Long race day

Last weekend we had the Delta Ditch run. This is a ~65 miles race from Richmond to Stockton. The race is notorious for strong winds, but this year was a little different. I woke up at 5am to get to Stockton to catch the bus to Richmond. I got on the boat at about 10am and we started the race at 1110. The wind was very light, but steady. We finished after dark at 1030pm and then I drove back home. Yes it was a very long day, but in retrospect we had a good time (only in retrospect). We saw an awesome demasting where a boat hit a channel marker. it was one of the best crashes I have ever seen.
Cool new shirt I got
Thursday was the last day of school so Brenda went to get a haircut. She usually has long hair during the school year for ponytail reasons (or so she claims), but I like it short so she got it cut. I think it looks good and she was very happy to see it cut so it is all good. Of course she was supposed to go to school on Friday and clean out her classroom, but since she does not have a classroom she left for the Midwest for a couple of weeks. Yes I am staying at home and holding the fort down for now.
My lovely wife...mmmm...Brenda
Yesterday I had a few sailing races and today I went out with a guy I had never been out with before on a 505. This is a small dinghy racer with a trapeze where I could hang all the way off the side of the boat by a thin wire. It was a rush and a good time. The guy I went with was a great teacher and very patient. He was not very patient when it came to the lack of wind at the beginning and about everything else. I work around construction guys all day and usually hear a large amount of foul language, but this guy was in another stratosphere. Everyother word out of his mouth was a curse word and he strung together words I have never heard in the same phrase before. He brought a new meaning to cursing like a sailor.

Sailing as always

The GPS readout of our course. It may not look that straight, but it got us where we were supposed to go.

Last Saturday we had a race out of the Berkley Circle and as always it was a good time. We finished first overall, but corrected time we came in second. This weekend I have all day race from Richmond to Stockton (downwind the whole way and I am hoping for very strong wind as always). It is always a good time. I also have another race next Saturday so as you may be able to tell that I am very busy. With races and Wed. night sailing I am going to go out about twice a week for the next few weeks.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=H77aCdce6xM

Brenda got her test results back yesterday and it was not the best news. We were both hoping and praying that she would only have type 2 diabetes, but it showed that she indeed does have type 1. I am glad that Brenda insisted on this test, because the doctor took the wait and see approach and that is not acceptable when it comes to my wife’s health (just because someone becomes a doctor doesn’t mean they have any common sense). She is now started on insulin and she will be fine tuning here eating and medication regiment for the next few weeks and would appreciate your prayers. She is a trooper and is really getting the hang of controlling her condition.

I know this is a short post, but I think that the video makes up for it. I am the one in the all yellow foulies near the bow of the boat( and on the bow setting up the boat at the beginning in yellow pants and a blue fleece). The video is not during the race, but rather near the starting line and getting ready to race.

Early season in the Sierras

Finally something worth posting about. Because I work 60hrs a week, I have not have the time or the energy to do a lot worth posting about, but with the extended weekend to remember our veterans, I thought that this may be post worthy. We went up to the Sierras on HWY 168 (outside of Fresno) to an area where we had not been to before. Sat. morning we left early and met Myron and Andrea loaded up and headed out. The weather the first day was spitting rain and overcast (not awesome for camping). After a long search and many of the areas that I had looked at on the map being closed off because of snow at the high elevations, we finally found a cool spot off of a Forest Service road that would fit our needs. To access it we needed to remove a tree crossing our path so we hooked it up to the truck and dragged it out of the way(The only sensible thing to do). This was awesome man time and just the stuff we needed to kick off a weekend in the mountains.

A truck doing what it is supposed to do...Man stuff. I asked the rig if it could haul the tree and it asked me" tree...what tree???"
Myron is blowing on the fire and eventually got it roaring. Hot springs never felt so nice. These are great, and best of all they are free unlike just about everything else in California.
This is just a taste of what we saw at the lower elevations and the depth of the snow increased directly with the change in elevation.

The next day we went over to Mono Hot Springs and on the way crossed over Kaiser Pass. There was snow up there from the winter months, and some fresh from the night before. A few cars got stuck, but with 4wheel drive and a little know how you can do great things. While in the hot springs it started to snow and sleet so we decided we should get going. The precipitation did not stop for about 16 hours. When we got back to camp we had a heck of a time building a fire(Myron did a bang up job at getting the thing going) and keeping dry but managed a great dinner of stuffed peppers and fresh hot apple pie in the Dutch Oven. All night it poured, but we were able to stay dry in the tent and the rain had severely slowed (not stopped) by morning.

The hot springs were exactly that...hot. More importantly it was free which is always good.

I would encourage anyone going to the mountains, to travel the crazy forest service roads, because you never know what you are going to find and you always will get to use your truck for its intended purpose :impress and frighten beautiful women, and get dirty(insert manly grunt and loud engine noise here).

The ladies are preparing a dinner to warm up their men so we would return the favor later in the night. We also found that hanging a towel in the rain does not really dry it out very well...go figure.

Notice on the left of the fire ring the berm that we built so the river going directly through the fire ring would be diverted.

I know it may be very hard for some of you to believe this, but I am going to be installed as an elder in San Jose CRC this next Sunday (pause here to collect your jaws off of the floor). I know you that may have thought I am to wild and crazy to be an elder, but that is just what the Church needs sometimes. I am going to try my best and with God all things are possible so sit down, hold on, and….see what happens.

I have a few more pictures, but am having some disagreements with the server or whatever the heck runs this dumb site and will attempt to post them later.

ER and Money

So yet I have been very hard at work (and play) and have not had the time to update you faithful readers, but a lot has happened. After a visit to the doctor, emergency room, and doctor (in that order) apparently Brenda has type 2 diabetes. This is a big blow to both of us and it has taken a lot of adjustment but Brenda has taken the news and new lifestyle change very good and, like always, has a positive outlook on life. She is currently taking medication and regulating her blood sugar with that and diet and is doing well. She is very grateful for all of the prayers and calls of concern we have received.

Two Sundays ago instead of church services, we went out as a church to serve the community. I was in charge of the river cleanup project and we had a great time.
This past Saturday I had a sailing race and it was very windy and fun sailing at +11kn. This Saturday I am going to race in front of the golden gate on a larger 35’ boat and I am sure it is going to be a good time.
Notice Al holding Minnie mouse.
I cannot show pictures of the worst stuff we found....one word...latrine.

Thank you US government. Although they are telling us to do idiotic things with our money like spend it on crap we don’t need, it sure is nice that they sent us a stimulus check. I choose to put it toward rent for this month…yes I said toward rent and not for rent seeing as our rent is too high for this stimulating check. I get stimulated for a lot less, but more is almost always better. I encourage all of you save the check or put it all towards debt(if you have any). Stuff is overrated and cash is always good.

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.