Archive for the 'family' Category
Today began with a 3 mile run with Tyler. Now, I’m not much of a runner on the best of days, so deciding to go out running with a 14-year-old who has been training every day is probably not the best decision. I survived, anyway, although my hips are both a little sore now. It’s an odd place to ache, too. I’m not dealing as well with getting back into running as I did a few years ago when I trained to run a marathon. Or so I think. I’m unwilling to go look at my training blog from those days to see.
After lunch, the whole crew drove to Oroville to help Lisa get her class ready for tomorrow’s first day of the school year. I felt bad because Lisa seemed a little overwhelmed and had a hard time prioritizing the to-do lists, and we weren’t really able to help until she gave us directions. But we eventually got things put on the walls, or put away, or otherwise managed, so I think we didn’t waste her time.
When we got home, I fixed the flat tire on my bike and did a couple small modifications to the brakes on two of my munis. I’ll be ready to bike commute this week. I think I’ll accompany Tyler on his bike commute tomorrow, as we’ve been giving him rides to school the last two weeks, and I don’t want to throw him to the wolves, as it were. There can be some scary drivers out there at half seven in the morning in Chico.
Chico State starts classes tomorrow, but I don’t teach until Tuesday. I’ll be meeting with Suzanne about some NCWP business tomorrow, and (I hope, anyway) will also get things settled for the first day of teaching, too. I haven’t had any “naked dreams” yet, and have actually felt pretty calm about the start of the school year. I hope that the calmness carries through the week, but I’m a little doubtful.
I still have some things I’d like to do. Such as … doing a quick little video that shows how to find my office (most students don’t know the Research Foundation building exists, much less how to find it!), and getting a couple of extra copies of the course texts that I can give away on the first day just for fun. I’ll get done what get’s done, I suppose.
August 24 2008 | Daily life and family and NCWP and Teaching and Work | 2 Comments »
So today we drove up to the Lassen Volcanic National Park for a little hiking pleasure. We first tackled the Bumpass Hell trail, a 3-mile round trip that took us into a really cool active geothermal region. It’s about as close to the sights of Yellowstone that you can find in California. Fumaroles, mudpots, boiling ponds, unearthly-looking mineral stains on the ground–it’s all there.
We hadn’t been on this hike this late in the summer before, and it was a somewhat dry year to boot, so we noticed that there was less water/mud around. Not quite as exciting as it is in late June, when the trail first opens for the summer. Still, lots of fun, but the air at around 8k feet elevation is a bit thin, and the climb out was a grind that left me breathless in a few spots. Of course, I had it better than a tweener German girl who nearly had to be carried out by her father and brother because she couldn’t breathe.
After getting back to the car, we drove on to Kings Creek Falls, another 3-mile round tripper with a little more elevation gain/loss (700 feet vs 400 at Bumpass Hell). We’d never hiked this trail before, and what a treat it was. The trail hugs Kings Creek as it descends a huge series of cascades–probably something like 100 yards long, and dropping maybe 150 feet–that would make a heck of a water slide for someone with enough guts to give it a try. The picture below shows about half of it.
At the end, the actual waterfall takes a plunge of probably 60 feet or so.
All was good, until we reached the waterfall itself. there’s a viewing area at about the height of the waterfall’s top. There’s also a fairly technical little climb down to the creek level, and I decided to go at least halfway down to snap a few pictures. The boys and Lisa started to follow me down, and I got to a point where I told the rest of them that they should just stay put because the footing was a little treacherous. But even getting back up turned out to be a challenge, as Seth slipped, smacked his knee, and nearly went headfirst down the 40 or so nearly-clifflike feet to the creek. Luckily, he caught himself before tumbling all the way, but has a nasty bruise already forming to complement the abrasions. He was pretty upset, and Lisa and I were mildly traumatized by the “what if” moments (Lisa more than me, as I was taking pictures when it happened, so didn’t see it happen; she had a front row seat). The hike back up was strenuous, but fun; I loved it.
As we drove back down to Chico, we saw a half-dozen deer along the road, in various places. It was a nice addition to a great day.
August 04 2008 | family and Hiking | No Comments »
It was finally a pretty day in Chico; sunshine, upper 90s, and an air quality rating in double digits (50 or lower is “good”; we were at around 90 today, a big drop from the mid- to upper 100s last week). Last night, when I was cooling off in the pool around 10 pm, I could see constellations in the sky; the previous night, I could see 3 stars; the night before, only the smoky orange moon.
I spent a few hours on the article Rochelle and I are writing, and it’s almost a complete first draft. I’m guessing another couple hours will finish it. I think Rochelle and I are going to have to do a little Skype tomorrow (she’s in Chile, poor thing …) to get it all sorted. I want to send a draft of some type off to the editors before I head to Oregon on Wednesday.
We’ll be picking the children up in Oregon, too; they’ve been staying at Lisa’s parents’ lake cabin,four-wheelering, jetskiing, pedal-boating, lake swimming, inner-tubing, and other gerunds that are far more interesting than what I’ve been doing. It will be good to see the boys again, but it has been very peaceful here lately, too.
July 14 2008 | Daily life and family and Work | No Comments »
The middle boy’s birthday was fine yesterday, despite the stitches and tetanus shot. He loved all the Top Gear gifts (the boy is a car nut!)
June 13 2008 | family and Tweets | No Comments »
Wrapped gifts, cake now baking, movie @ 4:15, exhaustion imminent …
June 12 2008 | family and Tweets | No Comments »
Several panic attacks today over all the things currently on my plate … the medical alert was NOT needed today! Trying to relax …breathe
June 11 2008 | family and NCWP and Tweets and Work | No Comments »
Had to rush Ty to emergency room when he cut his finger while volunteering at a computer refurbishing charity … one day before his b-day.
June 11 2008 | family and Sutures and Tweets | No Comments »
Kids want to try a little geocaching, so I’m trying to learn how to use geocaching.com. Gilligan’s Isle, here we come!
June 08 2008 | family and Tweets | No Comments »