Malibu Hiking

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

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

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

Here is another highway shot of Malibu.

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

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

There were many beautiful ocean views to contemplate.

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

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

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

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

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

Sights of Seattle

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

This area is called Red Square because of all

the bricks.

And here is the library. It was very beautiful.

Friends in Seattle

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

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

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

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

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

NEXT UP: The sights of Seattle

Around San Pedro

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next Up: Seattle

BLISS!!!!

STEELERS WIN!!!!!

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

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

Super Year or Super Jinx?

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

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

A Day at the Zoo

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

The gorillas drew a good crowd.

And they look so tough!

And the tigers were fun to watch.

This zebra was very happy to see us!

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

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

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

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

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

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

This sheep made for a good pic.

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

Games, Games, Games

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

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

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

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

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

After all the games, we were very tired.

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

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

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

Next Post: More Southern California Outings