Random bits of me

South Lake to North Lake Loop…rubbing elbows with JMT and PCTers

Posted on July 5, 2016 by jettagirl

For the last 8 years, I have had the absolute pleasure and privilege of backpacking through mind-blowingly beautiful environments and experiencing the peace and clarity of mind that comes with reconnecting with the great outdoors.

With few exceptions, the organizer and fearless leader of these trips has been Viyasan Sittampalam, or “V” for short. V used to lead several backpacks a year and I went on every trip I could. I once asked V how he picks such incredible places to backpack and his response was that he simply looks at a topography map, looks for areas with lots of contours (mountains) and goes there. Wow, such a simple system and yet so effective. Love it! Based on my Picasa photo albums, I’ve been on 11 backpacks with V, and 18 total. I’m already itching for the next trip!

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Before I can talk about the next trip, I must share why the last trip was so incredible and important. You see, V and his amazing wife Rima are expecting their first child in July so our usual Labor Day weekend extended backpack will have to wait for another day. To go out in style though, V planned a 6-day, 56 mile loop through Dusy and Evolution Basins called the South Lake to North Lake Loop and it….was… spectacular!!!

We started out meeting at my house, dividing into 2 cars and driving to Ellery Lake Campground just outside of Yosemite proper on Tioga Pass. Thankfully new backpackers to the crew, Vicki and Cid, had arrived early and reserved us a spot. Whew! Spots fill up fast and we didn’t arrive until ~11pm so this was super helpful.

There were 7 of us in total so we should have been able to fit into 4 tents however two people wanted to use their single person tents and I was odd-man out so we still had 5 tents. Mine is the REI Quarter Dome T2 all the way to the right. Love that tent. =)

The next day we awoke early and packed while V drove back to the ranger station to pick up our permits. We met at the The Mobil at the corner of Tioga Pass and Lee Vining before heading south for ~hour to Bishop and ultimately North Lake Campground to drop our shuttle cars.

This was the first opportunity we’d had to sort common gear (stoves, water filters, fuel, medical kit, etc). The mosquitoes were already out in full force so we attempted to do this as quickly as possible. I still got bitten. Boo-urns… =P

After figuring out the shared gear distribution (I carried my water filter and a large fuel bottle), we loaded up and headed to South Lake. At this point we were pretty good to go so we took a few group photos, said our goodbyes to the parking lot and headed out to the trail. Yay, yay, yay!!!!

From left to right: Cid, Vicki, Vatsan, me (and my hoop!), Girish, Anoop and our fearless leader V

At the beginning of the hike, everyone was saying their pack was heavy so I’d say “lift mine!” which I weighed in at 41.5lbs without the fuel bottle. The general consensus was that mine was the heaviest although Girish thought his was heavier (with an SLR his definitely was). Apparently no one lifted Anoop’s pack which I did towards the end and I swear he was carrying at least 50lbs. WAY too much weight but he did manage to carry it the whole way. Props…

The first day we hiked about 7 miles which included Bishop Pass at 11,972 ft. The scenery was stunning and it would only get better as we continued on further into the trail. This panoramic view gives you a sense of what is was like however still falls short of capturing the magnificence of this trail.

We had several snowy areas that we had to carefully navigate and I must have been so in awe of my surroundings that I kind of forgot to drink water and by the time we got to camp, I had a raging headache and was nauseous. When I pulled out my camelback to see how much I’d consumed, I found that the water had only gone down an inch or two (so basically nothing). I was in bad shape but after drinking water with electrolytes slowly and waiting till I wasn’t going to throw up to lay down and go to bed, I was ok. I woke up feeling much better and would not repeat that mistake.

The view from Bishop Pass was absolutely stunning. Unfortunately due to pretty bad dehydration and a phenomenally bad short term memory, I didn’t remember any of this until going back through the photos. TGFP! (thank goodness for photos)

My head felt like it was about to fall off at this point yet I still had to put up my tent and try and hydrate before passing out. Was able to get water down. I passed on dinner though. Thankfully when I woke up the next day, I was back to 100%.

On the second day, we descended into Dusy Basin which was all kinds of awesome and included a few water crossings. I was excited to test my skills and others were uncertain about the crossings so I dropped my pack, changed my shoes, and tested out the best place to cross. From that point forward, I was the unofficial stream crossing scout which was both challenging and a lot of fun. Vicki and Cid tried to give me a nickname based on this but it didn’t exactly stick. Creek Crossing Jenny?? Yeah, doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. =D

The first of many water crossings. This is one of the few times I’ve actually seen V in the water. He’s like a cat when it comes to the stuff!

Somewhere between where this picture was taken and the John Muir Trail junction, V’s boot failed and the sole disconnected from the boot. He injured his knee and had to carefully pick his way down the trail. Bad news!

Thankfully, Vatsan had two straps with buckles and I had duct tape on my poles and we were able to fix V’s boots up temporarily until we could get to camp and try and figure out something else.

I helped duct tape V’s boots and figured out a figure 8 configuration that helped keep his sole in place. It wasn’t pretty but it worked. The plan was to use the small amount of gorilla glue the ranger had given us once we got to camp and could let the boots set. Unfortunately V’s other boot sole separated on that part of the trip so we were still short adhesive to fix the boots. Time for the other strap. =P

The show must go on! Onwards and upwards! =)

Once we got to camp, I setup my tent, hoop, and pulled out some snacks. Now see, what else could one possibly need?? This is the life! =)

Oh yeah, and how I could I forget that V’s Crocs also broke and he had to tie those. This was not V’s day for footwear. =P

The next day we headed for Evolution Basin which meant going over Muir Pass. This was going to be challenging with V’s footwear issues and the rising heat. I had done my best to fix V’s boots. Now I needed to tackle the heat issue. For that, I started dipping my bandanas in each stream and then realized I could actually dunk my whole shirt so at each stream crossing, I’d drop my pack, quickly take off my shirt (a sports bra is basically a bathing suit top…at least that’s what I tell myself), and after completely soaking it in icy water, would put it and my backpack back on. You’d think this would be very uncomfortable however compared to the heat, this was like heaven. I couldn’t believe how well it worked and it absolutely saved me from heat exhaustion.

Happy in my soaking wet, icy cold shirt. I also dunked my bandana which is under my hat. I run hot!! (and I run hot too) so this was the only way for me to stay cool. It worked!

As we got closer to Muir Pass, we encountered more snow and water covered trails. Eventually we used the micro-spikes we brought and that helped SO much when climbing the steeper sections of the trail. What a slog though. This was definitely hard work.

I absolutely love this picture. I remember thinking “How the heck are we going to get up onto that?” As we wrapped around there was an ice bridge approach we were able to step onto and continue on. Nature is amazing. =)

Getting close to the summit yet still a ways to go. Check out that icy/frozen lake in the background. I am in heaven!!!!

Once we finally got to Muir Pass, I of course took out my hoop and had some fun. Girish was nice enough to take some photos which Google thoughtfully made into an animated GIF. Yes, I do take the hoop everywhere. =)

After hanging at the summit for a while, we continued on. We had about a mile of snow coming up to the pass and 2 miles to go through on the way down. This is NOT easy especially when it’s getting melty. I fell through the snow while crossing a river and had to unclip my pack in order to pull my leg out. Once both legs were on top of the snow I crawled to more solid ground, dragging my backpack behind me, to keep the weight dispersed and avoid falling through again. Profit!

Oh yeah, we were in marmot territory and this fluffy guy couldn’t wait to have his picture taken. He wanted to make sure I got him from his good side. =D

Everyone was pretty exhausted by this point. Because I had fallen through, I directed others to cross in a safer area. Later we saw JMTers coming through and they crossed without issue. Sorry guys, we were carrying more weight and I’m pretty sure you would have fallen through as well. Not fun.

We didn’t make it as far as we’d hoped however still ended up with an insanely awesome campsite. Just see for yourself.

Upon closer inspection you’ll note a yellow hoop outside of the tent on the left. That’s a me-a!

Morning reflection…

Back to reality. Gotta fix V’s boots for the day!

We were able to cross this stream in our boots. There were a couple places where our boot was underwater but with awesome shoes like my molded leather Zamberlans, I stayed high and dry. =)

Evolution Basin!! Oh this place was so magical. We unfortunately had to cross through it quickly to get back on schedule. I believe this was our 16 mile day. So gorgeous though..

We continued to hike on to McClure Meadows where we approached a ranger to help us with V’s boots. While park ranger Dario was busy using tin snips and heavy gauge wire to “sew” V’s boot soles to the boot, I discovered a new way to use my bandanas to form a neck tie that retained water and helped keep me cool. Necessity is the mother of invention!

Taking a break. This picture brings back the incredible serenity and relaxation I felt looking up at the sky and sun sparkling through the tree tops. Man, I can’t wait for the next trip!

Can’t relax too long. V was moving faster with his fixed up boots so it was on to the next water crossing. This one deeper but slower moving water.

The Boys

You know the saying “Gotta get up to get down?” In our case that meant climbing all the way up and then descending all the way down to the valley for a camping spot. It’s amazing how much distance and elevation you can cover in a day. So worth it.

Our camping spot for the 4th evening was awesome. We were right by a rushing river and I had an incredible view from my tent. The next morning I learned that most of the wire had come off of V’s boots so I used the holes that Dario had made to push rope through which held up better.

I loved this campsite. I had a private (sort of) beach area and took my hoop down for an amazing hoop session. I left the rain fly off and enjoyed looking at the stars in the middle of the night while listening to the sound of the rushing river. It was incredible.

The boot surgeon is in and yes, she’s taking new patients. =P

Ta-dah!

After fixing V’s boots up for the day, we headed out. The goal was to get close to Piute Pass so we’d have an easy last day out. Of course before we could start our climb, everyone had to take a picture at the John Muir Wilderness sign. I mean, how else would you know that’s where we were?? 😉

Still smiling with a wicked awesome farmers tan. If only my legs could have soaked up some of the sun. Nope, still as paste-y as ever. =D

Now it’s climb, climb, climb till we get up the canyon wall. Dunked shirt trick continued to keep me cool. Hello!

We hiked from the river up, and up. Isn’t this an amazing view??

Finally we came to a water crossing that challenged all of us. I scouted it out and realized the best thing was to stay low rather than try and walk on the elevated rocks. I then got a little reckless (playful) and continued to cross without a pack while waiting for others and the water was so strong it knocked me knee out to the side..my bad knee. Fortunately it didn’t seriously mess it up but that definitely was a wake-up call for me to be more careful.

Thanks to Vatsan for taking this picture of me. Most folks were focused on prepping for the crossing so there aren’t as many action shots of me. I got some AWESOME pictures of the other people on the hike though. =)

This was the 16 mile day and it was a tough one.

This is how Vatsan recovers after a grueling climb. Starfish!

This is how I recover from the climb. Ah, Justin’s Almond Butter (and Chocolate Hazelnut Butter for dessert)!! I ate like a bird on this hike. Only 6lbs of food for 6 days and I still had leftovers. Clearly I had reserves to work with. 😉

This was my entertainment for the afternoon. Señor Marmot!!

Several more miles and we finally made it to camp. Can’t wait to relax in my tent. Because of the mosquitoes, that was the only safe place.

Vatsan took it to a whole new level though. Was pretty funny. He looked like an animal at the zoo begging for treats through the bars.

Finally, my tent and a beautiful sunset (we’re getting close to the end.. hang in there!)

We packed up super early (4:30am) so we could hit the trail and climb Piute Pass while it was still cool. Although I didn’t see it, Anoop and Girish said they saw a bear near the trail as the girls passed (we were a lot faster). I’ve always wanted to see a bear. Ah well.

There were more water crossings and beautiful scenery however I’ve already included quite a few pictures so I’ll leave the rest to the Google Photos album. Getting closer to the pass!

Almost there! Thanks Vatsan for taking my picture!

Once we arrived at the summit I of course pulled out the hoop for an epic flow session. This was the last day on the trail and I hooped like it was my last. The hoop must have sensed it too because when I went to coil it back down, it kinked which means the end of that hoop. I carried it back off the mountain and gave it a proper send-off when I got home. Thanks for the memories hoop. You were the best!!

The last 5 miles seemed a lot longer than that. We traversed incredible scenery and our knees took a beating on steep trails. Here are some highlights from the last day of the backpack. Since we just celebrated the 4th of July, think of this like the big finale where they light off all the best fireworks. =)

And finally…..

We made it!!! Busted shoes and all. What a great group of folks. Can’t wait till the next backpack. =)

Since V will be preoccupied with being a great dad it will fall to those of us who have enjoyed so many of his trips to pick up the mantle and plan the next set of trips. I started leading day hikes and the next natural step is to lead a backpack trip.

I’ve got my work cut out for me and although no one can replace V, I will do my best to plan some trips that V would approve of. If people have suggestions, let me know! Happy Trails and until the next post, this is Jettagirl signing out. =)

P.S. The full set of photos from the trip can be found here.

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4th of July… five years later

Posted on July 4, 2016 by jettagirl

I’m not usually one for commemorating or recognizing significant dates, good or bad, beyond birthdays. For some reason, putting greater importance on a particular date because of something that happened on that day always seemed to make me uncomfortable. Whether it is the anniversary of the beginning or end of a relationship, death, high-school reunion, or other event marked by the passage of time, I tend to leave those dates in the past and only look forward. Sometimes that’s easier than looking back.

So it came as a surprise to me to realize after reflecting on some of my old backpacking posts that it has been nearly 5 years to the day since a series of events that changed everything for my family and me and that for some reason, the anniversary of that date suddenly felt monumentally important to me.

I’ve experienced so much change in the last 5 years. I left a job I’d been with for 18 years. I moved to Utah to take a job at a startup in an attempt to right wrongs and give my then husband a better chance for a successful career. Ultimately I realized it just wasn’t working and we amicably separated and divorced almost 2 years ago. I sold the Livermore house, went back to my maiden name, moved back to California and in with my parents for 7 months, and finally found a beautiful place to rent nearby where I could have my animals and work on rebuilding what was left of my life.

So why after five years am I posting to my blog. Why acknowledge and lay bare the reality of what the last 5 years have meant for me on the anniversary of the events that set everything in motion? Because by looking back and acknowledging this anniversary and the significance of the events that happened on that day, I hope to move beyond the pain and sadness that occasionally affects me and claim my own independence from the past in order to move forward.

As an example, I used to love to blog, documenting my outdoor adventures, goofy get-togethers with family, and of course my beloved animals. It brought me great joy to document those memories and I still enjoying reading through those stories today. This is something I completely stopped doing 5 years ago and I miss it. Although there have been lots of ups and down over the last 5 years, I’ve also experienced great joy and happiness yet never felt like I could bring myself to update my blog… until now. =)

On this 4th of July, I am making my own Declaration of Independence from a very difficult last 5 years and in doing so, give myself permission to be the happy, goofy, and joyful Jenny I used to be. Spoiler alert – “happy, goofy, joyful Jenny” really likes to blog so there will definitely be more where that came from. =D

Happy Independence Day all. However you celebrate, and for whatever reasons, let freedom ring.

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Meemer’s new kitten…

Posted on November 18, 2010 by jettagirl

A few months ago my sister decided that she wanted to rescue a cat to give to my mom since my mom’s cat had passed away about a year ago. At first I wasn’t sure about her plan because I didn’t know if my mom would really want to just have a cat thrown in her lap but I’ve got to admit, Heather has brought a number of awesome pets into the family. First there was Foxy (most awesome dog ever), then there was Little Girl for my parents followed by Leykis and Katie for my brother. Now she wanted to try her hand at picking the perfect kitten for my mom. If anyone could pull it off, it was Heather. =)

Heather checked out numerous animal rescue displays at pet shops and the SPCA. She finally found a kitten that matched what my mom was looking for, a calico, long-haired female kitten. Success!

Next she had to figure out a way to give my mom the cat. After considering multiple options Heather finally settled on having my mom come over to her house on the way home from the ranch to see how my mom would react to the cat. If she liked the kitten Heather would give it to her. If she didn’t, well, she didn’t have to worry about that because my mom absolutely loved her. =)

Meemers and her new baby cat she named "Patchwork." What a cutie. =)

Aw, I think they're going to be very happy. I'm glad my mom has a new kitty to love. =)

Patchwork is much older and bigger now and looks just like my mom’s last cat Muzzy. The resemblance is actually pretty uncanny. I haven’t seen Patchwork lately, she hides under my mom’s bed whenever I come over, but it sounds like my mom is still completely crazy about her. What a lucky cat. =)

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Mini Winnie…

Posted on November 14, 2010 by jettagirl

More cuteness from mini Winnie. =)

Check out the red eye.. Terminator Doggy.. do as she says. =)

Riiicolaaaa!!!..... =)

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Olympic National Park backpacking trip…

Posted on November 10, 2010 by jettagirl

Wow, I guess it’s been a few months since my last post. Ugh, so many posts to catch up on. It would be so much easier to just crawl in bed….so sleepy… NO! I’ve got to get at least one post done tonight so here we go. =)

About 3 months ago I embarked on my first long (6 day) and distant (Olympic National Park in Washington state) backpacking trip. At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go because I was kind of bummed that Marshall wouldn’t be with me. Then I realized that with our hike ending on a Thursday evening I could have Marshall fly up and meet me so we could enjoy sightseeing in Seattle together. Sweet! Let’s DO THIS! 😉

The first thing I had to do after booking our flights was to go to REI and pick up a number of items that would be necessary for this trip. Amazingly enough, Olympic National Park is home to a temperate rain forest, several glaciers and everything in between so the gear list was long. I needed to purchase crampons (metal spiky things that attach to a pair of hard soled boots to keep you from losing your footing on ice), hard soled boots, a nylon sling (for a lightweight climbing harness), and rain gear. I had most everything else so now it was just a matter of getting it all packed in and keeping the weight as light as possible.

My food (and drink) for 6 days. Peanut butter and jelly tortillas for lunch, oatmeal and coffee for breakfast, dried vegetables, M&Ms and bars for snacks, and mashed potatoes, top ramen and couscous for dinner. (BTW, I only took one bag of M&Ms)

All of my gear for 6 days of hiking (minus Sierra...she really wanted to go).

All packed. In total my gear weighed 51lbs with water. More than 1/3 my weight but I'm strong and was able to carry it. =)

After getting all my gear together and preparing for my flight I gave Sierra and Lotus a little attention before I left. Kisses!

Little Muppy wanted to make sure I knew she loved me before I left. Aw, Sierra. =)

Ah Lotus! Bleh!! =P

Ok, I guess I’m ready for my trip now. =)

Taking off from Oakland International Airport. What a beautiful day for flying.

Well it was a beautiful day. Rainy skies and the Space Needle welcome me to Seattle.

Once I arrived in Seattle it was time to meet up with the rest of the group, pick up the rental cars and head to the ferry to make our way to the park.

A view from the deck of the ferry. Although overcast it was still beautiful. It reminded me of "The Goonies" set.

The ferry was huge and super comfortable. I loved the view and as you can see there was plenty of room to spread out and relax. I could get used to this. =)

Another 2 hours of driving and we finally reached our destination. At this point we consolidated from 2 cars into one to shuttle to the starting point of our hike. Amazingly enough we were able to fit 12 people and all our packs into one E350 van. Crazy right?

Venkad, Me, Magda (2nd row), Dylan, Rachel, Jackie (3rd row), Rita, Ilya, Craig Katharina (4th row)

"V" drives and Suji navigates (so jealous of their space).

We had to squish 12 people and their packs into this van (quite uncomfortable but we made it).

By the time we got to the trailhead of the Hoh Rain forest we couldn’t wait to get hiking but we couldn’t start without a proper group photo so I balanced my camera on a park bench, “Click!” and we’re off! =)

Me, Dylan, Rachel, "V", Magda, Jackie, Suji, Katharina, Rita, Ilya, Craig, and Venkad

Beautiful scenery was all around. Love it! =)

After hiking in about 5 miles we stopped at our first campsite and good thing too because apparently Jackie’s 15 year old boots had finally given up the ghost. Fortunately “V” brought some large rubber bands and duct tape so he was able to fix them up so Jackie could still use them. Unfortunately this combined with a few other hikers not having the right gear forced us to have to modify our plans and put our trip to the glacier in jeopardy. Stay tuned for more on this.

Jackie's boots say "Hello!..." =)

"V" always come prepared. I was pretty impressed with the fix he came up with.

The next morning we woke up with the rising sun and started boiling water for breakfast. Craig eats only raw food so he had some kind of odd looking meal with blueberries that he soaked in cold water for a couple hours before it was ready to eat.

Craig you're awesome but your meals are scary. 😉

After breakfast it was time to get going. We had a long and uphill hike this day so we needed to pace ourselves. Fortunately the rainforest offers plenty of beautiful scenery which made the miles pass quickly and the heavy pack seem a bit lighter. =)

One of the many downed trees we had to balance on to cross rivers below.

An amazing mossy giant. Absolutely incredible.

A dandelion and a rock. I really liked this picture so I had to include it in the post.

These tiny flowers faced the ground but when shot from below revealed their beautiful design.

Totally loving this! =)

Everything went smoothly until we crossed a creek and Craig decided that even though everyone had been asking/telling/begging him to walk softly and carefully when crossing difficult sections he was going to “mountain goat” it across the rocks and fell to the side cutting up his whole left arm. It felt good for me to be able to help him out but I wish he hadn’t gotten hurt at all. Craig you ridiculous guy. I guess I owe you for helping my buddy Mike by giving him a banana when he cramped up and giving me water when I ran out. 😉

You're one tough guy Craig. Glad it wasn't worse. =)

Bears weren't a big risk here but squirrels and other animals were so we made sure to keep everything packed away in bear cans. Guess which one is mine. Hint: It's the one with the M&Ms. 😉

After hours of debate at dinner the night before, we finally decided that we’d head up to the glacier and give it a shot. Hurray!

Gotta love a hike that includes both a temperate rainforest, snow and a glacier. =)

Our first glimpse of the snow covered mountains we were traveling to.

Resting on the way up to the glacier. So cool. Literally. Do you see the snow? 😉

A panorama view of the glacier. Too awesome...

Hurray! Although we weren't able to cross due to snow we did get to go down and walk on the glacier. =)

A crevasse. This is why we didn't cross. With freshly fallen snow we couldn't see the crevasses in order to avoid them so we carefully ventured to the edge of the glacier and then headed back. Totally worth it still. =)

I had balanced my camera and went to take the shot only to realize my battery had died so Ilya swooped in with his Nikon to save the day. 😉

At this point my camera died so I didn’t get any more pictures until the end of the trip when I was able to charge the battery in the hotel. Fortunately Ilya, Magda and others took lots of great pictures so the rest of the trip which played out on the beaches of Washington was captured on film.

On our final day before heading to the beaches for another two days of backpacking I took an opportunity to lay back, take in the skyline and fall asleep to the sound of the rushing river. Awesome...

Even on the coast it was 90+ degrees and with 40lbs of gear I joined the other girls in shedding a layer before continuing on to our next campsite. Ah, so much more comfortable. =)

Having fun on the beach doing handstands in the stand (Me, Magda, Venkad)

In several locations the tide blocks passage across the beach so you have to climb up and over like we did here. On our way out we made sure to leave early enough to catch that section at low tide.

I had an absolutely amazing time on the backpacking trip but I’ll be honest, I couldn’t wait to see Marshall. When I got to the hotel he gave me a big hug and I probably said something like “Oh Navin!..” which is a reference to The Jerk and the fact that I smelled like someone who hadn’t had a shower in 6 days. 😉

After an awesome shower/bath and getting into some clean clothes I was ready to hit the town for a walking tour of Seattle. Marshall was not as excited to go out and walk for hours. Seattle was experiencing an abnormal heat wave (in the mid-90s) and we were already sweating because our room didn’t have air conditioning. Oh well, here we go! =)

Marshall and me getting ready to head out for our walking tour of Seattle. I was so happy that he came up to meet me at the end of the hike. =)

Our walking tour lasted about 6 hours and took us to a bunch of neat, off the beaten trail places in Seattle including the Arctic Club and Seattle Library. I thought the tour was awesome. Marshall found it a little less impressive and was just eager to go see the Space Needle. Fortunately there was enough time left in the day for us to head on over for a drink and amazing view of the city.

This was so cool. Beer at the top of the Space Needle. What do you think Marshall?

Oh my gosh! Is Marshall actually drinking beer? What do you think?

Ha! You're so funny. =)

Hurray! More for me. Hehehe... 😉

The fountain outside of the Space Needle. What a great day. =)

Our second day of sightseeing was an homage to great food. Let me rephrase that. It was an homage to ALL food because I literally ate everything in sight. We stopped at the “Cow Chip” for huge chocolate chip cookies, had mini-doughnuts from Pike’s Place and clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl on the wharf. Oh wait, did I say we? I meant me. I’m a bit of a food piggy. Oink oink! =)

Let the food hedonism begin. One Cow Chip please! =)

Ugh, I'm so terrible. I ate all 6. ALL 6!! It's not my fault though. I'd eat one and then forget what it tasted like. 😉

Topping off the day with delicious clam chowder. So good... =)

All in all a totally awesome time although I did almost have to pay for an extra seat on the plane after all that food. 😉

Had a great time in Seattle with Marshall. Can't wait for our next vacation. =)

Thanks to “V” for organizing a great backpacking trip. I had a lot of fun and can’t wait for the next one. Maybe Marshall will even join me (foreshadowing?) for the next one. =)

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Pantene Pro-V doggy…

Posted on June 27, 2010 by jettagirl

Every once in a while I decide that it would be nice to give Sierra a bath. Normally this is when she’s either super muddy or we’re getting ready to take the dogs with us to a family event. In this case I had just taken Sierra to Del Valle and she got super muddy and smelly from walking in the dirt after swimming in the lake and splashing around in a cow trough. =)

What’s great is that Sierra actually seems to like getting in the shower so all I had to do was turn on the water and say “Sierra!” while pointing to the shower and she obligingly walked right in. It took me about 10 minutes to wash out the mud clumps and then it was on to a luxurious Pantene Pro-V treatment. Nothing but the best for my muppy. 😉

Wet doggy after getting Pantene Pro-V shampoo (and conditioning) treatment. So cute... =)

I started using Infusium shampoo and conditioner and still have some of my good Pantene shampoo and conditioner left so I decided to use that on Sierra. Holy cow that stuff works so well on her. She’s all shiny, silky and smooth. I think I’ll use her for a pillow tonight. 😉

Fully dry, what a beautiful doggy =)

Doesn't that just make you want to pet her? She's so soft! =)

Sierra is tired of modeling and just wants to go to sleep. Good idea. Goodnight everyone! =)

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Practice backpacking trip to Big Basin (16mi)…

Posted on June 13, 2010 by jettagirl

In preparation for a 6 day backpacking trip to Olympic National Park our leader “V” scheduled a training hike at Waddell Beach near Santa Cruz to test our stamina and teach us things we’ll need to know for the trip including:

Knot tying: Bowline, bowline on a coil, alpine butterfly, and double fisherman. This will be essential for safe glacier crossing.
How to treat blisters (I got to be the volunteer for this as I had developed large blisters on both my feet)
What kind of gear to back (bottom line, don’t bring a pillow…with everything else we have to bring, you won’t have the room or be able to carry the weight)
Better break in those boots now or risk being in pain the entire trip…good advice. I guess I’ll be wearing mine to work tomorrow. 😉

Waddell Beach-a cool breeze and beautiful surf. Awesome...

I prepared my gear Friday night and then packed 25lbs of it in my backpack for the hike on Saturday. “V” said we should pack at least 20lbs of gear for the training hike and although I’ll probably be carrying closer to 35 for Olympic I wasn’t going to overdo it since I figured the hike we would do Saturday would exceed any single day trip on the Olympic hike. I also decided to try out a new pair of 3/4 length hiking pants and a sun hat to see if that would help combat my problems with heat exhaustion.

My hat.. it kind of gives me tunnel vision but at least it spared my face from getting totally sunburned.

The pants and hat worked out really well however it was still extremely warm. It didn’t help that we took a trail clearly marked as “Recommended for horse use only, steep climbs” but that was ok. I’m always down for anything. Had it been overcast, the climb wouldn’t have bothered me at all but with the sun beating down it was definitely a challenge. Still, I was the 4th person to arrive at the top (and the first one with gear). Go horse legs, go horse legs, go, go, go horse legs! 😉

Ok so it felt great to get to the top of that climb however either because of how fast I hiked it or just the fact that I wasn’t used to my boots yet I got HUGE blisters on both feet. Fortunately “V” had a nice big knife, some gauze pads and medical tape to relieve the pressure and get me going again. You should have seen the look on some of the other hikers faces though when “V” pulled out the knife. I don’t know why I wasn’t nervous or grossed out. For some reason I just totally trust “V” so I knew it would be all right. Thank goodness he has a steady hand though or that could have ended poorly. =)

During lunch I ate carrot sticks, sucked down some luke warm water (least apetizing backpacking lunch I’ve had in a long time), and listened intently while “V” taught us how to tie knots four important knots. Ilya then demonstrated how to use a nylon sling to fashion a lightweight harness that can be used to secure yourself to a tow-line for glacier crossing. Here again things could have gone horribly wrong when “V” let go of the carabiner that he had been pulling on to demonstrate how the harness works and nearly missed hitting Ilya in the…well… let’s just say it would have hurt really bad and I probably would have laughed, not because I don’t like Ilya but because that kind of thing cracks me up. I know, I’m tewwible.. =)

The rest of the hike was pretty easy compared to the climb at the beginning. We hiked to Berry Creek Falls which I had visited earlier this year on a hike from Big Basin park and then hiked back down to Waddell Beach via one of the easier trails.

"V" and me at Berry Creek Falls. Oh and I'm not that much taller than "V". I was just standing on the incline. =)

The only real problem I ran into besides the blisters was that I ran out of water. Fortunately Craig who had come to the aid of my buddy Mike by giving him a banana when he got really bad leg cramps on Rose Peak was now coming to my aid by giving me a nice cool bottle of water that he had carried the whole trip. He also shared some electrolyte tablets for Mike and me to try to see if they stop his cramping and help with my heat exhaustion. What a nice guy. I can’t wait to try them out. Thanks Craig. =)

Craig sets down his gear in the shade to snack on a banana and share some water with me. What a nice guy. =)

At about 6:50pm we reached the parking lot again and shed our heavy boots in favor of more comfortable shoes. I put on my new pair of Keen water shoes and felt amazing. It’s so nice hiking when you have the right gear.

Before we left a nice kite-surfer dude offered to take a group photo for us. Most of the group had already left so this is just a subset of our whole crew. It’s still a nice group photo and includes my favorite hiking buddies so it was all good. =)

Back row: Craig, Ilya, Rita, Kim, Suji, (?-Dipak), Me - Front row: "V" (not sure what this guys name is, we'll call him Henry) 😉

So my goal for the next few weeks before Olympic is to make sure I break in my boots really well and work on lightening the load. I bought a foam sleeping pad to use instead of the heavy self-inflating one I have. I may also use the regular sleeping bag sack instead of the compression sack since the buckles on the compression sack make it heavier. Little things here and there. I mean, I’ve still got to be able to carry a flask of vodka right? You know it! 😉

Alright, I think that will do it for this post. Thanks to “V” and the crew for another fun hike and I can’t wait for the next one. Jettagirl, out. =)

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Josh Blue at Tommy T’s…

Posted on May 30, 2010 by jettagirl

Just got back from a totally awesome performance by Josh Blue at Tommy T’s in Pleasanton. Love that guy! I had no idea he was touring in the Bay Area until last Friday when I was talking to Marshall on the phone and he lowered his voice to say “Oh my god, Josh Blue just walked by me.” I told Marshall to get a picture (I didn’t think he’d really do it) and sure enough, he got Josh’s picture. Apparently they ended up talking for a bit after Josh recognized that Marshall worked at Apple and had some questions about his iPhone. Josh mentioned that he was performing at Tommy T’s and me being a huge Josh Blue fan I called my sister up and made reservations for 4 on Sunday. Sweet! =)

One of the things that I always liked about Josh was not only that he has a wicked sense of humor but that he seems to be, as Marshall would say, “good people.” He’s a nice guy and that makes his style of humor even funnier. I couldn’t stop laughing when he did his bit about growing up in Cameroon, Africa. “That’s right, I’m a disabled African American. Now where’s my scholarship…Shit….” Genius. 😉

After the show Josh had some t-shirts, DVDs and other stuff for sale. I bought a yellow t-shirt with my favorite Josh saying, “Inappropriate” (you have to cross your arms when you say that), and got a few pictures with Josh. What a nice guy. =)

You're awesome Josh. Thanks for the laughs. =)

Jeriah, Josh, Heather and Me. =)

If you have the chance to see Josh live, go for it. He’s awesome! Ah, now time to rest my sides. They got an excellent workout tonight. =)

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I’m turning into a magician…I HATE Magicians!

Posted on May 29, 2010 by jettagirl

Oh man, the coolest thing happened yesterday. Marshall called me up from work and said that Josh Blue (hilarious comic I first saw on Last Comic Standing) just walked through the mall. I jokingly said “Go get his picture!” and next thing I know I hear the click of the phone as Marshall presumably went off to take a candid shot from his iPhone. I figured he’d probably chicken out, I mean I would, so I didn’t think much of it until I got a subject-less e-mail with an attachment. No, it couldn’t be…

Too cool, it's Josh Blue and Marshall, MY Marshall! =)

What!? No way, that’s too awesome. I immediately called Marshall back to say how cool I thought that was. Of course I had to know what the interaction was like so I asked Marshall what he said to Josh. He said he told him that we watched his show and thought he was awesome. Ok, that’s normal fan stuff I guess. The really cool part is that Josh noticed Marshall had an iPad shirt on and asked if he worked for Apple. When Marshall said yes he said cool, and proceeded to ask him questions about some problems he was having with his iPhone. I guess Marshall did some troubleshooting with him and took him back to the Apple store to get him setup with support. Wow, my husband actually had a conversation with Josh Blue! I can’t stand it, it’s just too awesome. Ack! Gene Parmesan! 😉

Apparently Josh is performing at Tommy-T’s in Pleasanton so I just booked tickets for Heather, Jeriah, Marshall and me to go to the show tomorrow. I can’t wait. For anyone out there who hasn’t heard of Josh Blue or is simply in need of a good laugh, check out this awesome clip from season 4 of Last Comic Standing. The guy is hilarious! =)

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Baby bunny…

Posted on May 18, 2010 by jettagirl

The other day Marshall and I took the dogs for a walk through the field behind our house. The fields are a haven for all kinds of animals. Unfortunately that also makes them prime hunting grounds for hawks and other predatory animals which brings me to the subject of this post.

He's just resting...he wasn't where I left him so he must have been. 😉

Although we found him in the field I wanted to bring him back home to get a better look at him (I was curious about the cause of death) so I put him in a baggy that I had on me and then placed him under a tree in front of my house. By the way, I think he probably got grabbed by a hawk that lost his grip but had already inflicted fatal wounds. When I went out to check to see if the bunny was still under the tree this morning I found him gone. I’d like to think he was just napping and hopped away… yeah, I like that. See you in the fields bunny. =)

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Funniest dog pictures ever!…

Posted on May 18, 2010 by jettagirl

After a long day at work I got to go home and relax with my puppies. Little did I know I’d be joined by my sister Heather for dinner and a comedy show. See for yourself. =)

Smiley Purppy! =)

Smiley Muppy! Ha Sierra, you look hilarious! =)

And who do you think is responsible for this humiliation of innocent Australian Shepherds? Why it’s none other than…

Heather!!

My poor muppy. What torture. She looks like the freakin' Joker. 😉

The dogs eventually forgave us and we all had a good laugh.

Our biggest smiles. Too funny Heffs. Thanks for coming over to visit. =)

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Winnie and Me…

Posted on May 18, 2010 by jettagirl

Over the last few weeks my sister Heather has let me watch her dog Winnie so I can work with her on some aggression issues and provide her with more socialization opportunities. The first couple of days were a bit tough. Winnie attacked Sierra 3 times in less than a day. Now all three dogs (Sierra, Lotus and Winnie) are hanging out together, playing nicely, and can even chew bones around each other without a fight breaking out. Sweet!

Winnie and Me...what a cute Purppy (Heather's pet name for Winnie). =)

Having Winnie at my house is only a temporary thing so I know I can’t get too used to having her here. She is a cutie though and is always welcome at our home. =)

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Backpacking in Humboldt…

Posted on May 17, 2010 by jettagirl

After more than 15 years I finally had a chance to camp just up the road from Benbow Lake State Park where I used to camp with my family every summer and it was awesome!

Humboldt Redwoods State Park

My buddy Ilya had organized the trip and planned for us to drive up Friday afternoon, camp at Burlington Campground in Humboldt Redwood State Park and then backpack to Grasshopper camp on Saturday. The trip started out with me picking up Miguel and Elizabeth from Walnut Creek who I had never met before but turned out to be the coolest people. I’ll admit, I was a bit nervous about making the drive up with a married couple (I figured it might be awkward) but both of them were such great conversationalists the 6.5 hour trip just flew by. =)

We got to Burlington Campground around 9:15 at night and armed with headlamps we set out to pitch our tents and get some sleep. Ilya, Rita and Craig showed up about 30 minutes later with leftover pizza from their dinner. Thanks for the slice guys! Mmm, delicious. =)

The next morning we packed up our tents, ate breakfast, and headed over to the ranger station to get our permits.

Craig, Val and Ilya at breakfast.

Ilya captures the morning crowd at breakfast. What a great way to start the day. =)

Unfortunately we learned that we would not be able to make the trip we had planned because the seasonal bridges required to get to our campsite had not been put out yet. To make matters worse the only road that would give us access to another entrance was closed for repaving in preparation for the Humboldt Redwoods Marathon. Really?? Bummer…

Oh no! Don't tell me we're not going to be able to do a backpacking trip!

After it became apparent that the people at the ranger station weren’t going to be able to help us we went over to the visitor center where for nearly an hour Ilya, Val and Miguel tried to figure out a plan. I occupied my time checking out all the cool things in the visitor center including a weather rock out front, animal pelts you could feel, and a very unique vehicle called “The Travel Log” that was used to bring awareness to the masses about the importance of preserving the redwoods. Visitor centers rock. =)

The Weather Rock - http://www.windycreek.com/weatherrock.html

The Travel Log - carved from a redwood log and taken on tour by Charles Kellogg in an effort to bring awareness to saving the redwoods. Cool!

Thankfully Ilya, Val and Miguel’s persistence paid off when they learned that at 11am and 4:30pm Mattole Road would be opened to allow a caravan of vehicles through. Hurray! Let the trip officially begin!

After 15 years of lobbying to get Mattole Road repaved, they finally got approval and it just happened to be the same weekend we had planned our trip. What timing, eh? 😉

The trip got off to a bit of a shaky start but once we made our way to the trailhead it was smooth sailing the rest of the way. Let me rephrase that. We didn’t run into any more problems but I did stop about a million time to get pictures of all the amazing flowers and scenery starting. 😉

We kicked things off with a group photo and then I set out to collect as many photos of wildflowers as I could (I only posted 8).

Our Crew - Back row: Rita, Craig, Val, Miguel, and Elizabeth Front row: Ilya, me

Just one of the many examples of redwoods (this one scorched by fire) that we saw on our trip.

Miguel saw this flower ("Calypso Orchid") at the beginning of the trail. Absolutely amazing. =)

Delicate white/blue flowers dotted the meadows.

Not sure what this is but it was really pretty.

Miguel spotted this (and many other) flowers ("Trillium").

Another beautiful trillium along a stream.

A clover flower. I didn't realize clover had a flower. Very pretty.

A really neat mushroom.

Anybody know what this is cause I have no idea. 😉

We also saw a bit of wildlife along the way. On the first day I found a deer jaw bone that of course I had to pick up and check out. Cool!

Bones! A deer jaw to be specific. Fascinating. =)

By the time we got to camp I was ready to take a break and take in all the beauty around us. But first I had to setup my tent.

My awesome REI Quarterdome T2 tent. It's so roomy and easy to setup. Love it!

My home away from home.

After getting my tent setup, Val came by to chat. She’s so awesome. I really respect the person she is and how she lives her life. Very inspiring. =)

Ilya captured this picture of Val and me chatting. He titled it "Women Talk". I think we were talking about a trip Val had chaperoned for a bunch of girls so he was kind of right. =)

After taking this picture Ilya and Rita came by and we all shared some excellent vodka while relaxing in the sun. Yes, most excellent. We then headed over to Ilya and Rita’s camp to cook dinner and watch the sun go down.

Shortly before it got dark I got lucky with this shot. Watch out, that jet is going to crash into the moon!

The next morning we experienced what Craig, who follows an all raw diet, experiences every day which is a cold breakfast since the water taps hadn’t been turned back on after the winter. Although we’d have to hike a few miles we knew we’d be able to get water from a creek on our way back down the trail.

Craig has his raw food breakfast and we marvel that he can sustain himself without warm food.

Since we didn’t have a water source at the camp we packed up fairly quickly and headed back down the trail. We took a slightly different trail back which led us past some beautiful streams.

My "bridge" friends. =)

We also saw this amazing guy, an owl that obliged us by posing for our cameras.

Hello... =)

On the way back I had a chance to talk more with Craig who is also a very amazing person. I learned more about how in addition to investing in oil futures (although he drives a Prius), he does grief counseling which has helped him confront the reality of his own mortality and turned that into a commitment to healthy living and making the most of every day. Pretty incredible.

At the end of the trail we had a chance to walk through the “tourist-y” side of the state park and posed next to this giant tree. My feet had completely broken down (bad boots) so I was kind of dying at this point. I still managed a smile for the camera.

Can you believe how huge this tree is? The sign said it's circumference was 53.2ft. Crazy!

Thanks to Ilya for planning and leading a fantastic trip through the redwoods. I had an amazing time and can’t wait for the next trip. =)

Speaking of, the next backpacking trip I have planned is a weeklong trip to Olympic National Park led by “V” in Washington state. In order to make sure I don’t have the same foot problems I had on this trip I researched a bunch of different boots and bought a super nice pair of Zamberlan 310 Skill GT hiking boots from REI. I can’t wait.

To see all the pictures from the trip, check out the following albums:

My Picasa album
Ilya’s Flickr album – Great pictures
Miguel’s Flickr album – Great group photo picture among others

Posted in Hiking/Backpacking | 3 Comments

Dad’s 61st Birthday…

Posted on April 17, 2010 by jettagirl

On Friday my dad turned 61. For his birthday, the family got together at my parents house after work to celebrate. =)

Heather was first to arrive, then me, then Jeffery in a work truck (a semi). Heather heard Jeffery coming so we ran outside to watch him park in front of our neighbors house. I saw the smoke stack nearing the trees and was laughing out “No, NO, NO!!” because I totally thought he was going to take out a tree branch. Fortunately he managed to avoid breaking off any large limbs so we were good.

Jeffery rolls up in a work truck. Watch out for the trees! =)

My dad and brother bought some really nice RC monster trucks and have been hauling those around to different family events for awhile now. My dad’s birthday would be no exception.

Jeffery brings out his RC monster truck to race my dad, ironically from a monster truck (well sort of). Go California Engineering Contractors! =)

The truck bed makes a great platform to control the RC cars from. Prior to realizing this both my brother and dad had close calls by pulling out into the street and narrowly missing real cars that they couldn't see.

After playing pit crew for my dad and brother (I flipped their cars back over when they’d end up upside down) I came back inside to visit with my mom and sister. Heather showed me a birthday card she’d made for my dad when she was a little girl that my dad had saved and brought out on his birthday. It’s pretty funny. I guess I’m not the only one in the family with a slightly dark sense of humor. =)

Before... Just Married, everything is wonderful. What a beautiful couple.

After...The scene depicts my dad precariously perched at the edge of a waterfall asking to go a little slower and my mom driving the boat saying "What? I can't hear you. Hehehe..."

My mom prepared the entire birthday dinner which was an incredible amount of work. We had fruit salad, macaroni salad (one of my favorites), hamburgers and hotdogs with a delicious white cake with dark chocolate frosting. I’m so impressed with how great of a mom she is. =)

Dad and Mom smile for the camera after enjoying a delicious dinner and birthday cake.

After having cake we did presents. Jeffery, Marshall and I got him a freezer for the shop up at the ranch. Heather and Jeriah got him a microwave. When given the gifts my dad asked, “So where’s the bed?” =)

Apparently you can't sit, stand on, or stack this present. You can put frozen items in it however. It's a freezer for the shop at the ranch. =)

Finally after the food had been eaten and the presents opened it was time to say goodbye. Jeffery gave me a quick ride up and down the street in the semi (that was fun), my mom packed some leftovers for me to take home, and I gave my parents a hug before I left for Livermore. What a great birthday dinner. Happy Birthday Dad. I love you!. =)

Jeffery races off to work. Be safe out there Lil Brudda. =)

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Lacrosse wrap-up…

Posted on March 31, 2010 by jettagirl

This year an opportunity presented itself for me to learn Lacrosse and I decided I would go ahead and give it a try. =)

Our beginner’s league consisted of several people from LLNL (organized by CSS division lead and ST IT manager, Greg Herweg), their friends, and the parents of some kids who also play. The season started out non-contact so we could work on technique. This was fun and then we moved on to limited contact which included stick checking and the ability to actually make contact with the person guarding you. This was really fun and I liked that format a lot more but it was apparently a bit too rough for some people on the team so we went back to no contact. Boo… =(

Tonight was the final night of our first season and it seemed like we were back to some contact without stick checking which would have been sweet if it hand’t been for one particular individual hamming it up (seriously, this guy should be an actor) and getting fouls called on our team any time there was even minimal contact. I’m sorry, I just think if you’re going to play a game like lacrosse and you’re a guy (especially if you’re a guy) you should be able to take a bit of offensive pushing from the other team without throwing up your arms dramatically and falling to the ground. Seriously it would have been laughable if it weren’t so incredibly annoying. See for yourself.

Ok, tell me this isn't absolutely ridiculous. I had possession of the ball and was backing my way towards the net which put me in contact with "this guy." Next thing I know he's throwing his hands up in the air, does this roll and looks up like "Come on coach, that's a foul!" Seriously? My only goal of the night and it was a turnover because the coach called a foul. You win dude. Congrats.

Here the same guy really takes a dive and once again tries to play it like it was a foul. In this case no foul was called. Good call coach. =)

Although this guy tried to get a foul called on our team whenever he could he seemed to have no problem with double teaming. Awesome...

Oh well. I found it frustrating because it didn’t feel like he was playing it fair but that’s the way it goes. Everyone else was totally cool so this guys antics just left me a bit irritated. I want to thank the guy in the blue shirt (I’m so sorry, I forgot his name) for playing like a man and not crying foul after rolling to the ground during a bit of a pushing match between the two of us.

We're both laughing so no foul. I mean seriously, does it look like I could push any of these guys over unless I was at a sprint? I may be tall but they still have enough weight to hold their ground.

I did take a number of shots at the goal and unfortunately missed all but one (the one that didn’t count because a foul was called on me). Here’s a close one.

I really gave it my all but couldn't seem to score a goal. There's always next year. 😉

The game ended at 13-12 (we won) and all was good. I don’t know if I’ll continue on with Lacrosse but I definitely had a good time learning how to play. Thanks to our coach Bob for teaching us so much and for putting up with our b!tching regarding how much contact (or how little in my case) was being allowed during the games. 😉 Also thanks to my wonderful husband for coming out and photographing us on our last day of the season. =)

My buddies Robert, Sheri, me, Scott (or "Ironman" as Sheri's son Bodi calls him), Greg, Bob and the rest of the Lacrosse Players. Go Team!! =)

Oh yeah, and it’s 2:39…2:39.

Marshall just happened to be taking pictures of the scoreboard when it turned 2:39. Awesome right? I know someone who will get it. =)

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My first snowcamping trip…

Posted on March 29, 2010 by jettagirl

This last weekend I finally went on my first snowshoeing/snowcamping trip and it was GREAT! =)

In order to prepare for the trip I headed out to REI on Thursday with Marshall to rent snowshoes and get a waterproof jacket in case it snowed on us. I was lucky and found the outer shell for my fleece North Face jacket and a really nice pair of Gortex gloves on sale. Score!

So after getting home from work on Friday night I got comfy and then proceeded to lay out all my gear for the next morning. I wanted to make sure there was no chance I’d be cold so I brought plenty of warm clothes so if anything got wet I’d have a backup set of clothes to change into. Fortunately we had great weather so my extra clothes weren’t necessary but did come in handy for layering to keep warm at night.

Preparing for snowcamping by laying out my gear...all 37 lbs of it. =)

Since I had never snowshoed before I wanted to try them on to see how it worked. I put them on and then walked into the front yard to try them out. As I was stomping around in the front yard I was surprised by my neighbor coming home (from snowboarding at Yuba Gap no less) and chuckling at the sight of me in showshoes so I moved to the backyard. Sierra and Lotus thought I looked pretty silly too. Sorry Sierra, you can’t be a snow doggy. =(

What do you think Sierra? I'm going to eat it aren't I. And sure enough as soon as I hit powder with a 37lb pack on my back I did eat it but at least the snow was soft and tasty. 😉

After testing my gear and packing up my backpack I was ready to go. Girish and “V” met me at the house and then because they already had their gear packed we ended up leaving the Freestyle and drove up in Girish’s Camry. Girish was a great driver (he drove fast and didn’t do a lot of unnecessary breaking, just like me) so between that and having some Dramamine before we left I was good for the 3hr 20minute trip.

We parked at Boreal and grabbed all our gear to get going. The trails were a bit icy but beautiful powder was all around us. Here my tent mate Molly and drinking buddy Girish snowshoe through the snow covered hillside.

Molly and Girish showshoe through an absolutely beautiful forest of trees and snowy meadows.

Girish brought his camera and was nice enough to share the pictures he took with us. Thanks Girish! =)

Molly and Haitao were a bit (ok, a lot) slower than Sega, Girish and me so we found ourselves waiting a lot. Not so much fun when you're got a big ol' backpack on your back. Oh well. =P

We reached the base of the ridge and stopped for lunch. Girish had hiked ahead so we started without him. Eventually he realized we were still down the hill where it was less windy and came down to join us. Girish thought we should setup camp right there but “V” thought we needed to have the full experience and sleep on the ridge where we’d be dealing with winds and cooler temperatures. I was totally with “V” and that’s what we did. =)

Beautiful Castle Peak in the distance. We considered heading up on Saturday but instead decided to have "V" teach us how to tie knots and use and Alpine ax. It was much safer, and more fun than getting stuck on an icy slope. =)

“V” and I scouted out places to camp on the lower ridge while Girish and the others checked higher up on the mountain. We settled on a nice sheltered area up on the hill which was off the trail and offered a beautiful view of the sun rise the next morning. “V” taught us how to dig trenches outside of our tent so we could sit down and take off/put on our boots, how to tie various knots and how to use an alpine ax to self arrest and glissade. So much fun!

After hiking with a heavy pack up to our camp I was pretty warm. Nothing better than the warm sun on your back as the snow cools you from below. =)

Sega, "V", Molly and Haotai practice the alpine butterfly knot.

Our last activity before preparing for dinner was to hike up the hill above our camp to the summit. Sega led the way and found the deepest pockets of powder. I sank up to my thigh once and then decided to be much more delibrate with my steps to avoid that happening again. When we reached the top of the hill we were treated to an amazing view of the whole valley. I also brought a bottle of Grey Goose vodka so Girish, “V”, me and even Haitao had a bit. By the time we were ready to head back I didn’t care if I rolled down the hill. Weee!!!! 😉

Our Crew: Sega, Girish, Molly, Haitao, "V", and me =)

Girish took this picture of me laying on the ground to take the one and only group photo from this trip. After laying in the snow I accidentally discovered that my camera WILL do a live preview through the LCD which would have saved me from having to lay on the snow. Ah well, it still felt nice. =)

Once back to camp we started up the stoves and began cooking our meals. Molly shared her noodle, shrimp and mushroom soup with me. Girish offered to share his mashed potatoes with me which we added my couscous and some Indian seasoned peanuts to. I call it couscous gruel. =)

Shrimp soup... the shrimp still had their shells and eyeballs. I ate it anyway and it was delicious. It pays to try new things. =)

Couscous gruel. Girish promised to help me eat this but got full before it was ready so I was stuck eating the majority of it. The rest went into a plastic baggy for me to pack out. =P

The next day we woke up early, packed up and headed back up the hill we had climbed the day before.

The sky was the most beautiful shade of blue and orange as the sun rose over the mountains.

One last shot picture at the summit before we start our descent back to our starting point. This is so awesome. =)

The hill seemed less intimidating this time even though we had our packs on our backs. It was climbing back down the other side the was the dangerous part. Going downhill is always more challenging than going uphill. I slid twice but fortunately didn’t go completely over. My quads were burning by the time we reached the bottom though.

The only thing left to do was head over to Yuba Gap and snowshoe up to the vista there. The trail was totally pristine which made snowshoeing that much more enjoyable. When we got to the top we saw a single set of bear tracks through the snow. You could see where he (or she) had climbed up the hill and crossed the snow over to a couple of trees to root around for food. He then circled back and went back down the side of the mountain. Too cool!

Believe it or not this is a real bear paw print that was the only other track up at the top of the Yuba Gap trail. We figured the group of us could scare off a bear if in fact we did encounter one. =)

I had such a good time and am very appreciative to “V” for planning and leading this trip. Next up, one of “V’s” famous week long trips to Alaska or something. I’m ready for it! =)

To see all the pictures from this trip, check out my Picasa album.

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Hiking with my mom in Castro Valley…

Posted on March 6, 2010 by jettagirl

Around 8:30 this morning I received an e-mail from my mom saying that she was in town today. Before I had even finished reading the e-mail I had dialed my mom to see if she was up for a hike with the dogs in Castro Valley. =)

By 9:30 I was on the road with Sierra and Lotus, yes Lotus (I felt bad about always leaving her at home while Sierra and I go play), headed to see my mom and Little Girl. Our plan was to leave my mom’s house in Castro Valley and hike through the residential areas until we reached the 10 Hills Trail across from Redwood Road. From there we would drop down the Cameron Loop Trail to Lake Chabot and back around (~7 miles).

Since Sierra and Little Girl are predictable off-lead they got to run around while Lotus walked with my mom and me.

Lotus was so happy to be included on a hike. My mom seemed to enjoy walking her too.

Once we got to the paved trail at Lake Chabot we had to put Sierra and Little Girl back on lead. Little Girl didn’t seem to mind but Sierra looked sulky. What a spoiled muppy. =P

Meemers liked walking all 3 dogs as it made her feel like she was the head of a sled dog team. Mush!... Mush! =)

On the way back to the house we took a different path home and encountered a swarm of BEES!! Sweet! =)

Oh what's this? A swarm of bees in a tree? I think I need a closer look...

Check it out, they're totally doing their "bee thing" in the trunk of this tree. And yes, I had to get very, VERY, close to get this picture. All the out of focus objects were bees flying around my head. Buzz, buzz.... 😉

About halfway through our hike the sun had come out and warmed things up quite a bit. Meems was wearing a long sleeve shirt and warms up quickly like I do so once we finished the hike and my mom had a chance to change her shoes and cool off she offered to treat me to a frozen yogurt with fruit at Quickly in Castro Valley. Yum! =)

After that we headed out to Office Max and Walmart in Pleasanton to pick up some stuff for my mom. By the time we were done it was time for my mom to get ready for a funeral at 4. One of the ladies that attends a program for seniors that my mom leads for the Castro Valley Adult School passed away last week. Although sad, death is a part of life and it sounds like the woman was well-liked by many and had lived a full life so at least there is comfort in that. It’s nice that my mom was invited and is going to her funeral. I’m sure that would have meant a lot to Bessie. And selfishly that meant that my mom was in town so I got to spend some time with her which means a lot to me. =)

Thanks for a great hike Meems. I had a great time and look forward to our next get-together. =)

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My baby dog turns 5!…

Posted on March 4, 2010 by jettagirl

WHAAAAAAT?!?? That’s right, Sierra is 5 years old today. I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since we celebrated her last birthday. To commemorate this special day I decided to….take more pictures! (I know, big surprise) 😉

Wow Sierra, what a grown-up doggy you are. =)

After singing Sierra “Happy Birthday” this morning I asked Marshall to take some pictures of us in the front yard. Unfortunately the sun was at just the right angle to blind Sierra and leave sun spots in most of the pictures so I only ended up with a few decent ones and by that point Sierra was pretty sick and tired of the camera.

Ok so Sierra isn't looking at the camera, nothing new. At least you can kind of see her pretty blue eyes. =)

When I got home from work I treated Sierra with some tasty Pupperoni and let her lick the leftover sauce off my dinner plate. This made muppy pretty happy. We then followed that up with some wrestling and KISSES! =)

I need video of Sierra and me wrestling. It's pretty hilarious.

Kisses! Aw, what a good doggy.

After all the fun and excitement it was time to settle in for the evening. Sierra layed at my feet while I watched episodes of Reno 911 and worked on this blog posting. Pretty soon it will be time for bed. Goodnight all and Happy Birthday Sierra. =)

Time for bed. Happy Birthday muppy. =)

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Weekend work…

Posted on March 2, 2010 by jettagirl

This last Saturday I participated in the annual Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) conference as a volunteer for the PC Maintenance and Repair Workshop. Now, I’m not exactly a kid person so this always pushes me a bit out of my comfort zone but I do it because I think it’s important for the girls and really, it’s important for me as well. I don’t know whether I’ll ever get past my kid issues but interacting with these girls and seeing how a few would light up when you taught them about science and technology gives me hope that I might experience the same kind of elightenment someday. =)

At the beginning of each workshop session the instructor would ask the girls “What have you taken apart and did it go back together ok.” A number of the girls said they’ve taken apart mechanical pens and pencils. A few had taken apart clocks and bikes. One girl answered that she “took apart a pizza” with her friend adding “and I helped.” When it came my turn to answer the question I had trouble actually thinking of a good answer. I’ve taken a lot of stuff apart but I think what stands out in my mind is what I’ve put together. I really like assembling stuff. So after I got back from the conference I spent some time assembling my new Aussie grill and hurray, I only had to correct for one mistake (a leg was turned around which you would only realize after getting to step 7). 😉

Adjusting the temperature on my brand new Aussie. Hurray, I can barbecue now. =)

My new barbecue busy at work grilling chicken with depression-era style barbecue sauce (ketchup, vinegar, mustard and pepper). Mmmm, just like Grandma makes. =)

What a great way to end the day. On Sunday morning I decided to continue the productivity streak and take on some gardening in my front yard. While I was working my brother Jeffery came by with his two dogs to visit. We chatted for an hour or so and watched the dogs play on the front lawn. Jeffery’s dogs are pretty funny to watch play. Sierra and Lotus had a really good time with them.

As nice as it was to visit, I knew I needed to keep working on the yard. Before Jeffery left he volunteered to bring his truck over to pull out the oleander stumps that were left from when I cut the branches back months ago. What a nice brother. =)

Jeffery preps to pull out the oleander stumps.

Thanks to an abudance of rain over the last week the stumps came out without too much of a fight.

The first stump was probably the most challenging to pull out. The sling kept sliding over the top of the stump.

Jeffery quickly figured out the most effective positioning of the sling and made quick work of the remaining 6 stumps. Good job Lil' Brudda. =)

After Jeffery completed pulling out the stumps he headed home for the day. I finished cleaning up the driveway with help from Marshall and then headed back inside to enjoy the rest of the weekend. After a quick nap (I was super sleepy) Marshall and I headed off to his parents for an early birthday celebration since Marshall’s parents will be on a cruise when he turns 31. Dinner was delicious and the conversation engaging. All in all an awesome weekend. =)

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San Francisco hike with Sierra (20 miles)…

Posted on February 22, 2010 by jettagirl

Hitting the beach before embarking on our 20 mile hike. =)

This last weekend I had the opportunity to do a 20 mile hike with “V”, the crew and….my muppy Sierra! Yay! =)

The day started off a little rocky with me getting lost in San Francisco and thinking Sierra and I would be on our own. Luckily “V” didn’t give up on me and we were able to meet him about a mile from the actual starting point. This means Sierra and I had a chance to play on the beach at Crissy Field while we leisurely walked to meet the group.

Sierra really enjoyed the beach. What a majestic looking doggy. =)

Sierra wanted to run to the ocean but we had to keep walking to meet the group, or so I thought...

After about 5 minutes of walking along the path I got phone call from “V” saying they had just passed Crissy Field. This means that I had been walking in the wrong direction. Doh! I quickly called Sierra and we started jogging towards the pier at the other end of Crissy Field. About 5 minutes later after I had reached the “Warming Hut” I got another call from “V” saying “You know what? I gave you the wrong information. We’re just now passing Crissy Field.” Double-Doh!! Time for more pictures I guess. 😉

"Hurray! I get to run in the sand and surf!!" What a happy puppy. =)

Sierra and I played on the beach for a few minutes and then finally met up with “V” and the gang. Now it was time to hike over the Golden Gate Bridge and into the Marin hills.

The Golden Gate Bridge is really a thing of beauty. It was even more incredible walking across it. You get an amazing view of the city from there.

Sierra did really well on the bridge. I thought she might not like the people and noise from the cars but she did just fine. Yeah, Sierra's great... =)

After hiking for about 5 miles we reached “Slacker Hill” which offered amazing views of San Francisco and Sausalito.

Sierra makes good use of her fur coat as a bitey coastal breeze blows across the peak of "Slacker Hill."

Another 5 miles and we reached our halfway point, Fort Cronkhite. This is where we had lunch and I took more pictures of Sierra. =)

What a tough doggy.

Sierra and the rest of the group having lunch at Fort Cronkhite

From Fort Cronkhite we headed back up into the hills and then descended into Sausalito. Sasualito is an amazing place and clearly somewhere that requires an incredible amount of money to live in. Normally I get a bit petty and kind of hate on the rich but this place made me have to re-examine this ridiculous mindset as every person that drove by smiled at us when we looked up and smiled at them. Aw, I like these people. Sorry for hatin’ rich people. =)

When we got into the heart of Sausalito we stopped by Lappert’s Ice Cream and Starbucks for, you guessed it, ice cream and coffee. I skipped both since Sierra couldn’t have either and I didn’t want to eat in front of her (I also forgot my money). 😉

The Golden Gate Bridge at 6pm. Really amazing. If you haven't walked across the bridge, you definitely should. It is quite an experience. =)

Sierra and I at the final lookout on the Golden Gate Bridge. What an amazing dog I have. She made it the full 20 miles and didn't complain once. She did go to sleep as soon as she hopped in the car and was asleep until we got home.

The hike was so much fun and everyone was so nice to Sierra. “V” even said that she was a “tough little doggy” which was the ultimate compliment. I cried “Hurray! Sierra has been initiated!” to which “V” had a good laugh over. I can’t wait till the next hike I can take Sierra on. She had a great time and I really liked being able to take my little buddy with me. Very special. =)

The entire set of pictures can be found on Picasa.

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Sierra’s Tribble…

Posted on February 16, 2010 by jettagirl

Ok I’m going to start by saying yes, I realize this is absolutely ridiculous. This is what happens when I have too much time on my hands and need a reason to avoid having to clean my bathrooms (really? this was just to avoid cleaning bathrooms? yes, yes it was). 😉

So here we go, Sierra’s Tribble! =)

Yep, I put craft animal eyes on a pile of Sierra's fur. Don't judge me, it's hilarious! =)

Let me explain, after cleaning the kitchen, bedroom and doing more laundry I found myself a bit bored so I decided to work on brushing out Sierra’s fur. I gave her a bath on Saturday and although her upper body is nice and smooth her haunches are pretty matted so I figured I’d try and get that all nice and brushed out. Pretty soon I found myself with a huge pile of fur and some craft animal eyes that made the pile of fur come to life. Check it out!

"What the hey?... Did that come from me?? And why is it looking at me?"

"Seriously, what do you expect me to do with this??"

"Well I guess if you're not going anywhere you may as well make yourself comfortable. Time for a sleep... Goodnight!"

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Sunol/Ohlone with Sierra…

Posted on February 15, 2010 by jettagirl

Sierra and I were really on a roll this weekend. Two awesome hikes in 3 days. This time we went to Sunol/Ohlone park and although I had planned on doing a slightly shorter hike (~8.5 miles) I took a wrong turn so we ended up doing an extra 2.5 miles for a total of 11.07 miles. Sweet! =)

The "Plan" (originally without the extra Cerro Este "out and back" leg but I mistook that trail for the Eagle View trail) - 11.07 miles

It was a beautiful day to hike Sunol. The hills were green, the creeks were flowing and there were friendly people and their pups everywhere. =)

The sound of the creek spilling over river rocks was so inviting. So inviting that Sierra just had to take a dip. =)

Muppy and me (note the wet fur from taking a dip in the stream).

We were also treated to some beautiful wildflowers and a very interesting tree.

A "Jeffrey's Shooting Star"

This little guy was all by his lonesome. So pretty though. =)

I thought this was kind of cool. I've hiked by it so many times and never realized that the trail is called "W" Tree Rock Scramble because the tree is in the shape of a "W." Ah, now I get it. 😉

Pretty soon we were on our way up the Cerro Este trail. I had decided to do an additional trail called “Eagle View” and mistakenly thought it was the one that headed north at one of the major junctions. Sierra and I hiked and hiked until some houses came into view.

Sierra checks out the houses in front of us. Hmm, this doesn't look right....

Well we made it to a peak but lost the trail. As I looked out over the landscape trying to orient myself I noticed these two coyotes on the next hill over that were watching us intently. They actually started moving in our direction so I decided we better head back and find the trail again.

While on our way back down the trail we encountered more cows. Unfortunately although Sierra had done well with the last group, she ran up to one this time which totally pissed it off. I quickly put Sierra back on lead but the damage had been done. The cow charged us and I had to yell and wave my hands to get it to stop. Then I had to figure out how to get past it and it’s gang without getting trompled. Seriously, it was actually scratching it’s hoof on the ground and angrily mooing at us. I tried to take the high road around it and got charged that direction so I went to it’s left down a slope (keeping Sierra on my left) and had to keep yelling at it to keep it from charging again. I had cold chills by the time we got past it. Now I understand why Ksenya hates cows. 😉

Stupid charging cows. It's never a good thing when they're all looking at you. Note the trail in the background that I had to abandon in exchange for safe passage.

After we got back to the last known trail marker I realized we had taken the northern fork of the Cerro Este trail (extra .85 miles each direction). No worries, I could still pick up the Eagle View trail (which I did) and I’m so glad I did. It was amazing!

It was super windy up at the junction of Eagle View and Vista Grande Road. I actually lost my map here and didn't realize it. Fortunately I had memorized the rest of the trail so we were fine. =)

We finished off the hike by 4:20 which means we hiked for 4 hours (including numerous stops for pictures and playing in the water). I’m really enjoying hiking with Sierra so I think I’m going to make a bigger effort to find places she can hike off lead with me. She’s an awesome hiking partner and is always happy to hit the trails with me. Until next time, Jettagirl and Sierra out. =)

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Morgan Territory with Sierra…

Posted on February 14, 2010 by jettagirl

The Outdoor Cardinals hiking group had an 18 mile hike scheduled for Morgan Territory today which sounded like a lot of fun but I was really wanting to take Sierra with me and I wasn’t sure she could do the whole distance. Hmm, what to do, what to do… of course I took Sierra on a hike instead! =)

Del Valle? Del Valle?? Nope it's Morgan Territory but Sierra gets the idea and is excited to start the hike. =)

The regional parks are normally fairly well marked and you can get maps online at http://ebparks.org which is convenient for planning out your trip ahead of time. I planned a 9.92 mile starting with the Volvon Trail at the Morgan Territory staging area. See below for a detailed account of our hike. Note: Cows were EVERYWHERE and they were huge, many with horns. The junction at Volvon and Eagle trails was the worst (see map) and I had to do quite a bit of off-roading to get safely around all the cows. Fortunately Sierra and I did not get charged and I feel a little more comfortable being around cows again (getting charged by a herd of defensive mothers at Del Valle several months ago put me a bit on edge around the creatures). =)

The plan...hike counter clockwise around the loop for a total of 9.92 miles (can I call that 10 miles?).

One of the coolest things about this hike was that I let Sierra off lead the whole time except for when we encountered cows. This means that she got to run free and hike at her own pace, just like her mama. =)

Sierra was really happy to be able to run free. =)

Crazy muppy running down the hill. Weee!!! =)

When we hit the hills I was much slower than Sierra (she was running up them like a horse) so she would frequently stop to look back and wait for me. What a good dog. =)

While I still had plenty of energy I was stopping much more frequently to take pictures of Sierra. I thought these two were pretty funny because just like my family, Sierra gets tired of having her picture taken (see below).

This was a "posed" picture which means I took a couple in the same spot. After about 4 attempts to get a picture of Sierra looking at me I got this...

Check it, I'm getting the stink eye from my own dog! =)

I also took pictures of the flower and fauna of Morgan Territory including these delicate white flowers..

My new camera combined with the fact that it was overcast allowed me to finally get a nice picture of white flowers.

A cow skull..

Cow skull.. You don't know how tempted I was to take this but ultimately I knew the right thing was to leave it there so I did.

And these frogs…

Froggy Frogs. Happy Valentine's Day! 😉

At the northernmost point of the hike (end of Hog Canyon Trail) I took a picture of Sierra and me. We were soggy from traipsing through wet fields and muddy trails, had been harassed by cows, and I had nearly lost my tennis shoes in mud but we still had the time of our lives. =)

My little hiking buddy. =)

After completing the hike I realized Sierra holds up pretty well on the longer hikes as long as she’s off lead. 18 miles may be a little much but she can definitely hang with the “J Dogg”. 😉

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Cousins Birthday Luncheon…

Posted on January 30, 2010 by jettagirl

January Birthdays Rock!! =)

Since Heather, our cousin Nicole and I have birthdays in January we decided to get together at my house to celebrate turning another year older (29, 30 and 31).

Nicole came down with her boyfriend Nick and son Davin who both found ways to entertain themselves while the girls were talking. Nick tried on jewelry.

Nick enjoyed checking out and then trying on a beaded necklace I had made. Looking good. 😉

Within 2 hours Davin had already gotten 51 lives in World 1 of Super Mario Bros. Guess I need to brush up on my video game skills. =)

Marshall got off work at 3pm which is when the fun really began.

Davin tried on Marshall's paintaball gear. I think the gear weighed nearly as much as Davin!

Marshall had a blast torturing Davin which included holding him just above a puddle (that Davin has strong abs to hold himself up) and throwing him across his shoulders or in WWE terms, "the rack."

Davin also was hung upside down and swung back and forth like a pendulum. No worries though, Davin was having the time of his life. =)

Before we knew it the sun was starting to go down and it was time for Nicole and her family to hit the road. Thanks for a great afternoon and Happy Birthday. =)

Bye guys! We look forward to seeing you again soon. =)

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Delicious food…

Posted on January 29, 2010 by jettagirl

I have an awesome family. Yesterday Heather called me up at work to ask if she could come over and make chicken enchiladas for Marshall and me. Uh, heck yeah! 😉

I was so impressed with this meal that I had to document it. Hey, a real home-cooked meal is rarely had at my house so I have to take full advantage of the food and cooking lesson any time Heather comes over. =)

Ingredients:

Shredded chicken (Heather bought a rotisserie chicken from Costco and then shredded the meat by hand)
One yellow onion (chopped)
Shredded cheese (Cheddar and Monterey Jack)
One 4oz can of Ortega diced green chilies
One large can of La Victoria Red Enchilada sauce
Medium tortillas
Mexican style Rice-A-Roni
Refried beans
Sour cream

Step 1:

Follow directions to cook rice
Warm shredded chicken, diced chilies and about half a yellow onion that has been softened by briefly browning in a pan
Add a bit of enchilada sauce to the chicken mix

Mexican rice on the left. Shredded chicken, sauteed onions and diced green chilies on the right.

Step 2:

Drizzle enchilada sauce in the bottom of the glass pans

Hurray! Enchiladas! Yay for Heffies!! =)

Step 3:

Fill and roll tortillas with shredded chicken mix and some cheese.
Place stuffed tortillas into pan with overlapping edges facing down
Drizzle enchilada sauce and sprinkle cheese on top of finished enchiladas
Cook for 30 minutes at 400 degrees

Happy chicken enchiladas all ready for the oven.

Finished Product:

The finished product.... Mmm, so good... =)

Dinner's ready!

Thanks to Heather for a delicious meal. We all enjoyed it immensely (Jeffery a.k.a “Cletus” was especially happy about the leftovers). Thanks again Sis. =)

Jeffery turns into a total goofball after packaging up some enchiladas for the road.

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January birthdays…

Posted on January 24, 2010 by jettagirl

January is a busy time of year for my parents. My birthday is on the 20th, Heather’s is on the 21st and my Grandma’s is on the 23rd and as has been the tradition since Heather and I were kids, my parents made us both a special dinner on our birthdays.

Jen's Birthday Dinner: Spaghetti (no meatballs), garlic bread, brocolli, salad and cracked crab. For dessert: Chocolate Decadence cake. Mmmm, delicious... =)

Heather's birthday dinner: Home made pizza and cracked crab. For dessert: Home made chocolate cake with wHip cream frosting. =)

My dad had also made matching arbors for Heather and I which are absolutely amazing and look like they took an incredible amount of work.

Thanks for the awesome arbor Dad. Very cool! =)

Heather models the latest in arbor fashion. =)

Our family =)

On Saturday, Heather, Jeffery, my mom and I drove down to Salinas to surprise my grandma for her 82nd birthday.

When we got there and knocked on the door, Grandma answered the door with a measuring spoon in her hand. She was right in the middle of making the pinoche icing for a spice cake. Hurray, Grandma made cake! =)

Shortly after we arrived, Grandma’s friend Jewel came over to wish Grandma a happy birthday.

Grandma's good friend Jewel stopped by to wish Grandma a Happy Birthday.

We then loaded up into the car to head out to Monterey for lunch and some whale watching. We didn’t see any whales but we did see some incredible surf. The storm really whipped things up.

The Sandbar Bar & Grill... very good food and a wonderful view of the harbor.

Heather navigates the rocks in her new Ugg's.

After getting back from Monterey we hung out and talked while Uncle Tim made dinner: stuffed pork tenderloin with small red potatoes, string beans and a delicious gravy. Man my family sure knows how to cook (present company excluded, maybe someday though). After dinner we sang Happy Birthday and had slices of Grandma’s delicious cake and ice cream. What a wonderful way to wrap up the day. =)

I'm loving the tripod Marshall got me for Christmas. Now everyone can be in the family pictures. =)

So another set of January birthday’s down. Thanks to everyone for making my birthday very special. I’m looking forward to a great year. =)

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First rain of 2010…

Posted on January 24, 2010 by jettagirl

The first rain of 2010 increased the property value of my house. I can now say there is a lake in the backyard. 😉

I hope the water recedes soon. The dogs do not like water so this is posing an interesting challenge to their daily routine.

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Close call…

Posted on January 21, 2010 by jettagirl

My brother Jeffery works at my dad’s construction company California Engineering Contractors driving rigs and operating heavy machinery. Apparently he had an extremely close call at work today and after seeing the pictures, I’m thinking he’s pretty lucky to be alive. It went down something like this.

Jeffery had to move some heavy beams with a loader and didn’t have the right extension to be able to reach all the way in back so like many others before him, he improvised. This involved attaching a nylon sling to the beams and then backing the loader up to try and drag the beams into a better position. That’s when the sling snapped and the bridge clamp came flying back right at his head.

The windshield of the loader after being smashed by a recoiling nylon sling.

Jeffery acted fast and was able to put his gloved hands in front of his face but couldn’t escape some nasty glass cuts to his face and ears.

That's a middle finger. Apparently nearly getting killed makes one a bit irritable. After recovering from the shock I think he realized how lucky he was to be alive. Our family is pretty grateful too. =)

Chalk that one up to experience. Let’s be more careful out there Jeffery. I still need you to install my new stereo. 😉 Just kidding Lil’ Brudda. Be safe though. =)

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Manimals!! =)

Posted on January 18, 2010 by jettagirl

I love 3-day weekends, especially when they’re rainy and I get to spend time with the family. Unfortunately Marshall has to work today so I’m at home doing laundry, watching TV and enjoying time with my animals. Let’s see what they’re up to. =)

Lotus is easy to find. She’s normally on one of two pillows and chewing a bone. Yep, there she is.

Lotus relaxing on her pillow enjoying a bone.

Since it’s raining Bow-Bow (Javy, Chub-Chub, Catmandu, Bowsy, Maow-Maow) found a nice warm place inside the house to ride out the storm. Ah, there he is in the closet (ha! in the closet). =)

Bowsy looks pretty comfortable in the laundry basket, no?

Sierra is always a foot away from me whether it be sitting on the couch with me or at my feet so she’s always easy to find. I thought for fun I would go ahead and take a picture of Sierra and Javy together for scale. Javy is one big cat. What?!? =)

Yep, Javy is nearly as big as Sierra laying down. Monster Cat!!! =)

So those are my animals. The storm has let up a bit but it’s still very wet and rainy out there. Guess we’ll hang out a while longer in the house watching tv and being lazy. =)

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Hello….

Posted on January 11, 2010 by jettagirl

Hello.... =)

My right headlamp went out so I decided to replace both with brighter, whiter headlamps than I had before. I also decided to replace the windshield wipers since it’s supposed to rain tomorrow and I believe I still have the original wipers… seriously, the original wipers. Anyway, in order replace the headlamps I had to take off the front grill. Hmm, this seems familiar. =)

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