It happens every year. We know it. We know it well. We just don't accept it too readily.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Baja 500, The BEST Ever.
I finally found a partner in crime who loves the off road races as much as I do.
Gary was recruited to help with the timing of the race at the Start/Finish line with me, and it was cute to see his excitement build as he realized he would be a full fledged SCORE official at the historic Baja 500 race.
We get down to Ensenada, Mexico a day or two early when there is a race so we can have some time to explore, eat, shop, or whatever. Then we have a day where we're kind of wandering around while the racers get checked in. We get the paperwork at the end of the day and we put them in our computer for the next day's race.
As I walked around with Gary, showing him my favorite spots in Ensenada, I kept expecting him to say, "Well, okay, I'm bored let's find something better to do." But that never happened. In fact, he said a couple of times, "This is so fun! I'm so glad I got to come with you!" I certainly agreed!
I really liked that he appreciated the view that I so appreciate every time I'm there:
I celebrated when it was obvious he had the same love for churros as I did....but together we discovered Churros Rellenos....which is stuffed churros. Stuffed with chocolate. MMMMMM....
And like I do, Gary will take the time to check out a cool new race truck:
And laugh about the little things in Mexico that you just wouldn't see in the U.S.:
That's an upside-down seven for the Lobby button...
But then when it came time to score the race, he was more than willing to be there in the middle of the night, waiting for finishers.
We had music playing on his I Phone, we laughed at the spectacle around us, and we were overjoyed when someone finished the grueling race...
I've never had so much fun at a race.
Gary was recruited to help with the timing of the race at the Start/Finish line with me, and it was cute to see his excitement build as he realized he would be a full fledged SCORE official at the historic Baja 500 race.
We get down to Ensenada, Mexico a day or two early when there is a race so we can have some time to explore, eat, shop, or whatever. Then we have a day where we're kind of wandering around while the racers get checked in. We get the paperwork at the end of the day and we put them in our computer for the next day's race.
As I walked around with Gary, showing him my favorite spots in Ensenada, I kept expecting him to say, "Well, okay, I'm bored let's find something better to do." But that never happened. In fact, he said a couple of times, "This is so fun! I'm so glad I got to come with you!" I certainly agreed!
I really liked that he appreciated the view that I so appreciate every time I'm there:
I celebrated when it was obvious he had the same love for churros as I did....but together we discovered Churros Rellenos....which is stuffed churros. Stuffed with chocolate. MMMMMM....
And like I do, Gary will take the time to check out a cool new race truck:
And laugh about the little things in Mexico that you just wouldn't see in the U.S.:
That's an upside-down seven for the Lobby button...
But then when it came time to score the race, he was more than willing to be there in the middle of the night, waiting for finishers.
We had music playing on his I Phone, we laughed at the spectacle around us, and we were overjoyed when someone finished the grueling race...
I've never had so much fun at a race.
I'm On A Boat
Gary and I have been getting to know each other, and one of the things I found out about him is his love for the lake and going out on his boat.
Since I've worked in the boating industry around here (mostly part time) for several years, I'm surprised I didn't know him before. Or see his boat....
Oh. My.
What a beautiful ride. We managed to take the boat out in May for the first time, and we spent the entire day in a cove by ourselves. He snorkled, I relaxed.
Well, I played with my camera, too.
We managed to get out again with a couple of friends, but it was more like a rescue mission. They'd gotten several miles downriver in their boat and it quit on them. So we dragged out Gary's Laveycraft and pulled their day out of the dumps...
They were good passengers. I was the stewardess. I served Fritos and Doritos. At one point we were on the beach near the London Bridge, enjoying shade and laughing at the parade of boats going by. I remarked that there are probably only a handful of people in the world who could say they sat on a boat under the London Bridge that day. And we'd be included in that handful.
And how many people can say they were parked next to this BAZILLION DOLLAR boat that da? Probably not many.
One side of the boat says Lick. The other side says This.
How many people can take a serious photo like this? Not many, I'm sure.
Since I've worked in the boating industry around here (mostly part time) for several years, I'm surprised I didn't know him before. Or see his boat....
Oh. My.
What a beautiful ride. We managed to take the boat out in May for the first time, and we spent the entire day in a cove by ourselves. He snorkled, I relaxed.
Well, I played with my camera, too.
We managed to get out again with a couple of friends, but it was more like a rescue mission. They'd gotten several miles downriver in their boat and it quit on them. So we dragged out Gary's Laveycraft and pulled their day out of the dumps...
They were good passengers. I was the stewardess. I served Fritos and Doritos. At one point we were on the beach near the London Bridge, enjoying shade and laughing at the parade of boats going by. I remarked that there are probably only a handful of people in the world who could say they sat on a boat under the London Bridge that day. And we'd be included in that handful.
And how many people can say they were parked next to this BAZILLION DOLLAR boat that da? Probably not many.
One side of the boat says Lick. The other side says This.
How many people can take a serious photo like this? Not many, I'm sure.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Uncommonly Cold!
We camped a few weekends ago with some of Gary's friends from California, and after a couple of weeks of 80 degree weather it suddenly turned chilly.
Really. Chilly.
The rain rolled in with wind, the campsite became a refuge, and we huddled inside the enclosed trailer with the awning outside shielding the BBQ from the rain.
Of course we were able to stay entertained.
Around 10pm the rain quit and we were able to have a campfire outside.
See the blue? It is from an additive that Lynn put in there. It burned blue, orange, and green.
The next morning was cold, but not so cold that we weren't going to get out and enjoy the desert. We bundled up and hopped in the Rhinos for a ride.
The evening included some night excursions into some abandoned mines (yes, they do say you're not supposed to do that...) and some socializing around the colorful campfire once again. But before all that, we got out the weaponry.
Yeah, I hit some targets....
Early Sunday morning we were up before everyone else, probably because we went to bed at a reasonable time and we were anxious to get out and enjoy the nice weather.
Gary got impatient, he decided to be the wake-up call:
Don't worry, they did similar things to us as we struggled to get to sleep the night before!
While the boys cooked a big breakfast on the grill I took some blossom photos:
Then we hit the trails once more. We were determined to find some new unfamiliar places, and we certainly succeeded there. We took Grey Eagle Mine Road and found ourselves poking around in lots of old mine claims and long forgotten trails. Very cool!
The photo ops were cool, too:
By the time we loaded up the toys and started heading home, it was nearly 80 degrees again. The cold stuff was a nice departure, but we live in the desert for a reason; we like the heat!
Really. Chilly.
The rain rolled in with wind, the campsite became a refuge, and we huddled inside the enclosed trailer with the awning outside shielding the BBQ from the rain.
Of course we were able to stay entertained.
Around 10pm the rain quit and we were able to have a campfire outside.
See the blue? It is from an additive that Lynn put in there. It burned blue, orange, and green.
The next morning was cold, but not so cold that we weren't going to get out and enjoy the desert. We bundled up and hopped in the Rhinos for a ride.
The evening included some night excursions into some abandoned mines (yes, they do say you're not supposed to do that...) and some socializing around the colorful campfire once again. But before all that, we got out the weaponry.
Yeah, I hit some targets....
Early Sunday morning we were up before everyone else, probably because we went to bed at a reasonable time and we were anxious to get out and enjoy the nice weather.
Gary got impatient, he decided to be the wake-up call:
Don't worry, they did similar things to us as we struggled to get to sleep the night before!
While the boys cooked a big breakfast on the grill I took some blossom photos:
Then we hit the trails once more. We were determined to find some new unfamiliar places, and we certainly succeeded there. We took Grey Eagle Mine Road and found ourselves poking around in lots of old mine claims and long forgotten trails. Very cool!
The photo ops were cool, too:
By the time we loaded up the toys and started heading home, it was nearly 80 degrees again. The cold stuff was a nice departure, but we live in the desert for a reason; we like the heat!
Friday, April 29, 2011
A Metaphor
I remember the chilly day that Tracy and I rode our three-wheelers up into the mountains to explore some new trails, and we discovered a 30-foot tall saguaro cactus. It was so fortunate that I'd already developed a habit of carrying a camera with me ALWAYS....
You'll have to click on the photo to see me. I'm standing at the base of this giant.
I think it was 1996, or maybe even 1995. We had our little house on Daytona Avenue and we didn't have our son Shay yet.
Fast forward to 2011. Gary and I went up into the mountains one day, and I insisted on climbing up to see the huge saguaro. What I found was a pile of sticks, down in the bottom of the canyon. My huge cactus had fallen and dried up into nothing.
I later dug up all the photos like the one above, so I could show Gary what the big deal was. The pictures were a shock, I didn't know that I looked like such a baby face back then! I was a child! And here I was, next to this healthy, vibrant cactus reaching for the sky.
Now here we are in 2011. Not a baby face anymore. And my giant cactus friend is a memory. Ah, a metaphor.
You'll have to click on the photo to see me. I'm standing at the base of this giant.
I think it was 1996, or maybe even 1995. We had our little house on Daytona Avenue and we didn't have our son Shay yet.
Fast forward to 2011. Gary and I went up into the mountains one day, and I insisted on climbing up to see the huge saguaro. What I found was a pile of sticks, down in the bottom of the canyon. My huge cactus had fallen and dried up into nothing.
I later dug up all the photos like the one above, so I could show Gary what the big deal was. The pictures were a shock, I didn't know that I looked like such a baby face back then! I was a child! And here I was, next to this healthy, vibrant cactus reaching for the sky.
Now here we are in 2011. Not a baby face anymore. And my giant cactus friend is a memory. Ah, a metaphor.
Been Busy
New job has been keeping me preoccupied, the new guy is a welcome distraction, and as usual this time of year has all kinds of events and activities that I try to keep up with.
This week the Desert Storm boating event is here in Havasu, and it is an interesting collection of high dollar boats and so much money it makes you want to throw up a little....
Gary took the day off so he could hang out with me. He just didn't realize that all the hanging out would be on Main Street during the boat show. ALL DAY!!!
Boss Tony did some interviews.
We had the boats on Main St from noon till 9:30 pm, must have talked to hundreds of people. Also got to catch up with a lot of old friends, which was very nice.
By quitting time, we were DONE!
This week the Desert Storm boating event is here in Havasu, and it is an interesting collection of high dollar boats and so much money it makes you want to throw up a little....
Gary took the day off so he could hang out with me. He just didn't realize that all the hanging out would be on Main Street during the boat show. ALL DAY!!!
Boss Tony did some interviews.
We had the boats on Main St from noon till 9:30 pm, must have talked to hundreds of people. Also got to catch up with a lot of old friends, which was very nice.
By quitting time, we were DONE!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Glamour. Intrigue. Chores.
Organized the pantry:
And fixed the landscaping:
Made some yummy food in the pressure cooker smoker:
Watched a pretty nice sunset at the beach:
Finally sat down to relax late on Sunday:
The dogs joined us:
And fixed the landscaping:
Made some yummy food in the pressure cooker smoker:
Watched a pretty nice sunset at the beach:
Finally sat down to relax late on Sunday:
The dogs joined us:
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