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We still have rooms available on Valentine's Day, but make your reservations soon or you might find yourself sleeping on the couch.
Christmas decorations are down and put away. The house always looks so uncluttered after the decorations are gone, but less fun too.
Paula and Miguel need to return to Mexico for several months on 31 January, but it looks like Becky Schwendinger will be moving in on the 2nd of February. She'll be helping out around the place while she studies at the local college. And she plays the piano, so we'll be able to enjoy some music from the piano in the lobby.
Happy anniversary to Robert and Marilyn. Craig and Bonnie celebrated a birthday with us, which was especially nice since Craig did the plumbing restoration in the Victorian house, and the new plumbing in the pool pavilian. Also celebrating birthdays were Myrna and Kathleen. Carol and Keith escaped the cold in Colorado to sunny San Diego, and there were some "staycations" by locals Sophia and Caleb; Jonathan and Zandria; and Sean and Jessica.
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Book a reservation now
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| History Update: First Telephone in Jamul |
| parts quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone |
Jamul Haven was the first house in Jamul to have telephone, and for many years, the only house with a phone. Anyone in Jamul needing to use the phone for an emergency would come to Jamul Haven and borrow the phone to call for help.
Rural and other telephones that were not on a common battery exchange had a magneto or hand-cranked generator to produce a high voltage alternating signal to ring the bells of other telephones on the line and to alert the operator.
In the 1890s a new smaller style of telephone was introduced, packaged in three parts. The transmitter stood on a stand, known as a "candlestick" for its shape. When not in use, the receiver hung on a hook with a switch in it, known as a "switchhook." Previous telephones required the user to operate a separate switch to connect either the voice or the bell. With the new kind, the user was less likely to leave the phone "off the hook".
Cradle designs were also used at this time, having a handle with the receiver and transmitter attached, separate from the cradle base that housed the magneto crank and other parts. They were larger than the "candlestick" and more popular.
The hand crank magnetos in these old phones are often used to generate electricity that is used (often illegally) to stun fish. The fish then float to the surface and are scooped up. Another unusual use is to electrify the ground and drive earth worms to the surface, where they are harvested for fishing bait.
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There will be a free reading of William's play N.I.C.E. at the San Diego Scripteasers on Friday, February 5th at 7:30. If you're in the area, please come!
William's play "Dickinson: The Secret Story of Emily Dickinson" got some nice press in the Gay and Lesbian Times. They called it out as one of the memorable plays of the 2009 season, and Rhiana Basore won the Best Actress of 2009 award for her performance of Emily, and Greg Wittman won the Best Actor of 2009 award for his performance of The Playwright.
William's book THE GIANT BOOK OF POETRY AUDIO EDITION won the Best Audiobook award at the New England Festival of Books, and his POEMS OF ROMANCE received an honorable mention at the same festival.
Regina finished off a successful run of The Ice Princess and is getting ready to start school again at SDSU. Will has registered for classes at both Mira Mesa and Cuymacca colleges.
Marianne almost single handedly took down all of the Christmas decorations, and every year she swears "never again," but after a few days she's already talking about what she will do different next year.
And here's the latest on Elizabeth from her deployment, quoted from her last email:
Happy 2010! I hope the holidays were fun and relaxing for everyone. I was sitting duty on all night Christmas Eve and all night Christmas night 1800-0600. I did some online window shopping, called the family from our DSN phone, and made sure the squadron was running according to the plan of the day (in that order). I was flying as the clock struck midnight on New Years and we did a small count down on the plane. I was wearing an obnoxious happy new years! headband (thanks Annie!) the entire flight, and I was told as I arrived to work that my crew expected nothing less. I guess they knew I was planning on one-upping the red velvet sequins Santa hat (thanks mom!) I wore pretty much the month of December.
I've really made myself at home here in Iraq over the last 2 months. I've learned a couple key survival techniques that have dramatically improved my quality of life. The plumbing situation here is absolutely hilarious. If you turn on one sink, fully expect at least 2 other sinks to turn on simultaneously. Same goes for the showers. There are plenty of showers, however the water pressure is somewhere between the consistency of a spray bottle and someone peeing on you. Therefore, it takes quite a while to actually get clean. However, I have found the holy grail of showers (just 2 weeks into deployment). If you remove the "shower head" (in quotes because it can't legitimately be called a shower head) in the last shower on the left, then you get something like a garden hose effect. Now this I can work with! I must add, that I normally have hot water when I shower. This is a real luxury, and I've found, the absolute only advantage to being a woman in the military. There are about 40 times more people using the mens showers so they never have hot water. Poor guys, I really feel for them, but not really.
Life out here is very simple, which I like. There is absolutely nothing to do (and there is no exaggerating here) besides work out or eat. So that's what we do. It suites me fine. My normal day normally goes like this:
Wake up
Work out 1-2 hours
Shower (we covered that)
Go to work for 12-15 hours
Sleep for 6-8 hours
Repeat.
Us aircrew have it much easier then the maintainers and admin folk. They work 12 hours on, 12 hours off. Never-ending. Most have not had one day off since we got here 2 months ago. Although we work slightly longer hours, we have a crew rest requirement that usually insures we get 8-12 hours off to sleep and eat between flights. And in order to not exceed our weekly max hours we get a day off every 4-10 days (somewhere in there). There are always exceptions, like the 14 flight hour/24hour day I had last week. Overall though, we have it pretty good.
On my day off here, you can generally find me in my CHU applying my cuticle cream (thanks Laurie!) or giving myself a little pedicure (thanks Andrea!). I'm sure if you know me well enough you'll think this is quite strange behavior - seeing as how I've only painted my toes 3 times in my entire career as a woman. On a crew with 12 dudes, on a base where I am often the only female in the entire gym, you start to forget you're a girl. So on my day off, I make sure I play it up. Obviously I have to remove any evidence of female-ness when I answer the door or I may lose my credibility as a man.
Back at home (or Germany in this case), the year 2010 has jump-started for Daniel and I with such intensity I have whip-lash. All in one week, Daniel got offered a job in Germany, turned down a job in Africa, and we got roommates back in Oak Harbor. Daniel's new job is in Hamburg, Germany. He'll be flying a Citation Jet all over Europe. It's a 12 month gig that will be a really big stepping stone for future jobs back here in the US. Additionally, our good friends in Oak Harbor, WA - Rosa and Harry, are moving into our now vacant house until I return June-ish. Around that time Harry will deploy with his Prowler squadron and I'll have my first roommate since college- Rosa! I'm really lucky it worked out so well. I was really dreading coming home to a big empty house. God bless our landlord for being so trusting and kind. I plan to go visit Dan after I get back for a couple weeks. His new boss said he could come visit me for a couple weeks after I get back also. We're going to try to spread those little reunions out over the last 6 months when I'm home. It's going to be rough, but we're hanging strong so we'll be fine.
One thing I am happy to report is the amazing support I've received from all you friends and family. Really, I couldn't ask for anything more. Emails, cards, and packages have made this deployment so much easier then I even thought possible. I have pictures, drawings, and Christmas decorations covering my CHU. I am so very thankful for good friends and family. Hope to keep hearing updates from you as we march into 2010.
Love,
Liz
PS: correction to my last email: CHU stands for Combat Housing Unit - not cubical housing unit. It's so hard to keep all these Air Force acronyms straight!
PPS: Standby for my next email talking about my trip to our other base where I was living in a tent - I'm pretty much a female version of Bear Grylls - I'm just saying...
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Selected fun San Diego events that are worth a trip.
Through 01/29/2010
Porsche Exhibit
San Diego Automotive Museum
Location: Balboa Park
Cost: $4 - $8
Description: Porsche exhibit featuring the power and styling of this famed German maker.
Through 01/30/2010
San Diego Dance Theater presents Intimate Cabaret Dances
Jean Isaacs San Diego Dance Theater
Price: $15-$30
Description: Enjoy a sophisticated, evening of modern dance, music, food and wine at San Diego’s premiere place for dance. Jean Isaacs San Diego Dance Theater will transform Dance Place San Diego into a Sexy, Smart Cabaret for 4 evenings of contemporary dance this January
02/21/2010
Bark in Balboa Park 4
Spreckels Organ Society
Price: Free
Description: San Diego's civic organist and her dogs present a special concert for all San Diego dog lovers and their pets.
12/12/2009 - 04/04/2010
Whale Watching with San Diego Natural History Museum
Hornblower Cruises & Events
Location: Embarcadero
Price: $16-$37
Description: Whale watching with the San Diego Natural History Museum has never been more educational or exciting and interactive. Naturalist trained by the museum for over six weeks accompany the expert captains and crew of Hornblower Cruises on two adventures daily. Children cruise for as low as $16.00! www.hornblower.com
For information about any of these events, email us!
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Hints from "The Everyday Cook-Book," (c) 1889 and found in the Jamul Haven Angel House.
For constipation, one or two figs eaten fastly is sufficient for some, and they are especially good in the case of children, as there is no trouble in getting them to take them. A spoon of wheaten bran in a glass of water is a simple remedy and quite effective.
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Recipies from "The Everyday Cook-Book," (c) 1889 and found in the Jamul Haven Angel House.
Fricassee of Chicken: Cut into joints, scald and skin, place in a stewpan with two raw onions cut into eight parts, a little chopped parsley, salt and pepper, and the least squeeze of lemon-juice. Add a bit of butter as large as an egg, and fill in a pint of water. Stew for an hour under a very close lid, then lift and strain off the gravy, into which beat, gradually a teacupful of cream and the yolks of two eggs; heat up the gravy, taking care that it does not boil, and pour it over the fricassee.
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In This Issue
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Visit our site
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Jamul Haven offers pampering in a fully restored 1890 luxury Victorian mansion.
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Jamul Haven Specials
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We are running a "Recession Buster" discount of 10% off our room rates for on-line reservations.
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In The News
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For links to articles and reviews, visit http://www.jamulhaven.com/links.html.
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