Finally posting pics of my new 1987 Honda Elite 290cc scooter. Word around town it’s one of the fastest scooters in the county. So far I haven’t met my match yet. Other than getting about 60mpg, some other features of the scooter are:

• iPod interface
• speakers
• heated handle bar grips for those cold San Diego nights
• small dash mounted clock
• good luck object braided by an exiled Tibetan monk (yes this is true)
• extra large under seat storage

So far riding the scooter has been great. Parking? No problem. Gas prices? Don’t make me laugh. I went from spending about $70 per week on gas to about $10. Not to mention nothing helps wash away the stress of the workday more than a scooter ride home on a nice sunny day. If you see me on the road I only ask one thing: please don’t ask me if I know what scooters and fat chicks have in common. Oh, and don’t run me over.

     Here are the pictures from my recent San Francisco trip. I shot the whole trip in black and white. I walked about a million miles, covered a large portion of the city and surrounding areas, crossed the Golden Gate bridge, drank tons of great coffee, watched the Chinese New Year Parade, and toured the SF Museum of Modern Art. Additional writeup to come soon… Enjoy!

     Eric, Mike, and I headed up into the Sierra’s for a weekend snowboard/ski trip to a secret mountain spot and had one of the best weekend snow trips in recent memory. From start to finish, the gods smiled on us and delivered unto us fun, laughter, good food, great lodging, and, oh yeah, did I mention epic powder conditions!
     The 400 mile trip started out Friday around 2pm. We loaded the Exploder, er…I mean Explorer up with our gear and headed North. The drive is a long one but we entertained ourselves with good conversation, caffeine in varying forms, and beef jerky. We arrived around 10pm that night in the small village where we would be staying.
     Our cabin was great! Tons of personality, quaint, and nestled in the middle of the town (or what could be loosely defined as a town). It was 2 stories, 3 beds, with a fireplace. The outside was ringed by Christmas tree lights which made the cabin all the more appealing with the 5+ feet of snow surrounding the ground. We quickly huddled in and breathlessly passed out.
     In the morning we picked up some great rentals right up the street and fueled up on coffee and breakfast burritos. Our first day on the mountain we got great snow. All the runs were open and we were able to find some fresh powder amongst the trees. Eric even braved some of the obstacles in the park. We stayed on the mountain until closing time and could barely stand by the time we left.
     Later that night, as we were eating copious amounts of prime rib, mashed potatoes, and beef ribs it started snowing…a lot. We turned on the weather at the cabin and found out that there was a winter storm warning for our area and they were expecting 30+ inches of snow and 100mph winds on the tops of the peaks. Needless to say we were all giddy and hoping for a good dumping of fresh powder. After watching a few hours of Spike’s Most Amazing Videos, we slowly one by one retreated to another night of sleep.
     In the morning upon awakening the first thing we did was look outside to see everything covered in snow. Thundering booms were coming down the mountain, dynamite set by ski patrol to start avalanches. After getting dressed and heading towards the mountain we stopped to get some coffee and breakfast at which point we were informed that all roads leading in and out of the town were closed. Translation: no one could get to the mountain to ski other than the small handful of people staying in the village with 4-wheel drive.
     We had to wait an hour or two while the skeleton staff on the mountain dug the lifts out. Finally, we were able to hop on the lift and proceed up. On our way to the top, we gazed out upon hill after hill of beautiful, pristine powder. Long story short, we snowboarded all day and had nothing but fresh champagne powder all day. By the time the day was coming to a close we could barely balance. Mike was collapsing at every turn face down in the powder. I was barely able to get up after falling. Broken, beaten, with huge smiles we changed in the bathroom of the lodge and headed out, the roads now being open.
     The drive back was a long one beset by exhaustion, rain, one-lane desert roads that make you hallucinate, and at times snow and ice. We made it back safe and sound in the middle of the night. It’s trips like that that make it all worthwhile. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat!

     Due to a large storm spinning off of the California coast, San Diego gets slammed by massive surf. Waves were coming in consistently at 10′-12′ and the set waves were maxing at 18′. Last December I intrepidly tried to go out in similar sized surf and had to paddle back in without catching a single wave (unless you consider getting almost drowned on the way in “catching” a wave). This time though I was ready. I’ve been swimming laps regularly and practicing holding my breath, plus I was equipped with my 7′ gun. After a brutal paddle out I made it to the break and started dialing in the waves. Boards were getting broken all around and I took a few set waves on the head. But after about 3 hours I managed to catch 2 waves; one wave was in contention for being the biggest wave I’ve caught to date. Worth it? Of course!

Fing rocks Overload!

     Local San Diego rock band Fing honored Overload this weekend by agreeing to play a show in conjunction with the monthly “Ray at Night” art festival occurring in North Park. I built 2 additional stages but unfortunately underestimated the amount of sound equipment the band had. So after some brainstorming and some quick thinking we were able to construct a multi-level stage that was able to fit all of their equipment. Although it was raining outside, that didn’t stop the crowds from showing up and when Fing started to play the shop was full. They played a great set and a good time was had by all! If you get a chance to see this band live or pick up their music I highly recommend it!