Exhausted Hikers!

Like I said, the hike up Camelback Mountain was quite exhausting.

Baseball in Arizona 2006

Four games in four days makes for a busy, fast and fun filled weekend. We flew to Phoenix Wednesday evening and saw our first game of the trip at Tempe Diablo Stadium which is nearest our hotel. This is the ballpark for Angles. On Friday, after the hike, we watched the Giants play at Scottsdale. Because of the hike, we were late to the game and it took me (I dropped everyone off at or near the park) 30 minutes to park in a spot 10 blocks away. Since I arrived during the 3rd inning, we stayed for the whole game. Day three took us to see the Brewers at Maryvale. This park is far from the hotel, in a bad neighborhood, but the complex is very nice. Plus we had good seats since it isn't as popular as the other parks. On Sunday we drove out to Peoria to see the Padres play and they won despite playing with 'B' players from a split squad. Besides baseball, there was plenty of NCAA basketball to watch. We visited a few bars to watch these games, especially UCLA, my friend's favorite team. I cheered for them just because it was the thing to do, but I'll admit their games, as well as others, were exciting to watch. And finally, we were there for our friend's 40th birthday. He enjoyed a nice steak dinner at Frashers in Scottsdale, a unique, restaurant we discovered by accident years ago which has the best steak in town. So, spring training 2007, here we come.

Camelback Mountain Hike

Not even four days in the sun could stop us from hiking this weekend. We took time out from baseball viewing to hike Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, which was much tougher than I remember from two years ago. The elevation rises 1200 feet and the last stretch requires the use of your hands to climb steep, jagged rocks. However, I had summit fever and was determined to make it to the top. We saw plenty of hikers turn back, including one of our own, not prepared for the hot, dry air and strenuous climb. There were several places near the top where you have to walk on a very narrow ridge, with 1000 foot drop-offs on one side. I did my best to ignore this, hoping my boots wouldn't slip. We reached the summit and took time to rest and enjoy the view. However, we had a 1 PM game to get to so we scrambled back down, meeting up with the third member of our party and made it back to the van. Around midnight, after a full day of sun, food and beer, I basically collapsed on my bed and slept very soundly.

Me at Peoria Watching Padres

Harley Behind Bar at Acme Bar and Grill

Baseball at Maryville, AZ

Balcony View From Hotel Room

Steve at the top of Camelback Mountain

Spring Training Baseball at Tempe

What is the other 57%?

Off to Watch Spring Training Baseball

It is that time of year again - spring training baseball in sunny Arizona. We weren't planning on going this year but since the New Orleans trip fell through we couldn't not go. So that means another weekend of watching sports and drinking beer. If I keep this up I'm going to become fat, dumb and happy. Wait - I'm going camping the following weekend in the desert where there will be more beer and sun, but no sports. A hiking trip each of these weekends ought to be enough exercise to make up for the extra calories. What am I talking about? I'm so excited about all the fun I'm about to have that I can't think linearly!

Hiking Mt. Woodson from Lake Poway

For the second week in a row my friends and I hiked Mt. Woodson, only this time we made a round trip from the Lake Poway parking lot. Just like last Sunday, it was cold and there were threatening dark clouds looming overhead. We started our hike by walking at a good pace, stopping many times to rest. Hiking Mt. Woodson up this trail is quite strenuous as you climb up almost 2000 feet and travel about 6.4 miles total. It took us almost two hours to reach the top and about 1:20 to hike down. During our ascent, two groups of hikers passed us, making us look like a bunch of old men. However, I doubt any of those people will be hiking Mt. Whitney this summer. It only rained once during the hike and at the top it was cold and windy, but I can see how during the summer months it could get very hot and require more water than I brought today. This time I used two hiking poles and decided that two is better than one. There is no hike planned for next week unless we go on a short one while in Phoenix, but I don't really want to pack any extra gear for my four day vacation.

(Photo taken last weed - I forgot my camera today.)

NCAA Basketball Round 2

The second day at the NCAA basketball tournament at Cox Arena was far less eventful than the first but no less fun. With only two games the day we quicker than Thursday, starting with lunch at the 4.0 Deli near the college. This was one of the few places that had beer (Bud and Bud light only, but that's good enough for us) plus as I found out very good food. I ate a sandwich with three different meats, melted cheese, pesto, Italian dressing, pepperoncinis and much more.

After lunch we walked to the arena and watched the two games. Both were very close and since it was the second round, the energy and excitement in the stands and on the floor were much higher. Washington won the first game against Illinois and UCLA beat Alabama in the second barnburner of a game.

Since the games were over relatively early, we drove downtown and drank some beers and ate dinner at the Yard House. This place is famous for having 100+ beers on tap. There are so many in fact that I just ended up drinking the usual ones, like Samuel Adams and Stella Artois. I had never been here before and didn't realize that it was also a restaurant and down below there was a dance club/lounge. Once done with our meal it was a long ride back home, where We got caught in the traffic leaving Petco for the World Baseball Classic. I've had my fill of college basketball for now. Next week - spring training baseball in Phoenix.

NCAA March Madness at Cox Arena

Over one year ago we bought our tickets for this event. I had never been to a NCAA basketball game before and thought it would be fun, which it was. We started the day off by meeting at my friends house. Since we had to wait for someone stuck in traffic, we decided to drink a beer - at 9:30 AM! Little did I know that this would be my last beer for six hours. It seems that there is no alcohol sales at NCAA events, and once inside Cox arena, we couldn't leave until after the first session of games.

From my friends house we headed to the Original Pancake House where I drank way too much coffee and ate chocolate chip pancakes - very tasty. Then we drove to SDSU just to find out that there was a bomb scare and they weren't letting any one in. So we stood around for one hour waiting. It seems some bomb sniffing dog thought it smelled something in a vendors cart - but it turned out to be nothing. Sounds like it is time for that puppy to retire. I was surprised how quickly they got everyone inside. They were checking bags but not coats. It would have been easy to bring in a gun, bomb or even a flask of whiskey, which apparently many people did - the whiskey that is, not the other two items.

Once inside we found our seats, which were off in a corner and were bench seats. That meant four games of sitting with me knees jammed into the person in front of me and no back support. We took lots of breaks during the day. As far as the games go, I really didn't care who won because I didn't fill out a bracket or bet on the games, but most of the four games were exciting. The first game was really close with Alabama winning and in the second game UCLA was ahead by 30 with 10 minutes remaining, so we exited the arena early (we had to anyways after the first session even though we had tickets for the second session).

Our goal was to find food and beer. Apparently the local eating places didn't realize that there was a tournament going on with 12,000 people looking to buy beer. We managed to get one beer each at the first stop but then when we went to a deli that sold beer they ran out after we had been in line for 15 minutes. So off to 7/11 we went. Now this was an interesting experience. There was long line and only one poor clerk. So what people were doing was drinking their beer while standing in line. Now I resisted this saying it was shoplifting, which it was, but I eventually gave in to peer pressure. It was one big party with people drinking and eating while the line slowly moved. So after about 15 minutes we paid for our beer and then stood outside in the parking lot drinking beer in front of a sign that read "No loirting or drinking alcoholic beverages". Breaking the law once more in plain sight.

We eventually walked back to the arena in time to see the second quarter of the third game. About halfway through the fourth game, which was really boring, we left to go to Trophy's to watch the Aztec's game which was being played in Salt Lake City. They were ahead by 10 points but then due to turnovers and sloppy play the Aztecs LOST to Indiana! Their season is over. All that was left to do was finish our food and go home. What a fun day it was to ditch work, and we get to do it all over again on Saturday. There are only two games on Saturday and we will plan our day differently knowing that there is no beer sales at the arena.

Mustang Pictures with Me

I finally took my new car for a joy ride on Sunday after my big hike. It was a nice day to cruise around town. I drove to my Brothers house where I showed-off my new car and even let him take a test drive.How was that ride? Let me just say that now I know what my car can do on a twisty road with sharp curves. I just hung on and smiled nervously. My brother has 25 years of Mustang driving experience, so except for stalling the car once he shifted much better than I have been. I plan on driving to work this week at least once, so I'll get used to that clutch soon enough.

Mt. Woodson Hike

A group of us Mt. Whitney hikers climbed Mt. Woodson near Ramona today. We started at the Highway 67 side at 1700 ft. and hiked up the paved road to the top. It was so cold that there were patches of "snow" along the way. It must have hailed during the night pretty hard. The road was very steep, and I wouldn't have been so tired had I not drank beer the night before. At the 2800 ft. peak the views of the snow covered local mountains were spectacular. It doesn't snow this much very often in San Diego county.

After a rest at the top we decided to hike down the west side to Lake Poway. Luckily one of the guy's wife agreed to pick us up. I enjoyed this route ever more. The trail was slightly muddy but much softer than the pavement. This route is longer and the change in elevation is greater. By the time we arrived at the parking lot my legs were tired and muscles sore, but my knees felt just fine. After getting back to our car we headed to CPK for lunch and boy did that pizza taste good. Next week we will find another place to hike.

Mustang After one Day

So I get into my new car for the fist time to drive it off the dealer lot, turn the key and nothing happens! What am I doing wrong? After two more tries, the dealer opens the door and says "It won't start unless you press in the clutch." Boy do I feel like an idiot. I forgot I bought a stick, apparently, plus after driving an automatic for five years it is going to take a while getting used to a manual.

The car already had 12 miles on it, which seems like a lot considering nobody test drove it except the mechanic and the dealer took it to fill the gas tank. Yesterday I drove the car home and then later went for a short joy ride, so there are still very few miles on the car. Today it sat in the garage and since it should be raining for the next few days, I don't know when I'll be driving it next. I will eventually take a drive in the rain and will probably end up driving it to work more than once a week.

My 2006 Mustang GT

Wallowing in Garbage

Considering how empty and clean I thought my garage was, I sure spent a lot of my three day weekend cleaning it. I cleaned up oil stains, added more shelves, destroyed the old, very well made wooden ones and hauled everying and then some to the dump. This was my first trip to a dump. I drove the truck in this large building and threw the scrap wood and other stuff in a pile of garbage while standing in some slimy muck. At least it is done, except for properly disposing of some old oil and coolant fluid. Hopefully my Mustang will arive this week and I can park it in my nice clean garage.

On another subject, my friend received eight two-day hiking permits for Mt. Whitney in June - so the trip is on. Let the training begin.

Charmed Has been Canceled!

I'm not surprised but I'm still saddened. I started watching this show after Shannen Doherty left this show. She was the reason I didn't watch Charmed in the beginning - I just don't like her as a person or actress. I have enjoyed the show over the past few seasons, (so much so that I have started collecting Charmed action figures) but I could tell that the writers were running out of ideas. They seemed to be repeating story lines from previous episodes, and dare I say, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Last season ended with the sisters all being killed - sort of. Sound familiar? This season we have a new character or two, both cute young women, one of which is the "key" to the ultimate power. Sound familiar? I expect the season finale to be worth watching and I'm excited to see what happens to each main character. I might even have a Charmed party that night, if anybody is interested.

Garage Shelving Project

Today I finally installed some new shelving in my garage. The project started with a trip to Lowe's where I bought all the necessary items. Then I got home I started by installing the vertical supports. All was going well until I tried to set the shelves on the support brackets. Apparently if you are off my even a fraction of an inch in the spacing of the supports then the shelves won't fit correctly. So rather than panicing or getting really mad, I just set them in as best I could using a hammer and was happy with the results. Once items are places on the shelves it doesn't matter that they are not sitting perfect. I bought enough for another set, but I might return those and get a different kind of shelf. This is all in an effort to trash a huge wooden shelf that was there when I bought my condo. Once I have everything off that old shelf then I have to bust it up and somehow take the pieces to the trash.

My Mustang Has Been Built

I just found out that my Mustang was built on Valentine's Day. This could be good or bad. If the factory workers were worried about buying a gift for their spouse, or if they had no one to buy a gift for, then the car could turn out to be a lemon. However, if they were happy about the day and in a good mood then I could be getting a well built car. It will be shipped soon, which will take up to two weeks, so it is on schedule to arrive the second week of March.

Karl Strauss Free Beer

Here I am drinking beer thanks to Karl Strauss and the $25 gift certificate I won. As usual, the beer and food was exceptional.

Sunday Morning Project

I had been planning this project for six months and finally tackled it this morning. I used to have a large hutch above my computer desk but after I took it down I liked how my room looked, plus it added more wall space for my action figures. However, I had some "loose" figures that I needed to be displayed, so I added these two shelves. The figures are an odd assortment including my original Star Wars figures that I played with as a kid, Simpson's Pez dispensers, two cats, some Buffy figures, Nibbler and a group of Homies. I now realize that I need a third support because the shelves are slightly warped. I wanted to center the two supports, but the studs in the wall are oddly spaced. Perhaps in another six months I can fix the warping, but first I have a bigger project - putting shelves in the garage to make room for the new Mustang!

Car Repairs, Basketball and Free Beer

Yesterday I took my car into Toyota because the "check engine" light was on. The bad news was that they had to replace the catalytic converter and it was going to take all day. The good news was that it was under warranty so it was free for me. This was the second time I've had this problem with my 2001 RAV/4. The first time was at 20,600 miles. It seems that there was a problem with this model and many people had to get this work done. They also had to replace two air fuel sensors and two oxygen sensors both times. The repairs would have cost $1300. The car has 69,000 miles now so hopefully this is the last time I'll have to worry about catalytic converters.

Yesterday I watched a high school basketball game at my alma mater but was cheering for the other team which is coached by my friend. I felt torn between allegiances but I'll live with that. I never attended any school sporting events while I was in grade school, so it seems strange to start during my 30's. There was an episode of the Simpson's, I believe, where for some reason Bart said "I don't want to grow up to be one of those 35 year olds who show up to high school basketball games." I laughed at that joke but then wondered if that is how someone might see me. I go to these games with other friends and their families, so it is not like I'm hanging-out alone. My friend's team won and hopefully they made the playoffs which start this week.

Today I received a letter from Karl Strauss Brewery. I quickly opened it up hoping it was a gift certificate for $25 and it was! Last year I entered a contest by filling out an online survey about my experience at Karl Strauss in Carlsbad and they said 1/20 people would win $25. My sister bought the meal and we agreed that if I won I would use the certificate when she was with me. She always says, "free beer comes my way", and once again it has.

Happy Valentine's Day (Beer)

I had forgotten what day it was until I drove home from work and experienced extra bad traffic. Everyone must have been leaving work early to buy their loved one some flowers and candy. I witnessed this when I stopped at the store to buy dinner. There I was, standing in the checkout line with a frozen pizza and a six pack of beer, while all the other men were purchasing flowers. I actually bought two pizzas, so maybe they thought I had a real cool wife, or something. However, don't feel sad for me - this cold beer tastes great!

I Feel Great

And it is a beautiful day outside. My knees feel fine after yesterdays hike and I have a ton of energy. I haven't felt this good in months! Now I need an outlet for all this excess energy.

First Hike of 2006

Yes, it was once again time to hike Iron Mountain. This is my first hike in the series of warm-up hikes for Mt. Whitney. For the first time recently I used a hiking stick - a ski pole. This seemed to help on the steep parts of the trail where big steps were necessary, but it also got in the way on the flat parts. I won't know if it help my knees until I wake up tomorrow. Next time I might try wearing some knee braces I bought a long time ago - if they still fit. I'm hoping these warm-up hikes help strengthen my muscles and not damage my knees, making the Mt. Whitney trek impossible. Time will see.

View From Work

This is the view of the Pacific Ocean that I can see from my new place of work. Too bad I spend the whole day inside a windowless room. Actually, I have been going for a walk at lunch along a road above the sea cliffs. The other day I saw two dolphins riding a wave, and they were having much more fun than me.

Tentative Date for my Mustang

Good news! The tentative date for delivery of my 2006 Mustang GT is the week of March 5. Four weeks and counting.

Mt. Whitney

I have committed to climbing Mt. Whitney this summer! My friend who is organizing this adventure has submitted the necessary forms to request a hiking permit. I don't know if I will be able to make it too the summit due to my knee problem and the thin air. I have never been above 12,000 feet, and at that altitude I was feeling dizzy and had a headache. My doctor said that he will prescribe some pills that will help with the altitude sickness. We will go on numerous warm-up hikes, so I will know before hand if my knees will survive. I have been taking glucosamine daily for some time and it definitely helps, but it might not be enough. Perhaps some kind of knee brace plus good hiking boots and a hiking stick will help too.

I Bought a Mustang!

However, it is currently in 1000s of pieces waiting to be assembled into a car and then delivered to me in 6 to 8 weeks. I told the salesman at Perry Ford, who was very nice and didn't pressure me at all to buy, about my bad experience at Mossy and he took another $100 off the price. I ordered a 2006 GT Coupe Premium, redfire metallic, 5 speed manual, interior upgrade, side airbags, alarm and 18" wheels. What am I most excited about? Being able to select from 256 colors for the dashboard lights! That and the fun of driving my first real sports car. So now I wait.

Avoid Mossy Ford!

First off, DON'T GO TO MOSSY FORD! Let me regress. First I went to Kearney Mesa Ford where no salesman came near me - which was nice. All their Mustangs were MSRP, except for one V6 with dealer installed wheels - 245/45Z18 - for an extra $4000! Why on a V6? Who knows. They had several redfire Mustangs, so I was able to see which wheel looked the best with that color, and the premium aluminum did. So then I left and drove down to Mossy Ford, and as soon as I stepped foot on the lot, a slimy looking salesman rushed towards me. I tried my best to get rid of him, and when I asked for his card so I could leave, he said his cards were inside, which I knew was a trick. He took me straight to his sales manager, who tried to sell me a car today for $500 below MSRP. I told him that I didn't want to buy a car today and said that this was my second bad experience at Mossy Ford and then I left. I got home after eating lunch (another interesting story) and then took the business card, tore it in half and threw it away. My previous bad experience at Mossy Ford was a similar situation. I was interested in a blue Ford Escape. The salesman I was talking to then brought me to the sales manager, who tried to sell be a red model and told me that the color didn't matter because when you are driving a car you don't see the color except for the hood. Does that make since? No! So through the power of blogging, I am doing my best to keep people away from a dealership that I think is not worthy of your business.

Mustang Test Drive

Today I took two 2006 Mustangs for a test drive. First an automatic and then a manual. What surprised me the most was not the power, but the leg room. I actually had enough room for my tall legs. I didn't get a chance to really drive the car fast or hard because I was in Poway I there are sheriffs around every corner. The cars had plenty of power and rode fairly smooth and yet steady. They didn't have the color I wanted, Redfire Metallic, but I might end up custom ordering a Mustang so I can get the options I want without searching all local dealers for a close match.

Broncos Defeat Sundevils by one Point.

National Monuments in Arizona

The last leg of our trip took us through Arizona where we made very quick visits to two Indian ruins and a friends house. We first stopped at Montezuma Castle, where there are cliff dwellings to view. The photo on the right is all that there is to see, really. So after 45 minutes we drove down to our hotel in North Phoenix.

The next day our only plan was to visit some friends in the area, but since we had a few hours to kill first we zipped out to Casa Grande National Monument. This Indian ruin was more impressive than the last, plus you could walk right up to it (but not go in). It is covered by a large roof to prevent further erosion. There was a nice museum with interesting facts about the history of the region, plus other smaller ruins from this once thriving civilization of the 14th century.

Our last stop (almost) before heading home was to visit some friends. They had to leave an hour after we got there, so there wasn't much time to talk. The long drive across the desert on New Year's Eve brought us to the Palm Springs area for one last visit with some people I had never met. I arrived at my house before the new year and before all the drunks hit the road. At midnight I celebrated the new year with a shot of Jack Daniel's and had two days to relax before going back to work. It sure would be nice to take a vacation like that every month.

Grand Canyon in the Winter

We left Kanab early in the morning with a quick stop at trusty McDonald's for a McBreakfast meal. Our destination was the south rim of the Grand Canyon, and to get there we had to take a long and very scenic route through Navajo Nation. We arrived at the Grand Canyon rather quickly because the roads were vacant of all the summer travelers. There was plenty of sunlight left for picture taking and enjoying the beautiful views from the rim. After a few stops we ate lunch, checked into our hotel and then walked to the Rim Trail. Plenty of good viewing areas along the way and the picture taking was non-stop. Just after sunset we decided to eat at one of the nicer restaurants, but even in the winter, there was a 45 minutes wait. The fish I ate was a little dry, but the beer sure tasted good after spending the last four days in Utah where all the brews were 3.2 beer. After dinner we realized that we had over a mile to walk back to the hotel - in the dark! We walked along the main road, following the white stripe on the right side of the road which was visible only by the light from the brightly shining stars. It was very cold and as people drove by us on the street, blinding us with their headlights, they probably wondered who those crazy people were walking in the dark. Once we got to our rooms, I fell asleep very quickly. The next morning it was a blustery 8 degrees outside as we headed off to breakfast. Our goal was to hike the South Kaibab Trail down to Cedar Point. Once again, because it was winter, traffic was light and parking was available at the trailhead. The beginning of this trail takes you straight down the side of a cliff - at least it seems. From there the trail descends more gradually along switchbacks to a place called Ohh-Ahh Point. I don't think I could have made it any farther because my knees were hurting pretty bad. The hike to this point was 1.5 miles and included almost 1000 feet of elevation decline. We rested, took more photos, and then started our hike back up. Even though it was very cold, we quickly unzipped our jackets as we got very hot, as can be seen by this photo of me near a sign warning hikers not to attempt to hike down to the river and back in one day (Yes, more people gave us strange looks as I posed for this shot). It took us about an hour to hike down and not much longer to hike back up. This was a very rewarding hike. The views down inside the canyon are uniquely different than those from the rim, plus it was good exercise. This concluded our eventful trip to the Grand Canyon, which was actually just my second time visiting the South Rim. The first time was way back in 1983 with my brother and father!

Bryce Canyon in the Winter

Continuing on our Winter vacation, we left Salt Lake City and headed south to Kanab, stopping at Bryce Canyon on the way. This was my fourth trip to this national park, and the second time I've been there in the winter. The snow on the ground provided a very scenic view, however, it prevented us from hiking down into the canyon, which I have done before and would like to do again.We arrived about two hours before sunset, so we didn't have much time to enjoy this crowd-free visit. After a stop at the visitors center, we continued on to Kanab, UT, where we ate a very filling dinner and rested up for the next day's drive to the Grand Canyon.

Mardi Gras Trip ...

... has been canceled! My friend started planning a trip to New Orleans a year ago, long before Katrina, to celebrate our friends 40th birthday. We were going to surprise him, but because most of the invitees couldn't go, including the guest of honor, the trip has been canceled. Instead we will make our yearly trek to Phoenix for Spring Training baseball in late March. Someday I'll make it to The Big Easy, maybe even during Mardi Gras.

Time For Cigars and Whiskey

A 3 Liter Bottle of Arrogant Bastard Ale

Opened for the first time in five years for a special occasion.

Joey Smoking a Cigar

The Stragglers Finishing off the Food and Beer

Karl Strauss Firkin Jan 06

Latter Day Stout

By now you are probably getting tired of seeing pictures of me holding a beer (a trend started by my sister). I know I am. However, I traveled all the way to Salt Lake City just to try the Latter Day Stout at the Desert Edge Brewery. This stout had great flavor, however, it was a little to watery for me. I like my beers dark and thick. I would have liked to try their other beers, however, I dragged my brother and sister-in-law here and they don't drink beer, plus we had other sites to visit (see previous post). Next time I'm in SLC I'll revisit this place and try their other selections of brews and food.

Christmas Time at the Mormon Temple

During Christmas, the grounds around the Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City are decorated with bright, colorful lights and open to the public. It is quite a wonderful site. The tree you see on the right in this photo must of had one million red lights. It looked like there were lights on every single branch and twig of the tree. Walking around and looking at all these decorations really got me into the Christmas spirit, even though Christmas was already over.

HP Officejet 7310xi

Up until one hour ago I was happy with this printer/scanner/fax which I bought at Costco. When I printed a simple document, half the lines were missing! After several printer cleanings, which use up paper and expensive ink, the printer is almost printing normal again. I had an Epson that would not print well after weeks of non-use, but I expected more from this HP printer. If it keeps giving me trouble I'll have to take advantage of Costco's return policy (you can return anything except computers anytime for any reason).

What a Perfect Rainy, Winter Day

Today is the perfect day for a winter storm. I had planned to stay home and do laundry, watch bowl games and post blogs, which is exactly what I'm doing now, all at the same time! I'm not looking forwards to going back to work tomorrow. I don't even know if I still have a job. I would rather stay on vacation - for the rest of my life.

Christmas and Skiing in Utah

Spending Christmas Eve and morning in a Casino was kind of surreal. We drove to Mesquite on Christmas Eve, stopping in Las Vegas for a buffet and a visit with relatives. On Christmas morning, we ate a breakfast buffet at the casino and then I gambled and lost $1 playing slots. Gambling on Christmas must be a sin, but oh well. From there we drove to our Aunts husbands son's house for a Christmas meal. This too turned into a buffet, with lots of good food and desserts. Most of the people there, and it was a full house, were not directly related to me, so it was nice of them to invite us on a short notice.

The day after Christmas we went skiing at Alta. Now I hadn't been skiing in over eight years, so I felt like a beginner. Even though I have my own skis, I still rented. Skis are now shaped differently, making them easier to turn - or so I was told. I still had trouble turning and had to snow-plow way too much. I think part of the problem is my right ankle moves around in my boot, plus I could use a ski lesson, which I have never taken.


The ski conditions were almost perfect. It snowed the whole day, so there was a nice thin layer of powder covering the hills (much better than ice). The only problem was with the blowing snow it was sometimes difficult to see the terrain. I quit around 3:00 as my legs were getting tired and sore. Back at the car, we saw that there was about 4" of snow on the hood.

The next day I convinced my Brother and his wife to go cross country skiing. There was a place in Park City where my sister and I skied before. It was on a golf course with three different trails to choose from. This time we opted for the 3 km one. By the time we were done we were all tired, hot and ready to stop. Cross country skiing is a lot of work, and yet still fun, at least I think so. So we returned our rented skis, ate lunch and went back to our Aunt and Uncles house for the night.

Family in Salt Lake City

Here is a family photo taken in Salt Lake City after Christmas. It wasn't easy getting this many people to pose for a group photo, plus I had trouble setting the timer on my camera. It took many tries to get this picture, but I think it turned out well. Everyone was smiling because they had been laughing at my Uncle and I as we attempted to operate our cameras.

2006 Rav 4

They took my 2001 Rav 4, stretched it 14 inches and added a larger optional V6 engine. I don't know if I like the look, but I like the extra interior room and horsepower.

Orange Hot Rod

This car really stood out at the car show. Not sure what it was, other than very orange and without tail lights.

2006 Mustang at the Car Show

Here's my brother sitting in a new torch red Mustang. I prefer the redfire metallic color, but all new Mustangs look good.

2005 San Diego Auto Show

Cute but expensive two-seater at the car show. We walked the entire floor, spending time looking at the hot new Ford Mustangs and ignoring the boring Lincons.