Soak City Water Park

I took Chad to Knott's Soak City water park on Friday for his birthday. We really stood out. I think we were the only guys over 20 that weren't there with their children. The best ride of the day was one I have never tried before, the Pacific Spin. I prefer to call it the Toilet Bowl. It is a short two person raft slide, but we caught air launching off the last drop. I don't know what was scarier, being able to observe the steep drop below us or going over backwards like Chad. Our weight and momentum took us high up the walls before we flushed out the bottom. It was a blast.




The four high-speed slides at Soak City don't compare to the freaky seven-story Drop Out slide at Raging Waters, but they are still fun. Banzai and Pipeline whip you around in pitch darkness at high speeds before spitting you out the bottom. Emerging into the blinding light, I banged my elbow hard against the side of the tight chute, thinking I was about to land in a splash pool. Dropoff is the closest to the slide in San Dimas with a single steep drop, while Straight Shot is the fastest with two combined shorter drops. Gaining so much speed, I was afraid I wouldn't stop at the end. All four slides are excellent wedgie machines.

San Dieguito High School - 20 Year Reunion (Class of 1990)

The 10 years between graduation and my first high school reunion seemed to flow at a normal pace, but time really flew up to the 20th. This time, the 20 Year Reunion for the 1990 Class of San Dieguito High School was held at the Bristol Hotel in Downtown San Diego on July 17th.


Chad came with me to Yogi's the night before the reunion for an unofficial get together with others from school. It was a nice group. It was fun hanging out with everyone and playing pool with Julie and Megan. I ended up drinking too much tequila. My hangover lasted till 3pm on Saturday, recovering in time for the reunion at 7. A delicious omelet for breakfast at The Little Moore helped.



I must admit, I preferred the location of the 10 Year Reunion at the Berkeley Ferry on the harbor instead of the Bristol Hotel. It got pretty hot inside the hotel ballroom with over 200 alumni and it got very echoey, making it hard to hear conversations sometimes. It was a big improvement when the roof slid open after the group photo. It was great hearing what everyone was up to these days and I had a blast out on the dance floor during the last hour.



After the reunion ended at midnight, I walked with a big group over to the Yard House for more drinks till 2 am. We first tried the Star Bar in the Gaslamp Quarter, but they wouldn't let such a big group enter all at once. Maybe because of the heavy police presence right outside. A fight had just ended and they were loading a handcuffed man into the back of a paddy wagon. He had the #*@% kicked out of him, his face all black and blue.

Colorado River - 4th of July Camping Trip

I went out to the Colorado River for the 4th of July weekend. I love it out there but it has been three years since I've been camping at Picacho State Park. Chad and I drove out Friday night to meet up with the rest of the group. When we finally got on the 18 mile dirt road at 10 pm, we spotted a vehicle chasing us down. It turned out to be a Ranger warning us to slow down because of soft road conditions up ahead. After we arrived, we all walked down to the river for a night swim. I got to sleep around 3 am, but Chad and a couple others stayed up till dawn talking around the campfire.



Saturday morning, I went out with Blayne and Clint to wakeboard on the empty river while the water was still flat. We had the largest yellow dragonfly land on the boat. They are so cool. The river level was high, so we set up our beach camp on one of the few exposed sandbars. Normally, that makes them crowded, but we lucked out and only had to share it with one other group the entire weekend. We had a great inflatable raft with a hole in the center to relax on in the river. At the end of the day, we floated down to the campgrounds dock with it.



The campgrounds were practically empty this trip. I have never been to Picacho in the middle of summer before. It was hot, but not too bad because of the cool breezes. The water was very nice, 78 degrees, and I didn't see or hear one buzzing mosquito the entire time. At night, we would sit out in the dark, away from the campfire and look at the stars. They are so bright out there. I like how I could easily see the dense band of stars pointing to the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. You can also hear the wild burros braying at night, but I have never spotted one on any of my trips.



On Sunday, Lenny and I decided to paddle the kayaks up river from the North Dock to our beach instead of taking a boat. It turned out to be pretty brutal, so much paddling as the landscape barely moves. You can't stop to rest either because the river will pull back all your forward progress. I am glad I did it though. I spent more time in the sun the second day, only got burned a tiny bit. I am bummed because I lost my favorite sunglasses to the river. The wind caught them and blew them overboard.



Blayne had his new boat out at the river. It's bigger with a bimini cover for shade and a nice step on the back to get in and out of the water. We did some more wakeboarding in the afternoon. The water was very choppy because of the constant flow of boats up and down the river. I had to take shorter pulls because all the bumps make it harder on the quadriceps. It took a few tries, but Chad got up on the wakeboard. I wish I got a picture of him pulling the perfect faceplant. Heh!



Driving home, Chad and I stopped at Cracker Barrel across the border in Arizona. They need one of those restaurants in San Diego. The food is so good.

Food at the San Diego County Fair

I ate quite a bit of junk food at the San Diego County Fair (Del Mar Fair) yesterday with Chad, but that's why we go. Isn't it?



My first stop is always Pignotti's, half-way down the main strip. Every year I have to get one of their meatball sandwiches, my favorite. It is not very big, but I don't know which part is best, the perfect meatballs, the savory sauce or the buttery-garlic bread. After sprinkling liberally with Parmesan cheese, I devour it quickly. Next year, I will have to try the interesting-looking spaghetti and meatball sandwich. Chad began his day with an ear of corn hot off the grill.



After checking out the cool photos at the photography exhibit, we went for more food at Ten Pound Buns. Chad got the Latin Lover with cheese and jalapenos. I ordered The Ultimate, the full slice of buttered sourdough bread slathered with mozzarella and cheddar cheese, pepperoni, tomatoes, red onions, and nice mixture of cilantro, basil and garlic. It is so large, it sits across two paper plates.



I also like to try something crazy every year and this trip, I tried the chocolate-covered bacon. I was a bit disappointed, they just handed me a container out of a cooler with 4 pieces inside. I think I was expecting to see sizzling bacon with chocolate being poured on top or something more theatrical. It tasted okay, nothing special.



Like always, I get a cinnamon roll covered with cream cheese frosting at one of the Country Fair Cinnamon Rolls stands. I also bought a slice of Rocky Road fudge from the Mackinac Fudge stand to take home with me. Love it!

Venice Canals & Hollywood Clubs

On Saturday, I went to Los Angeles with Chad and Laurel to see his cousin, Jourdan Bordes, DJing at a club in Hollywood. We would be staying in Venice at a friend of Laurel's, so we drove up early at 1pm to hang out.



Darcy and Danny live on Ocean Avenue right next to the canals. I have seen them many times on television and in movies, but I have never visited them. I thought they were pretty cool, crossed by numerous white bridges and interesting houses lined the shallow waterways. I guess there used to more canals back in the day, but the city filled them in because they were not being properly maintained.



Exiting the canals, we walked along the Venice Boardwalk. It was pretty crowded, even though the sky was a bit overcast. A great place to get medical marijuana if you need it, I discovered. We checked out the pick-up basketball games, the dancing roller skaters and the skateboard park next to the beach before walking back for dinner. Darcy cooked an excellent Chicken Pesto.



I was seriously tired when we left at 11:30 to go to Hollywood, but I rallied quickly with a Red Bull. We arrived at Circus Disco on Santa Monica Boulevard after midnight so the list Jourdan put us on was already closed. Too bad, we had to pay the cover. Circus Disco is a gay club most of the week, easy to tell by the giant naked Michelangelo statue directly inside. I liked the layout of the huge club, two stories with four large rooms containing different music. Jourdan would start spinning discs at 2am in the LMD (Love, Music, Dancing) room, but the headlining DJ, Ronski Speed, was missing. He couldn't make it because he was stuck in Europe due to the erupting Iceland volcano suspending all flights.



It turns out that two areas of the club were transformed into the Bat Cave, a monthly Gothic bondage fetish party. The place was filled with elaborate costumes of the black and white variety. When we entered the first room crowded with dancers, our first sight was a bent-over woman in a g-string getting lightly spanked with a large collection of short whips and crops. Later in the night, we found her repeatedly kicking a man in the crotch who was wearing only a tiny Speedo. On the other side of the room, two topless women were taking turns getting tied up with ropes.



In a back room, a loud Goth band was playing with two bikinied dancers on either side. I don't know if it was the sound system, but I couldn't hear the lead singer shouting the lyrics over the guitars and keyboards. It was the same problem with a second band later on. We really stood out on the Goth side of the club because 95% of the people were in costume.



That was all very entertaining, but we spent most of our time dancing in the LMD room with the electronic DJs. I liked that they performed on a stage in front and frequently mixed up the beat. Instead of the Dun-Dun-Dun-Dun, Da-Da-Da-Da, Dun-Dun-Dun-Dun you hear all night long at some places where my head feels like its gonna explode. Jourdan was really good when he came on, dancing and interacting with the crowd as he mixed the music.



This was one of the best times I have ever had at a club. I never had a chance to get bored. I really liked the courtyard where we could escape for brief respites from the heat and pounding music. And if you are hungry at 3 in the morning, you could get Mexican food at the taco truck without having to leave the club. We ended up leaving at 3:30am and got to sleep after 4. Before we drove home on Sunday, Darcy cooked a good breakfast when we woke up late. (Eggs with zucchini and goat cheese plus raisin toast) Darcy and Danny were excellent hosts, very cool people.

Favorite Meals in San Diego

A list of favorite meals around San Diego. (In no particular order)

1. Pasta Pronto - The Linguini with Pesto at this Del Mar restaurant is the closest to the pesto dishes I ate in Italy. The first time I had pesto was in Genoa, where it originated, and I love when I can eat somewhere that reminds me of it.

2. T.G.I. Fridays - Pepper-Crusted Pork Chop with Mashed Potatoes and Onion Rings. I don't care for T.G.I.F. that much, but this pork chop is amazing. It is perfectly seasoned.

3. Royal India - Butter Tarka (butter, green onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and spices) with Chicken. A royal curry served with white rice and Nan bread. If I wanted to drive downtown more often, I would get this at least once a week.

4. Juanita's Taco Shop - The best place to get Flautas, the crispy flour rolled tacos with shredded beef. I love these things with the salsa fresca. Very cheap too. Great with a Horchata to drink.

5. Wendy's - The best fast food burger is Wendy's Bacon and Blue. It is limited time only, but I hope they keep this bleu cheese burger longer. It reminds me of the burgers we cook on the 4th of July every year. I have them hold the sauteed onions though.

6. Borelli's - I have been ordering the Meat Lasagna with Meat Sauce since I was a little kid. My favorite, no other lasagna compares with Borelli's masterpiece. I love their simple garlic bread too.

7. Vigilucci's Trattoria - Their Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola on top is the best steak I have ever eaten. I have ordered it many times and it is always so tender and flavorful. It is one of their specials, not listed on the menu.

8. Nikos - The Gyro with Chicken Souvlaki plate is so good, I get it once a week for lunch in Carlsbad. I just order the usual. It comes with my favorite greek salad. Their dressing is better than anywhere else. With the rice and bread, it is a huge meal.

9. California Pizza Kitchen - I love their Chicken Tequila Fettuccine. It is the tequila-lime and jalapeno cream sauce that makes this dish so magical. I always want extra bread to sop every last drop.

10. Outback Steakhouse - Their Victoria's Filet with Blue Cheese may not match Vigilucci's, but it is the best of the rest. Combined with a caesar salad, a baked potato with all the toppings and their honey-wheat bread, I'm in heaven. Sharing a Bloomin' Onion is great too.

11. Noodles & Company - Pesto Cavatappi with Parmesan Crusted Chicken. I love it with the Tomato Basil Bisque, a piece of warm Flatbread and the side Tossed Green Salad. The rich soup is what makes this almost a perfect meal.

12. Little Moore Coffee Shop - Whenever I crave an omelet, I go to this spot in Leucadia. Their omelets always have the perfect mixture of egg, cheese and the different fillings. So many places mess up this important ratio. My favorite is the Chili Cheese Omelet with hash browns and a side of cottage cheese.

13. Wahoo's Fish Taco - Banzai Burrito (carne asada) with red sauce. The tender carne asada is marinated in teriyaki and I love it served wet with the red chili sauce. I like the combo with black beans and the seasoned ahi rice.

Iraqi Parliament Elections

I had one of the questions that was answered by the Baghdad Bureau of the At War, Notes from the Front Line blog on the New York Times.

Reader Q. and A. on the Iraq Elections
By ANTHONY SHADID

As the results from Iraq’s March 7 elections finally coalesce, our Baghdad correspondent Anthony Shadid is responding to readers’ questions about the election, its outcome, and the likely winners and losers in the complex negotiations that are certain to follow. Mr. Shadid joined The New York Times earlier this year after winning the Pulitzer Prize in 2004 for his Iraq coverage.

Q. Will the parties be able to use the number of seats they win in Kirkuk right away in negotiating for a coalition, since they are only provisional according to the Election Law? Will those Kirkuk seats be able to cast votes in Parliament before they are finally confirmed? Will this affect the Parliament’s vote for president, prime minister and speaker?
Noah
San Diego

A. All these are possible. My sense is that you won’t see any breakthrough – in ways good or bad – any time soon in Kirkuk. The Kurds, of course, could protest their showing in Kirkuk, but I there’s enough American engagement there right now to head off any conflict. That won’t be the case long term. My sense is that the election will solidify a balance of power that promotes a temporary status quo, with a pledge to negotiate long-term sovereignty in, say, seven years or so. On your question about the seats themselves, nothing is confirmed until the results are certified, so Kirkuk’s representation will await the seating of everyone else. The seats themselves will probably fall in line with larger coalitions that are gathered to name a prime minister. Kirkuk is a little different, since there is a provision to allow a challenge of the voter rolls, but in the end, I’m not sure that challenge will affect the final balance of the seats.

Update: 2/19/12

I am sad to hear that Anthony Shadid passed away a few days ago while in Syria covering the conflict. It appears that it was due to a severe asthma attack on February 16th. I always enjoyed reading his articles and dispatches from the Middle East.

Pacific Beach Pub Crawl

I spent 8 hours drinking in Pacific Beach on Saturday in 4 different bars. I met up with Chad and some of his work friends at the PB Bar & Grill at 2pm for some beers and shots. It was pretty empty at first, but it filled up quick when a golf-themed pub crawl arrived.


Costumes seem to be really popular lately. We bumped into at least 4 themed groups during the day. The mustache aficionados sporting some impressive real ones and funny fake ones (including the girls), a group wearing denim and a large gathering of birthday celebrators all wearing the same t-shirt. There were some random guys wearing trash bags and wrestling costumes, but I am not positive they were part of any group.


We took a taxi over to Rocky's for more beers and their delicious hamburgers. I have been here once before and I agree that they have the best burgers in San Diego. Afterwards, we went over to Bub's Dive Bar on Garnet where I had a car bomb and more beer.




We ended up at Open Bar by 8pm. I was able to play a few competitive games of foosball with Chad against some nice guys, but we lost all but one. I need to get practicing again on our foosball table at work.

Blossoming Pear Trees

I have always loved the three Pear Trees along my driveway that blossom in January for a few weeks. I finally pulled my camera out to take a couple photos before the flowers disappear for another year.



Update: 2/13/13
The white flowers were glowing from the porch light when I came home tonight so I took this picture with a 5 second exposure to try and capture the effect.

Sensory Overload - Part III

After my successful New Year's Resolution last year that motivated me to write five chapters and finish Part II, I made a new one this year. It is not as big, but I need to finish a thorough edit of the prologue and first thirteen chapters of Part I & II and write at least two new Chapters in Part III by the end of the year. One each for my two main characters, Jâk and Keefer. This will set me up to finish the last 5 chapters of Part III in 2011.

Update: 9/27/10

After spending the first seven months editing, I've finished writing the rough draft of Chapter 14. It's great to be officially past the half-way point of my book. I need to write one more chapter this year to fulfill my goal. I want to be completed before December so I can spend time re-writing Chapter 8. I'm going to change a supporting character who will be showing up later in Part III and make some radical alterations to two scenes.

Update: 11/24/10

Chapter 15 is finished, completing my New Year's Resolution for 2010. It is a couple pages shorter than my usual chapter length but I think it perfectly sets the scene for Keefer's story arc in Part III. I am now ready to tackle the problems within Chapter 8 in December.

Update: 12/30/10

I finished re-writing Chapter 8 with a day to spare in December. I think it is so much better now. Now I am ready to start a new New Year's Resolution to write five chapters in 2011 to complete Part III.

I found I have two writing modes.
1.) The Fun Way - I have a spark of an idea for the chapter I'm working on and start writing to get it on paper in a rush of words. When I am really lucky, each idea triggers another and I end up going two or three pages before they dry up.
2.) The Hard Way - I try to finish my page quota for the week based on my general chapter outline. I struggle through paragraph after paragraph, sometimes counting every sentence as I grind out the story-line. If I’m lucky, this will trigger #1.

Update: 3/10/11

Chapter 16 is finished, the first new chapter of 2011. This was an important section that I had outlined in great detail a long time ago. I had originally planned for these events to occur earlier in the book, but I ended up pushing them back along the storyline. Even though I knew all the details, getting them all to flow together in a cohesive way was a bit of a challenge.

The hardest part about writing is the motivation right at the beginning of a session. My brain tries to fake tiredness just before I start, but I have found the cure, Red Bull. It’s the ultimate writing juice. A few sips and I am clicking away at the keys.

Update: 5/22/11

I really struggled with Chapter 17, but the rough draft is finished. After I wrote the first two sections, I changed my mind and flip-flopped them. It works better but I had to do a lot of editing to massage the new order. The third and final section also caused problems. After writing half of it, I realized that it didn't belong in this chapter and I had to start again from scratch, but it came out great.

Update: 10/28/11

Chapter 18 is finally finished. I meant to have this chapter done at the end of July before my three week trip to Europe, but I was still 2 pages short when I left. I was delayed further when I had to spend so much time editing the 5,000 pictures from my trip when I got back. I now only have two more months left in the year, not enough time to write the last two chapters of Part III like I planned. I will have to be content with just finishing 19 and starting 20 at the beginning of the year. That will eat into some of the editing time I have planned for 2012 before I start Part IV.

Update: 2/29/12 - Leap Day

The first draft of Chapter 19 is written, a couple days before my ski trip to Vail on Friday. It is nice to get it out of the way. I meant to have it done by the end of 2011, but this chapter ended up having almost twice as many pages as my other chapters. This chapter is pretty rough as I normally concentrate on getting a logical story-line onto the page in the first draft. During editing, I will work on the flow and use one of my favorite writing techniques, adding in successive layers of detail each revision to build depth.

Update: 6/13/12

The last few pages of Chapter 20 took longer than I expected, but I have finished the rough draft. (With the end in sight, I let my two new pages a week rule slip a bit!) Part III is now complete, only six months behind schedule. My book is now at 405 pages with almost 130,000 words. I had planned to have 2012 set aside for editing Part III and writing the first two chapters of Part IV. I still might pull it off if I can finish my rewrites by the end of August, but I doubt it. I am willing to push Part IV to next year if needed.

Update: 12/26/12

I have completed my editing of Part III and now I am ready to write the last section of my story starting in 2013. I also went back and edited Parts I and II as well, incorporating new ideas I developed while writing Chapters 14 through 20. Tori has also been reading my draft and based on some of her suggestions, I went back and modified details about Chase's character in Part 1. My book now stands at 424 pages.