Olympic watching or not.

Have I mentioned how much I hate the coverage of the Winter Olympics? NBC has just left me out in the cold. I find the taping of everything to show us later in a chopped up format irritating and not pleasant to watch.

I would like to watch more than 2.5 minutes of ice skating at a time. I would like to see more than the top three or four downhill skiers.

I mean you are showing me a tape, show me the entire event at one time. Don't show me two skiers then go to two ice skaters than back to skiing than back to skating then over to speed skating then back to skating then finally the completion of speed skating an hour after I have gone to bed. I mean I don't even want to watch Shawn White doing those crazy snow boarding things that they are showing right now. I've seen it, in fact now that I 'm thinking about it, I think I am seeing more of his runs right now during the Closing than I did when it was happening.

Now I'm watching the closing ceremonies and rather than showing some of the closing things they are showing me tape of ice dancers. I just want to watch the closing ceremonies, just show them.

And I'm not even going to start about having to avoid the news, the internet and the newspaper to let all the chopped up stuff showing later that night be a surprise.

Hike Number 4

Yesterday's hike was at Las Trampas Regional Wilderness. Wilderness?? Within 15 minutes of my home? Well, yes as a matter of fact there is a wilderness within 15 minutes of my home and let me tell you this hike kicked my butt.

It started out on a paved road that seemed to go straight up for what seemed like a very long way. The web site says the summit is about 2400 feet, can that be? I will admit to having to stop a number of times on the entire hike to catch my breath and wonder what in the world I was doing? What makes me think I can do this? My fellow hikers (I thank them very much) told me I was doing fine, in another month we would be coming back to this hike and I'd be in much better shape and it would not be as difficult. I hope they are right.

So, here is a shot of the fog holding back, this did not last long. At one point the fog rolled in and the wind picked up and I wondered if we would find our way back down the trail.

The rolling hills. They look so soft and welcoming. Yeah, right!

My mentor leading the way under a beautiful oak tree into the fog.

The rock formations were great. Wind blown caves and what seemed like windows had been blown into the rock. I kinda see a face in there, how about you.

OK, so they have told us how to prepare for a lot of things on the trails, but cows? What do you do for a stampeding cow or even a slowly moving cow?

Today my legs feel like lead, my knees are not really bending right and my feet hurt and I just dusted off the elliptical machine so I can try to start building some endurance and hike to find a cure.

Oh, and those of you that think hiking is just a walk in the park, think again.

Cuss Free

So the California Assembly passed a resolution this week to have a "Cuss Free Week" annually in March. The Senate will vote on it on Monday.

I don't know about you, but I would think the State of California has a little bit more to worry about than people swearing.

Does a resolution carry any weight? Will the police be arresting people that swear during Cuss Free Week? Will my friends and family and co-workers call the cuss police on me?

Oh wait. Maybe we will have to pay a fee every time we swear during this week and that is what the state will use to save us from bankruptcy!

Stupid is as stupid does

OK, I can understand the excitement of watching a surfing event - actually I've been to one and you don't really see much - but anyway

The Maverick surf competition a big deal in the surf world, held only if the waves are going to be big, the surfers have 24 hours to get to the coast of California from wherever they are riding other waves.

Giant waves were predicted for this year - 30 to 40 feet - good surfing and the competition was on.

Then we have the the competition for the stupidest people on the planet. Ever been to the coast where Maverick takes place or just about any other spot on this part of the beautiful coast of California? Very small beach, lots of rocky cliff. Combine that with really big waves and most people would think standing on that little beach with those rocky cliffs behind you and those giant waves in front of you might not be a bright idea.

But no, all those people had to get as close to the action as possible and seemed so surprised when one of those giant waves crashed up on the beach and into them.

Now new rules of how you can watch Maverick are being looked at, how to do you regulate stupid?

Hike Number 3

This past Saturday we hiked China Camp in Marin. Hike number 3 was also 3 hours long. It was really beautiful. There was water everywhere, little run offs from all the recent rain.

This was the view from the trail. This trail is shared by hikers, runners, bikers and at least one horse that had really black poop, always watch where you walk.
More view from the trail.

Everyone's favorite site on a trail.

I am at 63% of my total fund raising and I thank all of you that have already donated. For those that have not check out my website. Until next week.

Favorite Hiking Gear

So far, it has to be my wick underwear! I love them! I might have to buy some to wear for every day.

For those of you that don't know, wick clothing is made to dry quick, to remove the moisture from you body, and it works.

What is important?

Watching Good Morning America this morning and have to wonder, not for the first time, what is considered important news?

The lead story was Tiger Woods. He is going to appear in front of a small audience to apologize to the public for cheating on his wife. I have to ask, why? Why does the public deserve an apology? Are we married to him? Did he break his vows to us? The only people he needs to apologize to are his family. We the public, as much as some might like to think, have not been harmed by his stupidity. Unless you consider not being able to watch him play golf harmed. His "handlers" are telling people that he will go back to rehab after this apology. I'm kinda hoping they are new "handlers" cause where were they when Tiger was sticking his club in a strange golf bag?

The second story was about a man who was fed up with the IRS and flew his small plane into an office building in Texas that housed the local IRS office.

Some crazy guy with a grudge flies his plane into a building, killing a person along with himself, seems a little more newsworthy than Tiger apologizing for boinking someone other than his wife.

I don't know, call me crazy.

Hands Free

Hey pretty lady in the nice light blue jaguar heading west on 580 this morning, holding your cell phone in your hand and using the speaker phone is NOT hands free cell phone use.

Hang up and drive.

Thanks

Who are they?

Who are these anonymous posters on my blog? They must be just computer generated crap, cause they make no sense. I guess I need to block anonymous posters.

They piss me off, cause I get all excited thinking I have someone that actually reads my blog has left me a posting on my most recent insite to the world and then it is just crap.

Leave me alone!

Hike Number 2

Today was hike number two for Team in Training for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Today was a 2.5 hour hike at Redwood Regional Park in Oakland. I will admit that my feet do not hurt as much as last week, well at least my toenail on the toe next to my big toe is not screaming! REI boots, you gotta love them. There was no wildlife this hike, unless you count the dozens of dogs on the trail. I gotta ask, why do you go thru all the trouble of taking your dog on the trail, scooping up the dogs poop and then leaving the bag of poop on the side of trail. Why can't you take that bag of poop and toss it in the cans provided?

It is probably a really good idea to read signs especially when you see things like this on the trail

I am really looking forward to seeing new places and new things on this little journey.

Outside my comfort zone in ugly shoes.

I have joined Team in Training to raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I joined the hike group (if the liquid you are drinking just shot out your nose, either put the glass down or finish it up before you read the rest of this post, it will be better that way).

I will be training for the next five months to do a very long hike in Yosemite in June and I will be raising money. I have done neither of these things before, hence the outside my comfort zone.

I will keep this blog updated with my progress and my pleas for money, so come back and read me every Sunday, since I hike on Saturday.

Yesterday, I bought the ugliest pair of shoes I have ever purchased in my life. A pair of very nice hiking boots (or so I was told and since I have never done this before I do have to believe what some people just tell me).

One thing that does concern me is that with my Team in Training packet I received a little green emergency contact thingie that I have to attach to my brand new ugly boots. It has the name of number of my emergency contact (my beloved) in case I fall off the side of a mountain or get eaten by a bear or something, they figure there is usually enough left of your shoe to identify you, cause after all what self respecting bear or mountain lion would eat your shoe?

Wish me luck.