at home in Mission Beach, where he remembers "hanging out" as a high school kid. He has dark blond hair and a thin blond beard. He speaks …