nostalgia in newport beach

Last weekend was Dave and Jessica's wedding. I've known Dave a long time. I've known Jessica long enough to be really excited for Dave to pick her as a wife. Together they are a power couple, but in a cool way you could only understand if you know them both individually, and have see them together. It was so nice attending their sealing and unforgettable playing in their wedding band.

I think it started as a joke. And I wasn't vain enough to be the one to bring it up. "Hey Dave, why don't you reunite my funky freshman jazz trio and we'll crash your wedding party?" No, it didn't go down like that (I don't think). When Dave learned that his three mutual friends Jared (keys), Taylor (low notes) and I (skins) would all be around for his wedding in Newport Beach he pitched the idea to Jessica and I was surprised to hear she actually thought it would be cool to have us be their wedding band. Dave was one our most loyal fans in 2001 when we revolutionized the live music scene in little Rexburg, Idaho. But Jessica wasn't around then. She had to trust Dave. That's love. She took an awful risk on us. And so did Dave, since I figure it would be his signature on the annulment docs if we botched it.

Good times. Not only was I a groomsman playing drums, but i was suckered into playing Emcee and DJ as well at the last minute. Such a great weekend of friends, couch surfing, midnight ocean dips, hot tubbing, In-N-Out Burger, great weather and some plain good jazz.

Here are some snapshots:

I'm so famous, you don't even notice.

So I have to point it out.

Go to vw.com Then click on the Jetta SportWagen button on lower right hand corner where all the models are listed out. Or just click here to go directly to the Jetta SportWagen model landing page, as we call it in the biz.

I'll post the screen grab here, but let's face it - it's cooler to see it in real life on the world wide web.

If all my creative content managment proves to be a waste, at least I can pretend like I'm selling VW's with my huge box-hefting muscles and dapper good looks.

Cushy Jack London Calling

Explored a wanna-be Teton Pass today. Good times. Just an hour and a half away is Loveland Pass. Close, descent backcountry access with options and convenience. I parked at the bottom of the pass and hitchhiked to the top. From there I had the option of simply strapping in and riding back down to my car or hiking up and around the cirque and dropping in the huge bowl at whichever point I dared. I chose the latter, three times. No matter what you choose it's all but impossible to lose your way and end up anywhere but the car at the bottom of the pass. Unless you drop down the other side of the mountain, all paths lead to your car. That's quite the perk for a directionally challenged solo rider like myself. I even carried a topo map in my pocket, just in case.
Click on the images to see them larger:


And there she is. From I-70, just a couple minutes up Highway 6. The picture below is from about a quarter way around the cirque looking northwest to the rest of the bowl. My trecking poles proved necessary as the wind was pretty strong (my board on my back can rival a sail) and there wasn't much of a beaten path up and around the cirque, so traversing was a bit sketchy at points, but cake with poles. Just enough adversity and solitude to provide the Jack London challenge I need every now and then to clear my head. But cushy enough for the whole trip to fill only half of the day and leave me satisfied, but not wasted.

Next time I'm bringing Annie and letting her chase me down the mountain. I already know she's a faster hiker than I am, but I'm excited to experience what it would be like to ride down with her chasing behind me. In my head, it'll be bliss.

At the end of the day, I'm just happy that I can eat a late breakfast at a pleasant altitude of 5,335 ft. and drive and hour and a half and stand at the top of a 12,400 ft. pass mine for the taking. Then back home for an early dinner. Not too shabby.


(Buckle up back there. Blasting zone ahead.)

1:09

They spelled her name wrong. Oh well.

Himay Homemaker

1) With the help of my lovely sister Molly, I started a garden! The first time I tried, nothing grew due to a lack of water. But round 2, and I have my itty bitty vegetable garden. I am growing (from left to right) cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, and bell peppers. It will soon be time to move them outside to bigger and better pots, and in just a few months, we'll be adding those fresh vegetables to almost all our meals!
2) As you know, two Sundays ago was Easter. Cousin Matt came up from Denver to have dinner with us. We had the traditional Easter meal of homemade tacos, but what really topped it off was DESSERT! I got Debbie Weight's angel food cake recipe and made a delicious treat. I know what you're thinking, "Isn't angel food cake supposed to be...taller?" Well, yes it is, but I didn't have time to bake it before we went to church, so it had to sit a while and therefore deflate before baking. Nevertheless, it was delicioso! I put some cool whip/pudding mixture on top and added some strawberriea and blueberries. This one is one for the recipe book.
and 3) Eric works really hard and always has something on his mind. So when bed time comes around Eric's is usually a bit later than mine. So of course, he loves his Saturdays. However, trying to sleep when a lot of light coming through your window is like trying to relax when getting your wisdom teeth pulled (post to come). Now curtains, as well as nice thick fabric, can be expensive - BUT I was in Hobby Lobby this weekend and found some amazing upholstery fabric marked down from $14.99 to $4 a yard, that just happened to match out bed spread. Last night was the first night we got to use them. This morning when Eric got up for work, I was wondering why he got up so early, then I realized it was 8:20 and smiled. Good Job Jaime.

Disregard the clothes by the curtain, it will be cleaned up today.