Terrible Analogies

Is it just me, or does everyone else read those same words in the voice of Hubert J. Farnsworth?

…Anyway, I hope everyone had a great holiday, and partied safe and sane.  

The wife and I have had a secret for nearly two months that we feel we must share with everyone, damned the consequences.

And so, on this very stage, I’d like to announce that…(drumroll, please)….we’re having our first child.

Let me tell you, this news hasn’t quite sunk in for me, but I’m sure in the coming months it will.  We’re currently two months along, and we wanted to keep this bit of news to ourselves until we felt confident that nothing was going to go wrong during these early weeks.  It was tough keeping this information from the parents, but we finally broke our silence this weekend.  

It’s funny, but Karin already wants to start thinking about names for the baby.  Now, I’ve thought long and hard about this, and have come up with several names that I think are perfect.  Those names are, in no particular order:

Chewbacca
McLovin
Optimus Prime

Karin has shot these names down already, but I’ll keep fightin’ for ‘em

Oh, and bonus points go out to Nicole from Madlab Post for guessing what our good news was.  Nicole, one free internet is on it’s way to you…

Personal Personal

My mini-vacation started this afternoon.  I worked 4 hours today then took off.  I won’t back back to work until Tuesday.  I think I’ll jump on my hog and take off to parts unknown, where the crank flows free and the fists do the talkin’.

…Either that, or the wife and I will have the parents over for dinner and some exciting news.

I’m sure you’re all curious what this news could possibly be.  Well, I’ll let you in on that little secret Monday morning.  Until then, see you next week!

Friday, Personal Friday, Personal

I had a nightmare (if you can call it that) last night.

There I was, a miniscule version of myself, walking around in my own mouth.  I was traversing the vast expanse of my molars, sliding gracefully down my canines, and trudging over my slick gums as I slunk in awe under the etherial arches between my teeth.  My bicuspids were islands, set deep into my pink flesh, each with moats of spittle pooling together, surrounding my enamel with a protective ocean barrier.  My lower incisors were massive flat towering sheets of ivory, stretching high into the atmosphere, forming a jagged, shadowy skyline in the heavens.

On my tongue, in place of taste buds was an uncountable, rolling carpet of Curly heads (the guy from the Three Stooges).  They spotted me and in unison said, “it’s not what you do, but the way that you do it.”

And then I woke up.  

Ever have one of those dreams?

One of the more disturbing animated .gifs I've seen in a long while...

Personal, Random, Strange Encounter Personal, Random, strange

I remember, as a child in sixth grade, our teacher asked us to draw the house we were going to live in thirty years from now.  With pencil in hand I began sketching a ten-story house, complete with a helicopter landing pad on the roof, a fully stocked arcade room, secret tunnels, a diving pool on the third floor, a race track in the back yard, a movie theater, a track and field complex separating the kitchen from the dining room, elevators, fireman poles, and a pizza parlor on the balcony.  

Thirty years later, here I am quietly sitting at home, sick on a Sunday, watching a movie while typing up this blog post and thinking, “Man, that house would so totally be structurally unsound.” 

Forgive me for sounding as if I’m brooding, but there’s not much more I can do in my weakened condition other than think about what is and what could have been.  I’m also thinking about how I envisioned my adult life to be as a child, and the reality that it is…and I have to say that I’m not too terribly disappointed.  Sure, I’m not a movie star, a rock god, or a famous athlete.  I don’t have a trademarked catchphrase, my face on a billboard, or an “as seen on T.V.” product to sell you, but I do have a great house, a terrific family, a good job, and an incredible wife.  

As for the ten-story house and all its accruements… well, I certainly didn’t get the helicopter landing pad or the fireman poles (damn!), but I did get the arcade machine, the movie theater, running trails around my house, a Honda S-2000, and a brand new Pizza Nova just one block away.  5 out of 10 ain’t bad.

Then I think about how lucky I’ve been.  Sure, nothing came easy, but I found my way through the proverbial forest, emerging on the other side with just a few scratches and a black eye or two.  And I wonder how many people are happy with their lives?  How many people came to that fork in the road and were lucky enough to continue down the correct path?  I’m not talking about ending up with fame, riches, or glory, but rather being happy with who they are and proud of their accomplishments.

So, as I sit here on the couch with a 101° fever watching Batman & Robin on blu-ray (die, Joel Schumacher, die!), I have to say that I have very few regrets in life thus far, and I have to count myself lucky to be where I am today.  I’m curious how many other people out there in the world feel the same?

Of course I could be over thinking this whole topic.  Life isn’t a straight shot by any means, and when the fit hits the shan, what are you gonna do?  Perhaps it’s a combination of my illness and being hopped up on medication that’s skewing my world view tonight.  Ahhh, who can say…

Movies, Personal Movies, Personal

NOTE: Updated 7/13/09 with several new pics of trail entry and upgrades, and a link to MapQuest map.
NOTE: Created new post on 5/06/10 with pics of new signs along the Fry Koegel trail.  Check it out here.

Let’s hear it for three day weekends!

With nothing on my schedule I grabbed my Camelbak and sunscreen and headed for Mt. Woodson.  There’s an amazing trail loop that begins at the base of Mt. Woodson from Highway 67 that’s turned into one of my favorite San Diego trail runs.  Over the many years that I’ve run this loop I’ve seen a grand total of one other person on the Old Fry-Koegle trail.  Because of the light usage and low upkeep this section of this particular loop gets, the trail can become a bit technical, so keep your knees up and watch out for loose dirt.

I can’t begin to tell you how much I love this trail.  It’s an amazing uphill run, but every time you’re on it the pain makes you question why you wanted be there in the first place.  But you soon realize that the downhill section makes the uphill march a worthy price to pay.

I’ve been meaning to post a photo walkthrough of this particular trail, which throws everything at you in the short scope of seven miles;  you’ll encounter paved roads, steep inclines and declines, loose dirt, narrow trails, rock scrambling, poison ivy, heat, cold, and rocks that I swear jump up and try to trip you.

If you’re up to the challenge, then get yourself to Mt. Woodson and park along Highway 67 next to the other cars that mark the entrance to the path.  Look for the break in the fence that leads you down a dirt trail.  You’ll eventually come across a paved road.  Run (or walk) that road uphill for a grueling 3.6 miles of hell.  Consider yourself hard core if you make it up those 3.6 miles without stopping!  Once you crest the top, continue on down the other side and follow the Old Fry-Koegel trail back to your car.

The sign at the trail head

Follow the trail to the base of Mt. Woodson

Your first glimpse of Woodson from the trail base

Sure, it looks pretty, but after three miles you'll be cursing it

As you near the peak you'll begin to see Pine Trees

Head up and over the peak, following the right paved road as it splits.  This will lead you over to the far side of Mt. Woodson.  Follow the obvious trail down the mountain.

The view from the top of Mt. Woodson. Click to enlarge.

Potato Chip rock

Portions of the trail almost seem to want to push you over the edge...

A standout portion of the trail is running through these giant boulders. This section of the run, with its rolling hills and slopes, really pumps you up.

After the split rock, you’ll continue downhill for another five minutes or so.  What you’re looking for is an unmarked trail that branches off to your right as you descend a few switchbacks.  If you think you’ve gone too far and missed this trail, you probably haven’t.  Just keep looking to your right as you descend the short switchbacks.

Here's where the Old Fry-Koegle trail splits off to the right. It's difficult to miss. Just look for it at the switchbacks roughly 4-5 minutes after you run between the boulders (see pic above).

The Old Fry-Koegle trail split

Another picture of the Old Fry-Koegle trail split, looking down at Lake Poway. Click to enlarge.

This side trail is called the Old Fry-Koegle trail, and it will eventually lead you back to the base of Mt. Woodson near where you parked.

This trail can get a bit technical, so keep your eyes open and your feet up

Somebody has been busy these past few weeks removing weeds and building a set of stairs. Whomever did this, kudos! (7/11/09)

Self-Portrait: Pausing on Old Fry-Koegle trail

As you descend the scenery begins to change...

A section of Old Fry-Koegle trail

Poison Oak warning sign. Man, they ain't jokin' here...

You'll eventually pass this sign (I'm looking back to take this pic) where the Old and the New Fry-Koegle trail merges

Running through the soft underfoot of an oak tree forest

The infamous Poison Oak of Mt. Woodson. It's easy enough to avoid. Just pay attention.

The trail will eventually spit you onto a fenced off horse trail.  From here simply follow the trail, keeping the homes to your left.

Follow the horse trail

When you see this mailbox, you'll know your run is almost at an end

Keep behind the fence and head up towards a golf green

When you reach the golf green the trail will skirt it to the right. Follow this trail all the way to the freeway. You'll soon hear the traffic

After three switchbacks you'll want to look for a small trail on the other side of the fence. Sneak under the fence and follow the trail up and right.

You're almost done! Run roughly 200 meters along the wide shoulder next to the highway to your car. Congrats on a fine run!

Did I happen to mention that you'll get more than a bit dirty on this run?

Mountain Bike Bill has a great topo map of Mt. Woodson.  The loop I run follows the H-O-M-L-J route.  Bill also has a couple 3-D topos of Mt. Woodson, so please drop by his site and check them out.  Kudos, Bill!

Highway 67 in Ramona, California.

The map to the Mt. Woodson trailhead can be seen here.  Note: The pin is generally where I park my car, opposite side of the road from the trail head.  Just look for the cars parked along side of the road for the true location of the trail head (see first pic in this post).

And there you are.  That’s the whole Mt. Woodson loop.  I hope you’ll give this run a shot.  This particular route deserves to see more runners on it.  The challenging climb, the amazing scenery and technical terrain really makes this a special run.  If you see me out there, be sure to give a shout!

Personal, Rant, Running, Sports Personal, Running, Sports