Life of Wry

Last night we attended the grand re-opening of Splash, a wine bar in the North Park neighborhood of San Diego. We went because it was recently purchased and re-energized by Yali Bair and her daughter Kelsey. The Bairs were friends from Davis during Peter’s junior high and high school years.

Yali relocated to San Diego after her husband Aaron passed away a year ago. Aaron’s death was incredibly sad since he was relatively young and in what should have been the middle of a wonderful life. Professionally, he served as the chief of Emergency medicine at the UC Med Center, and was much loved and highly respected. He was in a very happy marriage with Yali, with two kids — Kelsey and Daniel — on the verge of starting their independent lives.  Mostly, I look at that as a life very well lived on all fronts. Shorter than some, and sad for those he left behind, but he did good. He died of some sort of mysterious, disappearing/recurring autoimmune disease that proved incurable, despite the best of medical care.

Yali’s making a new start, including a radical shift in careers with the wine bar, and Kelsey’s on board as a partner. It’s wonderful.

And we got to see them last night as their new venture officially launched. The timing was great!

Splash is right on University, near Ohio. Coincidentally (mildly), Ohio Street is where my Grandma Celia lived all those decades ago. (I got a kick out of that factoid.. because a have enjoyed for the last four years reflecting back on my time at UCSD (46 years ago!!) and my experience of the environs, including getting to see a lot more of my grandma during those years.)

That’s Peter in the door way, on our way out, talking to this young woman who knows about Ann Arbor (one of Peter’s grad school options). Jim’s lower left.

Peter and Daniel.. buddies from the way back. Daniel also graduates this year from SLO with a degree in business and has a job lined up in San Francisco with a go-go firm, as does his girlfriend Chloe (different go-go firm). (Not to mention a deal on an apartment in the Marina.) So proud of these kids.

And some card playing, while tasting wines… I tell ya.

Peter, Jim and I then went to a late dinner at an Italian favorite in the Hillcrest neighborhood– Parma. Fantastic.

With Peter’s time in San Diego counting down, we figured we’d better get back over to the zoo for one last visit. We’d been there in 2015, before he even knew he’d attend UCSD… so, five years later….

Here are a few iPhone (as if that’s not obvious) animal shots:

We’d learned that there were a few Rainbow Eucalyptus trees somewhere at the zoo. We inquired, and were directed just outside the main gate. Worth finding!

It was an unfortunate day to have been without my Apple watch.. as I could not count our steps nor note our significant mileage! But we did walk a bunch. After walking all over tarnation at the zoo, we added some tarnation at Balboa Park. That was particularly pretty at sunset, but I’ve already posted too many pictures, so you’ll just have to imagine the glowing light on the architecturally stunning buildings.

Well… here’s one:

And we met Kim and Sandi for dinner at nearby Cucina Urbana… which was its usual exceptional. Then Peter and I dropped Jim off at the airport, as per our Sunday evening ritual, and returned to La Jolla.