Did you know that laundry is probably the original domestic chore? Adam and Eve had to clean that loincloth and the animal skins they wore long before taking out the trash, doing dishes, or mowing the lawn.
I remember when I was at USD, my friends and I were regulars at the many restaurants and clubs in Old Town. Fish-taco Tuesdays with plenty of tequila on tap. And Tuesday followed Margarita Monday if you get the picture of the regularity of our overindulgence. Anyway, I only wish there was a laundry pick-up-and-delivery service back then. We did indeed have a blast at the laundromat on Saturdays, which usually started with mimosas. Then somehow, as the day progressed, we all ended up in Old Town yet again. I doubt The University of San Diego would have extended much tolerance for such unruly behavior had we been partaking on campus. Students today are busier than ever and need a weekly laundry wash-and-fold subscription to take back their time and be college students during the semester. Don’t continue to be indentured to laundry. Get smart, get help, and place an order. We are here to assist!
After we graduated, four of us moved to a 1920’s vintage neighborhood called Burlingame. Burlingame was so illusory and delightful! The sidewalks were actually aglow with pink asphalt paving. Burlingame was an ideal cozy hamlet through and through, except that it was surrounded by one of the toughest neighborhoods in San Diego at the time; South Park. It was the early 1990s. People didn’t even really call it South Park; it was just referred to as part of the greater whole of North Park. South Park was adopted as part of an ingenious rebranding of the neighborhood. It was a plan that worked. There were no trendy restaurants nor a Target department store in those days. There was virtually no retail core, just boarded storefronts on dilapidated buildings. The Big Kitchen was the only restaurant in the neighborhood and a must-indulge while in the area. Now let’s talk about four male roommates, none of whom liked to do laundry, all sharing one washer and dryer and the various piles of stinky clothes. What a relief a laundry pick-up and delivery service would have been. It would have drastically improved the temperament of the household occupants. We all had jobs requiring daily wardrobe changes and workout clothes… you get the picture. There were two laundromats in the neighborhood. One was on the corner of Redwood and 30th, which is now a preschool, and the other was next to 7-11, which is still in operation.
In those days, laundromats were pretty shady places with many homeless, derelicts, and filthy facilities. The term “nothing good happens in a laundromat after 10pm” spoke volumes of the sketchiness of the locale and business. Today, many laundromats have been transformed into pleasant places with new energy-efficient machines, a fresh and clean atmosphere, and décor and security and internet services. At Pacifica laundromat, we recently added all new Speed Queen equipment, remodeled and freshened up the store with new seating, and elevated the overall experience. Come visit us in Lemon Grove / Spring Valley if you need the big machines to get your chores done quickly. With our new equipment, you can actually wash up to 6 loads at a time, saving energy and your time. If you are a self-serve type of person, our coin-operated facility is sure to delight. If you really want convenience, try our pick-up-and-delivery service, and you can avoid the laundromat altogether. We pick it up and deliver it back right to your front porch. What a fantastic way to save time and take back the hours of your week spent doing laundry.
Another thing I like to do this time of year is head to the beaches in Point Loma, Sunset Cliffs, Mission Bay Park, and Ocean Beach. Did you know Ocean Beach has the largest off-leash dog park in San Diego county? Jack always loves a good romp with fellow canines on the beach, followed by a refreshing swim. Not a lot of people appreciate the water temperature this time of year. Still, you can undoubtedly enjoy the fresh air and that wonderful feeling of sand between your toes. I have a collection of “dog towels” we use after a bath or a swim. Those towels get muddy and stinky and still need to be washed, dried, and folded. With Pacifica Laundry’s available services, you can use one of our large in-store machines or, better yet, enjoy our pick-up-and-delivery service.
After 71 years of service, ’twas a sad day for San Diegans when Anthony’s Fish Grotto, on the Downtown Embarcadero, closed. You talk about an iconic brand. I remember my grandparents taking me as a child to the local “Anthony’s Fishette”, which was right on the pier. They made the best tartar sauce. It was much more like a spicy-thousand island than traditional tartar sauce. We’d munch on our fish-n-chips and salty fries while drinking our thirst-quenching Pepsi as we fed the seagulls and occasional seal. All of this in the shadow of monstrous aircraft carriers and the elegant sweep of the Coronado bay bridge.
Amazingly enough, we can still find one remaining Anthony’s, and it’s in La Mesa, right on the border with El Cajon;
https://www.anthonysfishgrotto.com. Sure, it might be further for some of us to drive, but it’s well worth the trip for this special treat. Pacifica-laundry.com recently added both La Mesa and El Cajon to our pick-up-and-delivery service area. As a personal rule of thumb, I like to know the ins and outs of all the locales we serve. It allows a much stronger connection with the community. I’m a big fan of gentrified neighborhoods but just as interested in the architectural authenticity. I like any architecture as long as it’s good architecture. And by that, I mean I’m just as enamored with a Victorian-era mansion as I am with a charming craftsman bungalow. I like to experience the downtown, retail core, and all of the food joints I can possibly find. I’m no stranger to the bottle, so I like pubs and bars as well.
Growing up in San Diego, I just assumed the rest of the world had Mexican food just like ours. I remember being introduced to Tex-Mex on a trip to Austin. I was underwhelmed. The Mountain Mex had no sole when I lived in Boulder. Seattle had the best Thai food outside of Thailand, but I endured 3 years of subpar Mexican food when I lived there. Even the 100 miles between Los Angeles and San Diego has noticeable gastronomic subtleties. Although my family enjoyed nights out at Fidel’s and Tony’s, the authentic street food of San Diego was Roberto’s.
There are several things I appreciate this time of year. My mother is at the top of the list. Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to celebrate all the mothers we know and love. My mother turned 91 last year and is still as peppy and spry as she was 30 years ago. She is one of the last remaining Depression-era survivors and has memories to share about that time in her life. The stories are phenomenal, not only personally but historically as well. Who wouldn’t want to learn their history from an actual survivor versus some boring textbook? My family tends to switch things around for Mother’s Day. Sometimes we go to brunch in a traditional restaurant with all the pomp and circumstance, but most often, my mother wants a picnic in the park. She is a retired botanist, so any time outdoors in nature fills her sole. A very contagious phenomenon I have inherited. Our secret low-brow indulgence on this day is a good ole finger lick’n bucket of chicken from KFC. To counterbalance the low brow, we heighten the experience with table linens, flatware, and crystal. We celebrate the ordinary.
Like most of the time, those linens scream for fabric aftercare. Those greasy fingers, grass stains, and bird droppings need immediate action to prevent stains from setting in. I never knew the importance of the immediacy of this process until I met my dear friend, and campy consultant, Laundress Lucca. Quite the laundry maven and one I often heed the direction of. Wise words to be included in future posts…
Growing up in San Diego, I just assumed the rest of the world had Mexican food just like ours. I remember being introduced to Tex-Mex on a trip to Austin. I was underwhelmed. The Mountain Mex had no sole when I lived in Boulder. Seattle had the best Thai food outside of Thailand, but I endured 3 years of subpar Mexican food when I lived there. Even the 100 miles between Los Angeles and San Diego has noticeable gastronomic subtleties. Although my family enjoyed nights out at Fidel’s and Tony’s, the authentic street food of San Diego was Roberto’s.
There are several things I appreciate this time of year. My mother is at the top of the list. Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to celebrate all the mothers we know and love. My mother turned 91 last year and is still as peppy and spry as she was 30 years ago. She is one of the last remaining Depression-era survivors and has memories to share about that time in her life. The stories are phenomenal, not only personally but historically as well. Who wouldn’t want to learn their history from an actual survivor versus some boring textbook? My family tends to switch things around for Mother’s Day. Sometimes we go to brunch in a traditional restaurant with all the pomp and circumstance, but most often, my mother wants a picnic in the park. She is a retired botanist, so any time outdoors in nature fills her sole. A very contagious phenomenon I have inherited. Our secret low-brow indulgence on this day is a good ole finger lick’n bucket of chicken from KFC. To counterbalance the low brow, we heighten the experience with table linens, flatware, and crystal. We celebrate the ordinary.
Like most of the time, those linens scream for fabric aftercare. Those greasy fingers, grass stains, and bird droppings need immediate action to prevent stains from setting in. I never knew the importance of the immediacy of this process until I met my dear friend Laundress Lucca. Quite the laundry maven and one I often heed the direction of. Wise words to be included in future posts…
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