Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Valley View Casino - Madhouse

We went to Valley View Casino last night. It was beyond packed. You could not eat at the buffet at all unless you had a Silver Card. That produced a plethora of pissed off Red Card Patrons. The slot machines were 90 percent in use – which meant that your favorite machine was probably not available. Further, and regrettably, more people produced the inevitable more smoke. 


Valley View Casino - Madhouse


Since the buddy we accompanied to the casino was the proud owner of the coveted Silver Card, we were issued a pager for the buffet. After a two-hour fifteen minute wait, it alerted us that it was our turn to eat.

I was a bit disappointed. I am not sure if I was just a bit too hungry at 7:30 pm or the Valley View Casino Chefs were just overwhelmed . . . . the food was substandard. My tiny lobster tail appear a tad undercook and therefore presented as “slimy.” My salad was accompanied by a funny sour taste. The chocolate pudding had a slight hard film on the top - yucky.

Bottom line, I had an awesome time with my husband and friends. We played and laughed and enjoyed each other. However, I did learn some pros and cons.

Pros:

Valley View Casino - Madhouse
The fact that my favorite slot machines were in use forced me to try and appreciate new ones.

Paul and I spent $40 on our buffet ($20 each) and only lost $15 gambling and boy did we gamble. So it was a relatively affordable date night.

Cons:

We were told by staff that it is always a madhouse at Valley View at the end of the month, as patrons try to redeem their complimentary food and gift coupons before they expire. When you couple that with a holiday (Halloween) . . . . that madhouse morphs into an insane asylum.

My final note on Valley View – This casino is cutting way back on their “freebies.” Last night my friend’s wife lost her Silver Card privileges. Paul and I have not received a “free” buffet in months. We have been told that it is all based on your spending over the last six-month period. However, that does not make much sense to us since our play has been consistent over the years.

Another bottom line coming here: In the last few years, our casino group would visit Valley View at least once a month, some months twice. However, we decided last night that it is time to explore other casino options . . . as our loyalty to Valley View is becoming increasingly unrewarding.

My suggestion was Harrah’s Rincon . . . . Viejas was also discussed. The new month should bring a new Casino adventure.

Saturday, October 21, 2017

San Diego Storm Water and the Hepatitis A Outbreak

San Diego Storm Water and the Hepatitis A Outbreak

Is San Diego In Compliance With Their Own Storm Water Regulations?


The San Diego Storm Water Management Unit's main focus is in implementing permitting, compliance, and other activities to reduce pollutants in municipal, construction, and industrial storm water runoff

The City of San Diego enacted San Diego Municipal Code (SDMC) §43.03 entitled Storm Water Management and Discharge Control in 1993, commonly referred to as the City’s storm water ordinance. This ordinance, in a nutshell, makes it unlawful for any person to discharge non-storm water into the City’s storm water conveyance system.

For contractors, this means that concrete slurry, stucco, sediments, paint, and other disposal of materials into the street gutter or storm drain are illegal discharges.

The intent of the ordinance is to protect and enhance the water quality of our watercourses, water bodies, and wetlands in a manner consistent with the federal Clean Water Act. The storm water conveyance system collects storm water and urban runoff containing pollutants and discharges these flows untreated into the creeks, rivers, bays, and ocean.

The STORM WATER STANDARDS Manuel (January 20, 2012) is one hundred and seventy-nine pages deep. In addition, the enforcement remedies have been increased to maximum civil penalties or fines of $10,000 per day per violation; up from $2500!

San Diego Storm Water and the Hepatitis A Outbreak


Back in March of 2017, San Diego Health Officials declared a Hepatitis A Outbreak. The county explained that Hepatitis A was spreading “through contact with a fecally contaminated environment.” This disease is a highly contagious liver infection caused by a virus. It is spread person-to-person typically through poor sanitation practices, such as not washing hands after using the restroom.

San Diego Storm Water and the Hepatitis A Outbreak
However, the problem was mostly ignored until September 2017 and then only after three hundred and thirty cases were documented and fifteen people died from Hepatitis A.  It became the second largest outbreak in the United States.

Then "America's Finest City" sprang into action and immediately begin power-washing our streets with bleach to fight a deadly hepatitis outbreak

San Diego Storm Water and the Hepatitis A Outbreak

Contractors (Clean Harbors) started spraying down areas with a diluted household bleach solution. The procedure, as prescribed by the county, involves first spraying down hazardous items such as human waste or needles, waiting 10 minutes, removing the contaminated items, then spraying the area again with bleach. After that, it calls for pressure-washing the area with water.

It is set to be repeated every two weeks, with weekly "spot maintenance," according to county guidelines.

My concern is that in every photo and/or video found of the cleanup efforts, the contaminated water, chlorine and bleach are just being allowed to drain into the City’s storm water conveyance system!

What research, if any, has been completed that states this is the best method of containment? How will this water runoff, containing human fecal matter, bleach, the Hepatitis A virus and other poisonous material, effect San Diego environment and water quality? Will it kill all the plants and trees in the treatment area? Will beach goers suffer from contamination?

What will the bleach fumes do to air breath-ability?  Bleach does emit fumes that can be dangerous when inhaled.

The fear that this solution might be worse than the original problem looms heavy.



Saturday, October 14, 2017

Bob Dylan in Funner, California

Bob Dylan in Funner, California

Harrah's Resort SoCal, The Events Center

• Address: 3708 Las Vegas Boulevard South
• Capacity: 2200
• Date: October 13, 2017
• Showtime: 9:00 PM

 

Bob Dylan in Funner, California


Paul, Uncle Dave and I were excited to attend the Bob Dylan Concert at the Harrah’s Event Center. I had never been there before and was thrilled by the small venue. There literally was not a bad seat in the house.

There were bars set-up conveniently all around the room. The bar staff was friendly and our $7.00 Jameson Ginger scrumptious.

The photo security was annoying, shining bright flashlights into the crowd all through the show. They had made it clear that if you were caught filming you would be ejected; hence the lone, badly lit photo I took at the show.

The band was exquisite and provided a full and rich sound. I was a tad disappointed with Dylan’s performance especially when he sang in a Sinatra style croon. Further, whether it was the singer or the room acoustics – lyrics were hard to understand.

The audience featured an array of aging hippies (much like myself) and a surprising splattering of young folks. My group was frustrated that Bob never addressed nor interacted with his adoring fans. It was evident, as Dylan carefully and cautiously returned to the seat of his piano every other song, that age was taking its toll. Nevertheless, it was just as palpable that Bob Dylan still took delight in presenting his work.

While this author is attempting to keep this review objective . . . . . Bottom Line Time . . . . This was a Bob Dylan concert. It was magical and I would have paid three times again as much for this personal concert experience with the legend, poet, rock star, songwriter, folksinger and recent Nobel Prize winner.

Band Members

  • Bob Dylan - piano
  • Tony Garnier - bass
  • George Recile - drums
  • Stu Kimball - rhythm guitar, maracas
  • Charlie Sexton on lead guitar
  • Donnie Herron - violin, electric mandolin, pedal steel, lap steel

We Are Waiting For the Fans to Fill the Room at Harrah's Resort – SoCa / Seats 64 & 65 Section B Row S
We Are Waiting For the Fans to Fill the Room at Harrah's Resort – SoCa
Seats 64 & 65 Section B Row S For Bob Dylan Concert

Play List

  • Things Have Changed
  • It Ain't Me, Babe
  • Highway 61 Revisited
  • Why Try To Change Me Now
  • Summer Days
  • Melancholy Mood
  • Tangled Up In Blue
  • Honest With Me
  • Where Is the One
  • Pay In Blood
  • September of My Years
  • Tryin' To Get To Heaven
  • Early Roman Kings
  • Desolation Row
  • Soon After Midnight
  • Thunder on the Mountain
  • Long and Wasted Years
  • Autumn Leaves
  • Blowin' In the Wind (Encore)
  • Ballad of a Thin Man (Encore)

Sunday, October 8, 2017

2017 Indy Road Trip

2017 Indy Road Trip

09/22 - 10/08
Our Instagram Travel Log:

  • 2017 SCCA Run-Offs;
  • Mount Rushmore;
  • Crazy Horse;
  • Devil’s Tower;
  • Grand Canyon;
  • Four Corners

A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on


A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on

A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on

A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on

A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on

A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on





A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on

A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on

A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on

A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on




A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on


A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on



A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on






A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on



A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on



A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on



A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on


A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on

A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on

A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on

A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on

A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on


A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on

A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on


A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on











A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on



A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on



A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on

A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on



A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on

A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on

A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on








A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on

A post shared by Z. Smith (@zwriter1) on