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Published: November 5th 2006
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Sleepy Me!
I pretty much slept the entire ride to the west coast! To finish out the amazing summer I had this year, Michelle, her mom, and I continued on after Rainbow. The morning of July 5th, as I left off in the last blog, we three headed out of the woods.
Our first stop was to a hotel where Shel and I showered up for the first time in over a week! Oh my was it wonderful to be clearn and shaven again. Then we charged our cell phones and caught up on voice mails- most of mine were from her before she was came into Rainbow and a few birthday wishes.
Then we headed into the town of Steam Boat Springs for some breakfast! Ooooohhhh yum! After that long of Rainbow Mush a huge pancake was amazing. Then it was in the car and away to our next stop.
Ogden, Utah We travelled about 6 hours north west from Rainbow to get to Ogden, Utah which is near Salt Lake City. I pretty much slept the whole time, i was exhausted! Honestly you must hike MILES while walking around Rainbow, and there ar hills and so on, its a huge work out (both Shel and I lost a
Shel at Cat's
It was great to unwind when we got to Ogden few pounds while there). Also the last meal I ate there, some Krishna mush, was making me not feel that well...
So we pull up to Ogden and its absolutely beautiful! A good sized city/community plopped in the center of a mountain range, giving it a stunning surrounding scenery. Following the directions carefully to our friend Catina's house, we pull up to her casa which also...was aboslutely beautiful!
Hugs jet around the group, as yet another meeting of super-friends comes together! We're invited in and given a tour of their house, which is dripping with history and etiquette, then treated to a YUMMY stir fry and wine. We sit around catching up and chatting with Catina and her husband, Chris- telling them about Rainbow and so on. All of us waiting eagerly for the next arrival...Lionel!
Yet another friend from Florida was meeting us there to complete the Fabulous Four of friends. I took a tiny nap before good ol' Li shows up with gifts in hand for everyone! More hugs, pizza, wine, and lots of talking completes the first night in O-town. (Including my tummy sickness which causes me to retreate to the bathroom every 20
Cat and her daughter
They were the sweetest and most well behaved kids ever I do believe! mins...yuck!)
The next day, July 6th, we all hop in Cat's van and they take us on a tour of the area. We stop by a monestary, a closed-for-the-season ski lodge, and zip through the mountainous roads while Shel and I cuddle and try not to get car sick in the very back of the van.
(lt) Eventually we decided to hit the road for the West Coast as we have plans to meet more people and make a party for the World Cup showing! So onward, out of Ogden and on to Reno.
Reno, NV I again slept the majority of the way to Reno, curled up in the back seat of Boobacita and Shel's rent-a-car, as Lionel, Catina, and Chris trailed us in the van. I did catch some of the scenery before the sun dipped behind the horizen and it was quite beautiful! Mesa's dotting the flat of the desert and roads leading on and on into seemingly nothing.
We roll up to Reno and it is completely the opposite of what Rainbow is! The lights everywhere blinking and screaming for attendance to the casinos. We snap a few pictures of Downtown
The girlies
Shel, Cat and I in Cat's house in Ogden Reno before heading to Boobacita's house.
There we part with Boobacita- her and I hug, having become very close and her like another mom for me. We pull away leaving her with the rent-a-car, thanking her endlessly, and yelling Lovin' YOU!! On to our next stop!
San Jose, CA Now Li, Cat, Chris, Shel and I are piled into the van and head further west to San Jose where Shel lives. Later at night we pull up to her apartment complex and the lot of us piles out, pulling her dirtied up Rainbow Gear out of the van and moving it in. The crew stands around inside for a few minutes before getting directions to the nearest hotel, then Li, Cat and Chris head out and Shel and I relax in her house.
The next day Shel and I head out to meet the crew at Yahoo! headquarters. We've been invited by Yahoo (since thats where we all met, on Yahoo 360) to come and tour the grounds. We felt very special, let me tell you! And if Yahoo isnt the bombin'est of places to work! They have volleyball courts, foosball tables, fun scenerey, etc...you know,
The Franzia demo
A trademark, if you will one of those progressive companies.
We got a tour of the Yahoo store (of course), with a free purchase (Yay free stuff! I got a yahoo visor), then all around the campus up to the roof! We got to hang out with a bunch of the people we had interacted with on Y360 who have accounts, and they asked about how our trip was going, if I had the bus with me, and recognized a few of the different projects we've done online. Which, was kind of freaky because I dont have any of them on my friends list, so they were reading my writing behind the scenes!
But it was a blast on the roof! We had a bunch of snacks aaaand BEER! Yahoo TOTALLY got me drunk! After chatting about some trouble shooting from the comsumers perspective, we headed to a seminar room where they were having music performed by other Yahoo workers! One being Rich, who was the husband of another 360'er we were going to meet the next day.
After being thoroughly toasted and the music being over, Shel and I were itching to get back to the house to relax and her
to see her son after being away so long. We split with the crew and made plans to meet in Fermont for the World Cup party the next morning.
(lt) At the party we met a few more 360'ers, making this the biggest online joining EVAAAAA...well maybe not, but it was pretty impressive! After the game was watched, and Shel and I laughed about the dude headbutting the other dude in the chest at the end...we made plans again- this time to meet up to head into San Francisco for a night on the town!
San Francisco, CA THAT was fun as hell! We checked out the Golden Gate bridge and explored the little fort there.
(lt) Then went into town and scoped the city's day scene, going to Haight-Ashburry area, which was suspected to be a homecoming of sorts for me, being the assumed hippy of the group. I was sad to see what was an Icon of independant thinking and hippiedom turn to a consumery yuppy town, but it was fun!
As the sun set we met more 360'ers as we gathered at "The Stinking Rose", a garlic centered restaraunt down town. There was
Chillin at the table
Lionel, Shel and Cat chillin probably a total of 11 of us there, all drinking wine, singing, taking TONS of pictures, and having a blast. All the people there- Shel and I, Josie (shels best friend), Lionel, Cat and Chris, Mark (another 360'er) and his girl, Martha and Rich.
(lt) After dinner was perused the city, stopping at a bar and drinking Florescent Green drinks that I can never remember the name of (was just informed it was a Midori Sour). I was pretty smashed at this time and doing my rowdy goofball thing.
We then all wandered the streets of San Fran, checking out China town and some famous windy-curvy streets, Shel and I having a blast in the back of the van together!
(lt) Finally we ended up back at Shel's car and we headed home but were so sleepy we got a hotel for the night...I suppose that was the 7th of July.
(lt) I stayed in San Jose with Shel a few more days exploring San Jose- the Winchest Mansion, where she used to live as a kid, the her favorite mountain overlook
(lt), and so on. Then it was time for me to leave for now, and I
Moose molestation time
Yes! I hung from its antlers! flew back to Houston, TX on the 10th or 11th, then back drove back home to Corpus with Chris and his brother Brad who was visiting for a week.
Thus concludes the greatest summer vacation trip eva! (But wait...i still have more updating to do...only two weeks later I fly BACK out to San Jose!)
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