We had a great time this past weekend!
Highlights:
Petra Mediterranean Deli in old town Tehachapi - awesome! Definitely worth revisiting.
Murray Family Farms just outside of Bakersfield - gorged ourselves on a variety of fruit, nut, snack, pie, preserve, and fudge samples - we could have skipped lunch. Had the entire field to ourselves as we picked blueberries straight from the bush. Also definitely worth revisiting.
Kern River Inn Bed & Breakfast - Great view of the river from our room. Hearty breakfasts and decadently delicious evening treats.
Kern River Outfitters Lower Kern Big Five Whitewater Rafting - "pool and drop" river, meaning flat stretches between each rapid. A bit boring... but one crazy rapid made up for it. Our guide frantically yelled out commands as we bounced our way through the rapids. Backwards. Someone flew out of the raft right into the person across from him, and both fell into the river. Panic ensued as we (well, not me - I was too busy freaking out) tried to pull them back in. Next time, I want something more continuously exciting. Maybe the Upper Kern?
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
A tragic ending... ?
Don's physically fine, so stop your worrying right now.
But he just told me that he's planning to call it quits:
Just wanted to let you know that i decided to quit the pct. The hiking was ok, just very boring. No signs of other hikers. Starting today its even more boring hiking. It finally hit me yesterday that i might never be able to get away from work to start again. And it seemed to me that putting our whole summer on hold for a trip that might never come was unfair to you.
I feel i made a big mistsake in not realizing that a thru hike was no longer possible. Had i, i would have started at walker pass. Anyway, i'll be home today or tomorrow. Unless you talk me out of it, i'm going to tell work that i won't go out again. And we can start planning our summer.
I'm so shocked, stunned, sad... witness to a dream being crushed.
Still need to talk this through with him.
Will keep you posted.
But he just told me that he's planning to call it quits:
Just wanted to let you know that i decided to quit the pct. The hiking was ok, just very boring. No signs of other hikers. Starting today its even more boring hiking. It finally hit me yesterday that i might never be able to get away from work to start again. And it seemed to me that putting our whole summer on hold for a trip that might never come was unfair to you.
I feel i made a big mistsake in not realizing that a thru hike was no longer possible. Had i, i would have started at walker pass. Anyway, i'll be home today or tomorrow. Unless you talk me out of it, i'm going to tell work that i won't go out again. And we can start planning our summer.
I'm so shocked, stunned, sad... witness to a dream being crushed.
Still need to talk this through with him.
Will keep you posted.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Upcoming weekend!
This weekend, we'll be heading up to Kernville for some whitewater rafting! It'll be Don's first experience, and aside from some baby rapids back when I was 11, it'll pretty much be my first real experience as well.
On the way, we'll stop by Murray Family Farms for some U-Pick fruit action! (EXCITED!) And we'll also play our fair share of restaurant roulette. (excited?? make that "nervous")
On Sunday, I'll drop off Don (armed with a footlong Subway) for his next week of hiking.
On the way, we'll stop by Murray Family Farms for some U-Pick fruit action! (EXCITED!) And we'll also play our fair share of restaurant roulette. (excited?? make that "nervous")
On Sunday, I'll drop off Don (armed with a footlong Subway) for his next week of hiking.
Hiker Feet
Don had been complaining about an awful callus on the side of his big toe that rubbed against the neighboring toe, thereby causing severe pain. I finally got around to looking at it. (I was supposed to soak his feet, then show him the miraculous uses of a pumice stone. But Don kept threatening to get out his knife and cut it off. AHK!)
The "thing" on his big toe wasn't so much a callus... it was a blister that Don had popped. But he hadn't removed the extra skin, and that skin had simply dried up and hardened. Kind of like a blister version of a scab??
Anyhow, after taking a look, I decided a pumice stone really wasn't the way to go. I just peeled it off. Oh, and by the way, I made sure he had showered before getting anywhere near his feet.
Don then mentioned how the area was still a bit rough, so I whipped out my handy dandy foot file - basically an emory board for feet. Don went to work and soon fell in love, declaring that he'd take it on the trail if it didn't weigh so much!
I noticed Don's feet are looking pretty ragged - very rough, with bits of dead skin hanging from his toes (former blisters). So I'll pack up the pedicure supplies and spend some time fixing his feet this weekend in Kernville...
The "thing" on his big toe wasn't so much a callus... it was a blister that Don had popped. But he hadn't removed the extra skin, and that skin had simply dried up and hardened. Kind of like a blister version of a scab??
Anyhow, after taking a look, I decided a pumice stone really wasn't the way to go. I just peeled it off. Oh, and by the way, I made sure he had showered before getting anywhere near his feet.
Don then mentioned how the area was still a bit rough, so I whipped out my handy dandy foot file - basically an emory board for feet. Don went to work and soon fell in love, declaring that he'd take it on the trail if it didn't weigh so much!
I noticed Don's feet are looking pretty ragged - very rough, with bits of dead skin hanging from his toes (former blisters). So I'll pack up the pedicure supplies and spend some time fixing his feet this weekend in Kernville...
Ahh, the great outdoors...
While out running errands one day, Don had to use the restroom - in other words, we'd have to find a store that had one. Don then mentioned one thing he missed about being on the trail - being able to pee pretty much anywhere as soon as the urge hits.
Hm.
Hm.
New phone, sort of
So a new phone did arrive in the mail, but not a new battery. der!
After a call to customer service, we found out that before we could get a new battery, we'd have to go back to the Verizon store to get the battery tested. Don went over the weekend, but after being told it would be a half hour wait, then waiting for 15 minutes and not seeing any progress in the line, he left.
Oh well, on the bright side, Don says one of the problems he'd been having with the old phone isn't happening anymore. (The old phone wouldn't charge when it was off.)
After a call to customer service, we found out that before we could get a new battery, we'd have to go back to the Verizon store to get the battery tested. Don went over the weekend, but after being told it would be a half hour wait, then waiting for 15 minutes and not seeing any progress in the line, he left.
Oh well, on the bright side, Don says one of the problems he'd been having with the old phone isn't happening anymore. (The old phone wouldn't charge when it was off.)
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
OY VEH!
Well now I'm glad I didn't update this sooner!
In a previous post, I said that Don might have to call it quits in early/mid July.
Then, the new plan was that Don would stay at work for a second week, but NOT plan on coming back to work until he finished the hike *unless* his boss contacted me to tell him to come back sooner.
The latest plan is that Don will resume his hike this Sunday (after our whitewater rafting weekend), but just for a week. That way, he can do the segment from Mojave to Kennedy Meadows before it gets too hot. Then he's back to work until things start to "calm down" (i.e., indefinitely). He's hoping that he'll be able to make enough progress at work to start hiking again when my parents visit in early July.
If things go well at work, this might actually be for the best, since the Sierras are currently a bit too snowy. And as he also pointed out, now he'll be around for my birthday! In previous plans, he would have been completely out of contact (no phone reception).
By the way, Don apologized for being such a high maintenance husband. Hah!
In a previous post, I said that Don might have to call it quits in early/mid July.
Then, the new plan was that Don would stay at work for a second week, but NOT plan on coming back to work until he finished the hike *unless* his boss contacted me to tell him to come back sooner.
The latest plan is that Don will resume his hike this Sunday (after our whitewater rafting weekend), but just for a week. That way, he can do the segment from Mojave to Kennedy Meadows before it gets too hot. Then he's back to work until things start to "calm down" (i.e., indefinitely). He's hoping that he'll be able to make enough progress at work to start hiking again when my parents visit in early July.
If things go well at work, this might actually be for the best, since the Sierras are currently a bit too snowy. And as he also pointed out, now he'll be around for my birthday! In previous plans, he would have been completely out of contact (no phone reception).
By the way, Don apologized for being such a high maintenance husband. Hah!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Greener grass over there
On Wednesday, Don emailed:
I can't believe it's only my third day back at work. It seems SO long ago that I was on the trail. I must admit that work seems so much easier now, though. I get to sit on my butt all day, I stay clean, smell good (at least relatively so) and have as much water as I want. Seems so easy compared to lugging packs up and down mountains and through deserts. And I get paid too!
I replied:
hm. as someone who's been having to sit on my butt all day long for the past 7 years... i think getting to walk all day long sounds pretty nice. altho the smell and lack of showers would drive me nuts.
What do you think?
I can't believe it's only my third day back at work. It seems SO long ago that I was on the trail. I must admit that work seems so much easier now, though. I get to sit on my butt all day, I stay clean, smell good (at least relatively so) and have as much water as I want. Seems so easy compared to lugging packs up and down mountains and through deserts. And I get paid too!
I replied:
hm. as someone who's been having to sit on my butt all day long for the past 7 years... i think getting to walk all day long sounds pretty nice. altho the smell and lack of showers would drive me nuts.
What do you think?
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Work Troubles
It's not lookin' good.
Don may have to stay another week, in addition to cutting his trip short. He's trying to get approval to continue the hike at least into the Sierras. If so, he's still be able to meet up with my family on our July roadtrip, but would probably have to head home with us, or maybe even catch a bus/train to get back to work sooner.
Stay tuned for updates... (Don may also post something to his Postholer journal once he figures out what's going on.)
Don may have to stay another week, in addition to cutting his trip short. He's trying to get approval to continue the hike at least into the Sierras. If so, he's still be able to meet up with my family on our July roadtrip, but would probably have to head home with us, or maybe even catch a bus/train to get back to work sooner.
Stay tuned for updates... (Don may also post something to his Postholer journal once he figures out what's going on.)
A Visit to the Verizon Store
We dropped by on Saturday to see if someone could figure out what's wrong with Don's phone. The guy seemed pretty clueless (about everything), but according to him, Verizon if supposedly shipping a replacement phone. Then we'll have to mail the old phone back. And no, we can't just drop it off at the Verizon store. Lame. (I'm still not convinced we'll be receiving anything in the mail.)
And Tan, I don't know if Don tried removing then replacing the battery. Don doesn't exactly have a knack for electronics (scary, since he's an EE, tho admittedly now doing SW), but I try to leave him to his own business. Hmm. Hope I didn't just annoy him by saying that. Oh well.
Edited to add:
I'm probably just a pot calling the kettle black, since I'm also an EE, and I'd rather not have anything to do with the inner workings of a computer.
And Tan, I don't know if Don tried removing then replacing the battery. Don doesn't exactly have a knack for electronics (scary, since he's an EE, tho admittedly now doing SW), but I try to leave him to his own business. Hmm. Hope I didn't just annoy him by saying that. Oh well.
Edited to add:
I'm probably just a pot calling the kettle black, since I'm also an EE, and I'd rather not have anything to do with the inner workings of a computer.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Jersey Guy Cameo!
Just when I had been lamenting Jersey Guy's speediness (thereby leaving Don in the dust), Don found out that Jersey Guy had stopped at the Cajon Pass for a few days to nurse an injury. So Don caught up with him in Agua Dulce. We apparently had just missed him at Mill Creek when I dropped Don off on Sunday.
But alas... we'll soon be losing him again since Don's taking a week off to go back to work. *sigh*
Random side note: They were filming something in a bus at Mill Creek. Jersey Guy said it was a Korean movie (no idea how he knew this), and they had just started serving lunch when he passed by. He was so tempted to beg for an icy cold drink... but couldn't work up the nerve.
But alas... we'll soon be losing him again since Don's taking a week off to go back to work. *sigh*
Random side note: They were filming something in a bus at Mill Creek. Jersey Guy said it was a Korean movie (no idea how he knew this), and they had just started serving lunch when he passed by. He was so tempted to beg for an icy cold drink... but couldn't work up the nerve.
Good news, I guess
Don still has his job - just confirmed with his management that he can go back to work for a week.
Backstory: We had layoffs a few weeks ago, and I thought it would be pretty sneaky if they had decided to lay off the guy on Leave of Absence (especially since they had no way to notify him).
Imagine returning home, expecting everything to be as you left it, then finding out you lost your job... oops.
Backstory: We had layoffs a few weeks ago, and I thought it would be pretty sneaky if they had decided to lay off the guy on Leave of Absence (especially since they had no way to notify him).
Imagine returning home, expecting everything to be as you left it, then finding out you lost your job... oops.
Death of a Cell Phone
Don's run into another cell phone problem. The phone powered off by itself, and he couldn't get it to turn on again. The battery indicated ~50% at the time.
When he plugged the phone in to charge, it powered up by itself.
Any ideas? It's an LG enV 2.
If this persists, we'll have to figure it out (and hopefully fix it) while he's at home next week.
When he plugged the phone in to charge, it powered up by itself.
Any ideas? It's an LG enV 2.
If this persists, we'll have to figure it out (and hopefully fix it) while he's at home next week.
Are pigs flying??
It rained in LA today.
Not sure how the weather was for Don - haven't heard from him since yesterday afternoon at the Andersons. I'm not sure if it's due to lack of reception, or dead phone.
Not sure how the weather was for Don - haven't heard from him since yesterday afternoon at the Andersons. I'm not sure if it's due to lack of reception, or dead phone.
Monday, June 1, 2009
More (unimportant) things
...from the Big Bear weekend.
Big Bear Kmart is awesome! So much cleaner, neater, and less crowded than typical Kmarts. Small town Kmarts appeal to me so much more than city ones, though that could be due to lack of (better) options.
Cocina de Mexico es mui delicioso! A tiny(!!) shop with a walk up counter and salsa bar - new favorite Mexican place in Big Bear!
And finally... the Redlands Sport Chalet sale! While waiting to pay for Don's new hiking shoes, I noticed a sign "Additional 75% off" clearance team logo apparel. It was too good to resist, and we picked up: a women's LA Galaxy jersey for $10 (orig $80), a LA Galaxy tshirt for $4, three USC football tshirts for $1.24 each (Dad & Jon, expect one each), and something else for someone that may read this - you'll probably have to wait til your birthday to find out! I love a good sale!
Big Bear Kmart is awesome! So much cleaner, neater, and less crowded than typical Kmarts. Small town Kmarts appeal to me so much more than city ones, though that could be due to lack of (better) options.
Cocina de Mexico es mui delicioso! A tiny(!!) shop with a walk up counter and salsa bar - new favorite Mexican place in Big Bear!
And finally... the Redlands Sport Chalet sale! While waiting to pay for Don's new hiking shoes, I noticed a sign "Additional 75% off" clearance team logo apparel. It was too good to resist, and we picked up: a women's LA Galaxy jersey for $10 (orig $80), a LA Galaxy tshirt for $4, three USC football tshirts for $1.24 each (Dad & Jon, expect one each), and something else for someone that may read this - you'll probably have to wait til your birthday to find out! I love a good sale!
Weekend Recap: Don's Whirlwind Visit
What a hectic weekend!
Looking back, it seems more than a bit ridiculous that I spent about 6 hours on the road - picked up Don on Saturday, dropped him off on Sunday. No wonder why the weekend seemed so short!
To spare me from further excessive driving, Don plans to catch the bus home from Tehachapi via Bakersfield next weekend. That'll be 5+ hours of bus time to downtown LA, plus who knows how much wait time. Doesn't sound fun. But the hope is that I won't be so tired and grouchy from a lack of sleep next weekend.
Looking back, it seems more than a bit ridiculous that I spent about 6 hours on the road - picked up Don on Saturday, dropped him off on Sunday. No wonder why the weekend seemed so short!
To spare me from further excessive driving, Don plans to catch the bus home from Tehachapi via Bakersfield next weekend. That'll be 5+ hours of bus time to downtown LA, plus who knows how much wait time. Doesn't sound fun. But the hope is that I won't be so tired and grouchy from a lack of sleep next weekend.
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