SDSU Aztecs in Coaches’ Top 10

Coach Steve Fisher and I @KOGO Coaches’ Talk 12/2/10

Undefeated Aztecs ranked #10 in ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll!

Congratulations to our San Diego Aztecs Men’s Basketball team for breaking in to the top ten of the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll. We have seen most of the other teams in the top ten before…so it’s extra nice to see our Aztecs ranked among the classic teams. San Diego State has a winning streak of 10 games, which is the 2^nd longest winning streak in the 90 year history of the program.
We, at QualityFirst Real Estate, would love to invite you to our sponsored Coaches’ talk with KOGO radio and Steve Fisher at Hooley’s, in Grossmont Center, on three separate dates…January 20^th, February 10^th, and March 3^rd.

The last KOGO Coaches’ Talk with Steve Fisher was a huge success. It took place at Hooley’s on December 2^nd. It was great to meet the coach and hear of the team’s success. I even got to take a picture with him!

Call me at 619-994-5515, if you are interested in being my guest at the VIP table for the upcoming KOGO Coaches’ Talk with Steve Fisher!

GO AZTECS!!

Santa’s Village in Poway

 FREE event for families for the Holidays

17868 Joyas Court, Poway, CA

Something fun to do with the family is check out Santa’s Village in Poway.  Usually advertised through word of mouth, as I have yet to find a website advertising it, the house on 17868 Joyas Court opens its doors to families in the community usually starting Dec. 10th and running through the 22nd of December from 6-8pm, except on Sundays.  Parking is somewhat limited, as you’ll have to walk to the house and up a bit of a hill…but it is very much worth it.  Once you get to the house, the walkway has gorgeous lighted archways.  You will more than likely see a long line…don’t fret….that line is to see and take photos with Santa.  You can easily bypass the line if you choose to go straight into the home to view the extravagantly decorated rooms.  You may be overwhelmed at how much there is to see, but take time to appreciate all of the effort that went into putting it together.  There is an area where you are free to enjoy hot chocolate and cookies.  And finally, each child is given a small gift…and by the way…everything is FREE!

Black Friday 2010

Black Friday 2010 San Diego

Strategically plan your Black Friday 2010 Shopping Day

The term “Black Friday” was coined in the 1960s to mark the kickoff to the Christmas shopping season. “Black” refers to stores moving from the “red” to the “black,” back when accounting records were kept by hand, and red ink indicated a loss, and black a profit. Ever since the start of the modern Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924, the Friday after Thanksgiving has been known as the unofficial start to a bustling holiday shopping season. 

For my fellow San Diego shoppers, I have put together a list of some of our hometown stores that will be open extra early, so you can strategically plan your Black Friday.

WalMart as always, will be open 24 hours through Thanksgiving, however they won’t begin selling their doorbusters until 5am on Black Friday.

Target will be open at 4am. 

Toys R Us will be open at 10:00pm on Thanksgiving Day.

Best Buy opens at 5am.

Fashion Valley Mall – some stores open at midnight including: Old Navy, Disney Store, Guess, Bath & Body Works, Victoria’s Secret.  Most of the stores in the rest of the mall open at 5am.  Nordstrom opens at 8am (and don’t forget to check out their always impressive Holiday Window at the front of the store)

North County Fair will also be open at 5am with certain stores opening even earlier.  University Towne Center will be open at 7am. 

Carlsbad Premium Outlets - certain stores open at midnight for their Midnight Madness Event.

Las Americas Premium Outlets – certain stores open at midnight

And believe it or not, Sears will be open ON Thanksgiving Day, but only from 7am-12pm. 

And from the website www.BlackFriday2010.com here are some predictions for this year’s shopping Season:

Black Friday 2010 Predictions

The 2010 Black Friday climate is not the greatest compared to most years. The economy is slowing down whereas last year at this time, the economy grew a bit.  This year is definitely tougher because of the unemployment rate at about 9.6%.  That coupled with foreclosure problems, a lack of credit, and an overall unease about the economic conditions have brought a lot of concern and frugality into the US household. US household average savings is now 7%, the highest in a very long time. These factors do not set up the greatest Black Friday for retailers. Specifically…

• Spending on average will again decrease from $343.31 to $330 as people continue to cut back.
• The Amount of Black Friday shoppers will increase from 195 million last year to 200 million this year. More people will be looking to save on Christmas gifts during this tough time.
• With a greater amount of shoppers the total amount of Black Friday spending will increase, yet only very slightly, from $41.2 billion to $42 billion.
• The amount of Black Friday online shopping will jump from $595 million to $1 billion as people try to avoid stores, and online shopping because more popular.

Veteran’s Day 2010

Veterans Day...More than a Day of Remembrance

November 11, 2010- A Day to Honor All Military Veterans

More than a Day of Remembrance…a Day to Give Back!

Veterans Day is the annual holiday in which we honor the 24.9 million military veterans in the United States.  President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed the holiday On November 11, 1919 as Armistice Day, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I.

In 1953, a shoe store owner in Emporia Kansas, Alfred King, came up with the idea to honor all veterans…not just those who served in World War I. He began a campaign to turn Armistice Day into “All” Veterans Day. With the help of US Representative Ed Rees, of Emporia, a bill for the holiday was pushed through Congress, and President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law on May 26, 1954

So now we know the history of Veteran’s Day. Do you have something planned? Maybe not…the day set aside to honor America’s Veterans usually gets the short-shift.

Facts are, the very people that put their lives on the line, are very much in need of our help. According to The Department of Veterans Affairs 107,000 veterans were homeless last year. Although that is a significant improvement over the 131,000 homeless in 2008, and the 154,000 in 2007, it is not acceptable.

More bad news…Veterans are twice as likely to commit suicide as the general population. According to Eric Shinseki, VA Secretary, “…on average, 18 veterans commit suicide each day. Five of those 18 are under VA care at the time they take their lives.”

Even more…roughly 300,000 Afghanistan and Iraq vets come home suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. It’s no wonder, with everything they are going through. Personally, I had a difficult time watching the HBO series “The Pacific”…I can’t imagine being surrounded by that day in and day out.

Take a moment to check out this video…It only takes 3:46. Click here to view video. I was happy to hear in the this video that people are trying to help. Thousands of Americans understand the need to give back to our servicemen. HuffPost, Impact, and Causecast are launching Salute to Service, a week-long series highlighting the stories of veterans who choose to devote their time and energy toward helping their fellow soldiers.

Check out the blog posts from those who are active in serving their community. Within the posts, you will have the opportunity to make a difference, and take action.

Click here to read the first Salute to Service post

Deja Vu? Dream Works does it again…

Megamind comes out in theaters tomorrow, Friday, November 5th

Something fun to do with kids (adults will get a kick out of it too).

DreamWorks has done it again with the release of Megamind - a “satirical take on the superhero genre.”  With a star-studded cast of character voices including Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey & Jonah Hill, there are sure to be laughs had by all - adults and children alike.   With your choice of regular, 3D iMax 3D, you’re in for a fun ride! 

Add this to the other DreamWorks hits like Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, Bee Movie and more. 

Check out Fandango to find your local theaters and show times.  Have a great weekend!

San Diego Beer Week

San Diego Beer Week November 5-14, 2010

San Diego Brewers Guild Festival

Celebrating Craft Beer in San Diego Nov 5-14,2010

Liberty Station is the place to be on Saturday, November 6. That is where beer week will kick off. Live music, food, and of course 10 tastes from San Diego’s top breweries all for the price of $35. If you are truly a beer aficionado, show up for the VIP session at 12 noon. You can meet with the brewers and then hang out for the rest of the event. VIP tickets run $50.

Events over the 10 day period range from Beer Breakfasts, Beer Pairings, Home Brewing instruction, and discounts and deals throughout San Diego.

The official closing event of San Diego Beer Week will take place from 11:30-3:30 at The Lodge at Torrey Pines. Enjoy unlimited tasters of beer and food. Bringing together San Diego’s fabulous craft beers with the amazing talents of local chefs, this beer and food pairing event is unsurpassed. You won’t want to miss it.

For more information regarding the Beer festival, the events, and all of the fabulous discounts you will enjoy, visit the official website! http://sdbw.org/beer-garden/

In addition, for general information regarding the incredible beer craft industry we appreciate here in San Diego, visit the website at http://www.sandiegobrewersguild.org/. We have some of the highest rated breweries in the nation, and the world! 

http://www.signonsandiego.com/weblogs/brewery-rowe/2010/sep/18/san-diego-breweries-score-big-great-american-beer-/

Right here in America’s Finest City!!

Cheers!

TIME TO “FALL BACK”

Turn Your Clocks Back 11/7

Daylight Savings is Ending

Prepare to Fall Back, November 7th, 2010

A reminder to turn your clocks back one hour on Sunday November 7th, at 2:00am.

Daylight savings time was originally started during World War I. They thought it would save on energy, therefore benefiting the industrial wartime manufacturing. It also became a requirement by the federal government during World War II.

In 1966, The Uniform Time Act was passed by Congress standarizing Daylight Savings…then once again in 2005, the Energy Policy Act, lengthened the period four weeks. We are to “Spring Forward” on the second Sunday of March, and then “Fall Back” on the first Sunday of November. Once again, the purpose is to save on oil consumption, and energy.

Today, there is talk about not turning the clocks back an hour in the fall. Mayer Hillman, a senior fellow emeritus at the Policy Studies Institute in London explains in his report, published online, that eliminating the time change would provide “about 300 additional hours of daylight for adults each year and 200 more for children.” This increase would encourage more otdoor physical activity, people fell happier, more energetic and have lower rates of illness, according to Hillman.

Another expert, Dr. Robert E Graham, an internist at Lenow Hill Hospital agrees with Hillman’s conclusions. 

“As a society we are always looking for ‘accessible, low cost, little-to-no harm interventions.’ By increasing the number of ‘accessible’ daylight hours we may have found the perfect intervention, definitely a ‘bright’ idea to consider,” he added.

As for me…I wish that whoever “they” are. Please set the clocks, and then leave them alone. Adjusting to time changes twice a year throws off my body clock!

What are your thoughts?

Happy Fall!

Halloween in San Diego

Halloween is not just for kids ….there are plenty of things for adults to enjoy this spooky weekend.  Not for the faint of heart, there are several Haunted Houses in town.  The longest running attraction in San Diego is the Haunted Hotel in the Gaslamp District.  Located at 6^th & Juniper Street at Marston Point – every night until Halloween – general admission is $15. 

Scream Zone 13  at the Del Mar Fairgrounds – The Triple Threat includes House of Horror, Haunted Hayride & The Chamber….all for the scary low price of $27.99. 

For those of you wanting to do the Monster Mash, there are also great Halloween Parties this weekend:

10^th Annual Dos Equis XX Monster Bash  , October 30^th 6-midnight, this outdoor bash in the Gaslamp and East Village.  Its world-famous Costume Contest is on again with a Grand Prize of $3,000 cash!  Tickets also include food and drink specials as well as free entrance into Gaslamp & East Village’s nightclubs and hotspots.  $25 in advance and $30 at the door.

Heaven & Hell Halloween Music Festival & Costume Party  will be held, for the first time, at Del Mar Fairgrounds on Saturday, October 30^th from 8pm-2am, presale tickets $30 and parking $9.00.  Three massive areas (Heaven, Hell, Purgatory) will each contain an all star line-up of talent. 

But for those with little goblins, here is a list of great activities happening this weekend:

Pumpkin Patches – one of the largest in San Diego County is Bates Nut Farm in Valley Center.   Open every day from 9-5.  They have a variety of pumpkins from minis to Big Mac’s!  Plenty of family fun activities including facepainting, Tractor / Hayride, Pony Rides and an interactive petting corral.  See website for pricing.

Pinery Pumpkin Stations throughout the County including Del Mar, El Cajon, Chula Vista, Rancho Bernardo, Mission Valley, National City and Bonita.  Free admission and parking.  Pumpkins, kiddie rides, giant slides, petting zoos and more! 

Trick or Treat on India Street .  The Little Italy Association is putting on its 3^rd annual event offering a safe and special night on Friday, October 29^th at 5:30pm. 

For Mall-style trick-or-treating, Carmel Mountain Ranch Plaza  shops offers trick-or-treat in its participating stores on Sunday, October 31^st from 2-4pm.  Live music, balloon art, and more.  Bring a canned food item to support the San Diego Food Bank.

La Mesa Oktoberfest

La Mesa Annual Events~Oktoberfest

37th Annual Oktoberfest October 1-3

La Mesa Oktoberfest October 1-3

It’s that time of year again. Come and stroll along La Mesa Village for the largest 3 day Oktoberfest west of the Mississippi. There will be hundreds of craft and commercial booths, a children’s carnival, food courts, and of course…what would Oktoberfest be without BEER GARDENS!!

Parking is extremely limited so take the San Diego Trolley, Orange Line. Get off at the La Mesa Blvd stop. You will be right in the thick of things! Click here for trolley information

Hours will be Friday and Saturday 11am-11:30 pm; and Sunday 12 noon- 6pm. For more information regarding this event Click here

So long…farewell…Auf wiedersehen, adieu!

San Diego Events, San Diego Restaurants

San Diego Restaurant Week September 19-24 2010

San Diego County’s Largest and Most Successful Dining Event

Celebrating its seventh year as San Diego’s largest dining event, this culinary tradition gives patrons the ability to discover new restaurants or enjoy a favorite for less. Choose from more than 180 of San Diego’s best restaurants.  San Diego Restaurant Week is held twice a year. The upcoming dates are September 19-24, 2010 and January 16-21, 2011. Enjoy a fixed price, 3 course meal for $20, $30, or $40 per person, depending on the restaurant. No tickets or passes are required, but reservations are strongly recommended. Contact the participating restaurant directly.

For a list of participating restaurants click here                         

Bon Apetite!