Focus and Isolate in the Nookpod
Plus: LV News Briefs, Football Saturdays at USD, ESL Classes, Breakfast at Mr. Peabody's, Clairemont Family Day Announcement, What to Do with Old Maps, and Porsche, Pours and Pups.
The library is a go-to place for those seeking quiet and a space to focus. On any day you can find students there silently working on their homework, or other people conducting focused research on the internet as they ignore everyone else in the room. Of course, you’ll also find others deeply immersed in a book. They all head to the library because of the facility’s ability to provide a peaceful, noiseless area. However, as I found out during a recent library visit, for those people seeking an even more advanced level of undisturbed tranquility—somewhere between the silence of solitary confinement and being on a deserted island—there is now a space that provides the ultimate in muted isolation. For a limited time only, the Linda Vista Library is currently offering the Nookpod experience. If you really want to get away from it all and conduct some work requiring total concentration, then I strongly suggest you head down to the library and lock yourself in the Nookpod.
The Nookpod is a portable booth-like structure with room enough for one person (it’s actually called the Nookpod Solo, one in a line of many similar Nookpod products). Its dimensions are 40W x37D x 77H. Very cozy, to say the least. Inside the pod you will find a bench to sit on and a very narrow desk space, as well as electrical outlets and an air conditioning vent. Don’t worry, there are windows, so that you don’t totally lose contact with the rest of the world. Once you close the door, you will notice the enhanced level of quiet that the Nookpod provides. I contend that if you have a project that you need to complete, and you want to ensure there are no distractions that will get in your way, then the Nookpod is the place to go. The Nookpod’s website advertises the Nookpod Solo as providing a quieter respite where people can better concentrate and refuel…”a godsend for those introverts who need a place away from constant simulation to have their best ideas.”
The Nookpod has only been at the library for about 2 weeks. According to library staff members, it will be there for a limited amount of time and then be rotated to other libraries in the city. I’m not sure how popular a venue it is so far, but there is a sign on the door asking to check with library staff to reserve the space for a two-hour period of time.
In addition to using the Nookpod as a study or work space for those kind of projects requiring special focus, I see using it to have some fun. The space reminds me of the ridiculously funny Cone of Silence that was a feature of the 1960’s sitcom Get Smart; I can see myself sitting in there and pretending to be agent Maxwell Smart trying to communicate with the Chief. Or I can sit in there and imagine being an astronaut in one of the NASA space program’s early Mercury space capsules. Or I can play Dr. Who, traveling in the TARDIS, which resembles a British phone box. Or I can see myself as a character in the 1980 movie Altered States in which a person, used in an isolation research study, achieves altered states of consciousness. That would be so cool!
Let me warn you…the Nookpod is not for everyone. We all know people that could not handle such quiet and isolation. They would go insane, or at least more insane, if they did not have the constant opportunity to talk to people and share their life story. They need lots of space and an audience. But if you perhaps lean in the direction of being an introvert, or if you are merely seeking temporary relief from the world and all of its distractions, then the Nookpod is the place to go.
LV News Briefs
—Adoption Fees: On this Saturday, SD Humane Society is waiving adoption fees on all of their adoptable animals. This special one-day adoption event is part of NBC Universal and Telemundo’s Clear the Shelters promotion.
—Kearny Girls Fall Football: The Girls Varsity Flag Football team is currently undefeated (3-0) and ranked # 7 in the CIF San Diego rankings. The team plays a home game today September 5 at 7:00 pm against Our Lady of Peace.
—Kearny High Boys Football: The Kearny High Comets (1-1) play an away game down the road at Francis Parker School this Friday at 6:00 pm. They will play Rock Academy (0-2), which plays its home games at the Francis Parker campus.
The Saturday Football Experience at USD
Anyone who has ever attended a big time college football game is well acquainted with the associated level of pageantry and spectacle. Watching a USC football game at the Los Angeles Coliseum, or a Notre Dame game at South Bend, Indiana, or a Navy game at Annapolis, Maryland, for example, is an exciting, memorable event with big marching bands, huge passionate crowds, delicious pre-game tailgating, and numerous fun traditions peculiar to the teams/institutions. And then there is the exciting play on the field, with many teams possessed of highly talented players awaiting bright NFL futures. We see some of those things at SDSU Aztec games over at Snapdragon Stadium, though the passion and size of the crowds (and alumni support) varies depending on how the team is doing each year. And we do see many of those things first hand when teams and their fans from across the country come to San Diego in December for the Holiday Bowl.
Though I have never heard of people saying anything like “There’s something special about watching a college football game in Linda Vista” it is true that one can experience a college football experience down the road at Torero Stadium on the University of San Diego campus. Such an experience does not possess the level of spectacle and pageantry that exists at big time college games— no one is ever going to confuse the USD campus with famous college football hotbeds like Tuscaloosa, Alabama or State College, Pennsylvania—but I contend it is worth attending a game there.
With an undergraduate population of only about 5000 students, USD competes at the Football Championship Subdivision Level (FCS), which is a rung below the big time Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) that includes all the powerhouse programs like Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, etc.. Unlike some of the other programs in the FCS level, USD is not a football scholarship program, which limits the team’s ability to recruit certain players. Nevertheless, the USD program has occasionally seen a player successfully make it at the NFL level. And of course, former USD coach Jim Harbaugh is now the coach of the LA Chargers.
This Saturday I took in USD’s opening game of the season against the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Broncos. There was actually a good crowd at the game. We are not talking about the 80,000 that can pack a full LA Coliseum, or the 100,000 + that is often seen at a game in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but approximately 5000-6000 people were in attendance. There seemed to be a number of Cal Poly fans there.
There wasn’t a big marching band in attendance. The small USD pep band made some noise, but not much. I didn’t much tailgating, but inside the stadium there was a good selection of food courtesy of numerous food trucks and food booths.
The seating in the main seating area left something to be desired—bleacher seating with no back support—and the steep steps that fans must take to find their seats was not accompanied in all areas with railings to grab hold of.
No one will ever accuse USD students with expressing overly rabid emotion for their team. They are an extremely laid back group, but maybe people just become that way as soon as they arrive in San Diego. I guess USD students might insist they are students more concerned with studying (and going to the beach) than with football, or any other sport. I think about half of the students left at halftime.
The one fun tradition I noticed was the announcer shouting “First down” followed by the sound of a bullfighting bugle, and the USD fans responding with an “Olé” after each USD first down. A bit hokey, but they are, after all, the Toreros.
The game started off with some warm weather. I was sweating at kick-off time, but by the third quarter, as the marine layer made its appearance, I put on my sweatshirt. It made for a comfortable time. I sat in the end zone bleachers during the third quarter and enjoyed the beautiful view of the campus buildings in the background.
The play on the field was exciting. The two teams went back and forth, with USD winning the game by a score of 27-21. That was a big victory for USD, as Cal Poly is a scholarship program; the Broncos actually play Stanford this coming Saturday. Quite a jump up in competition from USD.
If interested in watching a game at Torero Stadium, you can pay a visit this Saturday (1:00 pm) as the Toreros host the Central Washington Wildcats. The ticket prices are great—$11.54 for general admission. Be ready to shout out an enthusiastic “Olé” or two. Based on the victory over Cal Poly, it should be an exciting USD season.
ESL Class for Community Offered
Mr. Peabody’s for Breakfast
I know what you are thinking…. that we have previously reviewed Mr. Peabody’s, located at the corner of Friars Road and Las Cumbres. You would be right. We have, and as we have probably already told you, it is one of our favorite places for Friday night dinner. But we recently discovered something else about it that we wanted to share. Mr. Peabody’s has a great breakfast menu. Their breakfast is served Monday thru Friday from 11 am to 4 pm and Saturday and Sunday 9 am to 4 pm.
You can view their menu on line, but basically they have omelets, breakfast sandwiches, breakfast burritos, waffles, NY steak and eggs, carnitas breakfast plate and hash.
We met our usual Friday night buddy there on a Sunday morning for breakfast and it was really a good experience. It is a whole different vibe from Friday night—quiet and peaceful like a Sunday morning should be.
Steve ordered the Breakfast burrito without bacon or sausage, but included eggs potatoes, cheese, with a side of salsa. He also added avocado. I ordered an Omelet with Swiss cheese, with grilled red potatoes and a biscuit or you can get toast or tortilla. Our friend got her usual omelet with spinach and avocado.
Although we did not imbibe alcohol at 9 in the morning, it is a bar and there were specials on drinks. In fact, mimosas are $2.00 off on Saturdays and Sundays.
Our meals were fabulous as was the service, as always. I could not finish my omelet dish, and Steve had half of it for dinner later in the day. The egg was cooked perfectly and I always love what they do with potatoes. JK as usual, took most of her meal home, and since she always orders the same breakfast, you know it has to be good. Steve finished his whole burrito and is ready to make Sunday morning at this pub a thing. He especially likes the potatoes in the burrito.
What would Mr. Peabody’s be without sporting events appearing on their TV screens, and the fact that it was Sunday morning didn’t change that familiar feature, as the U.S. Tennis Open was being broadcast live from NYC. Just the right ambience for a pub, though a little more mellow than usual.
The prices are about the same as other restaurants, but you can’t beat the service and friendliness of Mr. Peabody’s. Try it for breakfast and let us know what you think.
Upcoming Community Event
Check out the below flyer about the 35th Annual Clairemont Family Day!
Commentary
Navigating the Use of Old Maps
If you are a Baby Boomer, or even a member of Gen X, you are in all likelihood frequently amazed at how technology has upended many habits and products. Things like the Yellow Pages phone book, pay phone booths, and the writing out of paper checks to pay bills have become like ancient antiquities best displayed in museums. Recently, one of our favorite Linda Vista residents and sometime LV Update contributor informed us of another thing of the past that has been phased out courtesy of technology. Paper maps. Like a local version of Martha Stewart, she related to us what she does with her collection of maps. As she insisted when we saw her carrying a map and a pair of scissors, “Who uses maps anymore?” She then added, “But I don’t want to see them go to waste. What one has to do is find creative ways to use old maps.”
She has a point, of course. The technology on our phones and in our cars has displaced the use of maps. We just plug an address into our navigation systems and… voila…we are told exactly where to go in such an effortless way. Nowadays, only the most stubborn of Baby Boomer dinosaurs use maps. They take pride in holding on to the expertise of reading the features of a map, to include the legend, and the map scale bar, the skills of orienting a map to the person’s current location, and most importantly the well honed ability to perfectly re-fold up a map after using it.
Our friend, on the other hand, has no patience for such stubbornness. She is always looking ahead, albeit from a unique perspective. When we asked her “Hey, what exactly do you do with old maps?” she passionately told us that she was going to a birthday party later that day, and that she was going to wrap the birthday gift in cut-up sections of an old map of Idaho. Later in the week, she said, she was going to a retirement celebration, and she planned to use a map of France for that gift giving occasion. She curiously added that she liked to reserve her use of Canadian and German maps for the holiday season.
Following Martha’s…I mean our friend’s lead, we ourselves began to think of new ways to use our old maps. First, we took a map of Europe and lined one side of it with fur so that it could be used as a blanket, perfect for use when afternoon napping on the recliner. We also made a few fun party hats out of our maps. Maps of Las Vegas are perfect for this particular function. And then we used a map to create a book cover (WARNING: it’s just a matter of time before all actual books are eventually phased out in favor of digital books). You can also laminate a large map (say, a map of Asia or South America), punch a hole through the middle of it, and use it as a poncho. Quite the conversation piece!
We do advise some more caution. Yesterday, we read an article that claimed in the event of a major military conflict, all of the U.S. satellites used for Global Positioning System purposes will be destroyed by the enemy in the opening stages of hostilities. This will render our society to a primitive technological state, depriving us of an ability to navigate our way in normal high tech fashion. If this occurs, the person with the ability to read a map (and in possession of a map) will be king/queen. So, you may want to save a map or two, just in case the worst happens. In the meantime, may I recommend using pieces of an old map to serve as a protective cell phone case as shown above.
Upcoming Fundraising Event
Local Linda Vista realtor and community supporter Bree Partington is once again partnering up with the Porsche Club to conduct another Porsche, Pours and Pups Fundraising Event on September 21. Last year’s event was highly successful and so they are conducting an encore event. All of the proceeds will go to the Del Mar Dog Rescue. That is such a worthy cause! Check out the below flyer for details on how to sign up and attend.
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