Day 12: Saratoga, Calif.
4 CommentsMay 13th: Saratoga, Calif.
+ My mom and I went to the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. What a stunning, well-put-together museum. If computers and the technology related to them are your jam, this place is for you. The story literally starts with the abacus and winds its way through modern technology. We overheard one museum-goer say, “I spent six hours here the first time and barely scratched the surface.” Nerd alert. :-)
Day 11: Saratoga, Calif.
6 CommentsMay 12th: Saratoga, Calif.
+ After doing a little show & tell at my mom's work with Rowlf and meeting some of her coworkers (she introduced my dog first, then me! -- just teasing, mom), my mom and I spent the day in Half Moon Bay. We had a delicious lunch at the dog-friendly Half Moon Bay Brewing Company and I got to try their IPA and their Saison. HMB Brew Co has such a great indoor and outdoor space, which we lived closer!
+ We enjoyed a stroll along the beach path after lunch. We got lucky and it was a beautifully clear day!
+ Rowlf barked at a large pirate statue that appeared to be guarding one of the beachfront stores. Oh, Rowlf you silly goose.
Day 10: Saratoga, Calif.
2 CommentsMay 12th: Saratoga, Calif.
+ Met my friend Peggy and her latest creation, Kai, for lunch in Sunnyvale. The city is relevant because it’s one of the tech hubs and I think I saw one woman for every seven men who entered the lunch place we dined at. Based on my highly scientific study, the stereotype appears to be true about Silicon Valley being predominantly male-dominated.
Peggy and Kai.
+ I’ve know Peggy since Junior High. We met in band. We were badminton doubles partners in High School. I know what you are thinking… yep, we were super cool. She’s always been a good friend and an enthusiastic force of nature. She easily convinced me to do my first Sprint Triathlon in 2006. Peggy explained that didn’t have to be a runner (walking was totally acceptable) or have a super slick bike; “just do it” she basically said. I’ll never forget how she walked out to meet me at the end of the course on race day. (She had already finished the race.) It was so nice to see her smiling face as I neared the finishline. I will also never forget how damn cold the lake was and how I couldn’t catch my breath during the swim so I swam like a bat outta hell. Eight years later she is now trying to convince me to do an Ironman 10 years from now. “You can walk the marathon!” she says. But can I walk the swim? Can I?
+ For the first of our Tuesday Night Dinners, my mom and I ventured to Azuma’s, a Japanese restaurant we have been eating at for over 30 years. We are like an old couple; we had the same meal we each get when we go there. Because that’s what you do at your favorite place.
Day 9: Saratoga, Calif.
CommentMay 11th: Saratoga, Calif.
+ Met up with my friend Shannon, whom I worked with at the Mouse House a few years back. We took to the trails of Fremont Older Open Space Preserve (dog-friendly) and had a lovely hike. We celebrated our exercise by consuming pastries from Voyageur du Temps.
+ Had some great chats with Shannon about careers, job hunting and life. I think the last time I spent that much time with her, we were both sitting under the fluorescent lights and colorful walls of Uncle Walt’s House. It was nice to hang out in our more natural habitat. I miss seeing her on a regular basis, though.
+ She and Rowlf got along so well that they took selfies together.
Day 8: Saratoga, Calif.
CommentMay 10th: Saratoga, Calif.
+ Happy Mothers Day to my Mom! Thank you for hosting me for the next few weeks! I'me excited to spend some extended time with you. I'm sorry my dog peed in your house. I’m sorry for the times I get frustrated about little things when it would have been better if I was patient. I love you lots.
Lookin' snazzy before our Dancing With the Stars adventure in April.
+ We got up and headed straight for Rio del Mar to partake in my mom’s favorite beach walk and weekend activity. It was a lovely morning and a great four mile walk. While the beach was lovely, the most fascinating park was checking out all the fancy RVs that were parked at the beach, along with their setup outside of their RVs. Did you know that some RVs have a “garage door” that comes down to form a “back patio/deck”. I didn’t. And these RVs literally had a garage portion that was separate from the living quarters. Great place to stow your bikes, BBQ, etc. Cool stuff; maybe someday they will make an electric/hybrid RV, until then I’m happy with my little Honda Fit
+ On our way home, we stopped at what we dubbed the Porto’s of Aptos, a bakery called Gayle’s. Had a delicious muffin, which I realized was probably the first muffin I have eaten since I attempted to go gluten free in July of 2013. I didn’t stay gluten free, but I like to call my “process” gluten-conscious. My general rules are: no eating bread at the dinner table before dinner, no muffins and fewer sandwiches. All that adds up to much less gluten and my general energy seems to be better without the gluten.
+ On our evening walk, Rowlf barked at a lion statue that stands at the front of one of the houses on my Mom’s street. Oh, Rowlf you silly bean.
Day 7: Saratoga, Calif.
1 CommentMay 9th - Saratoga, Calif.
+ My mom and I took Caltrain up to San Francisco to watch the Giants play the Marlins. FYI, I now have a crush on Michael Morse who used to be a Giant and is now a Marlin. See his photo and his muscles below. We saw MadBum pitch and we scored a #PenceFence bobble head. Not too shabby.
Hi. There.
#PenceFence !!
+ Before the game, we checked out The Yard across the bridge from the stadium and found a tiny North Face store that only sold black and orange gear. Genius—as Bay Area peeps are both Giants and North Face obsessed. Know your audience.
+ Gallery shots above include: Staff meeting with MadBum on the mound; Stan Lee doing his "Super Giants" pose; me and my new beanie wtih my mom and some dude reading a magazine; AT&T Park, The North Face shop.
+ Discovered a little pop up art gallery called Three Fish Studios selling clever, California-themed art. Making a note to go to their main studio when I am back in SF next week.
+ AT&T Park had a vending machine that dispensed prizes if you tweeted a specific code that the vending machine human assistant provided. Well, this is the newest thing I now know about. Technology is pretty darn neat. I promptly will go right back to never using Twitter. Until I come across another situation where I can win a beanie.
Day 6: Carmel-by-the-Sea to Saratoga
2 CommentsMay 8th: Carmel, Calif. to Saratoga, Calif.
Schnoodle chasing Doodle
+ Took Rowlf down to the off-leash beach and he had blast. He prefers the beach to the dog park at this juncture. He found a bigger fuzzball to chase, which made me and him happy. He gets this crazed look in his eyes when he really picks up speed.
+ My plan was to go Kayaking in Elkhorn Slough as it sounded like a great place to see otters and birds and other cool nature-y things. Unfortunately, I couldn’t convince the Kayak company to let Rowlf accompany me, so that goes on my “go back and do” list. The drive there was well worth the trip, though, as we travelled through a lot of farmland. Thank you farmers for growing things I like to eat.
+ Now with more time on our hands, I decided to get lunch at Marianne’s Ice Cream in Santa Cruz, Calif. My family has been going there since were we tiny humans. Also, by lunch, I mean a single scoop of California 17 (Rocky Road with cashews) ice cream in a non-sugar cone. That was an excellent decision.
+ Thinking I’d get some blogging in before I went to my mom’s, we stopped in Los Gatos to hit a coffee shop, but Rowlf was barking and everything from the mailman to a statue of a dog that was holding a door open, so that was a no-go.
+ Arrived at my mom’s to find she was out for a walk, so I promptly worked on setting up her router for wi-fi (for purely selfish reasons as she does not have any wireless devices). First time I’ve had access to the Internet via my laptop while at my mom’s that didn’t involved stealing it from the neighbors. Woot! You’re welcome, Brian.
+ Also, it was great to see my Mom. I’m looking forward to going on some adventures with her while I’m in town. It’s nice to know that I have a good stretch of time and we don’t have to cram everything into a weekend.
Picture Some Words
Road Trip At-a-Glance3 CommentsHello loyal readers! As you have seen, I'm not updating my blog as quickly and as often as I'd like. I'm having too much fun. But ... I'm in Bend, OR now for a week and hope to catch up on writing.
I have been updating Instagram regularly because that is less overwhelming that writing a full blog post. Whether you are an Instgrammer or not, you can still check out the pictures here. Or just come back to this post and watch the feed grow.
Btw, today marks the one month anniversary of the beginning of my road trip. Happy Road-iversary to me! I'm too cozy in my pajamas right now, otherwise I'd go out to my car to check the official mileage, but I do know I've travelled about 2,000 miles so far. Rowlf has snoozed for about 1,823 of those miles. I've seen rain, fog, snow, and sunshine. All four seasons in the month of May!
Thanks for those who are following my adventures. I can't wait to share more with you.
Day 5: San Luis Obispo > Carmel
3 CommentsMay 7th - San Luis Obispo, Calif. > Carmel, Calif.
+ First day on the open road without anyone to visit. The only plan is to drive up the coast end up in Carmel, Calif. for the night.
Left to Right: Ragged Point, PCH, Elephant Seals. Pepe Azul with Rowlf peaking out the window.
+ Had a wonderful, leisurely drive up the coast. Stopped to check out the Elephant Seals, Ragged Point, and Pfeiffer Beach (thanks for the recommendation, Andrea!). Stopped for coffee at the Big Sur River Inn and wished it was warm enough to enjoy it in the adirondacks that were placed at the edge of the river. Every aspect of Big Sur is picturesque. Just when you think it can't get any better, it does.
+ I overheard a conversation between a road crew worker and a guy with a backpack while stopped for construction. The gist was the guy with the backpack had been walking PCH. WALKING P C H. F the PCT, this guy's the urban Cheryl Strayed. We were near Ragged Point and the walker asked the road crew worker how many more hills there were. Dude, a lot. Man, that guy is hard core. Wish I could have talked to him to find out why he was walking, I just got bits and pieces--he sold his stuff; never did anything like this before; figures he can walk 25 miles a day; wasn't sure where he wanted to end up. You go walker, dude. You go.
Left to Right: Pfeiffer Beach (photos 1-4), Big Sur River Inn, Rowlf chillin at Cypress Inn's Yappy Hour
+ Dogs are not allowed at Point Lobos (womp, womp), so we continued on to Carmel and checked into our budget (for Carmel), pet-friendly hotel. The nice guy at the front desk gave me a map of all the pet-friendly places in town and pointed out the Cypress Inn as a place I should take Rowlf because "Doris Day likes dogs." Slightly confused by his statement, we set out on our town tour and when we made it to the Cypress Inn, I was stunned by the scene I saw through the window--a fancy hotel lounge, filled with people mostly over 60, having drinks and hanging out with their dogs. Lots of dogs. Dogs everywhere. It was the weirdest, normalest scene ever. Rowlf and I decided immediately to partake in Yappy Hour, as they called it. Met some nice peeps from Seattle who come to Carmel every year with their pup to stay in that hotel and enjoy pet-friendly Carmel.
+ Went for a nice walk in the rain after Yappy Hour and crashed early so we could get up and get in some off-leash beach time. Pretty satisfied with all of our adventures today. Yay us. :-)
Day 4: San Luis Obispo
5 Comments
May 6th - San Luis Obispo, Calif.
+ Before I had my first cup of coffee and after I sheepishly reported that I didn’t post anything to the blog last night, my Dad leap into action and helped me sort out how to make my blog super sustainable and easy to update on a regular basis. Thanks Dad, you are always great to run ideas past and always good about having multiple good solutions to choose from.
+ Asked my Dad to try a happy hour beer down the street at Central Coast Brewing. We wound up with two beers for $7! Now that's a happy hour! Cheaper than pub run special prices, people. My dad had El Hefe and I opted for the Lucky Day IPA even though it was the idea of a Chai Ale that brought me down there. A little sample of the Chai Ale did not do it for me. In my pre-iPA days, I would have liked it, but now the non-hoppy beers kind of throw me off. Am I turning into a beer snob?
+ Spent a good chunk of the evening writing. Sorta kinda accepted the fact that some of what I write will be boring as not ever day on my trip will be fireworks and roses. The point is to write. Use the blog as a way to reflect on the day, recall the day a year from now, practice writing more and share/publish my writing more.
+ Watched "Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief" this evening. Wow. So ... at the direction and coaching of members of “the church” the wives of Scientology executives came out of the Hole to go on Anderson Cooper’s show to lie about how their husbands were being treated in said Hole and then they promptly went right back in the Hole. Horrible, fucked up bullshit.
+ I plan on updating the Road Trip Story section of the site in the coming days to explain why I decided to quit my job and head out on the road for a few months. A lot of thought went into that decision, which was not an easy one to make. For people who know me well, they know I am not quick to make big decisions and I'm fairly cautions when it comes to career moves. Once I made the decision, though, I was glad I did and excited to see what my adventure would bring.
+ Houston, we have have 4 blog posts. Four!
Day 3: San Luis Obispo
2 Comments
Jake, My Dad and Lynne
May 5th - San Luis Obispo, Calif.
+ My Dad took me to the SLO MakerSpace which he helped found over a year ago. To say my dad loves to create things is an understatement. It was really great to see something that he helped build for the community.
+ My Dad's wife Lynne and her son Jake returned home. Lynne had gone to pick up Jake in Los Angeles after his post-college, multi-month graduation trip to South America. Jake regaled us with stories of his scuba diving adventures and the meeting a smart, hot Swedish girl, who also (bonus!) happened to have a British accent. Then he zoomed off to Berkley to see friends for a few days. His energy and exuberance for life is quite infectious. He's moving to Washington DC in a few weeks. Can't wait to hear his stories about starting his career(s).
+ After much deliberation, my Dad and I watched Being Flynn. It inspired me to resolve to see more Paul Dano movies.
Day 2: San Luis Obispo, Calif.
1 CommentMay 4th - San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Rowlf and my Dad's family's dog Katie.
+ This was a day of catching up with my Dad, walking the dogs and napping.
- Rowlf lunged and barked at a seeing eye dog after the blind owner finished crossing the street. Oops. Oh, Rowlf.
- Tried to write my blog but everything I typed up sounded sooooo boring. Worked on my logo instead. It’s now green with a slightly different font for the tagline. I spent way too much time trying different fonts. I like fonts.
Day 1 - Burbank, Calif. > San Luis Obispo
5 CommentsMay 3rd - Burbank, Calif. > San Luis Obispo
+ Woke up still on a high from yesterday’s rappel, but moved at the speed of a snail when it came to packing and getting ready. Kind people reminded me this was a somewhat arbitrary departure and that I should leave when I was ready.
+ I left my house at 3pm. Barely hit any traffic. Smiled as I passed Canoga Ave off the 101. Turned into my Dad’s driveway in San Luis Obispo aground 6:30 p.m. with a Firestone beer (Pale 31) and BBQ blue cheese burgers waiting for me. Thanks, Dad! I asked Rowlf to give me a celebratory high five when I turned off the car engine and he did not comply. Note to self: Gotta get him trained up on operating a smart phone and doling out high fives when prompted.
24 Stories
3 Comments
24 stories. That's how tall the building is that I rappelled down on Saturday, May 2. I have zero experience rappelling, unless you count the ropes courses at Camp Esperanza. I'm a wimp when it comes to roller coasters with big drops. Bungee jumping does not interest me, but as soon as I heard about this event, I instantly wanted to do it.
I raised money for ECAN Esophageal Cancer Action Network via the Stories to Save Lives event in order to gain this opportunity. I did this in honor of my boss, friend and co-chair of the event, Rick, who battled this type of cancer a few years ago. While he still must stay vigilant in his check ups, I'm happy to report that he is in remission. Many others have not been so lucky. I hope we kickstarted a campaign for more awareness, which will lead to better prevention or earlier diagnosis.
The rappel was immensely fun. As I neared solid ground, it was great to see the smiling faces of my mom and friends who came out to support me. It meant a lot to have them there.
My friend Iva-Marie and I went "over the edge" together and I gotta say, it was really kinda special to hang off the side of a building with her, while laughing and making our way down, story by story.
I was grinning from ear to ear that entire day. What a tremendously unique experience I just had!
My two favorite things to tell people now are: See that building right there? Yah, I rappelled down it. And ... I quit my job to go on a road trip with my dog. :-)
Want to help fight Esophageal Cancer? Learn more here.
Hello Audience of Three !
3 CommentsMy aim is to have a few posts up today, May 5th. I've been battling my desire for perfectionism vs. just showing my work. Ah, the life of a writer. Have a great day!