Katie Goes Hollywood

Even though we have lived in Southern California for two years (can you believe that?), I haven't done a good job of seeing all the show biz sights. So, a few weeks ago, I set out to hike up to the Hollywood sign.

We started in shady Bronson Canyon, a place made famous by the many TV shows and movies that have been filmed there. Little House on the Prairie and Bonanza, to name just a few, were taped here. BTW--this isn't our dog--he just jumped into the picture!

And, look, here is the bat cave from the old TV series!

At first, we couldn't even see the Hollywood sign but then it came into view. It looked very far away...

We hiked onward and upward and got closer to the sign.

The trail was full of very friendly people, and we asked a cute fellow to take our picture. My old college friend Rose is on my right, and Mardie, a new friend is on my left. Mardie has lived in Hollywood for 23 years so she was a terrific guide.

After about two miles of hiking, we came to the trail's terminus and as close to the sign as we could legally get. There were lots of tourist milling around...

Including this girl who was posing in front of the sign in a bikini while her friend took pictures. We were laughing so hard at this--I couldn't resist a clandestine photo of my own. Never a dull moment in Southern California.

Nine is Fine

This month, Pat and I celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary. Interestingly, we were not much struck by the fact that we have been married nine years. However, what did strike us is the fact that we have been together 14 years. Now, that just seems like a very long time. Now, I am sure that all of KUWK's faithful readers are thinking "Fourteen years? How can Pat and Katie even be old enough to be together 14 years?" Funny, that is pretty much the same thing we thought. Okay, I probably am not fooling anyone. We thought exactly the same thing you did: Pat and Katie are OLD! Even if we are not quite sure where the years went, we are sure that they were happy and full of adventure. We wouldn't have it any other way...

Before we went out to dinner on our anniversary, we amused ourselves by taking a family picture like the ones our friends with kids are always sending us. Aren't our kitties the cutest thing ever?

Spur of the moment trip to San Diego

A few weeks ago, Pat and I decided to take a spur-of-the-moment trip down the coast to San Diego. Our original plan was to head down Sunday morning, see a baseball game, and then drive back. However, we decided Saturday to go down and spend the night. We got a nice hotel room in Old Town and had a nice dinner but I wasn't much for taking pictures that night so no evidence.

We stopped for bagels Sunday morning and then ate them at the convention center next to the baseball stadium.

Here is the view from our breakfast spot. Every time I go to San Diego, I think "this is a much nicer place than Long Beach--I wish Pat would get a job here."

Then we headed to Petco Park which is right downtown and easily accessible.


Here is the scoreboard in the first inning.

Our seats were very nice--just 15 rows up. Seats are cheap in September when the home team is way out of the pennant race.

It was a very beautiful day although we kept hoping those clouds would cover the sun--it was HOT!

I was rooting for David Eckstein of the Padres--one of my favorite scrappy players.

And Pat was rooting for Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies because he went to Long Beach State.

But, neither of us really cared who won. We just had a nice time watching the game. There is something about baseball that always makes me feel relaxed and nostalgic...

I am Nuts (and Cookies)

After spending the last two years working in the Membership Department at Girl Scouts, I had been looking around for a new challenge. When our Director of Product Sales resigned, I thought it was the perfect opportunity for a job change. It all happened pretty quickly, and, before I knew it, I was in charge of nut and cookies sales. I didn't realize there would be a literal transfer of power between the two Cookie Queens but, on her last day, Sharon bequeathed her Cookie Queen crown and wand to me. Coincidentally, I just happened to be wearing my Girl Scout Cookies T-shirt that day! Perfect...

Highpointer's Quest-Arizona

It was late August when I realized that, with all our traveling, I hadn't managed to climb any of the 50 states' high points this summer. Since the summer was quickly winding down, I felt I had to do something immediately so I talked Pat into making a crazed, 48-hour trip to Arizona to climb Mount Humphries. All I can say is that he is a great sport!



On Friday afternoon, we found ourselves sitting on the 91 freeway, allegedly heading for Flagstaff. The traffic was so terrible that it ended up taking up about 9 hours just to get to the national forest outside of Flagstaff . Of course, the only campground was full so we parked the car along a gravel road and set up camp. It was almost midnight, and the next morning, we were relieved that we weren't in somebody's backyard!

Luckily, we weren't far from Mount Humphries. It is the peak on the left in this picture.

There were lots of people at the trail head, and a very nice sign announcing that we were about to climb to Arizona's highest point.

At first, the trail gradually traveled upward through a shady, cool forest. It was very nice and easy walking.

But, then, around 11,000 feet, we emerged above the treeline. It was very windy and cold! Neither of us felt too great since we had just been at 60 feet of elevation just 20 hours earlier.

There were several false summits, so we went up and then up again.

And, did I mention it was windy? I was freezing, and I had forgotten my hat.


But, there were some nice views, and we could see a few fires in the distance.

And, then we were on top. Interesting, it was not very windy on the summit. We were able to sit for a spell and enjoy the sunshine. Humphries Peak: 12,633. Four down and 46 more to go!

This is the view to the west.

See the smoke from the fire?

We didn't linger too long since we still had a lot of driving left to do. It was down, down, down. Sometimes the downhill hurts worse than the uphill. The hike was about 10.5 miles roundtrip.


This is a view of the parking lot--tantalizingly close! However, we still had three miles yet to go. But, soon enough, we were back at the car. Then, we had the long, hot drive through the desert back to Long Beach. We ended up stopping in Needles for the night and arriving back in LB Sunday afternoon. We drove 1,200 miles and climbed to 12,633 feet in less than 48 hours! What a whirlwind.

Stupidity Rules the Day (and night)-Scandanavia, Part 5)

I'll start this post by saying that if my death ever makes the front page, the headline will probably go something like this "Experienced Hiker's Novice Mistake Leads to Ultimate Price." For those of you who have embarked on our outdoors adventures with us, you might nod your head in agreement and think back to a time when we shared an Epic Adventure. For those of you who haven't had the "pleasure" of these Epic Adventures, this post is a pretty clear example of the sort of thing that we get ourselves into.

It all started right here at the Besseggan Ridge trail head--Norway's most famous and most popular hiking trail. The trail is 9.5 miles long one-way, and most people take a boat from the trail head at Gjendsheim to the far end of the lake and hike back to the trail head. However, we arrived at about 12:30 p.m. and had missed the last boat heading to the trail terminus at Memurubu. We consulted the boat schedule and determined that we could do the hike from Gjendsheim and then take the last boat back from Memurubu at 4:45 p.m. We figured that it would be no problem hiking 9.5 miles in 4 hours--we can usually reel off 20-minute miles with any problem. So, off we went...

The trail climbed immediately, and the views were stunning.

The first part of the trail was a steady uphill but had fairly even footing.

However, as we progressed up the ridge, we found ourselves doing more and more time-consuming scrambling.

We kept reaching what we believed to be the apex of the ridge.


Only to discover shortly thereafter that the trail lost elevation and the gained even more.

Then things got really sketchy. The trail became a series of chutes that required intense concentration, careful foot placement and lots of scrambling.

It took us almost an hour to navigate this ridge, and when we got to the bottom, a nagging thought formed in my mind. It went a little like this: I think we might miss that last boat!

When we finally got to this point and realized the boat dock wasn't in sight, we knew we might be in dire straits. So, we started discussing our options. We figured we could turn around immediately and face the prospect of a 9.5 mile hike turning into a 15-mile hike, including the terrible ridge we had just traversed (but uphill). Or we could try to increase our pace and catch the boat. We decided to quicken our pace and try for the boat.

So, off we went, practically running up and down all the never-ending ridges, but still not making great time. These sheep watched us with interest as we stomped by. Meanwhile, I joked with Pat "Did you bring the credit cards?" since I knew there was a hiker's lodge at Memurubu. He answered in what I thought was the affirmative.

Each ridge seemed to be followed by yet another downhill followed by another steep uphill. The clock kept ticking and soon it was 4:30, and still no boat dock in view.

Finally, we came over a ridge and there it was--the lodge tantalizingly close.

And, there it was: the last boat of the night motoring away from the dock! We estimate that we missed it by less than 15 minutes.



We walked down to the lodge and discussed our options. Even though we had little food, no extra clothing or toiletries, we decided that we should try to stay at the lodge and take the first boat back in the morning. Pat went to the front desk and discovered that it would cost $200 for us to book a shared room with five beds, dinner and breakfast. After a discussion, we decided to go ahead and do that. I told Pat to just charge it on the credit card--we could deal with that later. At that point, he said "I don't have the credit cards!" I had actually grabbed all our Norwegian cast out of the car and stashed it in my jacket at the beginning of the hike but I just didn't know if we had enough. It turned out we had exactly enough to spend the night and purchase the boat fare back. Whew...


Our hopes for having the room to ourselves were dashed when we discovered two out-of-shape overweight Norwegian women already ensconced in our appointed room. The common table was littered with cigarettes and beer cans. They were; however, quite friendly, and we soon struck up a conversation with them although we were too ashamed to admit that we had missed the last boat. Finally, Pat looked at them somewhat dubiously and asked "so you guys hiked over the ridge today?" "Oh, no," one answered, "we took the easy path by the water--it only took us two hours." Pat and I looked at each other incredulously: there was a path by the water? Who knew? We could have hiked back to the trail head in two hours!

After dinner, we walked down to the lakeside trail and took a picture of the sign!


We actually ended up having a nice time at the lodge and got to meet lots of interesting people at the communal dinner. So, I guess all is well that ends well...

The next day, we took the boat back to the trail head. And, of course, we had gotten an overnight parking ticket! From the trail head, we would drive to Oslo, see a few sights there and fly home the next day.

Highpointer's Quest-Galdhopiggen (Scandanavia Part 4)

The next day we left the western fjords to head to the mountains. First though, we had to fulfil our obligation to take a swim. So, we both jumped right into a small arm of the Sognefjord. It was cold but not unbearable.

Our next stop was Spiterstulen, a private hytter in Jutunheimen National Park. We camped across from the lodge but we were able to use all the facilities, including a very cosy common area.

The next day, we began the long climb up to Norway's highest point Galdhopiggen (2469meters, about 8100 feet). This is right after the first sustained climb.

Here is a view of the lodge from above.

The DNT maintains most of the trails in Norway, and they spray paint huge Ts on rocks to show hikers the route.

I was surprised by how the area looked much higher than the actual elevation. It was very alpine.

As you can see, the weather was quite gloomy. There were many snowfields to cross which slowed us up a bit.

At the top, there is a mountain hut!

And, get this: there is a staffed snack bar! So, we bought a coffee and sat inside.


Here is my awful summit photo. It was very difficult to take because there were about 200 people milling about the summit. Seriously--it was quite awful. Apparently, there is an "easy" route (only climbing 600 meters rather than the 1400 our route required), over the glacier, from another trailhead, and several tours had come up that way.

Glaciers and Fjords with Peter (Scandanavia Part 3)

The next day we took the car ferry over to Bergen, the second largest city in Norway to pick up our friend Peter who flew in from Germany. Peter and I met 19 years ago at an EarthFirst! camp in Northern California. Somehow, across the years and the ocean, we've managed to maintain our friendship. However, we hadn't seen each other since my wedding nine years ago so we were very excited to catch up.

After picking Peter up without any snafus, we headed to Flam (pronounced Flawm), a small village along the Sognefjord (Norway's largest fjord) for the evening. Here is our campsite.

Then we headed straight for this building. It might look like a church...

but in reality it is brew pub! Poor Peter bought our first round and was a little shell shocked that he had just spend $35 on three pints of beer. Welcome to Norway!

The next morning, we took the world famous Flamsbana train up to Myrdal station and back down to Flam. This journey is widely known as the most beautiful train ride in the world.

There were many beautiful waterfalls along the way, and the conductor told a story of how beautiful nymphs are known to try to lure men into the forest to spend eternity with them.

Sure enough, when the train stopped at a particularly beautiful waterfall, some very hokey music began to play and out came the beautiful nymph! We couldn't believe this cheesiness! Luckily, neither Peter not Pat were tempted...

Later that same day, we crossed the Sognefjord, and traveled to Mundal, the gateway to Jostedalsbreen National Park and its many glaciers. Here is another campsite shot.

For dinner, Peter made a traditional German dish: dumplings. This happened to be a "pre-fab" version where we just boiled pre-made ones. Regardless, they were yummy.

Then we headed for our hike up to the glacier. Once again, we were reminded that everything in Norway costs lots of money. Parking at the trail head cost $4.

The trail was very steep, and, in some places, there were guide ropes.

After a few hours of climbing, we can to the unstaffed DNT (Norwegian Trekking Association) hytter. We stopped and chatted with some locals and bought a bit of chocolate (leaving money in the box, of course).

In order to get right up to the Glacier, we had to cross the stream flowing from it. The crossing can be summed up in one word: excrutiating! It was icy cold (go figure). My feet were in agony both during and after the crossing.

Drum roll, please. The Glacier!

Another view.


Peter felt compelled to get a picture of himself beside this little iceberg.

Hardangervidda Plateau (Scandanavia, Part 2)

On our first day in Norway, we headed West from Oslo to the Hardangerfjord (water) and Hardangervidda (land) National Park.

It rained during the four hour trip but we still stopped at what is, arguably, Norway's most popular tourist attraction: Voringsfossen, a waterfall with a drop of 182 Meters. And we learned our first Norwegian word--"Fossen" means "waterfall."

This is the top of the falls.

And the bottom half.

We stopped at the Hardangervidda National Park Information Center before camping and were charmed by the goats living on the gift shop roof. A cute tourist trap, for sure.

This is the view from our campsite in Eidfjord.

In the morning, we bought fresh baked bread from the campground hosts. We had also stopped by the grocery store the previous night and purchased several items that might or might not have been what we had hoped to purchase. For some reason, everything was in Norwegian! Here, Pat decides that the "cream" I had purchased for coffee was, indeed, something "cream-like," if not the exact thing.


After packing up and making a home in the Loftus campground, we began our adventure for the day: the very stiff hike up to the Hardangervidda Plateau.

We climbed quickly and were rewarded with a beautiful view of the Hardangerfjord.

After a few hours of tough hiking, we reached the plateau. It was stunning--very high, green and dotted with lakes, rushing streams and waterfalls.

This picture is a good demonstration of the landscape. It was totally different than anything I have seen; however, it did remind me a bit of the high country found in Montana's Beartooth Mountains.

After hiking some ways across the plateau, we came upon one of the DNT's (Norwegian Trekking Association) many Hytters (AKA cabins) that hikers can use for a small fee. Many of the Hytters are set up as full-service lodges (more on these later) but this one was small, remote and deserted.


As this picture demonstrates, the weather was starting to look shaky.

Putting on our rain gear soon proved to be a wise idea. We turned and finished the hike in the rain but, by the time we returned to the campsite, it was once again fine.

Visit to Tisvilde, Denmark (Scandanavia, Part 1)

Pat and I started our European vacation the right way: by visiting my brother Peter and his family in Tisvilde, Denmark. Tisvilde is a sleepy beach town in the winter but becomes a tourist destination for Danes in the summer. It is the perfect place to kick back, catch up with family and get over jet lag.

We arrived in Copenhagen at 7 a.m. local time, and, after we got through customs and made the drive back, it was time for one of their favorite traditions: breakfast in the backyard. Peter and Elisabeth keep a very warm home--we always feel totally comfortable right away.

Later than day, Pat and I took a walk with Peter to visit his friend's farm. This picture doesn't justify the beauty of the area. We had a nice cold beer and crisps (AKA potato chips).

The next day, the whole family (Peter, his wife Elisabeth, our niece Cielia and Misha the dog) took a walk along the beach and through downtown. The beach was practically deserted but Peter and Elisabeth said it was because the weather wasn't that nice.

The next day we went to the Viking museum in Roskilde. There were many interesting viking ships on display, and Pat and Cielia donned Viking attire. They made pretty good Vikings!

Then, we had a chance to sail a Viking type ship. First step: donning life vests. It is a shame Vikings didn't have those because it seems like many of their ships ended up on the ocean floor.

Somehow, Ceilia and I ended up right at the front of the boat. This meant that not only did all the rowers behind us have to keep our rhythm but we also had to keep a rhythm with each other. This did not go particularly well...

However, I thought I looked very Viking-like!

Meanwhile, behind us, Pat was in charge of the sails. I don't have a picture but Peter and Elisabeth lucked out--they got to sit in the very back and watch the rest of us work!

A good portion of our visit was spent just sitting around and catching up. I took this picture of Pat and Peter from our bedroom window.

I think we managed to ingratiate ourselves with at least one family member during our visit. On our last night, I came upstairs to find Misha cuddled up with Pat. Aren't they cute?

Disneyland with Casey and Saul

In June, our friend Casey and her son Saul visited us from Montana. Casey gets a Gold Star in my book because she is a faithful visitor despite having two children. Indeed, she has visited us everywhere we have lived!

Here is a great picture of Saul with one of the cutest and most perfect kitties in the whole world. Most kitties wouldn't let an energetic five-year old pet them but Stormy just sat there and basked in the attention.

Then it was off to Disney where Saul suggested we do the Buzz Light Year ride first. Since I had never been on it, I concurred.

It was an awesome, interactive ride where we could earn points by hitting targets as they flashed by.

Even the adults got into the game.

Then we did a little driving. Of course, Saul insisted he could drive.

And, shortly thereafter, we learned why five-year-olds don't get licenced. Actually, with a little help from mom, he didn't do too badly.

I confess that this was a real temptation for the person in the car behind them.

The Teacups reminded me of something: I am as old as the hills. Why else would I feel so gross after such a relatively mild ride? I felt terrible afterwards...

Then Saul took our picture--we were impressed that we were both in it.

Here is Saul before the Pirates of the Caribbean: happy!

It turns out that Pirates of the Caribbean is pretty scary!

I would say that is pretty reasonable.

So, we finished off our day at our happy place! What a perfect antidote: Its A Small World, After All.

Everyone felt better afterwards and went home happy!

Sespe Wilderness Camping Trip

There are so many exciting places to explore in Southern California. I feel like we could live here for years without exhausting the possibilities. A few weeks ago, we headed about three hours north to the Sespe Wilderness area, near Ojai, an artsy little town which could be a destination in itself.

We had hoped to stay in one of the National Forest campground but they were all full by the time we arrived. Luckily, hikers can set up camp along any of the wilderness trails in the National Forest so we decided to just hike 1/2 mile down the trail and find a place to camp. This picture is of Pat starting down the trail with a bunch of gear.

We found a comfy camping spot after a 15-minute hike and set up our tent.

Then Pat decided we had forgotten a necessity: our pillows. So, he ran back up to the car and carried them back down.

While Pat was getting the pillows, I contemplated my new hiking boots. I bought them for our upcoming trip to Scandinavia, and this trip was a rehearsal for them. The boots are, how shall I say it? A bit more substantial than I had anticipated. Let's just say they are Bad Ass! It seems like they will be overkill for the Norwegian hills...

After a peaceful night's sleep (thanks, pillows), we collected our gear and headed to another trail head for the day's hiking. But, before we could get started, I had to brew some camp coffee (we make it by immersing coffee filter bags pilfered from hotel rooms in boiling water). Yummy!

We ended up hiking 10 miles to two peaks: Reyes Peak and Haddock Peak. It was a beautiful day.

And my new hiking boots weren't too uncomfortable!

Pride Parade

Pat and I discovered soon after we moved to Long Beach that we lived in the Gayborhood. Being progressive-type folks, this was no big deal to us. However, once a year, things get really crazy: Pride weekend. The Pride Festival is the second largest event (right after the Grand Prix), and annually draws almost 100,000 people. Here are some pictures from the Sunday morning parade.

First came the flags representing different nationalities.

Then a whole bunch of floats.

And Disneyland was there, too. Actually, there were lots of big companies from Budweiser to Boeing.

And there were lots and lots of floats that made us want to cover our eyes!


It was also nice to see several churches in the parade.

And it wouldn't be a Pride parade without some drag queens. There was lots more to see; however, my camera was on the fritz. That may be a good thing... let's just say it was great entertainment!

5K Smack Down

Several months ago, Pat and his graduate assistant, Steve, decided to compete against one another in a 5k as an incentive to get back into running shape. They agreed that Steve (since Steve is at least 15 years younger than Pat and only a year removed from collegiate competition)would give Pat 2 minutes on the race, and the winner would buy the loser breakfast. So, last Saturday, we drove up to Hermosa Beach (a new beach for us) for some exciting race action!

Here is the pre-race picture. Pat kept saying that he might not survive, which might explain his expression! It should be noted that both Pat and Steve claimed that they didn't train for the race and were pretty apprehensive. I can corroborate Pat's claim--he really only ran a few miles a few times a week in preparation.

Can you find Pat at the start of the race? Hint: he is on the right hand side.

When Steve came by me, he looked great and had a big smile on his face! He was 1:10 ahead of Pat. He finished the race in just under 17 minutes, but, alas, it wouldn't be enough to earn him a breakfast.

Often, Pat looks like he is in serious pain during a race but this time he looked really relaxed. At this point, he was only about 100 yards from the finish. He finished in about 18:25, which I consider amazing since he really doesn't exercise very much. I wish I could reel off a sub-19-minute 5k just like that!

Some of the runners from Pat's team came out to cheer the guys on. That's J-Rod on the right and Naveed on the left.

Anza Borrego Camping Trip

Over Easter weekend, Pat and I headed off to Anza Borrego State Park, which is the largest state park outside of the state of Alaska. It also happens to be the desert. When we arrived, we were very lucky to get the last tent site in the campground.

Since it was very windy, we decided not to set up our tent but to do some hiking right away. This sign greeted us at the trail head along with a disclaimer that "people have died of dehydration on this trail." We thought that was unlikely, since the entire trail was only 1.5 miles long!

It did look pretty dry though!

Despite the "dangers" we headed off.

After a mile and a half, we came to Lost Palms Oasis. It was very beautiful but there were about 100 people there, which made it less appealing.


It was shady and cool beneath the palms. Right after this picture was taken, Pat disturbed a rattlesnake, and it gave him a scary warning. I do have a picture but I don't have it with me. I will try to post it later.

We then left the maintained trail (and all those pesky people) behind and followed the creek along a series of small waterfalls.

Here is the view back down the canyon.


We kept coming upon more and more oases, as we went. They were lusher than I expected.

I always forget to get pictures of myself. So, here is one.


We rounded a bend and could see Mount Baldy far off in the distance.

More palm trees.



When we got back to our campsite, the wind was still howling. I had to cook dinner in the back of the car. Luckily, I am an old pro at this.

In the meantime, Pat had a heck of a time setting up the tent. Eventually, I went over to give him a hand. Once erected, the tent was a champ. It didn't blow around at all unlike several of our neighbors'.

One final story about this weekend (without pictures):

We got up early Sunday morning and were tickled to see that the Easter Bunny had visited the campside beside us, bringing two young girls huge baskets and stuffed animals. As I made some coffee, I heard someone come traipsing noisily through our campsite. Instinctively, I turned to see who/what it was. You can imagine my surprise when I saw a stout, younger guy (perhaps 20ish) in a red flannel shirt march by with a shotgun slung over one shoulder. Guess what was in his other hand? Yep, pretty obvious. A dead bunny rabbit. The guy shot the Easter Bunny! The woman next door looked at me and mouthed "is that legal?" I said "NO." She went to get the rangers while I watched to see where the guy was headed. About 45 minutes later, the rangers escorted him out of the park.

Balboa Island & Dana Point

The day after my mom and I went to San Diego, we headed back down the coast to Newport Beach to do another Volksmarch, this one on Balboa Island and Peninsula.

First, we walked over a bridge onto Balboa Island. Each house had a dock (usually with a nice boat) out front. I took this picture of mom on the "public dock," the only one that riffraff like us are allowed on!

And one lovely house had a dinosaur out front.

Then we took a ferry (for $1 each) across to Balboa Peninsula.

The ferry could hold three cars at a time.

We also did a Volksmarch in Dana Point which is another beautiful area. First, we walked to an overlook of the harbour.

As you can see, it was a beautiful day.

The houses were stunning and the lawns manicured.


Eventually, we walked right on down to the ocean where we stopped for a rest before hiking the whole way back up to our car!

San Diego with Mom

When my mom visited last weekend, we went down to San Diego for the day. Boy, do I like that city. The weather was perfect. Of course, we did a 10k Volksmarch which started along the waterfront, went through Balboa park, past Petco park, through the convention center and back past the USS Midway. Here are the sights:

First, we went past the Star of India, the world's oldest active ship.

Here is a view of the city.

All along the waterfront are cool, cleverly named sculptures. This one was called Signs of Life (or something along those lines).

We saw some lawn bowlers in Balboa Park. I never had heard of this game until I moved to Long Beach, and I think of it as "Bocce for the snotty set."

We thought this was an old mission but it turned out to be the Museum of Man.

After a re-energizing lunch, we toured the USS Midway, a retired aircraft carrier. It was so cool--I can't imagine landing an F-16 on one of these things. It must take nerves of steel!

After poking around a bit on our own, we took a guided tour of "the island" which is where operations are carried out during maneuvers.

Headsets were included in the tour but mine just irritated me so I didn't really end of listening to much of the info.



This statue is right beside the Midway. It commemorates a famous WW II photo of a sailor kissing a nurse on VJ Day.

Malibu Hiking

Pat and I finally had a free weekend together so on Sunday, we drove up the Pacific Coast Highway past Malibu to Carillo State Park for a little leg stretcher.

I started taking pictures from the car as we passed through Malibu just because it was so pretty. Pat kept insisting that every person we saw on a motorcycle was either Brad Pitt or George Clooney!

If anyone ever wants to go to graduate school in a beautiful location, I suggest Pepperdine. The campus is right along the water and very beautiful. We will have to take this university off Pat's list of schools he might want to work at, since they just cut track and field.

Here is another highway shot of Malibu.

Our hike started at sea level and climbed 1,800 feet to Nicholas Flat.

Unfortunately, I discovered early on during this hike that I am a nothing but a slab of lard these days! The trail was really steep, and I was huffing and puffing the whole way up. Hopefully, it will be a motivation to get fit for the summer hiking season.

There were many beautiful ocean views to contemplate.

After about three miles, the open trail gave way to some small trees which provided some shade.

And then we came upon Nicholas Flat-a very interesting meadow. It felt really wild--it seemed as though there should have been water buffalo or some other exotic animal grazing.

The way back down was easier aerobically but my feet throbbed by the end.

The trail ended right by the beach so we took a minute to watch the surfers before heading back home.

PS-The sky was not actually pink during this excursion. I don't know what the deal is with my camera.

Sights of Seattle

Here are some pictures I took while hanging out in Seattle. Sorry I have been so remiss in getting these posted!

Of course, a bar was the very first place I headed upon my arrival in Seattle. Ivars, just West of the University and right on the water. Here is the view of downtown Seattle from our table.

The next day I went to check out the big indoor track meet. Indoor tracks are so weird--this place was like an airplane hanger. Finding a good place to watch the races was very difficult.

So, I decided to watch the pole vault instead. I've always had an obsession with the pole vault--it looks like so much fun. But, apparently, it is very difficult. One must be both fast and strong. After watching a bunch of athletes complete, I decided that it might not be the event for me--there were lots of painful looking landings and mishaps.

We went right from the track meet to the UW basketball game...


where after exactly two pictures, I was asked by the very kind security guard not to take anymore. Whoops...

The next morning, I tooled around Seattle on my own. I walked down to the Space Needle and bought, what else, a cup of coffee.

I also took a picture of the futuristic Science Fiction Museum.

Then I took the bus up to Husky Stadium where I met up with Audra for a tour of the campus.

This spot is called "the Fountain and the Mountain." Okay, I know, there is no mountain. Let's keep in mind that this is Seattle. We'll have to trust Audra that it is really there.

Upon closer inspection of the Fountain, we were surprised to discover an alligator. Or was it crocodile?

This area is called Red Square because of all

the bricks.

And here is the library. It was very beautiful.

Friends in Seattle

One of the neatest thing about my recent trip to Seattle was that I got to see several friends. Here are the highlights:

On Friday night, we went out to a cool bar called "the Ram." Pat got to meet up with his buddy Raul who used to coach at Long Beach State but has recently moved on to the University of Washington. There were lots of track coaches hanging about, talking fervently about who might or might not run very fast the next day. Blah, blah, blah...

Meanwhile, Audra and I enjoyed very large beers and had our own entertaining conversations. Audra is Raul's girlfriend, and she worked with me in Long Beach at the Girl Scouts.

On Saturday, I got to catch up with some longtime friends, David Ing and Tom Andringa. They both worked with Pat and I in Yellowstone, so many years ago. Tom was my roommate one summer but I am not sure I have seen him since. It was so much fun to catch up with him. The crazy part is that he has applied to work in Yellowstone again this summer, after many years away. I can't wait to hear his stories...

And it was awesome to see David Ing again. As many of you know, David holds a special place in our hearts because David was the officiant at our wedding. He did a magnificent job and has since gone on to perform several more wedding ceremonies. We don't get to see him nearly enough.

NEXT UP: The sights of Seattle

Around San Pedro

Last weekend, Pat and I headed over to San Pedro (pronounced San Pee Dro) which is the next city West of Long Beach on the water. However, the two cities are separated by both the Port of Long Beach and the Port of LA. Unfortunately, I was driving so I couldn't take any pictures of that area. It was so industrial and wasted. Now, I know why the cancer incidence rate is so high in my neighborhood.

First, we stopped at Cabrillo Beach to check out the Point Fermin Tide Pools. We didn't see anything too interesting but it was pretty.

This is the view to the West from the tide pools.

Then we began the quest to see the Point Fermin Lighthouse, the only remaining wooden light house in the world. At first, we thought it was this lighthouse out near the breakwater. However, there was no way to reach it. I kept insisting that couldn't be it because the guidebook said there were tours but didn't mention a necessary boat ride. I put a lot of stock in guidebooks. When we got back to the car, we looked at map and realized we were well South of the lighthouse's location.

We drove three miles north, and, low and behold, there was the Point Fermin Lighthouse, right beside the road. We just missed the tour so we had to be content with just walked around it.

I didn't think it was very "lighthousy." In my mind, I was envisioning a tall, round standard-type lighthouse. Oh, well...

Then we headed uphill about a mile to visit the Korean-American friendship bell which was presented to the US in 1976 to honor Americans who fought in the Korean War and to symbolize friendship between the two nations.

On the way home, we stopped at Ports O' Call, the touristy waterfront village where many cruise ships port. However, my camera battery gave out so there are no pictures.

Next Up: Seattle

BLISS!!!!

STEELERS WIN!!!!!

Wow! What a game! Yesterday, watching the game, I thought I might just have a heart attack. It is amazing how ramped up one can become watching a big game. I was totally freaking out in the fourth quarter when that evil Kurt Warner was marching down the field. But, in the end, all was well.

So, my plan for the next nine months or so (until October) is to wear my Phillies and Steelers gear as much as possible. Because, I am pretty sure that it will never be this good again!

Super Year or Super Jinx?

As a sports fan, baseball was my first love. I became a Philadelphia Phillies fan back in 1979, and my claim to fan fame is that I was present to watch the Phillies beat the Astros in game five of the National League Championship Series in 1980 to advance to the World Series. The Phils then beat the Kansas City Royals to win the World Series. Except for a brief period in the early 1990s, the years have been pretty lean for Phillies fans since then. So, you can imagine my delight, when, this year, they won the World Series!

And, now, my dreams could come true: My beloved Steelers play for the NFL Championship this weekend! Imagine a world in which the Phillies and my beloved Steelers are both World Champions! I would be giddy. It would be a Super Year! However, there is the possibility that it could be a Super Jinx, rather than a Super Year. What, exactly, is a Super Jinx? A Super Jinx is when a person negates the possibility of an event occurring by mentioning it out loud prematurely. So, by even touching this subject in my blog, I risk a Super Jinx. Luckily, there is also what we term an "Anti-Jinx." An Anti-Jinx is when the likely hood of an event happening is increased by a person opining that it will probably not occur. For example, I don' t think the Steelers can win the game this Sunday. My favorite player, Hines Ward, (who I rooted for way back at his University of Georgia days) is injured, and I just don't think they can win the game without his heroics (he plans on playing but won't be 100 percent). My pick: Cardinals by 10. Come on, Anti-Jinx!

A Day at the Zoo

Last weekend, we went to the Los Angeles Zoo. I'm not big on zoos--I find it somewhat depressing to see animals in captivity. I try to tell myself that many of them have been rescued or couldn't live in the wild but I still feel bad. But, we had free passes, and it seemed like a good way to enjoy another beautiful day.

The gorillas drew a good crowd.

And they look so tough!

And the tigers were fun to watch.

This zebra was very happy to see us!

And Giraffes are apparently very tall. This one's head was only a few feet away.

Camels are definitely one of the world's funnier looking creatures.

Pat is so cooperative--I always make him stand in front of something silly. This time it is flamingos.

Koalas are so cute and cuddly, but, like polar bears, the are mean as all get-out. Apparently,

Koalas rarely move so we were excited to see this one walk from one tree...

to another where he (or she, perhaps) immediately started munching again.

This sheep made for a good pic.

This is what I discovered at the zoo: people watching is far more interesting that checking out the animals. I couldn't help staring at all the LA denizens. The place was filled with pubescent boys dressed like the Jonas Brothers and eight-year-old girls in Uggs and four-hundred dollar a pair jeans. Not to mention the moms with Coach bags, silicone boobs and Bo-Tox foreheads. I was so amused by this guy's dye job that I had to share it with you. Do you think he did it just for the zoo?

Games, Games, Games

Now, I remember one of the things people in cold climates do to entertain themselves during the winter months: play games. I didn't seem to take many Christmasy pictures but I have plenty of us doing silly things because of these games.

I have a special fondness for any game that makes my husband look silly, and Cranium Jr. didn't disappoint. I think Pat had to find something that would fit around his head during this game with his family.

He had to push something with his nose for this task.

Kerrie, Brian and Timmy had to balance a cube on their noses for this one.

Then Kerrie and Brian had to stack cubes into a tower while intertwined.

After all the games, we were very tired.

Our nephew on my side got Apples to Apples for Christmas, and my extended family played before our annual gift exchange. Here my cousin, Lara, explains the rules to us, since we had never played.

I highly recommend Apples to Apples, it is really fun! However, there isn't much logic to being the winner which is hard for competitive people to accept.

Beth, my sister in law, on the right, won the game easily, by asserting that "THE IRS" best represented the word "patriotic" and other nonsense.

Next Post: More Southern California Outings

Winter Here and There

When we left California on December 23rd, it was about 60. When we arrived in Rhode Island, it was 28 degrees, and both Pat and I thought we might perish from the cold.

However, we were very excited to go sledding with our nephew! Here are Pat and Timmy on the backyard slope.

We discovered that we aren't as good at sledding as we used to be!

Really--it wasn't my fault. The "snowboard" I was riding was defective.

Not surprisingly, the sledding turned into an epic snowball battle. My conclusion: I am old--I felt totally beat up afterwards.

When we got to PA, all the snow had melted (it rained) but the weather was once again very cold. Even so, we decided we needed to get some fresh air. We headed to Wildwood Lake where my mom volunteers at the Nature Center for a three mile walk. It was about 20 degrees and the wind was howling.

I thought even the geese looked cold.

Pat and I were so cold, we yelled "hurry up, hurry up" while my mom took this picture.

We were so happy to get back to the mild California winter that we went hiking our second day back. Interestingly, it still looks like fall here. Notice Pat's shorts.


And here is a picture from the apex of our hike. No snow, barren trees or howling wind. God bless California!

The Over-Under on Holiday Travel

"Keeping up with Katie" will be on temporary respite while Pat and I head to the East Coast to join our families for the holidays.

On December 23rd, we fly to Providence, RI by way of Cleveland, OH. Now, I've been keeping tabs on airport conditions around the US, and I must say that I don't think it looks good for us. First, we have the airplane that careened off the runway in Denver. Continental Airlines. Well, at least we aren't flying THEM. Oh, wait, we are! And last night, the news channels were over at LAX interviewing all the travelers going to Portland, OR and Seattle, WA who had been stuck in the airport for two days. At least we aren't flying out of THAT airport. Oh, wait, we are! Well, at least the weather is always perfect in Southern California. Oh, wait, it isn't! It has been raining at lower elevations and snowing relentlessly at higher elevations for days. So, amidst all this chaos, what are the chances that Pat and I will be snug at his parent's house tomorrow by 10 p.m. EST?

If somehow, we make it to Rhode Island, there is plenty of opportunity for travel disruptions on the return trip, from Harrisburg back to LAX with a stop in Newark on New Year's Day. I just hope our pilots don't celebrate too much the night before! And, of course, I think it is probably too much to ask that spring come sometime between Christmas Day and New Year's Day. So, there might still be some weather lurking...

I'm approaching this trip with my usual sense of adventure, and all the necessities of airline travel: lots of food, a 1,000 page book, Jelly Belly's, and, of course, my camera. If anything goes horribly awry, perhaps I can take consolation in the fact that my plight is Blog Worthy. And, of course, I'll have plenty of cash on hand, just in case we are forced to take refuge in an airport bar.

Happy Holidays, everyone! Hopefully, I will have lots of posting to do after the New Year.

Belmont Shore Holiday Parade

It isn't officially the holiday season until one has gone to a parade--that is what I always say! So, last Saturday, Pat and I went to the Belmont Shore Holiday parade. Belmont Shore is one of the many cool little distinct neighbors in Long Beach. It is lined with independent shops and great restaurants, and we usually take the bus the two miles down the coast to hang out there.

I think anyone could be in the parade if they paid the $400 entry fee. The employees of our local newspaper did a little routine where they spelled out Press Telegram. Not bad.

We thought this girl who twirled a flaming baton was pretty cool.

And we liked her even more when we realized that she was sponsored by one of the Girl Scout troops I oversee!

Of course, there were marching bands. Here is Long Beach Poly--which always has one of the best high school sports programs in the nation. Is band a sport?

Speaking of Best in the Nation, here is the Long Beach Parks and Rec. float. When I worked for the City of Fort Worth Parks and Rec., the LBPR beat us out for this national honor.

The Long Beach State president was the Parade Marshal.

The students on the float behind him looked like they were having a very good time.

This float was decorated like the Queen Mary--smoke even poured from the stacks. Pretty cool.

I got a little bored and started taking silly pictures of us.

It wouldn't be a parade without fire trucks.


After the parade, we had to find the temporary bus stop to get back home. Here is Pat waiting for the bus.

Thanksgiving in Yosemite

This year, Pat and I went to Yosemite National Park for our annual Thanksgiving camping trip. For the first time, we didn't stay in our trusty snug backpacking tent: we rented what they term a "tent cabin." One might consider this an upgrade but, as we discovered, not really! Basically, it is a canvas tent with a wooden floor. They are unheated, with one lonely little light bulb hanging from the ceiling. In Curry Village, where we stayed, there are over 400 of these packed in right next to one another.

Here is the inside view. It reminded me of staying in an army barracks or a refuge camp. It got down into the low 30s at night, and we were pretty darn chilly.

Luckily, this bathroom was right across the path from our tent cabin, and it was well heated. Yes, I was the person sticking my whole body under the hand dryer!

Here is the historic Ahwahnee Inn where we could have stayed in luxury (for only $400 a night). Instead, we wandered through on Thanksgiving Day just to check it out.

After a cold night in our tent cabin, we went to the cafeteria for a warm breakfast and some hot coffee. It was packed--apparently we were not the only people to go to Yosemite for Thanksgiving.

After breakfast, we headed out to the Four Mile Trail to trek up to Glacial Point. The trail was a very steady uphill but the reward was stunning views of the valley.

The weather was variable, as the people on TV say, but we could still look the whole way down the valley.

Interestingly, as this photo demonstrates, it still looked like fall in many parts of the park.

We had originally planned to hike up Half Dome (seen in this picture) but we didn't have the mojo for a 17-mile day. Next time...

There were great views from Glacial Point but it was very cold.

If I couldn't hike up Half Dome, then getting my picture taken in front of it was second best.

We sat beside the little shelter and had our lunch.

Here is a view of the valley beside Half Dome.

Yosemite is full of boulders which look like they have just been dropped from the sky. Oh, the power of those crazy glaciers.

As we were hiking back down, some nasty weather rolled in.


We had planned to eat Thanksgiving dinner in the Lodge's restaurant but I had mistakenly read on the Internet that the restaurant didn't take reservations. It turns out they don't, unless it happens to be Thanksgiving. So, we were told that we couldn't eat there, and our only option was to eat in the lounge off the very limited bar menu. We went and had a beer and thought about all this. Pat then decided to go back to the restaurant and make a plea on our behalf. He must have pulled some "former restaurant worker" karma out of his hat because they agreed to give us a table right then and there. So, here we are, enjoying a great meal!

After dinner, we walked around the newly lit Christmas display.

The next day, as we were driving out, we saw some real deer!

Now...Seven Things

Stacy tagged me for this, so, in the spirit of reciprocity, I will do this one.

Here are the rules:


1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself, some random, some weird.

3 Tag 7 people (if possible) at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs.

Seven Random, Weird or Random & Weird Facts about Me:

(I know there must be a hundred random or weird things about me, but presented with the opportunity to share these factoids, my mind goes blank)

1) I've been a vegetarian for 17 years! Vegetarianism has been the one constant in an evolving life. Sometimes I've been strict, sometimes lax but the basic rules have been the same: no chicken, pork or beef. Eggs and dairy have always been okay and fish depends on what phase I am going through.

2) I really only have one phobia but it can make life difficult: I hate having strangers touch me! For example, I hate having my hair cut--I cringe when they touch my scalp. This one definitely qualifies as a weird fact.

3) I have a really bad tendency to say totally inappropriate things. As I've aged, I have gotten much better; however, I never quite eliminate it. Last year, Pat almost died when I told his friend who works for Anheiser-Bush and worships the company: "The problem with all their beers is that THEY SUCK!" I also recently told friends with a newborn that "you have the pastiest, whitest baby I've ever seen!" Sigh...

4) One of my goals is to hike to the highest point in 48 states (minus Washington and Alaska-I see no need to die). So far, I've got three: Texas, Tennessee and California.

5) Since I left home 19 years ago, I've never lived in the same house/apartment for more than 2 years.

6) I'm addicted to sports radio.

7) Although I go running nearly every day, I only enjoy it about 10% of the time. I get really annoyed by those peppy jogger types who gush about endorphin rushes and runners' highs. I don't think I've experienced either!

I am not going to tag anyone specifically since I just tagged everyone last week but if anyone feels inspired to do this one, I encourage it.

8 Things

Note: This isn't the first time Audra has tagged me but, since, according to her own blog, she will only be in Long Beach for another 10 days, 19 hours and 44 minutes (and counting), I though I would indulge her!

8 TV Shows I watch: (without cable or dish, it is impossible for me to get to eight on this one):

College Football
Pro Football (Go, Steelers)
Grey's Anatomy
The Amazing Race
48 Hours Mystery (secret embarrassing indulgence)
The Office (how could I forget this one?)

Sorry, that is all I got on that question!

8 Favorite Restaurants: (whew, an easy one)

River's End
Shorehouse Cafe
Rock Bottom
Schooner or Later
The bagelry
Belmont Brewery
Harbour House
Ocean Rock (Fort Worth)

8 Favorite Singers/Bands:

Eddie Vedder
Counting Crows
Mark Knoffler & Emmylou Harris (together)
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Tony Furtado
Nanci Griffith
Robert Earle Keen
Guy Clarke

8 Books I have read recently:

The brief, wondrous life of Oscar Wao
Beautiful Children
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
The Zookeeper's Wife
Harvest for Hope, a Guide to Mindful Eating
Coming into the Country
Blackwater: the Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army
Oh, the Glory of It All


8 Things that happened yesterday:

I woke up with a cold.
I got a raise.
I took a day off from running.
I went to a party.
I drank a fair amount of red wine.
I talked to Pat on the phone.
I watched An Inconvenient Truth.
New Tenants moved into our house in Bozeman.

8 Things I am looking forward to:

The turmoil at work abating.
The weather cooling down a bit.
Seeing my kitties when I get home.
Going home for Christmas.
Going camping over Thanksgiving.
Going out to breakfast tomorrow morning.
Being in better shape.
My next blog entry.

8 Things I wish for:

Good health for myself, family and friends.
Happy endings for my friends at work.
Pat to get home safely from Stanford.
To keep in touch better with my friends.
A cleaner house.
For Obama to stay safe.
More trails to run on.
A quiet life.

8 People I am tagging (and by eight, I mean five--I don't even know eight bloggers!)

Carolyn (you need something to write about)
Jen (ditto)
Stacy (you oughta be able to work it in sometime this month)
The Mize Family (you have tons of blogger friends to send this to)
Claire and Jim (just for fun)

Y'all better do it!

Proposition H8 (California Fails the Nation)

Disclaimer: Those of you who read this blog are an eclectic group with a wide range of views and opinions. I'm proud to call you all my friends which is one reason that I generally shy away from politics and religion, the two big issues that tend to polarize people. However, my heart is broken over this issue, and it has really been on my mind. So, forgive me...

Last Friday night when I arrived home, our street was barricaded off, news helicopters were hovering and motorcycled police officers were standing guard. I had no idea what was going on, and I called Pat to see if he had been taken hostage. Inside our apartment, he had no idea what I was talking about. We soon learned that protesters of Proposition 8 had filled the streets. We immediately decided to join them.

California's Proposition 8 approved an constitutional amendment that recognizes marriage as between a man and a woman only, dashing the hopes of gay and lesbians who wish to marry. The 52% of Californians who voted for Proposition 8 hold that "gay marriage" will somehow undermine traditional marriage and traditional family values. I don't understand this--legalizing gay marriage is certainly not going to cause us straight folks to change teams! By the same token, a constitutional ban on gay marriage sure isn't going to cause gay families to suddenly decide to straighten up and fly right!

Proposition 8 supporters have a tendency to view gays as depraved individuals who made a "choice" to be gay. My many gay friends tell me that isn't so: they knew from an early age that they were somehow "different." Just like those of us who are straight--we never made a "decision." Plus, why would anyone really make the decision to be gay? It is no easy life. Even with the most supportive families, the "coming out" process is long, elaborate and no picnic. In worst case scenarios, teens are shunned by the families and forced onto the streets. From strangers, gays face a lifetime of stereotypes, discrimination, abuse and judgement.

End of soapbox lecture. Thanks for reading.

Humiloween

I've never been a great fan of Halloween. So, yesterday, when everyone decided to dress up at work for the holiday, I said I had to work late and didn't have time to get a costume together. It was an excuse but a true one. Then I said "if someone brings me a costume, I will wear it." Immediately, I regretted those words because a gal I work with said that she had the perfect costume for me. The next day, the costume was waiting for me in my office when I arrived. Little Bo Peep! Being a woman of my word, I was forced to wear it all day. Everyone who saw me burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter. To show that I don't take myself that seriously, I thought I would share this picture with you. Enjoy!

Apple Pickin' in Oak Glen

California constantly surprises me. Who would have thought that the state has an apple producing region just 70 miles east of Long Beach? A co-worker told me about the area and suggested I go check it out. So, Jenn and I got up one Saturday morning and headed out in hopes of picking some apples. The area was quite bucolic; however, most of Southern California had also descended upon a Oak Glen--a sprawling mess of buildings along one tiny winding road.

The area was very much a tourist trap--you could even pan for gold!

This guy playing his three octave chimes from the 1800s was a highlight. We each gave him a little tip, and he asked what we wanted to hear. We looked blankly at each other--having no idea what one would play on such a contraption. Zepplin, maybe? Finally, he suggested the Tennesee Waltz, a song I did know.

We found the place to pick apples but first spent a little time visiting the farm's animals. Jenn got to feed the horse a carrot--he eats 20 pounds a day.

And we checked out the baby bacon.

Wow! It almost looks like a change of seasons here.

We finally did pick some apples, and, boy, are they delicious.

The day came to a somewhat disapointing conclusion when I accidently bumped into this car parked behind us. It was totally my own fault--just not paying attention. I left a note for the driver and went on my way. Almost immediately, I got a call back from the guy, saying there was "quite a bit of damage" to the car. From what we could tell, only the license plate was bent (check it out and decide yourself). This annoying experience has put me into a bit of a funk. Frankly, I think he is being petty--I never file a claim (I've had the opportunity to do so three times in the last two years) if the damage is very minor. But, maybe I am a hopeless idealist. I'd be interested to hear what everyone else thinks on this one.

A busy Sunday

Sunday, October 12 was a big day: Marathon Day! Neither Pat nor I had aspirations to run the Long Beach Marathon but Pat was in charge of the water stop at mile 17. His runners do it as part of their community service. So, that is how we found ourselves unloading two pallets of water from a very large truck (which we had to drive from near our house to the university) at 4:30 in the morning.

There was a lot of standing around and wishing it were warmer but finally at about 6:30 a.m. the bike tour came by. The lead pack seemed serious but after that it was just lots of people out for a Sunday ride.

We filled four tables with water which we thought would be plenty but we ended up filling up about eight tables worth of cups during the race. I don't know many but it seemed like a lot!

Here are the first two runners: the guy in the blue ended up winning the marathon in 2:21.

Here is the woman who won--she just looked like she was out for a jog. She finished in 3:04.

There were tons of runners from the track team who came out to pass out the water. They were energetic and did a nice job of supporting the runners.

After the race, we headed down to Newport Beach to meet up with our friends Deb and Bill. Deb is a long-time friend who I met my first year working in Yellowstone. Interestingly, we have managed to keep in touch even though she was in graduate school in Colorado by the time I returned to YNP for my second summer. Deb says we have stayed in touch because "we see eye to eye." I would agree.

Deb and Bill now live in Fort Collins, CO with their daughter, Amanda, who is now 6 years old (I gasped when Deb informed me of that--in my mind she was 4 or 5). Anyway, Amanda is quite precocious and is very charming. While we drove beside the ocean, she gave me a whole lecture about the Pacific and how it stretched the whole way to Asia. While the adults chatted on the balcony with a bottle of wine, she stole away into the bedroom for a little TV action. When we checked on her, she was totally zombified by the TV!

The List

Those of you who have learned to write our address book entries in pencil know how often we move. One of the best things about moving is the chance to explore new areas, whether in be the Fort Worth Stockyards or the sights of Southern California. When we moved to Long Beach, I made a list of all the things I wanted to do while we are here. Over the course of the past year, the list has evolved, with lines being crossed off and other destinations being added. And, I seems to have developed a little obsession with The List--so much so that friends now ask "was that on The List?" when we do something interesting.

Here are some highlights from The List:

We crossed Sequoia National Park off the list last November on our annual Sufferfest...I mean annual Thanksgiving camping trip.

There is a tree that you can drive your car through!

General Grant, the world's largest tree, doesn't even fit into one picture.

In January, we went to Disneyland, and, yep, had our picture taken with Micky.

Ever since we went to the LBJ Library in Austin, I've been interested in presidential libraries. So, one rainy February day, we went to the Nixon Library in nearby Yorba Linda. Can you believe the word "Watergate" is not mentioned in the Nixon Library?

Even though we have been to Vegas a lot, it made the list. On President's Day weekend, we met my college roommate Jen and her husband for a weekend of gambling. Ouch: the house won every time.

Visitors are such a good excuse to go exploring. When Judith visited, we took the ferry over to Catalina Island and went hiking.

We also saw the very local sights like the Long Beach Aquarium--about 1/2 mile from where we live.

Pat and I occasionally take the free shuttle over to the Queen Mary and have coffee out on the deck. It is nice to watch the fog burn off the city from the deck.

Other Items We Have Crossed off The List:

• Joshua Tree
• Mount Whitney
• Big Bear
• Dodgers and Angels Games

Still on The List:

• Hollywood Stars/Sign/Citywalk
• Yosemite
• Rose Parade
• Los Angeles Galaxy game (to see my man Becks)
• Ronald Reagan Library
• Point Vicente lighthouse
• San Francisco
• And others TBA
  

Visiting with Carolyn and Dayton

After Pat and I attended Hilary's wedding, we met up with my college roommate Carolyn and her husband Dayton. Pat had to fly home Sunday so he just had breakfast and a bloody Mary with us, and then headed for the airport. I took this picture of them in the Ithaca Commons, a nice pedestrian area.

Then we drove way, way out into the country to Dayton and Carolyn's house in Northern PA. Their house is beautiful but yet very comfortable. They had the house built several years ago, and they have added lots of thoughtful personal touches. And, what a place to be a guest! I had the entire upstairs to myself--a space that is probably bigger than our Long Beach apartment. I told them that if things ever go badly for Pat and I, we might just move in!

Here is a view of the back of the house.

And this is a view from the backyard. They have something like 25 acres of land (this might be a little off), and Dayton's uncle owns the 125 next door so they have lots of space.

One morning Carolyn and I took a walk down to the woods on their property. It was very beautiful, and I had a hankering to take some "artsy" pictures.

"What is this?" asked the Californian. "Why, it is the changing of the seasons," replied the Pennsylvanian.

They also have three really cute puppies: Bennie, Bacchus, and Barkley. They were really sweet and loved to cuddle up with me on the sofa. Carolyn and Dayton warned me that Barkley might eat me alive but he only barred his teeth once because I made the mistake of eye contact too early.

Carolyn and I went up to explore Watkins Glen one day. The Glen is beautiful--a one-mile canyon with a series of waterfalls along the way.

Pretty views.

Had it been summer, this would have made a great swimming hole. Forbidden, of course.

The trail was comprised of over 800 steps, and we felt every one of them by the end.

Here is Carolyn by one of the falls.

And here is another artsy picture--from behind the waterfall.

After our hike, we went up to one of the many wineries located on the Finger Lakes. We just looked at the scenery. We didn't even sample any wines. Who are we?

At the airport, I had to take one of my "close up" pictures of Carolyn and I. We haven't aged a bit in the last 16 years, have we?

Hil Gets Hitched

Last weekend, Pat and I traveled to Ithaca, NY to see our old friend Hilary get married. We met Hilary in 1994 when we spent the winter in Portland, OR. It was so long ago that Pat and I weren't even a couple yet. Hilary and I worked together waiting tables at a local restaurant. At that time, Hilary was a recreational rower who would often get up at the break of dawn to row on the Willamette River which runs through Portland. I, of course, spent a good portion of my time keeping Hilary out very, very late which often resulted in her missing those a.m. rowing sessions. So, I am in no way responsible for what happened next: Hilary got serious about rowing, made the U.S. rowing team and eventually rowed for the U.S. in two Olympics. At this point, you may be wondering why I am blathering on about all this. Here is why: I think it is fascinating the way life goes: unpredictable! Had you told me back in 1994 that I would be married to Pat and living in Long Beach, CA fourteen years out, I certainly would have thought it absurd. Likewise, had you told me that Hilary would be the rowing coach at Cornell with two Olympics under her belt, I would have laughed even harder. Ain't life grand?

We got into Ithaca late Friday night but still managed to meet up with Hil and her future husband Matt. Even though we only had one drink, it was well after 2 a.m. when we got back to our hotel room.

The next morning we came upon one of our favorite East Coast features: Dunkin' Donuts! We are almost obsessed with their coffee and donuts and get very excited when we have the opportunity to indulge.

Then we walked around the Cornell campus. It was very interesting: many of the buildings were traditional but then there were a few very modern buildings as well

We were wondering where this pile of snow came from until we realized it was right in front of the hockey rink!

We also stopped to watch a field hockey game. I had almost forgotten about field hockey--it is a regional sport played only in the northeast.


Then we headed over to the wedding site at a local inn. The setting was spectacular.

When I saw this little pot-bellied pig wandering around, I had to take a picture. I didn't yet know that he and a friend would later crash the wedding.

And there were chickens, too!

Doesn't Pat look handsome under the apple tree?

The reception was lively although Matt and Hilary hardly had a chance to dance.

And, this pig and his little buddy (pictured above) wandered freely through the tent begging for leftovers. Nobody seemed to mind at all. In fact, we all took pictures.

Dodgers Vs. Diamondbacks

Continuing with our recent baseball theme, we went to the Dodger's game last weekend. While the Angels game was a family-friendly wholesome outing, the Dodger's game was more of a spectacle in debauchery. First, we went to this bar near the stadium. There wasn't any sign at all on the building but, luckily, Raul and Audra had been there before.

When we left, I tried to take a picture of this "BAR" sign because I though it was somewhat funny--the only sign of what was inside. However, I kept accidentally taking people's pictures as they came out. This is Melissa, who didn't mind too much.

However, this stranger was no too pleased. At least she didn't beat me up. We were in LA, so maybe she thought I was paparazzi.

Inside, they were serving $2 PBRs.

The bar was crowded but we found a place to sit.

Audra was in a hurry to get to the game so we had to chug our beers.

We walked over to the stadium which, unfortunately, wasn't very photogenic. Here is the "Think Blue" sign, the equivalent of the Citgo sign in Boston.

The stadium.

Inside the stadium we found our seats after crawling over several tolerant people.

We had to take some funny pictures.

I always think it is funny when everyone at the ballpark wears team gear--like they are huge baseball fans (even when they aren't at all). So, when Raul and Audra showed up all decked out in Dodger blue, I had to make fun of them, dubbing them "Fake Fans." However, they claim they are "real fans." Raul is from Idaho and Audra from Arizona. You decide.

And the game was good. Derek Lowe (a former Red Sox) pitched a great game, and the Dodgers won.

And, of course, there was another former Red Sox in the house: MANNY!

Angels Vs. Rangers

On Sunday afternoon, we went to the Angels game. They were playing the Rangers--our old home team. This is a picture of the stadium taken from the parking lot.

Here is a closer view.

This picture of Raul, Audra and Pat makes me laugh because it looks like Pat is just some stranger who jumped into the picture.

The line for beer (a ballpark necessity even at $12) was really long. When it was finally Pat's turn the National Anthem started, and the woman wouldn't sell him a beer until it was over. Raul had already gotten his beer, but not before being carded (at 30, he is a young pup). Pat asked the girl if she wanted to see his ID, and she asked "Are you over 40?" He said "yes," and she said she didn't need to see it. He was offended!

Our seats were very good but, as the afternoon wore on, it got hotter and hotter.

Raul got bored and started taking close up pictures of everyone.

There were some pitching changes eventually.

The Rangers led for most of the game but the Angels had a chance to rally (RALLY MONKEY) in the eighth. I thought Mark Teixeira, who was with Texas when we lived there, would come through but, alas, no luck. The Rangers won the game by a run or two. In the end, it didn't much matter because the Angels are in first place by something like 16 or 17 games.

Cross Country Season Starts

This past weekend marked the official end of summer for Pat and I: Long Beach State had their first cross country meet. That means that the season is in full swing, Pat will work long hours and be away for a bunch of weekends. The first meet was in nearby Fullerton so I had a chance to go, cheer on the team and take a few pictures.

The girls at the starting line. They are the ones in the black just to the left of the little break in the middle. It was really difficult to pick them out because the girls to their left had on nearly identical uniforms.

The girls pack broke up right away so each girl was coming by individually early on. That makes it difficult because watching a cross country race involves lots of running back and forth to catch runners on different parts of the course.

Our guys in white at the start of the race. They looked really focused...

They did a good job staying in a pack at first.

One of my favorite things to do is watch Pat during these meets. He runs back and forth yelling gems like "remember--there is a lot of race left," "nice and steady, nice and steady," or "settle in, settle in" as they run by.

It was an early race, and some of Pat's kids didn't run but both teams ran well. The girls got first place and the guys got second. Go, Beach!

Big Bear Lake

Last weekend, Pat and I went up to Big Bear Lake to scout the area for his cross country camp. It is only 103 miles from Long Beach but a world away. The sky was clear blue, the air was crisp and the trees swayed in the breeze.

We had planned to camp, without the planning part. All the local campgrounds were full so we got a room at the Black Forest Lodge. This just shows how soft we have become--back in the good ol' days we would have simply walked down a trail into the National Forest and camped 200 yards down trail. Instead: cable TV!

The lodge grounds were pretty, and I laughed when I discovered a local Girl Scout Troop had the suite beneath us.

It happened to be the evening of the Olympic marathon which was particularly significant because Ryan Hall, a US runner, hails from Big Bear. There were signs like this one at the bus stop all over town wishing him well.

We went to Sandy's Sports Bar to watch the marathon. I have a special fondness for local bars where the barkeeps can share shots with their regulars--it takes me back to those days in Cooke City. Anyway--it was probably the first and last time I will see a tipsy bar crowd do shots to honor a marathoner!

The next day, we got up and did a trail run. It hurt like heck--the first 2.5 miles were uphill to a beautiful overview of the lake but it also felt great. Running on a trail is definitely a lot more satisfying than pavement pounding here in the big city.

Cow Plop!

While Pat's parents were visiting we all had our very first opportunity to attend a "Cow Plop." This Cow Plop involved setting three cows loose on a grid of 1,000 numbered squares that were marked off in the grass. Participants purchased squares in the hopes that one of the cows would "plop" in their square in order for them to win a cash prize. The Cow Plop benefited the CSULB track program, and, of course, since we enjoy a good contest, we had all purchased tickets. So, there we were, waiting to see if we could coerce on of the cows to plop in one of our squares!

In my mind, I envisioned that the cows would be set free in an enclosed area to roam as they desired. However, that wasn't quit the case. Members of a local children's soccer team led the cows around the area. Somehow, we missed the first "plop"which landed on number 777 (a lucky number for someone else, I suppose).

This cow was standing on one of our numbers! So, we shouted silly things like "stay there! Come on! You can do it!" Really--I hope the first and only time in my life that I will encourage a cow to do his business in my area. Alas--this cow just milled around and eventually wandered away.

The crowd got excited when this cow raised her tail but it was a false alarm--just a little pee-pee.

Finally, another cow "plopped." Number 67. How about this action shot?

We checked our numbers but were not winners. However, we still had a chance for the third and final plop--worth $2,000!

Glad this isn't my job!

Then things slowed down. The cows ate some grass.

When I saw the farmers relaxing in their lawn chairs, I realized we might be in for the long haul.

Then the cows got tired of wandering the field. They sat down and refused to move. The farmer yelled at the kids to let them rest.

It got hotter and hotter. No plops. The cows ate some more and eventually everyone from our crowd wandered off to sit in the shade and watch the women's soccer game. I waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, I gave up and headed over to the soccer game. The second I turned away, the third plop was forthcoming. Alas--we were losers again. But, it was well worth the $20 to witness such a fun and exciting event;)

Visit with Pat's parents: Sailing

Last week when Pat's parents visited us, we went out sailing with their friends, the Taughers, who live only a few minutes from Pat and I. They are friend from way back--neighbors in Northern California in the 1970s!

The Taughers keep their boat Running Free at the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club which is only two miles from where we live!

Pat and I took a tour and realized that the boat was nicer than our apartment!

Pat's dad expertly steered us out of the harbor.

And we looked at all the beautiful houses. I'm pretty sure this is the one Pat's parents have decided to buy for us.

The Taughers were wonderful. Not only did they take us sailing but they also took us out to dinner the next night and invited us to BBQ on Sunday.

I even had the chance to steer the boat. I quickly realized that the best technique was to hardly touch the wheel and just "look nautical." Check out my very "nautical" plaid shorts!

My mother-in-law and I went up to the front (or as boaters fancily say "the bow") and enjoyed the perfect evening.

Around this time, Pat took the helm. However, he didn't manage to look as nautical (fleece?) as I did which really did affect his performance.

Look at Long Beach in the background.

There are four "islands" off the shore of Long Beach. The Walt Disney company designed them to look like offshore paradises. What are they really? Oil wells!

We also learned that this grove of trees was the original setting for the TV show "Gilligans Island."


After we returned to the harbor, Pat and I took the dingy out for a spin. Much more our style...

Kitties!

I finally have time to do a post about our wonderful kitties, Rascal and Stormy. Rascal and Stormy are smart, talented, creative, and adorable beyond belief. They are definitely more advanced than other kitties their age, and we aren't just saying that either! Here is the back story: Last April when we were living in Fort Worth, Pat went out into our little backyard to clean off the deck. All of a sudden he jumped back and said "Oh, my God, there is a cat out here with kittens." Sure enough, one of the local feral cats had given birth to three kittens just a few days before. I knew I might get attached to them so I vowed to ignore them all. My vow lasted for, oh, a few days. Pretty soon I was out there checking them out all the time. Over the next four weeks, Pat and I named all the kitties. We had a feeling that was a pretty bad sign for us. After many discussions, we decided to give two of the kitties a life of indoor luxury. We had hoped to steal them away from Mama Cat when they were about eight weeks old but it didn't quite work out that way. After about five weeks, the kitties were roaming around and leaving our yard, and we were concerned they might wander into the road. So, one morning, while Mama Cat was out, I stole all three kitties away. Pat and I just couldn't see ourselves with three cats, and we were thankful when our apartment managers found a home for the third kitty. However, the next week was heart wrenching. Mama Cat spent the next week prowling in our backyard, crying for her babies. At times, I felt like just throwing them back out there to her! But, then there would have just been three more feral cats in the world.

Rascal is the tabby on the left. She earned her name just because she always looks on the verge of some misadventure. We consider her the MacGyver of cats because she can always figure out a way to get at whatever she wants. A few months ago when we went on vacation, and the kitties broke into our refrigerator, spoiling everything inside, we had no doubt as to who had been the mastermind behind it. Stormy is on the right. He is so named because it was a tempestuous spring weather-wise in Fort Worth. Stormy is a cat ruled by his own desires. We can swat him down off the kitchen counter 18 times, and he will jump right back up if he thinks there is any chance any food for him. We don't have the heart to hold it against him because, while Rascal can be a typical standoffish feline, Stormy is all about the lovin'. He loves to cuddle and snuggle in a warm lap.

The kitties spent most of their first day in our apartment hiding behind a bookcase. But, they quickly warmed up to us!

Just like us: they enjoy wine.

And, just like us, they love running shoes!

They are the best of friends...

But, they also have daily "Kitty smack downs." In this picture, Stormy has jumped on Rascal and is biting her neck.

The kitties were very excited when Pat sent me roses for our anniversary. So excited they ate the petals right off...

Remember what I said about how talented they are? Check out Stormy on the door frame. Maybe if times get tough, he can join the circus.

This is my mom's cat Simon. I just wanted to show him off because he is so fat! The last time I was home, Simon weighted in at 25 pounds.

Alaska--Part I (Denali National Park)

After a night in Anchorage, Pat and I spent three nights camping in Denali National Park. We found Denali to be wild, rugged and different from any of the other national parks we have visited. However, there are no established trails in the park so the hiking was slow, exhausting and sometimes frustrating. And, let me note for just the first time here, it rained the entire time we were there!

It is a requirement to get a picture of the park sign, so we did.

We saw this Mama Moose and her baby crossing the street right outside the visitors center. Note the wet weather.

We stayed at Teklanika (AKA Tek) campground at mile 29 of the park road (see map above). We were given a special "Tek Pass" which allowed us one passage in to the campground and one passage out three days later. Other than that, we were not allowed to drive our car while at the campground.

I always like to give props to our trusty tent, eight years old but still impervious to bad weather. (Did I mention it was raining?)

After setting up camp we walked down to the river and took a timer picture.

The only way to access the trail less back country is to take the shuttle bus. The shuttle bus runs pretty consistently but is usually full of people who smelled a lot better than Pat and I!

The first day we got off the bus at Eielson Visotor Center at mile 53 and attempted a partial hike around Mount Eielson. Things went awry right at the beginning when we were unable to find a route down to the river and instead ended up bushwhacking through endless Willow trees. Willow trees are not our friends. This is a view of our hiking area from the visitor's center.

Pat at the beginning of the hike.

Eventually, we crossed the river and headed up a game trail on the ridge. We were to the left of this gully and after I took this photo, we saw a grizzly bear on the right side, up on the ridge. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture. This was the highlight of the hike. There is something so powerful about seeing a Griz, not from the comfort of the bus but while defenseless on the trail. The bear didn't notice us and headed away, over the ridge.

We were happy to see this little lake because it indicated (according to our hiking book) that we were on the right route.

Near the end of the hike, we saw this lone caribou, close to where we had seen the grizzly bear. The caribou eyeballed us but didn't see very concerned by our presence.

And on the ride back, we saw a grizzly walking right beside the road.

The next day we took the bus to the East branch of the Toklat (pronounced TOE Klat) river. Luckily, the bus driver knew of a drainage ditch through which we could access the riverbed, thereby avoided the dreaded willows. Our hike went much better but, yes, it was still raining.

We found this set of caribou antlers beside the creek. They still had a bit of flesh on them right around the base!

We looked for bears but didn't see any.

We stopped about three miles down the river for a little lunch.

Ptarmigans are the state bird, and this one was right on the trail.


When we got back to the road, we had to wait for the next shuttle bus to come by and pick us up. So we stood in the rain (did I mention there was rain?) for about 20 minutes before one came along and took pity on us.

When we got back to our campsite, Pat took refuge in the only dry spot--our rental car!

I took this picture as we drove out of Denali on our way south.

When we drove out, we were not expecting to see any additional wildlife. But, darned if there wasn't a wolf just walking down the road!

Alaska-Part II: The Mountain, Revealed

Denali (AKA Mount McKinley, AKA "The Mountain.") is notoriously elusive. When we read that one has a 95% chance of seeing a bear in DNP but only a 20% chance of seeing The Mountain, it became a quest for us. However, by our third day in DNP, we realized that, with the weather we had been having, there was no chance we would ever see The Mountain. So, on our fourth day,we decided to head south quickly rather than doing a hike in Denali State Park. However, as we drove south on the Parks Hwy, lo and behold, the clouds parted, and we were suddenly confronted with what HAD to be The Mountain, an enormous behemoth of a peak, snow-covered and looming well above the other mountains. In the end we did decide to do the Denali State Park hike in order to get better views.

The Kegusi Ridge is known as one of Alaska's best hikes and is a great place to view The Mountain. In order to get to the top of the ridge, we had to hike 3,000 vertical feet in about 3 miles. It was a grunt but well worth it.

A view from the ridge.


I took this while we were hiking up to the ridge.

Unfortunately, The Mountain wasn't that photogenic so you will have to trust me that it is behind us.

This is where we stopped, ate lunch and turned around since we still had 8 more hours of driving to do.

This is the view towards the ridge which was very beautiful in itself.

Alaska-Part III: Primrose Trail to Lost Lakes

After leaving Denali, we spent a night at Primrose Campground and hiked the 15-mile Primrose Trail to Lost Lakes the next day.

At first, the trail was heavily wooded. Here is a ptarmigan and her two chicks right on the trail.

After about two miles, we got a very nice look back at the lake where we had camped.

At mile four we finally got above tree line. Stunning!

But, no bears.

Pat on a bridge.

Our destination: Lost Lakes. The scenery was spectacular, and there were several backpacking groups camping right on the lakes.

I took this picture on our way back.

There were lots of snow patches, and I feel right through a snow bridge into the very cold water below. So much for my newly dry shoes!

Alaska-Part IV: Boat Trip in Kenai Fjords National Park

We went on a six-hour tour of Kenai Fjords on this boat. I'm not much of a sailor, and I did feel a little yucky for part of the cruise but, overall, it wasn't too bad. However, it was really cold, and we went both glad that we had brought warm-weather gear.

Our captain (sorry, I can't remember his name) was great. Born and raised in Seward (the local town), he was knowledge and enthusiastic about the ecosystem.

This was the first glacier we saw but our captain decided not to stop because there were already several boats in the vicinity.

First wildlife spotting: stellar sea lions!

The cliffs were inhabited by these birds and their chicks.

We also saw puffins!

We also saw two black bears marauding through some kayaker's campsite on the shore.


The kayakers came by as several tour boats were watching the bears at their campsite. I'm sure they wondered why the heck everyone was staring at their campsite! Our captain told them that the bears were there, and the kayakers paddled away furiously to protect their belongings.

Here we are on the boat. It was cold and windy!

We stopped at this glacier for about half and hour to watch it calve. Calving is the process by which chunks of the glacier break off into the ocean. It was so neat--when the large pieces fall off, they make a roaring sound like an avalanche and create large waves!

On the way back we saw a few beluga whales.

They stay underwater for about eight minutes so getting their picture was very difficult. This was the best I could do.

After the tour, we went back to our seaside campground. This is the view from our campsite. Not bad for $10 a night!

Alaska-Part V Exit Glacier/Harding Ice Field

This is Exit glacier, one of the most accessible glaciers in KFNP. Most people just walk around the glacier but Pat and I decided to hike up to the Harding Ice Field which is the source for all the glaciers in the park.

A view of the glacier from the road.

The trail climbed 3,000 feet in 3.5 miles but at first the weather was pretty nice.

We saw a park ranger who warned us that there were many black bears in the area. But, we only saw a "marmie."

Pretty soon, the trail became mostly snow. It was slippery and slow go. As we gained elevation, a dense fog rolled in, and it was one of the spookiest hiking experiences I've had.

By the time we got to the Harding Ice Field, visibility was very poor. And, it was freezing.

I took this picture of Pat for all our friends at Luke's Locker in Fort Worth where Pat used to work (he is wearing one of their t-shirts).

On our way down, I took some more pictures of the glacier.

A view back down the valley.

That night, we stayed in a lodge in Moose Pass, AK. I took a picture of these float planes from our window. It seemed very Alaskan.

There were fishermen (and women) everywhere, and we really wanted to seeing the salmon spawning. We kept stopping at "fishing viewing" areas like this one but we never even saw one fish!

On our way to the airport, we stopped at a place called Potter's Marsh. Look closely, and you can see the salmon!

Alaska-Part VI: Happy Endings

Our Alaska trip ended on a high note: we got to meet up with Pat's cousin Meagan and her husband Brian in the Anchorage airport! They were just beginning their Alaska adventures, and we were heading home.

Pat and I watched their flight from DFW arrive.

We had a beer together and caught up. Meagan and Brian have enjoyed special status with Pat and I ever since they visited us in Yellowstone about 10 years ago!

Because the parking situation at our apartment is so grim, Pat and I always leave our cars at work while we are away. My car looked a lot like the one above--totally grimy and dirty. Joking around, I told my co-workers that they should wash it while I was gone.

And, get this: they did! When I came back, my car had been washed and detailed! It looks amazing--far better than even the day I bought it. Go, Girl Scouts!

I also wanted to give a shout-out to our friends Audra and Raul who not only took us to and from LAX but also watched over our precious kitties while we were gone. No, Audra isn't a Mennonite--she made this costume for a Girl Scout Camp called "Little Camp on the Prairie."

Mount Whitney-The Trip (Part 1)

Mount Whitney Summit Trip

Pat and I and three friends did a three-day backpacking trip last weekend to climb Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in the continental United States (14, 495 feet). The trip went really well: we all summited easily and had just a great time.

This is a view of the Sierra Mountain range as we drove up the Whitney Portal Road. Whitney is actually one of the peaks on the right.

We spent the night before our hike at Cottonwood Campground (10,000 feet) in order to acclimate to the elevation.

We did a little hike from Cottonwood to keep loose. Pat wore a garbage bag just in case it rained.

At the trailhead, we all packed our gear up and prepared for the hike.

Here is our hiking crew: Raul, Pat, Audra, Rose and Katie

There was a scale at the trailhead, and we all weighed our packs. Mine weighed in at 28 pounds and Pat's was at 35. The scale makes lying about how heavy one's pack is a little trickier.

The trail went up right from the start and never stopped.

One of the many alpine lakes.

Looking back into the valley.

Our Trail Camp site at 12,000 feet. We were very lucky that no one in our group felt the altitude at all.

There was a very nice lake at trail camp. I promised to buy dinner for anyone brave enough to take a swim in this lake that was created from melting snow. Both Raul and Rose expressed interest but then chickened out.

Pat right above our campsite.

Pat and I at our campsite.

On summit day, Raul and Audra got up at the break of dawn and headed up. Pat and I took a more leisurely approach, starting out at 8 a.m. Pat and I saw Audra and Raul coming back down when we were about 30 minutes from the summit.

We made it to the summit in 2 hours 20 minutes from Trail Camp (4.7 miles). The trail was great, and we felt good.

However, it was a little chilly up there.

Rose arrived a little later. There were some guys up there who gave us their extra champagne.

There was also a hut on top.

A view from the summit.

Pat toasts our summit.

Pat and I standing in one of the "windows" on the trail.

The trail goes right around these crazy formations.

We felt so good after the summit that we decided to head to Outpost Camp, two miles lower than Trail Camp in order to have a shorter final day. On Sunday, we had just a quick 3.8 miles down to the Portal. Then it was back to Long Beach!

Mount Whitney Wildlife--bears, deer and attack Marmots

Whitney Wildlife

Bears are definitely the most talked about wildlife around Mount Whitney. There were warnings everywhere suggesting that the bears are lurking behind every tree, just waiting for campers to leave food unattended. In this picture, Audra is practicing her defensive moves, in case a bear does attack.

The Forest Service (the same people who came up with the Wag Bag) require all hikers to carry bear canisters in which to store all food and items with a distinctive scent. The canisters are heavy and unwieldy and, in general, a pain to carry.

We tried our best to follow all the rules, and we left all our extra food in bear-proof lockers at the trailhead. Even so, when Rose returned to her car, she found a giant rebuke threatening fines and imprisonment for leaving a bear-worthy item in her car. The item? That old bear favorite: contact solution!

If you look very carefully, you can see a deer in these pictures. She wandered by as we ate our lunch on the first day of the trip.

When we got to Trail Camp, we quickly realized that our bear canisters should have been called Marmot canisters. These pesky creatures were very interested in eating any food we would share. They constantly circled our tents looking for a treat.

The Marmots were chubby and well-fed.

Audra was afraid the Marmies (as she called them) would carry her off into the night so Pat and I played a little joke on her and Raul after they went to bed. We snuck up on them and started scratching at their tent. However, when they jumped back in shock, we started giggling hysterically and the ruse was over.

Mount Whitney--The Unsavory Details (answers to your burning questions)

Bears poop in the woods. But, what about humans?

Usually, backpackers bury their solid human waste while in the woods. However, since most of the Mount Whitney trip was above treeline in an environmentally fragile area, each of us was issued ONE (the Forest Service expected us to use one bag for multiple trips to the restroom because the bags are so expensive) Wag Bag--a wonderful invention in which we could collect our solid waste and carry it out with us. As you can see in this picture, we were very excited to use our Wag Bags.

Here is a Wag Bag, ready for use.

Audra Smith--Wag Bag model extraordinaire. Don't worry--this is only a demonstration!

At the trailhead, there is a receptacle to collect the Wag Bags. Here Rose deposes of her Wag Bag. I think our Wag Bag experience really made us all appreciate modern conveniences such as indoor plumbing!

Mom (Alice) Visits!

My mom visted Southern California over the July 4th holiday. Alice is one of my most loyal visitors, and she never complains about our various misadventures.

Just about every visit to Long Beach starts with breakfast atRiver's End, a great little cafe on the beach where the San Gabriel river meets the Pacific Ocean.

We went to Laguna Beach on the 4th and did a 10K Volksmarch. My mom travels all over the world doing Volksmarches, non-competitive walks for which members get mileage and event credits. My mom has walked something like 17,000 Kilometers in several countries and all 50 states. She is a real Bad Ass! The above picture is at the Volksmarch checkpoint--where mom has to write down the answer to a provided question to prove that she didn't cheat!

Here are a few pictures of Pat and I overlooking the beach. These are the pictures in which my mom didn't manage to cut our heads off.

There were lots of neat little coves, cliffs and secluded swimming areas.

Here are Pat and Alice walking the last portion of the Volksmarch along the beach. The beach was really crowded. I wasn't able to get a good picture but we also saw a group of four or five dolphins frolicking in the surf.

My main California complaint illustrated! This for those of you considering a Laguna Beach vacation next July 4th. Too many people...

We also went up to the San Gabriel Mountains Saturday and did a portion of the Boy Scout build Silver Mocassin Trail. It was really HOT, and the trail went up, up, up. Alice was a good sport.

There were lots of really cool rocks.

A Tribute to Grandpa Joe

A Tribute to Grandpa Joe

Pat's maternal grandfather, Joe, passed away last week at the ripe old age of 93. He lived a good and honorable life so I don't think we should feel too sorry for him. On the other hand, I think it is fair to feel sorry for those of us who were fortunate enough to know him. I first met Grandpa Joe about 10 years ago, not too long after Pat and I started dating. To be honest, I never anticipated that I would develop a meaningful relationship with him. Joe was already into his 80s and had a passel of adoring grandchildren. He certainly didn't need me. However, Joe's greatness can be measured not only by how much he loved his family but also by his capacity to embrace those who might not officially be his family. He always greeted me with a sparkle in his eye and genuine interest about our latest adventures. And he never ended a phone conversation with Pat before requesting a few minutes to chat with me. Just days before his death, he was peppering Pat and I about our upcoming Mount Whitney trip.

Here are a few stories I would like to share about Joe:

Each summer Pat's extended family vacations in Rye Beach, NH. The first time I went, everyone kept telling me how that the water was unbearably cold. But, of course, I pretty much ignored everyone, since I thought I was a tough Montana chick who knew cold water. When I arrived at the beach, Grandpa Joe was swimming. I jumped right in. Mistake! The water was painfully cold. However, not to be outdone by an octogenarian, I vowed to myself not to leave the water until Joe did. A very long time later, when my lips were blue, the hair on my arms was standing straight up, and my skin was puckered, I gave up and headed for the beach. Joe, meanwhile, keep swimming!

When Joe found out that I was a big baseball fan, yet had never seen the Red Sox play, he became determined that I should see a game at Fenway. He managed to get two tickets, just for Pat and I, to a game the very day we flew in from Montana. After spending all day in the air, Pat and I headed straight to Fenway where they gave us little cards commemorating the life of Ted Williams. Both Pat and I looked at each other and said "Did Ted Williams die?" We turned around to the people sitting behind us, and asked. Sure enough, Ted Williams had died that morning!

My last memory:

When Pat's sister Kerrie got married in April, Nana and Joe were right there for the festivities. Joe walked a little bit slower and seemed a little older than I remembered, and I suspected that it would be the last time I saw him. However, that didn't stop him from dragging ME out to the dance floor when he saw me sitting alone at my table while everyone else danced. Even at 93, he had more rhythm than me!

Kimberly from Texas visits

Our friend Kimberly from Texas visited us in Long Beach the weekend of June 21-23. Kimberly and I met when we did a running program together through Luke's Locker, the running store where Pat worked in Fort Worth. She must be a pretty tolerant person since we became friends while I was very much not at my best-- on 6 a.m. Saturday morning runs.

Pat and Kimberly at the Belmont Pier--right after a tasty dinner at the Belmont Brewing Company--one of our favorite places to eat on the water.

The next day we went down to Surf City, USA--Huntington Beach. People there were doing all the usual California Beach things. Like hard-core volleyball.

And surfing.

Every beach town has a pier, and here we are in front of the Huntington Beach one.

Kimberly and I in front of the HB pier.

And, of course, we need some street performers. This guy did a triple flip over these volunteers. We were impressed!

Then we went to one of our favorite breakfast spots-River's End Cafe. It is right on the water in Seal Beach (just 100 yards south of Long Beach) where the San Gabriel River flows into the Pacific.

Camping in Joshua Tree

Pat and I went camping in Joshua Tree in March. They say spring is the best time to visit the park but I wouldn't go that far. The wind howled the entire time we were there, and it was bitterly cold. When we arrived at the visitor's center, the sign said that all the campgrounds were full. However, when we talked to the ranger, she said "Nah, most people are pulling out because of this weather so you shouldn't have any problem finding a spot." That statement might have deterred campers with a few more brains (or less of a proclivity for suffering) than Pat and I.

This Joshua Tree was right by our campsite. The trees really do look like a Dr. Seuss creation!

Lost Horse Mine.

The weather looks good, doesn't it? This is Saturday evening. We were very lucky to find a campsite where we could pitch our tent in a sheltered area.

I was very chagrined to find out that it was SNOWING when I got up at 5 a.m. to go to the bathroom.

Katie and Gumby. I took this picture when I got back into the tent. Check out the frozen water bottle in the background. Why do we do it?

The next morning we did at seven-mile hike to the Lost Palms Oasis. That was after we drove 20 miles out of our way looking for some hot coffee (no luck). These palm trees reminded me of the Sesame Street character Snuffleupagus.

Lost Palms Oasis.

Judith--Summer Visitor #1

My sister Judith visited from Pennsylvania over Memorial Day weekend. She came seeking warm Southern California weather and sunshine. She didn't get quite that--it poured Friday night when we were at the CSULB baseball game and remained chilly and cloudy for most of the weekend. However, we still managed to have a little fun.

We went to the wineries in Temecula Sunday. Temecula isn't Napa but it is only an hour away and is in a beautiful area. Plus, there was wine. This is Judy and Pat at Wilson Creek, a beautiful winery that makes the most amazing almond champagne (and I don't even like champagne).

Judy and I at the Falkner Vineyard.

Pat and I at Falkner.

We also traveled 22 miles across the sea to beautiful Catalina Island. Most of the island remains wild backcountry with just two small villages on the shore. William Wrigley, the chewing gum magnet, began visiting the island in 1922 and is largely responsible for its preservation. The Chicago Cubs even held spring training on the island from 1921-1951. And--get this--there are a herd of bison on the island which are left over from a movie shoot in 1924. We didn't get to the interior of the island to see the bison. We saved that for next time.
We did a five mile hike that climbed two and a half miles for great ocean views and ended at the Botanic Gardens.

The scenery was beautiful!

This is the huge momument to William Wrigley at the top of the Botanic Gardens. I think his remains were buried here at one time. All the building materials including the tiles were made right on Catalina Island!

Mount San Gorgonio

Mount San Gorgonio

Southern California's Highest Peak

11,499

Pat, long-time friend Rose from my IUP days, and I did backpacking trip June 14-15 to the summit of Mount San Gorgonio as a training trip for our attempt of Mount Whitney later this summer. I orginally thought this trip would be a true Katie and Pat adventure--in other words, a real sufferfest. It had all the hallmarks: long mileages (14 + miles the second day), bear warnings at the trailhead, and huge elevation gains (5,500 feet to the summit). However, in the end, it actually went really well. Here are some highlights:

Rose and Pat at the trailhead. Our packs weighed between 28 and 35 pounds. Mine was the lightest, both because I didn't have to carry a tent (thanks, Pat), and I am fanatical about buying lightweight gear.


Up, up and away. This is about halfway.

Here is Pat displaying his athleticism. Pat was amazing on this hike--right with me the whole way despite almost no exercise in the past few months. I wish I had that much natural fitness.

Pat and I arrived on the summit a little before Rose, and I got a few shots of her final approach. I'm pretty sure she gave me the finger shortly after I snapped this one.

Rose and Pat at the summt

This varmit tried to eat my lunch!

Do we look like hillbillies or what?

Overall, this was just a great hike. The trailhead was only 89 miles from the LBC. The next day I didn't even feel sore. Hopefully, this bodes well for our Whitney attempt next month. Stay tuned...