Partaking in History

Last Friday, September 21st, 2012, The Endeavor space shuttle made it’s last flight atop of a 747 down to Los Angeles in order to be stored in a museum for the rest of time. 

I didn’t hear of this adventure until Thursday night when my dad suggested we attempt to take BART into the city in order to see it on his day off. It sounded like a lot of work and I really didn’t know what he was talking about so I suggested we just go on a hike instead. Then my mom weighed in and was utterly shocked that we wouldn’t get in on that opportunity. Then I did some interneting and realized just how big of a deal it really was. 

Friday morning I woke up earlier than anticipated to see my dad scoping out The Endeavor’s flight path for the day. Rather than navigating the streets of SF early in the morning and warding off other hopeful viewers, he proposed we hike to the nearby hills overlooking our valley on one side and the bay on the other side. Being able to time this out correctly and at an optimal viewing location was a long shot, but we went for it anyway. 

Dad, Delilah, and I drove to the parking lot of Las Trampas and vigorously started the hike. I’d never done this hike and my dad was only fairly certain it would be a successful place to view The Endeavor. Also, we started this hike at 9:25am and The Endeavor was to take off from Sacramento at 9:30am. It would take less than 20 minutes to fly that distance and it would certainly take more than 20 minutes to hike from the Las Trampas parking lot to the top of the hill. As we climbed upward, a motorcyclist rode down the paved path and warned up of the closed road ahead. Sure enough, the path ended 20 yards ahead where EBMud workers were constructing road improvements. As we contemplated turning back, my sister Nicki texted us from Sacramento with a picture of The Endeavor riding atop the 747 with the capitol building in the background. This was just the extra motivation we needed to find an alternate route to the top. 

We hiked onward, looking up at every common commercial plane that flew overhead uneventfully. Finally we reached the top of the ridge, but not the spot intended to be our final location. For no apparent reason, we hovered there looking around. I directed my gaze toward Mt. Diablo, wondering out loud if perhaps we should’ve driven to the top of that mountain for a better view instead. And then, just as my doubt of location was verbalized, a small, bulky dot appeared in the distance with an even smaller dot next to it. I turned to my dad and questioned, “Is that it?!” with hopeful enthusiasm. And sure enough, as the dots approached, their blur took form and The Endeavor was revealed. It was unlike anything I’ve ever even dreamed of seeing. A 747 flying low is impressive on its own, but then to be mounted by an actual space shuttle is incredible. The small dot next to it was another plane in place for either/both protection and documentation. As the duo flew overhead, we had a perfect view of them with the iconic Mt. Diablo in the background. It seemed as if the pairing flew directly above us at one point. We stared in awe as it passed over our ridge and drifted down into the bay lands beyond us. It felt like we were part of something great when it was happening. After the sighting, we were on a historical high and, as it turns out, so was everyone else on the ridge that day. We came across several other hikers who had also seen The Endeavor, all of whom matched our enthusiasm for the siting. Later that day we watched the news recap of the event and saw the extreme measures others went through to view the same thing we did. And after all that, I truly think we had the best experience possible for us & The Endeavor. History, man. 

What I do

Now that I’ve moved back home, people have been asking me on a regular basis what I “do”...whatever that means. So here’s a helpful list of my day-to-day activities: 

• Yoga: My mom and I started going to yoga classes at the San Ramon Community Center. I’ve never done yoga before, and let me tell you, this is the best place to start. It’s a gigantic room not even a tenth of the way filled with about 12 yoga participants. Included in that crowd: middle-aged women, one overweight man, more middle-aged women, my mom & me, and even more middle-aged women. It’s hilarious. The most hilarious part is the fact that there is actually a yoga pose called “wind relieving pose.” You lie on your back, pull your leg to your chest, and get extra yoga points if you let one rip. Kidding of course, except that really is a pose. Community Center yoga is the best. 

• Listen to the new Justin Bieber CD: The new Biebs album is really teaching me a lot about how to be successful in the music industry. Apparently the secret to creating a chart-topping hit is to just whisper swag in the background every 17-22 seconds. And if you want to enter a whole new realm of musical genius, simply turn it into an adjective, like swaggy, halfway through those hot beats. 

• Walk my dog & make new friends: I was walking Delilah the other day and as we approached a woman walking her own dog she called out, “I’m scared of dogs!” And no, you didn’t read that incorrectly, she was indeed walking a dog herself. As we got closer she followed up her declaration of fear with, “I realize that’s kind of ridiculous, but I never know if dogs are going to bite me or bark,” after which she proceeded to bark like a yappy, scary dog. Needless to say Delilah and I didn’t make any future play dates with her. 

• Go to the doctor: Since I’m planning on going to Thailand in the near future, I’ve had to go to the doctor on a regular basis these past few weeks. I routinely make a fool out of myself there. My most foolish encounter was when took a chance asking my lady doctor about a suspicious mole on my back. The conversation went like this: 

Dr.: “Where’s the mole?” 

Me: (pointing to my back) “It’s somewhere around this area, it’s the mole with some red around it.” 

Dr.: “Oh, is it itchy? It looks itchy.” 

Me: “Yeah, it’s really itchy, maybe kind of irritated.” 

Dr.: “Yes, that’s a bug bite.” 

My days are riveting, truly. I may not have a job or a routine to my days, but I sure do keep busy with entertaining nothingness. 

My Life as Compared to Indiana Jones

My dad and I went to see Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Arc in IMAX recently, and as I sat engulfed in Indy’s original premiere, it occurred to me that I am Indiana Jones. Ok maybe not. But I did find some of his more famous lines and memorable adventures to be relatable to my current life situation. 

You see, I recently bought a plane ticket to Thailand. I leave mid-October to meet up with my oldest friend, Chelsea, who is teaching English there now. I hope to teach over there as well. In theory, I have a job lined up. In theory, I should get some official paperwork done before I go. In theory, I should have more of a plan. In reality, to quote Indiana Jones, “I’m making this up as I go.” With that one-liner in mind, I’m basically a female version of the icon.

But here’s the snag in my otherwise flawless comparison, while Indy’s religion is archeology, mine is God. So while I may not have whip-handling skills that will save me from countless attempted assassins, nor do I have George Lucas writing my ever-heroic life, I do have a God I can trust to write my never-failing story. So fear not blog readers, my adventure as the female Indy will turn out just fine (actually, it’ll turn out even better because at least the love affair in my story will last longer than one movie in a trilogy). Stay tuned to find out how The Author fulfills my Thai tales.  

Befriending the Beast

Now that I live at home, I have three new roommates: Dad, Mom, & Delilah the beast. Ok, ok, she’s not really a beast. In fact, if you’ve met her you know that she’s one of the sweetest, cuddliest dogs on the block. But if you’re my sister Nicki or me, you know she’s a B in more than the literal sense. 

Background story of Delilah: in my senior year of high school I managed to convince my parents that as they rapidly approached ENS (Empty Nest Syndrome) they needed another companion around in the form of a puppy. That’s when they got Delilah, the adorable yellow lab puppy. Once my sister and I returned from college for Christmas break, we realized that adorable little puppy had grown into Mom & Dad’s third child, or as we like to call her Cindy (as in the youngest sister of the Brady Bunch). Delilah filled the role of youngest sister well. She had Mom & Dad in the palm of her hand, she kissed up to them on the regular (quite literally with that lavish tongue of hers), she became jokingly--but maybe seriously--their favorite child. And worst of all, she didn’t listen to Nicki or me in slightest when it came to tricks and commands. 

Enter reverted version of Kate now living at home and spending the most time with beastly, beezy Delilah. Starting on Wednesday, I decided to make it my new goal to Alpha Dog that B. I began slow with belly rubs and tug-o-war around the house. Then I moved it outside to the park and tested my ability to control her with the power of treats. She responded well to that. And then today, as I got out my running shoes for my morning jog, she surprised me by laying her pretty white head right on top of them: 

I hadn’t originally planned on running with her, but then I thought what an opportune moment to test my progress of taming the beast. I grabbed Delilah’s leash, a poop bag (with high hopes of not needing it), the coveted bag of treats, and then put on a high-pitched dog-talking voice and asked her ever so politely, “D, wanna go on a run with me puppy?” To which she responded with a positive full circle spin and tail wag. 

Once we hit the road, I began to fear all that could go wrong with her running next to me. But to my surprise, she did great. Although, as I kept a steady jog, she kept a steady walk. What an insult to my speed. Every now and again she would stop to pee--alright, that’s allowed--and from time to time she’d dart in front of me to eat something tasty in the middle of the sidewalk. One time there was a fallen plumb in front of us and I nearly ate it on her as she attempted to eat it off the ground. We recovered nicely. I even looked at her at the end and asked, “Ok Delilah, are you ready to sprint to the finish?” (yes, I’m that crazy lady who talks to her dog in the middle of the sidewalk). I think Delilah thought I asked if she wanted some more treats, because she glanced at the bag in my hand and then picked up her paws to keep in-step with my sprint. I gave her three treats at the end of it all, because, moral of this long story, it turns out all it takes to tame the beast is a multitude of Milkbones. 

Enjoying the 2nd to Last

As my time in Oregon came to a close, I developed a theory I like to call Enjoying the 2nd to Last. While plans for goodbyes were made, I realized it was going to be painfully difficult to close the Oregon chapter of my life. Somewhere in there I also realized I should try to appreciate my last moments, but since the very last moments would be full of tears and farewells I decided I should pay close attention to the moments before the last moments. So I began to enjoy the 2nd to last moments. My 2nd to last Sunday at Dox (my church) I sang as loud as my lungs would allow. My 2nd to last week of work I read stories with greater enthusiasm than ever before (and I read the books 18 million times rather than cutting the kids off after 17 million read-throughs). My 2nd to last tribe (like church small group) I participated as if I would never speak again. Every 2nd to last hang out session with Oregon friends I made sure to cherish a little more. All of the 2nd to last experiences I knew would be the last normal experiences, so I took an extra mental note of each one. I recommend this strategy to anyone who is about to move on from one thing to the next because final goodbyes take on a whole new form, and sometimes it’s good just to sit back and appreciate normalcy. 

Ok, enough sappiness. I’m also living with my parents now, so you can look forward to a future blogpost about life with the new roommates. This new adventure is already off to a hilarious start. 

Silver Falls/Oregon Bucket List

This past Friday I managed to cross one of the more extreme items off my OBL. I hiked the Canyon Trail at Silver Falls State Park...at least I think so. Before I dive into the rest of the hiking story, there are some things you need to know about my previous hiking experience as well as why this was an item on my list. 

Back story #1: I am not an avid hiker. I have hiked before, I will probably hike again, but it is by no means a hobby. I spent my childhood summers camping with my family and absolutely loving the outdoors, but that did not include a love of hiking. From time to time my fam would convince me to go on a hike, but I would spend so much time dragging my feet, complaining, or pouting silently several feet behind the crowd that eventually they developed a rotation for which two would go out hiking and which one would stay back with me at the campsite. (Sorry family). 

Back story #2: I’ve been to Silver falls on several occasions, and at least three times I’ve hiked the Maple Leaf Trail. That trail is about two miles long and gives you a view of two waterfalls. Two of those three times I intended to hike the Trail of Ten Falls/Canyon Trail, but fell short and took the Maple Leaf Trail cut off, hence my desire to not only return to Silver Falls but to complete the larger loop while I’m there. 

So Friday was the day. I didn’t have to work and the weather was ideal, so I trucked it the 45 minutes out to Silver Falls, paid my $5 to enter the park, and geared up for an adventure. I had read online beforehand that it was an 8.7 mile hike of moderate/difficult ranking and would take about four hours. With that in mind, I packed a backpack full of goodies: a whole sandwich, trail mix (chocolate lover’s edition), dried apricots, and my largest bottle of water. I loaded my ipod up with podcasts, new music, and made sure it was fully charged. I lathered myself with sunscreen and got ready to hike. Then I got lost on my way to the bathrooms. Good start, Kate. After finding those, I located the start to the trail and was reassured by the following sign that I was in the right place. 

Once I got going, I felt great. Having seen it three times prior, I zoomed past the first fall (pausing to take a picture of the backside of water, of course), marched behind the second one, and then came to the fork in the dirt path where you can bail at the Maple Leaf Trail or continue onward to the Trail of Ten Falls. I felt so good I had no doubt I wanted to keep going. I did, however, doubt which path led to which trail. This seemed to be a recurring problem for me. Turns out I’m awful with nature maps and trail signs. Arrows are not clear to me. I really don’t think this was a Silver Falls problem, in fact I’m fairly certain it was just a Kate-trying-to-be-a-hiker problem. 

After I sorted that out, I powered through, passing groups left and right. I went in with the idea that this was going to take me all day, so I was trying to keep a steady pace. I’ve been told I’m a fast walker, but I wasn’t sure if that would translate to a fast hiker. Turns out it did. I reached the North Falls (which were breathtaking, by the way. I actually gasped when I saw them and declared that view to be worth the whole hike) an hour and a half in. I pulled out my map and figured myself to be at the halfway point, but as I mentioned I’m not so skilled in reading nature maps. Fifteen minutes later I was in the home stretch of the hike. It took me two maps, about seven takes, and one wrong turn/double back to figure that out. At this point I had only allowed myself to eat a handful of trail mix and drink about a gulp of water. I was rationing like it was Everest. I didn’t even get through a full podcast on my ipod. I shrugged my shoulders and practically ran to the finish. I mostly just wanted to know if I was on the right track. And sure enough I ended up right back at the bathrooms I couldn’t find at the start of my day.  I’m still not entirely sure which trail I hiked, and after looking back through my photos I think I only found 6 of the 10 falls. Regardless, I hiked more than the Maple Leaf Trail and I actually enjoyed a hike, which counts as a success in my book. 

Getting Back on the Horse..er, Board

Believe it or not it has been an entire year since I fell off my longboard, banged up by body to the point of immobility, and started a blog. To commemorate such an event, I got back on my board. 

I hadn’t even stepped on my longboard since the fall--partially out of fear, partially out of an elongated season of bad weather--but this last Wednesday I decided I was done making excuses and I was ready to get back to what used to be one of my favorite hobbies. 

I got home after work to an empty house and booked it upstairs to put on a longboarding outfit. Despite the 80+ degree weather, I wore full-length jeans, layered two shirts, and slipped on my trusty green Vans. I wasn’t going to take any chances exposing my skin to the pavement this time around. I opened up the garage, dusted off my board, placed one foot on it and was immediately filled with memories of my last ride--the all too steep hill, the rickety board, my bare knees smacking the pavement, blood filling my wounds, laying down in a grassy field until my head stopped spinning, and the weeks of being couch-ridden--did I really want to do this again? Before my memories got the best of me, I took off riding. Just like riding a bike, it all came back to me habitually. Things that took me ages to learn came back instantly. My feet found their grooves instinctually. I pushed with just the right amount of force. I turned corners with absolute ease. I even went down the itsy-bitsiest hill I could find. I almost put my foot down to slow myself, but then I realized I couldn’t really be going much slower without coming to a complete stop. I didn’t carve or try anything fancy, but I had to save something for the next ride, and yes, I anticipate many more rides in my future. After I got going I couldn’t remember what had kept me from doing this all along. Finally, I got my hobby back. 

It’s also odd to me that I’ve been writing this blog for a year. I initially started it as a way to cope with being unemployed and stuck on the couch with battered knees. Now I use it as a way to find a story out of the everyday. It’s been one of the most unexpected years of my life and I can’t wait to see what the next one holds for me...and hopefully it hold no more long boarding injuries.