Easter Sunday 2006

This Easter was even more non-traditional that last year, with an afternoon in Hollywood and a lunch at the Jazz Cafe in Downtown Disneyland. We drove to Hollywood and first looked at the old hand and foot prints in the cement at Groman's Chinese theatre. I was shocked at how many people were walking around on Easter Sunday. I'm sure that on a normal weekend there would be many more, but I can't say because this was my first time here. Then, we walked up the street looking at the stars along the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I had to get my photo taken with the Simpon's star.

After about an hour we drove down Sunset Blvd., Rodeo Drive and then Wilshire, looking at all the famous places, rich homes and interesting people. From there we headed to Downtown Disney to eat a late lunch at the Jazz Cafe. There wasn't much of a crowd there, and it looked liked the band just finished playing. The Jambalaya hit the spot, as well as the beer and dessert.

Now I'm getting ready for my new job tomorrow. I have to turn my brain back on after two weeks of slumming around. I didn't get any household chores done, but I did have fun with hikes, car shows, Las Vegas and Easter.

Two Hikes in one Week

My leg muscles and knees hadn't even recovered from Tuesdays hike and once again I torchered them by hiking up good-old Iron Mountain.

Vegas Trip

Here is a photo of me before starting the big hike at Red Rock Canyon. The sun was out so the rocks look very red.

This is the peak that we decided to hike to. It is 2000 feet above our current location.

The path up follows this canyon, then at the top you circle around to the right to reach the peak. There is no well defined trails. Instead there are many different paths to take, but most lead to the top. On the way down we took one wrong turn and ended up at a dead end.

Here is photo of Mark at the top with a view of Las Vegas in the background.

And here I am at the top. I wish I had brought my hiking poles. The path was very steep and we had trouble keeping our footing on the way down.

Beside this hike, I also had two nice dinners with my friends, did a little gambling and drank some beer. I never made it to The Strip, nor did I need to. I left for home this morning and the drive home was much nicer with no road closures.

Me not Drinking Beer

Mark and Jayne Drinking Margaritas

Red Rock Canyon

This is the view from the top of Turtlehead Peak in Red Rock Canyon, NV. We for some reason decided to hike the most difficult trail in the park, not realizing that the 2000 ft. climb was straight up the mountain. The round trip was 5 miles and took us 3:45. The peak is at 6300 ft. and as we climbed up we never thought we would reach it, but I had summit fever once again. The view from the top was unbelievable, with views of Las Vegas and beyond to Lake Meade. It was very cold and windy there and because of the clouds, the photos I took don't really show the redness of the area. We celebrated the trek with a beer at the bottom, and then drove home for a late lunch. My legs are killing me, which will make the drive home tomorrow interesting now that I have a clutch to worry about. I'll post more photos of this hike after I get home.

Chicago Brewery in Las Vegas

After a long drive to Las Vegas this Stout sure tasted good. I thought it would be a simple drive to Vegas, but little did I know that the I-15 would be closed at Baker. Seems that there was a chemical spill and all traffic was being routed on east I-40. After a few phone calls I knew what route to take, because there were no signs telling you where to go. It took me an extra two hours to reach Vegas, plus I arrived during rush hour traffic. However, I had fun driving in my new Mustang, and didn't even get a ticket. Tomorrow I go hiking at Red Rock.

Ford Car Show at Knott's

Now that I own a Ford I'm allowed to attend Ford car shows. The car show was at Knott's Berry Farm and there were all models and years of Fords from the Model T to T-Birds, and of course Mustangs galore. Pictured to the left is a 1942 Ford. How can you tell the year? Apparently displaying the year on a Carl's Jr. table marker was the thing to do. While we were heading towards the T-Birds, we got distracted by the Pintos. If you thought that all Pintos were in the junk yard you were wrong. They are alive and well here in Southern California. After a while viewing all these cars was like viewing paintings in a museum, they all start looking the same. I was interested in seeing how someone mounted their XM Radio receive to the dashboard, but only one car had one and it didn't help me decide. I also wanted to see how people modified their Mustang, but I may just keep mine stock for now. After walking in the sun for hours, with a break to eat a filling fried chicken lunch, it was time to go home. As we drove south on the freeway, we saw many of the Fords heading home as well.

You Can Never Go Home Again

Pictured above is how the house that I grew up in looked just days before the buyer took ownership. There were a few tall weeds in the front yard, but the flowers and fruit trees that my Dad planted and took care of were thriving in the spring air. The new owner had plans to remodel the house, but he said he would try to keep most of the trees and as much of the house as he could. After all, the house was old but the roof was new. Well, the house sat for almost six months with nothing happening. It looked abandoned. Then I drove by and to my horror, all the fruit trees that my Dad planted and were taken care of by my Mom and the rest of the family, trees that had been there since 1969, like the fig tree, were gone! The whole yard was wiped clear of all vegatation and covered with wood chips.

So I drive by the house again this week because I heard that the yard had been graded and I saw the worst thing possible - the house was all but destroyed. Only the foundation and some of the frame were left. Now I was shocked but not surprised. It would have been hard to remodel the home as it was. My Dad always hoped that one of his children would move into the house after he was gone, but we all had our own homes and it would have been lots of work to fix the house up. I'm interested in seeing how the new house looks. Like all the other houses in the neighbor hood that were remodeled after being sold by the original owners, it probably will be an unrecognizable mansion. So, like they say, you can never go home again.

Blue Mustang in Progress

My brother has made progress on his project. The Mustang has been painted but more painting still to be done.

Firkin Friday

Apparently it was a Firkin Friday at Karl Strauss and I didn't even realize it. This time the Firkin was a Porter, and kind of harsh it was, but I still liked it.

XM Radio

Well, I just bought an XM Satellite radio receiver from Costco and subscribed for one year of service. So far I've only listened to XM in my house, but plan to use it mostly in my cars. I like the music selections they offer, but the audio quality isn't as good as I thought, or I'm doing something wrong. As a bonus, you can listen to the XM channels online.

Shredding the Day Away

So this is how I would spend my days if I didn't have to work. I cleaned out my filing cabinet and shredded tons of old papers. Yes, it needed to be done, and yes it was a raining day, but fun and excitement it lacked. I made a list of things to do tomorrow do I don't sit around the house again. However, the weekend and next week look better with a trip to a Ford auto show at Knott's Berry Farm and and a drive to Las Vegas in my new Mustang on Monday. Maybe next week I'll have time to do some touch-up painting and replace my bathroom sink and porch light. I should have taken three weeks off between jobs just so I could accomplish all I had planned to do.

Desert Sunset

Camping at Agua Caliente Hot Springs

I just spent this last weekend camping at the Agua Caliente Regional Park in the San Diego County desert. I drove out there Friday afternoon with a friend and we joined a large group of people for a two night adventure. There were several groups of people there, most of which I had never met before. Some people brought their dune-buggies for off-roading, others brought horseshoes for pastime games and everyone brought plenty of food and drinks. On Saturday we went on a group hike that followed the Moonlight Canyon Trail on a 2.5 mile easy loop though hills and canyons where there was wildflowers and cactus to view. Luckily it never got too hot, however at night not only was it cold but the wind kicked up and blew loudly on everyone's tents (except for those camping in RVs) , keeping us awake at night. Luckily I had my tent securely staked to the ground so it didn't blow away, but it did get a rip in a pole loop. Saturday night was the big potluck, and like I said there was way too much food. Even when I thought I was full, someone came around with homemade chilli and later there was fire-heated stuffed apples. Then came Sunday, the nicest day, and everyone packed up and left except for a few of us who stuck around into the early afternoon. I look forward to more camping this year.

I Quit My Job!

I don't usually talk about my work, but this is a life changing event. After almost 15 years at the same company, I turned in my letter of resignation yesterday after accepting a position at another company. I was so nervous when I told my manager that I could barley speak. This is the first time I have quit a professional job. I'll be taking vacation for the next two weeks before I start the new job, giving me time to relax, do some home repairs and go on some more hikes.

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.