Sunday, July 24, 2011
Cuyamaca Backpacking
I did a nice little one-night backpacking solo trip to Cuyamaca Rancho State Park over the weekend. I left work on Friday night and drove to the Green Vally campground entrance. I parked there and headed out. I took the Harvey Moore trail the 4.5 miles to the Granite Springs primitive camp. It was a bit warm but not too hot; I had plenty of water and was constantly sipping from my hydration bladder. The camp was completely deserted. There is a pump for water but the signage warned it was for livestock only. The rangers said you could purify it and I did so with iodine tablets. I made 2L that way. The camp was nice but there were enough flies to annoy you. After dinner, I lied in my tent and read a book until the sun went down. I slept well and woke at the crack of dawn. I quickly packed up and was on the trail by 6:00a. I took the East Mesa Fire Road trail initially. I then took the spur trail that went up to the top of Oakzanita Peak. The morning views there were incredible. I wish I hadn't forgot my camera! Back down the peak and another few miles back to the parking lot for a total of 6.2 miles out. That made 10.7 miles. My pack was 33 pounds including food and water.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Books
A couple of unrelated books were read:
* 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart by Neal D. Barnard - vegetarian-focused diet which I won't be following
* The Ultralight Backpacker by Ryel Kestenbaum - a less radical to ultralight backpacking than Ray Jardine
* 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart by Neal D. Barnard - vegetarian-focused diet which I won't be following
* The Ultralight Backpacker by Ryel Kestenbaum - a less radical to ultralight backpacking than Ray Jardine
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Taxes Go Down. World Does Not End!
I know it is hard to believe, but a tax has actually gone down, in California no less.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Thursday, July 07, 2011
Family Get Together
* Watson's at the Orange Circle
* Lots of swimming
* Playing games
* Fireworks!
* Independence Day Parade at Huntington Beach
Sunday, July 03, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Extreme Weather
Wunderground's Jeff Masters has a good post on the extraordinary extreme weather that took place during 2010.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Weekend Activites
* Hike in Tierrasanta and a few geocaches found
* Pool time
* Finished the front yard garden for the summer
* Pool time
* Finished the front yard garden for the summer
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Surfing Madonna
The Surfing Madonna saga has come to an end. I think it is quite a good piece of art and the location was pretty ideal for the message. But the city put the hammer to artist Mark Patterson. He has to cough up ~$10K in fines but I am sure he will make that up in future art sales.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Books
* Ranchos of San Diego County (Images of America: California) (Images of America (Arcadia Publishing))
- great pictures but the text is haphazard
* Trail Life by Ray Jardine - the gospel from the father ultra-light backpacking
* The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman
- I love Tim Ferriss's writing and this book has some very interesting stuff although some chapters seem thrown in just to increase the page count
- great pictures but the text is haphazard* Trail Life by Ray Jardine - the gospel from the father ultra-light backpacking
* The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman
- I love Tim Ferriss's writing and this book has some very interesting stuff although some chapters seem thrown in just to increase the page count
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Southwest National Parks Tour
This summer, Jyoti planned a 19 day tour of the western National Parks. This is that tale of that journey...
Day 0 - 5/31/2011 – Since dogs are not welcome in most National Parks, we drove up to my parents in Orange County to drop off Sophie. This will also shave at least an hour off of our travel time tomorrow. Also, my parents just got back from Europe (Greek islands cruise and Venice) so we wanted to hear about that.
Day 1 – 6/1/2011 – Woke up, ate breakfast and hit the road for our first stop, Las Vegas. We thought it would be fun to stop in Vegas and see the city. I haven’t been there in years and haven’t experienced the latest hotels. On the whole we were very disappointed. The strip is almost un-walkable now. Many intersections have pedestrian bridges but they are offset from the street so you can’t see much from them. The strip has lost its charm. Monstrosities like Planet Hollywood are more reminiscent of Tijuana than the Rat Pack glory days of Vegas. It is nigh impossible to see the strip as a whole. The hotels are so up front and obtrusive, the anticipation you used to get as you approached the colonnade at Caesar’s Palace can no longer be felt. The street engineering and total lack of traffic signage is geared towards trapping unknowing tourists into strip for eternity.
We stayed at Excalibur due to a very good rate from Priceline. I do not recommend it. This hotel is very dated and is due for a Sands-like implosion. The room was clean and comfortable, but the entire building is worn out. We couldn’t wait to fall asleep, wake up and get to our next stop, Zion National Park.
Day 2 – 6/2/2011 – After making a hasty getaway from the clutches of Las Vegas, we headed up I-15 through vast deserts. You know you are in the great Southwestern open spaces when your navigation system displays simply a straight line.
It was just a 4 hour drive to Zion but we stopped in La Verkin, UT to pick up groceries and gas up. We are getting about 21 mpg with the car top carrier fully loaded.
We made it to Zion and checked into our campground. The camps were supposedly booked solid but we saw several unused sites. I am not sure when the open those up to those without reservations. Our camp was D19 in the Watchman Campground. It is a very nice camp within a grove of cottonwoods, which are seeding right now so the ground is covered with “cotton.”
It seems the National Park Service has either avoided the latest federal budget cuts or is the recipient of a large portion of the “stimulus” money as the facilities are in tip-top shape. The campgrounds are very tidy, the bathrooms look new and the visitor center is extremely nice. They also have a very efficient bus system that saves everyone from having to drive up and down the canyon.
Our first stop for the day was at the upper portion of the canyon. We did the 2 mile Riverside hike but could not go into the Narrows due to the amount of water in the still-raging Virgin River.
We then headed back to camp and into town for dinner. Springdale, Utah is a very quaint little town with many upscale-looking shops, inns and restaurants. We had a good referral for the Whiptail Grill, located in an old gas station. I ordered a Zion Brewing Company IPA. Although not as hoppy as a West Coast-style IPA, it was delicious nonetheless. The food was slow in coming, but it was excellent. Jo had some of the best fish tacos ever. I had a wonderfully spicy Green Chile Burger. We finished it off with a Peanut Butter Chocolate Habanero Crème Brule! The Whiptail Grill is on the pricy side, but it well worth it if you want gourmet food after your hard day hiking Zion.
Day 3 Р6/3/2011 РWe checked in early last night and slept in late. I woke up and prepared my usual breakfast: spinach, chicken sausage and eggs. After eating, we headed into town in search of Wi-Fi. We found it at the uber-friendly Caf̩ de Soleil. The people at Whiptail recommended the coffee there and we were not disappointed. The Americano I got had four shots of excellent espresso.
Our original plan was to drive over to Bryce Canyon, but after checking the maps, we decided it wasn’t worth the 2 hour drive each way. We headed back into Zion. Our morning hike was the Lower and Upper Emerald Pools. We came back via the Kayenta Trail to the Grotto. After lunch we went to the museum.
We had dinner at Blondie’s Diner. This diner is built into an old house from the 1920’s. The food is good and bit less expensive than other options in Springdale. Blondie’s homemade pie was excellent.
Day 4 – 6/4/2011 – Today was a big day as Bengt decided he wanted to try the Angel’s Landing Trail. This trail is a very treacherous adventure! We started in the morning which was vital to avoiding the sun on the way up. The first half of the trail is a very steep series of switchbacks carved and molded into the side of the cliff face. We then entered a canyon that was fairly flat to the end. Then was Wallace’s Wiggles, a sequence of very short but very steep switchbacks leading up to Scout’s Landing. Three of us only went a little bit further up the way to Angel’s Point, but Jaya decided to tackle it alone! That brave girl made it to the very top. We made it down in time for a late lunch at the Zion Lodge. Final tally: 5.4 miles, 1488 feet elevation gain, 3.5 hours.
If you look hard, you can see Jaya in the red circle (this was coming down after she made it to the top).
After lunch we went to Weeping Rock for a quick, but steep trail to a hanging garden.
We then said goodbye to Zion and heading off to Grand Canyon National Park North Rim, just 3 short hours away.
After stopping in Kanab for groceries, we got into Grand Canyon NP pretty late. We had a quick bite at the lodge deli (I recommend the chili) and set up camp. We were pooped from the day’s hikes so it was an early bedtime.
Day 5 – 6/5/2011 – A morning campfire lead to a leisurely camper pie breakfast. We then headed to the general store for some morning coffee and email checking. The staff at the store is extremely friendly! Our first hike was Bridle Trail down to the historic and majestic Grand Canyon Lodge. The lobby has panoramic views of the canyon and the south rim. We then headed down the short Bright Angel Point trail to the wide open views at the point. We then headed back to camp for lunch, laundry and relaxation. We hung out on the store porch for a while in the nice shade.
Day 6 – 6/6/2011 – Most of the day was spent driving over to Walhalla Plateau. We stopped for the quick but nice Cliff Springs trail. We then headed to Cape Royal for the incredible views. This is the only spot on the North Rim where you can see the river. We stopped at the Walhalla Glades ruins on the way back.
Bengt discovered a new favorite animal, the Kaibab squirrel, a cute little guy with a black body, white tail and tufted ears.
Day 7 – 6/7/2011 – We ate breakfast and headed out early for the long drive to Mesa Verde. This drive was along some of most desolate desert country I have seen.
We stopped at Four Corners for photos and delicious Navajo fry bread with honey.
Our first night at Mesa Verde was at the Mesa Verde Lodge. The Lodge is located near the north end of the park and our room had a glorious view of the park down to the Ute reservation beyond. Unfortunately, the views here and at Grand Canyon were somewhat obscured due to the massive wildfires in Arizona.
Our original plan was to head next to Grand Teton NP and then Yellowstone. However, the weather at Yellowstone was still cold and the forecast called for snow and rain. We made the tough decision to cut our trip short. We spent the evening at the lodge lounge re-planning the trip.
Day 8 – 6/8/2011 – Thanks to advice from a helpful ranger at Grand Canyon, we got tickets for the first two dwelling tours to avoid the sun. The first tour was of Cliff Palace, the largest dwelling. This tour provided the least amount of access to the ruins, it essentially passed along the front. After lunch, we toured the east-facing Balcony House. This tour was by far the most adventurous with a 30-foot ladder climb and a treacherous rock climb. But the dwelling tour was awesome as you walked among the ruins. Between the tours we visited the excellent Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum. We also took the self-guided Spruce Tree House tour. Spruce Tree House has a reconstructed kiva that you can go in.
In the evening, we set up camp in the Morefield Campground.
Day 9 – 6/9/2011 – This day was spent on Wetherill Mesa. This mesa has a tram that takes you the various sites. We toured the impressive Long House and smallish Step House. By coincidence, we had the same ranger on all our tours. Thanks for the tours and good luck, Ranger Jess. We also did the walking tour of the Badger Community which spanned the entire 700 year inhabitation period of the mesa.
One of many highlights of Mesa Verde was the excellent Far View Terrace restaurant which had great food at great prices; the staff was very friendly as well.
Day 10 – 6/10/2011 – Today was going to be a wildcard. We didn’t have a specific plan of what to see other than Arches NP. We made it to Moab around noon and had lunch at the excellent Eklectica. The got desert at the Action Shots ice cream shop across the street and the man there said we should go to Canyonlands NP, something we were not planning.
We drove into Arches and made our typical first stop at the visitor center. Arches has a new and very nice center. We made a point to learn about cryptobiotic soil. After the center, we made the drive through the park. We stopped at various points to see the amazing features such as Balanced Rock, North Window Arch and Turret Arch. It was brutally hot so we didn’t do the hike to Delicate Arch, but took the short path to the viewpoint.
We decided we had seen the bulk of Arches and headed over to nearby Canyonlands. It was a long drive to the visitor center, but we were amazed at the scenery. After a quick stop at the small visitor center, we drove down to Grand View Point. The vista from there was amazing, among the best we have seen. One the way back out, we did the short but impressive Mesa Arch trail. We didn’t have much time to spend in Canyonlands, but we will be back at some point. There is much to do and see in this lesser known park.
We spent the evening driving to Richfield, UT where we had a hotel reservation. The drive from Green River, UT and Richfield was through some territory where I could not see evidence of people for miles. It was beautiful country.
Day 11 – 6/11/2011 – Today was another wildcard since we didn’t have a place to stay for the night. Our plan was to camp at Bryce Canyon NP. We drove down the picturesque I-28 along the flooded Sevier River to Bryce. We hit the visitor center and then checked out the campgrounds. We didn’t get a site yet and headed over to the lodge for lunch. The lodge was very nice and lunch was good. We then head to Sunrise Point for the “best 3.5 mile hike in the world.” If this hike isn’t the best, it is close to it. Starting at the top of the rim, you can see the hoodoos. They are even more impressive as you descend into the canyon along the Queen’s Garden trail. We went up the Navajo Loop trail to get back to the top. We then drove down the road to the Far View Lookout. Along the road we saw two herds of pronghorns which was pretty cool. We decided that we had seen almost all there was to see at Bryce and headed out.
Day 12 – 6/12/2011 – The long drive home from St. George to mom’s. We stopped at Peggy Sue’s Nifty 50’s Diner for lunch.
Day 0 - 5/31/2011 – Since dogs are not welcome in most National Parks, we drove up to my parents in Orange County to drop off Sophie. This will also shave at least an hour off of our travel time tomorrow. Also, my parents just got back from Europe (Greek islands cruise and Venice) so we wanted to hear about that.
Day 1 – 6/1/2011 – Woke up, ate breakfast and hit the road for our first stop, Las Vegas. We thought it would be fun to stop in Vegas and see the city. I haven’t been there in years and haven’t experienced the latest hotels. On the whole we were very disappointed. The strip is almost un-walkable now. Many intersections have pedestrian bridges but they are offset from the street so you can’t see much from them. The strip has lost its charm. Monstrosities like Planet Hollywood are more reminiscent of Tijuana than the Rat Pack glory days of Vegas. It is nigh impossible to see the strip as a whole. The hotels are so up front and obtrusive, the anticipation you used to get as you approached the colonnade at Caesar’s Palace can no longer be felt. The street engineering and total lack of traffic signage is geared towards trapping unknowing tourists into strip for eternity.
We stayed at Excalibur due to a very good rate from Priceline. I do not recommend it. This hotel is very dated and is due for a Sands-like implosion. The room was clean and comfortable, but the entire building is worn out. We couldn’t wait to fall asleep, wake up and get to our next stop, Zion National Park.
Day 2 – 6/2/2011 – After making a hasty getaway from the clutches of Las Vegas, we headed up I-15 through vast deserts. You know you are in the great Southwestern open spaces when your navigation system displays simply a straight line.
It was just a 4 hour drive to Zion but we stopped in La Verkin, UT to pick up groceries and gas up. We are getting about 21 mpg with the car top carrier fully loaded.
We made it to Zion and checked into our campground. The camps were supposedly booked solid but we saw several unused sites. I am not sure when the open those up to those without reservations. Our camp was D19 in the Watchman Campground. It is a very nice camp within a grove of cottonwoods, which are seeding right now so the ground is covered with “cotton.”
It seems the National Park Service has either avoided the latest federal budget cuts or is the recipient of a large portion of the “stimulus” money as the facilities are in tip-top shape. The campgrounds are very tidy, the bathrooms look new and the visitor center is extremely nice. They also have a very efficient bus system that saves everyone from having to drive up and down the canyon.
Our first stop for the day was at the upper portion of the canyon. We did the 2 mile Riverside hike but could not go into the Narrows due to the amount of water in the still-raging Virgin River.
We then headed back to camp and into town for dinner. Springdale, Utah is a very quaint little town with many upscale-looking shops, inns and restaurants. We had a good referral for the Whiptail Grill, located in an old gas station. I ordered a Zion Brewing Company IPA. Although not as hoppy as a West Coast-style IPA, it was delicious nonetheless. The food was slow in coming, but it was excellent. Jo had some of the best fish tacos ever. I had a wonderfully spicy Green Chile Burger. We finished it off with a Peanut Butter Chocolate Habanero Crème Brule! The Whiptail Grill is on the pricy side, but it well worth it if you want gourmet food after your hard day hiking Zion.
Day 3 Р6/3/2011 РWe checked in early last night and slept in late. I woke up and prepared my usual breakfast: spinach, chicken sausage and eggs. After eating, we headed into town in search of Wi-Fi. We found it at the uber-friendly Caf̩ de Soleil. The people at Whiptail recommended the coffee there and we were not disappointed. The Americano I got had four shots of excellent espresso.
Our original plan was to drive over to Bryce Canyon, but after checking the maps, we decided it wasn’t worth the 2 hour drive each way. We headed back into Zion. Our morning hike was the Lower and Upper Emerald Pools. We came back via the Kayenta Trail to the Grotto. After lunch we went to the museum.
We had dinner at Blondie’s Diner. This diner is built into an old house from the 1920’s. The food is good and bit less expensive than other options in Springdale. Blondie’s homemade pie was excellent.
Day 4 – 6/4/2011 – Today was a big day as Bengt decided he wanted to try the Angel’s Landing Trail. This trail is a very treacherous adventure! We started in the morning which was vital to avoiding the sun on the way up. The first half of the trail is a very steep series of switchbacks carved and molded into the side of the cliff face. We then entered a canyon that was fairly flat to the end. Then was Wallace’s Wiggles, a sequence of very short but very steep switchbacks leading up to Scout’s Landing. Three of us only went a little bit further up the way to Angel’s Point, but Jaya decided to tackle it alone! That brave girl made it to the very top. We made it down in time for a late lunch at the Zion Lodge. Final tally: 5.4 miles, 1488 feet elevation gain, 3.5 hours.
If you look hard, you can see Jaya in the red circle (this was coming down after she made it to the top).
After lunch we went to Weeping Rock for a quick, but steep trail to a hanging garden.
We then said goodbye to Zion and heading off to Grand Canyon National Park North Rim, just 3 short hours away.
After stopping in Kanab for groceries, we got into Grand Canyon NP pretty late. We had a quick bite at the lodge deli (I recommend the chili) and set up camp. We were pooped from the day’s hikes so it was an early bedtime.
Day 5 – 6/5/2011 – A morning campfire lead to a leisurely camper pie breakfast. We then headed to the general store for some morning coffee and email checking. The staff at the store is extremely friendly! Our first hike was Bridle Trail down to the historic and majestic Grand Canyon Lodge. The lobby has panoramic views of the canyon and the south rim. We then headed down the short Bright Angel Point trail to the wide open views at the point. We then headed back to camp for lunch, laundry and relaxation. We hung out on the store porch for a while in the nice shade.
Day 6 – 6/6/2011 – Most of the day was spent driving over to Walhalla Plateau. We stopped for the quick but nice Cliff Springs trail. We then headed to Cape Royal for the incredible views. This is the only spot on the North Rim where you can see the river. We stopped at the Walhalla Glades ruins on the way back.
Bengt discovered a new favorite animal, the Kaibab squirrel, a cute little guy with a black body, white tail and tufted ears.
Day 7 – 6/7/2011 – We ate breakfast and headed out early for the long drive to Mesa Verde. This drive was along some of most desolate desert country I have seen.
We stopped at Four Corners for photos and delicious Navajo fry bread with honey.
Our first night at Mesa Verde was at the Mesa Verde Lodge. The Lodge is located near the north end of the park and our room had a glorious view of the park down to the Ute reservation beyond. Unfortunately, the views here and at Grand Canyon were somewhat obscured due to the massive wildfires in Arizona.
Our original plan was to head next to Grand Teton NP and then Yellowstone. However, the weather at Yellowstone was still cold and the forecast called for snow and rain. We made the tough decision to cut our trip short. We spent the evening at the lodge lounge re-planning the trip.
Day 8 – 6/8/2011 – Thanks to advice from a helpful ranger at Grand Canyon, we got tickets for the first two dwelling tours to avoid the sun. The first tour was of Cliff Palace, the largest dwelling. This tour provided the least amount of access to the ruins, it essentially passed along the front. After lunch, we toured the east-facing Balcony House. This tour was by far the most adventurous with a 30-foot ladder climb and a treacherous rock climb. But the dwelling tour was awesome as you walked among the ruins. Between the tours we visited the excellent Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum. We also took the self-guided Spruce Tree House tour. Spruce Tree House has a reconstructed kiva that you can go in.
In the evening, we set up camp in the Morefield Campground.
Day 9 – 6/9/2011 – This day was spent on Wetherill Mesa. This mesa has a tram that takes you the various sites. We toured the impressive Long House and smallish Step House. By coincidence, we had the same ranger on all our tours. Thanks for the tours and good luck, Ranger Jess. We also did the walking tour of the Badger Community which spanned the entire 700 year inhabitation period of the mesa.
One of many highlights of Mesa Verde was the excellent Far View Terrace restaurant which had great food at great prices; the staff was very friendly as well.
Day 10 – 6/10/2011 – Today was going to be a wildcard. We didn’t have a specific plan of what to see other than Arches NP. We made it to Moab around noon and had lunch at the excellent Eklectica. The got desert at the Action Shots ice cream shop across the street and the man there said we should go to Canyonlands NP, something we were not planning.
We drove into Arches and made our typical first stop at the visitor center. Arches has a new and very nice center. We made a point to learn about cryptobiotic soil. After the center, we made the drive through the park. We stopped at various points to see the amazing features such as Balanced Rock, North Window Arch and Turret Arch. It was brutally hot so we didn’t do the hike to Delicate Arch, but took the short path to the viewpoint.
We decided we had seen the bulk of Arches and headed over to nearby Canyonlands. It was a long drive to the visitor center, but we were amazed at the scenery. After a quick stop at the small visitor center, we drove down to Grand View Point. The vista from there was amazing, among the best we have seen. One the way back out, we did the short but impressive Mesa Arch trail. We didn’t have much time to spend in Canyonlands, but we will be back at some point. There is much to do and see in this lesser known park.
We spent the evening driving to Richfield, UT where we had a hotel reservation. The drive from Green River, UT and Richfield was through some territory where I could not see evidence of people for miles. It was beautiful country.
Day 11 – 6/11/2011 – Today was another wildcard since we didn’t have a place to stay for the night. Our plan was to camp at Bryce Canyon NP. We drove down the picturesque I-28 along the flooded Sevier River to Bryce. We hit the visitor center and then checked out the campgrounds. We didn’t get a site yet and headed over to the lodge for lunch. The lodge was very nice and lunch was good. We then head to Sunrise Point for the “best 3.5 mile hike in the world.” If this hike isn’t the best, it is close to it. Starting at the top of the rim, you can see the hoodoos. They are even more impressive as you descend into the canyon along the Queen’s Garden trail. We went up the Navajo Loop trail to get back to the top. We then drove down the road to the Far View Lookout. Along the road we saw two herds of pronghorns which was pretty cool. We decided that we had seen almost all there was to see at Bryce and headed out.
Day 12 – 6/12/2011 – The long drive home from St. George to mom’s. We stopped at Peggy Sue’s Nifty 50’s Diner for lunch.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Camping in Cuyamaca
We finally made a family camp this weekend at the Green Valley Campground in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. We had a great time with 8 other families!
* Hiked to the Green Vally falls on the Sweetwater river. These are probably the most accessible falls in the county and are a little-known gem.
* Hiked to the airplane monument. This was a pretty touch hike due to the elevation climb (900' in less than 2 miles) and the very rocky and broken terrain. It was worth it though.
* The rain started early Monday morning and didn't really let up. I was up to make some coffee and breakfast, then everyone packed and heading out. The Green Monster tent held up well except for the windows flaps which blew up. This exposed the screen windows so some rain could sneak in.
* Tried out our new soft car top carrier. It worked great for carrying the tent and other bulky items. A couple of small modifications to the configuration and it will be perfect. It held up nicely in the rain as well.
* Hiked to the Green Vally falls on the Sweetwater river. These are probably the most accessible falls in the county and are a little-known gem.
* Hiked to the airplane monument. This was a pretty touch hike due to the elevation climb (900' in less than 2 miles) and the very rocky and broken terrain. It was worth it though.
* The rain started early Monday morning and didn't really let up. I was up to make some coffee and breakfast, then everyone packed and heading out. The Green Monster tent held up well except for the windows flaps which blew up. This exposed the screen windows so some rain could sneak in.
* Tried out our new soft car top carrier. It worked great for carrying the tent and other bulky items. A couple of small modifications to the configuration and it will be perfect. It held up nicely in the rain as well.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Weekend Activities
* Big cooking day: borracho beans, chili, grilled chicken
* Hike in Tierrasanta, quick 3.3 miles in 45 minutes.
* Bengt passed level 8 abacus test
* Hike in Tierrasanta, quick 3.3 miles in 45 minutes.
* Bengt passed level 8 abacus test
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Weekend Activities
* Relaxed after last week's road trip back to Virginia.
* Sophie caught her first squirrel over in Cardiff. Luckily for the kids, she practices catch-and-release.
* Quick 5K in Mission Trails.
* Sophie caught her first squirrel over in Cardiff. Luckily for the kids, she practices catch-and-release.
* Quick 5K in Mission Trails.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Books
* The Entrepreneur's Guide to Customer Development: A cheat sheet to The Four Steps to the Epiphany
by Brant Cooper and Patrick Vlaskovits - a fabulous "cheat sheet" to Blank's Four Steps by a local author and lean startup guru
* The Next Decade: Where We've Been . . . and Where We're Going
by George Friedman - a more detailed look at the next decade by the guy who predicted The Next 100 Years
* Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers
by Alexander Osterwalder - great way to model a business
by Brant Cooper and Patrick Vlaskovits - a fabulous "cheat sheet" to Blank's Four Steps by a local author and lean startup guru
* The Next Decade: Where We've Been . . . and Where We're Going
by George Friedman - a more detailed look at the next decade by the guy who predicted The Next 100 Years
* Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers
by Alexander Osterwalder - great way to model a business
Saturday, May 07, 2011
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Weekend Getaway
Jyoti and I had a wonderful little getaway at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort in Huntington Beach. We ate dinner at Cucina Alessa. I highly recommend it as the food, service and ambiance where fabulous.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Weekend Activites
* Chased squirrels in Cardiff and enjoyed snow cones and tacos at Bull Taco
* San Diego Botanical Gardens
* Ate too much at Sunday buffet
* Walked around Huntington Beach with family and friends
* Hike at Mission Trails and Tierrasanta
* San Diego Botanical Gardens
* Ate too much at Sunday buffet
* Walked around Huntington Beach with family and friends
* Hike at Mission Trails and Tierrasanta
Latest Books Read
* Men's Health Big Book of Exercises by Adam Campbell - a wonderful catalog of exercises; using it to design new workouts
* The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene - a Machiavellian tome on power; some useful tips on how to deal with others
* The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen - ever wonder why big companies miss out on innovation?
* Iwo Jima - World War II Veterans Remember the Greatest Battle of the Pacific by Larry Smith - a great collection of first hand accounts about Iwo Jima
* New Business Road Test by John W. Mullins - a great way to test out business plans; read the 2nd edition and just bought the new 3rd edition
* The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene - a Machiavellian tome on power; some useful tips on how to deal with others
* The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen - ever wonder why big companies miss out on innovation?
* Iwo Jima - World War II Veterans Remember the Greatest Battle of the Pacific by Larry Smith - a great collection of first hand accounts about Iwo Jima
* New Business Road Test by John W. Mullins - a great way to test out business plans; read the 2nd edition and just bought the new 3rd edition
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Virginia Pix
I spent another couple weeks in Northern Virginia for work. I was able to escape for a couple of excursions.
* Stone House at Manassas Battlefield - this trip I did the second battle hike
* Flying with Uncle Steve in his 172
* Lee House at Sully Historic Site - the guided tour is highly recommended
* Cherry Blossoms
* Stone House at Manassas Battlefield - this trip I did the second battle hike
* Flying with Uncle Steve in his 172
* Lee House at Sully Historic Site - the guided tour is highly recommended
* Cherry Blossoms
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