The Albatross

Nursing a medium to ragging hangover, an impromptu afternoon round of golf produced something real nice. Two shots, a 314-yard drive and a 201-yard 4-iron, on the 515-yard 16th hole at the Larchmont Golf Course in Missoula, MT granted me my first ever albatross. The rest of the round was less spectacular and I shot a six on the par 3 17th hole, returning to my normal self just like that...

1 Year - We made it!

June 23, 2008 marked our one-year wedding anniversary. I can't believe it. It felt like yesterday that Nathalie walked down the aisle to me. We celebrated our first milestone over a long weekend in Tomales Bay at a house built over the water.

The weather was perfect and Ottis Redding's "Sittin' on the dock of the bay" filled the air for most of the weekend. That and we ate our weight in bbq'd oysters.

Memorial Day Weekend - Bike Trip

With a long weekend in the mix and no real plans to get out of town, we threw together a quick overnight bike trip out to a lonely ranch in the hills East of Milpitas. Having only been there via automobile, I knew the terrain was going to be tough, but I underestimated how difficult it would be on a touring bike with 40 pounds of gear. I also quickly found out that I pack about the same amount of gear for an overnight trip as I would for a week or two in the saddle. Havana Club rum, check...iPod with external speakers, check... You can't sacrifice all of life's comforts.

In less than 20 miles, the road quickly takes you away from civilization. It evolves from not very well maintained tarmac into a horrible combination of loose gravel and rutted out dirt. At times, your mind wonders how exactly a road was even cut over such terrain. Nontheless, after climbing over 5500 feet and after cursing the steep grades, we found ourselves at a pristine camp sight under an old oak tree surrounded by a gang of gobbling wild turkies.

For a few more images of the trip, click here.

A Long Weekend in Peru

Heading to Peru for our cousin Karin's wedding, we were fortunate enough to have a seven hour layover in El Salvador. Giving us ample time to flag a taxi and go for a quick tour of San Salvador. We were very happy to find an alternative to the not so comfortable chairs at the airport waiting room. A 9:00am pupusa feeding frenzy and Pilsener (El Salvador's national cerveza) swilling extravaganza quickly was in the cards for us. Not a bad way to start our trip.

Once in Peru, we were treated like royalty and enjoyed our short time in Lima very much. Karin & Werner's wedding was one of a kind and we were happy to see the entire family under the same roof. Sipping fine scotch and wearing funny hats, the wedding lasted until the early morning and we ended up, oddly, at a karaoke bar singing with those that were still standing. To see pictures of our trip, click here.

Caught sleeping with his brother

Sierra would not be happy if he knew I was posting a picture of him snuggling with his brother, Animal. However, after an early morning wake-up, I couldn't resist taking a couple pics to document our son's brotherly love.

Big Sur Marathon - 26.2 miles of fun!

Last year, I thought it would be a good idea to sign up for a marathon. Something else to check off the life goal list, I guess? I also thought it would be a portal to get me to like running. I've always enjoyed beating myself up on a long bike ride, but had never ran any further than the Bay to Breakers, which is for the most part a beer swilling stroll through the streets and parks of San Francisco.

In the end, I never did end up liking running any more than when I first signed up. It actually probably got me into other outdoor activities more as I tried relentlessly to come up with things to do other than run. But, Nathalie and I ended up getting in the van and going to Big Sur anyways.

The story does have a happy ending though. Joined by two of my best friends, Tien Vominh & Ryan Williams, we set out from Big Sur at 6:45am, just behind the Kenyans. Four hours and fifty seven minutes later (still behind the Kenyans), the three of us simultaneously crossed the finish line 26.2 miles later. It was a long grinder, but the views were spectacular.

Here's a picture with our finishers medals and victory beers, just in case there are any doubters out there.

Down in Mexico - Sayulita

Down in Mexico for Acacia & Peter's wedding, Nathalie and I managed to squeeze in a bull fight and some much needed R & R.

We also managed to find and enjoy some of Mexico's fine coastal cervezas. In the states these large bottles are often refered to as 40s, but our friendly neighbors to the south call these bad boys Ballenas (whales).