Revenge of the central valley.

What a week at work it has been. I will not get into that yet. Saturday I came home for the school benefit auction and had a great time. The wine bar and hors d'oeuvres were great, and so was the auction. We got a few handmade scarves that are great, but I think we have missed the three days a year they can be used out here and we will have to wait till next year to use them.

Good times

So this is what California looks like now. After one week of hot temperatures the grass has turned golden brown and will stay that way for about the next 9 months. This is a big drawback of CA. I like looking at the green hills, but when you only get about 12" of rain a year I guess something has to suffer.

Last week I 76.5 hrs in 7days and let me tell you it was not all fun and games. I was working most of the time down in Merced which..well..is unable to be described in words here. The words I would use to describe the system down there are banned from the internet and have only been uttered in the most extreme situations. I guess if you can't read the hazard label...there is no hazard?.?. FYI, Don't put your bare hand into this tank because a day later your skill will get very dry and start to fall off (don't ask me how I know that).

When pumps break you have to transfer acid in 5gal buckets...which is not fun but if you have the proper PPE it can be done. Notice the corrosive nature of the acid eating away at the floor. Good times. FYI don't get this on you boots because in the not so distant future the leather will fall apart rather quickly...don't ask me how I know that either.

I guess I should stop knocking the central valley because what comes around...goes around.

Another FYI. If you are ever in Merced you should look up the bar Carolyn's. It serves no food, no mixed drinks... just beer. You can order pizza and have it delivered just say Carolyn's, and everyone will know where it is. It is the best dive bar in the city and it is a now on my must see list of Central Valley tourist destinations.

Kevin...high school was great even if I didn't club baby seals or ride polar bears like you did...dumb canadians.

Boat Show

So yesterday Brenda agreed to visit the strictly sail pacific coast boat show in Oakland. This is a great show where all the major boat makers are there and with a paid admission you get to go on any and all of the boats in the whole place. It was paradise for a guy like me and... Brenda actally had a great time as well. We went on a lot of boats checking out headroom and sleeping berths so we can make an informed decision on purchasing a new boat. No not really. We are not going to get a boat. I fear if I did I would have to also look for a new wife. Brenda was a great sport and let me buy a new lifejacket for sailing and that will have to do for now.
We really like the Hunter line of sailboats.
Wow look at the lines on that one...mmmm.
Brenda liked to make herself comfortable and I thought she looked great in this one. It is a bit out of our price range, but it is beautiful and life is to short to sail an ugly boat.
I must now be refered to as Captain...Captain John.
The galley on one of these awesome yachts is just big enough...actually it is bigger than our kitchen in our first apartment so it looked big enough for us..

Eventually we decided on the Hunter 31 as the boat we would most likely be able to afford and would fit into our lifestyle. I know it is a pipe dream, but the DeJongs are not just dreamers, but we are doers.

I know that I have not written lately, but my rents and sister were out here last week and I worked out of town all week so boo hoo you didn't get a post last week. I was working in Merced yet again, but I am working on installing piping for an injection system we have planned out there. It is getting warm there, but I was glad it was not summer. Installing piping is very labor and time consuming and I have over 60hrs of work in five days to prove it( and some scrapes and bruises).



My cousin got married last weekend and we went out there (Handford CA) and had a great time. Weddings are always fun and receptions are even better.



The wife and I.
This is my cousins little boy Dameon. He was very cool and I think he enjoyed us strangers (this was the first time we met him).
Reanna (De Haan) Bergman also recently had a child and since this is her neck of the woods she was at the wedding and it was cool to see her little boy Hudson.



So the other day I happened upon a rattlesnake and decided to kill it. After cutting the head off I waited a while (~2hrs) to butcher it. When I went to skin it the body was still moving all over the place and after I gutted it and skinned it the flesh was still moving around and it was very weird. So now I have this sweet snake skin that Is drying and waiting for the perfect place in our house...or the garage more likely.
I hope to find a bigger snake in the future. I sure you am wondering what I did with the flesh..I did not eat it yet. I have given it to a woman I work with and she is going to make some snake chili when she gets a few more.