Well-Heeled Crowd to Walk Against Domestic Violence

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This story was reported for Patch on Oct. 4, 2011. Ankle boots may make a larger comeback than expected this fall—or at the very least, a more meaningful one. Hundreds of walkers, including men, will soon sport women’s footwear at the YWCA’s annual “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” event on Thursday, Oct. 20, in an effort to raise awareness… Read more →

PUSD Alum Takes Fluxx Nightclub to Fame and $15M

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This story was reported for Patch on May 7, 2013. If Fluxx—the downtown nightclub—were a basketball team, it would be in the Final Four. And why not? Its general manager is a former hoops coach at Mt. Carmel High School. As an SDSU student years ago, James Thorp would work until 3:30 a.m. at local nightclubs, then wake up a… Read more →

Hoping for a heaven

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“I hope that someday you can share your father with others through your writing. He has a story to tell and who better to tell his story than his daughter.”—Mary Gluck I’m not religious but I’m choosing to believe there’s a heaven. I don’t know any other way to “accept” that my Number 1 man is gone. I remember a… Read more →

Being brave

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During my freshman year in college, my English 101 instructor required her students to keep a journal. It was easy for me but perhaps, my entries were too personal because at the end of the semester she wrote the following: “You are able to write down so beautifully exactly how you feel. I would not be surprised to see your… Read more →

The best summer

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“Do you remember the best summer of your life?” read the first line of Marjorie Hart’s book, Summer at Tiffany. “Do you?” asked Marjorie who sat next to me at a recent fundraiser. Marjorie, the author of the best seller, wrote about the best summer of her life that took place when she worked at the loved jewelry store years… Read more →

San Diego wedding vendor recommendations

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Four months ago, I married the man of my dreams in the wedding of my dreams. Of course, our family and friends made the joyful celebration a million times more special. I spent about eight months planning our wedding and in the process diligently researched every vendor we hired to help us make the day happen. The majority of the… Read more →

I pray in Chinese

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Buddhists have a custom. When a family member dies, an altar is created for that person in a household dominated by the members of the same sex. When my grandfather died years ago, it was understood that my father, his son, would build an altar for him in his home. I took an unconventional approach to the altar in my… Read more →