First Visit to Balboa Park

Botanical Building at Balboa Park

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Jeff's parents (Steve & Brenda) came to visit on their way to Hawaii. One their way back East they stopped again for a long weekend which allowed us the opportunity to get out and see more of the city. Top on the list was a trip to Balboa Park, the Nation's largest cultural park. I guess that makes it even bigger then the National Mall in DC. Balboa park is home to 15 museums, a preforming arts theater, various gardens and the San Diego Zoo. We only scratched the surface on our first trip.

Botanical Building

We started at the Botanical Building, built for the 1915 - 1916 Expo and home to over 2100 exotic and local plants. I was particularly fond of the Koi pond outside. The Botanical Building was fairly small and we quickly made our way through in about 20 minutes. It's free to the public and makes for a nice quick visit.



Koi Pond at Balboa Park


San Diego Automotive Museum

Our next stop was to the San Diego Automotive Museum which was hosting a special display called Mustangs, Now and Then. Though the museum is small and the displays as simple as they come, we managed to spend quite a good amount of time here. There were a lot of really cool very old cars from the 1910s and 20s but I have to admit I was more drawn to the muscle cars and of course I had to have my photo taken with my Lambo. Yeah Baby!!! For a full list of cars click here.


Mustang on Display at the San Diego Automotive Museum



Dude, they've got a DeLorean


Lamborghini Countach



San Diego Air & Space Museum

The last stop was to the San Diego Air & Space Museum where we spent the most quality time. As many times as I have been to the Smithsonian Air & Space museum in DC, I still managed to get a lot out of this visit. I guess I have to chalk it up to my new-found interest in WWII due to working on the D-Day Museum in New Orleans. One surprise was that some of the exhibit concepts and details were quite similar to those that we were working on at G&A before I left. Here are some photos from the visit.


Steve & Brenda at the Air & Space Museum


Japanese Zero


USAF Planes


Jeff at the Flight Training Exhibit


Flight Attendant Uniform Exhibit - Notice the Pin on the Lapel

New Job: Jain Malkin Inc.

solid coated rainbow, originally uploaded by auntnanny.

Hi Friends,

Just wanted to let everyone know I accepted an Interior Design position at Jain Malkin Inc. in San Diego. It will be a bit of a change from Exhibit Design but surely just a fulfilling.

JMI is an Interior Architectural firm that specializes in healthcare design with an all encompassing approach to the healing process. The firm's website describes the work better then I ever could so take a second to check out some of their projects. Here's a link to a few case studies.

I just started last week and already I can't say enough about the people there. They are really warm and welcoming and I know will be great to work with. I dove right in on my first day and already have projects. I'm excited to get back to work, though admittedly unemployment in Southern California wasn't all that bad.

Well, I will keep it short today. I just wanted to let everyone know I accepted the position and am enjoying the new career change. I guess I was always an Interior Designer to some degree... it's just so funny to think that it's official. I wouldn't have guessed it.

Photos of the Grounds around Villas

The Clubhouse at The Villas of Renaissance


Hi all. I have gotten requests for photos of the new place. Since the movers are still making their way across the country I haven't bothered with interior photos. I figure everyone can imagine what a partially decorated apartment looks like... None too impressive. Once my stuff arrives and the place is decorated I will post photos. In the mean time, here are some pictures I took of the grounds around the apartment. So, here's the hood. A big difference from Mt. Pleasant.



The Pool Outside our Apartment



Yeah, it's a fountain.



The Park Across the Street



Don't ask why I have so many bird photos.



The main pool and outdoor fireplace.



The path through the park.



The Neighbors. I love their flowers.



More scenes from the park.

Seaport Village

Seaport Village at San Diego's Waterfront


Jeff's parents came to visit last weekend and while their visit was brief we were able to get in a trip to Seaport Village on Saturday at San Diego's waterfront. Seaport Village is similar to other recreated tourist-friendly villages like Mystic Seaport or Jamestown but with emphasis on shopping rather than history. They have over 50 shops and galleries and 17 eateries. A lot of it was kitschy but I did find a place solely dedicated to hot sauces. I was psyched about that and went home with some pretty sweet Buffalo Wing sauce. There were also a couple of art galleries that we perused and Jeff and I both found some pieces we liked at the Wayland Gallery. Unfortunately, his notoriety is such that we can't afford any of his work. Still, we were eyeballing a piece similar to Raging Sea.


Jeff with his parents Brenda & Steve in front of the Coronado Bridge


Tall Ships at San Diego's Waterfront

Later that afternoon we hit the Gaslamp District where I realized every meal I spend away from this place is an experience lost. There is some serious eating going on in this part of town and a lot of amazing restaurants to try. We just walked around that day but I managed to make it back a few days later with Jeff and one of his old coworkers for a delicious chicken teriyaki sandwich and a couple of beers at Maloney's Tavern on the corner of 5th and F streets.

Sunday morning Jeff's parents left bright and early to catch a flight to Maui, Hawaii but will be stopping back by on their way home for another weekend. Hopefully we'll get back to the Gaslamp as I have my eye on some good eats.


Shop at Seaport Village


Tall Ship and Modern Sub at the waterfront.


Love is in the Air


House on the Water


Ducklings at Seaport Village


Tall Ship Figure Head


Gaslamp District Architecture