|
The place of Adventure, Travel to East Africa: Djibouti,
India, Madagascar, Zanzibar, Kenya, Jordan, Egypt, Cyprus and Disneyland.
Now adding Hong Kong, China, Korea, Japan and Disneyland. Mexico and
Disneyland.
Disaster, Earthquake and Emergency Preparedness and Services for San Francisco.
We also like Disneyland. |
|
|
Our new Disneyland Adventure began on February 22, 2002. Click on "Current Adventure" to read reports from the road! 2001 Sept. 11, 2001: A sad and angering day as my country is viciously attacked by unknown assailants. I'm called to duty by Emergency Services and spend the day standing by to provide service. Fortunately, none is needed. Bill's OUTRAGEOUS, Excellent Adventure! September 9, 2001 is "Grand Prix" bicycle racing day In San Francisco. Between 300,000 and 500,000 people were going to show up for this event - and did. The City had no idea how it was going to play out, so they called out every Public Safety resource they had - including the Disaster Communications Volunteers from the OES (Office of Emergency Services). I happen to be one of those volunteers. I show up at the staging area at 0545 (5:45 A.M.!), ready for assignment, and am attached as a "shadow" to SFFD Fire Battalion Chief "N". I have heard that this Chief is pretty nice, and has a "hands on" attitude toward things. I meet the Chief and explain that a "shadow" means that I follow him like one, provide to his communications needs, and assist him in any way possible. He asks if I can do that. "I can do that, Chief", is my reply. "Good", he says, "Hop in the front seat of the buggy!", (a Chief's vehicle is always called a buggy in San Francisco). "There's a Greater Alarm fire, and WE'RE DUE"! I hop in, strap up, and no sooner than I close the door than the Chief STOMPS IT, and we are off in a blazing mixture of tire rubber, dust, sirens and flashing lights! As we streaked across Town, full Code 3 (sirens and lights), conversation is minimal. He doesn't know me, and I don't know him. I know he drives well, and I took a drive with him, like a chase movie. When we approach the fireground, I let him know of some of the fire fighting water resources nearby. I don't know if he even heard me. I ask him what to do when we arrive, and he told me "Be my shadow, and do what I tell you to do". I can do that, Chief. We arrive to a bright glow of fire, a thick plume of smoke and a strange pallor in the air that screamed "trouble". We are on a first name basis by now. He calls me Bill, I call him Chief. It is as it should be. The fire is still big, uncontrolled, and vicious. Let me paint a picture here. As we drew close, even during our ride clear across the City, the smoke plume loomed large, even from a distance. As we drove closer, the light from the fire glowed red hot. On the Scene, the heat of the fire was noticeable, and got hotter as we got closer! I followed the Chief around the corner. There was a firefighter and a Police Officer, escorting an injured victim to the Medical Triage unit. "Shadow"!, he orders. "Take this victim to the medical triage". I can do that, Chief. And I did. Apparently, it did some good, as the fire was 'knocked down' when I returned to the Chief. He had no use for me for the moment, so I became a "shadow" again. It was just beginning to get light. A hard hand was smacked on my shoulder. It was a Police Officer, demanding that I "get out of the way"! I explained - twice - why I was there. (The same Officer - I think - later borrowed my portable phone to make a call). With a good reason for me being where I was, he left me alone to do my job. The Chief then assigned me to find out, and record, all the information about the casualties. This I did, then handed over the written record to him. I did this well, and my training came into play, spot on target! The civilian training so closely parallels the professional system, that it interfaces - precisely. The Chief made an offhand comment about my being able to track the causalities, at an incident, under fire - and do it correctly. " Oh, Yes, You're NERT trained, aren't you? That speaks Volumes! Once done, the incident was over, as quickly as it was begun. I served the Chief for the remainder of the day. There were no other Major incidents, and it was a fun day at the finish line of the race!
Labor Day Weekend 2001. Although The Boys are with their mom, I'm not sitting at home, twiddling my thumbs! Friday night was a night with my FC friends at the Ziegheist bar. Saturday, I did some computer work, including the posting a Web obituary of an Americom business partner, who had passed away on Friday. Saturday, I was invited to a barbecue at the home of someone I had never met. We had chatted on the HAM radio, and the invitation was received electronically. I showed up, not knowing who I would find there, and discovered.... A whole bunch of very cool people, most of whom work in the local film industry! A very friendly, smart and warm bunch of people! The barbecued ribs put my own to shame, they were that good! The Host turned out to have met me through the OES, although I didn't remember, (there are a lot of members). I look forward to making some of these folks my friends. I even got on the roof of where I live and, during a break in the Fog, repaired an antenna, for now. Labor Day , September 3, 2001. Tonight, a gathering of FC people was called for. This has to be some kind of record, two in one weekend. We were to meet at this place I had never heard of, in this neighborhood that (I remember) was off limits to white folks without business there (remember that I am in the alarm business, and always had business there). Things have changed. Where we met was at a bar that was in still kind of a rough 'n tumble neighborhood, but lively. There were over a dozen FC members there, from all over the world. To say that it was a great time is an understatement... Alas, I do not have The Boys this Labor Day weekend (I never have, even the ones I was supposed to have were not to be), but the mom is stepping up to the plate and taking them to Southern CA this weekend. I was asked if I would let The Boys have their Disneyland Passports I buy for them each year (of course!). Not only did I show up with the Passports, I brought Colt's laptop computer - all tuned up and working, as well as my vehicle computer power supply. The mom thinks the eldest Son is going to read during the drive, but he can't. I even brought some money that The Boy's mom said she needed for a successful trip. The Boys just happened to notice that. As for me, I have some chores to do this weekend and have been invited to a barbecue, and a couple of other activities. I may also do a few other things on my own - being single, I can do that! Maybe I'll scan in some more pictures!
Adventure complete with the younger Lad on August 24, 2001. We transit off the Mountain on the 24th. The mom thought I had to return Christopher tomorrow (Friday) [sure], but the return wasn't until the end of Saturday, the 25th. SURPRISE! It seems that Christopher's best friend is having a Birthday party - that very Saturday! How very convenient for her to mention that on - August 23rd - and not even have any details - yet. Yeah, right. There are Bulls around here, I can just smell 'em.... I can't say why, sniff, sniff. The hose drill went well - very well indeed! About 75 civilians all got training on Fire Department hose drafting and water relay tactics. We observed pressures approaching 200 psi, as well as pressure reducing valves, and why hose relays are done the way they are. We assisted a firefighter delivering a high pressure master stream, from about 70 feet up a ladder. We were taught how pressures and volumes are related and calculated. As a graduate of Fire Hydraulics classes, I confirm that we got the straight scoop. Later, each civilian that wanted to, had the opportunity for training and practice in handling of a live fire hose and nozzle. We now can handle a 2" "ready line" and perform exterior firefighting, in teams of two. You want me to protect the "B" exposure of a fire building? Yes Sir, we can do that. Straight stream or Fog, as needed, Sir. August 21, 2001. Now it's Christopher's turn to spend a week with Dad. Nothing less than exactly what his older brother experienced will do. Even though a friend of mine is headed to LA this week, and we might even be able to spend a couple of days in Disneyla.... "No Daddy. I want to go to Tahoe with you". So we went. This year, and indeed, this month, marks the first time I have absolutely let The Boys decide what they wanted to do, and Tahoe was the choice for both of them. I got Christopher late on Sunday night. I had not heard a peep from Christopher's mom about when he would be dropped off, so I spent all of Sunday playing with my computers, and waiting for him. In the end, I got all three computers up and sharing the DSL modem, and I wound up fixing a latency problem with that, too. I took a risk. I ran a network node into my Mom's living area, and hooked up an old laptop for her to use while I'm gone. To say She is computer-phobic is to underestimate my 74 year old Mom. Still, I teach Her to click on "Favorites" and choose from some sites I have pre-selected for Her. She gets some of it, and can use my bandwidth while I'm gone. No, I haven't introduced the www concept to Her yet. Monday was our transit day. Between traffic, stops at Chevron, In and Out Burger, Best Buy, Radio Shack and Macy's, we make it in about 6 hours. We cross Echo Summit into a strange fog. The cabin is just fine and as homey as can be. Surprising as it may be, Christopher has never slept in the "Kids Room" alone before, and it causes Him some trepidation. He overcomes this. Tuesday, Today, I awake to my young Lad, bouncing on my bed, waking me up! We make breakfast, and the sky is as clear as can be! Sunny and warm, just what we came here for! Why is it that the weather report says we are clouded in smoke? As it turns out, the strange fog we saw last night was actually smoke from nearby forest fires, which had prompted hundreds of calls to 911. It returned this afternoon. Once we got lunch out of the way, Christopher and I made our way into the Forest Interpretive trail, which is highlighted by a visit to the "stream chamber" , which is a look at the stream, through glass. He liked this, as He did a side trip to the "cabins" of some early vacationers here. The Mt. Tallac Estates has been preserved here, and is a nice, quiet and reflective place. Colt would be bored. Christopher, on the other hand, was fascinated by the place. Photos were posted on August 24, 2001, in the Photo Lab My St. Louis Ribs were for dinner tonight. No thought for barbecue. Caesar Salad rounded out the menu for this "I can't get Him to eat vegetables!" Kid. Duh. Don't ask Him to eat "ugly" vegetables, OK?
August 10, 2001. The Eldest Lad and I were up for a bit of Adventure at Lake Tahoe. Now that we have the computers working, many of the old computer games have sprung back to life. On our first night up, we ate junk food for dinner, for we had been on the road all day. The next night, we made slow barbecued Ribs. Tonight, which is my final night with my Son, before he heads back to the Camps he chose - months ago, he wanted Prime Rib for Dinner. I made his dream come true. I cooked him his Prime Rib, and He enjoyed the Yorkshire Pudding I made, with great enthusiasm...... We also had a daily adventure
The weekend of August 3, 4 & 5 was with The Boys at the "Sky View Apartment". Friday, Colt and I received some upgrade memory chips for his laptop and installed them. The laptop had developed a "flickering screen" problem. We broke the thing open, dug deeply into it, disconnected every video connection, cleaned them and reconnected them. Talk about "invasive" surgery into a laptop! It fixed the problem, though! Saturday was a day mostly spent at worship by The Boys - - in front of their new Play Station 2. Colt did help with a project of mine: Arresting the deterioration of a trellis in the front yard. This trellis was put in in 1925, and has received zero maintenance since then. This thing is no lightweight: 8" x 8" posts and headers, 4" x 6" stringers, with 1" x 2" cross pieces. The 1 x 2's are toast, and Colt helps me remove them. The other pieces are faring better, and start getting a scraping, wire brushing and an application of "Copper Tox" wood preservative using the 'flooding by brush' method. One of the supporting posts has been packed in dirt for decades, and shows it! Maybe there is 4 x 4 there at the point of ground contact. I may have to cut out the offending area and cast my own footing - but for now it is soaked in preservative - the offending dirt removed. I had to shower. That green stuff STINKS! Saturday night, and The Boys have declared a PETA - People Eating Tasty Animals. Our invitation to Bob and Lynn to come over and Feast is accepted. Baby Back ribs, Daddy's Garlic Cheese Bread, and a tossed salad are all the fare for tonight. Even "Smitty, the Wonder Dog" is there. It was a wonderful Saturday night, for everyone. Too bad Bob and Lynn had to leave before the "Boy baked" cookies came out of the oven. They were delicious! Sunday. A day of rest. And rest we did: When I rolled out of bed at 0830, both of The Boys were still asleep. When I rolled out of bed, again, an hour later, Christopher was at the game machine, while Colt was still asleep. It was only later that Colt stirred. It may have been the scent of fresh baking cinnamon rolls that brought him out of his slumber. I worked a bit on the trellis project, but things really got moving in the afternoon, when we decided to take the train downtown and visit the Metreon. We stayed on the train system and made it to Pac Bell Park - perhaps to get Colt's Birthday gift. The store was closed, so we walked to the Metreon and took in a movie. We got out later than anticipated, so I called their mom (my ex). She was totally cool with the idea of me bringing the younger one home late, such that She actually said "Take your time." This reinforces a lesson I recently taught The Boys, (Take your time in driving a vehicle) and is to the benefit for all involved with them. This attitude, to use a word, is NEW. I'm glad to see the change, and I'm sure The Boys are, too. I hope for more progress. Colt (the oldest) is with me for the rest of the week. His big Hot Button of the day is that his mom has promised him a new computer - very soon. He expects that it will be delivered by the time He is back with her.
Thursday, July 26, 2001. At the Adventure Cabin at Lake Tahoe, CA. Tonight, we dined on barbecued kabobs for dinner. I had offered - and was willing to cook - a Prime Rib, with all the trimmings (like Yorkshire Pudding). That was what they wanted last night, but the fight tonight was that Colt wanted kabobs, and Christopher wanted hamburgers. We bought both. In a situation growing more typical by the day, Christopher had completely forgotten about the dinner he had so diligently fought for earlier in the afternoon, asking, "What's for Dinner"?, about supper time. I'm getting used to this.... Still, It was a GREAT Daddy Barbecued meal. Not only was the meat completely devoured, so were the vegetables. Earlier this evening, we spied (well, I did) a boat on the lake sporting twin searchlights. I wonder what was up with THAT? After Dinner - is is our last night here - we had no rented movies, so I introduced The Boys to "The Prisoner" series, starring Patrick McGoohan - the original "Secret Agent Man". It was a hit, and they LOVED it - sitting through three episodes at a single sitting! I finally had to pack them off to bed. This afternoon, we went to the local South Lake Tahoe amusement park. The Boys are both big enough to do the Go Karts, and do it - at long last! This Park is so funky and run down that it is an amusement all to itself! It is no Disneyland, and makes no pretensions to being so. No wait for the rides here.... Tomorrow, we clean the Cabin and ship out -- back to my house. We have a Saturday Party to attend. I have written the EX a letter about our return time, following said party, but not a PEEP has come back in response. Not too many years ago, following her Draconian Court obtained orders, and her insistence that I follow them to the letter, I returned The Boys right at the demanded time. The Boys were incensed, and proclaimed their hatred. I wonder if the EX is going to repeat her mistake, now that the memories of The Boys are now much sharper and long lasting..... Wednesday, July 25, 2001. So, I stayed up late and posted on the net. I LIKE doing that! The Boys are asleep in their beds as I write this... Tuesday, July 24, 2001. (At Lake Tahoe).
Things are going jolly good up here. Tahoe is no longer the
remote outpost it once was. Saturday, I needed to print
something, but the color cart wasn't working. Staples (yes
there is a Staples here now), didn't have it, so I went to Office
Depot (yes, we now have one of those too). They didn't have
what I needed, so I ordered it. Monday morning, an Office
Depot dude was at my door, bag 'o cartridges in hand. Yikes. I got my portable printer back working 100%. I got my posting password delivered, so I can publish these reports from the road.... One noteworthy thing, Colt decided to make his little brother (who likes to wrap himself tightly in his blankets as he sleeps) a NEST. Comprising an outrageous number of pillows, flannel sheets and blankets, on the top bunk, Christopher LOVES it and "Nests" each evening. Dinner Report: Tuesday Evening: Two
Bob Dog pizzas, delivered. Delicious. Monday Evening:
Corned Beef, slow cooked, with extra Daddy spices. Sunday
Evening: Chicken thighs, teriyaki soaked, with Caesar Salad,
'a la Dad. Saturday night: Overland Baby Back ribs,
s-l-o-w barbecued, with corn so fresh it brought tears to the
eyes. The Boys ate them ALL, including the corn. Friday, July 20, 2001, dawns bright and warm in the El Dorado. The Boys finally agree on SOMETHING: It's time to ship out. I'm kind of saddened - I've only had 4 nights of camping with them, and that cute single Mom did just move in last night, but I went with the decision I had them make. They have been "camping" in one form or another for four weeks now (cumulating with a week of "real" camping with Dad). That's enough. Load 'em up and move 'em out!!! First, of course, was Breakfast. The Boys asked for, nay demanded, Camping Doughnuts! I made them - The Boys say camping doughnuts always taste better while camping. They're right, of course. Then it was time to break Camp. I took the kitchen, they took on the tent and all that goes along with it. Heh, heh, heh, right - like they can take THAT on. Well, they DID! With only a little help, they got the tent - and everything attached to it, locked up and put away! Man, am I proud of their skills! I figured we would be out of there by the 1:00 PM deadline. We were out of there well before NOON, and hit the Tahoe Rim well before 2:00 PM. Wow! As soon as we hit the Cabin, electronic fever took over. We all set off to recharge our batteries, and The Boys set up their Playstation 2. I expected that. One by one, we took showers, and the cleaning rain diminished our tans by a point or two. The laundry facing us (me) is formidable. As things turned out, the X HAD packed long pants for The Boys - they just hadn't looked in their bags deeply enough. Criticism: CANCELLED. Tonight, I write in my journal with batteries charged (or charging), light at my fingertips, and all the power I want. Such was not the case last night, with batteries depleting, fuel limited, and a "how am I going to do this"?, if The Boys want to stay... (Not really! The only thing running low was the power supply for the computer). Colt went out with me, on a shopping trip and we shared some nice talk. Thursday, July 19, 2001, Colt becomes a teenager - for a full day. He was first up this morning, playing with his crawdad trap. Christopher and I are not far behind, as the day is dawning warm, and the tent is getting HOT! Breakfast is barbecued pancakes today. How does one barbecue pancakes, I hear you ask. Quite simple, you build the charcoal fire under the flatiron portion of the camp stove. Afterwards, The Boys are off to play, with Colt tormenting his little brother, all the way. The way is is in camp: One prepares a meal, all pitch in to help with cleanup (This is new), The Boys go off to play in a bit, a bit of reading gets done (by all of us), hunger is proclaimed by The Boys, a meal preparation is started - and the process repeats indefinitely. It's not a bad life.... After our lunch of barbecued hamburgers (the BBQ stove never did get cool today), The Boys went swimming in the cold, low water of Ice House Reservoir. It wasn't that cold, but it was cold enough that only my feet got wet. After a snack, we headed out of the campground. With driving, it gives us - Really - the chance to recharge our batteries. The power pack I'm using to power my computer as I write this, was charged during our afternoon sortie. We head out to the ranger station, but it's closed today. We pass Forest Service Engine 53 - I didn't know an Engine was so close - and continue on to Union Valley Reservoir. We drop into a camp site there, named Fosteria, or something close to it. We have camped here before! The Boys and I do not recollect when or how, but we all remember camping there! The place is absolutely beautiful, but completely deserted. Although the water taps are working well, the Lake is completely drained, and the old swimming place is a meadow. I was later told that Union Lake was drained in order to make electricity during the June power crisis - by a person in a position to know. We are lucky that Ice House is down only 20 to 30 feet. Union Reservoir is down by 50 feet, or more. It still has a boat ramp in service, but it's a loooong ride down! We next decide to hit the summit of Big Hill, a fire lookout and helicopter base, only a few miles from our camp. We arrive too late to visit the look out tower (if we were to be invited up), but the view is spectacular from 6123 feet up (if you believe the road sign), or 6155 feet up (if you believe the altitude painted on the heliport's landing pad). I tend to favor the aviators, who have a vested interest in altitude. I tried to call my pal from there, but merely pissed him off as the connection broke with my first words to him going unheard... A quick trip to the local General Store followed, with the owner restraining two Dogs who had broken out of a pickup truck, spooked by a Bee. I got my Ice, The Boys got their Ice Cream, and we made it back in time for a 'Leftovers and Hot Dogs' Last night in the Woods Meal. I think they are ready to return to civilization tomorrow. Still, it remains their choice. They are both asleep now, so we shall see... They swam today, so they are pretty clean. Me? Disgusting, except for the teeth. We always brush. It is interesting to note that the preparations I have made for disaster, have worked well here. The computer died, but with a bit of "CAN DO" attitude, I fixed it. The computer's batteries acted flaky, but I overcame that as well. The BIG backup power supply, which made the whole thing work, needed to be tended and managed. Preparedness pays off! July 18, 2001, IT'S COLT'S BIRTHDAY!! Happy 13 Son! Today, we started the day with some breakfast sausage, followed with chilled pineapple. Colt is enjoying his gift sent up from his Mom - a radio controlled airplane. He has great fun until a couple of unfortunate crashes, but - with Daddy's help - it will fly again. We spent some quality time pitching baseball, and surprisingly, I didn't get hurt! Afterwards, we drove into the town of Pollock Pines, about 45 minutes away. One of the things we were looking for is a pair of long pants for Christopher. His mom forgot to pack any for him. Fortunately, by the time it becomes an issue for him, it's bedtime. No Boy's pants for sale at the Sly Park Road enclave of civilization. We did get a call through to The Boy's mom, after all. I had all but guaranteed that there was no way she would hear from us, and I could tell that that was not what she wanted to hear. OK, so I was a nice guy and funded two calls to her workplace. The first time, she was not there. The second time. the connect was successful. Colt was given a bottle full of quarters and told to "burn through every last one of them if you want to". Neither call lasted the entire three minutes that three quarters bought. We did get some photos developed, pizza for lunch, supplies for the trip and another $100 bill is gone! On the way back to camp, we took a side trip to find Granite Springs. We never found them, but did find some cool back country campsites, and more firewood. Back at camp, I attempted field surgery for the notebook computer. It had failed to start last night, and appeared completely dead. Following clues, it seemed that the most likely culprit was the on/off switch. I opened the case enough to get to the switch, blasted it with contact cleaner and VOILA! It sprang back to life! Birthday dinner was BBQ steaks and flavored rice. Birthday cake followed, of course. A cherry cheese cake. I had candles, but not enough room for 13 of them. What to do? Why candle-tap the number out in fire alarm telegraph code, of course! Here it is: . ... , 13! I did not include the ground return trace, for the record... I have made arrangements with our firefighter friends: We can occupy their "unreserveable" site on Friday, as they ship out, so we can stay the weekend if we want to. I get the impression that they are going to opt for Tahoe Acres on Friday. Still, it's their call to make on Friday morning, and theirs alone. July 17, 2001: A day of leisure. Our biggest effort was driving a few miles to the general store a few miles away, for ice cream and ice. We took an unmarked road (just for adventure) and discovered that it led to our dam and a "back road" to our campground. We met the neighbors. One is a couple who are the parents of the cool kid who brought us firewood on our first night. They are both firefighters for Sacramento City. We had a nice chat. Joe, Kelly and Zack - the cool 5 year old. Another group occupies several campsites. They're a little more aloof, with one exception: Five year old Jordan - a girl. She hangs around our campsite, introducing Christopher to the Family Dog. Things are going well, until Jordan and Christopher visit the dog again. The dog jumps at Christopher, who reports that the dog tried to bite him! I don't have to tell Christopher to stay away from the dog twice. Actually, I think he wants nothing to do with the dog, and is grateful to have "Daddy's Orders" as an excuse not to visit again! Dinner was "Pappy's Tri tip" and it was a complete hit! Later, The Boys got into the "Crawdad catching" business, catching many (but most escaped during the night). Those that remained were given to neighbor Joe, who ate them right up! The horror of the evening was after The Boys went to bed. My computer was dead! Sure, it would see the battery, charging it even when 110 volts was supplied. No, it would not react when powered by 110, either. I will have to repair the problem on Wednesday. Failure is not an option.....
July 16, 2001: The Boys and I are on Adventure in the El Dorado. As carefully as I tried to avoid site 38 at Ice house campground - it was a stinky mess next to the overloaded outhouse - guess which site we got. Right, 38. What are the chances? Things look up, as we detect no stink from the outhouse, so it's proximity is now an advantage. Our making of Camp was as smooth as a well oiled machine! The Boys took on the task of erecting the tent, while my mission was to take care of the sleeping gear and blow up the mattresses. We all completed our tasks within minutes. The Boys went off to play, and I noticed that one of our neighbors was a nice couple with a young Boy, having fun breaking up wood. We wanted to have tacos for dinner, but we forgot to get the shells and spices. In good form, we decided to have BBQ hamburgers, with a red beans and rice dish from the porta-Pantry. We got the coals going. The signs all say NO FIRES, NO BARBECUES, but nobody's bothering anybody with either, so I guess that the restrictions are for outside developed recreation areas. From the neighbor's camp, we notice the young Boy and his Mom, coming to our camp. It turns out that the Boy wanted to share some of his camp's firewood with us, because we had none. Is that sweet, or what? The Boys made a nice fire, and played with it. Boys will be Boys.... Dinner made and enjoyed, The Boys helped with the cleanup. They just 'get it' now, and it makes camping so much more fun. I actually have time to teach them stuff. Tonight, I taught Christopher that butter sticks have measuring marks on them - a fact he did not know. Both got to learn how I pack the Jeep - and why I do it the way I do. An important lesson on reasoning, I believe. Physics, too. Too bad this is the only camping trip left this Summer, but we're making the best of it. This morning, after loading the camping equipment, we stopped and picked up the clothing at The Boy's mom's house. Bad: We made the mistake of trusting The Boy's mom with getting the clothing right. She knew we were heading for the Mountains. I guess she thought we were heading for the Malibu Mountains, for not a single pair of long pants was included! Funny, we had been to places like this during our married years. I guess she forgot that it gets cold at night! July 15, 2001 Today is the day to get The Boys! Before that, I have brunch with some FC friends, and I take two of the 'out of towners' on a little tour. That done, we go back to my place for an hour, where they both crash (they had enjoyed the party last night just a BIT more than I did, and were paying the price). I dropped my friends off at their destination, which was little more than a block from the home of The Boy's mother, and next door to the project I have been working on, which I needed to get my tools out of --Today. I loaded up all of my tools. It was going to be a pretty tight ride back to my place, with The Boy's gear and all. Then the mom hit me with the "inconvenience" of not having their gear ready. Hoo, Hah! Not a tight fit after all, and The Boys helped me put my tools away. It worked out perfectly. I love it when that happens. Dinner was my own recipe of "St. Louis Ribs, which is a Boy pleasing secret, Daddy's own. July 14, 2001 Last full night single, as I get The Boys on the morrow. Saturday night, and I link up with a bunch of friends from a message board I'm a member of. It's great partying with old pals, and making new ones, as some are flying in from afar for the FC party on Tuesday. I have plenty of fun, but will be on the road with The Boys during the big event.
The weekend of June 22 - 24 2001 was Field Day weekend. Saturday night found me camping with the SF Amateur Radio Club for Field Day. This is the one day a year where Ham radio operators go out "in the field" and operate in all kinds of strange places. It keeps our emergency skills up, and we get to have a lot of fun. This year I (We) camped on "Radio Hill" in The Presidio of San Francisco. It was the site of the first military "wireless" site there. Sunday found me waking up at the camp site, finishing that adventure, cleaning up at home then being invited to a Red Cross event honoring volunteers. It was quite the shindig - or is that "rave"? All had a good time. I'm pleased to see that all the Disaster Response volunteer agencies - those I belong to and those I do not - are starting to "Jell" into a force with common purpose. It has been my dream since becoming involved with the civilian disaster preparedness "Movement". It's happening. I take no credit, but I'm glad if I helped it along some. Adventure: The Boys and I were away on a new camping adventure on June 1,2001. We were with with the San Francisco Amateur Radio Club, in Tahoe National Forest. The Boys had a great time in the woods, as there were acres to play in, great food and other kids to play with. One of the fun things we do is make "Camping Doughnuts" for the whole crew. We made them Saturday morning, ran out of the dough, and were given dough (bought by members who went into town) that FAR overwhelmed our ability to keep it, let alone cook it. I guess they're a hit. CLICK HERE for some photos!
February 3, 2001 Hot Stuff! I had The Boys for the first weekend in February, and we were in the Chinese New Year's Parade! We were presenting the "Civilian Disaster Preparedness Movement", (my quote), once again alongside the San Francisco Fire Department! Did you try to watch us - behind Chief Paul Tobacco - a really GREAT Chief - in my opinion, and behind Truck 7 (from the Mission District)? It was gratifying to see how many recognized us and waved. What pleased me were the shouted comments from the spectators. All positive. Some positively humbling. NERT may not yet be "the real heroes" as one observer shouted, but it's nice to know that those who know us, like us! Gung - Hay - Fat - Choy! Happy Chinese New Year! We had BIG fun waving to the crowds! OK, Boys, you've been in your first parade - probably the first of many. How did they like it? They liked it just fine!!! (Especially Colt). Posted Feb. 3, 2001. 2001
2000 All of the year 2000 adventures have been moved to the archives, Disneyland, or Adventure pages.
The Incredible Adventure of 1999 Completed!
Hong Kong, China, South Korea and Japan! We are done with our adventure to Asia. The boys -- safe and sound -- were returned to their Mother in time to begin school. The diary is edited, It is on the Adventure Page!
|
I'm on
Adventure in Canada, currently. Just a short hop, really.
I'll check in when I get back!
