This is (my) life: 2007

Monday, November 12, 2007

California on fire..

In October, Southern California turned into one big bonfire from Santa Barbara down to the US-Mexico border. Major contributing factors to the extreme fire conditions were the drought conditions in SoCal, really hot weather, and unusually strong Santa Ana winds with gusts reaching 85 mph. Unfortunately, about 1,500 homes were destroyed along with approx. 500,000 acres of land. There was a layer of ash on the cars for a week, and it honestly smelled like a bonfire, no matter where you were outside.

Here's a picture of the Santiago Canyon fire - I took it on the way to work at 6:30am

The sun dipping into an ash-filled sky

The guilty pleasure of this mostly bad situation was the fact that the Santa Ana winds were strong off-shore, which when combined with a good-sized swell, can create ideal surf. So, while California was burning, I headed to the beach for some of the best waves Southern California has seen in a long time.

56th - Newport

Everybody wanted a piece of this one..

There were a ton of waves, but still more guys out then waves. In Southern California the demand always outweighs the supply, especially when it's good.

After 2 hours of heavy paddling, my lungs were burning, and I was totally spent. But it was quite an experience to be out in those epic conditions. Hopefully next time we have these kind of conditions, they won't be accompanied by the fires.

The Huntington Beach Pier at sunset. This was at the end of the week as the smoke was finally clearing out.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Driving Across the Country...

When I typed my starting destination (Arlington, VA) and ending destination (Fullerton, CA) into google maps, reality started to set in. 39 hours of driving did not sound like a very pleasant way to spend... well, 39 hours. And to do it alone, seemed like somewhat of a daunting and actually pretty dangerous undertaking- considering I'm prone to extreme drowsiness while driving. In any case, I had to do it, because it was the only way I was going to get a bunch of my stuff and my car to the west coast. I knew I could do it too.. I've actually I've done the cross-country driving thing out to the east coast (though I did have a little special someone at the time, to help with the drive- also, the pit stops were a lot more exciting rather than strictly taking care of business.)

So, I started the drive early Thursday morning (a day and a half later than originally planned) with the intention to be home in California by Saturday so that I could attend the BYU vs. UCLA football game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. It's actually a really pretty drive going into the west and southern parts of Virginia and Tennessee.

Country roads, somewhere in northwest Virginia

On Thursday I made it to Nashville where I stopped to hang out with a good friend.

some little pub on music row in Nashville

Here's me thinking about the 29 hours I have left to drive...

one more pic before getting back on the road

After hanging in Nashville for a few hours, I got back on the road and made it only a couple hours before I was too tired to drive anymore.. So I stopped at some random little hotel about an hour outside of Memphis to get some sleep. It's an understatement to say the hotel was not the nicest hotel I've every stayed at... I'm talking like, my sheets were dirty! I seriously thought about finding a new hotel, but it was too late and I was too tired, so I got some clean sheets (at least I hope) and went to sleep.

Thursday around noon, I rolled into the Birthplace of Rock 'N' Roll,

Also, home of "The King"

This is Martin. He's a writer, and a pretty friendly guy. He was the first to welcome me to Memphis.

I'm not sure who the stubborn one was here.. but it had to be whoever painted their storefront second. I mean, if my neighbor's store was red, I don't think I'd go with hot pink for mine. And if I moved in next to a place painted hot pink, I think I'd try to pick a color that clashes less, though not many colors would go with hot pink very well. Probably just looking for a little attention... I don't know, but I have to say, I kind of like it.

I guess Memphis is pretty laid back. Here are a bunch of cops hanging out in the street, drinking. I thought this picture was pretty classic actually.. take a close look at the cop's cup. I didn't ask.

Back on the road...

Once I crossed the Mississippi, I had one goal in mind.. and that was to get home as fast as possible.

After stopping in Memphis, I drove for about the next 24 hours straight with stops only for gas or food, or a good photo-op. I had about 29 hours of driving left and about 26 hours till the BYU-UCLA game... so I didn't have time for sleeping or any other nonsense...

The storm is brewing

As I was driving through Oklahoma, I witnessed one of the most amazing thunder and lightning and hail storms I've ever seen. The sky would go from pitch dark, to being almost as bright as day, almost as if the whole world was lit up by a huge camera flash. And, the hail was coming down like millions of buckets of tic-tacs being poured from the sky. It was pretty cool.

This is a pretty good representation of my vision at about 4AM... still trucking. At this point, it was too early to talk with any friends on the east coast, and too late to talk with any friends on the west coast.. So instead, I stopped for a 20 oz Code Red and some sunflower seeds to help me stay awake. I may have had my video camera out as well, to film myself singing Coldplay songs, but I haven't played the video back yet, so I'm not too sure. Anything to stay awake...

My first indication that I made it through the night.. as the sun breaks the morning darkness

Here is the sunrise around 5:30am... somewhere in New Mexico, near the Arizona border

Also somewhere near the New Mexico/Arizona border... I thought these were extinct.. but they seemed alive and well to me

somewhere near Flagstaff, Arizona

Apparently, someone else was trying to pull an all-nighter as well.. luckily it looked like everyone was okay.. except for the trucks.

Approaching Death Valley

And finally, after 38 hours of driving,

home sweet home

Sunday, September 30, 2007

A Friday Night..

Sometimes, after a long week on the grind, it's nice to unwind with a little surfing and smores...

Huntington Beach

Lauren was the first to arrive..

The sunset wasn't bad

Tyler started passing out marshmellows

Debbie was pretty eager to get one of those sweet little mellows in her mouth

Debbie, it helps if you keep your eyes open... though it looks like its got the right angle to go down

Hopefully that one goes right in Glade's mouth, cause-he's not moving!

Tyler dodges a bullet, while Kelsey eyes it like she might just pick it out of the air and eat it

Tyler teases Debbie with her 2nd greatest weakness (the first being Glade)

Hole in 1

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Enough NYC for me

During my time on the east coast, I spent a lot of time in Manhattan. Living in DC, it's only a 3 hr. 45 min. drive (with no traffic), a 3.5 hr train ride, a 45 min. flight, or of course, the 5 hour bus ride from Chinatown. I love New York City and thought I may move there on a couple of occasions, but it never seemed to work out. It probably won't ever at this point seeing as how now I'm loving life in California and probably am here to stay. Though, I do have a general policy of "never say never." I try not to use superlatives. You can't really say you'll "never" do something or try something or live somewhere because you really never know. Obviously, I don't feel this is applicable in all situations. If we are talking about someone's standards or morals, I have no problem with them using superlatives - saying you'll never do this or that.. completely fine with that. But if you were to tell me, you'd never want to live on the East Coast or raise your children in Southern California, that may just be a little close-minded. You don't know what you're missing out on. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm in California now "to stay" but that doesn't me I'd never leave.

In any case, before leaving the east coast my longing for living in the City needed to be somehow satisfied. So, I decided to spend 7 days there before heading west. It was a solid 7 days of just taking it in. I went to a couple Yankees games, hit up Long Beach (Long Island), did some shopping from Canal St. to 5th Ave., walked the Brooklyn Bridge and saw the sites.. and had about enough of the subway to last a really long time. Especially since my MTA metrocard was semi-defective leaving me one subway behind my friends on most occasions due to the fact I had to slide it at least 10 times before it would work, if it worked at all.

I had a great time and at the end of the seven days was completely spent. The City can energize and drain you simultaneously. I was probably out and about for 15 hours a day the whole time I was there, and at night, oh man- I slept like a baby.. despite Ryan trying to cuddle up to me on a few occasions. He's such a cuddler. My wallet was also spent. Going to New York, is kind of like opening your wallet and putting a wet/dry shop vacuum up to it. It's crazy how much money you'll spend without even realizing it. I still haven't really done the math on how much I spent on this trip- I don't want to know.

Part of that had to do with me buying my new Nikon D80 camera, which I'm pretty excited about. I've always loved photography since I was a kid and took photography 101 in 7th grade. (At the time, I probably mainly took the class because Laura Knapp was taking it, and there was a good possibility that we could end up in the dark room together working on our skills.. at developing photos of course..). But anyway, my pictures that I add to my blog from this point forward should be a notch up in quality I'm hoping. Though this first round from my New York trip isn't going to be all that great since I had no idea how to use the camera yet (still trying to figure it out). Anyway, here's my last week in NYC...

The view of water towers outside of Ryan's bedroom window

The mailman

Dentists in contemplation on the steps of Columbia University

Pinnacle on 115th is money pizza

Blake was manning the kissing booth at Columbia's orientation week

Long Beach, Long Island

Notice that the kid on the left has "Bang!" written on his board, as he's about to ram into a fellow surfer..

Paul D, longboarding in Long Isnland

The Dos

Two dudes, just looking for a game of football

Or, maybe they're looking for something else...

Good luck fellas

Kathy tried to avoid this snapshot, but I got her

small, shallow, and seaweed.. but still kinda fun

This longboarder ducked his head in a mini-barrel and it turned into a pretty cool picture

Rob picturing himself in some week Long Beach surf

Rob

There he is

YANKEE STADIUM, THE BRONX

Yankee Stadium, with Chris and Rob, oh, and Blake was there too, but unfortunately we didn't realize that one of the scalped tickets wasn't anywhere near the other three

2o oz. Sprite, $4.50

Sax player in the Bronx

Times Square

On the Brooklyn Bridge...

Watch out ladies..

Here are our Brooklyn Bridge headshots..

Watch out for the Paparazzi...

Who are those two lovebirds holding hands?

Looks like Megan and Rob.. at the beginning of a "special night"

Natalie Hill.. America's Next Top Model... or just some girl in Grease (the broadway production)

Work it girl

The goal in walking across the bridge... Grimaldi's

The back of the line.. our pizza is another 20 minute wait once we reach the green awning... You'd think you better get some amazing pizza after waiting in a line like this, though I have to say the Pizza might be a bit over-rated. I was starving by the time we ate, so Domino's or Little Ceasars or anything would have tasted amazing..

Inside Grimaldi's

Please be ours!

After an hour and a half of waiting in line, the pizza arrives.

GOT IT!

And after waiting an hour and a half for pizza, we figured why not wait another half hour for an ice cream cone...?

Entertaining ourselves in line

The Menu

(Post first kiss)

I'm going to call this section... "What are we doing?"

Ryan's got it covered...

Shane and Ryan are holding hands

Shane and Ryan in perfect synchronization

and back to the city...

I was taking this picture of cars in motion on the bridge while Shelly was simultaneously taking a picture of Rob and Megan, and this was the outcome...