Letting Go

For several months I knew the day would come when the inevitable could no longer be delayed: Part with the Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Bike with Pulse purchased from Amazon in April 2013; price before discounts was around $130. I still use the exercise bicycle—several times a week, at least, especially during the colder season.

Letting go was a process of reaching a moment of absolute need for additional space. Our daughter is staying with us, and I have been slowly moving out things stored in my now former home office, which has become her bedroom. The day arrived when the space occupied by the stationary bike was needed for other things.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJun 19, 20269:58 pm

Thoughtful Neko

Today, the portrait used to illustrate this 2021 post popped up in my photo memories from June 19, 2013. Well, where is one, what about another? Digging through an old external hard drive I found several and chose the Featured Image.

The photo is a reminder of what I liked and loathed about the Fujifilm FinePix X100, which I acquired in May 2011, soon after its launch availability. Vitals: f/2.8, ISO 1000, 1/60 sec, 23mm (35mm film equivalent); 7:13 a.m. PDT. Composed as shot; unedited.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJun 18, 20269:39 pm

When AI Chooses for You

We lose our mailman next week. My street will no longer be on his route as of Thursday (June 25, 2026). He was informed that as part of restructuring, the U.S. Postal Service would adjust routes.

He warned us then his territory could change—and neither he, nor his direct superiors, nor others in the organization had a say in the decision. The Postal Service outsourced the task, so to speak, to an Artificial Intelligence.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJun 17, 20269:53 pm

The Great Escape, and Not the First Time

This morning my wife rang, unexpectedly. After a brisk morning of cooking, she had gone out for an unwinding walk. I stayed behind to clean up the kitchen and wash dishes. She called after coming upon a wayward rabbit. By fur color, this was a wild bunny. But another characteristic revealed a domesticated animal. Somebody’s pet.

When living in the Washington, DC area, our family owned two bunnies: Daisy and Mayflower. Both had floppy ears, which is not a trait exhibited in nature. As you can see from the Featured Image and companions, this rabbit has floppy ears, which are a product of domestication and selective breeding.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJun 15, 202610:57 pm

Not His House, Your House

Say what you will about Donald Trump but the man knows how to throw a birthday party. His 80th brought the UFC Freedom 250 to the South Lawn of the White House. What a spectacle it was, last night.

For all the pomp, all the celebrity, and the testosterone, the White House itself emerged as a symbol of the Trump Presidency and secondary star of the fighting event. Americans don’t get to see inside the White House. It’s locked down so tight. But through the UFC event, Trump opened the building for everyone to see–unlike any president before him. His house is your house.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJun 14, 20269:40 pm

The Cats of University Heights: Gingerbread

This fine feline is the eighty-sixth found behind door or window. I spotted him on June 12, 2026, during an early morning walk, and used Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra to shoot the Featured Image.

Vitals: f/2.9, ISO 25, 1/2000 sec, 230mm (film equivalent); 8:17 a.m. PDT. Nickname: Gingerbread.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJun 13, 202610:42 pm

Happy Flag Day 2026

What better way to celebrate Flag Day (tomorrow) than with a parade of Old Glories. The Featured Image is part of a collection of photos taken on April 14, 2007, during the Cherry Blossom Festival Parade in Washington, D.C.

I used Canon 20D and EF 135mm f/2 USM lens for the street shot, which is composed as captured. Vitals: f/5.6, ISO 200, 1/500 sec, 135mm; 9:32 a.m. EDT.

Living by Joe WilcoxJun 12, 202610:32 pm

Why My Facebook Handle Isn’t My Name

For nearly all of my publicly-facing online identities, my name is the handle. Consider, for example, Flickr and X, which I joined in October 2005 and December 2006 (when Twitter), respectively. I set up Facebook in October 2006, long before the service allowed anyone to choose a handle.

On June 13, 2009, at 12:01 a.m. EST, Facebook opened up the landgrab to claim a personalized username. That worked out to 9:01 p.m. on the 12th for we Westcoasters. Unfortunately, I was nowhere near a computer, waiting with our daughter for her flight from Long Beach, Calif. to one of three major Washington, D.C.-area airports (I don’t recall which).

Photo by Joe WilcoxJun 9, 202610:05 pm

Getting Ready for the 250th

The United States of America’s 250th birthday is weeks away. But you wouldn’t have an itsy-bitsy inkling in my San Diego neighborhood of University Heights. The measure of patriotism here is support for the next No Kings protests on June 14, 2026 or the number of paraded pride flags, which outnumber another symbol: Upside-down American flags.

So, tonight, I was delighted to pass this classic Craftsman decked out with American bunting decor and string lights. Finally, someone prepares for the Fourth of July—unless their objective is Flag Day on the Fourteenth.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJun 8, 202610:05 pm

Too Good To Go

I install few apps on my phone or tablet, not trusting how intrusively nosey and tracking they can be. But a few exceptions are notable, one being Too Good to Go. The Wilcox family uses the app almost daily now, for finding good food made available at substantial discount.

The stuff might otherwise be trashed, particularly because of local regulations that restrict fresh, produced goods’ salability after set time period. Freshness is another consideration. Both could apply to baked goods, such as bagels or donuts. Over-production is an additional factor. Maybe the pizzeria has too many slices leftover at the end of day.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJun 7, 202610:37 pm

What’s Up with Robb Field?

My daughter needed a ride to meet someone in Ocean Beach today. Planned sixty minutes turned into three-and-a-half hours, and after visiting friends I had a whole lot of time to kill off. I started wandering around Robb Field, which was jam-packed with sporting events and outdoor recreating of every imaginable variety.

I scratched my head in dismay, because the 77-acre recreational complex is on the mayor’s list of potential closures. Reason: Budget cuts. I counted thousands upon thousands of reasons to keep the facility open and operating at full funding.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJun 6, 20269:49 pm

Aren’t We Lucky

I suppose rejoicing is the call to order. Gasoline prices are falling—at least where we fill up. Go back a month, we paid over $6 a gallon; the current price is 10 cents less per gallon than my March report. As recently as May 3, 2026, fuel cost 50 cents more a gallon—even as the war with Iran continues.

According to AAA, average price of gasoline nationwide: $4.19 per gallon. California is highest at $5.92. Aren’t we lucky here in San Diego for such a bargain: $5.60 per gallon.