Vacation Wrap-up

So I'm back in Bodie, working some extra days to make up for switching my schedule around for my 11-day vacation, and I think over the next day or two I'll put together a general story of what went down for those 11 days. I packed a lot in there, so I'll do my best to be brief, and we'll see what happens.

I got stuck behind a real retired London double-decker on Tioga Pass

I started out on Friday once I got off work and drove out to Kings Canyon National Park, where I was going to meet my friend Jack for an end-of-season party. Kind of like a pig roast, actually. Finding my directions too easy (follow 180E from Fresno to Kings), I got mildly lost, but only arrived about 45 minutes late. Saturday we hiked 16 miles up a canyon towards a place called Lower Paradise - we didn't quite make it, but we had a lovely time. In the evening, the meat was dug out of the fire pit and we had a marvelous time eating, chatting, dancing, and playing music until early in the morning.

Suki all loaded up - yes, that is a hula hoop in the back.

The next day I drove down to Three Rivers to meet Alyssa and start our little surfing vacation. I got the meeting place wrong, and it was an hour and a half before a mutual friend approached to tell me that she was waiting for me at a different pizza place. Oops. We met up and caravanned down to Atascadero, bandit camping in a Trader Joe's parking lot along the way. On Monday we dropped her truck off at an auto shop, loaded up my little Suki with all our stuff and surf boards, and drove to the coast. We camped at Morro Strand, Pismo Beach, and El Refugio, and surfed at Morro Strand, Shell Beach, Pismo Beach, and El Capitan. I went out 5 times and Alyssa said I picked up fairly quickly. I only stood on the board 3 times, but I half-stood multiple times, and I rode a lot of waves on my belly on the board. Monday I came down with a cold, which was a bit of a bugger, and continued to be for the rest of my vacation. Monday night we went to yoga, but arrive a few minutes late and found the door locked. However, we hung around and did an exhilarating West African Dance class at the same place an hour or so later. Wednesday we tried to do some yoga in Pismo, but once again arrived a couple minutes late and were refused entry to the class. Very disappointing. But we were really there for the surfing and, although the surf was poor-to-fair the entire time, I had an absolute blast learning how and would definitely LOVE to get out there some more.

Catching a wave!

The intensely wavy beach in the town (?) of Surf - we did NOT surf here.

 On Thursday we drove back to Atascadero, Alyssa loaded her stuff back into her truck, and we parted ways. I drove up north to Betty's in San Francisco and spent the night there. The next morning was the first day of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. I went all three days, thoroughly enjoyed myself, and met up with Jack and Alyssa and Betty throughout. I think if I did it again I would only go on Friday, unless there was someone I really wanted to see on one of the other days, because there was just way too many people on Saturday and Sunday.

Conor Oberst at the Rooster Stage on Friday night for HSB

Sunday night Jack and I drove up to Aunt Barbara and Uncle Paul's. On Monday I started off my day with a few laps in the pool and a good soak in the hot tub. In the afternoon Uncle Paul drove us down to Tomales Bay and we cleaned up the Lion for a little sail around the bay. It was a relaxing and fun afternoon. That night my cousin Nolan and his girlfriend Jaz came over and we all had dinner and played some music. A nice, relaxing way to end my vacation.

Sailing the Lion

Tuesday morning we drove back to where my car was parked and Jack and I parted ways, him going south and me going east. During rush hour while driving in the fast lane on I-80 in Sacramento my car engine blew up and I was stranded with a dead cell phone. When I got the opportunity to call my dad and the tow truck, I called Jack and he turned around and drove 200 miles to come rescue me. Dad had the presence of mind to look up local pastors in the CRC yearbook, and one was nearby and put me up for the night. The next day we found a Subaru Specialist to leave my car with and discovered that I'd done quite a bit of damage to my car, and thus to my pocket book. A week or so and a couple thousand dollars from now I should be getting my car back. Poor Suki. Jack drove me back to Bodie, and now I'm stuck here until he returns to take me back to Sacramento to pick up my car.

Surfer Chick - note the wild beach hair.

All in all, it was a great vacation - very relaxing, very fun, good times with good friends. But I have to admit that just about everything that could have gone wrong, did. I suppose life is just like that sometimes, though, and I can't complain. Things happen, and you just gotta roll with it. It's nice to be back at Bodie, and I'm feeling a lot better about visitor relations than I was when I left! The vacation was good for me, in spite of the fact that I'm still trying to kick this darn cold I picked up while I was out in civilization.