Not Two Tired to Ride

Went to San Francisco this past weekend. I have missed riding. So much, as a matter of fact,  that when I unmounted my bike off my car and clipped my shoes into the pedals, I had an INSTANT smile. One that was desperately needed and one that lasted all day long.

The stresses of life just have a way of catching up with you and it's the little things that bring you back to that "glass half full" mindset.

If THIS wasn't enough to get me back into my element, then I don't know what could have done it. :)

(And can you believe I only wrecked once and it was in someone's backyard?! Shhh... doesn't sound as cool as rolling head over wheels off these steps.)

Tule Fog...

 The following was from an e-mail we received at work yesterday. Comes just as the fog is starting to REALLY get on everyone's last nerve... ("Go AWAY, already!")

CAN YOU SEE THE OVERPASS?

Tule fog (pronounced /tu:li:/) is a thick ground fog that settles in the San Joaquin Valley and Sacramento Valley areas of California's Central Valley. Tule fog forms during the late fall and winter (California's rainy season) after the first significant rainfall, and is named after the Tule grass wetlands (Tulare's) of the Central Valley. The typical time frame for Tule fog to form is from November to March. Accidents caused by the Tule fog are the leading cause of weather-related casualties in California.

Tule fog is a radiation fog, which condenses when there is a high relative humidity (typically after a heavy rain), calm winds, and rapid cooling during the night.  The longer nights during the winter months contribute considerably by rapidly cooling the ground thereby creating a temperature inversion (i.e. the air is colder at ground level than it is at 1000 feet altitude).  That temperature inversion causes the moisture in the ground level air to condense and thus creates fog.

Visibility in Tule fog is usually less than an eighth of a mile (about 600 feet), but can be as little as a foot. Visibility can also, and usually does, vary rapidly.  In only a few feet visibility can go from 10 feet to near zero.

This variability in visibility is the cause of many chain-reaction pile-ups on the roads and freeways. In December 1997, in one accident on Interstate 5 near Elk Grove south of Sacramento, 25 cars and 12 big-rig trucks collided inside a fog bank - five people died and 28 were injured. In February 2002, two people were killed in an 80-plus car pile-up on State Route 99 between Kingsburg and Selma (about 45 minutes northeast of Naval Air Station Lemoore) - visibility at the time of the accident was zero. On the morning of November 3, 2007, heavy Tule fog caused a massive pile-up that included 108 passenger vehicles and 18 big rig trucks on Northbound State Route 99 between Fowler and Fresno (45 minutes north of Naval Air Station Lemoore). Visibility was cut to about 200 feet at the time of the accident. There were two fatalities and 39 injuries in that crash.

It may not LOOK like much. But, trust me. This is a GOOD day.

HOW ABOUT NOW?

Those of us who have been here a few years know that it gets BAD. Last year, we had our Command's Christmas Party about 30 minutes away and you literally had to drive 15-20 mph WHILE looking at the white lines OUT YOUR DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW. At the same time watching for taillights directly in front of you.  Lessons learned.

This video was taken from an overpass I was standing on.

Camarillo, Cali

This morning, my brother, Carlos and I woke up at 5 a.m.
I had stayed at his hotel in Camarillo, California on my way back from a business conference in San Diego.
We decided to go for a run.
Went downstairs and there were two treadmills but one was taken so I lifted weights instead.
He ran about 5 miles.
I ended up running about 2.5.
He, then, got ready for work and I had breakfast.
It was SO good.
Probably since I was hungry from my run, but STILL!
Then, he left for the office but he had a flat tire! Ugh.
So, he calls me up, I go downstairs and we fix it together.
I didn't want him to get all dirty since he was suited up (looked so sharp)!
And off he went.

I, on the other hand, go back to the room.
Get online for awhile.
Then, take a nap.
I was SO tired from the night before.
We had stayed up talking. Nice conversation, too. :)
Woke up a few hours later and it was late morning by this point.
My plan was to get on the road by 10ish but when I opened the window, the weather was PERFECT!
So, I decided to go for a run.
Ran about 11 miles but probably could have ran more had I not run out of water!
It was SO scenic in Camarillo.
The area we were in was very quiet, peaceful and clean.
Reminded me of a modern-day "Leave it to Beaver"-ville. ;)
(what WAS the name of his town? I remember Wally, Beaver, Eddie Hascal, June, Ward...)

So, I finally get packed, load the car and hit the road around 4.
This was after I took my time, showered, ate, etc.
But, of course I hit rush hour traffic!
What was I thinking?!... I WASN'T.
So, here I am... 6 hours later (should have only taken 3)!

Tired. No... exhausted.
Physically AND mentally.
2011 thus far has been exhausting - ALREADY.

Tomorrow, I go back to work.
Then, work half a day on Friday and drive BACK down to L.A. to catch our flight to Phoenix for our half marathon on Sunday.
Carlos and I will fly there and back on the same flight.
His fiance Lisa will be meeting us there.
Should be a great time!

I have friends who invited us to their post-marathon party but I don't drink.
Carlos and Lisa, I'm sure will want to party as well but I'll just want my banana, computer and Powerade drink.
THAT won't fly over very well!
I'll just roll with it.
Maybe be designated driver??

Well, anyway... it was a great trip and I have NO regrets about ANY of it.
Just hard at times, to deal with reality (traffic, long drives...  ...).

There will be so many more trips to come...
Until next time...

~ Patiently Waiting.

On My Daily Drive to the Office...

Today, on my way back to the office, I decided to stop and take pictures of what I see every day on my drive in.

Cotton... everywhere.

So many times I have driven right past the machines,

the people, the vast, dusty fields. And...

I don't think much of it.  Usually think about things like...

"What are the kids doing right this moment?"

"I'm hungry... need to eat more protein."

"What is on the agenda for this week?"

"Where can I slide my next workout in?"

Things that really do not matter since it is irrelevant at the moment or, until I am IN the moment.

Well, I am SO glad I did stop today because it made me realize that Life... in my coffee shop... is still evolving all around me.  Totally unaware of it at times because I get caught up in my own world, but it is nice to go of course every now and then... JUST to mix things up.

 

I watched as...

1. tractors somehow picked the cotton off the shrubs, leaving the framework virtually untouched (still don't fully understand it).  And, how each piece of machinery had a specific function ultimately leading to a stack of compacted cotton in a bale as large as, what seemed like, a semi truck trailer.

2. cotton was actually growing out of little buds.  And it was neat to watch them blossom before my eyes.  Some fully open.  Some partially.

3. migrant field workers worked diligently as their tattered clothing, sun-bleached hats and weathered skin served as a reminder of the long, grueling hours they put in - daily.

Without exchanging any dialogue, one of the equipment operators gave me a welcoming smile so I climbed aboard his compacting machines and stood next to him, briefly, until his foreman urged me to climb down (liability issues of course... but I played dumb).  During my brief moment, I gave him my unopened bottle of water and he seemed touched. More than I had expected. I also watched as he operated the levers with such expertise after years of experience, I'm sure. VERY cool watching the soft, white fluffiness get compacted into tight, blocks of cotton; ready to be turned into clothing, sheets, Q-tips, and so much more that we all take for granted.

The best part of my visit... remembering that my dad, himself, was a migrant field worker in this same San Joaquin Valley during his teen years.  Gave me a profound sense of respect for him. Yet, again.

"Thank you, Dad. I Love you."