Stories | Best Buys
Junk Removal
Published Nov. 18, 2009
"This isn’t a garage,” complained my husband Patrick. “This is a landfill. Let’s get rid of this junk.” Fred Siegel of San Diego Junk Removal and Disposal (aka Fred’s Hauling Service, 619-245-9957, junk80.com) was happy to ...
Monogram Embroidery
Published Nov. 11, 2009
“The old guard is passing away,” sighed Aunt Azelda. “Nobody wants monogrammed shirts anymore. Except my brother Wilfred, bless his heart. Help me out, won’t you, Evie?” The first lady I called — a veteran embroiderer ...
Graham Crackers
Published Nov. 4, 2009
Our camping trip was near perfection. Long hikes in the backcountry, bird-watching, warm days followed by cool nights gathered around the campfire singing songs… The only wrinkle was the much-anticipated s’mores. On the way out of ...
Marshmallows Published Oct. 21, 2009
The family is off to another camping excursion this weekend, and the kids’ only concern is that marshmallows are packed. They’re really all you need ... More Comment (1)
Paintless Dent Repair Published Oct. 14, 2009
Crunch. Uh-oh. Patrick backed into my best friend’s car. I rang up Eddie Martin, owner and master technician at the Dent Devils (619-726-6767, thedentdevils.com), a ... More Comment (1)
Crock-Pot Cooking Published Oct. 7, 2009
“You are Crocktastic!” “Well, they don’t call me Crockalicious for nothing.” This back-and-forth at our family reunion happened between hubby Pat and sis Meg, aka ... More Comment (1)
Image Consultants Published Sept. 30, 2009
Remember when I helped my nephew Freddy find a résumé service? Now, he’s getting called for interviews but still not landing the job. “Help me, ... More Post a comment
Mammograms Published Sept. 16, 2009
I’m 38 years old now, and my mother has been after me to get a mammogram for three years. So, me being me, I started ... More Comments (2)
Fishing Equipment Published Sept. 9, 2009
The Kelly children are hooked on fishing. All it took was a morning with Dad at the Crystal Pier Kids’ Classic Fishing Derby. They returned ... More Post a comment
Résumés Published Aug. 26, 2009
"Is there a Résumés for Dummies?” asked my nephew Freddy. “I’ve been looking for a job for two months with only one callback.” I didn’t ... More Post a comment
Winter Garden Published Aug. 19, 2009
Abundance flowed from the Kelly garden boxes this summer. When the first produce was ready to be picked, I licked my lips as I planned ... More Post a comment
Bowling Published Aug. 12, 2009
"Of course everyone wants to visit us,” I quipped to my husband Patrick. “We live in America’s Finest City.” “Fine,” he retorted. “But all at ... More Post a comment
GoCar, Pedicab, and Segway Tours Published Aug. 5, 2009
‘We just want to toodle around and see the sights,” said Aunt Nancy on the phone before her visit. “And we don’t want to put ... More Post a comment
Camping Supplies Published July 29, 2009
As the night dragged on, the four-year-old wailed with growing pains. The pregnant mama made her third trip to the bathroom across the campsite. Exhausted ... More Post a comment
Baklava Published July 22, 2009
My friend Mike is turning 40 this month, and he has been making rumblings about baklava instead of birthday cake. “We used to have it ... More Comments (7)
Bargain Golf Published July 15, 2009
Patrick hasn’t been playing golf lately. Three years ago, he played a game about every two weeks. That became a weekday-morning nine-hole at Mission Trails ... More Post a comment
Oral Healthcare Published July 1, 2009
“Bloody hell!” exclaimed Patrick in mock horror as he gazed into the sink at my pink post-brush spittle. “Oh, my gums always bleed when I ... More Comments (2)
A Summer Unstuck Published June 24, 2009
“My kids are like druggies,” lamented my friend Nancy. “If you give them sugar or TV, they don’t want to stop.” I sympathized. “I know ... More Post a comment
Odor Concealment Published June 10, 2009
“With all of my boys,” said my sis Meg, surfacing from her boys’ messy bedroom, “I really should be refreshing our home more often. Between ... More Post a comment
Baby Carriers Published June 3, 2009
"The problem with the Baby Bjorn is it’s a two-man job,” complained my brother Mike. A new dad, he was having trouble finding a comfortable ... More Comments (2)
Locksmith Published May 27, 2009
‘Remember when all you needed was a coat hanger you could slide over the window?” asked Patrick as he stared into our locked car at ... More Post a comment
Frozen Pizza Published May 20, 2009
‘What’s the matter with you kids? It’s frozen pizza!” I couldn’t believe it — my own children picking at the cheese on top and regarding ... More Comments (2)
Window Screens Published May 13, 2009
This time of year, hordes of flies visit our 1930s-built home. One would think we were in farm country the way the flying pests invade. ... More Comment (1)
Lead-Paint Removal Published April 29, 2009
“How’s life in the new house?” I asked my friend Suzy, who recently bought a North Park bungalow. “New?” she answered. “More like old. I’m ... More Post a comment
Jewelry Engraving Published April 22, 2009
I will not be surprised by 2009’s Mother’s Day. The 2008 observance caught me off guard. I found myself in a crowded mall the day ... More Post a comment
Soundproofing Published April 15, 2009
“They told me the freeway would sound like the ocean,” griped Patrick’s friend Jon just after buying his first house. “It doesn’t. It sounds like ... More Post a comment
Easter Gifts Published April 8, 2009
Hubby Patrick despises Easter grass. “It’s like the plague!” he complained over our nightcap. “It gets everywhere and clogs up the vacuum. Who created this ... More Comment (1)
Tissues Published April 1, 2009
Instead of a handkerchief or tissues, Dad’s pockets always contained a paper towel. Usually used. And if he noticed any of us kids sniffling during ... More Post a comment
Computer Training Published March 25, 2009
“Eve, maybe you can help me,” pleaded my Aunt Azelda, slowly shaking her snowy mane. “They finally put in a computer station here at the ... More Post a comment
Walls for Climbers, Bulls for Riders Published March 11, 2009
‘I hate being the go-to guy at school,” griped my husband Patrick. It seems he missed a meeting and got himself “volunteered” by some of ... More Post a comment
Piano Movers Published March 4, 2009
"We can move any type of piano except concert grands, the largest-sized pianos,” explained Ron Castiglione, owner and technician at Pitch Perfect Piano in Encinitas ... More Comment (1)
Wedding Transportation Published Feb. 25, 2009
My efforts to help my stressed friend Barbara prep for her upcoming nuptials continue. Her plea: “I want to arrive in style!” “We have a ... More Post a comment
Photo Restoration Published Feb. 18, 2009
My husband Patrick’s grandparents’ wedding photo, taken in 1917, sat on the bookshelf with water damage. The damage got me thinking about photo restoration. Only ... More Comment (1)
Wedding Day Fitness Published Feb. 11, 2009
‘Fat girls need love too!” crooned Barbara as she sashayed into my kitchen, waving the ring on her left finger. “Oh, hush — you’re not ... More Post a comment
Worms Published Feb. 4, 2009
Hubby Patrick is revving up for a banner garden year. His cover crop is in, and now he’s got a hankering for worms. “They say ... More Post a comment
Waterproof Cast Covers Published Jan. 28, 2009
Hooray! We’re going to Palm Springs for a weekend at a friend’s place! Boo! My 11-year-old broke his elbow during his first-ever game of pads-free ... More Post a comment
Sewing Machinery Published Jan. 21, 2009
Stitches have played a big part in my life — sewing stitches, that is. In college, there was a wrap cocktail dress I whipped up ... More Post a comment
Cover Crops Published Jan. 14, 2009
“I could break a Mack truck’s windshield with some of these grocery-store tomatoes,” griped my gardener friend Shawn. “I hate buying produce at the grocery ... More Post a comment
Colored Pencils Published Jan. 7, 2009
Colored pencils evaporate in the Kelly household — here one day, gone the next. When my son sat down to work on a drawing last ... More Post a comment
Backyard Adventures Published Dec. 30, 2008
Post-Christmas blahs have set in. Children are lolling about the house, and I got a couple of nice checks for Christmas. Time for a jump ... More Post a comment
O Christmas Tree Published Dec. 23, 2008
O Christmas tree! O Christmas tree!Thy leaves are so unchanging...Not only green when summer’s here,But also when ’tis cold and drear... Hubby Patrick heckled me ... More Post a comment
Holiday Goose Published Dec. 17, 2008
We don’t argue politics at Kelly family gatherings; we argue menus. I want something exotic for Christmas dinner, something fancy. Ma Kelly insists on something ... More Post a comment
Christmas Films Published Dec. 10, 2008
Our street is aglow with candy cane lights, snow globe Santas, and icicle lights. The chilly nights bring the smell of wood fires in the ... More Post a comment
Christmas Malling Published Dec. 3, 2008
Girlfriend Jill wanted to hit the malls, but she needed help. She’s pregnant and has a couple of little ones besides. I called around to ... More Post a comment
Giving Back Published Nov. 25, 2008
The Kelly family needs an injection of charity. The thought was sparked by my son presenting me with a long gift list for Christmas. “We ... More Post a comment
Spice Up Your Bird Published Nov. 19, 2008
Casa Kelly has been getting loosey-goosey with the Thanksgiving menu in recent years — lobster, sirloin cap, even lasagna. Not this year — Patrick’s Nana ... More Post a comment
Shears Published Nov. 12, 2008
My love Patrick is a man of many talents: handyman, gardener, chef, athlete, and baker. Goodness, he even sings opera. Last week he added another ... More Post a comment
Babysitter Schools Published Nov. 5, 2008
‘This recession is taking a toll on my love life,” sighed my friend Tara. “My husband and I used to go out every Friday night. ... More Post a comment
Lip Balmers Published Oct. 29, 2008
Had the kids taken an expedition to the Sahara desert? Their lips looked as if they had — white, peeling, cracking, and bleeding. My daughter ... More Post a comment
Glass of Sunshine Published Oct. 22, 2008
“I’ve had crud in my sinus cavity for three days,” griped my husband Patrick. “When I blow my nose, I’m seeing colors that I normally ... More Post a comment
Cheese Doodles Published Oct. 15, 2008
“Sometimes a man gets a hankering,” my husband Patrick said last week, “a hankering for food of a color rarely found in nature, a hunger ... More Post a comment
Wigged Out Published Oct. 8, 2008
“Maybe I should just shave my head like that Sinéad woman did,” complained Aunt Azelda, dropping a rare pop-culture reference. Azelda was staring at her ... More Post a comment
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