Keeping up with Katie

Mono Lake (Thanksgiving in Mammoth)

2011-01-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

Regular blog readers will remember that our Thanksgiving tradition is to spend the holiday at some unexplored (to us, at least) location. Usually, this involves freezing our asses off in a tent in some rustic area (see blog entries for 2008, 2009). This year, for some reason, neither Pat nor I felt up to "roughing it" so we decided to splurge and get a hotel room. I want everyone here to know that I lobbied for Death Valley (average daily November temp: 70 degrees) but both Pat and I were intrigued to check out Mammoth Lakes, a popular mountain town on the East Side of the Sierras. So, we booked a hotel room in town, and off we went.

When we checked the Mammoth Lakes weather report, we were dismayed to discover that the low for our first day would be 11 degrees. Luckily, we had packed warm clothing and even thrown in our snowshoes. This is our first view of Mammoth, at the visitors' center where we stopped to get some local information. Since we arrived late, we had an early pizza dinner, and hunkered down for the night.

The next morning (Thanksgiving) we drove out to Mono Lake. Mono Lake is a salt-water lake with no outlet to the ocean that was formed at least 760,000 years ago. It recently made the news when scientists discovered a plant that synthesizes arsenic rather than any of the six essential elements previously known to sustain life. But, that is an aside. On Thanksgiving Day, there were no scientists or tourists. Just Pat and I enjoying this amazing, eerie landscape.

We parked at the visitors' center (closed) and walked down to the lake.

We soon came upon the first of many Tufas we would see. The Tufas are limestone formations created by underwater springs that have been exposed as the lake levels recede. This one was so big that I could stand inside.

Later, we drove down to the Tufa State Reserve where there were many more Tufas both on the shore and in the lake.

A good view of Tufas on the lake shore.

Up close and persona Tufas.

More.

A final view of some Tufas in the lake. I highly recommend a stop at Mono Lake if you find yourself in the area. It was unlike anything I've ever seen.

After a quick stop at the hotel room to change and call the families, it was off to Convict Lake for Thanksgiving dinner. A friend from work had recommended this resort for Thanksgiving dinner, and we weren't disappointed.

Both dinner and the view were terrific, and the rustic dining room reminded me of our favorite Montana restaurants. And, on the drive home, we saw a shooting star. What an perfect ending to a great day!

NEXT UP: Hollywood

Bad Blogger!!!

2011-01-10T09:28:00.001-08:00

Well! How does one become such a slacker?

At first, my goal was to blog once a week. Then, I downgraded to once a month.

And, somehow, after one final post in September, I seem to have given it up altogether. It wasn't a conscious decision--I just got busy, and blogging fell off my list of priorities.

The worst part is that there have been several blog worthy topics over the last several months. Luckily, I did manage to take some pictures, and my goal now is to go back and share some of these with you. In a few weeks, I hope to be caught up to the present.

Let's hope that 2011 is a good blogging year!

Anniversary Trip to Pismo Beach

2010-11-26T19:44:00.000-08:00

In October, Pat and I celebrated our 10th anniversary. On one hand, it seems impossible that we have been married that long! One the other hand, when we started taking stock of all of the experiences we have shared, we wondered how we fit it all into a mere 10 years. I don't want to sound too mushy here (you all know that isn't my style) but I can't imagine being with anyone else. As Pat's mom always says we are "two peas in a pod" or as we say "two people: one brain." So far, it has been an amazing adventure, and I don't expect anything less in the upcoming years...

One thing I really appreciate about Pat is that despite my relentlessly practical side, he remains a romantic. Thus, I wasn't surprised when 10 red roses were delivered to my office on our anniversary. Rascal (shown here) and Stormy, of course, believed the roses in be in their honor and immediately started munching on them.

After a leisurely start Saturday morning we headed north on PCH. Our original destination had been Santa Barbara but ,apparently, SB is a very popular fall destination in SoCal. That is something I hate about California: there are so many people that it is almost impossible to plan spur-of-the-moment trips. This bodes very poorly for people like Pat and I who do not seem to have the "planning gene." In any case, Pismo Beach had been recommended as a laid-back beach destination so we wanted to check it out.

Our hotel, the Sandcastle Inn, was right on the beach in downtown Pismo. Quite nice.

I took this picture of Pat right outside the hotel when we arrived. That night, we had a wonderful seafood dinner at a restaurant overlooking the town. Too bad I forgot the camera!

The hotel had a really neat little patio on the beach where we ate breakfast early the next morning.

Then we went for a walk on the beach. Our hotel was right beside the pier pictured in this shot.

I even put my toes in the water which is unusual for me.

Pat, meanwhile, contemplated life before the drive back to the big city.

Hike to Mount San Jacinto

2010-09-08T15:24:00.001-07:00

As our last hurrah of the summer, we decided to hike up Mount San Jacinto. Mount San Jacinto is one of what are called "the three saints"--the highest points of the three tallest mountain ranges in Southern California. We've already climbed the other two (Mount San Gorgonio & Mount San Antonio aka Mount Baldy) so we thought it would be a good opportunity to complete the trifecta.

However, we decided to take the cheater's route. Instead of hiking from the Idyllwild side (a climb of almost 5,000 feet), we drove out to Palm Springs and took the aerial tramway to an elevation of 8,516.

The tram ride was somewhat freaky and not for the faint of heart. The floor of the tram rotates 360 degrees (three times) while climbing the incline.

Looking back down to Palm Springs made me a little ill.

But, the view did make me very happy that I didn't have to hike up this portion.

At the top, we entered Mount San Jacinto State Park and began the 5.5 mile hike to the summit.

Despite it being almost 100 degrees in Palm Springs, the temperature was moderate and the scenery green and beautiful.

The grade was so easy that we were able to really enjoy ourselves.

After four mile of hiking, we hit the ridge.

Then, about a mile later, we were on the summit: 10,834 feet.

There was a US flag and a USGS survey marker. And about 20 other people. But, I still managed to get a picture of Pat without anyone else in it.

Lately, I've been forgetting my sunglasses everywhere we got so I look a lot like this!

After a brief stay, we headed back down the mountain, onto the tram, into the car and back home again. It is probably the last time we will get out this summer:(

NEXT UP: Conquer the Bridge Run

Adventures in Yellowstone

2010-08-02T12:58:00.000-07:00

After a thankfully uneventful 12 hour drive from Long Beach, we arrived at what we think of as the southern gateway to Yellowstone: the Grand Tetons. Seeing those great mountains rising straight up from the valley made us feel like we had arrived.

After a night camping outside of Jackson, we headed straight for a Teton tradition: All-You-Can Eat Pancakes at Dornan's in Moose Junction.

You don't go to Dornan's for the food, you go for the view.

On our way to Bozeman, we made a few quick stops in The Park. Of course, we had to catch Old Faithful even though we have seen it countless times. When we drove up, it was erupting so we jumped out and took this not-so-great shot. But, it counts, and you get the idea.

And, here it is: The Old Faithful Inn, where Pat and I met 17 years ago (yes, I know, you can't believe we are that old, but it is true).

We both worked as waiters in the dining room for several summers in the mid-1990s. The dining room looks just about the same. I really do not miss waiting tables but I do miss the adventure of living in Yellowstone. It is something not many get to experience. I estimate that I probably hiked over 1,000 miles of trail when I lived there.

After a too-brief stop in Bozeman to see friends (see post below), we headed out into the Yellowstone backcountry in hopes of visiting a very remote area called Hoodoo Basin on a three-day, two-night trip. Here is a picture of us at the Lamar River trailhead.

The first three miles through the Lamar Valley were a bit hot but uneventful. Then, we ran into this fellow. If you look carefully, you can see the orange trail marker right behind this bison. Yep, he was right in our way. At first, we weren't too concerned, and we walked slowly toward him, veering just a bit off-trail. Just then, he lowered his head, butted it into the ground and started running towards us. We made an immediate retreat and ended up skirting him by about 100 yards. At least we didn't end up on the TV news!

Shortly after our bison encounter, it was time to ford the Lamar River. Luckily, it was only about knee deep. Still, the power of water always surprises me. It took a great deal of concentration (and a handy stick) to keep my footing.

We continued on until the Miller Creek Junction where there is a backcountry station in which rangers occasionally stay while in the field. Just to the left of the cabin you can see a big, ole bison keeping an eye on things. It was at about this time that Pat and I realized our assigned campsite was actually almost 15 miles from the trailhead, rather than the 12 we had originally estimated. This was not good news for two people who had not carried a full-size backpack for two years.

After what seemed like an unnecessarily long period of hiking we came to our campsite. I was a little uneasy to see a variety of bear prints by the creek near the campsite.

I became even a little more bear-a-noid when I saw the two bear poles.They seemed unusually high which made me think that the bears in this area must be extremely large. Let's just say I didn't sleep too easily that first night. But, it passed uneventfully, and the next morning, we decided to do a day hike to Hodoo Basin.

Despite evidence of the 1988 fires, the scenery was spectacular. However, it quickly became apparent that we weren't going to complete the 20-mile round trip journey to Hodoo Basin. Both Pat and I were having foot issues (blisters, etc), and we were feeling the effects of carrying 35-pound packs for 15 miles the day before.

So, we just did about 5 miles down the remote Miller Creek Trail and up towards Bootjack Pass. We didn't see a soul but we did come across the cool elk skull.

After a second night at our campsite, it was time to head for civilization. The hike out was hot and dusty, and we didn't have much mojo. Here I am whining at the hike's conclusion.

Even with battered feet and sore shoulders, we were back on the trail a few days later after two days of R&R in Gardiner, MT. We lucked into a great campsite at the Slough Creek Campground and decided to do one of our favorite trails, Pebble Creek, as a day hike.

After climbing 800 feet in just over a mile, hikers are rewarded with this splendid view of the Pebble Creek area. We hiked down the valley for just a few miles and then headed back.

On the hike back, the weather started to look a little sketchy. This is the face of The Thunderer, a mountain with a massive face. It looked quite ominous.

We were very lucky to see a lot of wildlife during our stay. Here is the first bear we saw, just outside of the Mammoth Hot Springs area. We weren't sure if it was a black bear or grizzly but, in hindsight, I think it was a black bear, despite its misleading brown coat.

We saw this black bear just outside of the Tower Junction area.

And another black bear, just a few miles down the road.

And, yes, a fourth black bear near Mount Washburn.

Finally: a Grizzly Bear! This great specimen was digging just beside the road, and we even got an amazing video (Posted on Facebook).

We also saw this mama pronghorn with her babies just outside the Slough Creek campground.

And, of course, there were buffalo herds everywhere. We also hung out with the wolf watchers one morning and evening, and saw wolves through our spotting scope. No pictures--too far away.

The Lamar Valley and a buffalo herd under a rainbow.

Finally, when we got tired of being dirt-bag hikers, we headed to the ultimate in luxury: Chico Hot Springs, where we just happened to get married nearly ten years ago. We spent the night, soaked and had an awesome meal in their renowned dining room.

The pool soothed our aching muscles and brought back some many memories. We only hope it doesn't take us another four years to get back to our most-favorite places.

Next Up: Hiking Mount San Jacinto.

Visiting Friends in Montana

2010-07-26T16:41:00.001-07:00

On our recent, epic 3,300 mile road trip to Yellowstone and Montana, we were very fortunate to get to catch up with many long-time friends so I wanted our first blog post to be dedicated to them!

After a quick drive up through Yellowstone, we arrived at Aaron and Julie's house in Bozeman. However, we barely recognized it! About seven years ago, they purchased a one-bedroom, one-bath house and quickly set to work expanding it. The last time we saw it, the entire house had been raised up in order to basically double the size of the house, and, frankly, it looked like it might never be completed. Today, it looks like a totally different house. They have done a great job.

And they live in a funky little neighborhood that really suits them. Check out the bicycles on the roof of the house next door.

On our first day in Bozeman, we hiked a new trail located just about a mile outside of town: Drinking Horse Mountain. Here are Aaron & Julie with their two energetic sons Wylie and Hayes (with Pat and dog Jasmine as well).

The next day, we hiked to Lava Lake, a perfect hike in the Gallatin Canyon. The trail is just six miles round trip but feels remote.

We also did some fun in-town kids' stuff on July 4th. This little train is operated by a guy who just has a love for everything railroad related, and he gives out rides for free a few times a year. Pat and Aaron rode with the boys while I took some pictures. All in all, it was a great visit!

Before leaving Bozeman, we also had breakfast with our friend Bill and his lovely wife, who we were meeting for the first time. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture but I wanted to give them a shout-out all the same.

After a few days backpacking in Yellowstone, we had the opportunity to meet up with my college roommate Jen and her husband Matt in Gardiner, MT where we went whitewater rafting. The water was actually warm (unusual in MT), and we had a great time.

After the rafting trip, we introduced Jen and Matt to the world-famous K Bar where we stuffed ourselves with food and beer. Amazingly, we also ran into an old friend from Yellowstone, Deb Cowley (Hudziak). We hadn't seen her in well over a decade, and it was such a pleasure to catch up with her a bit.

After two nights in Gardiner, we headed to Cookie City, a little town just outside the Northeast entrance of Yellowstone where we lived for two years in the mid-1990s. The Beartooth Cafe where we worked hasn't changed much at all except that our friends Scott and Vickie now own and manage the place. They treated us to a most excellent dinner. We also ran into George McCormick who, despite having a master's degree and an academic job during the winter months, remains the Beartooth Cafe's summer dishwasher. Both Pat and I have always had an affinity for George so seeing him was an unexpected bonus.

Here are Pat and I with Scott and Vickie outside the cafe. They now have four kids but most of them were visiting their Grandmother in Florida so we didn't have a chance to see them.

After several adventures in Yellowstone, it was off to Missoula, MT to visit with our good friends Casey and Jody. Together, we decided that canoeing down the Blackfoot River would be a great way to spend a day. So, off we went. Here is a great picture of Pat and I looking like total yahoos. Would you trust these two people in a boat?

I hope you enjoy this picture because it is the last one our camera would ever take. You see, Pat and I managed to capsize our canoe not just once but twice. The first time the camera happened to be in my pocket. Whoops. I put it in a dry bag after that but it was too late. Our first dunking came when Pat tried to jump out of the canoe for a swim and was a quick dunk. The second is somewhat inexplicable but we managed to capsize in a swift-moving, deep section of the river. It was quite an ordeal to wrangle the canoe (upright but full of water) to shore. Let's just say we got our money's worth from the (rented) life vests.

Despite the misadventures, our visit with Casey, Jody, and their kids, Saul and Ellie, was great.

A special thanks to all our friends who hosted us. We miss you!

Next up: Adventures in Yellowstone

Visit with Hil in San Diego

2010-07-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Pat and I headed down to the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista where our longtime pal Hilary is coaching the women's Under 23 National Rowing Team. We met Hil 16 years ago (and several lifetimes ago, it seems) in Portland, OR where Pat and I were wintering (it was so long ago that we weren't even dating yet!), and she had just nearly completed a cross-country bicycle journey. Over the years, we have kept in touch and our paths occassionally cross.

We arrived Saturday morning, and a bored looking security guard waved us through the athlete's entrance.

We quickly met up with Hilary, and took a little tour of the training center. It was pretty neat--I think being a national-caliber athlete is a good gig, if you can get it.

Here is the lake where the rowers practice. I stuck my toes in--very warm.

We then headed to downtown San Diego where pat and I were staying. We decided to take the ferry over to Coronado just to entertain ourselves.

There was a great view of the city from Coronado.

We then hoofed the whole way across the island to see the famous Hotel Del Coronado which was built a looong time ago (1888, I believe. A more ambitious person would Google it). It was pretty cool.

The hotel had a lot of neat seaside bars, and we enjoyed a pitcher of beer (Cost: $36. Not for the faint of heart!) Later we had dinner at a Italian place in the Gas Lamp district but no pictures were produced...

The next day we wanted to look around the training center's visitors' center but it was closed.

I did, however, get to stand on the cheesy medal podium. Darn, I forgot my gold medal.

Later that night, we scored a total coup: tickets to see Sting with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for free! Well, not quite, free, we had to pay $6 each for handling and parking. Hil had scored a bunch of tickets from the training center, somehow. I've never been a huge Sting fan, so I was orginally a little uncertain.

But, the show was amazing!

Sting was a true showman, played many of the hits and didn't quit for hours. Wow, wow, wow! Overall, it was a great way to end a great weekend and see an old friend.

NEXT UP: Vacation in Yellowstone and Montana.

Trip to Sequoia National Park with Mom

2010-06-10T16:01:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, my most faithful visitor, my mom, came to visit. Since this was her third trip to California, we decided to go on a road trip to Sequoia National Park rather than hanging about Long Beach. We thought it would be fun.

Unfortunately, we hadn't really considered that it would still be WINTER in Sequoia. When we arrived, we were a bit chagrinned to see 5-foot snow drifts everywhere. Apparently, the area had received unusually large snowfalls throughout the winter.

When we went to the Giant Forest to see the World's Largest Tree, The General Sherman, we were dissapointed to find the trail closed. Luckily, a very nice ranger told us we could still access the tree by taking a shuttle bus to another trailhead.

The problem with these trees is that, while beautiful, they just don't photograph well. Above are a few different angles on the General Sherman Tree. There was a ranger stationed nearby, and we considered asking him if the tree was larger than a whale but then decided that question would surely label us as foolish.

Okay, this is not our best picture but it is the only photo we have of us together all weekend. Yes, we were cold...

The trails were covered with ice and snow and very treacherous.

Later, we did find a little path that was open, so we meandered through the big trees.

This is a view of the very nice little museum at the Giant Forest. At one time, there were almost100 cabins in this area but they were inhibiting the tree growth so they were all torn down in early 1990s.

As you can see, the weather was very gloomy. I kept thinking it would snow but it never did during the day (we did get about an inch overnight).

I thought the lichens on these trees made the forest look enchanted.

Later, we drove back to Grant's Grove (we were staying there) and walked through this downed tree.

Back in the day, the Native Americans used downed Sequoias like this one as living quarters.

Then we saw the Nation's Christmas Tree, The General Grant. It was very beautiful but not enough to keep us in Sequoia another night. After two nights, we decided to head back to Long Beach a day early to enjoy some sunshine and warm up a bit.

So, the next day, rather than sightseeing in Sequoia, Pat and I gave my mom the CSULB tour. Here are mom and Pat in front of the Pyramid where Pat works.

Putt Putt on Pine: a Cautionary Tale

2010-05-16T12:12:00.000-07:00

When my friend Myrna invited me to participate in Leadership Long Beach's annual fundraiser, Putt Putt on Pine, I took my camera in anticipation of a tame blog entry about this fundraiser where teams of four rotate through Long Beach restaurants playing a hole of miniature golf at each location. As you will soon see, the night ended up being a bit more, well, how shall we phrase it...interesting...than originally anticipated.

First, we picked up our scorecard at Smooth's Sports Bar and headed for Taco Surf for our first hole, a beer and some yummy enchiladas. Here is Monica in action.

Then it was off to George's Greek Cafe for our second hole, a great buffet and...

Ouzo Shots! We felt morally obligated to partake in this $2 bargain. That is Myrna on the left, then Kenya, me and Monica to my right.

Less dedicated golfers might have been distracted but not us. We headed to L'Opera ( a noted restaurant I've been meaning to try) for another hole. I think my score was about a 12 here...

Then it was off to Rock Bottom where we never even made it to the golf area. Instead, we headed to the bar for cocktails. Here, Myrna tries to prove that she can tie a cherry stem into a knot with her tongue. For the record: not accomplished!

We spent a little too much time at Rock Bottom so, instead of finishing our round (of golf that is, we did finish our round of drinks) we headed back to Smooth's for the event wrap up. I thought I would wait around to see if I won anything in the drawings and then head home. I anticipated being home by 10 p.m., in time for a good night's sleep.

Unfortunately, that isn't quite how it happened. Instead, we decided to go downstairs in Smooth's and have one more drink. It is always a bad sign when you end up with random strangers in your pictures, and that is exactly what happened here. Now, Eric, on the right is an old friend of Kenya's so he doesn't count. But, these two gals on the left? No idea! Myrna picked them up somewhere outside and dragged them to our table, I believe. At least they were kind enough to buy us a round of drinks before heading out...

At this point, Eric suggested that we head down to the street to a dueling piano bar which seemed like a good idea at the time.

On the walk, we passed by the Ice Bar, a very weird place not usually on my radar. However, the bar manager out front offered us a free shot if we went inside. Of course, we couldn't pass that up, so in we went. It was deserted and had a very strange vibe. We downed a quick shot and were on our way.

We finally made it to the piano bar where we sang along and did a few more shots. The night eventually ended with a few additional high jinks (which will remain unexplained here in the interest of discretion). Let's just say that you can all draw this conclusion: everyone felt pretty terrible the next day. I'm a big believer in letting off steam every now and again but this experience really made me appreciate my mostly quiet life...

San Juan Capristano

2010-05-03T16:50:00.000-07:00

San Juan Capistrano Mission has been on my Refrigerator List since we moved to Long Beach, and a few weeks ago, we finally made the drive down to OC to check it out.

It was a perfect Sunday afternoon, and the grounds were so beautiful.

We spent some time just walking around the gardens.

Then we snuck onto the back end of the tour.

And saw the remains of the original buildings. There was a Baptism (complete with crying baby) in the chapel so we didn't get to see that part.

I'm pretty sure the Missionaries didn't have Koi in their compounds. So, can someone tell me why all the missions have them now? I'm serious--the Alamo has them, too!

Pat thought this area was the most important part of the Mission and asked that I take his picture with this sign.

Here is the close-up: yep, apparently, SJCM is where the the California wine industry was born. Who would have known?

After we had our fill of the mission, we wandered down Los Rios street, a neat little touristy area with shops and cafes. We had a late breakfast so we didn't eat but we will keep it in mind for next time.

Dinner with Bruce & Stacy

2010-04-20T16:39:00.001-07:00

Last week, after work, Pat and I drove down to Oceanside (about 90 minutes or so south of Long Beach) to meet up with his college roommate Bruce. Bruce, as many of you may remember, was the best man at our wedding. Over the years, we've managed to meet up with Bruce a bit more than some other far-flung friends, and we always enjoy getting together with him. This time, we were excited to finally meet his 16 month-old son and catch up with his wife, Stacy, as well.

I couldn't resist posting a picture of Pat and Bruce back in their glory days at UGA. Pat is in the front row, second from the right. And, Bruce is the last on the right in the second row. Wow--they look so young! Babies...

And, here they are today!

Okay, back to the story:

After an uneventful (which is pretty much an event in itself here in Southern Cal) drive down to Oceanside, we arrived at Breakwater Brewing just in time to meet up with them. We then proceeded to chat, chat, chat for several hours. And their son was super cute and did a great job of amusing himself without many props. The visit was far too brief but we always appreciate friends making an effort to see us (some of you could take a lesson from Bruce and Stacy--you know who you are)!

After dinner, of course, we had to take some pictures. Apparently, Bruce and Stacy's last visit was right before I started this blog. So, Bruce, you finally made the blog. Congrats!

Mojave Misadventures

2010-04-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

Pat and I like to kick off the camping season around Easter by heading somewhere new for our first trip of the year. This year, we decided on the Mojave Desert, a sprawling National Preserve about 200 miles northeast of Long Beach. The trip was highly anticipated after weeks of dreary weather and even more dreary work hours.

Our Friday afternoon departure was a lame attempt to avoid the holiday Friday rush hour traffic but we must have done something right: we only sat in traffic for about an hour (in Greater LA, that is pretty good). After a long and somewhat monotonous drive, we arrived in the Mojave just in time to see the sun set).

If you have AWD, you can camp back any number of gravel roads in the park without a fee or permit so that is what we did. Our camp had a nice vantage point and lots of big rocks (good for sitting on, cooking on and as a wind break).

Pat set up the tent while I cooked dinner (the "kitchen" is in the background of this photo with the lantern). It was pretty chilly but we sat up awhile looking at the stars and trying to spot satellites (a popular camp time activity for us).

Here is the campsite in the morning light. This may be the last picture taken of our tent. We bought it right after our honeymoon with some of our wedding $$. Our "new" tent (funny, we still think of it that way) is now almost ten years old and is ready for retirement. We hope to have a new one before our trip to Montana in July.

Our goal was to spent the day hiking but, as you can see, we weren't in a big hurry.

For breakfast, I made a delicious but not necessarily nutritious meal of bagels pan-fried with butter, sugar and cinnamon. Yummy! After breakfast, we donned our hiking clothes, jumped in the car and...

It wouldn't start! So, there were were, miles from the nearest paved road, with nothing more than a very loud "Click" when I tried to start to start the car. I had been having some similar issues at home but thought they had been previously resolved by the purchase of a new battery. In the past, the car would eventually start after several tries. Nope, not this time. Instead, each time I cranked the key, just that infuriating "click." So, of course, we decided to play mechanic (never a good sign for us). After about an hour or so of fiddling around and talking a lot about what makes an engine start, I finally turned the key and voila, the car roared to life. And then we drove straight home without turning off the car (and, yes, you CAN get gas while the engine is still running). So, as far as a camping trip: not very fulfilling. But, we felt thankful that the car started at all (Note: since we have been home, the car has started perfectly every time).

Breakin' the Law (AKA Hiking with Rose)

2010-03-31T15:13:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Rose and I headed up to the Angeles National Forest for a little spring hiking. When we arrived at our decided upon trail head, Chantry Flats, we were chagrined to find literally hundreds of other hikers choking the parking lots, roads and every tiny little bit of available free space. We looked at one another, shook our heads and said "no way." After a brief consultation with our forest service map, we decided to head 15 miles east to avoid the crowds.

We arrived at our new trail head and were ecstatic to find only a few other cars there. I had to take a picture of Rose with the outhouse.

The "trail" actually turned out to be a paved road leading eight miles back to a reservoir. But, we didn't mind--the day was perfect, and it was very beautiful.

We could see the snow-capped mountains in the distance.

And there was a wonderful babbling brook--water is a real rarity in Southern California, and I miss it when I am hiking here.

After hiking for about two miles, we encountered this truck coming from the other direction. It was a ranger who very sternly informed us that we were hiking in a closed area, and that he could fine us up to $5000 dollars. Wow! Luckily, he just gave us a warning after we very convincingly (and truthfully) told him we hadn't seen the sign. Well, actually, Rose hadn't seen the sign. I had seen this one...

but I just thought it meant we shouldn't leave the road.

However, this sign was a little less ambiguous, and I really didn't see it. Rose kept claiming that it had been erected after we hiked in but I think we just weren't paying attention.

So, we turned around. On our way back, we stopped and ate lunch right beside the nice little waterfall.

Welcome to Puerto Rico (Part I)

2010-02-16T16:14:00.000-08:00

Pat and I spent Christmas in Puerto Rico with Pat's four aunts, parents. siblings, cousins and nephews: 16 people in all.

One might think that you can get from LAX to anywhere in the world, which is absolutely true, but our journey to PR was an epic one: from Orange County to San Francisco, across the country to D.C. and from there on to PR. We arrived 16 hours after we started, a little rumpled but in good spirits. Our good spirits improved even more when the front desk handed us glasses of the Island's traditional Christmas libation (yum, rum). This picture is us upon arrival in the hotel room.

About an hour later, they brought us popcorn and beer. We both decided we could get accustomed to this life pretty quickly.

Our room at the Sheridan overlooked the cruise ships docks which provided many opportunities for people watching.

We also spent a lot of time watching the big ships come and go.

Later, in the hotel lobby, we ran into Pat's sister Kerrie. She had been to Senor Frogs, the restaurant next door, where apparently they pour sangria down your throat and force you to wear a silly balloon on your head. I warned Kerrie she was about to make the blog...

I didn't get any pictures at dinner the first night but I did take this shot of Pat and our nephew with the sign advertising $2 tequila shots. Yeah, I am pretty sure we are bad influences...

Beaches and Pools (PR Part II)

2010-02-15T17:57:00.001-08:00

I've never considered myself much a very "beachy" person but PR tried hard to make a believer out of me, and it pretty much worked. We spent many lazy days around the pool or on the beach, doing a little light reading and catching up with one another.

The Hilton Caribe, where Pat's sister Colleen and her family were staying, had a stunning facility. And they had a swim up bar! Of course, we had to give that a try.

We spent something like $80 on drinks and charged it to Colleen's room. She wasn't even there. Don't worry--we gave her some money later (actually, I think maybe only Kerrie gave her money-we are such deadbeats!)

Later, we took a little walk.

And found a grove of trees with hammocks!

And then we came to the beach.

On the way back, we watched tropical fish from this platform.

A few days later, we went to check out the pool at the Marriot, where Pat's parents were staying. Beautiful!

And, here is Pat with his dad relaxing by that pool.

Christmas Dinner (PR Part III)

2010-02-15T17:56:00.000-08:00

Here is our official Christmas picture-taken in our hotel lobby. For those of you who receive our annual Christmas card, you know this picture won't make the cut. Nice, none the less...

Then we headed to the Marriot where we had a private room reserved for dinner. Before dinner, we, of course, took a ton of pictures. Here is one of the whole gang.

Then it was time for what has (like many traditions, I don't know quite how this one evolved) become a Christmas tradition: exchanging instant lottery cards. Everyone brings lottery cards from their home state, and we all spend a few minutes thinking we are about to be $20,000 richer. Unfortunately, nobody has ever won more than a few bucks which is paid out on the spot by the people who brought the ticket.

Aunt Ellen had brought an Etch A Sketch to occupy Timmy during dinner but it was Kerrie who entertained us all by producing very detailed drawings. If the whole education field doesn't work out for her, I am pretty sure she could make a few bucks...

It was a long night, and the excitment was too much for Jacob.

After a superb meal, we headed to the lobby bar to fortify ourselves before heading to the tables for a little holiday Roulette action (no luck there).

Puerto Rico Adventures (PR Part IV)

2010-02-15T17:28:00.000-08:00

While in Puerto Rico we had the chance to get out a bit to explore the surrounding landscape.

One day we went to one of PR's National Parks, El Yunque, a very beautiful rainforest about two hours outside of San Juan.

The familiar US National Park signs made me feel at home. I don't care what anyone says--the National Park system is one of the greatest gifts our government has given us.

We make great tourists, don't we?

This is our guide, Roberto. He reminded me of a PR Indiana Jones with that hat.

We climbed up, up and around inside this tower.

Pat and Kerrie outside the tower.

We also did an awesome night kayaking trip to an area where microorganisms in the water (not unlike fireflies) light up the water on moonless nights. First, of course, we had to don life vests. No drowning allowed.

Then we jumped into kayaks.

And headed through the mangroves. It was very, very dark and a little spooky.

We insisted on taking pictures although it wasn't easy. Unfortunately, the glowing water didn't really take to photos, but, you have my word, it was really cool. It was also very tiring--we didn't get back to our hotels until after midnight.

And we got a fun group shot with our guide.

The Tourist Trail (Puerto Rico, Part V)

2010-02-15T17:00:00.000-08:00

In addition to hanging around the beach and casinos, we did squeeze some in some of the standard tourist sites as well.

Well, the first one isn't really standard: we took a tour of the US Coast Guard base. The daughter of Pat's parent's friend is stationed on the base right by our hotel so she met us for a tour.

Here is Mary Dwyer with Pat's parents. She was a great host, and it was interesting to get a glimpse into military life.

After our tour of the base, we walked up to Fort San Cristobal to poke around.

It was very pretty and green.

One day, we went to Puerto Rico's premier tourist attraction: The Bacardi Rum Factory.

The grounds were immaculate.

We took a little tram over to the tour.

Outside, we were given two tickets to try daquaries, mojitos, and Cuba libres, Bacardi's three most famous drinks. I drank a lot of mojitos in PR. Done right, they are fantastic.

We hung out for a long time afterwards.

On the way back, there wasn't room for all of us in one taxi so the cabbie just threw a lawn chair in back for me--it was funny.

After everyone else had flown home, Pat and I went to El Morro, the oldest and biggest of the San Juan Forts. It was impressive.

Here it is from afar.

And near.

Here is Pat.

We also went to the San Juan Cathedral. It was stunning.

And Ponce De Leon is buried there!

Thanksgiving Holiday

2009-12-18T15:48:00.000-08:00

For the first time in recent memory, Pat and I traded in our annual Thanksgiving Camping Trip (AKA Annual Sufferfest) to visit my family over Thanksgiving.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinnner with all my mom's great comfort food.

Can you guess where we went the next day? Hint: check out those street lights. Yep, Hershey, PA. My mom was running a walk there, and we went out and did a quick 5k before being pressed into service at the registration table.

On our walk, we saw the World Famous Kissing Tower.

And no visit to Hershey is complete without going into Chocolate World where you ride in a little cart and hear the story of how chocolate is made. And, get this, it is free!

The line wasn't even too long, and, before we knew it, we were on the ride. This picture is funny because of the windmill painted on the wall in the background.

Here is the Kiss Depositor!

And the chocolate bar molds.

The weekend was so busy. After leaving Hershey we went up to Millersburg where my brother and his gal live for their tree lighting ceremony. It was a slice of small town Americana. A far cry from LB, CA, that's for sure.

Pat and I were freezing, and, of course, everyone was making fun of us. I don't know why...it was 40 degrees! Brrr.....

The next morning, two long-time friends from home came over with their five children. It was total mayhem--my mom's house is not made for kids. Of course, they found all sorts of ways to entertain themselves.

Morgan and Ellie, both about eight-months old, were hilarious.

Then we took a group shot.

And bundled everyone up to say goodbye.

The next day it was time for us to say goodbye. My sister Judith brought her five foster kitties down to meet us. She knows our weakness for kitties, and I am pretty sure she was hoping we would take a few home.

We were very tempted. They were so cute.

Who wouldn't want this kitty?

Here is who!!! My mom's cat Simon was not enthused.

Next Up: Christmas trip to Puerto Rico!

Katie Goes Hollywood

2009-11-11T10:04:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-02T16:36:00.000-07:00

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)

2009-09-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-09T13:44:00.001-07:00

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)

2009-08-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

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)

2009-07-25T12:13:00.000-07:00

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)

2009-07-25T12:10:00.000-07:00

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)

2009-07-22T15:49:00.000-07:00

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)

2009-07-22T14:48:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-25T13:53:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-10T15:37:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-12T15:33:00.001-07:00

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

2009-04-23T11:53:00.001-07:00

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

2009-04-10T11:01:00.001-07:00

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

2009-04-03T16:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-16T17:15:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-03T09:28:00.001-08:00

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

2009-02-19T13:32:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-12T09:37:00.000-08:00

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!!!!

2009-02-02T17:18:00.000-08:00

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?

2009-01-29T15:09:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-20T14:20:00.001-08:00

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

2009-01-13T11:21:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-08T14:36:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-22T16:18:00.000-08:00

"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

2008-12-11T10:41:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-01T11:59:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-25T09:49:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-15T10:11:00.000-08:00

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)

2008-11-08T12:14:00.000-08:00

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

2008-10-31T14:33:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-24T15:29:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-13T15:16:00.003-07:00

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

2008-10-10T16:54:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-29T10:39:00.001-07:00

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

2008-09-25T16:55:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-09T09:05:00.001-07:00

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

2008-09-04T09:25:00.001-07:00

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

2008-09-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-27T14:23:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-08-19T11:48:00.001-07:00

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

2008-08-19T10:17:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-08-12T15:40:00.000-07:00

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)

2008-08-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

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!