Family, Man Weekend, Reading, Happy 4th of July

Ok I admit it. The picture with Jake and I is a farce… I was standing on a curb. I admit this too: my brother, 8 years my junior, outweighs me, is taller than me and can, for the first time ever, pin me for an extended period of time. Fortunately, this is my blog and I can toot my horn, so I will also admit that I will always be cleverer- and now I have to be or he’ll just beat me up!

My cousin Loren arrived after my last blog post and he is here from upstate New York for 2.5 weeks. He already loves California, why not, and his wanted to explore is a great reminder that this place is awesome. We have gone on walks with the dog around beautiful Turtle Rock and spend mornings at 17th Street in Newport… soon he will be a great body-boarder… I even got on a board today to show him the basics… and like Jake, he will soon put me to shame, despite his only being 14 years old. We are already planning a bike trip to the Newport Back Bay so we can dork out with birds and binoculars. It’s awesome to get outside and to see my younger family members so active and loving the outdoors!

And speaking of outdoors, I arranged for a group of five to enjoy the beautiful San Gorgonio peak in the local mountains. We rocked an overnight to Dry Lake (which is really dry even this early in the season); it is a hike of six miles and the same amount out- usually this takes six hours each way, as we hike from 5500 to 9150 feet. Instead of the normal time, Jon, Ben, Drew, Gideon and I arrived after a mere four hours… and got back in even less time. We had a blast over this “Man Weekend,” tossing the disc around, digging holes, and even drinking cold beer at the top… who says dry ice isn’t useful? I would like to add that it was the first booze I touched in exactly three months. I am happy about that stretch of time and looking forward to the next one.

Two pictures above are from the weekend. I haven’t been writing as much, but this blog has forced me to type something up. If you don’t read on a regular basis, then use this blog to assist you every couple of days. If you really like to read, then you should pick up A Man Without a Country, a novel by Kurt Vonnegut. His short stories in Bagombo Snuff Box are fabulous too. These books are simply on point. AND, if you don’t read at all, then please close this window and quit your job.

And more importantly, please have a safe July 4th this Wednesday… there will be all sorts of drunken idiots out there. If you plan to be one of these inebriated buffoons, then throw your keys in the ocean and leave your foul mouth and fists in the dresser before you begin drinking at 9am.