The every changing and yet ever the same central valley

So this past week I went to work in Merced yet again. This seems to be a disturbing and continuing trend that I am not thrilled with. Someone (me or my co-worker) has to go tomorrow for a four day stint, but he was gracious enough to go. Brenda's birthday was on the 25th (wed) and she did not want me to miss it so she came down for that wed night and thurs. night as well. It was nice not to go home to an empty hotel room and also be with Brenda for her birthday. I got her an iPod and she likes it and I do as well. It is so nice to not have the cd's everywhere and skipping all of the time. I feel as if we have taken a giant leap into the 21st century.

While in Merced I got to give Brenda a tour of what I actually do. She has never really understood what I do and she cannot visit me at work in San Jose due to site security, but I think she now has somewhat of an idea.
Apparently it is cool in Merced to wear sandals with white socks. This is a fashion trend that some people I know have embraced, despite their friends sha-grin and warnings against such blatant disregard for all that is good and pure in the world. ( I know that the pic is small look closely)
The Sir James is a lounge and bar that has a great local scene, especially on Thurs. night Karaoke. Men in the area should take note, because I bet there were 16 single women in there and only about 3 guys. Great odds (if you don't mind 40yr old women that are trying to be 25 again(50% of the crowd)).

This is one of the only reasons I enjoy Merced... occasionally. I took Brenda to this taco truck(roach coach) because I talk so much about it. They have the best Al Pastor in the area and their Taco's are the best $1.25 you can spend. It is also good to note that I eat there all of the time and I have never gotten sick. I plead for people not to avoid the taco truck (even if they are often run by illegals) but embrace the excitement of the unknown( will I get sick or wont I). I had Head meat here one time and it was pretty good, but not as good as the Al Pastor.
Another girl in leg warmers. It was 100 this day but only about 90 when this picture was taken. I am not sure if you remember, but I saw another girl in leg warmers not to long ago and I posted a picture of her(seen below). Hers were blue and fuzzy, but these were black and silky (silky looking, I did not feel them). Is this a cool fashion trend that I am not aware of, or are these people really as ridiculous as they look.

Here is the same girl with a guy who had his pants so low his "cow door" in his boxer briefs was clearly visible...all of it ( I did not check closely due to the fact I am not gay). I felt like breaking his other arm to teach him a lesson and also because I knew that it would be hard for him to run because his strides would be greatly impaired by the crotch of his jeans clear down to his knees. What an idiot. Wait a second...guess who he's talking to...another tool...a match made in heaven???why are some people allowed in public.(I am sure they are nice kids, but are just trying to be individuals by looking like everyone else in Merced)
Brenda at the Farmers Market in Merced. Wow those new shorts look good on her, and the top to. Note the sandals without socks...much better looking.
This is a vendor that almost exclusively sold this type of top...need I say more.

I have just noticed that I am talking about clothes a lot. Now I am not what one might consider a fashionable person, but I think jeans and a t-shirt is always a safe bet and "normal" for a guy to wear. I say let people wear what they want, but they had just be ready to be made fun of if they look ridiculous (Or I am really bored).

Two weeks ago thurs. my sister flew into san jose and my wife picked her up at the airport. She was heading home and got a flat tire. This was not good because I was just getting off of work and we were going up to Davis early so we could miss the majority of traffic. I headed over there to change the tire for them, but before I could get there a guy stopped and changed. Must have had experience changing tires, because he used his own jack and changed the tire in about two minutes(the girls tell me). I had to go to the tire store and get a new tire and after 2 hours we were on our way( at 530pm the worst time to leave). The tire guy was joking around with me and told this great story about the time he was bringing a roll of hash to SFO from his country of origin, Iran. He was getting nervous when a dog at the airport neared him as it passed the dog stopped looked up at him, then looked forward and shook his head side to side with a look of disbelief and then continued on his way. The dog had given him a break and he will forever be thankful to that dog (this story is told much better by the mechanic even though every other word was the f word and he spoke as if he had been "smoking" sometime earlier in the day).

We met up with my brother, sister in-law, niece, father, cousins and uncles and aunts in Davis for a BBQ and then spent the night in Ripon at the Schenks. Every thing was great this weekend and on sat we went to Myron and Andreas CA reception at Knights Ferry. It was a great location right on the river front and a nice live band. Good food and spirits were just a few of the highlights. Later in the night when we were really having fun Myron and I thought we should check out the river. We decided to keep our clothes on (with the persuasion of our wives) and just walked in the river. We were hanging out taking in the beautiful night when a spotlight shown on us and we were ordered to get always from the river. Apparently it is some type of liability having guests of the hotel partaking of refreshments, hanging out in the rushing water, under the cloak of darkness. We returned to the lawn and ended the night by hanging out with our wives.

Myron and Andrea at the cool reception.

Something you might not see very often. A bride hoola hooping.

We stayed at Kevin and Lyndsays house this weekend. Here is Ethan thinking I am pretty funny.

EJ again.

Delaney (my brothers daughter). She is very, very cute.

This thurs. I flew out to Wisconsin to go to Greg LeMahieu’s wedding in Oostburg. I met up with Eric Hoksema (AKA Hooker) and Isaac Borema (Ike) and drove to Oostburg. It was great to see all of the friends that I have not seen for so long and get to catch up with them. Greg and Paul have not changed at all Greg and Paul had some smoked fish in their fridge at there house and it made all of the fridge smell like fish so when we went to take a sip of the beer in the fridge you would have a strong fishy smell with it. Just incase you were thinking of marketing the idea of fish flavored beer let me tell you it will not work. . We spent the first night going to on of Pauls softball games and shouting encouragement (I guess you could call it that) from the sidelines. We then went to the Handle Bar and Grill for dinner and Beer. We got a chance to meet Sandy and I must say that this woman has no idea how good looking she is, because if she did, she would not be with Greg (see pictures below).

Friday more friends showed up and we went to the beach for the day and then to the rehearsal dinner. It was at a pizza place and had all of the free beer you could drink. Ma Lemahieu made sure that our glasses were always filled and we were enjoying ourselves. After a lot of good old story telling we left the rehearsal and went to a bar in Sheboygan. This was a great time and after a round or four of beers and some (yegger) were we all having a good time. Paul and I got schooled at foosball and we decided to call it a night at 1am.

At 430am the next day Greg took Ike, his cousin, and me fishing. Yes we only got 3.5 hours of sleep, but that is all we needed. I am not sure what Greg was thinking, but what better was to spend the morning of your wedding day than getting a good stink of fish all over you. The wedding went well and the reception as well. We were al concerned about Paul and the best mans toast, but after some liquid courage Paul started his toast and to everyone surprise was hilarious. It was the best, best mans toast I have ever heard and it was like watching someone I have never met up there talking. After living with Paul for 3yrs I got to know him pretty well, but I have never seen anything like that.

To get the couple to kiss during the reception you were required to shoot a deer target (3d life-size decoy) with a nerf shotgun or bow and arrow(defiantly a Wisconsin thing). By the end of the night after the great Fred Bear song was sung the deer was being danced around the floor by all different Wis. guys. Shaumber and Reticheck (two guys that I only know by last name and are quite the legends in that area) split the deer in two and were using the front and hind quarters as air guitars at one point.

And you didn't think anyone could top the bride and groom.
Here is the happy couple.

Ike steering the Boat.
Ikes Big catch of the day
My big catch of the day.(14lbs. King Salmon)
The good old LeMahieu boys. The two on the left are single still. If interested pleasee leave me a comment and I will "hook you up".
The couple again.

Rehersal dinner. Ike and Boogard love the beer while everyone else seems indifferent.
Kimble is having a good time and Karen is not quite sure yet.
Hooker after the reheasal. He got Giardia while in Hungary so he could not drink on account of the antibiotics. That was great news for us because he could be the DD. That my be insensative on our part, but saftey first.
Becky and Huisken(poop) are a couple. Isn't that cute? No it isn't!

Here we are at thhe wedding. We took up a whole row.

Sorry for the non blogging lately, but I have had about 1 hour of downtime in the past month between work and all of the fun so I promise that I will be posting more often.

Rubbing is racing

So it was the Fourth of July two days ago and a day off for most people. I say most people because I did not get it off and had to work. On the fouth I went to the Merced fairgrounds to see the dirt track races. It was a very eclectic mix of people and it is good to see a good old fashion car race. I also went to the races on Saturday and it was good then. There was a guy on sat. that flipped his car and majorly crashed right in front of the grandstands. As soon as he crashed the announcers started asking for donations for this guy to get his car fixed. He crashed it, he was the one racing, and he should be the one to fix it. I guess that is not the way it always works and they collected about $500 for this guy. It was an amazing crash, but he got his car back together and was racing wed. night. You never would have guessed his car was all broken just four days earlier.

If there is a place where you may be able to experience just of taste of what hell is going to be like it is today in Merced. It was 115 on my truck thermometer yesterday and absolutely no wind. A little warm to say the least. I got a flat tire on my truck and can not change it. It is a rental truck and I got the tire off and the truck jacked up, and then came to find out that the rental truck does not have the bar that one would use to crank the tire down from under the bed of the truck. So there I sat with the truck in the air and waiting for the tire company to come and get me a new tire.


Notice the fine example of local flavor.
Lots of trucks with huge American flags in the middle of the track

More fireworks
There were about 18 cars in the main event which made forre some close racing and some good old fashion paint swapping.
Cars that are to fast for the camera phone.

A note to Boer: I had no idea where you were living. We should have gotten together at VIP's of whatever it is called not and closed the bar down (that probably would have been around 10pm if it is still like it was in college) What is your website now?