It's a great day to be alive!

There's a great country song by Travis Tritt with the same title as my post today. The reason I mention it is because I was humming it all day today while riding! There's one line that goes "I might take my old Harley for a three day cruise" that I was absolutely feeling today. Like a cowboy (or cowgirl) I could've rode off into the sunset on my Harley and been perfectly content!

My friend Dave works with me at the OTC and rides a sport bike. I usually get to work first and pick a spot and leave room for him to park in with me when he gets to work a little later in the day. It's a seemingly insignificant courtesy, but for bikers it's a huge camaraderie thing!

We've been working together and talking bikes for a year now but have never been able to ride together due to our conflicting schedules. His wife had other plans for the day, so we took advantage of a little down time and took to two wheels.

We took a route that I've ridden many times before with Whit, Bridie and Fred- Hwy 94 along the U.S/Mexico border to S1 that straddles Borrego Desert National Park and Cleveland National Forest. I started the day in a long sleeve fleece shirt as we rode the twisty desert Hwy 94 to Campo. At the foot Mt. Leguna, we stopped and I put on my jacket and gloves.

As we ascended in altitude to 6000 ft, the temp dropped but our speed certainly did not! As you can see from this picture of the stock pipe I removed from my bike after the ride today in order to put my after-market Rush pipes back on, I was leaning pretty heavily into the turns! I let Dave take the lead knowing that he was much more maneuverable in the turns on his Honda sport bike than I would be on my Sporty. Without a single car ahead of us, we pressed our handlebars into every turn of the twisty mountain road like it was made to be leaned into by riders on two wheels. I can't even describe the euphoria we felt as we pulled over half way into the 25 mile mountain road to high five and gloat over our good fortune of perfect weather, minimal traffic and great roads! Due to my incompetence of the day and forgetting my purse at the diner in Julian, we road the S1 mountain road three times today! The motorcycle Gods were smiling down on us!

I've had a lot on my mind lately and have felt weighted down by the responsibilities of a working grown-up, but today reminded me that the raw sensory experiences that comprise everyday are the things that make my spirit light. Today was a great day to be alive!

Hanging out

Even though my time in Asia was not particularly strenuous, I managed to accrue a few days of comp time for being away from home. For the last four days, I've pretty much done what I felt like doing. As you can tell from this picture, it involved being horizontal on the beach! California must've sensed that I wasn't ready for fall weather yet because the weather for the last couple of days has been warm and the skies clear. Not hot mind you, but warm enough to lounge on the beach and cruise around in shorts! One of the benefits of post-Labor Day is that the crowds on Coronado Beach have thinned out significantly. There were a few stretches of time when there was no one else around me on the beach and I could hear nothing but the waves rolling in and sea birds calling each other.

I took a couple of days to unpack and I still haven't done all my laundry yet. Of all the household chores that needed to be done upon my return, the one I was anxious to get to was my bike! Without a garage, my Harley spends way too much time exposed to the elements. I have a bike cover, but the wind whips up in our parking lot and it still gets dirty. Besides requiring a washing, I needed to do some maintenance to it too. One of my pipes busted right before I left, so I needed to pull them off and put the stock pipes back on. With the after market pipes off my bike, it's so quiet that the guys I ride with here were mocking the silence after I started it! My friend Ed was so disgusted with how dirty my bike was that he spent a whole afternoon helping me to wash and detail it. Living in close proximity to salt air and not cleaning it as often as I should has taken a toll on the chrome and aluminum. It's remarkable how good my bike looks after a lot of elbow grease, cleaning solvents, a power buffer and the assistance of a professional detailer- thanks Ed!!

Today turned out to be another sunny day, so I rode around a bit this afternoon. I cruised out to Sunset Cliffs which is not far from where I live. Sunset Cliffs Park encompasses over 60 acres of bluffs and walking trails overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Sunset Blvd runs along the cliffs and has amazing views of several beaches below.

There are a few access points that allow you to climb a series of stairs to get down to the beaches. The steps are pretty steep and I was surprised to see so many surfers making the trek with surf boards in tow. I made my way down to the ocean and was intoxicated by the smell of salt air and the sound of water surging over rocks and sand. I sat there for a long time watching surfers and sailboats go by and various sea birds feeding along the shore. Although I had ridden out to the cliff overlooks before, I had never parked my bike and ventured down to the shore. The beaches are only accessible at low tide, so I'll have to time my next visit with Mother Nature!

My apologies to everyone I haven't gotten in touch with yet now that I'm back. I've been enjoying having my own space again and have been postponing my reentry into society! This will be a short week for me back home as I fly out to Colorado Springs on Wednesday for meetings. It's a quick trip though and I'll be back in Southern California Friday night.

Margaritas in Mexico

After another round of airport delays, I finally made it back to San Diego around 1:00 am Friday morning. Although it's great to walk off a plane at the end of a flight and not have to fuel it or do maintenance, I miss being able to sprawl out on the floor and sleep on military aircraft!

Yesterday I met up with Ed and Pat for a late breakfast to decide where we were going to ride for the day (Pat is on my right, Ed to my left). Ed and I both served in VP-17 back in the early 90s. Ed and Pat both served together at some point in their careers and have remained friends, which must be quite some time if gauged by the bantering and fighting between the two! Although I was dubbed "princess" for the day (ya'll all know how high maintenance I can be!), I felt like I was waiting on a couple of women it took them so long to get themselves together for the day!

With passports in hand, we decided that margaritas in Mexico were in order, so we headed south for the border. We rode Hwy 94 to Tecate where we passed through the border and rode Hwy 5 to Ensenada. The road was two-lane and windy through hills dotted with resorts, shacks, open, arid fields and vineyards. The scenery, road conditions and driving skills of fellow motorists reminded me a lot of Crete, Greece except without the random goat herds crossing the road! It got hairy in a few parts where we had to pass huge rigs with loads that were obviously a major cause of the poor road conditions. After about 50 miles of full-on attention riding, we were ready for tasty beverages and snackage when we rolled into Ensenada.

I don't remember the name of the restaurant we stopped in to and had a great margarita (with freshly squeezed limes) and fajitas, but we left the bikes parked there under the watchful eye of the proprietor as we strolled around the town. We ended up at infamous Hussong's Cantina, birthplace of the margarita! Legend has it that the salted tequila concoction was invented in 1941 by a bartender at Hussong's for Margarita Henkel, the daughter of the German ambassador to Mexico at the time (and consequently named after her!). The cantina's sawdust covered wooden floors and portrait laden walls has been a popular destination for locals and tourists alike since it was established in its present location in 1892.

After spending the afternoon walking around and processing our tasty beverages, we jumped back on the bikes and headed north on Hwy 1 back towards the border. We were thankful for the weak drinks and the time we allotted to walk around as we were stopped at a military checkpoint on the way back. After showing proper documentation and a cursory search of our bikes (I was the only one with saddlebags), we were sent on our way. As you can see in the picture, the setting sun over the Pacific ocean provided a scenic backdrop as we road the coast all the way to Tijuana.

Unlike the border crossing at Tecate, Tijuana was a circus! The picture came out blurry, but you can get a feel for the carnival like atmosphere that greets you on the Mexican side of the USA/Mexico border. The line was at least a quarter mile long, but with Ed's new air horn, we blended in with the chaos of the border crossing as we split traffic and made our way to the front of the line. In no time at all, we were back on American soil and headed back to Coronado. I can't believe summer is already about over and fall will be in full swing by the time I get back from Asia. Although only a day-trip, I had been wanting to ride my bike down into Mexico since I got here so I'm glad I got the chance to finally go.

Today will be a lazy day. Whit & Kathie are coming over and we're just going to hang out on Coronado and at the beach. I just had my cup of coffee and am heading out the door for my morning run. Have a great weekend!

Million Dollar Hwy & Black Canyon

With Sunday being an off-day for the construction crews, we rode off towards the Million Dollar Hwy (U.S. 550) confident that we wouldn't hit many delays. As always when riding in the mountains, it was a bit chilly for my taste, but what an amazing ride!! Snow capped mountain peaks, roaring waterfalls, babbling brooks and grazing deer greeted us all along the route.

Having just been paved, the roads were incredibly smooth but slick. A biker who had just ridden the highway stopped us as we started out to warn us not to lean into the curves due to the fresh oil on the roads. We heeded the warning, but it was hard not to pick up the pace through the twisting canyon with so many miles of smooth pavement and so little traffic ahead of us. We covered a little over half of the distance between Ouray and Silverton before we turned around. We were a long way from the Springs and still had a lot of sightseeing to do before the day was over.

As Ouray slipped away in our rear view mirrors (that's an overview of Ouray in the pic), we made our way towards the Black Canyon of Gunnison. I had never heard of this National Park but I was pleasantly surprised as we rode along the rim of a mini Grand Canyon in Colorado.

After riding along the rim of the gorge and walking out on a few scenic overviews, it was time to explore the gorge from within. We navigated the hairpin turns, 16% grade and loose gravel of the road that took us down to the river at the bottom of the canyon as curious motorists looked on and wondered if we were actually crazy! I usually do some of my best thinking, problem solving and daydreaming while riding, but my attention was keenly focused on the road for this one! The park ranger had informed us as we entered the park that bikers usually either love or hate the ride down into the canyon. I'm happy to report that we fell into the "loved the ride" category!

As we made the trek back towards Colorado Springs, we detoured off Hwy 50 just outside of Canyon City to do one of our favorite rides. Although Skyline Drive is only a couple of miles in length, the sheer drop offs from the single lane paved "road" makes it an interesting ride. I'd ridden this road many times, but it's still a thrill to ride along and enjoy the view from this unique vantage point. That's David in the picture cruising down Skyline Drive.

I'll end this post with the picture David took of Suzanne & me as we were riding down the highway. Ever since we all started riding together a couple of years ago, Suzanne takes the lead with me in the middle and David riding sweep (i.e. interference) when it's just the three of us. Although I find myself as the dominant female in most circles, Suzanne's position as mother of 8 grants her alpha dog status (that's a compliment Suzanne)! Plus, my terrible sense of direction doesn't exactly make me a prime candidate for taking point! So, that's me on the second bike in the picture riding towards the lake. I recently discovered that it's a lot less painful to run a brush through my hair at the end of the day if I wear it in pig tails when I ride. I can feel my hair flipping around in the wind, but I had no idea I resembled Pippi Longstocking until I saw this pic! After riding behind me for 700 miles over the weekend watching my pig tails stick straight out, now I can understand while David always seemed to be laughing at me when we'd stop!!

Well, that's it for my adventures in Colorado Springs. I'm now back in sunny California and as of now, I'm scheduled to stay in San Diego for the next three weeks! I'm pretty excited to sleep in my own bed and run on the beach in the mornings again. Plus, I can use a little time away from airports, airline seats and delayed flights for a little while before my travel schedule picks up again. Looks like I'll be going out to our training center in Lake Placid, NY in mid-August followed by two weeks in Okinawa, Japan for a pre-Paralympic training camp and then on to Beijing, China for a week at the Paralympic Games. I'll post if I embark on any adventures between now and then! Thanks for checking in!!

Riding to Ouray, CO

The stars lined up and I ended up with a weekend free of work obligations! Much to David’s amusement, Suzanne and I were like two little kids waiting for Christmas morning as we planned an overnighter to Ouray! They had done some riding out in that area last summer with their two teenage daughters and were excited to share it with me also.

We got off to a chilly start early Saturday morning with the temp hovering around 60 until we pulled into Canon City for breakfast at Big Daddy’s. The breakfast of biscuits & gravy pretty much set the stage for my food discipline, or lack thereof, for the next 48 hours! Although chilly, the sky had cleared up and we enjoyed a crisp walk around Monarch Pass. As it turns out, the rest area at Monarch Pass is known for their fudge. Are you getting a feel for how my food intake over the weekend went yet?!

The climb in temperature as we dropped down the other side of the 11,000 ft pass brought a smile to my face and a little lead to my throttle hand! The day had turned gorgeous as we rolled past lakes full of weekend boaters and parks crowded with family BBQs. This picture of David & Suzanne and I was taken in Blue Mesa next to the reservoir. We pulled into Ouray with enough daylight left to stroll the main street of the mid-1800s town. It reminded me a lot of the towns of Cripple Creek and Deadwood with its cowboy-Western looking storefronts lining the street.

We had intended on checking into our B&B and unloading our bags then to continue riding out on the “Million Dollar Highway” (U.S. 550) towards Silverton. We decided to wait until the next morning however once we heard that road construction was causing traffic backups of up to an hour on the route. Although not an arduous day of riding, the delay in plans was welcomed after riding about 300 miles. We toasted the day with a glass of wine followed by a perfectly decadent dinner on the patio of Bulow’s Bistro. My culinary discipline was regained momentarily when I ordered the grilled tilapia only to be lost again as I followed that up with a dessert of raspberry baked Alaska!

We greeted the setting sun with a dip in the B&B’s hot tub after dinner. The Softail Deluxe I had rented made me realize what a kidney busting ride my Sportster can be, but I was sore between my shoulder blades from the lack of a back rest on the Softail for so many miles. I know, I know, I’m turning into an old lady!!! Besides the lack of back support, I felt too tall for the bike. The seat was cushy enough, but it was so low I felt like an adult riding a child’s tricycle as my knees rested even with the top of the gas tank! It was much heavier than my Sportster so it was more stable of a ride, but I dragged the boards more than once as I leaned the bike into the canyon corners!

I can only attach a few pics to a post, so I’ll do a separate one for Sunday’s riding. Stay tuned!

Cajuns in Georgia

No, I did not actually fall off the face of the earth after all my house guests left! I just needed a little time to get myself together before the next round of work trips started up. I realize that you would never guess it from this blog, but I really do work between these adventures!

I walked out of the airport this evening into the warm, humidity laden embrace of Atlanta. I'm out here for the 4th of July weekend to work with some of our shooters during a competition being held at Fort Benning. I don't have any pictures to post, but just thought I'd let everyone know that I'm still alive & kicking and to tell my story of what a small world it is. . .

With mapquest directions in hand, I was making a sharp turn coming off an exit on the way to my hotel when I spotted a motorcyclist stranded on the side of the road. Being a firm believer in karma, especially motorcycle karma, I navigated my rental car to the shoulder and sized up the situation. Some guy is standing there with an amused look on his face staring at his Harley. I roll down my window and ask him if he's got it under control. He looks a little embarrassed and admits that he's run out of gas. He tells me that he just bought the bike and was so excited to ride that he didn't check the fuel. It was a mid-90s Fat Boy with a pretty sweet paint job, so I could understand his desire to take it for a spin ASAP.

If I can just use your cell phone, I'll give my wife a call to bring some gas out.

Sure, no worries and I hand him my phone.

At this point, I'm picking up a down-da-bayou accent and ask him where he's from.

Louisiana.

Yeah, what part?

Houma.

Are you kidding me?! I'm from Bayou Blue!

Turns out, Raymond is from Bourg! For the non-Cajuns reading this blog, Bourg is a couple of bayous over from the one I grew up on. He and his wife are physical therapists and just moved out here about a month ago. What are the odds?! He couldn't get in touch with his wife so I took him to the gas station just up the road. He kept apologizing for taking up my time but we both couldn't believe that Bayou Blue and Bourg natives met up on the side of the road in Columbus, GA! Of course we run through the "do you know so and so" list and discover that he played ball with my ex-brother-in-law. What a small world! During the evacuation for hurricane Katrina he had taken extra gas with him and was able to help out a few bikers on the way, so we chalked it up to his good karma coming back around. As Raymond thanked me profusely for helping him out, I pulled away from the gas station feeling pretty good about my contribution to the universe for the day!

Not sure if I'll post or not while I'm out here, so I'm sending out a "Happy 4th of July" wish to everyone now. I fly back to San Diego on Sunday evening and fly out to Colorado Springs on Monday morning. I'd appreciate some on-time-flight vibes from everyone so I can be where I need to be on time!

Biker Babes!

OK, I guess that pig tails and our own bikes take us out of the "biker babe" category! But after rolling out over 500 miles together over the last 3 days, we are feeling a bit sassy!

Yesterday, we rode up the coast on old Hwy 101 to Oceanside. We had to take the interstate north to get around the PGA tournament that was going on at Torrey Pines, but after that it was beach riding most of the way. In true California weather fashion, the closer to the beach you get, the colder it is! It seemed so backwards for us to be in long sleeves and coats as we cruised up the coast yesterday and then in tank tops and sunscreen as we headed east and inland today.

Even though Bridie was a winter sport athlete, we share a love of hot weather. We were determined to rid ourselves of the chill from the beach, so we headed for the desert today. We rode twisty, winding roads up through the mountains. It's amazing how quickly Bridie became comfortable with navigating the sharp turns! We started off slow at first, but once she got the rhythm of pushing and leaning into the turns, the pace picked up. As the afternoon wore on, we dropped into the desert and the temperature soared. We rolled through Borrego Springs around 2:00 p.m when the temp hit 110 degree F! With relative humidity under 20%, the hydration stop at a local gas station proved to be just what we needed! After consuming lots of fluids and allowing enough time for both us and the bikes to cool down, we set off back into the mountains toward San Diego.

Anyone reading this blog that knows me can verify that I have a horrible sense of direction. As you can imagine, me riding lead was like the blind leading the blind! Even with the map, we stopped often at road junctions to verify we were on the right path! I'm sure I added on many miles to our road trip due to detours, but since we were just out to ride it really didn't matter! One of the things I love about hanging out with Bridie is that we just roll with the punches together. We always seem to be able to turn a detour or unexpected change in plans into a new adventure- perfectly matched travel buddies!

After riding around on 883 cc out here, she's already concerned that the 250 she left back in New York will no longer suffice! Unfortunately, the riding she did out here will have to hold her over for the rest of the summer. Her former life as a competitive speed skater has taken a toll on her body. She had to cut her vacation out here short by a day to return to New York for her fifth surgical procedure in as many years. A few bottles of wine and several hours of conversation later, she's ready to face the last of the remnants of her former life before moving on to a professional career outside of sport. It's never easy to close the door on one chapter of life and move onto the next, but with a newly earned college degree and a bit more experience under her belt she feels like she's ready.

Tomorrow I will see Bridie off at the airport and get ready for my sister Monica and her son Philip to come out here on Saturday. We'll see what adventures their visit brings!

Catchin up on two weeks

The month of June has been reserved for visitors to the Karen B&B here in San Diego. The first of my scheduled guests is my friend Bridie who arrived on Friday. Even though I'm almost 15 years her senior, we've been sharing adventures ever since we became friends during my USOC internship 5 years ago. The last time I saw Bridie was in MA at the wedding ceremony I performed for Deb & Karin last fall. She's just graduated from Cornell University and is taking a little vacation time before joining the rest of us in the rat race of making a living.

After hearing that I just upped and took a motorcycle safety class on my own a couple of years ago, Bridie decided to do the same and ended up buying a 1995 Yamaha Virago 250 shortly thereafter. Although she rides her bike quite often during the warm months, New York isn't conducive to year-round riding in order to gain experience. Up until today, her longest time in the saddle was 70 miles or just a couple of hours. When she decided to come out here for a weeks' vacation, she tossed around the thought of renting a similar small bike to scoot around on. Needless to say, I steered her towards at least an 883 HD Sportster, which we picked up on Friday. We rolled around locally for the afternoon to allow her to get used to the bike, then went for a full on day of riding today.

After only a day of riding, you would think she's been riding a "bigger " bike all her life! It was so much fun to look in my rear view mirror and see Bridie grinning from ear to ear as we navigated winding valley and mountain roads for much of the day. We took off this morning from Coronado and headed south-east on Hwy 94. After checking out the border at Tecate (we decided not to go down to Mexico today), we stopped in Campo for a great roadside diner lunch.

From there, we took S1 Scenic Byway to the heart of Cleveland National Forest- Mount Laguna. I had been up to this 6000 foot road known as Sunrise Hwy before, but it was a totally different experience during this upper-80s degree day! There were a ton of bikes out on the road today skirting the eastern edge of the National Forest with hairpin turns overlooking the California Desert. It was pretty technical riding, but Bridie held her own as we maintained a steady pace on the uncrowded mountain roads.

After exiting the National Forest, we descended into the historic town of Julian where we stopped to stretch our legs. The main street was lined with bikes of every make and model with folks strolling along the streets enjoying afternoon refreshments. We popped into a local "soda fountain" where I enjoyed a delicious chocolate shake! I was able to alleviate some of the guilt over this indulgence by reminding myself that I had worked out for over an hour this morning before we set off on our road trip (unlike Bridie who decided to catch up on some beauty sleep)!

After 5 hours in the saddle and over 175 miles clocked on the odometer, we rolled back into Coronado to celebrate the day. We stopped off at my favorite local wine shop and picked up a tasty beverage for the evening. We packed a little picnic basket of crackers, cheese, humus, fruit and wine and headed to the beach. We hung out there for a few hours catching up while snacking and enjoying some great wine. The day was perfect- adventurous yet relaxing! In typical Karen fashion, we have no plans for the rest of her time here in Southern California, but we have no doubts that the next few days will involve some two-wheeled adventures. We'll start off tomorrow morning with a cup of coffee and the map spread out on the table. Who knows what the day will bring. . .

Resevoir Run

Although the weather on Sunday wasn't quite as nice for riding as Saturday, I rolled out from my apartment into the chilly, damp air. As luck would have it, Fred wasn't scared off by our first ride a few weeks back and invited me on another! We met up at the Sweetwater Harley-Davidson dealership in National City for the 1st Annual Reservoir Run. The event was a poker run that took us to several lakes around the area.

After registering for the ride, I pulled my first card for the day's poker hand. I'm not much of a poker player, so I didn't pay much attention as they marked my sheet and sent me on my way. From the dealership, we rode right past the Olympic Training Center where I work to the park by lower Otay Lake where we pulled our second card.

After stretching our legs a bit, we hopped back on our bikes and rode some winding roads down south to Lake Morena. The sun had started to peak through when we first rolled out, but the clouds were invading again by this time and I was a little chilly. I know, you're probably not feeling very sorry for me that I was chilly on my ride in southern California when parts of Colorado were getting snow!!

From Lake Morena, we rode en masse to Sweetwater Regional Park and pulled the fourth card of the day. After quick bathroom breaks, our growling stomachs nudged us back onto our bikes and we made our way back to Sweetwater Harley-Davidson for the final card draw and the BBQ.

Back at the dealership, prizes were given for low and high hands. I had a mixed bag and didn't qualify for either! Not to worry, the pulled pork BBQ sandwich and baked beans tasted good and I enjoyed hanging out for a few hours while raffle prizes were given out (I didn't win anything there either!).

All in all, the weekend turned out to be a couple of days of quality miles and good company! I was a slacker on Sunday and didn't take many pictures, so thanks to Fred for supplying the ones posted here.

Once again, I am preparing for another trip. I fly out on Sunday to Fort Benning, GA for the pistol & rifle Olympic Trials. Don't know if I'll get to post from there, but I'll try to put something up as soon as I can. Have a great weekend!

Riding the roads of east San Diego county

After strolling the neighborhood on Saturday, I hung out at the beach reading a book for a few hours and enjoying the sound of waves and the smell of salt air. There were a ton of people on the beach which added a festive air to an unusually hot April day.

Sunday morning greeted me with another sunny, hot day. As I sipped my morning coffee, the thought of taking my Harley out for an all day spin caused a smirk to creep across my face. What a great day for a ride!

I grab my keys and half helmet and look in my wallet. Gonna need a few bucks in my pocket for the ride I think to myself, so I roll on up to the ATM on the corner of my street. As I'm pressing buttons in an attempt to cajole the electronic teller to give me some spending money, I glance over at my bike and see a guy sipping a coffee and admiring the customized Sportster in front of him. He looks up and down the early morning street for the owner and deduces that the woman in front of the ATM machine must be it. I can't help but grin every time I see the look of realization on a guy's face that he's just been admiring a chick's Harley!

We start talking bikes and I ask him if he knows of any good rides around here. "Are you going today?" he asks. "Well hell, I'm going right now. Want to come along?" is my response. He takes off down the street and assures me he'll find me by the beach in about 15 minutes. Sure enough, 15-20 minutes later, Fred rumbles up on a spanking new 2008 bagger. I can sense that he's a little skeptical of my riding abilities when he asks how I am with riding winding roads. I'm pretty proficient in the hills actually, I learned to ride in the Rockey Mountains after all! He pulls out a map and outlines a ride that will take us up to a town called Alpine. "Um, there's something you should know. I'm a wuss in the cold and I don't like to go above 2000 feet." I'm sure at this point he must think I'm lying about learning to ride in the Rocky Mountains! He rolls with it though and says that we'll turn around if I get too cold. I cheerfully agree as we mount up and start our engines.

It felt great to finally be able to ride in jeans and a t-shirt with no gloves and just a half-helmet. I love my leathers, but it's so much more comfortable to ride without all those heavy layers when the weather allows it. About 50 miles later, we ride through Alpine and stop at a place called Janet's Montana Cafe. Although we didn't partake of the amazing dessert selection, we did enjoy hanging out in front of it under the nose of a moose!

After brunch, we decided that a little more riding was in order. A stop at the gas station produced a map of east San Diego county that proved to be invaluable for the rest of the afternoon. We headed north on Hwy 79 towards Julian. This road took us past a pristine lake and straddled both Anza Borrego Desert State Park and Cleveland National Forest. We climbed up through the National Forest towards Mount Laguna. The familiar feeling of ascending roads = descending temperatures came over me the further we went. Although we pulled over and I put a sweatshirt on, it wasn't that bad.

As we crested a pass at around 5000 feet, we looked up and saw some para-gliders hovering on a breeze. We found a road that seemed to head in the direction of the human kites and followed it to a little parking area. After parking the bikes and staring in awe with the other folks congregated in the parking lot, we hiked up a ways and found what must've been the "jump off" point. The view from up there was amazing!

Back on the bikes and cruising down the road, I spotted an elevation sign that indicated we were at 6000 feet! I looked ahead of me and spied Fred looking back in his rear-view mirror a little nervously. So much for my 2000 foot ceiling! It was still a gorgeous day though and I don't think the temp dropped much below 70 degrees even at altitude. I don't mind 6000 feet when it doesn't require a jacket!

The rest of the day was spend on winding back roads until we ended back up in Coronado. I'm always amazed at how little adventures continually present themselves to me. With an open mind and cautious sense of adventure, I added a memorable day of riding and a new riding partner to my life!

Next stop: Louisiana! If all goes well the next post will be about a crawfish boil on the bayou! I leave on Friday where I will join up with Whit & Kathie and Jim & Karla at my parents' house in Houma for some Cajun-style relaxing! Stay tuned. . .

Cathing up

When my dad commented that I've been slacking on the blog, I knew it was time to do a post!! Let's see if I can bring everyone up to date:



Feb 3-5: I was in Aiken, South Carolina with my team working with some Equestrian Eventing athletes. I don't usually say too much about work on this blog other than the adventures I have while traveling for work, but it might be helpful to give you a little background on how my job has changed over the last year and a half. It used to be just me trying to service the nutrition needs (not food needs!) of all of Team USA athletes. When I say "Team USA", I'm talking about 35 different sports (summer & winter) as well as all their disciplines (e.g. cycling is one sport but encompasses the disciplines of road, track, mountain and BMX cycling). A little over a year ago, the USOC reorganized its Performance Services Division so that now those 35 sports are divided into four different "Sportfolios." Sports were assigned to sportfolios based on a variety of factors like biomechanics, energy systems, shared critical success factors, etc.). The four Sportfolios are Team & Technical sports, Strength/Power sports, Endurance sports, and Acrobat & Combat sports. There is a Sport Dietitian/Nutritionist assigned to each of the four Sportfolios. I am part of the Team & Technical Sportfolio. So long story not so short, Equestrian is a technial sport, that's why I was in Aiken, South Carolina!



Feb 7: Walnut, California for equestrian



Feb 8: Tab Benoit concert in downtown San Diego with Whit. Kathie wasn't feeling up to going out that night, so Whit and I went for the 7:30 p.m. show but ended up staying for the second set at 9:30 p.m. also! What a great show! I had seen Tab perform in Denver last year around Mardi Gras time, so it was pretty cool that I got to see him in my new state of residency around Mardi Gras time also! If you like Blues music, you have to hear this guy's music. [Click here for last year's post] He's from Houma, Louisiana of all places and was featured in the IMAX movie Hurricane on the Bayou. I was so disappointed that during the first set, he played covers of BB King and other famous Blues artists because he has so much great material of his own. Thankfully, the second set was filled with his own recordings and made my heart ache for the bayou. Just like last year, I teared up during When a Cajun Man Gets the Blues and danced in the aisles to Fever for the Bayou.


Feb 9-10: Los Angeles, California for soccer


Feb 15: Los Alamitos, California for water polo



I'm off today for President's Day, so it's a three-day weekend. OK, I'll admit I'm doing some work from home today, but I did take the whole weekend off (honest!). I hung out with Whit & Kathie most of the weekend; it's great having family in the area! Yesterday, we joined up with their friend Laura who we've ridden with before and cruised up Hwy 101 along the coast. It wasn't as warm as we had hoped, but hey- we're riding in February for crying out loud!!! We cruised all the way up to Oceanside and had lunch/breakfast (I could eat breakfast for every meal of the day!) at a cool restaurant call the Longboarder Cafe. After a scrumptous breakfast, we walked across the street and checked out the California Surf Museum. Although small, it had some cool old wooden boards from the 50s and 60s. All the pics in this post are from our ride yesterday- thanks Kathie for bringing your camera!



So, now you're up to date! March will be a busy month for me. . . Ocala, Fl; Beijing, China; and Colorado Springs, CO are on my itenerary so far.

Two-wheelin' weekend

After a chilly few days in Colorado this week, I thoroughly enjoyed the mild climate of Southern California this weekend! Saturday, I spent a little more time trying to get organized and completely moved into my apt. I can't say that everything is put away yet, but the weather was just too nice to stay inside.

As a Christmas present to myself (OK, I just wanted it so I bought it!), I got this really cool blue Hawaiian beach cruiser bicycle! As soon as I picked it up from the bike shop around the corner from my place, I jumped on it and started pedalling. This was such a different feel from "cycling." Cycling is what you do when you're training for fitness or for something like a bike race or triathlon. With this kind of riding, you're usually hunched over in an uncomfortable yet aerodynamic position in order to go faster (+15 mph). Unlike "cycling", you can only go about 5 mph on this thing because it's only got one gear and has big squishy tires! In order to brake, you have to pedal backwards just like the bike I had when I was a kid! I swear I felt like a little kid on this thing as I sat up right with my hair blowing in the breeze while cruising completely around the island of Coronado! I don't know how far around it is and I didn't care as I leisurely cruised the loop in about 45 minutes!

Sunday morning brought another beautiful day, so I met up with Whit & Kathie and their friends Adam & Laura for another kind of bike ride- motorized! As you can see from the ocean in the background of this picture of Whit & Kathie on the bike, we rode along the coastline for most of the morning! Now this is what I'm talking about- coastline riding in a half helmet and no gloves in JANUARY!!!

We started off at Mount Soledad near Adam & Laura's house. It's a memorial honoring veterans and active duty military who have served during a time of conflict. It's at the top of a huge hill overlooking the ocean and the whole of San Diego. It's quite impressive and very informative. Each military member honored has an etched plaque with their likeness and details about their military history.

After a fitting stop at Mount Soledad (Whit, Adam and I have all served in the Navy during times of conflict), we continued north along the coast. We rode through La Jolla, Solano Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad and Oceanside before we had to take the interstate for a bit.

After a brief jaunt on I-5, we headed east on Hwy 74. We rode some fun twisty, windy roads reminiscent of Colorado canyons on Ortega Hwy until we reached our lunch destination- Hell's Kitchen! This place had all the trappings of a typical biker bar/restaurant except something was different. As we parked our bikes amongst the hundred or so bikes in the parking lot, I realized that there was quite a mix of bikes there.

Instead of only Harleys and the sometimes acceptable Indian bikes at these places, there was the full gamut of motorcycles: cruisers, trikes, sport bikes, choppers, euros and even a few dirt bikes. This motorsports restaurant's motto is "If you're in the wind, you're in!"

Although you would think the name is self-explanatory, it wasn't chosen just for its bad-ass appeal. According to the menu, Hell's Kitchen is a neighborhood in New York known for it's acceptance of various cultures. It's a melting pot where folks of different persuasions and beliefs live side by side in harmony. Unfortunately, the New York neighborhood is now also known for the high loss of fireman it sustained during 9/11.

Whatever the history of the name, this place served typical Americana food (i.e. greasy spoon!). Burgers, hot dogs, tacos, fries; it's all the fare expected at a roadside diner. Diner isn't really the appropriate description though, since it has indoor and outdoor seating as well as vendors set up in the parking lot selling leather goods and biker gear. In true form to PC (politically correct) times, there was a veggie burger on the menu! No, I didn't order it. I just couldn't bring myself to order a veggie burger at a biker hangout!!

Probably one of the most unexpected sights was the condiment coffin! All the fixins for burgers and dogs are in containers set into a chrome- and flame-adorned coffin complete with a hydraulic lift for opening the lid! It's such a random attraction, but one which doesn't seem morbid in its surroundings!

As we pulled out of the parking lot of Hell's Kitchen, I had to chuckle as I read the sign that stated: in order to preserve our little slice of heaven, be considerate as you're leaving hell (I'm paraphrasing since I can't remember the exact sign!). The day ended with a ride through the hills and around Lake Elsinore as we headed back south to San Diego.

All in all, a very relaxing and fun weekend. It's easy for me to get all caught up in work and forget to take advantage of living in such a great place. It's a small, yet immensely satisfying victory when I'm able to step back and live in the moment. I hope everyone reading this had as good of a weekend as I did!

I'm a winner!

Day 7

This place is a circus! So much going on 24/7 it borders on sensory overload! Yesterday morning I went to the coffee shop in the hotel casino for breakfast. Just like everything in Vegas, it was ridiculously over-priced, but the location at least was great for people-watching. Right out in front of the coffee shop by the slot machines was a film crew shooting a movie. It was around 8:30 a.m. As I walked out, I saw it was Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher shooting a scene. Wow, I thought, they seem to be having lots of fun while working in their chosen profession. Even between takes they were cutting up with the crew.

Down the strip I went to take in the sights. For those who don't like to travel internationally, you could visit most countries right here! The Eiffel Tower is just down the street from gondola rides through Venice inside and outside of a hotel! I watched the water show in front of the Bollagio and wondered what in the world the snapping of the cards meant by the hard-luck folks trying to shove "girl to your room in 20 minutes" cards into the hands of people walking by. Tourists strolled by with drinks in their hands and beads around their necks; kind of like a subdued Mardi Gras without the music.

Right next door to the hotel at which I stayed (Planet Hollywood) was the Harley Davidson Cafe. There's an huge, awesome American flag painted on hanging chains with a couple of real motorcycles hanging from the ceiling in front of it. It was a really cool place with lots of Harley and movie memorabilia.

Around 1:30 p.m. I came back to my hotel to take a little break from walking around all morning. As I passed through the casino, I was surprised to see Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher still shooting the exact same scene! Wow, maybe their jobs aren't so easy! Crowds of people standing around watching them do the same 2-3 minute scene over and over again. They acted just as enthusiastic as they had been acting the scene when I walked by at 8:30 in the morning. As I continued on to my room I decided to throw a few bucks into a slot machine just so I could say that I gambled in Vegas! I played the $1 slots and quickly got bored. I took the $5 left from the $20 I had decided to gamble and put it into a $5 slot machine. I won $25!! Now you're probably thinking that I should capitalize on that luck and play some more. What I did was take my voucher to the cashier window and collected my money! Nothing in life comes for free, so I feel like these little gifts in life should be appreciated but that trying to exploit it will only end in losing (one way or another). So now I'm leaving Vegas as a winner!!!

Last night I went to The Blue Man Group show. I had no idea what is was when I bought the ticket, I had just heard from friends who had seen it that it was worth going to. What a great time!! It's a cross between a comedy, a concert, an optical illusion show and a techno concert! This picture is from the wax museum and not the live show! Oh, before I left for the show around 7:00 p.m. Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher were still out there shooting in the exact same spot! It was a different scene, but they looked like they were still having fun. Actually, they seemed more slap happy than two people having fun! I can't imagine having to be "up" for every scene when you do dozens of them in a row. I have a hard time staying "up" for each presentation when I have to do more than two of them in a day!!

That's all from Vegas. Looks like the fires will not impede my journey west, so today I head for California.