Beyond the Bridge January 2023

REPRESENTING AMONG THE STARS

Engineer Kat Echazarreta inspires from groundbreaking heights

AMONG THE

Engineer Kat Echazarreta inspires from groundbreaking heights

By Nicolle Monico

SCROLLING TIKTOK ONE NIGHT, I came across a video of a little girl watching her mom’s laptop. The child was only half-interested in what was being displayed, music from The Little Mermaid playing in the background.

And then, she stopped all activity and her tiny eyebrows raised. It’s subtle, but her surprise is there. A brown-skinned Ariel had appeared on screen and looked exactly like this little girl—a first for the classic character and the little girl watching it.

Next year, the live-action remake of the 1989 movie will feature an African American actress, Halle Bailey, as Ariel. It’s not only heartwarming, it’s historic. It took Disney 55 years before they introduced a non-white princess, and 70 years before a Black one made her debut in 2009. There are hundreds of these videos, with children lighting up over seeing themselves on the big screen.

This past June, 26-year-old Katya Echazarreta made history when she became the first Mexican-born woman and the youngest woman to travel into space. A San Diego City College

documentary on Netflix, which chronicled her fight to be heard in the industry as a Hispanic woman. It’s the same feeling I had watching her halftime performance with Shakira at the Superbowl in 2020.

I felt seen.

It matters that Echazarreta dons the cover of magazines; that her story is told over, and over, again. It matters that I write it as a first-generation American and Latina. For BIPOC people, our starting line is often 400 meters behind everyone else’s. But stories like hers, and the countless others who have accomplished the seemingly impossible, remind us that our goals—while harder and often requiring more work—are still obtainable.

Echazarreta’s time in space was quick, a total of 12 minutes from takeoff to landing; but her path to the stars took much longer.

Early Obstacles

“My first memory is coming to our first home in Tijuana, after we got off the plane,” says Echazarreta, who was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. “The house was empty, so my parents just put together a whole bunch of blankets and comforters on the floor... We all just huddled up on the blankets with our little airplane sand-

ly expected) in Hispanic families, especially for daughters: she put family first. She stayed local, supporting her mom and caring for her siblings. It was “an opportunity,” she recalls, to adjust her plans, but not to abandon them completely.

“From a very young age, [my mom] always led me to believe that I could do whatever I wanted—that it was really up to me,” says Echazarreta. “I just told myself, ‘Okay, you have an opportunity to go as far as you want to, so let’s take advantage of that.’”

The College Years

Three years later, Echazarreta was accepted to UCLA in 2016 and continued her path toward an electrical engineering degree. But she quickly learned that what had come easy to her in the past would no longer be the case.

“One of the hardest things I had to deal with at UCLA [was that] I was average, and sometimes I was not even average. Sometimes I was lucky just to pass,” she says.

Her health and well-being quickly took a turn. She wasn’t sleeping, wasn’t eating well, and when she would spend 30 minutes in the cafeteria, she’d beat herself up for not using that time to get her grades up.

“You definitely reach these moments where you’re like, ‘Oh my goodness, for so long I

PrTMS: A Personalized Way to Address Brain Performance

By Carol Holland Lifshitz

Brainwave patterns in humans have been shown in many cases to predict performance and behavior. Incredibly, it is now possible to perform EEGs on a patient and to immediately view a composite picture of the brainwaves on one simple graph. This graph is essentially a snapshot of all the brainwaves working together, giving us an accurate picture of current brain function and an individual’s brain history. The brainwave pattern can then be adjusted and “tuned” through successive sessions of non-invasive and painless magnetic pulses. This innovative approach to an existing technology, rTMS, is termed PrTMS or personalized repetitive transcranial mag -

netic stimulation. An extraordinary medical pioneer, Dr. Kevin Murphy, has made this new technology a reality. He is changing the world of brain health, one wave at a time.

The majority of psychology and psychotherapy techniques are intended to address the patients mind, not the brain. Standard therapies typically use passive and active techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy, talk therapy, or medication management. In contrast, PrTMS addresses the brain itself – the anatomy of the system –not just the mind. The idea is that nearly all humans are experiencing some degree of brainwave noise (brain arrhythmia,) and the removal of this noise can improve brain function.

Due to this personalized approach, and this treatment being administered at a lower amplitude, a wider variety of patients may be appropriate candidates for PrTMS. Positive effects have been demonstrated in a number of patients with various symptoms associated with anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHD, insomnia, and cognitive performance. Recently, benefits have been documented in treatment of the neurological side effects and symptoms associated with long COVID infection, termed “COVID-brainfog.” Successive electroencephalograms (qEEG) performed throughout the course of treatment are used to adjust

CEO & Founder of PrTMS Medical Director of Mindset

various parameters, allowing the therapy to be personalized for each patient.

Whether it’s due to physical trauma (i.e concussion,) medications, or simply just poor sleep, the human brain shows the same response to being traumatized: it generally slows down and adds slow wave frequencies (noise) into the system. This slowing appears to be the predominant pattern following trauma or other forms of neuronal some stress. To complicate matters, some neurons can become agitated after trauma and are set to fire too quickly. The slow neurons are undersampling the environment (sleep), while the faster neurons are over-sampling the environment (agitation or anxiety states.)

Dr. Murphy likes to describe neuronal trauma by making an analogy to a marching band. Normally the band marches in a linear

not all of the neurons respond correctly to the same medication. And that’s why you may see side effects occurring with some medications.”

The qEEGs taken at baseline and once a week during PrTMS treatment show a summary picture of the brainwave distribution at that time. Dr. Murphy has examined over 40,000 qEEGs! The location and degree of brainwave disturbance are identified using these images. This information is then processed via a proprietary algorithm (unique to PeakLogic, Inc, San Diego, CA) to determine the exact treatment protocol necessary to remove noise and improve brainwave coherence and power.

The treatment that follows, called PrTMS, relies heavily on each individual’s personal response to successive stimulation. The protocols adjust continually, just as

PeakLogic’s mission

is dedicated to empowering professionals with the ability to transform sufferers’ lives and improve their health to normal brain function through this process of neurorestoration.

fashion with a particular cadence. But what would happen if there were stragglers? “If a meteor were to strike the band, half of the members would move off to one side, and the others would go too quickly in the other direction. You’ve now gained ‘noise’ as neurons are reset to fire at a variety of frequencies. So, instead of the band remaining in tune and making the correct music, it’s playing the wrong song, and the frequencies are discordant with each other.” It is that lack of uniformity which adversely affects optimal brain function.

Medication management tries to “fix” this by prescribing a stimulant, suppressant, or cocktail mix of other prescriptions. “The problem is that the whole band gets the same medication,” continues Dr. Murphy with his analogy. “With drug therapy, if you want to make the slow neurons go faster, a stimulant may be the answer. But the neurons already going too fast say ‘Why did you give me a stimulant? That’s the last thing I needed!’ Hence, there will be a side effect of worsening anxiety. So, now a sedative may be prescribed to slow the system down. Neurons already going too slowly may be saying ‘I don’t need a sedative!’ Simply stated, there are a mixture of neuronal speeds in all of us, and

a doctor may need to adjust a patient’s dose of medication to find the best response.

TMS, in general, is a non-invasive brain stimulation therapy that uses electromagnetic pulses to stimulate nerve cells in order to improve symptoms of neurological or mental health disorders. But the personalized aspect of PrTMS treatment is what makes it revolutionary, a true industry first, and potentially more effective as each individual’s brain pattern and needs are different. “It is the patient’s response to successive stimulation, and real-time adjustments of the protocols, which allow the process of neuromodulation to occur more rapidly and become more durable.”

Who is Dr. Kevin Murphy, and how did he develop such a life-altering concept within the current climate of the medical community?

Until around 1990, this multi-talented man was an engineering officer on a U.S. naval aircraft carrier. His engineering skills would come back into play years later, when he designed the technology that would eventually be used in PrTMS. After serving our country, this veteran pursued a decades-long career as a Radiation Oncologist, specializing in the treatment of brain tumors. He worked with both pediatric and adult cancer patients,

many of whom were afflicted with brain malignancies, and the side effects associated with such treatment.

Dr. Murphy was instrumental in developing and popularizing a technique called “stereotactic radiosurgery” using frameless techniques. Instead of bolting screws into the skull for immobilization, frameless techniques allow the tumor treatments to be monitored non-invasively, using the topography of the patient’s face. These techniques made it a lot easier to treat pediatric radiosurgery candidates, and provided for him a window into a novel way of conducting brain intervention in general. Dr. Murphy founded two companies to help with the wide variety of human performance challenges: MindSet, a private, PrTMS treatment center; and PeakLogic, a medical software company that automates the display, processing, and protocol treatment algorithm. Both are based in San Diego. At the MindSet clinic, Dr. Murphy, and Dr. Lisa Duhaylongsod, along with a devoted staff of technicians and directors, help those with anxiety disorders, depression, ADHD, PTSD, sleep disorders, concussion, migraines, autism, and other maladaptive issues. PrTMS has even helped professional athletes with personal performance.

PeakLogic’s mission is dedicated to empowering professionals with the ability to transform sufferers’ lives and improve their health to normal brain function through this process of neurorestoration. The company has enabled practitioners across the country to do the same work that is being done in San Diego – by utilizing the proprietary software as a clinical decision-making tool.

Looking far into the future, Dr. Murphy believes that personalizing rTMS and other forms of neuromodulation therapy will continue to expand. Couldn’t we all, in theory, use a “tune-up”? Dr. Murphy’s response to these questions is that perhaps someday, decades from now, “we’ll be able to slip on our neuromodulation caps while we drink our morning coffee.” But for now, thanks to his amazing vision and unbridled determination, the world has already become a better place for many.

At-A-Glance

MindsetSD.com/PeakLogic 12625 High Bluff Drive Suite #318 858-924-1116 www.MindsetSD.com www.PrTMS.com info@mindsetsd.com

ERASE HATE SAN DIEGO

By District Attorney Summer Stephan

This month San Diego County is participating in the statewide United Against Hate Week campaign, an anti-hate awareness effort to call for local civic action to stop the hate and biases that pose a dangerous threat to the safety and civility of neighborhoods, towns, and cities. Unfortunately, hate crimes have increased across our nation, state, and region. By learning about hate crimes and how to stand against them and report them, we can make everyone safer.

For those who don’t already know, prosecuting and preventing hate crimes is a priority for me as District Attorney. In recent years, we’ve tripled the number of hate crimes prosecutions, sending an unwavering message that hate crimes will not be tolerated. Last year alone, we prosecuted 30 hate crimes cases, up from 21 in 2020.

We recognize the distinctive fear and stress suffered by victims of hate crimes, including the potential for reprisal, escalation of violence, and the far-reaching negative consequences that hate crimes have on our community.

A hate incident is an act, which is bias-motivated, but does not rise to the level of a hate crime. For example, if someone uses a racial slur against another it probably isn’t a hate crime, rather a hate incident. It’s important to understand the difference between an act that is understandably upsetting, and an act motivated by hate or bias that is a crime.

A hate crime is against an individual or property that is substantially motivated by bias against the victim’s:

•Race/ethnicity/nationality

•Religion

•Sexual orientation

•Gender

•Disability

•Victim’s association with any above group

In 2020, I set up an online reporting form and hotline on our public website where anyone can report a suspected hate crime they witnessed in San Diego County. The tool was partly in response to reports of hate-related incidents aimed at the Asian community across the nation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The online reporting tool, email and phone number are available for reporting of any type of suspected hate crime.

We know that people often don’t report hate crimes because of fear or shame, and we wanted to provide a direct avenue to encourage victims or witnesses to hate crimes to report. People can and should continue to report hate crimes to their local police departments and Sheriff’s Department. This additional reporting mechanism will act as a safety net and help ensure reports are reviewed and shared by law enforcement.

If you have been a victim of hate crime, here are tips on what to do:

•If you are seriously injured, call 911 or get to the hospital immediately.

•Whether or not you are injured, report the crime.

•To help yourself, it is important to do at least some of the following:

•See a doctor to treat and document even minor physical injuries.

•Take pictures of any physical injuries or damages to property, even if police already did so.

•If the crime is vandalism, let the police see and photograph the damage before you clean and/or repair.

•If possible, get witnesses’

names, addresses and telephone numbers.

•Write down as many facts about the incident as you can remember.

•Seek a therapist to assist with the emotional aspects of the attack.

•Learn the names of the police officers and prosecutors working on the case and keep in touch with them.

•Get copies of police reports and check them for accuracy.

•Attend necessary court hearings, whether you are subpoenaed, including arraignment, bail review and sentencing.

•If possible, make a statement in court to the judge about threats, direct or indirect, and possible fears.

The public can find the DA’s online reporting form by searching for hate crimes at www.SanDiegoDA.com. The Hate Crimes email address is hatecrimes@sdcda.org and the phone number is 619-515-8805.

As your District Attorney, I’m committed to increasing communication and accessibility between the DA’s Office and the public. I hope these consumer and public safety tips have been helpful.

JANUARY 2023 EVENTS

January Holidays

1/1 New Year’s

Day

1/16 Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Spolia: 15th Annual soundON Festival

Explore cutting-edge contemporary music from around the world. Entitled Spolia, this year’s festival explores the traces of the past recast into unique new expressions, just as ancient artifacts are reincorporated into newer architecture to become spolia.

Location: Athenaeum Music & Arts Library.

Info: www.ljathenaeum.org/sound-on 1/5 – 1/7 7:30 pm

San Diego Brew Festival

The 12th annual San Diego Brew Festival finally returns! The event will feature over 70 breweries, 200 beers, 10 of San Diego’s best food trucks as well as cover band and lawn bands.

Location: Liberty Station.

Info: www.sandiegobeerfest.com 1/7 1 – 4 pm

San Diego Spring Home Show

The San Diego Home Show is an event designed for homeowners in all stages of remodeling, landscaping and decorating their homes.

Location: San Diego Convention Center.

Info: www.homeshowsandiego.com 1/7 – 1/8 Sat 10 am – 7 pm, Sun 10 am – 5 pm

Monster Jam

The most action-packed motorsports event on four wheels. You will witness world-class driver athletes and the most recognizable trucks tear up the dirt and compete in intense competitions of speed and skill.

Location: Snapdragon Stadium.

Info: www.monsterjam.com/en-US/events/san-diego-ca/jan-072023-jan-08-2023

1/7 – 1/8 Sat 7 pm, Sun 3 pm

Borrego Springs Film Festival

An intimate vibrant festival in one of the most beautiful locations in the United States. An old-school film festival!

Location: Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center.

Info: www.borregospringsfilmfestival.org 1/12 – 1/16 various

Poway Winter Festival

Whether you’re building a snowman, sledding down the snow hill, roasting marshmallows by the campfire, making silly faces in our free photo booth, or taking a spin around the synthetic skate rink, there is bound to be something for everyone!

Location: Poway Community Park.

Info: www.poway.org/893/Winter-Festival 1/13 – 1/14 Fri: 5 – 9 pm, Sat 3:30 – 8:30 pm

Big Salsa Festival

A four-day Latin event featuring some of the greatest names in performing arts and music! Each day is packed with dance classes, amazing performances, live band concerts, and Latin dance parties into the early morning hours.

Location: Marriott Mission Valley.

Info: www.bigsalsafestival.com/san-diego 1/13 – 1/16 Fri 11 am – 4 am, Sat & Sun 9 am – 4 am

Kids Marathon Mile

LEGOland California joins In Motion to host this special, 1-mile fun run for kids of all ages and abilities.

Location: LEGOland.

Info: www.inmotionevents.com/event/kids-marathon-mile 1/14 6:30 am

San Diego Resolution Run

Take strides to reduce your carbon & physical footprint at the San Diego Resolution Run 5K, 10K and ½ marathon! A healthier you can mean a lighter you – and a lighter footprint.

Location: Tecolote Shores.

Info: www.sandiegorunningco.com/sdrc_events/san-diegoresolution-run-5k-10k-half-marathon 1/14 7:30 am – 10 am

The Oddities & Curiosities Expo

For lovers of the strange, unusual, and bizarre… showcasing vendors, dealers, artists, and small businesses from all over the country with all things weird.

Location: Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Info: odditiesandcuriositiesexpo.com 1/14 10 am – 6 pm

Winter Bridal Bazaar

This is San Diego’s largest bridal show of the year, so you’ll find more variety, more choices, more inspiration to plan your day, your way.

Location: San Diego Convention Center. Info: www.bridalbazaar.com 1/15 9:30 am – 4 pm

Martin Luther King Jr. Parade

One of the largest celebrations of its kind in the US in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The parade is filled with dazzling floats, phenomenal High School Bands, Drill Teams, College Fraternities & Sororities, Churches, Peace & Youth organizations.

Location: Harbor Drive-Embarcadero.

Info: www.sandiegoalphas.com/mlk-parade 1/15 2 – 5 pm

Carlsbad Marathon, Half Marathon, & 5K

The BEST and most scenic winter marathon and half marathon with the BEST swag. Miles and miles of breathtaking ocean views and outstanding course support stations and entertainment at every mile.

Location: the Shoppes at Carlsbad. Info: www.carlsbadmarathon.com 1/15 6:15 am

33th Annual Martin Luther King Day Celebration

Celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a family event with live music, guest speakers, vendors, and more.

Location: WorldBeat Center, Balboa Park. Info: www.worldbeatcenter.org/event/34th-annual-martin-lutherking-day-celebration 1/17 1 – 4:30 pm

San Diego Lunar New Year Festival

Celebrate the New Year with us in a festive environment with dragon and lion dances, firecrackers, games, food, and more!

Location: Officer J. Henwood Memorial Park. Info: www.lunarnewyearfestival.org 1/20 – 1/22 times tba

Jurassic Quest

The world’s largest, most popular dino event with unique and exciting experiences for the whole family.

Location: Del Mar Fairgrounds. Info: www.jurassicquest.com 1/20 – 1/22 Fri & Sat 9 am – 8 pm, Sun 9 am – 6 pm

Monster Energy Supercross

The world’s best two-wheel racers converge for a night of nonstop action!

Location: Snapdragon Stadium. Info: www.supercrosslive.com/tickets/san-diego-ca/jan-21-2023 1/21 6:30 pm

Farmers Insurance PGA Open

San Diego’s premier PGA Tour event returns! Whether you join us for our Full Field Days to watch the pros take on the North and South Courses, or enjoy our Championship Days to witness the battle for

first, we can’t wait to see you at Torrey!

Location: Torrey Pines Golf Course.

Info: www.farmersinsuranceopen.com 1/25 – 1/28 Wed & Thu 9 am, Fri & Sat 9:30 am

San Diego Tết Festival

The annual festival is celebrating the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Rabbit! There will be attractions, activities, games, food, and live entertainment.

Location: Mira Mesa Community Park.

Info: www.sdtet.com 1/27 – 1/29 times tba

San Diego Cat Show

The Super Bowl of cat competition, plus vendors, and cats & kittens looking for new homes!

Location: Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Info: www.sandiegocat.org

1/28 – 1/29 Sat 10 am – 5 pm, Sun 9 am – 5 pm

SAN DIEGO COUNTY FARMERS MARKETS

(updated 10/3/2022)

MONDAY

Escondido 3-7pm 8860 Lawrence Welk Dr.

TUESDAY

Coronado 2:30–6pm

1st St. & B Ave.

Escondido 2:30pm-Sunset 200 N. Juniper St.

La Jolla 10am-2pm (Sep-Jun)

UCSD Town Square

Mira Mesa 3–7pm (Feb-Oct), 3-6pm (Nov-Dec)

Mira Mesa High School

Otay Ranch 4-8pm (7pm during COVID)

Birch Rd. & Eastlake Blvd.

Pacific Beach 2-7pm Bayard & Garnet

San Marcos 3-7pm 250 North City Dr.

WEDNESDAY

Carlsbad Village 3–7pm (Mar-Oct), 3-6pm (Nov-Feb)

State St. & Carlsbad Village Dr.

Little Italy Mercato 9:30am–1:30pm

West Date St.

Ocean Beach 4-7pm (Oct-Mar), 4-8pm (Apr-Sept)

4900 Newport Ave.

Santee 3–7pm (Mar-Oct), 2:30-6:30pm (Nov-Feb)

Carlton Hills Blvd. & Mast

South Bay 3-7pm

4475 Bonita Rd.

THURSDAY

Linda Vista 12-6pm

6931 Linda Vista Rd.

North Park 3–7:30pm

North Park Way & 30th St.

Oceanside 9am–1pm

Pier View Wy & Hwy. 101

Scripps Ranch 3-7pm

10045 Carroll Canyon Rd.

FRIDAY

Borrego Springs 7-10am (May-Oct), 7am12pm (Nov-Apr)

Christmas Circle

Imperial Beach 2-7pm (Apr-Oct), 2-6pm (Nov-Mar)

Portwood Pier Plaza La Mesa 3-7pm

La Mesa Blvd. Rancho Bernardo 9am–1pm Bernardo Winery

SATURDAY

City Heights 9am-1pm 4300 Wightman St. Del Mar 12–4pm

1050 Camino Del Mar Fallbrook 9am-1:30pm 100 S. Main Ave.

Little Italy Mercato 8am–2pm West Date St.

Mission Valley 8:30am-12pm

7960 Civita Blvd.

Poway 8am–1pm

Old Poway Park Rancho Penasquitos 9am-1pm 9400 Fairgrove Ln.

Santa Ysabel 10am–6pm

21887 Washington St. Vista 8am–12pm

Melrose Dr., S. of Hwy 78

SUNDAY

Chula Vista 10am-2pm

300 Park Way

Hillcrest 9am–2pm

3960 Normal St.

La Jolla 9am–1pm

Girard Ave. & Genter St.

Leucadia 10am–2pm

185 Union St.

Rnch Santa Fe 9:30am–2pm

16079 San Dieguito Rd.

Santa Ysabel 10am–6pm

21887 Washington St. Solana Beach 12-4pm 444 S. Cedros Ave.

sdfarmbureau.org or cdfa.ca.gov

SANTEE MOM HONORED FOR EXCELLENCE IN FOSTERING

Rachel McKee Selected as Foster Family of the Month

Rachel McKee knew that she and her 12-year-old son Nixon were up for the challenge of serving as a resource family. She has been a kindergarten teacher for six years. Nixon was very open to the idea of helping infants and toddlers who needed a safe, loving home while their parents took the time that they needed to get their lives on track. But Rachel wasn’t sure that Angels Foster Family Network would approve her application, because she is a single mother who works full time.

Thankfully, Rachel attended an information session and discovered that Angels welcomes all people who meet the health and safety criteria, and go through the rigorous screening, training, and certification process. Angels resource parents are singles, same-sex couples, newlyweds, large traditional families, empty nesters, and retirees. Angels is not affiliated with any religious organization.

Rachel’s sister Richelle fostered through Angels and it got Rachel to thinking about it. She had love to give to children, so why not apply? Two years later, Rachel and Nixon have welcomed six children into their lives, including two siblings who are currently with them.

First came an infant who stayed with them for 10 days before going to live with his aunt. Then, a set of boy siblings – a toddler, who was soon followed by a newborn.

Next came a 3-year-old boy who was initially shy, but after just a few days with Nixon and his cousin Austin he was building with blocks, playing with toys, dancing and rapping. “He was such a sweet boy with good man-

ners,” Rachel says. He was placed with an aunt after a weeklong stay with Rachel and Nixon. “The boys were disappointed that he left so soon, but I reiterated to them that these children are not ours,” Rachel says.

For the last year, Rachel has fostered 2-year-old “Kruz.” Her sister, “Baby,” followed six months later.

Rachel says one of the things she enjoys most about fostering is watching the children grow more comfortable and secure. When Kruz arrived, she had a tough time. “She screamed and cried a lot, woke up and went to sleep angry, and was physically delayed,” Rachel explains. Kruz only began walking when she was 18 months old. Prior to that she crawled or walked on her knees. Now she sits in her soft chair with her feet kicked up or snuggles on the couch. “She’s excited to see her mom, so she’s comfortable in both environments,” Rachel says.

Rachel’s son Nixon, says of the foster placements, “I’m happy they have somewhere to go and I like hanging out with them.” His favorite thing to do with the children is read the ‘Brown Bear’ books to them. “Nixon has always been good with kids,” his mother adds.

Rachel is also extremely proud of the parents of the children she has cared for. “A lot of people think that kids come into foster care because their parents are horrible and terrible people, but everyone makes mistakes,” she says. The mother of one of Rachel’s first placements was extremely grateful and said she considered her part of her family. “One of the best parts of fostering is being excited when the parents meet their goals, do better, and get their kids back,” Rachel says.

Courtesy photo: Rachel McKee and her son Nixon love fostering infants and toddlers through Angels Foster Family Network

SAN DIEGO VOLUNTEERS HELPING BUILD A NURSERY AT BAJA CALIFORNIA ORPHANAGE

In Baja California, one in three girls become pregnant before the age of 18. For Jorge and Ely Fonseca, who run the Rancho De Los Niños Orphanage in Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico, caring for these abandoned infants is a lifelong mission. Both grew up at the orphanage themselves, and today they are caring for 90 kids who live there.

Building a nursery at the orphanage so they can care for more babies in the new year is a mission that an eclectic group of San Diego residents took on this holiday season. Situated 90 miles from the San Diego border, the fifty-year old orphanage and their philanthropic neighbors are quickly becoming lifelong friends. The partnership began with a personal request from Carlsbad resident David Steel. To celebrate his birthday, he asked his Facebook friends to donate toys and other items for the children. He and his son were planning a trip to deliver gifts before the holidays.

Steel’s Facebook post generated more interest than he expected, including from a group of local entrepreneurs who wanted to help. Ray Drasnin, CEO of Purple Penguin PR, offered to launch a pro bono media relations campaign to spread the word. Local videographer Ian O’Roarty helped produce a video to share the story. Bing I. Bush, a prominent Del Mar attorney, donated all the money raised at his annual holiday event in support. More than 200 guests brought new, unwrapped toys for the children to the event. The event’s DJ, Sammy Shoebox Moses, donated his own services after learning about the campaign. He is an orphan himself, who was born in the Philippines.

From books to dolls and clothing to stuffed animals, hundreds of gifts were delivered to the orphanage before Christmas. To date, the group of volunteers from San Diego have raised an additional $10,000 through a GoFundMe campaign. They hope to raise $150,000, which includes $110,000 in building costs, $24,000 for one year of supplies to support nearly a dozen infants the first year, and $16,000 to add additional staffing for the newborns.

An architect has already drafted designs for the nursery, a gift from Amar Harrag, the founder of the restaurant group Be Saha Hospitality Group. Harrag knows the area of Baja California well. His company is building a wellness and retreat center, Ethos Baja, in Ensenada and plans to support the orphanage locally in the future through the work of Corazon De Vida (CDV), a U.S.based nonprofit that provides monthly support to more than 10 orphanages housing 500 children. CDV’s university program has helped more than 45 orphanage residents attend college or technical school.

“I have been visiting the beautiful children at Rancho de los Niños for more than ten years, bringing donations from our community and much-needed items,” said Harrag. “The ‘baby dorm’ project is a model for Baja California, where the need is great, and resources are small.”

Another nonprofit, Do Something Now, whose mission is to provide bicycles to underprivileged people living in impoverished areas throughout the world, donated and delivered twelve bikes to the Rancho De Los Niños Orphanage as well, making the holidays even brighter this year. “Donating a bike is a simple way to bring love, joy and independence to these amazing young children,” said Harve Meskin, president, Do Something Now.

“Who would have thought that a simple request and an online post would make such a difference in the lives of so many children,” reflects Steel. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, still looking to do more, and excited to make a generational impact on these abandoned babies in dire need.”

In this photo Harve Meskin is in the middle. He put together a donation of 12 bikes. They were reconditioned by REI locally who just charged for the parts and then helmets and locks were purchased. They were giving to these older kids so they can now get jobs that are further than just walking distance from the Orphanage. In the photo “Volunteer Kazim Konyar on the left, Harve Meskin in the middle, and volunteer Steve Ostrow on the right” all three of these men are from San Diego.

Myself David Steel sitting in the one of the dorms with the youngest children. It is incredibly difficult not to take these kids homes with me.

David Steel and one of the children.

This little girl is just an angel and followed me for 45 min just wanting to play and be held.

CANNABIS PRODUCTS ASSOCIATED WITH QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVEMENTS IN PATIENTS WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS

December 15, 2022

London, United Kingdom: Patients with post-traumatic stress experience symptom improvements following the use of cannabis products, according to data published in the journal Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics.

British investigators assessed the safety and efficacy of cannabis products in 162 PTSD patients with a physician’s authorization. Study subjects were participants in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. Study participants consumed either cannabis extracts or THC-dominant flowers for a period of six months.

Authors reported that patients showed “statistically significant improvements” in a variety of domains, including sleep, anxiety, and stress. Self-reported adverse events were typically mild in severity.

“This observational study suggests an association between CBMP [cannabis-based medicinal products] treatment and improvement in PTSD-specific, HRQoL [health-related quality of life], sleep, and anxiety outcomes at up to 6-month follow-up,” they concluded. “CBMPs were well-tolerated and adverse events manageable.

… [T]his study can serve to inform future randomized placebo-controlled trials with the aim of confirming these promising effects, whilst informing current clinical practice.”

Observational studies assessing the role of cannabinoids in mitigating symptoms of PTSD have generally yielded mixed results. A 2021 clinical trial reported that the inhalation of marijuana flowers provided limited benefits compared to a placebo in treating symptoms of PTSD.

CONSUMPTION OF COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE CBD PRODUCTS ASSOCIATED WITH PERCEIVED IMPROVEMENTS IN PAIN, ANXIETY, SLEEP, AND WELL-BEING

December 15, 2022

Los Angeles, CA: Subjects who consume commercially available CBD products report improvements in their overall well-being as compared to those taking a placebo, according to data published in the journal Integrative Medicine Reports.

A team of investigators affiliated with the University of California, Los Angeles and

with the Scripps Institute assessed the health and safety of 13 commercially available CBD products in a cohort of over 2,800 participants. Subjects were randomly assigned to consume either CBD or a placebo for a period of 4 weeks.

Researchers reported: “Well-being, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and pain significantly improved among those assigned to take a CBD product relative to waitlist controls. Among those assigned to a CBD product, the percentage of individuals with a given condition who experienced an improvement which could be considered clinically meaningful or important was 46.6 percent for anxiety; 47.9 percent for sleep disturbance, and 35.2 percent for pain. … [A]ll products in the study exhibited a favorable safety profile; no severe side effects were reported.”

They concluded: “Our results suggest that the commercially available CBD products included in this study are safe and may serve as potentially effective complementary therapies for management of anxiety, sleep disturbance, and pain. These effects appear independent of the prior CBD use and product spectrum.”

Prior analyses of commercially available CBD products have raised concerns about their purity and potency. Survey data compiled by the National Consumers League in 2020 determined that more than eight in ten US voters desire greater federal regulatory oversight over the labeling and marketing of commercially available CBD products.

AS A HOMEOWNER, NEVER FORGET— KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

By LinDee Rochelle

When disaster strikes—and there has been more of those than we can count in recent years—there is rarely an option to “be prepared,” no matter how many precautions we’ve taken. Making matters worse, dealing with the aftermath of a home disaster can be as harrowing as the original event.

No one denies it—insurance, no matter what industry— is essential and incredibly complicated. I’d venture to say, even those in the business know only their own niched expertise, not necessarily understanding the big picture. With luck, we never need to use our insurance and it remains a “necessary evil” in our budget.

When we do find ourselves in a trying situation that calls our insurance into play, like flooded home or fire destruction, it’s no wonder we’re confused. Between our immediate needs, the policy’s fine print, the insurance company’s adjuster, and the repair company, it’s often a three-ring circus without the fun.

Homeowner’s primary asset in a disaster event is knowledge

Not all is as it seems. Contrary to our instincts, calling your insurance agent should be your second priority in a disaster. The first, is taking time to read your policy, right down to the fine print.

Of course, you want what is best for you and your family—to restore your home to livable and safe conditions. In the midst of chaos, it’s easy to just “let them handle it.” But knowing what is covered in your policy will abate further aggravation in the days that follow. When it comes to insurance policies, it’s true, “the devil’s in the details.”

For you, nothing is more important than the insurance adjuster’s estimate and a date to begin repairs. But do you know what the policy covers, versus what the contractor states is needed, and the insurance company will pay for? And what happens when the contractor finishes, and you submit all costs to your insurance company?

If the homeowner opts to contract with an independent restoration company (5 Reasons Not to Use the Restoration Company Recommended by Your Insurance Carrier), they will submit the contractor’s final claim to their insurance company for payment. That’s when the claims adjuster has absolute power over what is paid and what is disallowed. Not all adjusters are experienced and conscientious. More importantly, their allegiance is not to the policyholder, but to their company; and their job may hinge on the amount that can be shaved off the total.

It’s also a position of negotiation and personality, which can play a big part, differentiating between company pre-

ferred contractors and independents.

One contractor’s David and Goliath example

Because preferred contractors’ loyalty is also to the insurance company and not the homeowner, Tom Frederick, owner of longtime local company, San Diego Restoration, prefers to work as an independent contractor. He admits, while some deductions could be considered marginal, in recent years, adjusters are disallowing procedures more often and for higher amounts.

“Don’t get me wrong,” said Tom, “we need insurance. But this is happening across the country and I for one, I am just tired of losing dollars for legitimate procedures.”

Upon completing restoration on a flooded home, he submitted a request for payment to the insurer. “The adjuster was one I’d dealt with several times over the years,” said Tom. “Always with a contrary attitude, assuming they know more than me about my industry, and what is best for the homeowner.”

Contributing to the issue, “... the insurance company representative doesn’t always appear on site,” said Tom, a practice that happened often during the pandemic. Some procedures are not deemed necessary, because there was no personal inspection, to observe the need.

Tom cited an example, “It’s so hard to give an estimate (and adhere to that dollar amount) because we don’t know what’s ‘behind the walls’ and how long it’s going to take, until we get into the repairs.” This especially includes remediation—removal of pollution or contaminants from the environment.

The adjuster disallowed Tom’s use of typical materials, machines, and procedures to keep the family (and his laborers) free of mold and air particulates, during and after repairs—like negative air machine, HEPA vacuuming, masking, etc.—in the amount of $232.

Their reason (must be stated, by law), “... will explain to the homeowner that we cannot approve those charges and that they would not be normal, customary or needed ...” Apparently, a safe environment is not their concern. Tom finally decided his sense of fairness couldn’t swallow another loss, no matter how small.

It wasn’t as large as other costs he’s absorbed, one as high as $1,500, but it was his snapping point. He filed for payment in small claims court against one of the largest home insurers in the country. A company representative contacted Tom and offered $1,200 for the $232 court case to go away. For Tom it was an easy “no thanks.” Principal trumped dollars.

However, even when the court ruled in his favor, stating the statute: “Intentional Interference with Existing

Contract,” as the claim determination, Tom was made to prove he had followed every minute step before the court finalized the ruling, forcing Goliath to pay.

Tom humbly suggests, “I’m not a crusader ... I just don’t like to see anybody stomped on by huge corporations.” What he would like to see is the policy of insurance adjusters to change nationwide, to work with the indie contractors instead of against them, for the good of their policyholders.

When it comes to what’s best for the homeowner and what the insurance company will pay, legitimate contractors often find themselves squeezed between a rock (insurance company) and a hard spot (the homeowner). Tom always opts for the homeowner’s safety.

They like your monthly premium, but they love ...

If you’ve paid your home’s insurance premiums for more than a few years, you likely think the company has received enough from you to cover any standard disaster repairs. While they gladly accept your premiums, that is not where the money lies for them. There is more ... so much more.

An underlying motivation for most insurance companies is hidden in plain sight in behind-the-scenes actions that any smart person with cash to spend takes ... invest. Insurance companies make more money on turning your premiums into investments—which in turn, is why they’re so tight-fisted when it comes to paying for your repairs.

Sure, the premiums you pay an insurance company make them money, especially when you rarely, or never, submit a claim. But your premium dollars don’t sit in the bank to earn their meager interest. The real money magic for insurance companies comes when they parlay your money into investments.

In their opinion, any dollar not being invested, is being wasted. Bottom line, when you do file a claim, insurance companies may seem unnecessarily reluctant to pay, or worse, not pay out at all, as the longer your money turns over in their investments, the more they make.

For businesses, when their investing addiction becomes a “standard practice,” it often affects the very people most of all, to whom they profess their loyalty and dedication— their customers.

One blogger aptly said, “Insurance companies will often take their premiums and invest in short-term assets to make as much interest as possible while also playing it safe.” Consider this: one top-level U.S. insurer reported its 2019 investment profit as $79.4 billion. That is no chumpchange.

What we often forget, is the original estimate of repairs is just that—an estimate. And they don’t call an insurance adjuster by that title for no reason ... their job is to “adjust” and usually in favor of the company.

Although we focused on homeowner insurance issues, this is apparent standard operating procedure in most insurances. As a homeowner—or a consumer who pays premiums to any type of insurance—if you didn’t know this before, it’s important to keep it in mind when you file a claim. Know what your claim entails and make sure you get what you pay for.

At a Glance:

Tom Frederick

San Diego Flood Restoration

Rancho Bernardo Flood 340 Millar Ave, El Cajon, 92020 619-265-7337 tom@sdfrc.com

LUM/Brad Weber podcast

When it comes to homeowners insurance, not all states are created equal; check with your state’s laws and options.

RED FOX STEAKHOUSE – GET READY FOR PIANO TUNES AND GREAT EATS

Photos and story by Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

Show tunes, Christmas songs, jazz, and New Year’s Auld Lang Syne---imagine the play sets, musical possibilities of hanging out at the Red Fox Steakhouse’s piano bar in the up-and-coming weeks. Toast to Rudolph-the-red-nose-Reindeer or Frosty-the-Snowman! Who knows what the playlists will sound like.

The piano bar, one of a handful of piano bars, and restaurant have gone through changes in the last few years.

The relocated Red Fox Steakhouse, formerly in the Lafayette Hotel on El Cajon Boulevard, sits kitty-corner from the hotel in their new location at 2223 El Cajon Boulevard. The pandemic, a lease issue, and construction of the new building closed the ionic restaurant for a few years, but they have been back in business since March.

Nightly, at 7:30 p.m. the music begins. “We have three guys that play,” said Jim Demos, “… always different.” Demos’ father, John, who is now retired, bought the Red Fox over 50 years ago. Running the operations has switched to Jim since 2018.

Besides the music, the new Red Fox Steakhouse is rich with history.

The interior woodwork and furnishings were

dismantled, in 1926, from the original Red Fox Tavern, originally built around 1560 in England. Some of the former tavern ended up in California. The late Hollywood actress Marion Davies bought parts of the tavern for her Santa Monica beach home. Her home was sold and turned into a hotel with the woodwork then put in storage.

“Frank Harris, the original owner, bought all of it at an auction in Santa Monica,” said Jim Demos in a phone interview. The “new” Red Fox was then established in San Diego with the Demos family taking the ownership in the 60’s.

But the history behind the Red Fox now has decades of dining and musical memories for San Diegans and visitors separate from its English and Santa Monica origins. Generations have visited the former location. Now, gen x and baby-boomers alike can enjoy the old-school, old-timey feel of the new “joint.”

And there is no mistaking that the medieval touches: stained glass partitions, a suit of armour, wood furnishings and leather booths all add up to induce a centuries old medieval tinged experience.

Another star feature is their food.

The menu offers, in part, steaks, lobster, pork chops, shrimp, Atlantic cod, combinations of all

the surf-and-turf items, and salads.Vegans can find their own preferences with the line-up of salads. Desserts include Irish cream cheesecake and New York style cheesecake. The full bar offers cocktails, beer, and wine.

Grilled cheese, spicy pickle spears, fried zucchini ovals, pepper jack mac ‘n cheese bites are partial offerings in the lounge.

Lunch and dinner are both offered.

The piano bar is open nightly from 7:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. Pictures behind the piano of musicians, now passed, are displayed in tribute to the decades of musical joy they lent to Red Fox patrons over the years. New memories are to be made in this reincarnation of a beloved piano bar.

AT-A-GLANCE

THE RED FOX STEAK HOUSE AND PIANO BAR 2200 El Cajon Blvd 619-297-1313

Dinner starts Nightly at 4PM 7 days a week Lunch 11AM-4PM Monday-Friday https://www.redfoxsd.com/

REMEMBRANCE DAY: NEVER FORGET – ALWAYS REMEMBER

Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy) is a Memorial Day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honor armed forces members who have died in the line of duty. Following a tradition inaugurated by King George V in 1919, the day is also marked by war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries

Lieutenant Colonel Downey enlisted in the Marines in 1979, was commissioned in 1980 and retired in 2000 from active service. In 2016 he was honored on the Avenue of heroes in Coronado for his efforts during the Persian Gul war flying the AV8 Harrier plane. The Hawker Siddeley Harrier was the first generation of that plane flown by multiple air forces including the Royal Airforce (RAF) and the United States Marine Corps (USMC). During the 1980s, a second-generation Harrier emerged, manufactured in the United States as the AV-8B and in Britain as the British Aerospace Harrier II respectively. By the start of the 21st century, most of the first-generation Harriers had been withdrawn, many operators having chosen to procure the second generation as a replacement. Named in the 19560’s after a bird of prey, The Harrier emerged as the only truly successful V/STOL (vertical short takeoff and landing) design of the many attempted during that era. It was conceived to operate from improvised bases, such as car parks or forest clearings, without requiring large and vulnerable locations and then to land on aircraft carriers. They have been made both by UK and US manufacturers.

John Downey has been a neighbor, friend, and fellow Optimist for many years. I had the honor and privilege to interview John Downey after his incredible journey to join in the Remembrance Day Festivities in London in early November. Being a Marine AV 8 Harrier pilot, he marched with a group because of a wonderful twist of fate in 2019. Here is the amazing story!

Growing up did you plan to be a pilot and consider a military career? His hometown is Pottsville, PA and some members of his fraternity while at Bloomsburg University (Bloomsburg PA) were involved in the Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Class program which inspired him to also enter the program!

Was any of your family in the military? Family members served in WWII. John is active in many organizations including the: MMOA, VFW, DAV, and the Coronado Marine Corps League

Here’s the incredible result of being in the right place at the right time:

After returning from a Spring Break trip to London in 2018 with their high school senior, they planned a return trip to London in early November 2019 overlapping both Veterans Day (Nov 11th) and the Marine Corps birthday (Nov 10th), important dates to Marine veterans. They hadn’t realized by choosing those travel dates serendipity placed them at the right place at the right time and led to their involvement in something special and on a grand scale!

While on the 2019 trip to England it was the Sunday nearest to Veterans Day. After attending morning ser vices at St. Paul’s Cathedral while walking nearby St James Park and in pursuit of tickets to Winston Churchill’s War Room, they happened upon a formal military ceremony being held on Horse Guard Parade. As it turned out, the Ceremony was the beginning of the Remembrance Day Commemoration Ceremony. Suddenly they realized they were seeing something on a much grander scale!

The Remembrance Day Ceremony commences at the Horse Guard Parade before moving onto Whitehall, the center of the UK Government, similar to the Mall in Washington D.C. The “March” proceeds along Whitehall, Great George Street and subsequently back along Horse Guard Parade where it concludes. Along Whitehall lay numerous important levers of government including UK Ministry of Defence, Parliament, 10 Downing Street (the Prime Minister’s home) the Supreme Court, Westminster Abbey, and Big Ben to name a some of the notable landmarks. On the Horse Guard Parade side of the event are additional landmarks including, Winston Churchill’s War Room, St James Park, Buckingham Palace, Green Park, and the Wellington Arch.

The ceremony begins with two rounds of Artillery at precisely 11:00 AM followed by two minutes of silence. Assembled on the Whitehall side of the ceremony are the Royal Family and the Veterans.

The service takes place at and is centered on the Cenotaph. The Cenotaph is a war memorial that honors the brave men who died during World Wars I and II. Sitting amid the lush Esplanade Park along Connaught Drive, this towering monument—nearly 60-feet high and made from local granite—is in a quiet spot in the Central Busi-

ness District, away from the buzz of neighboring streets. Bronze tablets bear the names of the men from the Straits Settlements who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. The Cenotaph was unveiled on 31 March 1922 by the Prince of Wales, who became King Edward VIII and later, Duke of Windsor.

Look at the inscription on the reverse side. Though no names are listed, the simple phrase “They died so we might live” is inscribed in the four main languages: English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil. They bring hundreds of wreaths of poppies. There is a prayer, the Queen lays a wreath, followed by the Prime Minister and the Lord Mayor. God save the Queen is played and the march begins. Veterans over 10,000 in number begin the procession.

How did you get invited to march in the UK Remembrance Day ceremony with the Royal Harrier Remembrance Force of the Royal British Legion?

After viewing this formal and moving commemoration, John and his wife Erin noticed a group of gentlemen all sporting Harrier Pins on their blazers and Erin inquired as to the significance of the pins and discovered they were members of the Royal Harrier Remembrance Force veterans’ group. Upon learning that John was a harrier pilot the gentlemen ushered John and Erin to meet Flight Leader PV Voight, the only British harrier pilot amongst the group. The Downeys were invited by Voight to meet him at The Royal Airforce Club that evening. After an extended day of camaraderie, John was asked to “Come Back next year to March with us”. The pandemic delayed the trip, but this November they were so honored to be part of the parade!

Tell me about your career in the Marines and what led you to be included this year.

John was a Marine. In the 1960’s the Marine Corps created an aviation school to teach advanced aviation tactics and weapons training; a graduate school of sorts named Marine Aviation and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) where graduates become subject matter experts before return to their squadron as the Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI). MAWTS-1 is a “teach the teachers” concept. As an instructor at MAWTS-1 John had occasion to create professional relationships with many similarly qualified pilots for the UK along with Spain and Italy. He also experienced a near-continuous interaction with Royal Navy and Royal Air Force pilots who were on exchange programs with Marine Corps squadrons. While discussing various career assignments, both Downey and Voight realized that they had many of the same professional colleagues and friends.

In planning their return trip, they learned that 2020 Remembrance Day got canceled, 2021 was a very down scaled event. So as the fall of 2022 approached, John was determined to accept the invitation to march with his British Harrier colleagues. Over 10,000 veterans came to honor the day. It is a very solemn production. As they prepared for the march from the Arch to Whitehall as they experienced once before, this time John would proudly represent the Marine Corps Harrier AV8’s from USA.

A NEW YEAR, A NEW VIEW: 5 TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR 2023

By Olivia Fellus, L.A.c, Dipl.OM

And just like that the holiday season becomes a tiny distant speck amidst a blurry landscape, as January hurtles onwards. People often begin the new year with earnest desire to embark on deliberate fitness and diet regimens, often to inevitable failure. As is common amongst the most well intentioned of humans, the “New Year New You” mantra quickly dissipates within weeks of its enthusiastic start, as work obligations mount, along with the the rising snow in most parts of the country. Winter hibernation truly begins, the once forbidden carbs develop a tantalizing sheen and focus on nutrition and healthy movement swiftly give way to stagnation.

The worst part is the guilt consciousness that pervades the American mind in regards to health and wellness, which only fuels more guilt along with unrealistic expectations in the guise of flashy fad diets and masochistic workout regimes, which are ultimately unsustainable.

How can we shift our perspective, to gently guide our actions to a place of health instead of forcing unnatural change fueled by inner shame or the desire to make things right?

The ancient Chinese sages knew the key was in Yang Shen, Nourishing Health. The concept of Yang Shen has been alive for centuries, and its foundation is in self nourishment that honors the mind, body and spirit, through qi gong meditation, eating well balanced meals, adequate rest, physical activity out in nature, and acupuncture, moxibustion and cupping, as well as herbal therapies when needed. Nowadays, cultivating yang shen can look similar, and may even include mindfulness meditation, taking an hour break during the day to walk outside, or eating without technological distractions.

The only way to truly nourish the self is to know the self. And the only way to know the self is through being present. Surprising revelations arise when one is quiet and takes the time to focus on whatever task is at hand mindfully.

How often do we succumb to the anesthetizing seduction of distraction? Smart phones make this all the more problematic.

Therefore, I propose a new mantra for January 2023: A Near Year, a New View.

Instead of hopping on the latest crash diet, or alleged “lifestyle” trend, be it a raw juice cleanse or the keto diet, to name a few, I invite you to think about ways you can treat yourself better in this new year.

Here are 5 ways to treat your body and emotions with more love during January…. but who needs to save such practices for then? These are lifestyle tips to be incorporated into your daily life every day (these ideas are inspired by the ingenious book Intuitive Eating, by Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole).

1. Eat What You Really Want…and Savor it!

Let go of food guilt and enjoy what you are eating. Instead of eating what you think you should, experiment with eating what seems truly palatable. Often times deprivation fuels overeating and binge eating, which in turn tends to harm the body and psyche. After many years of extremely healthy eating, I have come to release that we were gifted taste buds for a reason, and its possible to maintain a high level of health and nutrition whist still enjoying food, even the “fun” foods.

Do as the French do, and take more time to eat your meals, savoring each bite. Try to make sure what you are eating is truly delicious and enjoyable to your senses. This includes being present with your food. Eating without distraction can help you enjoy your meals more, and even increase the satiety signals in your brain earlier on.

2. Recognize your hunger…and your fullness

Eating is much more enjoyable when you are hungry, but do not wait till you are absolutely starving to eat, otherwise you run the risk of plowing through your meal and not savoring it or recognizing your body’s subtle fullness signals.

When you are hungry, take a moment to truly decider what your body needs. One can use the various tastes and temperatures associated with the different organs in Chinese Medicine as a guide to what is occurring within, which can illuminate other imbalances in your life. For example, a strong craving for carbohydrates is not abnormal, and when you find yourself only desiring breads, pastries, pasta etc, this can signal you are undergoing a significant amount of worry.

Sweet foods, commonly associated with carbs, is related to the spleen organ. The associated emotion of the spleen is worry. Therefore, an overtaxed spleen caused by intense worry, or anxiety tends to manifest in sugar or carb cravings.

By all means allow yourself to eat carbohydrates, as they are an essential energy source for brain function, but also think of other ways you can assuage your worry, whether it be taking a yoga class, speaking with a trusted friend or therapist, or journaling what is on your mind daily. This can create more balance in your life.

3. Appreciate your body NOW

Perhaps you are unhappy with where your body is currently at. They worst thing you can do is berate or punish yourself. Unfortunate-

ly, modern society’s praise and promotion of unnatural thinness (even when there are many naturally differently sized bodies), perpetuated by social media has poisoned our minds and view of how our bodies should look like.

Our physical vessels are temporary gifts, and we have the honor of inhabiting them our whole time on this earth. Make your body your best friend. Treat it right, by massaging in beautiful lotions on your skin that feel good, by dressing in clothes that are flattering, styled how you like, and fit comfortably for where you are at now. Give away too tight clothes or your “diet outfits”. It’s time to live in the present, and to love and treat your body with the respect and love it deserves.

Perhaps you were once thinner, but the cost was a restrictive diet that left you unfulfilled and empty. It may help to grieve for your former skinny body, and forgive yourself for putting your body through so much pain to be at a size it was never meant to be.

Remind yourself gently that your body is infinitely intelligent, and miraculous.

Think of and even write down three things you are grateful for that your body does daily. Whether its embracing your child, dancing to a random song, or drawing a beautiful thank you card for someone.

4. Incorporate Enjoyable Movement into your Every Day

Workouts or exercise programs have massive benefits, but can trigger feelings of obligation, resentment and guilt, especially within those with a history of dieting. Instead, try a physical activity that you enjoy, and do it daily. Avoid focusing on weight loss or calories burned, and instead focus on how the movement makes you feel. Does it energize you? Can you feel the endorphins flooding through your muscles? How do you feel mentally after a good session of movement?

Some movement ideas include but are certainly not limited to dancing, hiking, Pilates, yoga, climbing, cycling, martial arts, running, weight lifting, volleyball, walking etc.

5. Begin your day with Intention

Instead of grabbing your phone first thing in the morning, how about grabbing a notebook, and jotting down your thoughts? You may even include an intention for the day, whether it be communicating authentically in relationships, to being present. Setting aside a few minutes at the start of your day in silence and presence to be with yourself, and allow your consciousness to expand, has massive benefits for your level of well being and helps set the tone for the day.

As you journey into 2023 with a new view, try to make this year about truly treating yourself better. I promise your resolution will stick.

With Love, Olivia Olivia Fellus, L.A.c, Dipl.OM, is a licensed acupuncturist, Chinese Medicine herbalist. And treats at her own practice, Ascend Healing, in San Diego California. She endeavors to utilize her medical training, skills, natural compassion and developed intuition to help her patients ascend to their ultimate wellness. Olivia finds balance, inner peace, and joy not only in practicing the ancient healing arts of Chinese Medicine, but also in pursuing her passion for rock climbing, hiking and adventuring in the great outdoors.

Learn more about Olivia and her offerings at www.ascendhealing.com

REPRESENTING AMONG THE STARS

Engineer Kat Echazarreta inspires from groundbreaking heights

By Nicolle Monico

SCROLLING TIKTOK ONE NIGHT, I came across a video of a little girl watching her mom’s laptop. The child was only half-interested in what was being displayed, music from The Little Mermaid playing in the background.

And then, she stopped all activity and her tiny eyebrows raised. It’s subtle, but her surprise is there. A brown-skinned Ariel had appeared on screen and looked exactly like this little girl—a first for the classic character and the little girl watching it.

Next year, the live-action remake of the 1989 movie will feature an African American actress, Halle Bailey, as Ariel. It’s not only heartwarming, it’s historic. It took Disney 55 years before they introduced a non-white princess, and 70 years before a Black one made her debut in 2009. There are hundreds of these videos, with children lighting up over seeing themselves on the big screen.

This past June, 26-year-old Katya Echazarreta made history when she became the first Mexican-born woman and the youngest woman to travel into space. A San Diego City College alumna and Chula Vista resident, she broke through the earth’s atmosphere aboard Blue Origin on behalf of Space for Humanity, a Denver-based space exploration interest group.

“I don’t really know how it started. I feel like maybe one person started it and then we all just sort of joined in, but every number that went down, we would get louder and louder and louder,” says Echazarreta recalling the moments before blast off.

When I first heard Echazarreta’s story, it reminded me of what I had experienced earlier that summer while watching the Jennifer Lopez

documentary on Netflix, which chronicled her fight to be heard in the industry as a Hispanic woman. It’s the same feeling I had watching her halftime performance with Shakira at the Superbowl in 2020.

I felt seen.

It matters that Echazarreta dons the cover of magazines; that her story is told over, and over, again. It matters that I write it as a first-generation American and Latina. For BIPOC people, our starting line is often 400 meters behind everyone else’s. But stories like hers, and the countless others who have accomplished the seemingly impossible, remind us that our goals—while harder and often requiring more work—are still obtainable.

Echazarreta’s time in space was quick, a total of 12 minutes from takeoff to landing; but her path to the stars took much longer.

Early Obstacles

“My first memory is coming to our first home in Tijuana, after we got off the plane,” says Echazarreta, who was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. “The house was empty, so my parents just put together a whole bunch of blankets and comforters on the floor... We all just huddled up on the blankets with our little airplane sandwiches.”

A few years later, when she was nearly eight years old, Echazarreta and her family moved to the U.S. They found a home in Chula Vista, where she remained through high school before attending San Diego City College.

She had always assumed she’d attend a fouryear school and eventually end up in outer space. A driven child, she excelled in her studies. It was never a matter of if she’d go but rather, where. But her parents divorced that year, and the money was no longer there.

So, she did what is normal (and often cultural-

ly expected) in Hispanic families, especially for daughters: she put family first. She stayed local, supporting her mom and caring for her siblings. It was “an opportunity,” she recalls, to adjust her plans, but not to abandon them completely.

“From a very young age, [my mom] always led me to believe that I could do whatever I wanted—that it was really up to me,” says Echazarreta. “I just told myself, ‘Okay, you have an opportunity to go as far as you want to, so let’s take advantage of that.’”

The College Years

Three years later, Echazarreta was accepted to UCLA in 2016 and continued her path toward an electrical engineering degree. But she quickly learned that what had come easy to her in the past would no longer be the case.

“One of the hardest things I had to deal with at UCLA [was that] I was average, and sometimes I was not even average. Sometimes I was lucky just to pass,” she says.

Her health and well-being quickly took a turn. She wasn’t sleeping, wasn’t eating well, and when she would spend 30 minutes in the cafeteria, she’d beat herself up for not using that time to get her grades up.

“You definitely reach these moments where you’re like, ‘Oh my goodness, for so long I thought this was going to happen. And yet, everyone in this room is ten times better than me, and I don’t know if I belong here,’” says Echazarreta.

She had a choice to make. Give up and settle for the status quo, or fight like hell to get to where she’s headed. She fought. She turned her GPA around from a 2.8 to a 3.8 by realizing she needed to prioritize her health and mental well-being as much as she prioritized good grades. She slept, ate well, and regained her confidence again to pursue her goal: NASA.

Editors note: This article first appeared in San Diego Magazine and is reprinted with permission of publisher.

The Opportunity of Rejection

During her first summer at UCLA, she had wanted to apply for an internship with NASA but feared rejection. Though she did eventually try and wasn’t selected, her fears were confirmed. So, instead, she took a job at McDonald’s and acted as if she had been accepted. Following her daytime shifts at the fast food restaurant, she took on projects that would give her an edge over other candidates and learned all that she could about space in the evenings.

That fall, she began attending conferences to meet with recruiters and again applied to NASA for the JPL Summer Internship Program. It was around six months before she heard back. She recalls her interviewer giving her one critical piece of advice, regardless of whether she was accepted this round.

“He said, ‘You belong here at JPL,’” she says. “When I heard that, it just took everything in me to not immediately start crying because of… everything else that I had gone through with my family and community college, and feeling like I was crashing and burning at UCLA. So those words really just set me off for the rest of my career.”

She got in.

Reaching the Stars

After some time as an intern, Echazarreta transitioned into a full-time engineer for NASA. In 2022, she was chosen among 7,000 applicants to become Space for Humanity’s first “Citizen Astronaut.”

On June 6, her childhood dreams were finally realized as she zipped up her now famous blue astronaut suit and climbed aboard the New Shephard spaceship.

Three… Two… One…

“The rocket starts to vibrate underneath you and you see orange all around your windows,” she says of moving vertically through the sky. “It felt like a slow ride.” Of course, it’s actually only minutes long. You pass through the first set, then the next, then blue skies, and finally, darkness. You’re in space.

“You feel like everything’s upside down; your body is telling you everything’s upside down,” remembers Echazarreta. “Your blood is not flowing normally. And so it all kind of pools; it feels like it’s all pooling up in your head. So you kind of feel like you would when you do a headstand.” And when headed back to earth, our bodies weigh five times their normal weight—you’re paralayzed, only for a few moments. “I couldn’t even open my eyelids,” she shares.

When Echazarreta first started applying to NASA, she knew she wanted to embody representation for Mexican women, specifically. She knew that just because someone’s starting line was further back, it didn’t mean they’d already lost the race.

“I am someone who has had to go through a lot of different things in order to get to where I am—not only financially and mentally, but also I’ve had to deal with a lot of things like racism and sexism,” says Echazarreta. “People who look at me and what I’m doing and automatically assume due to their own internal, unconscious biases that I have gotten there because of a certain type of handout.”

She finishes our interview with a word of advice for anyone doubting that they can accomplish their goals, for those seeing the obstacles as dead ends rather than reroutes. And for those who are struggling through minimum-wage jobs while taking care of a family and working late nights to keep up their studies:

“Someone is going to get to be that singer. Someone is going to get to be that person that goes into space. So, it’s up to you, whether that someone is you or not.”

Prior to Echazarreta, Mexico had only sent one other person into space. She is seen here with Victor Correa Hespanha, the second Brazilian to fly to space.

MUSICSCENESD.COM

MUSICSCENESD

BY BART MENDOZA

The Trebels / Casbah Reunion!

Though they ultimately only released a single 45 and a few compilation album tracks, there can be no doubt that for a time, circa the mid to late 1980’s, The Trebels were one of the hottest bands in town. They got their start in the San Diego’s teen clubs of the day, drawing mods, punks, roots rockers and anyone who enjoyed their barroom R&B authentic and gritty. I had the pleasure of both booking them as well as playing on the same bills, and can attest to the fact that onstage they never gave less than 200%. The band was a four headed juggernaut, with each member vital to the band’s energy. Vocalist Jay Wiseman, guitarist Xavier Anaya, bassist Oscar Barajas and drummer John Chilson have all gone on to enough bands and releases to start their own wing of Discogs, but it all started in Imperial Beach with The Trebels, 1981 to 1991.

On January 21, The Trebels will play their first show in decades at The Casbah, topping a great bill that also includes The Loons, Alvino & The Dwells and DJ Tony The Tyger.

Wiseman moved to Melbourne, Australia in 2000 with his wife Mirella Belsito. “It’s actually a really great music town,” he said. “I guess we moved here, mainly because of me, because I wanted a major change scenery, and we both wanted a change. We now have two kids, so I guess you can say we have settled down.”

As for what inspired this reunion?

“Essentially it was my return to visit the United States,” Wiseman said. “Everybody involved thought it would be fun as we always enjoyed playing together , but more so with other people. Frankly we kinda wanted to keep it low key, but eventually we had to expand the idea. We had planned on doing one in 2019, but Covid happened.”

Fans will be happy to hear all four original members are due to take part, with later guitarist Jim Davies also likely to join in on a few tunes. According to Wiseman, despite the distance the show wasn’t hard to organize. “The show didn’t take that much effort,” he noted. “Rehearsal - that is

another thing. We’ll get together and run through the material. It should be rather like riding a bike...in theory.”

The Trebels were together roughly a decade, coming together by happenstance when Wiseman was looking for musicians for his own project. “I met the rest of the Trebels one day when my other band was rehearsing,” he rcalled. “We were looking for a bass player and heard this band from a couple of blocks away in our hometown, Imperial Beach. We went to investigate and possibly poach the bass player. We knocked on the garage door and I recognized guys from my school, Mar Vista High.” Little did he know that Xavier, Oscar and John had been playing together for at least a year or so. “We listened to what they were doing and I knew one of the songs they were playing, a Yardbirds / Bo Diddly tune, I think it was “Here ‘Tis.” I joined in on harmonica and they ended up asking me if I could sing. I never had, but I tried and it worked. They asked me if I wanted to join - that’s it.”

There were numerous highlights in the bands decade together. “Playing in San Francisco was always a rave,” Wiseman said. “They seemed to get us. Chris Issak was a hoot. Your “New Sounds of the 60s” shows were always alot of fun.” One notable show for The Trebels was opening for Chuck Berry at the Bacchanal on August 16, 1990. “He was a bit grumpy, but we got to shake his hand, get autographs and say “hi”- as well as side stage access. It was something I can tell my kids about,” he said.

Looking back how does he feel about that time in San Diego’s music scene and his own musical development? “The local music scene was fundamental for us,” he said. “Manual Scan gave us our very first show that wasn’t a party and I really do appreciate the fact. The 60s/Mod scene gave us our first home and welcomed us,” he continued. “It was really strange to meet others who were like “us” – as we felt like aliens from outer space in Imperial Beach. The first time I heard the Crawdaddys, it was like clap from the

heavens for me. Sheer talent. God – how could somebody want to do exactly what I wanted to do? But better? LOL. We had a lot to be proud of as San Diegans. Your “New Sounds of the 60s” - huge. One of the first large-scale 60s inspired shows.” He considers that success for musicians isn’t always just financial. “As you know not many made a lot of money, but it truly inspired many people around the world, as I can vouch for.”

Beyond The Trebels reunion, Wiseman is still playing and touring with his band, Thee Wylde Oscars. “We’re planning on a new release in 2023 and tour in 2024,” he said. “It actually is exciting as we’re taking a lot of musical risks this time. We just have to see which labels are willing to go along.” For his part, Wiseman is looking forward to the show. “It’ll be good to get back with the guys and feel that backbeat take hold. Nothing is better than when you get that groove going,” he said. “I just want people we know to hear that from us once again. It’ll be like coming home.”

www.theewyldeoscars.bandcamp.com

Steve Rosenbaum / Cool Summer, Big Stir

Steve

Have A Cool Summer! Summer-Pop Demos & 4-Track Gems 1979-1989, in 2001. Collecting demos recorded during the years mentioned, it’s full of gems, with plenty of powerpop and rock and roll evocative of the era. Asked to describe his sound, Rosenbaum laughs. “Hah. That’s always tough. Elvis Costello meets Tommy Roe meets Brian Wilson meets Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper, and Snorky,” he said. Released by Dead Media Tapes, Have A Cool Summer brought Rosenbaum acclaim, but was only issued on 8-track and reel-to-reel tape. Now, Big Stir Records is reissuing the album for its first ever digital / wide release.

Rosenbaum arrived in San Diego at the very end of 2000. “My wife, Mamatha, and I were living in Maryland and growing tired of the gray skies,” he said. “She and I found jobs here in San Diego and we never looked back. I cannot imagine living anywhere else.”

Rosenbaum’s interest in music was piqued as a child by Saturday morning TV cartoons. “Quite frankly, I was not particularly interested in music as a young kid until two things happened,” he recalled. “The first was the endlessly fascinating (to me) Banana Splits TV show. For those who are too young to know, they were a “pre-fab four” group, kind of like the Monkees, but made for an even younger audience. They were presented as four characters in full body suits; a gorilla, a dog, a lion, and an elephant.” The afore mentioned Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper, and Snorky had a Saturday morning show where they ran around an amusement park and told silly jokes. “There was always a music segment where they played a song and some of those were quite good. I still have their vinyl album. The second thing that happened was me getting a plastic guitar as a gift. I would not let go of that thing. After a year or so, I begged my parents for lessons on a real guitar.”

Chicago and Blood, Sweat, and Tears. Then, prog and fusion - Genesis, Yes, The Mahavishnu Orchestra. Then the big one: Elvis Costello. THAT’S when I knew I wanted to write songs. At that point, I circled back to classic pop and power pop: The Beach Boys, The Turtles, Raspberries. My inspiration to do home recording against all o dds was the wonderful, inventive, and fearless band, Shoes.”

What was the impetus for Have A Cool Summer’s original release? “Nathan Brown at Dead Media Tapes, God bless him, heard many of these songs when I was randomly posting them on a Facebook Portastudio group,” Rosenbaum said. “He has a company that specializes in releasing boutique 8-track and reel-to-reel tapes. He suggested we release all these solely on those formats. It was kind of crazy, but it got some notice if only for the odd idea to release on just those two formats. From there, it was a dream come true to do the wide digital and streaming release with my friends at Big Stir Records.”

What was the original intent for these demos? “These recordings were made purely for my own enjoyment,” Rosenbaum said. “To some degree, they were useful to teach new songs to whatever band I was in at the time. But, really, I just loved putting the tracks together and singing and harmonizing and stacking up all kinds of parts. Then I loved to listen to what I had done.”

Have A Cool summer has been released on 8-track and reel to reel – any chance of further physical releases? Perhaps a flexi-disc on a cereal box? “Dead Media Tapes still plans a couple more physicals: cassette tape, naturally, maybe vinyl, and minidisc -remember that one?,” he said good naturedly. “I would love to see a 12-song curated version that I have in mind released on CD. But let me tell you something: if I could get a song or two on a flexi-disc on the back of box of Frosted Flakes, my musical journey would be complete.”

https://bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com/album/have-a-coolsummer-summer-pop-demos-and-4-track-gems-1979-1989

The current drive to find unreleased gems from unsung musical heroes of yesteryear, truly struck gold with the release of

Rosenbaum’s

Rosenbaum’s musical inspirations include The Banana Splits “then, probably the Monkees. Then Three Dog Night, The Grass Roots, The Guess Who. Then

Top 5 NYE

2022 is almost in the rearview mirror, but first, let’s party. There are plenty of options this New Year’s Eve, with something for just about every musical taste and budget on offer. Here are five notable events where you can ring in the new year.

• The Greyboy AllStars / The Casbah, Middletown. 9 p.m.

Part of a three night-stand from this band of jazz greats. And they’re not exaggerating their

“all-stars” part of the band name; Karl Denson also plays with The Rolling Stones, Robert Walter with Roger Waters. The night’s hottest ticket.

• Pierce the Veil / SOMA, Midway. 9 p.m.

Also part of a three

night stand, Pierce the Veil are perforning in advance of the release of their latest album, Jaws of Life.

• Swami John Reis, Mrs. Magician / Soda Bar, Normal Heights. 8:30 p.m.

An excellent two combo line up featuring John Reis’s great new band which includes Tommy Kitsos, Joe Guevara, Mark Murino, and Richard Larson, as heard on their recent, killer album, Ride the Wild Night.

• Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue / Belly Up Tavern, Encinitas

Performing in support of his new album, Lifted, a Trombone Shorty show is always special, this gig falling on NYE should make it a real celebration

• Three Car Garage / Tio Leo’s, Bay Park 9 p.m.

Dance floor filling classic rock, featuring tunes by everyone from Cheap Trick to Stevie Wonder.

San Diego Music News

Spud Davenport’s new album, Songs For The Cynical, drops on January 27, but the

long- distance while simultaneously restoring it.” Plans are to showcase “moving” restorations that would feature independent businesses and master craftspeople in every state. “Beneath the sardonic humor lies an element of catharsis which drives the tone, as do the off-beat characters we meet along the way,” Levine remarked. “It’s a concept that’s been swimming around my head for a decade. Now, thanks to the ‘nothing-buttime-on-my-hands’ pandemic, I finally had time to make a pilot... with a budget of

is rallying to help, with a Go Fund Me page set up by Tim Mays. https://www.gofundme. com/f/help-porter-kick-cancer

Singer Lauren Leigh celebrates the release of her latest, Ghost in the Picture, with

first single, “Home For The Headaches” is out now. “It has a music video, complete with puppets,” Davenport noted.

A celebration of The Rolling Stones, Exile on Kettner returns to the Casbah on Christmas Eve. The free show is helmed by Andrew McKeag and features a host of San Diego musical luminaries

One of San Diego’s most beloved venues is back, for one night, sort of. On January 8 the Pilgrim United Church of Christ, in Carlsbad, will host a Java Joe’s reunion concert, celebrating the famed coffeehouse. Sponsored by San Diego Folk Heritage with Java Joe Flammin i, the all-star show will feature performances from Lisa Sanders & Brown Sugar , Berkley Hart , Billy Galewood, Tim Flannery and Gregory Page

Cathryn Beek’s led combo, Calamity has the follow up to their debut radio play out in mid-January. Calamity: The Adventure Continues can be heard at www.heycalamity.com

On Januar y 21 the Belly Up hosts the 12th Annual The Beat Farmers Hootenanny,

$0!” No word yet on broadcast plans, but a rough draft of the pilot is on Youtube.

“I have high hopes and big dreams for the show, but I’m still learning how to navigate the Television industry, and the best ways to get the pilot into the best hands.” In the meantime, you catch Levine at The Casbah on January 8, where he will pay tribute to Bowie’s later years. www.youtu. be/kknBSs4S5Fk

Queen frontman Adam Lambert’s latest solo album, High Drama, is out February

an album release show at the Belly Up Tavern on January 4. Eve Selis and Omo Cloud open the night.

Switchfoot head out on a tour of New Zealand and Australia, January 28 through February 6, with a date in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 9. Their next local date is June 17 when they play their annual Broam Fest.

After a four-year hiatus, blues great Earl Thomas returns to live performance on January 15 with a special Gospel Brunch show at Humphrey’s Backstage Live. The music starts at noon.

On December 30, the Til Two Club will host a fundraiser for Chris McQueen to help in his current battle with leukemia. Performing will be Doc Hammer, Roger and Zaniak.

Allison Adams Tucker has the first of a series of three recordings, the 1977: Retro Trilogy EP, due January 13. Recorded at Sear Sound, NYC, the EP features Kevin Hays

featuring The Farmers, Joey Harris & the Mentals, Rosie Flores, Romy Kaye and more

Ariel Levine is working on a new TV pilot, Restoration Roadtrip. “It’s completely non-music related,” he said. “It’s a traveling car show in which we hunt down and restore cult-classic automobiles, as we bare our soul across the country. This is an emotional journey, navigating the challenges that come with driving a classic car

23. It’s a covers album featuring songs originally by Duran Duran, Jobriath and Noel Coward.

Planet B has a new split 7-inch single with dance duo, Adult. “Glass in the Trash” b/w “Release Me,” is available on swamp green vinyl (via Three One G) or on neon orange via (Ersatz Audio)

Our friend, longtime Casbah employee Michael Porter, could use help in his fight against cancer. The local music community

(piano), Tony Scherr (bass), Kenny Wollesen (drums/vibes), Yotam Silberstein & Peter Sprague (guitar) and Bashiri Johnson (percussion), with production by Matt Pierson.

IS IT REALLY TIME TO MAKE RESOLUTIONS AGAIN?

By Brando Fontaine

Special Assignments Editor

Happy New Year! By the time most of you read this, you’ll be starting the week back at work by calling in play Grind 23 -- set -– hut hut! It’s game time, where we start all over again for another year. Just a few nights ago, most of us were at New Year’s Eve parties, celebrating the end of 2022 and the arrival of 2023. For many of us, sometime during the night, that word - ‘Resolution’ - came up, a commitment, maybe even a promise, some of you made not just to yourselves, but out loud in front of other people.

Remember, you probably made these resolutions after having a couple of drinks with friends at a New Year’s party, so you feel they don’t really count. OK, we’ll give you a Mulligan (a doover for you non-golfers) for that. But for those of you that have some intention of keeping the ones you made, for your sake, I hope you made ones that don’t send you on Mission Impossible (for me that would be quitting smoking).

The most common New Years’ Resolutions are: “I’m going to go on a diet next year”, or “I’m going to join a gym and lose some weight”. Of course, those two are so high on the list. We just spent a month gorging on ginormous feasts with our families and friends while we snuck in a few too many pieces of candy from all those bowls that seemed to be everywhere last month. For most of us, these resolutions slip away by May if we even started them at all.

But what happens is, perhaps, as the New Year begins, we forget about December and settle into January and the routine grind of our daily lives takes over, we start cycling through each month and the events that take place, like in February, when we all think about romance

because of Valentine’s Day. We know March is set aside for green beer on St. Patrick’s Day as we all become Irish for a day. Easter in April, Mother’s Day in May, Father’s Day in June, and so on until we reach December once again.

The difference between December and the other 11 months lies in that single, special day. It’s that one day that changes the whole month and infects us with good cheer that grows day to day, starting just after Thanksgiving until we reach Christmas Day and then New Years’ Eve. And then most of us forget how we felt during December and let that feeling slide away as the other months take over our lives.

December is that special time of the year when we feel that wonderful joyous spirit that washes over us and we wish goodwill to all. The time of year when we set our petty differences aside and treat one another with good cheer. We sing carols, and even if we sing out of key no one minds. We put a few extra dollars in the red bucket on our way out of the store for the Salvation Army. We exchange gifts and hope we got the right present for that person. We hold ginormous feasts with our families and friends to celebrate the Birthday of Jesus. The bottom line is, we treat others — even strangers — better than we would throughout the rest of the year. And why is that? Why is there so much joy in December that we can’t hold onto over the next 11 months?

So now you might ask, “What is your resolution going to be for 23?” My resolution is to create a personal bottle in my heart called ‘December’. The greatest gift we could give ourselves would be to bottle up this the month of December and splash some of it on throughout the year when the going gets tough and we become forgetful of how we felt throughout the

holiday season.

It’s not a Mission Impossible, “You have to want it”. Bill Murray said it best toward the end of the movie ‘Scrooged’ (with tears streaming down his cheeks), “I get it now… and I want it… and you can have it too.” You just have to want it, and you can have it. When the going gets tough, or maybe depressing, I’m going to open my personal bottle of December and splash a little bit on. There will be some throughout the year that will try to pouch my positive attitude and good cheer, but they will not penetrate the Armor of December I’ll be wearing around my heart, and they will fail. Why, because I want it! I want this feeling all year round and not just in December.

If I missed getting you a gift or sending you a card, please take this as my gift to you by making your own personal little bottle of December to keep in your heart and use it as needed. If you use too much, just take a moment to recall the great feelings and refill your bottle.

For me, 2022 started as a very trying year, it felt like it would be one of the worst years ever, but 22 finished like an impossible dream. With this resolution, 2023 shows tremendous promise of being nothing short of Awesome. If 23 is as good as I think and pray it will be, the only way I could top this for 2024…… I might just have to attempt my own Mission Impossible and quit smoking.

Remember, when someone calls in the Grind 23 play, you are your own personal Quarterback, you can change the play, splash on a little December, and then get up to the line and call a new play with the audible 23 Awesome! (set –hut – hut)

From all of us here at Local Umbrella Media, A Happy New Year to all of you.