Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sorry
For those 0-1 people that have actually slightly enjoyed reading my journal, I apologize. For the rest of you, you could probably care less. But although writing in a "detailed" obnoxious style is very enjoyable to me, it is too time consuming, especially when internet is few and far between. So I prefer to spend my traveling soaking in new cultures, taking way too many pictures and eating and eating. And more eating. If anybody cares, I might try to write it all up when I get home. Otherwise, I'm going to have the time of my life until I have to think about starting my life.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Creamsicle and the Beardless Woodsman: Day 14
Today ended up being another relaxing day, which I totally won’t complain about at all. Relaxing is one of my few talents, and I like to take advantage of my talents whenever possible. Vaughn and I drove to Safeway to get some groceries, and I got a haircut on the same trip. The first place I went to check out for my haircut was a run-down looking salon, and when I walked in it was all Latino ladies in the shop. Needless to say I got a couple intriguing looks, but that’s nothing new for me (with my big muscles and all) so I wasn’t bothered too much. Unfortunately, they couldn’t get me in until later and I wanted to get it over with. So I went to the salon right next door to that one. Again, no availability. So I ended up going to the place next to Safeway, and when I walked in it was two Asian people and they got me right in. Unfortunately, the lady didn’t speak too good of English, so wasn’t really a way of explaining what I wanted to her…mistake. She did, however, cut of a curl and asked me if that was how much I wanted taken off (about an inch) and I said yes. I guess yes is not in her English vocabulary, because I am sitting here right now typing this with next to no hair. Every time Sonya cuts my hair she washes and conditions it to she can get a comb through my hair to cut it. This lady did nothing of the sort. She spritzed one spritz of water on my hair and went at it. Let’s just say I should have called the cops because I felt like my head was getting murdered!!! (forgive the corny joke, it’s very late right now and my sense of humor has been a little off for the past 22 years or so). That pain is something I prefer to forget as soon as possible, so I will stop talking about it. Anyways, she just kept cutting and clipping and buzzing and clipping and cutting, and before I knew it my head looked almost as big as, well, my head. My hair looked small which made my head look huge!! The lady then asked if I wanted my eyebrows cut too, which I thought was kinda weird. So I said “WTFuck!! Are you saying there’s something wrong with my eyebrows?” and she said “ya scrub, you needs to get them bitches trimmed before they take yo face over!”. That one hurt a little so I started crying a bit and then she apologized and we made up. Gosh I must be tired if I just wrote that. But she really did ask me if I wanted my eyebrows cut too, which I thought was weird. And then, at the end, she said that I looked much younger, like I’m supposed to take that as a compliment or something. But I just put my best smile on and put the dimples on full display and her heart melted and she didn’t know the difference. Anyways, enough on the haircut. Bottom line is it’s very short, so I look like Brad Pitt now instead of Orlando Bloom. After that we headed back, and on the radio on the way back was none other than Hit Me Baby One More Time!! I know San Francisco isn’t the best place for two straight guys to be rockin out to Britney Spears in the car with the windows down, but I didn’t care. I was in the zone!! That was my first cd after all. So Vaughn and I rocked out. When we got back we watched some movies and kicked the soccer ball and through the football on the beach (which I forgot to mention is about 50 yards from David and Scott’s house). We knew we were having portabella mushrooms and potatoes for dinner, but we didn’t know what the main course was. But when David came home, he brought a HUGE fresh (caught the day of) salmon fillet. He also brought home some freshly smoked fish (salmon and Chilean sea bass) which was the best smoked fish I’ve ever had, hands down. If I had a bagel and cream cheese to go with it, I might have had a new Heaven. But I still couldn’t stop eating it so I made David put it away before I finished it all. So we grilled the salmon and the mushrooms and potatoes for dinner, which was delicious as always. After that we relaxed and went to bed, but I didn’t go to sleep. I started catching up on GLEE finally!!! And boy was that ever an episode to start catching up on!!! All I have to say is Adelle, Artie singing Stevie Wonder, Rebecca Black and Jar of Hearts all in one episode. Holy freaking crap.
In honor of Glee, a couple quotes from my dream girl, Brittany:
''Did you know that dolphins are just gay sharks?... Yeah.''
''People thought I went on vacation but actually, I spent the summer lost in the sewers.''
''Can you please not pull all my teeth? When I smile, I’ll look like an adult baby, but with boobs."
In honor of Glee, a couple quotes from my dream girl, Brittany:
''Did you know that dolphins are just gay sharks?... Yeah.''
''People thought I went on vacation but actually, I spent the summer lost in the sewers.''
''Can you please not pull all my teeth? When I smile, I’ll look like an adult baby, but with boobs."
Friday, August 19, 2011
Creamsicle and the Beardless Woodsman: Day 13
This was a nice relaxation day. We slept in (for some reason I woke up at 8:30, I must be getting old) and relaxed most of the day. Vaughn and I went shopping (on Vaughn’s grandpa’s money; just another person I have to thank) with the list that the rest of the family made for dinner stuff that we were gonna grill out. What a f#@$%&* list!! We got lettuce, eggplant, portabella mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, zucchini, red peppers, corn, ribeyes, filet mignons, potatoes, wine, and of course fuzzy navels (the same ones as I had on July 4th, but obviously the ones on July 4th were for the girls and so were these…DEFINITELY not for me). After the massive shopping trip, we came back and relaxed for a bit more and then began the feast for the ages. Even though we did have 8 people to cook for (including the human vacuums that are myself and Vaughnypoo), that list ended up being way too much food. So we didn’t cook the mushrooms or the potatoes, and we didn’t end up doing the salad. But Vaughn did most of the grilling (I would have helped, but messing with Vaughn while he is grilling is like messing with a woman’s radio while she is driving…and I prefer keep all my fingers) and I made a vegetable medley with red peppers, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, feta cheese, garlic, salt and pepper and olive oil. I put them all together in tin foil and put it on the grill for about 10 minutes. The rest of the food was all grilled. As we were cooking, we did the manly thing and Vaughn drank a beer and I had some sort of drink that, for the life of me, I can’t remember what it was, but I know it was really really manly, and it most certainly wasn’t a mixture of peach schnopps and orange juice in a glass bottle with a twist off cap. So we cooked everything in rounds, with the vegetables first and meat last. The meal was absolutely scrumptious, and my fat ass ate way too much (and yet somehow not enough at the same time). We were all tired and lazy after the meal, and nothing much else happened before we went to bed other than ice cream.
"The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook."
-Julia Child
It baffles me why I'm so much more attracted to a girl that can eat and not worry about it. But I am, and it ain't gonna change.
"The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook."
-Julia Child
It baffles me why I'm so much more attracted to a girl that can eat and not worry about it. But I am, and it ain't gonna change.
Creamsicle and the Beardless Woodsman: Day 12
Not much happened today except for a nice dinner. We all woke up and packed up and got in the cars to head back to San Francisco. Vaughn, John, Michelle and I drove in Seymour and we stopped by a good Mexican restaurant on the way back. For dessert we got a flan that had some sort of orange syrup on it, which was delicious. Something about the word “flan” makes me feel really rich and high class, and it’s probably the only thing in my whole life that will ever make me feel rich and high class. But hey, as long as I’m happy than I don’t need to be rich…my wife will be . When we all got home we just relaxed and played some cards until dinner, when we went to a restaurant called Flavor. It was delicious!! We all got the fixed menu meal that came with an appetizer, and entrée and a dessert. Vaughn and I split the appetizers (one was bruschetta and the other was short rib meat on top of guacamole on top of French bread slices…mmm). For my entrée I got lamb shanks with a cheesy broccoli risotto which was nothing short of amazing as well. I feel bad for the lamb, but if it ever knew how happy it made me, I’m sure it would think it was worth it. I then got chocolate chocolate cheesecake for dessert. I allow myself to eat fatty foods from time to time. After that we went back to the house and we all said by to Peter, Ms. Creamer and Maggie because they were flying back the next morning. Then we all went to bed.
"For I don't care too much for money, for money can't buy me love." - The Beatles
"For I don't care too much for money, for money can't buy me love." - The Beatles
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Creamsicle and the Beardless Woodsman: Day 11
Last day of Yosemite Hike!!
17 miles total including 2 miles up Half Dome and two miles back down
Today was the day we had been dreading and looking forward to the whole trip. We were gonna do about 7 miles to the trail split for Half Dome, climb about 2000 ft., the last 400 straight up while holding onto cables, come back down and then go another 6 or so down to the valley. The only good thing was that we thought we were gonna be going downhill the whole time other than the Half Dome part because we were losing about 4000 ft. total in elevation during the day. Of course, that wasn’t totally true. But anyways, we did start the morning off right. Scott, John and Michelle left before breakfast because they planned on doing Half Dome and needed the extra time. Maggie, Vaughn, and myself decided to eat breakfast because we were a little faster and figured we had the time to do so, along with doing Half Dome. Peter, Nancy and David were not doing Half Dome so they had the time to eat breakfast and relax on their whole hike down to the valley. So right at the end of breakfast we all saw Danger Rave walk in. David said we should get a picture with him so I asked him if we could do that. Of course he said yes because he is a gentleman in all meanings of the word. We all went outside and took the first picture, which we wanted to do poses to scare bears away (he talked about and demonstrated his at the fire talk the night before). After that, Danger said that we should take another one like old college buddies. That is where my breath cut short, my heart started beating real fast and, if it weren’t for Maggie, I would have fallen from my knees buckling. To be considered an old college buddy of Danger Raves could have been the most super exciting and flattering compliment I have ever gotten. So we took the picture, I caught my breath, and when my legs regained feeling we went to get our packs and began the hike. Like I said before, we were expecting downhill the whole way. So not true. Basically the whole trail to the Half Dome split was uphill, besides the last mile or so. But we were determined people on a mission, and nothing was gonna stop us from reaching our goals. So to get our minds of it, we sang. The songs we sang will remain unmentioned for the sake of my manly reputation. When we got to the split we met up with Scott, John and Michelle and hid our packs in the woods. We then headed up to Half Dome. The ranger that checked our permits did not warn us about steepness or loose rocks or falling off or edges or anything like that, all he said was “be careful of the squirrels and marmots”. That put my mind at ease about the steepness and cliffs and stuff, but all I could think of then was squirrels flying at my face and chewing at my ankles while going up the cables. Very reassuring. The first part was basically a straight up steep trail for about 20 minutes or so, which only got us to the top of the first hump. The view was spectacular from there, but we knew it was gonna be better from the real top. As we looked at the cables from the hump, they looked mighty daunting. I wasn’t too nervous about it because I knew it would be fun, but they did look very steep. But as we walked up to them, they looked a lot less steep and scary at the base of them. As we started heading up, the traffic was like Grand Central Station. It took us about 30-40 minutes to get up because people are people; that’s the only explanation I can think of that covers all the bases. But if there was no one on it, it would have taken Vaughn and I about 10 minutes to get up. When we made it to the top, we walked around and enjoyed the views. I’ll give props to Scott, who made it up while being very sick. He was breathing pretty hard on the way up, which worried me, but he made it and is still alive at the moment. Maggie and I did a victory “wop” (I guess it’s a new dance the kids are doing nowadays like the soldier boy) at the top, and Vaughn and I did some sort of attempt at a dance as well. As my age increases, the quality of my dance moves goes down…dramatically. Thank God I can sing. I also saw this girl getting video taped Dougying, and I started dancing next to her and then asked her to teach me how to Dougy. She said yes, but then we both got distracted and I never learned how to Dougy. I feel like I’m missing out on a whole important part of life now. The coolest part up there was that people left designs with rocks all over the place, and we found a design that was an NCSU symbol!! Woop Woop (gotta throw that in there for Woop)!!! The way down was so much fun, too. Maggie and I both slid down on our heels while holding onto the cables most of the way. As we got back down to our packs, we were in good spirit knowing that we were on the last leg of our trip and it had to go downhill from here. And it did. We went down the Mist Trail, which took us by Nevada Falls and Vernal Falls (the falls where 2 people had fallen off and died a couple weeks earlier), both quite spectacular. Vernal had a magnificent rainbow next to it, which Vaughn took about 59 pictures of (can’t say I took much less). On the way down the steps past Vernal, Maggie and I got caught behind this Spanish girl who took each step carefully and sideways, two feet on each step on the way down. That went on for about 150 steps or so, which was a little frustrating, and she kept teasing us like she was gonna pull off and let us pass, but then never did. Now I know how a cat feels when you dangle a ball of yarn over it. When we found our opening, we took it, and like Raji off the blocks during a race, we bolted past her with pure speed and ferocity. It was not far from Vernal to the road, where we caught the bus back to Curry Village and to the end of our hiking!! Bittersweet. When we got back, the first thing the three of us did was shower. We then went to the restaurant, where Ms. Creamer bought us pizza, and Peter treated Vaughn to a beer and me to a strawberry daiquiri. When people walked by, I tried to play it off like the strawberry daiquiri was for my girlfriend, but I don’t think it worked. Oh well, it was DELICIOUS!! And so was the pizza. And then right when I finished my first daiquiri, it thought to myself how good a second one would be. And what do ya know: out of nowhere, with impeccable timing yet again, my sunshine on a cloudy day, Peter, showed up with a second daiquiri. Wow. That’s all I have to say. After dinner we were all tired and hurting (I don’t think I had knees at that point) so we all went to bed, with a feeling of accomplishment in our minds and delicious pizza and manly drinks in our bellies. That was the end of an absolutely amazing trip, and Scott and David did a perfect job planning it all out and setting it all up. I don’t know how I could ever thank them for that. Maybe more naked man playing cards? Who knows. But it’s not just the scenery that makes a trip, but the people you can share it with. And I couldn’t think of anybody better to share it with than the 8 people I did.
"The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it." – from Tuesdays with Morrie
17 miles total including 2 miles up Half Dome and two miles back down
Today was the day we had been dreading and looking forward to the whole trip. We were gonna do about 7 miles to the trail split for Half Dome, climb about 2000 ft., the last 400 straight up while holding onto cables, come back down and then go another 6 or so down to the valley. The only good thing was that we thought we were gonna be going downhill the whole time other than the Half Dome part because we were losing about 4000 ft. total in elevation during the day. Of course, that wasn’t totally true. But anyways, we did start the morning off right. Scott, John and Michelle left before breakfast because they planned on doing Half Dome and needed the extra time. Maggie, Vaughn, and myself decided to eat breakfast because we were a little faster and figured we had the time to do so, along with doing Half Dome. Peter, Nancy and David were not doing Half Dome so they had the time to eat breakfast and relax on their whole hike down to the valley. So right at the end of breakfast we all saw Danger Rave walk in. David said we should get a picture with him so I asked him if we could do that. Of course he said yes because he is a gentleman in all meanings of the word. We all went outside and took the first picture, which we wanted to do poses to scare bears away (he talked about and demonstrated his at the fire talk the night before). After that, Danger said that we should take another one like old college buddies. That is where my breath cut short, my heart started beating real fast and, if it weren’t for Maggie, I would have fallen from my knees buckling. To be considered an old college buddy of Danger Raves could have been the most super exciting and flattering compliment I have ever gotten. So we took the picture, I caught my breath, and when my legs regained feeling we went to get our packs and began the hike. Like I said before, we were expecting downhill the whole way. So not true. Basically the whole trail to the Half Dome split was uphill, besides the last mile or so. But we were determined people on a mission, and nothing was gonna stop us from reaching our goals. So to get our minds of it, we sang. The songs we sang will remain unmentioned for the sake of my manly reputation. When we got to the split we met up with Scott, John and Michelle and hid our packs in the woods. We then headed up to Half Dome. The ranger that checked our permits did not warn us about steepness or loose rocks or falling off or edges or anything like that, all he said was “be careful of the squirrels and marmots”. That put my mind at ease about the steepness and cliffs and stuff, but all I could think of then was squirrels flying at my face and chewing at my ankles while going up the cables. Very reassuring. The first part was basically a straight up steep trail for about 20 minutes or so, which only got us to the top of the first hump. The view was spectacular from there, but we knew it was gonna be better from the real top. As we looked at the cables from the hump, they looked mighty daunting. I wasn’t too nervous about it because I knew it would be fun, but they did look very steep. But as we walked up to them, they looked a lot less steep and scary at the base of them. As we started heading up, the traffic was like Grand Central Station. It took us about 30-40 minutes to get up because people are people; that’s the only explanation I can think of that covers all the bases. But if there was no one on it, it would have taken Vaughn and I about 10 minutes to get up. When we made it to the top, we walked around and enjoyed the views. I’ll give props to Scott, who made it up while being very sick. He was breathing pretty hard on the way up, which worried me, but he made it and is still alive at the moment. Maggie and I did a victory “wop” (I guess it’s a new dance the kids are doing nowadays like the soldier boy) at the top, and Vaughn and I did some sort of attempt at a dance as well. As my age increases, the quality of my dance moves goes down…dramatically. Thank God I can sing. I also saw this girl getting video taped Dougying, and I started dancing next to her and then asked her to teach me how to Dougy. She said yes, but then we both got distracted and I never learned how to Dougy. I feel like I’m missing out on a whole important part of life now. The coolest part up there was that people left designs with rocks all over the place, and we found a design that was an NCSU symbol!! Woop Woop (gotta throw that in there for Woop)!!! The way down was so much fun, too. Maggie and I both slid down on our heels while holding onto the cables most of the way. As we got back down to our packs, we were in good spirit knowing that we were on the last leg of our trip and it had to go downhill from here. And it did. We went down the Mist Trail, which took us by Nevada Falls and Vernal Falls (the falls where 2 people had fallen off and died a couple weeks earlier), both quite spectacular. Vernal had a magnificent rainbow next to it, which Vaughn took about 59 pictures of (can’t say I took much less). On the way down the steps past Vernal, Maggie and I got caught behind this Spanish girl who took each step carefully and sideways, two feet on each step on the way down. That went on for about 150 steps or so, which was a little frustrating, and she kept teasing us like she was gonna pull off and let us pass, but then never did. Now I know how a cat feels when you dangle a ball of yarn over it. When we found our opening, we took it, and like Raji off the blocks during a race, we bolted past her with pure speed and ferocity. It was not far from Vernal to the road, where we caught the bus back to Curry Village and to the end of our hiking!! Bittersweet. When we got back, the first thing the three of us did was shower. We then went to the restaurant, where Ms. Creamer bought us pizza, and Peter treated Vaughn to a beer and me to a strawberry daiquiri. When people walked by, I tried to play it off like the strawberry daiquiri was for my girlfriend, but I don’t think it worked. Oh well, it was DELICIOUS!! And so was the pizza. And then right when I finished my first daiquiri, it thought to myself how good a second one would be. And what do ya know: out of nowhere, with impeccable timing yet again, my sunshine on a cloudy day, Peter, showed up with a second daiquiri. Wow. That’s all I have to say. After dinner we were all tired and hurting (I don’t think I had knees at that point) so we all went to bed, with a feeling of accomplishment in our minds and delicious pizza and manly drinks in our bellies. That was the end of an absolutely amazing trip, and Scott and David did a perfect job planning it all out and setting it all up. I don’t know how I could ever thank them for that. Maybe more naked man playing cards? Who knows. But it’s not just the scenery that makes a trip, but the people you can share it with. And I couldn’t think of anybody better to share it with than the 8 people I did.
"The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it." – from Tuesdays with Morrie
Creamsicle and the Beardless Woodsman: Day 10
8 miles from Vogelsang to Merced Lake with a detour to Emeric Lake
It was another stunning walk today, and we took a side trip to Emeric Lake. Instead of going all the way to the lake, we climbed up onto a cliff with a great view of the lake. We have gone to enough lakesides this trip that it’s better now (mosquito wise and view wise) to find a new angle on them. That’s what the cliff gave us. We got to Merced Lake camp in good time, and it had a blue-green pool at the bottom of some cascades right next to camp. So Vaughn, Maggie and I sat down and ate lunch there. Because I had the rest of my meals taken care of, I had food that I needed to get rid of. So I had a lunch that would make even the Snow Lodge EDR look crappy (except the country-fried steak)!! I made Ramen (which Maggie had never had before so she tasted it and loved it…some kids are just so uncultured nowadays) and Rice Roni (the San Fransisco treat taste just the same whether you get it in NC or San Fran, which I found to be a little disappointing). And although the view wasn’t quite as good as in the EDR, the food was better. After lunch, we all swam in the water, which was ice cold buy oh so refreshing. The whole group actually swam, all 9 of us…yes, even the two old queens!! We then decided that today was gonna be a relaxing day, because tomorrow was gonna be a female dog to say the least. So I worked on my bronze a little for the ladies, and we played UNO for a while. We then got the camp’s bocce ball set and played the most interesting game of bocce ball I’ve ever had the pleasure of being a part of. We played all over rocks, logs, sand hills and the biggest pine cones I’ve ever seen. We then played horseshoes for a while until dinner. That helped me find out that, other than singing Beyonce songs, Adelle songs and that one song from RENT, I do have another talent: horseshoes. Look out Florida retirement homes!!! I played two games as Vaughn’s partner and two as Maggie’s partner, and I won all 4…think of the common factor. I must admit though that Peter had a smooth stroke on the horseshoe court…kinda like a pendulum, but with a mustache. At dinner, they only had tables for 6 people, so Vaughn, Maggie and I had to sit at another table with some old fellas. Vaughn got caught talking to one guy the whole time, and luckily Maggie and I stuck together. We did talk to two of the guys for a while, but I obviously wasn’t too interested in their conversation because I don’t really remember anything they were talking about. But then came Danger Rave (Ranger Dave, but Danger Rave most definitely suits him better). He is a 60ish year old naturalist ranger guide in Yosemite that has a mane (no exaggeration) of blonde curly hair, glasses, and always has his top two buttons on his shirt unbuttoned to reveal an endless sea nuzzle-worthy chest hair. We also think he is gay, not that there is anything wrong with that. He gave a speech at the end of dinner, and at the end of the speech he took a small flashlight, while some other guy was speaking, and started dancing and waiving the flashlight and yelling “it’s a rave, it’s a rave”. Oh Danger Rave. We then went after dinner to Danger’s ranger talk around the fire pit. The talk was packed!! There was probably about 30-40 people around the fire pit to listen to his talk. Danger made the fire and kept it going as he talked. I swear his hand went in the fire about 20 times and he was phased about as much as I get on a soccer field (I phase people, I don’t get phased ). What a man. Then, in one of his stories, he took his hat off and started whipping his hair back and forth like Willow, and then after it was all shook out he asked us who we thought he was. Somebody said Einstein, somebody said Buffalo Bill, somebody said Karl Marx, and I said Brad Pitt. That will give you an idea of what he looked like. But it turned out he was talking about Grizzly Adams. Who the F#$@ is Grizzly Adams anyways?! He told us a bunch of personal bear stories which were hilarious (half laughing with him and half laughing at him). He had a thing for speaking in bear voices. One of his stories was about a bear who smelled a Snickers from over a mile away, and when he got to the tent cabin with the Snickers and started tearing into the cabin, the kid ran and the bear said “SNICKERS!!” in a low growly voice. Another story had two cubs running back and forth on a log and apparently they were saying “Mommy is bringing hot dogs! Mommy is bringing hot dogs!”. Either this guy is Dr. Dolittle or he is a little on the nutso side. But we thoroughly enjoyed him, so I will not complain. Maggie and I have jokes for the next 20 years now thanks to the one and only Danger Rave. After the talk, we played another game of UNO or two and went to bed.
My feelings towards Danger Rave, because I just can’t put them into words yet:
“Mmmbop, ba duba dop
Ba du bop, ba duba dop
Ba du bop, ba duba dop
Ba du
Yeah
Mmmbop, ba duba dop
Ba du bop, Ba du dop
Ba du bop, Ba du dop
Ba du
Yeah” - Hanson
It was another stunning walk today, and we took a side trip to Emeric Lake. Instead of going all the way to the lake, we climbed up onto a cliff with a great view of the lake. We have gone to enough lakesides this trip that it’s better now (mosquito wise and view wise) to find a new angle on them. That’s what the cliff gave us. We got to Merced Lake camp in good time, and it had a blue-green pool at the bottom of some cascades right next to camp. So Vaughn, Maggie and I sat down and ate lunch there. Because I had the rest of my meals taken care of, I had food that I needed to get rid of. So I had a lunch that would make even the Snow Lodge EDR look crappy (except the country-fried steak)!! I made Ramen (which Maggie had never had before so she tasted it and loved it…some kids are just so uncultured nowadays) and Rice Roni (the San Fransisco treat taste just the same whether you get it in NC or San Fran, which I found to be a little disappointing). And although the view wasn’t quite as good as in the EDR, the food was better. After lunch, we all swam in the water, which was ice cold buy oh so refreshing. The whole group actually swam, all 9 of us…yes, even the two old queens!! We then decided that today was gonna be a relaxing day, because tomorrow was gonna be a female dog to say the least. So I worked on my bronze a little for the ladies, and we played UNO for a while. We then got the camp’s bocce ball set and played the most interesting game of bocce ball I’ve ever had the pleasure of being a part of. We played all over rocks, logs, sand hills and the biggest pine cones I’ve ever seen. We then played horseshoes for a while until dinner. That helped me find out that, other than singing Beyonce songs, Adelle songs and that one song from RENT, I do have another talent: horseshoes. Look out Florida retirement homes!!! I played two games as Vaughn’s partner and two as Maggie’s partner, and I won all 4…think of the common factor. I must admit though that Peter had a smooth stroke on the horseshoe court…kinda like a pendulum, but with a mustache. At dinner, they only had tables for 6 people, so Vaughn, Maggie and I had to sit at another table with some old fellas. Vaughn got caught talking to one guy the whole time, and luckily Maggie and I stuck together. We did talk to two of the guys for a while, but I obviously wasn’t too interested in their conversation because I don’t really remember anything they were talking about. But then came Danger Rave (Ranger Dave, but Danger Rave most definitely suits him better). He is a 60ish year old naturalist ranger guide in Yosemite that has a mane (no exaggeration) of blonde curly hair, glasses, and always has his top two buttons on his shirt unbuttoned to reveal an endless sea nuzzle-worthy chest hair. We also think he is gay, not that there is anything wrong with that. He gave a speech at the end of dinner, and at the end of the speech he took a small flashlight, while some other guy was speaking, and started dancing and waiving the flashlight and yelling “it’s a rave, it’s a rave”. Oh Danger Rave. We then went after dinner to Danger’s ranger talk around the fire pit. The talk was packed!! There was probably about 30-40 people around the fire pit to listen to his talk. Danger made the fire and kept it going as he talked. I swear his hand went in the fire about 20 times and he was phased about as much as I get on a soccer field (I phase people, I don’t get phased ). What a man. Then, in one of his stories, he took his hat off and started whipping his hair back and forth like Willow, and then after it was all shook out he asked us who we thought he was. Somebody said Einstein, somebody said Buffalo Bill, somebody said Karl Marx, and I said Brad Pitt. That will give you an idea of what he looked like. But it turned out he was talking about Grizzly Adams. Who the F#$@ is Grizzly Adams anyways?! He told us a bunch of personal bear stories which were hilarious (half laughing with him and half laughing at him). He had a thing for speaking in bear voices. One of his stories was about a bear who smelled a Snickers from over a mile away, and when he got to the tent cabin with the Snickers and started tearing into the cabin, the kid ran and the bear said “SNICKERS!!” in a low growly voice. Another story had two cubs running back and forth on a log and apparently they were saying “Mommy is bringing hot dogs! Mommy is bringing hot dogs!”. Either this guy is Dr. Dolittle or he is a little on the nutso side. But we thoroughly enjoyed him, so I will not complain. Maggie and I have jokes for the next 20 years now thanks to the one and only Danger Rave. After the talk, we played another game of UNO or two and went to bed.
My feelings towards Danger Rave, because I just can’t put them into words yet:
“Mmmbop, ba duba dop
Ba du bop, ba duba dop
Ba du bop, ba duba dop
Ba du
Yeah
Mmmbop, ba duba dop
Ba du bop, Ba du dop
Ba du bop, Ba du dop
Ba du
Yeah” - Hanson
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Creamsicle and the Beardless Woodsman: Day 9
7.2 miles round-trip to Bernese Lake; 2 miles round-trip to Booth Lake
Today was our second day at Vogelsang. We had veggie eggs and sweet potato hashbrowns and pancakes and cream of wheat (cream of wheat with a little bit of butter…mmmmmmmmmm) for breakfast. It was nice because we did not have to use any packs today, which was a huge help to easing the red-hot burning in my loins from all the hiking we’ve done. So of course we hiked uphill than a very steep downhill for a while that we had to go back up on the way back. Why do we do this to ourselves? Because we can. The hike was passed Vogelsang Lake, over Vogelsang Pass, down into the valley and back up again to Bernese Lake. So worth it. The view from the pass was amazing in both directions: one direction was back over Vogelsang Lake and the other was over the whole valley where we could also see Bernece lake and another lake near it. Breathtaking views are the norm now, and I soak in every bit of every one. On the way back up from Bernece we saw Peter, Nancey, John and Michelle at the top of the pass and we sat and relaxed with them for a little while. Any place outside where we can sit and relax with no mosquitoes trying murder us must be taken advantage of, which is what the top of the pass was. So we arrived back at camp, at lunch and played UNO for a bit, and then headed back out to hike to Booth Lake. It was a very nice lake with great granite cliffs on the backside, but the mosquitoes were just too bad for us to stay there. When we got back, I tended to my burnt schnoz and we ate dinner and played more UNO until bed. By the way, UNO is the game of champions.
“Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
Old Mother Nature's recipes
That brings the bare necessities of life” - Baloo
Today was our second day at Vogelsang. We had veggie eggs and sweet potato hashbrowns and pancakes and cream of wheat (cream of wheat with a little bit of butter…mmmmmmmmmm) for breakfast. It was nice because we did not have to use any packs today, which was a huge help to easing the red-hot burning in my loins from all the hiking we’ve done. So of course we hiked uphill than a very steep downhill for a while that we had to go back up on the way back. Why do we do this to ourselves? Because we can. The hike was passed Vogelsang Lake, over Vogelsang Pass, down into the valley and back up again to Bernese Lake. So worth it. The view from the pass was amazing in both directions: one direction was back over Vogelsang Lake and the other was over the whole valley where we could also see Bernece lake and another lake near it. Breathtaking views are the norm now, and I soak in every bit of every one. On the way back up from Bernece we saw Peter, Nancey, John and Michelle at the top of the pass and we sat and relaxed with them for a little while. Any place outside where we can sit and relax with no mosquitoes trying murder us must be taken advantage of, which is what the top of the pass was. So we arrived back at camp, at lunch and played UNO for a bit, and then headed back out to hike to Booth Lake. It was a very nice lake with great granite cliffs on the backside, but the mosquitoes were just too bad for us to stay there. When we got back, I tended to my burnt schnoz and we ate dinner and played more UNO until bed. By the way, UNO is the game of champions.
“Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
Old Mother Nature's recipes
That brings the bare necessities of life” - Baloo
Creamsicle and the Beardless Woodsman: Day 8
6.9 miles from Toulumne to Vogelsang; 3.5 miles to Evelyn, Townsly and Hanging Basket lakes
The walk to Vogelsang was just as pretty as any of the others. I never thought I would begin to take this beautiful of scenery for granted, but I’m slightly doing so. It’s not that I’m not appreciating it every step I take and admiring it, I’m just not taking pictures of everything that I usually would take pictures of. Take for a example the ugliest thing I’ve seen in this park (well, the least prettiest, because nothing here is ugly; luckily me coming into the park doesn’t change that ). If I were to see the least prettiest scenery from here in NC, I would be mesmerized and take approximately 348 pictures of it in a 30 second span. But with everything being so dramatic and breathtaking here, my expectations skyrocket. Anyways, Vaughn and I made it to Vogelsang about an hour ahead of everybody else, so we walked to Fletcher lake, which is just right at the back of the camp to goof around. Because of the huge amount of snow this year in Yosemite, it is right at the end of the melting stage right now. That means that the wildflowers are in full bloom!!! So Vaughn and I took a bunch of pictures of all the different flowers around the lake, a good chunk of them being Indian paintbrush. Sadly, the snow melt also means that the mosquitoes are at their peak. When I would stop moving for a picture, it would be fine for about a second or two and then I would suddenly feel my arms being smothered by little sons of…guns. Luckily, I don’t know why, but mosquitoes don’t bite me. They land and swarm on me but I did not get a single bite the whole trip (or the whole summer in Yellowstone). Either I’m livin right or I’m so much of an asshole that you can taste it in my blood, and it doesn’t taste good. I’d like to think it’s a little bit of both. I can imagine that it was pretty funny watching me and Vaughn each stop for about 5 seconds, dead still to take a picture, and then jump and kick and flail and run away as fast as we can to get all the mosquitoes off us. When everybody else got there, Vaughn and I took Maggie and we went on a hike. We hiked up to Evelyn Lake, which was in a huge open meadow. We then went off trail in the direction of the other lakes we wanted to see, Townsly and Hanging Basket. Townsly Lake was amazing, set right at the bottom of two snowy peaks. But we saw a possible indention over the next ridge above Townsly so we went there first. It was a great glacial lake that was still half frozen and surrounded by great peaks. I really really really wanted to swim in it, but then I decided I wanted to live at least until the end of the hike. We then climbed some rocks and found another glacial lake that was half frozen up in the peaks above Townsly. This lake was about as clear as they come. From the edge of it, we also had a great view of Townsly and the mountains in the distance. We hiked back to camp and relaxed until dinner. Michelle and Ms. Creamer were very insistent that I let them buy me meals at the high sierra camps for the last three nights. Eventually, I just gave up saying no and they purchased them for me. So I had a meal tonight, tomorrow (here again) and the next night at Merced Lake. Tonight the meal was salmon with a homemade picante sauce, warm potato salad, gumbo, and banana nut muffin with pecan praline on top for dessert. It was all delicious (at least compared to Kraft mac and cheese and Rice Roni) and hit the spot. We then watched sunset after dinner and headed to bed.
“I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives.”
The walk to Vogelsang was just as pretty as any of the others. I never thought I would begin to take this beautiful of scenery for granted, but I’m slightly doing so. It’s not that I’m not appreciating it every step I take and admiring it, I’m just not taking pictures of everything that I usually would take pictures of. Take for a example the ugliest thing I’ve seen in this park (well, the least prettiest, because nothing here is ugly; luckily me coming into the park doesn’t change that ). If I were to see the least prettiest scenery from here in NC, I would be mesmerized and take approximately 348 pictures of it in a 30 second span. But with everything being so dramatic and breathtaking here, my expectations skyrocket. Anyways, Vaughn and I made it to Vogelsang about an hour ahead of everybody else, so we walked to Fletcher lake, which is just right at the back of the camp to goof around. Because of the huge amount of snow this year in Yosemite, it is right at the end of the melting stage right now. That means that the wildflowers are in full bloom!!! So Vaughn and I took a bunch of pictures of all the different flowers around the lake, a good chunk of them being Indian paintbrush. Sadly, the snow melt also means that the mosquitoes are at their peak. When I would stop moving for a picture, it would be fine for about a second or two and then I would suddenly feel my arms being smothered by little sons of…guns. Luckily, I don’t know why, but mosquitoes don’t bite me. They land and swarm on me but I did not get a single bite the whole trip (or the whole summer in Yellowstone). Either I’m livin right or I’m so much of an asshole that you can taste it in my blood, and it doesn’t taste good. I’d like to think it’s a little bit of both. I can imagine that it was pretty funny watching me and Vaughn each stop for about 5 seconds, dead still to take a picture, and then jump and kick and flail and run away as fast as we can to get all the mosquitoes off us. When everybody else got there, Vaughn and I took Maggie and we went on a hike. We hiked up to Evelyn Lake, which was in a huge open meadow. We then went off trail in the direction of the other lakes we wanted to see, Townsly and Hanging Basket. Townsly Lake was amazing, set right at the bottom of two snowy peaks. But we saw a possible indention over the next ridge above Townsly so we went there first. It was a great glacial lake that was still half frozen and surrounded by great peaks. I really really really wanted to swim in it, but then I decided I wanted to live at least until the end of the hike. We then climbed some rocks and found another glacial lake that was half frozen up in the peaks above Townsly. This lake was about as clear as they come. From the edge of it, we also had a great view of Townsly and the mountains in the distance. We hiked back to camp and relaxed until dinner. Michelle and Ms. Creamer were very insistent that I let them buy me meals at the high sierra camps for the last three nights. Eventually, I just gave up saying no and they purchased them for me. So I had a meal tonight, tomorrow (here again) and the next night at Merced Lake. Tonight the meal was salmon with a homemade picante sauce, warm potato salad, gumbo, and banana nut muffin with pecan praline on top for dessert. It was all delicious (at least compared to Kraft mac and cheese and Rice Roni) and hit the spot. We then watched sunset after dinner and headed to bed.
“I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives.”
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Creamsicle and the Beardless Woodsman: Day 7
6.5 miles from Glen Aulin to Toulumne Meadows; 4 miles round-trip to Lembert Dome and Dog Lake
Vaughn woke me up in my tent this morning with a napkin full of French toast and bacon from their breakfast. This is how I imagine the Queen gets her breakfast in bed. At the beginning of the hike, Vaughn told me that he heard it’s supposed to be 200 ft. downhill total on the hike today…bull poop!! Well, it probably was, but we had a lot of uphill with packs that I did not appreciate after the hike from the day before. We did walk through the most idealistic meadow I’ve ever seen on the way, as well as some spots that looked amazing from swimming. We got to Toulumne Meadows at a decent time and found the tent cabins. We then went on a hike up Lembert Dome which had wonderful views of the meadows and the surrounding mountains. Vaughn’s mom couldn’t stop yelling at Vaughn and Maggie to get away from the edges and watch their step and all that stuff that moms worry about. It’s a good thing for my mom’s sake that she doesn’t see half the things I do on hikes. From Lembert Dome, Vaughn and I continued on to Dog Lake, which was pretty, but nothing spectacular and very mosquito filled. So we didn’t spend too much time there. On the way down from the hike, I started to feel my right knee go, which I was expecting at some point, but was still bummed when I first felt it. Oh well, a bum knee isn’t gonna stop me from doing anything (at least not until I hit the ripe old age of 23). When we got back, we showered in nice showers because Toulumne Meadows is accessible by car which means they have all the amenities. They have a “high sierra” camp there but it’s not really high sierra. Also because it’s not a real high sierra camp, they didn’t have pre-paid meals so we all ate at the restaurant in the lodge. Before dinner we played cards, and that’s where John showed me his videos of when him and Michelle went to Iguazu Falls. I immediately moved it up on my travel list (it was already on there before, just not as high as it is now). Vaughn and I both had the meatloaf with potatoes and veggies, and I added on to the meal with 8 rolls (all free, no worries). Our waiter, Steven, was an interesting character who was not shy about divulging his true feelings about dishes. But I didn’t care because he kept bringing us rolls and butter. I then had a chocolate mousse cake for dessert. Calories aren’t bad if they make you happy, so I don’t worry about limiting myself…I’m a self-labeled fatty and proud of it. After dinner we relaxed for a bit and then went to bed.
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” – Joe Lewis
“Above all, try something.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
Vaughn woke me up in my tent this morning with a napkin full of French toast and bacon from their breakfast. This is how I imagine the Queen gets her breakfast in bed. At the beginning of the hike, Vaughn told me that he heard it’s supposed to be 200 ft. downhill total on the hike today…bull poop!! Well, it probably was, but we had a lot of uphill with packs that I did not appreciate after the hike from the day before. We did walk through the most idealistic meadow I’ve ever seen on the way, as well as some spots that looked amazing from swimming. We got to Toulumne Meadows at a decent time and found the tent cabins. We then went on a hike up Lembert Dome which had wonderful views of the meadows and the surrounding mountains. Vaughn’s mom couldn’t stop yelling at Vaughn and Maggie to get away from the edges and watch their step and all that stuff that moms worry about. It’s a good thing for my mom’s sake that she doesn’t see half the things I do on hikes. From Lembert Dome, Vaughn and I continued on to Dog Lake, which was pretty, but nothing spectacular and very mosquito filled. So we didn’t spend too much time there. On the way down from the hike, I started to feel my right knee go, which I was expecting at some point, but was still bummed when I first felt it. Oh well, a bum knee isn’t gonna stop me from doing anything (at least not until I hit the ripe old age of 23). When we got back, we showered in nice showers because Toulumne Meadows is accessible by car which means they have all the amenities. They have a “high sierra” camp there but it’s not really high sierra. Also because it’s not a real high sierra camp, they didn’t have pre-paid meals so we all ate at the restaurant in the lodge. Before dinner we played cards, and that’s where John showed me his videos of when him and Michelle went to Iguazu Falls. I immediately moved it up on my travel list (it was already on there before, just not as high as it is now). Vaughn and I both had the meatloaf with potatoes and veggies, and I added on to the meal with 8 rolls (all free, no worries). Our waiter, Steven, was an interesting character who was not shy about divulging his true feelings about dishes. But I didn’t care because he kept bringing us rolls and butter. I then had a chocolate mousse cake for dessert. Calories aren’t bad if they make you happy, so I don’t worry about limiting myself…I’m a self-labeled fatty and proud of it. After dinner we relaxed for a bit and then went to bed.
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” – Joe Lewis
“Above all, try something.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
Creamsicle and the Beardless Woodsman: Day 6
The day of the Waterfull Wonderfalls
8.1 miles from May Lake to Glen Aulin; 8 miles round trip to Waterwheel Falls
So I’ve never been a very religious man, and Heaven after death has always been a good thought but never very plausible in my mind. Never, though, did I ever say that Heaven on Earth did not exist. Today I found it, at least for me. My absurd obsession with water has taken me many a places and I have seen amazing things, but my Heaven goes unmatched at the moment. The hike from May Lake to Glen Aulin was pretty and brought us by a small gorgeous lake that was as still as ketchup out of a glass Heinz 57 bottle. Amazing…at the moment. We hiked on through woods and huge granite rocks and came upon a slightly larger lake that was just as still and had a mountainess back drop. Beautiful, but compared to Heaven, it was like me settling for a great girl instead of the perfect girl…and Forrest Moog doesn’t settle. Then we arrived at Glen Aulin, which was kinda like the escalator on the way to Heaven. There was a spectacular waterfall right next to the tent cabins that rivaled Mystic Falls (just a little smaller) and fell into a turquoise pool where we sat next to and ate lunch (peanut butter sandwich, trail mix and beef jerky). The pool then flowed under a bridge and fell off where we could tell there was a waterfall, but couldn’t see it yet. My 7th sense told me this place was gonna be special. So Vaughn and I then decided to climb to the top of the falls and see what was up there. This is equivalent to me standing in line to get into Heaven (right behind Amy Winehouse…RIP) and could see inside how amazing it was gonna be. We got up top and it was huge rocks with water winding around them and down them and over them and whatever other amazing things water can do. I wish I could describe all these things better but I am a Sport Management major and my vocab is equivalent to that of a 10 year child (a very smart one though). Anytime I see gorgeous waterfalls or pools or anything with water, my first thought is to swim in it. After that, my second through 9th thoughts are to swim in it. And considering I believe you can only regret things that you fail to try, we found a small pool and took a dip (a cold one, but very refreshing). I swam in my boxer briefs to keep the rest of my clothes dry, and I put nothing back on until they were dry. So we explored farther up to the top of the top waterfall by climbing on rocks all over the place. I had a couple awkward encounters with people when we hiked back down the trail (we were off the trail most of the way up) because all I had on were my wet underwear and a camera. Although that is what most girls think of when they think of Heaven, we hadn’t even gotten there yet. So I put my clothes back on and we headed down to begin the hike to Waterwheel Falls, a little over 3 miles away. Little did I know at the time, but that hike would usher me through the pearly gates of Heaven like I could have never imagined. The first waterfall was the one that we could see falling off from the camp. I was very wide and just kinda cascaded down some red/orange rock. It ended in an emerald green pool at the bottom. So we hiked down and around that, along the clearest river I have ever seen (Toulomne River). We went through some amazing fields of flowers, one loaded with Lupines (tall purple ones) that went on forever, with a huge granite face as a background. And The Sound of Music thought they had the flower scene right…psh! A little further down the trail we came upon a cliff about 15-20 ft. above the blue/green clear river. Now I know I mentioned earlier about how all I think about is swimming in gorgeous water when I see it, but cliffs double that thought process. So, considering I only live once (to the age of 110), and I only regret things I fail to try, Vaughn and I had no choice but to jump. So the clothes came off and we jumped into the refreshingly cold water. It was cold enough that my feet felt numb and like rubber when I was swimming to shore. This will certainly be one of my daily hobbies in Heaven. After we had our fun and got our clothes back on, we walked about 200 more yards down the trail and that’s where it all began…the WATERFULL WONDERFALLS!! I’m not gonna describe them all because there are too many and they all were supurbulifous (10X as good as spectacular) in there own way. I also suck at writing so my descriptions would do no good. Basically, we were going downward along the river through a gorge type valley as the water continued to waterfall at different points in different ways over and over again. There were falls over red/orange rocks, falls like massive waterslides, falls that hit rocks at places and shot water up ever so violently, and finally Waterwheel Falls, which sort of snaked down the canyon/valley/gorge thingy like a gumball swirling out of a gumball machine. But the excitement it gave me was not like any ordinary gumball out of the machine, it was like that one red one that gives you the free game of pool!!! Oh how giddy I was. At every falls we scrambled off trail to get better views. When we hit Waterwheel we realized Vaughn was running late for his dinner (I’m a big boy so I cook my own). Unfortunately, from the first fall after the swimming hole to the last was all steep downhill. Not much more to say other than the way back up SUCKED (beautiful though)!! We were so excited that we didn’t seem to comprehend that the more steep downhill we do, the more steep uphill we do on the way back. Vaughn ended up running back when we got to the flat part while I took my time and relaxed (or just couldn’t move my legs any faster). All I have to say is if my legs aren’t dramatically bigger (medium-sized twigs instead of small ones) after this trip, I’ll be very angry. Right when I got back I went to check on my clothes that I put on a rock to dry earlier. My shirt and one of the socks had blown off right into the water. So much for me livin right. i then ate the rest of my bag of trail mix, beef jerky, granola bar, and two chicken legs, bread and cookies that Maggie snuck me in a napkin from their dinner. Considering I was walking in a way which really supported my grandpa nickname, I figured it was time to set up camp and hit the hay.
"I beg your pardon, Owl, but I th-th-th-think we coming to a fatterfall... a flutterfall... a very big waterfall!" - Piglet
"Leisure is a form of silence, not noiselessness. It is the silence of contemplation such as occurs when we let our minds rest on a rosebud, a child at play, a Divine mystery, or a waterfall." - Fulton J. Sheen
8.1 miles from May Lake to Glen Aulin; 8 miles round trip to Waterwheel Falls
So I’ve never been a very religious man, and Heaven after death has always been a good thought but never very plausible in my mind. Never, though, did I ever say that Heaven on Earth did not exist. Today I found it, at least for me. My absurd obsession with water has taken me many a places and I have seen amazing things, but my Heaven goes unmatched at the moment. The hike from May Lake to Glen Aulin was pretty and brought us by a small gorgeous lake that was as still as ketchup out of a glass Heinz 57 bottle. Amazing…at the moment. We hiked on through woods and huge granite rocks and came upon a slightly larger lake that was just as still and had a mountainess back drop. Beautiful, but compared to Heaven, it was like me settling for a great girl instead of the perfect girl…and Forrest Moog doesn’t settle. Then we arrived at Glen Aulin, which was kinda like the escalator on the way to Heaven. There was a spectacular waterfall right next to the tent cabins that rivaled Mystic Falls (just a little smaller) and fell into a turquoise pool where we sat next to and ate lunch (peanut butter sandwich, trail mix and beef jerky). The pool then flowed under a bridge and fell off where we could tell there was a waterfall, but couldn’t see it yet. My 7th sense told me this place was gonna be special. So Vaughn and I then decided to climb to the top of the falls and see what was up there. This is equivalent to me standing in line to get into Heaven (right behind Amy Winehouse…RIP) and could see inside how amazing it was gonna be. We got up top and it was huge rocks with water winding around them and down them and over them and whatever other amazing things water can do. I wish I could describe all these things better but I am a Sport Management major and my vocab is equivalent to that of a 10 year child (a very smart one though). Anytime I see gorgeous waterfalls or pools or anything with water, my first thought is to swim in it. After that, my second through 9th thoughts are to swim in it. And considering I believe you can only regret things that you fail to try, we found a small pool and took a dip (a cold one, but very refreshing). I swam in my boxer briefs to keep the rest of my clothes dry, and I put nothing back on until they were dry. So we explored farther up to the top of the top waterfall by climbing on rocks all over the place. I had a couple awkward encounters with people when we hiked back down the trail (we were off the trail most of the way up) because all I had on were my wet underwear and a camera. Although that is what most girls think of when they think of Heaven, we hadn’t even gotten there yet. So I put my clothes back on and we headed down to begin the hike to Waterwheel Falls, a little over 3 miles away. Little did I know at the time, but that hike would usher me through the pearly gates of Heaven like I could have never imagined. The first waterfall was the one that we could see falling off from the camp. I was very wide and just kinda cascaded down some red/orange rock. It ended in an emerald green pool at the bottom. So we hiked down and around that, along the clearest river I have ever seen (Toulomne River). We went through some amazing fields of flowers, one loaded with Lupines (tall purple ones) that went on forever, with a huge granite face as a background. And The Sound of Music thought they had the flower scene right…psh! A little further down the trail we came upon a cliff about 15-20 ft. above the blue/green clear river. Now I know I mentioned earlier about how all I think about is swimming in gorgeous water when I see it, but cliffs double that thought process. So, considering I only live once (to the age of 110), and I only regret things I fail to try, Vaughn and I had no choice but to jump. So the clothes came off and we jumped into the refreshingly cold water. It was cold enough that my feet felt numb and like rubber when I was swimming to shore. This will certainly be one of my daily hobbies in Heaven. After we had our fun and got our clothes back on, we walked about 200 more yards down the trail and that’s where it all began…the WATERFULL WONDERFALLS!! I’m not gonna describe them all because there are too many and they all were supurbulifous (10X as good as spectacular) in there own way. I also suck at writing so my descriptions would do no good. Basically, we were going downward along the river through a gorge type valley as the water continued to waterfall at different points in different ways over and over again. There were falls over red/orange rocks, falls like massive waterslides, falls that hit rocks at places and shot water up ever so violently, and finally Waterwheel Falls, which sort of snaked down the canyon/valley/gorge thingy like a gumball swirling out of a gumball machine. But the excitement it gave me was not like any ordinary gumball out of the machine, it was like that one red one that gives you the free game of pool!!! Oh how giddy I was. At every falls we scrambled off trail to get better views. When we hit Waterwheel we realized Vaughn was running late for his dinner (I’m a big boy so I cook my own). Unfortunately, from the first fall after the swimming hole to the last was all steep downhill. Not much more to say other than the way back up SUCKED (beautiful though)!! We were so excited that we didn’t seem to comprehend that the more steep downhill we do, the more steep uphill we do on the way back. Vaughn ended up running back when we got to the flat part while I took my time and relaxed (or just couldn’t move my legs any faster). All I have to say is if my legs aren’t dramatically bigger (medium-sized twigs instead of small ones) after this trip, I’ll be very angry. Right when I got back I went to check on my clothes that I put on a rock to dry earlier. My shirt and one of the socks had blown off right into the water. So much for me livin right. i then ate the rest of my bag of trail mix, beef jerky, granola bar, and two chicken legs, bread and cookies that Maggie snuck me in a napkin from their dinner. Considering I was walking in a way which really supported my grandpa nickname, I figured it was time to set up camp and hit the hay.
"I beg your pardon, Owl, but I th-th-th-think we coming to a fatterfall... a flutterfall... a very big waterfall!" - Piglet
"Leisure is a form of silence, not noiselessness. It is the silence of contemplation such as occurs when we let our minds rest on a rosebud, a child at play, a Divine mystery, or a waterfall." - Fulton J. Sheen
Monday, August 15, 2011
Creamsicle and the Beardless Woodsman: Day 5
2.7 miles to May Lake; 4 miles round-trip to Mt. Hoffman
Woke up this morning at 7. the whole family besides Vaughn and me was up and in line for breakfast. Whoever was in line got me and Vaughn each a bagel and cream cheese, which was lovely. I really do not know how I will pay Vaughn’s family back for all this, but one day I’ll find a way. Maybe I’ll write them all poems or give them all a framed picture of me…now the ideas are flowing. We caught the bus at 8 to take us to our trailhead (about a 3 hour drive). The bus was a tour bus so the driver went slow and gave a lot of interesting info. Unfortunately, she told stories like she was talking to children. Not really good for people with a slightly dry sense of humor (if there was anybody like that on the bus).
-SIDE NOTE: I haven’t shaved in a while and it’s getting nasty and annoying.-
Anyways, I’m so so appreciative to be blessed with selective narcolepsy (the uncanny ability to fall asleep anywhere/time/place I feel like it). It’s not as cool as Lauren’s actual narcolepsy, but there just aren’t many people that are as cool as Lauren in general, so it doesn’t bother me too much. So I slept through the whole ride until we arrived at the May Lake trailhead. The hike to our first high sierra camp was short but uphill for a while and gorgeous. Vaughn, Maggie and I took a detour to this really neat open rock field that we saw from the trail. It was basically granite slabs with big boulders sprinkled around. Right before the end of the hike I took another great detour to another boulder field, but this time it had some amazing views. I also tried out David’s hiking poles to see what all the hype is all about. I hate to say it, but I might have to invest in a pair of those babies. Although my mind is still sharp as an arrow (from time to time), my knees and back live up to my grandpa nickname. We got to the lake around 12:30 and it was beautiful!! Clear, slight bluish/green color and had some impressive peaks and granite walls behind it. Vaughn decided to call one of the peaks “castle” because it looked like a castle. Fair enough. We decided we really wanted to make it to that peak, and I made the mistake of telling Scott that. His exact reply was, and I quote, “That whole side is death”. Now, I’ve never really ever been afraid of death, but that comment was not the most reassuring thing I’ve ever heard.
-SIDE NOTE: we are cooking my dinner on a cliff side away from camp watching the mountains light up orange and the sky subtle rainbow colors while sitting on an abandoned mattress, and Vaughn looks like a ninja because he is all covered with a turtle neck cover to keep the mosquitoes from biting-
Anyways, Scott was saying that people go up those cliffs not realizing that it’s much harder going down…and then they die. That gave me a warm feeling inside similar to those I get from classic fairy tales. Or something along those lines. And then, like an angel sent from the heavens, my knight in shining armor Peter the Great walked up with impeccable timing and told us about a trail that goes all the way up. So of course we didn’t hesitate. We took Maggie with us and her bright green frat bro sunglasses as well. The hike was mostly straight uphill, but more than worth it considering the views just got more and more amazing as we got higher. We could see all the way to Half Dome and past it, and the whole way Half Dome has this majestic fog around it. Not great for pictures, but to these eyes it was out of this world. When we got near the top we ended up having to scale some rocks (a lot actually) straight up to get to the summit with the small radio tower (Castle is actually one of two false summits). When we got to the top it was absolutely nothing short of spectacular!! We had a 360 degree view with Half Dome, Hech hechy valley, pristine blue glacial lakes, and a guy named Robert. Nothing much interesting to know about him. After that we hiked over to Castle, our initial goal, which had a great view of May Lake where we are camping (well I’m camping and they are in tent cabins). Walking back from Castle me and Vaughn rock climbed up this big roc face thingy (that is the official term for it). There were two gaps at the top so each of us stood in one gap and Maggie took pictures. By the way, Maggie was a trooper the whole time. It takes a certain kind of person to deal with me and certain kinda person to deal with Vaughn, and she dealt with both of us at the same time. Oh shoot! I forgot to mention the lady’s bare ass on the way up! We were taking a rest about ¾ of the way up to let these women get by us on the trail. The last lady came down and we chatted as she walked by, but as she passed, we realized that half of the ass of her pants was torn, so one WHOLE butt cheek was saying good afternoon to us. It created an awkward moment (which is what I live for and thrive during) where I think all four of us (Maggie, Vaughn, the lady and myself) knew the half moon was out in full force, but no one wanted to say anything about it. So no one did, and we took a picture and continued on, as would any other normal self-respecting citizen. But back to the way down. About ¼ of the way down we saw a dad carrying a kid down the steep trail. They stopped and as we passed them I offered my piggy-backing services. Surprisingly, the dad took the offer, so Imiah (the 7 year old kid) hopped on my back for about 20 minutes down the trail. I was so impressed that this cute little 7 year old made it to the summit!! So we chatted with Imiah and his dad for that time and then left them when I couldn’t feel my back anymore and dropped off after the steep part. When we made it back to May Lake we relaxed until everybody else’s dinner was served (they are all signed up for homemade meals at the high sierra camps). While they ate, I walked around and found a great little lake with perfect reflections. I sat there for a while and soaked in the peace, and then went to a cliff-side with a gorgeous view and sat there for a while too. Some feelings of peace are just indescribable. That’s what those two places were like at those moments. I then came back and wrote some journal by the lake in peace. If anybody wants to trade lives, just let me know. But don’t ask for these good looks because these are what get me through life. When they got done eating, Vaughn and I went to that spot on the cliff and cooked Kraft mac and cheese. A delicacy of the finest sorts, especially when made with just water. We then came back and sat by the fire for a bit before bed. Walking to my tent by the lake I saw the most beautiful reflection ever with the mountains in the back and the stars out. It kinda makes all worries go away for a couple seconds. Bed time!!
"I will follow my instincts, and be myself for good or ill." - John Muir
Woke up this morning at 7. the whole family besides Vaughn and me was up and in line for breakfast. Whoever was in line got me and Vaughn each a bagel and cream cheese, which was lovely. I really do not know how I will pay Vaughn’s family back for all this, but one day I’ll find a way. Maybe I’ll write them all poems or give them all a framed picture of me…now the ideas are flowing. We caught the bus at 8 to take us to our trailhead (about a 3 hour drive). The bus was a tour bus so the driver went slow and gave a lot of interesting info. Unfortunately, she told stories like she was talking to children. Not really good for people with a slightly dry sense of humor (if there was anybody like that on the bus).
-SIDE NOTE: I haven’t shaved in a while and it’s getting nasty and annoying.-
Anyways, I’m so so appreciative to be blessed with selective narcolepsy (the uncanny ability to fall asleep anywhere/time/place I feel like it). It’s not as cool as Lauren’s actual narcolepsy, but there just aren’t many people that are as cool as Lauren in general, so it doesn’t bother me too much. So I slept through the whole ride until we arrived at the May Lake trailhead. The hike to our first high sierra camp was short but uphill for a while and gorgeous. Vaughn, Maggie and I took a detour to this really neat open rock field that we saw from the trail. It was basically granite slabs with big boulders sprinkled around. Right before the end of the hike I took another great detour to another boulder field, but this time it had some amazing views. I also tried out David’s hiking poles to see what all the hype is all about. I hate to say it, but I might have to invest in a pair of those babies. Although my mind is still sharp as an arrow (from time to time), my knees and back live up to my grandpa nickname. We got to the lake around 12:30 and it was beautiful!! Clear, slight bluish/green color and had some impressive peaks and granite walls behind it. Vaughn decided to call one of the peaks “castle” because it looked like a castle. Fair enough. We decided we really wanted to make it to that peak, and I made the mistake of telling Scott that. His exact reply was, and I quote, “That whole side is death”. Now, I’ve never really ever been afraid of death, but that comment was not the most reassuring thing I’ve ever heard.
-SIDE NOTE: we are cooking my dinner on a cliff side away from camp watching the mountains light up orange and the sky subtle rainbow colors while sitting on an abandoned mattress, and Vaughn looks like a ninja because he is all covered with a turtle neck cover to keep the mosquitoes from biting-
Anyways, Scott was saying that people go up those cliffs not realizing that it’s much harder going down…and then they die. That gave me a warm feeling inside similar to those I get from classic fairy tales. Or something along those lines. And then, like an angel sent from the heavens, my knight in shining armor Peter the Great walked up with impeccable timing and told us about a trail that goes all the way up. So of course we didn’t hesitate. We took Maggie with us and her bright green frat bro sunglasses as well. The hike was mostly straight uphill, but more than worth it considering the views just got more and more amazing as we got higher. We could see all the way to Half Dome and past it, and the whole way Half Dome has this majestic fog around it. Not great for pictures, but to these eyes it was out of this world. When we got near the top we ended up having to scale some rocks (a lot actually) straight up to get to the summit with the small radio tower (Castle is actually one of two false summits). When we got to the top it was absolutely nothing short of spectacular!! We had a 360 degree view with Half Dome, Hech hechy valley, pristine blue glacial lakes, and a guy named Robert. Nothing much interesting to know about him. After that we hiked over to Castle, our initial goal, which had a great view of May Lake where we are camping (well I’m camping and they are in tent cabins). Walking back from Castle me and Vaughn rock climbed up this big roc face thingy (that is the official term for it). There were two gaps at the top so each of us stood in one gap and Maggie took pictures. By the way, Maggie was a trooper the whole time. It takes a certain kind of person to deal with me and certain kinda person to deal with Vaughn, and she dealt with both of us at the same time. Oh shoot! I forgot to mention the lady’s bare ass on the way up! We were taking a rest about ¾ of the way up to let these women get by us on the trail. The last lady came down and we chatted as she walked by, but as she passed, we realized that half of the ass of her pants was torn, so one WHOLE butt cheek was saying good afternoon to us. It created an awkward moment (which is what I live for and thrive during) where I think all four of us (Maggie, Vaughn, the lady and myself) knew the half moon was out in full force, but no one wanted to say anything about it. So no one did, and we took a picture and continued on, as would any other normal self-respecting citizen. But back to the way down. About ¼ of the way down we saw a dad carrying a kid down the steep trail. They stopped and as we passed them I offered my piggy-backing services. Surprisingly, the dad took the offer, so Imiah (the 7 year old kid) hopped on my back for about 20 minutes down the trail. I was so impressed that this cute little 7 year old made it to the summit!! So we chatted with Imiah and his dad for that time and then left them when I couldn’t feel my back anymore and dropped off after the steep part. When we made it back to May Lake we relaxed until everybody else’s dinner was served (they are all signed up for homemade meals at the high sierra camps). While they ate, I walked around and found a great little lake with perfect reflections. I sat there for a while and soaked in the peace, and then went to a cliff-side with a gorgeous view and sat there for a while too. Some feelings of peace are just indescribable. That’s what those two places were like at those moments. I then came back and wrote some journal by the lake in peace. If anybody wants to trade lives, just let me know. But don’t ask for these good looks because these are what get me through life. When they got done eating, Vaughn and I went to that spot on the cliff and cooked Kraft mac and cheese. A delicacy of the finest sorts, especially when made with just water. We then came back and sat by the fire for a bit before bed. Walking to my tent by the lake I saw the most beautiful reflection ever with the mountains in the back and the stars out. It kinda makes all worries go away for a couple seconds. Bed time!!
"I will follow my instincts, and be myself for good or ill." - John Muir
Creamsicle and the Beardless Woodsman: Day 4, Beginning of Yosemite
I just want to say that the Yosemite trip that started this day was the most amazingly beautiful backpacking trip I’ve ever been on. Not only that, but the company was great and they treated me to way more than I ever deserve in a lifetime. I have absolutely no clue how to pay everybody back, and sadly I don’t see any plausible short term plan that comes even close to doing so. If anybody actually reads this and can think of a big way to pay back about 6 people, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know!! I looked at the weather forecast 3 days before the trip and it said sunny and low 70’s the whole time except for the last day, which was supposed to be partially cloudy. The forecast could not have been more exactly perfectly uncommonly on point. The first 5 days literally did not have a single cloud in the sky!! And the last day had a couple, but just enough to add to some pictures. And just to warn, because we were backpacking and hiking so much, I was very tired a couple nights and had trouble writing a detailed journal. So some days might not be as obnoxiously detailed and rant-filled as others.
So today was the drive to Yosemite. We had a delicious breakfast in Half-Moon Bay before we left at a bakery near David and Scott’s house. I am eating way to much and way too well on this trip so far, so I’m looking into Weight Watchers sign-ups now in anticipation. The whole way there I had to follow Scott again, this time for 4+ hours. Although Mario Kart is fun to play when your character’s life is on the line, it’s not quite the same with yours and 3 others’ lives at stake. That’s what it was like following him. But somehow I did it and we are all alive today! On the way we stopped by a great fruit stand that Scott and David always stop by when going to Yosemite. We all picked up some dried fruit and some trail mix and some fresh fruit and whatever else people wanted. Of course Peter bought a bag of choice for everyone. What a lovely man, in all seriousness…as generous as they come; one of the many people I will never be able to thank as thoroughly as I’d like to. We ate fochaccia pizza and fresh bread from the bakery on the road for lunch. When we arrived at the park, we stopped by the ranger station at the entrance to get my backcountry permit and get things settled. We then drove in, stopped at a great viewpoint over the valley (unfortunately, things just aren’t quite as beautiful when they are packed with people, but beautiful nonetheless) and then made it through major traffic in the valley to Curry Village, our place to stay for the night. We settled into the tent cabin (which I slept on floor while the other 8 slept in beds…livin the high life! But then again, they all paid for it, so no complaints) and then headed over to the lodge for dinner. It was cafeteria style and I couldn’t help but think that these were the Wades and Andrews and Alberts of Yosemite. Unfortunately, there was no parmesan cheese master there like there was at Yellowstone. I then lost my appetite thinking of who might be washing my dishes and bouncing around back there. But I ended up getting a salmon burger, chili and cornbread, which actually were all pretty good. We then went to the store and David treated us to It’s It ice cream sandwiches, which are cookies with ice cream in the middle and the whole thing covered in chocolate. IT WAS AWEFULly delicious!!! We then all headed back on full stomachs and went to bed to start the big journey the next morning.
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” - Dr. Seuss
So today was the drive to Yosemite. We had a delicious breakfast in Half-Moon Bay before we left at a bakery near David and Scott’s house. I am eating way to much and way too well on this trip so far, so I’m looking into Weight Watchers sign-ups now in anticipation. The whole way there I had to follow Scott again, this time for 4+ hours. Although Mario Kart is fun to play when your character’s life is on the line, it’s not quite the same with yours and 3 others’ lives at stake. That’s what it was like following him. But somehow I did it and we are all alive today! On the way we stopped by a great fruit stand that Scott and David always stop by when going to Yosemite. We all picked up some dried fruit and some trail mix and some fresh fruit and whatever else people wanted. Of course Peter bought a bag of choice for everyone. What a lovely man, in all seriousness…as generous as they come; one of the many people I will never be able to thank as thoroughly as I’d like to. We ate fochaccia pizza and fresh bread from the bakery on the road for lunch. When we arrived at the park, we stopped by the ranger station at the entrance to get my backcountry permit and get things settled. We then drove in, stopped at a great viewpoint over the valley (unfortunately, things just aren’t quite as beautiful when they are packed with people, but beautiful nonetheless) and then made it through major traffic in the valley to Curry Village, our place to stay for the night. We settled into the tent cabin (which I slept on floor while the other 8 slept in beds…livin the high life! But then again, they all paid for it, so no complaints) and then headed over to the lodge for dinner. It was cafeteria style and I couldn’t help but think that these were the Wades and Andrews and Alberts of Yosemite. Unfortunately, there was no parmesan cheese master there like there was at Yellowstone. I then lost my appetite thinking of who might be washing my dishes and bouncing around back there. But I ended up getting a salmon burger, chili and cornbread, which actually were all pretty good. We then went to the store and David treated us to It’s It ice cream sandwiches, which are cookies with ice cream in the middle and the whole thing covered in chocolate. IT WAS AWEFULly delicious!!! We then all headed back on full stomachs and went to bed to start the big journey the next morning.
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” - Dr. Seuss
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Creamsicle and the Beardless Woodsman: Day 3
Before I say anything else, I want to give a huge huge thank you to my lovely friend Lauren for giving me one of her high class moleskin journals to keep notes in. I don’t know what I would do without it and my summer would not have been nearly as good without her. So on to day three. We had to wake up bright and early this morning (10:30 am) to pick up Maggie, Ms. Creamer, Peter, John and Michelle from the airport (Vaughn’s sister, mom, mom’s boo, uncle and aunt). I drove my car and Scott drove his. After we picked everybody up, we went straight into San Fransisco (I forgot to mention that David and Scott actually live in Half Moon Bay, about 30 minutes outside the city). This meant that I had to follow Scott the whole way. That was one doozy of a task, especially in Seymour. I think I wasted more gas in that 15 minutes following Scott than we did all the way from NC to Yellowstone. He was weaving in and out of traffic and accelerating at speeds that Seymour’s sweet ass has never even dreamed of!! He even switched lanes to get off on an exit so late, that when I followed him I was crossing the solid line at the beginning of the exit. As scary and challenging and is was, that could have been some of the most fun driving I’ve ever done! And even though it was fun, I will always hate NASCAR. So after the death race, we finally made it to the parking area for David and Scott’s sailboat, which happens to be literally 50 yards behind AT&T ballpark, the Giants’ stadium. Their boat is docked in the bay that Barry Bonds hit all those home runs in. This is why I’m either marrying rich or, if I marry for love, I’m training my kids to be superstar athletes. We went to look at their new sailboat which isn’t bad, just the nicest boat I’ve ever been on. Two bedrooms, a kitchen, a large dining room/hangout area, and a large deck. No biggie. After checking the boat out we went on a little tour of San Fransisco for Peter, because he has never been here before (neither have I, but I will be here after Yosemite). We started out by eating lunch (I liked the way this tour was starting) at some Mexican restaurant. I had a steak taco that was small but delicious, and a lot of chips and guacamole. Vaughn had ceviche which he really liked (not as much as the one in Peru of course; I still don’t stop hearing about that), and I tasted it and agreed with him. We also had some free samples of olive oil from one of the shops near the restaurant which just classied up my day a bit. After that we headed to pier 39, which is absurdly touristy!! It was nice though because of all the interesting people that I saw there. There were also sea lions that come to sun bath near the pier that are a huge attraction. The coolest part to me though was that we could see Alcatraz really clearly from the pier. I’ve been thinking about maneuvering my way into prison somehow so I have no choice but to lift weights and get some muscle. That is why I thank the Lord every day for giving me the strength to deal with my slowly waning masculinity, so I don’t go to prison. After the pier we walked around the city and walked through Chinatown, which is very very sketchy. It was so interesting to be on a block with fancy brownstones and then walk a block over and get into Chinatown, which reminded Vaughn and I of the rundown shops in South America. But I will forever be in love with San Fran’s Chinatown for this one reason: we saw George and Ricky from Yellowstone outside of a butcher shop with ducks and chickens hanging in the window!! We could not believe it when they came up to us, and I still can’t believe it now. Luckily we took a picture with them to prove that it wasn’t a dream. Ricky and George are flying out tomorrow, too. Small world; and I must be living right. So after we saw them, we caught back up to the group. Scott showed us where the lady dance clubs (dirty topless stripper bars) were, not that we plan on attending a show ever. We then headed to dinner at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana. We arrived a little early for our reservation so we relaxed in a seating area that was built in the street to take up two parking spaces. They seem to be the new fad here. We then sat down for dinner. This place had some AWESOME pizzas!! They practically made it into an art form. We ordered 4 pizzas for the whole group including the quail egg, white rose potato and chorizo pizza (mozzarella, white rose potatoes, rosemary, calabrese peppers, quail egg, speck, cowgirl creamery fromage blanc and lavender sea salt), the wild robiola (mozzarella, straciatella and robiola cheese, wild mushrooms, truffle oil, speck, piave, arugula), the New Yorker (mozzarella, hand-crushed tomato sauce, natural casing pepperoni, sliced Italian fennel sausage, ricotta, chopped garlic and oregano), and the burratina di margherita (burrata, cherry tomatoes tossed with fresh basil and extra virgin pugliese olive oil, not just normal extra virgin olive oil). We also had an order of meatballs and we had spinach salad and a Caesar salad as appetizers. Needless to say, this was a feast fit for a Forrest Moog. So freaking delicious!! And relatively healthy, because quail eggs have good fat. After dinner we went to the gelato shop and then headed back to the cars. As we walked behind the stadium to the cars, there was a game going on (Giants/Phillies) and there is a place in the back of the stadium where you can watch the game through the outfield fence for free. So we watched about 5 minutes and saw a homerun hit!! Not too shabby. Unfortunately, when we got home and I checked ESPN.com, it said that there was a bench-clearing brawl in that game that we missed. I guess you can’t have everything in life. So if anybody is actually bored enough that they are keeping up with this blog, I’m sad to inform you that it will not be updated for another week or so because of our Yosemite camping trip. But hold your breath, because I will be back into civilization at some point!! And to that one person or no people that are reading this, THANK YOU!!
Tip of the day:
Life is game, so have too much fun and never stop playing with all your heart.
Tip of the day:
Life is game, so have too much fun and never stop playing with all your heart.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Creamsicle and the Beardless Woodsman: Day 2
Today was an emotional day for Seymour, the finest Ford Focus the world has ever seen (named after the best grandpa the world has ever seen). Let’s just say that Reno is at about 4,500 ft., and the pass she (Seymour) had to go over to get to Lake Tahoe was over 8000 ft. Not to mention that she had to carry mine and Vaughn’s fat asses, along with all of our luggage from two and half months in Yellowstone up that hill. I’ve never heard Seymour moan and cry like she did up that hill, but she made it!! And boy was she excited to see that it was all downhill from there. She just purred like a kitten the whole way down the hill in neutral. When we first saw the lake from up high it looked enormous, and was surrounded on many sides by snow-capped peaks. It’s kinda like Jordan lake back home but bigger, 100X nicer scenery and, not only is the water not dirt brown and murky, but it could be the clearest lake I’ve ever seen (it rivals Jenny Lake in clearness). So we worked our way down to the lakeside and decided we wanted to do some hikes on the south side of the lake. As we drove around the lake, we hit a line of traffic that did not move more than 20 ft. in 15 minutes, so we decided not to waste the day in traffic and turned around to head back to Kings Beach which we had already passed. Because of our honed sense of cheapness, we were able to sniff out a free parking lot right across the street (literally) from the pay lot and the beach (we also ate another lunch of Oreos and Miss Vickies salt and vinegar chips saved up from EDR bagged lunches). I am pretty talentless, but I am blessed with the insane ability to save money. The weather was 72 degrees and sunny, so our decision to swim was a hard one. After a long contemplation period, we decided to go for it. The water was a bit chilly but so clear and beautiful and comfortable with the weather. We had a nice relaxing time (yes, Vaughn let me relax!!!) tanning and flipping over to tan the other side and then flipping back over and doing our nails and talking about the new romantic comedies coming out in theatres this summer. We then ate our summer salads and put our wide-brimmed hats on to shade our faces. After our relaxation time, we headed on to foggy San Fransisco. The drive from the lake was again emotional for Seymour, who made it up another tough hill, but luckily had 40 miles straight of downhill after the climb. While coasting down for 40 miles, Seymour had some good self-reflection time and started to realize that there's always gonna be another mountain, she’s always gonna wanna make it move, always gonna be an uphill battle, sometimes she’s gonna have to lose, ain't about how fast she gets there, ain't about what's waitin' on the other side…It's the climb!!! (Seymour is apparently from the south because I certainly didn’t teach her to say ain’t). With the weather as gorgeous as it was, I decided that I would go windows down, because we only get a day or two a year in NC that’s good for that. Little did I know that my hair would become majestically wind-swept like, for example, I guess a prince riding a stallion. About 4 hours later we made it to San Fran and David, Vaughn’s uncle, was nice enough to take us out for Thai food. Poor guy…little did he know how much we could eat. We ordered fried tofu with peanut sauce (the sauce was basically honey and peanuts and deliciousness), a beef curry dish, a chicken and spinach and broccoli and squash and carrots dish with a curry type sauce, and pad thai. We all shared the dishes and did they ever hit the spot!! The only thing better would have been the sweet and sour chicken from the Snow Lodge EDR. I then accompanied Vaughn to his doctors appointment and read People Magazine while he was getting checked out (I read it because I thought it was some sort of sports magazine, not because I thoroughly enjoy celebrity gossip). After that, we headed back to David and Scott’s (David’s partner) house and unpacked and relaxed for the rest of the night.
Tip of the day from Don’t Sweat the Small Things:
“Learn to live in the present moment.”
“Life is what’s happening while we’re busy making other plans.” – John Lennon
Tip of the day from Don’t Sweat the Small Things:
“Learn to live in the present moment.”
“Life is what’s happening while we’re busy making other plans.” – John Lennon
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Creamsicle and the Beardless Woodsman: Day 1
Just imagine: two white suburban Jewish boys, with the noses to prove it, bouncing (not like Matt) out of Yellowstone National Park with matching fake Aviators on and listening to The Eminem Show in a manual 2003 Ford Focus with a missing hubcap. Can you say white trash party?! Or the beginning of Vaughn and Forrest’s road trip? Sadly, both. Look out Sigma Tau Delta!! Anyways, we headed out around 9:45 and planned on making it to Reno because we had reservations in the Sands Regency for the night. Because Vaughn and I were both blessed with the gift of monetary efficiency (cheap), we got bagged lunches to take with us so we wouldn’t have to pay for lunch and we could drive the whole time. So we drove about 12 hours straight, only stopping to switch drivers and get gas. The scenery was gorgeous with rolling hills and some surprising rugged mountains, with a great sunset to finish off the drive. Two very exciting things happened while we were in the car: first, Vaughn put a whole warm greasy cheese stick down his throat…very impressive. It almost matches Big Jake trying to fit a whole banana down his throat. Maturity is obviously not a characteristic I look for in my guy friends (ladies, don’t think immaturity is something you’re gonna get away with). The second exciting thing was that I drove 339 miles straight, which is the longest I’ve ever driven straight!! I haven’t felt this accomplished since I finished a WHOLE Salisbury steak at the EDR. When we got about 10 miles from our hotel in Reno, we got off an exit to get cheap gas and we saw a Del Taco restaurant, so we decided to try it. 49 cent tacos!! Monetary efficiency at its finest. Unfortunately, I ended up having 4 tacos and a bean and cheese burrito and Vaughn had 6 tacos. That is why the computer is presently on my lap and the opposite side of my lap is presently on the toilet (not really, but I was anticipating having to do so). That restaurant is where the fatties of the world (such as myself and Huckleberry) unite. After the restaurant we wobbled back to the car and drove to the hotel. Now Vaughn could not stop saying how sketchy and crappy the hotel was gonna be (he booked it so I had no clue what it would be like) and how it was on the outskirts of Reno. When we arrived at the hotel, it was a high-rise right next to the main hotels in Reno…it actually could be considered a main hotel. And it was only $35 for the night!! When we walked in, they had a decent casino floor and we went to the front desk to check in. While in line, there was a girl and her mom at the slot machines and Vaughn said the mom could not keep her eyes off of me, probably because of my stunning good looks and George Clooney-esque features (or because I had blue gym shorts, my The Farce softball jersey and red crocs on). So we checked in and went up to our room, which we weren’t expecting much of. Little did we know that the room was freaking amazing!! Two queen beds (nice ones with no bed bugs that I know of yet), a nice bathroom, a big window with a view of the parking lot (hey, any view for $35 bucks is great) and a fancy mirror where I can fix my hair in front of in the morning (don’t think it just falls into place like this)!! We were so ecstatic that we even decided to go gamble on the floor for a bit. We played a little black jack and then moved to the slots, which I told Vaughn I would only play the ones with the lever because it’s fun pulling the lever. So we found some lever slot machines and let me tell you, once ya pop ya just can’t stop!! Unless your dollar runs out, which Vaughn’s did. But I WON!! I WON I WON I WON I WON!!! And the dollar and one cent that I won I gave to Vaughn so we could both play some more of the penny/nickel slots. BIG MONEY!! But we both ended up losing all our money, even after Vaughn won a little and gave me my dollar back. But I don’t just quit like a Tribioni. So after we walked around the main strip of Reno and in all the casinos (took about 30 minutes, and we went slow), we came back and put one more dollar in the slot machines. Let me just say that I must be living right, because on my 4th or so pull I got a huge payday and my money went from 70 cents to $5!! Of course I cashed out right after that. And they say the house always wins…psh, the house had obviously never met me. So I am going to treat Vaughn and myself to some more tacos tomorrow with my big winnings (if we are able to move after tonight’s tacos), and hopefully I’ll be as big a winner in life tomorrow as I was in the casino tonight!!
Tip of the day from Don’t Sweat the Small Things:
“Smile at a stranger, look deep into their eyes, and say hello.”
I did that twice today and ended up having two pleasant conversations in the elevator with two different people at two different times.
Tip of the day from Don’t Sweat the Small Things:
“Smile at a stranger, look deep into their eyes, and say hello.”
I did that twice today and ended up having two pleasant conversations in the elevator with two different people at two different times.
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