Monday, March 31, 2008
Greetings from Vegas
I'm in Vegas for most of this week for CTIA Wireless, an industry tradeshow. This is a view from my room at the Wynn hotel. My room overlooks the Wynn golf course (the waterfall) and the pool, which isn't in this picture.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
The Napa Valley Trail Half Marathon
So, today was the half marathon that I signed up to run with Grace and Ann. I've supposedly been training for this run. I say supposedly because I wasn't nearly as disciplined as when I was training for the San Diego Rock-n-Roll marathon. I've been really behind on my training plan, and the longest distance I managed to run before this race was 6 miles. Let me tell you that running any race with little to no training is a bad idea. So, I decided that I should probably run/walk this one. Grace and Ann really didn't seem to mind either. =)
Unlike some of the other runs I've done before, this one was really low key. No corrals, timing chips or fancy finish line. It was also a well organized and supported event. We finished in about 3 hours and 30 minutes, which isn't bad considering we walked a good percentage of the course. The course was very scenic and peaceful with a few stream crossings. It was a bit tough in parts where there was pretty steep downhill and the ground was muddy. You could see where a few folks has slipped from the imprint on left on the ground. There were also some pretty steep uphill sections as well. I don't think I would've been able to run up those hills even if I had trained for this race. Even though it was a chilly start and slightly damp and muddy out, it was a fun event.
Before the race Grace asked me if I preferred trail races to regular races (e.g. pavement). I told her I'd have to let her know after this race because I've never really run a trail event before. While I thought trail running would be easier on my joints, the downhill sections really weren't that forgiving for my knees. Plus with the rocks and tree roots, it's pretty easy to turn an ankle or slip and fall. From a better-for-your-joints perspective, I think it's probably a wash. I think I prefer regular races because there's a different energy. There's always random people along the race route cheering you on. And that's pretty cool! I know there've been many times when I thought I couldn't do it, but then you'd hear someone in the randomly shout, "Good job! Keep it up!" And all of sudden, you get a burst of energy.
Aside from the run, the weekend was great! Not only did the boys meet us at the end of the race, they also prepared a delicious lunch for us girls back at our rental house! =) After relaxing for a bit, we went shopping at the Napa Outlets and then had dinner in downtown Napa. On Sunday, the boys slept in and the girls made breakfast for everyone. Kinda cute, huh? After packing up and locking up the house, we went wine tasting for a few hours before heading off to Oracle Arena. Greg, John and I met up with Dardy to catch the Warriors v. Mavericks game. All-in-all, it was a relaxing and fun-filled weekend!
Unlike some of the other runs I've done before, this one was really low key. No corrals, timing chips or fancy finish line. It was also a well organized and supported event. We finished in about 3 hours and 30 minutes, which isn't bad considering we walked a good percentage of the course. The course was very scenic and peaceful with a few stream crossings. It was a bit tough in parts where there was pretty steep downhill and the ground was muddy. You could see where a few folks has slipped from the imprint on left on the ground. There were also some pretty steep uphill sections as well. I don't think I would've been able to run up those hills even if I had trained for this race. Even though it was a chilly start and slightly damp and muddy out, it was a fun event.
Before the race Grace asked me if I preferred trail races to regular races (e.g. pavement). I told her I'd have to let her know after this race because I've never really run a trail event before. While I thought trail running would be easier on my joints, the downhill sections really weren't that forgiving for my knees. Plus with the rocks and tree roots, it's pretty easy to turn an ankle or slip and fall. From a better-for-your-joints perspective, I think it's probably a wash. I think I prefer regular races because there's a different energy. There's always random people along the race route cheering you on. And that's pretty cool! I know there've been many times when I thought I couldn't do it, but then you'd hear someone in the randomly shout, "Good job! Keep it up!" And all of sudden, you get a burst of energy.
Aside from the run, the weekend was great! Not only did the boys meet us at the end of the race, they also prepared a delicious lunch for us girls back at our rental house! =) After relaxing for a bit, we went shopping at the Napa Outlets and then had dinner in downtown Napa. On Sunday, the boys slept in and the girls made breakfast for everyone. Kinda cute, huh? After packing up and locking up the house, we went wine tasting for a few hours before heading off to Oracle Arena. Greg, John and I met up with Dardy to catch the Warriors v. Mavericks game. All-in-all, it was a relaxing and fun-filled weekend!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Spring Fever
This past weekend was probably the most active weekend we've had in a long time. The weather was fantastic, and we took full advantage of it. It felt really good to be outside, moving rather than being sedentary on the couch.
On Saturday, we went for a road ride from our house in Santa Clara to the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto. We had lunch at Max's Cafe and met up with our friends volunteering a doggie adoption event at a posh doggie boutique, Bowlicious. We rode ~30 miles, round trip. It may sound far, but that's a typical distance and route I used to ride on a regular basis (when I was more active). I honestly can't remember the last time I was on my bike. And I could *definitely* tell it had been a long time. When we started the ride, my seat felt too high. I know it hadn't been adjusted and my legs haven't gotten any shorter. My legs felt like lead on our return ride, and my bottom was sore from sitting on my bike saddle. After the ride, my legs, arms, shoulders and abs were sore. It's really sad if you think about how hard it is to get into shape, but how easy it is to get out of shape.
On Sunday, we met up with some of our friends at the park to play grass volleyball. It's the first time this year that we've gone out to play grass volleyball. Quite a few people came out to enjoy the warm afternoon and hang out. It was a lot of fun! We're looking forward to more active weekends, especially since Spring is here and the weather is getting better.
On Saturday, we went for a road ride from our house in Santa Clara to the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto. We had lunch at Max's Cafe and met up with our friends volunteering a doggie adoption event at a posh doggie boutique, Bowlicious. We rode ~30 miles, round trip. It may sound far, but that's a typical distance and route I used to ride on a regular basis (when I was more active). I honestly can't remember the last time I was on my bike. And I could *definitely* tell it had been a long time. When we started the ride, my seat felt too high. I know it hadn't been adjusted and my legs haven't gotten any shorter. My legs felt like lead on our return ride, and my bottom was sore from sitting on my bike saddle. After the ride, my legs, arms, shoulders and abs were sore. It's really sad if you think about how hard it is to get into shape, but how easy it is to get out of shape.
On Sunday, we met up with some of our friends at the park to play grass volleyball. It's the first time this year that we've gone out to play grass volleyball. Quite a few people came out to enjoy the warm afternoon and hang out. It was a lot of fun! We're looking forward to more active weekends, especially since Spring is here and the weather is getting better.
Friday, March 21, 2008
WooHoo, We're Homeless!
Okay, technically, we're not homeless. We just sold our Sunnyvale townhouse! For those of you who don't know, the Sunnyvale townhouse was my (Cheryl's) old place. We were pleasantly surprised at how quickly it sold, especially given the current state of the credit and real estate markets. It was on the market for less than a week *and* we got our asking price plus a bit more. It was all very exciting!
Our realtor, Royce Cablayan, was phenomenal! He was great to work with, very patient with all our questions and provided helpful suggestions on the improvements we should and shouldn't make to the place. I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking to buy or sell a place.
A couple of people have asked me if I'm sad about selling my place. Honestly, I'm not. I don't have any emotional attachments to it. It's probably because I haven't been living there for a while now. If I was still living in the place when we sold it, then I'd probably feel a bit sad. But I said my goodbyes about 5 months ago when I moved into Greg's townhouse in Santa Clara. I still have to correct myself when I talk about our home. Even though Greg's done so much to make sure that it feels like my home too and I consider our current residence my home, I often refer to it as Greg's place instead of our place or my place. It probably bothers me more than Greg that I do that. Hopefully, now that we've sold the Sunnyvale place, it'll be easier.
Other people have asked what we're going to do with the proceeds from the sale. Well, I've spent some of it on a new laptop (no, it's not a MacBook) that will hopefully arrive sometime next week. And we're going to use another chunk of it to upgrade our kitchen with new cabinets, counter, sink, lighting and appliances. (Which reminds me, has anyone recently purchased a dishwasher or range? If so, I'd appreciate any recommendations or thoughts you have on these appliances.) The rest of it has to go into a VERY safe short-term financial intsrument because it's our down payment for a single family home. We want to give Tachi a backyard to run around in. We haven't started looking and will probably wait until the government raises the conforming loan limit before we start to look. In the meantime, we can look forward to our remodeled kitchen.
Our realtor, Royce Cablayan, was phenomenal! He was great to work with, very patient with all our questions and provided helpful suggestions on the improvements we should and shouldn't make to the place. I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking to buy or sell a place.
A couple of people have asked me if I'm sad about selling my place. Honestly, I'm not. I don't have any emotional attachments to it. It's probably because I haven't been living there for a while now. If I was still living in the place when we sold it, then I'd probably feel a bit sad. But I said my goodbyes about 5 months ago when I moved into Greg's townhouse in Santa Clara. I still have to correct myself when I talk about our home. Even though Greg's done so much to make sure that it feels like my home too and I consider our current residence my home, I often refer to it as Greg's place instead of our place or my place. It probably bothers me more than Greg that I do that. Hopefully, now that we've sold the Sunnyvale place, it'll be easier.
Other people have asked what we're going to do with the proceeds from the sale. Well, I've spent some of it on a new laptop (no, it's not a MacBook) that will hopefully arrive sometime next week. And we're going to use another chunk of it to upgrade our kitchen with new cabinets, counter, sink, lighting and appliances. (Which reminds me, has anyone recently purchased a dishwasher or range? If so, I'd appreciate any recommendations or thoughts you have on these appliances.) The rest of it has to go into a VERY safe short-term financial intsrument because it's our down payment for a single family home. We want to give Tachi a backyard to run around in. We haven't started looking and will probably wait until the government raises the conforming loan limit before we start to look. In the meantime, we can look forward to our remodeled kitchen.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Red Egg and Ginger Party
This past weekend, I (Greg was at a bachelor party) went to red egg and ginger party for my friend's new baby girl. I had a great time seeing my friend, her husband and their adorable baby girl. It was really nice to catch up with her extended family and our mutual friends too. Her daughter slept through most of the event, which is amazing considering the noise and all the little kids peeking into her stroller or poking at her to get her to wake up.
Speaking of little kids, I was amazed at how many kids were there. It seemed like everywhere I turned there was a either an infant, toddler or kid who was about 7 or younger. Where did all these kids come from?! I guess we're getting to that stage of life...
Speaking of little kids, I was amazed at how many kids were there. It seemed like everywhere I turned there was a either an infant, toddler or kid who was about 7 or younger. Where did all these kids come from?! I guess we're getting to that stage of life...
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The Library
Yesterday afternoon, I took a field trip to the Santa Clara library. Why? Well, several weeks ago my co-workers and I were talking about Barak Obama's book, The Audacity of Hope. Both of them had read the book and were supporting Obama in the Democratic primary. In fact, one of them said that the book reminded him of all the reasons why he loved living in this country and being American. He is an immigrant from India. I was intrigued and made some offhand comment about having to stop at the book store to pick it up. To which, my other co-worker remarked, "Buy it? Why don't you just borrow it from the library."
The library? I couldn't remember the last time I had stepped foot in a library. It was probably college. That got me thinking about why I hadn't visited a library in such a long time. When I was kid, I used to go to the library every Saturday morning. It was one of the many things I looked forward to. And my brother and I participated in the summer reading programs sponsored by our local library. Of course, it helped that there were prizes and Choose Your Own Adventure books counted as part of the program.
In junior high and high school, the library represented a sort of social freedom. Studying at the library was a way to hang out with friends and boys outside the ever watchful eyes of our parents. In fact, I know some of my friends would tell their parent's they were going to the library, but really they were at some boy's house. Really in between all the goofing off and white lies, we did manage to do some homework and research for papers/projects.
In college, the library was part socializing, part research for papers, and part actually studying (generally around mid-terms and finals). Sometimes studying at the library was even a pseudo-date. But now that I'm not in school, I didn't need to study or write papers anymore. And my friends and I socialize at different venues now: Starbucks, apartments/houses, volleyball.
So, how was the library? The Santa Clara library is a rather new, contemporary building with many modern amenities. There's lots of great natural light and spaces to read / work. They have computers with internet access available for use, free of charge. The tables have power plugs hidden underneath the table tops so you can plug your laptop in. There's even a cafe in the library! Although I think you have to consume your food/beverages at the tables around the cafe and not in other parts of the library. I'll have to double check that the next time I go. In addition to books, you can borrow DVDs, CDs, videos, and audio books.
I got a library card and started to look for a book to borrow. Borrowing a book instead of buying it actually makes a lot of sense (unless it's Harry Potter). I rarely read a book more than once. And when I'm finished with it, it just sits on my self collecting dust. But as I was looking up books that I had wanted to read, I realized what I disliked about the library. They didn't have any of them available. They were all checked out! Hmpf.
The library? I couldn't remember the last time I had stepped foot in a library. It was probably college. That got me thinking about why I hadn't visited a library in such a long time. When I was kid, I used to go to the library every Saturday morning. It was one of the many things I looked forward to. And my brother and I participated in the summer reading programs sponsored by our local library. Of course, it helped that there were prizes and Choose Your Own Adventure books counted as part of the program.
In junior high and high school, the library represented a sort of social freedom. Studying at the library was a way to hang out with friends and boys outside the ever watchful eyes of our parents. In fact, I know some of my friends would tell their parent's they were going to the library, but really they were at some boy's house. Really in between all the goofing off and white lies, we did manage to do some homework and research for papers/projects.
In college, the library was part socializing, part research for papers, and part actually studying (generally around mid-terms and finals). Sometimes studying at the library was even a pseudo-date. But now that I'm not in school, I didn't need to study or write papers anymore. And my friends and I socialize at different venues now: Starbucks, apartments/houses, volleyball.
So, how was the library? The Santa Clara library is a rather new, contemporary building with many modern amenities. There's lots of great natural light and spaces to read / work. They have computers with internet access available for use, free of charge. The tables have power plugs hidden underneath the table tops so you can plug your laptop in. There's even a cafe in the library! Although I think you have to consume your food/beverages at the tables around the cafe and not in other parts of the library. I'll have to double check that the next time I go. In addition to books, you can borrow DVDs, CDs, videos, and audio books.
I got a library card and started to look for a book to borrow. Borrowing a book instead of buying it actually makes a lot of sense (unless it's Harry Potter). I rarely read a book more than once. And when I'm finished with it, it just sits on my self collecting dust. But as I was looking up books that I had wanted to read, I realized what I disliked about the library. They didn't have any of them available. They were all checked out! Hmpf.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Driving in Cricles
This weekend we went to Tahoe with some friends. When I was younger, I used to go to Tahoe frequently (read: every weekend) with friends. I'm not sure what happened, but I haven't been to Tahoe much in the past couple of seasons. Maybe it's because the snow hasn't been that great. Maybe it's because I'm getting old and lazy. Maybe it's because many of my friends have moved away and the ones who are here don't go up much either. Maybe it's because boarding just isn't the same as it used to be for me. Maybe it's a little bit of all of those things. Either way, I was looking forward to a relaxing, get away weekend.
We left Friday morning and had an uneventful drive into Tahoe. After settling in, we built a fort and snow people to greet the rest of our group. Saturday, we boarded at Sierra-at-Tahoe, even though we were closer to Heavenly. I think most folks in our group prefer Sierra because it's less expensive and is more boarder-friendly. The conditions were good in the morning: fresh powder, no lines, decent weather (not blue skies, but also not snowing or too windy). As the day progressed, we could tell that the storm was moving in. By lunch time, it was snowing and pretty gusty at the top of the mountain. But we went out for more boarding because the snow was so good. After a yummy dinner prepared by Grace, we just hung out and played Rock Band. Thanks for bringing it up, Ed and Char!
Sunday morning was a lazy morning. Slept in, made breakfast and had a snowball fight. That was good fun! Then it was time to pack it up and head home. This is when our weekend turned into a miserable, never-ending comedy of errors.
First a map of Lake Tahoe to help orient you.
We were staying in S. Lake Tahoe (bottom of the map), just off the road that takes you from S. Lake Tahoe Blvd to Heavenly (Ski Run for those of you familiar with the Tahoe Area).
1:00 PM - We departed the cabin. We inched our way forward on Pioneer Trail and noted all the cars turning around. Hmm...this is not a good sign. Thanks to the magic of GPS, we were able to take back roads to Meyers, near the junction of Hwy 50 and 89. (We're still at the bottom of the map). Cal Trans has closed Hwy 50 and 89 for avalanche work at the summit. Hwy 88 was closed due to avalanche danger. So, we couldn't take the 89 to 88 past Kirkwood. We just sat and wait...and wait...and wait. If any of you have taken a road trip with my husband, you *know* that this is cruel and unusual punishment for him (and anyone else in the car with him). He *cannot* sit still and gets incredibly antsy. Thankfully, we had a deck of cards and started playing card games.
3:30 PM - We've been sitting for 2.5 hours. Some of us have to potty. We made an executive decision to turn around and drive around the lake to the North Shore/Truckee to take Hwy 80 home. Of course, we checked road conditions before we made this decision. Hwy 80 as open. Why is this a big deal? Because in the winter, you have to go the long way around the lake. Hwy 89 is closed at Emerald Bay due to avalanche danger. For those of you not familiar with the long way, look at the map. We drove back towards our cabin on Hwy 50, crossed the Nevada/California State line, up Hwy 50 to Hwy 28 to Hwy 267 to Hwy 80.
6:00 PM - We're now at the top left of the map, near Truckee. The road conditions are not stellar. It's snowing, borderline blizzarding. The visibilty is poor. But traffic is moving! As we approach 80 westbound, there aren't many cars on the highway. Maybe everyone's already headed home? It looks like we made a good decision...until we see brake lights and then 80 becomes a parking lot at Donner Pass Road. Hwy 80 is *closed* at Donner Summit due to blizzard-like conditions and zero visibility. We also find out that Hwy 50 is now open. OMG! Are you have to be kidding me?! It's kinda comical...in a sick twisted way. What should we do? We decided to get dinner and see if the road opens up after we're done.
7:00 PM - We manage to maneuver around all the parked cars and flip a u-turn on the highway. Yes, we flipped a u-turn. After driving around for 20 minutes, we found an Italian place in Truckee. We had a nice meal, watched some TV (the Oscars and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader), hung out for a bit and then decided to give it another shot.
9:00 PM - Hwy 80 is *still* closed. In fact, they blocked all the westbound on-ramps. What to do? Let's get gas at the gas station. There are heaps of cars, trucks and SUVs parked on the side of the road, just waiting. Should we drive back to S. Lake Tahoe and take Hwy 50 home? There's no guarantee that 50 will remain open and still be open by the time we get there. Not to mention the fact that our trek to Hwy 80 would've been a futile effort. Or do we wait it out for them to open 80? The last time we didn't wait, 50 opened up. Of course, there is no estimated time of re-opening. It's a catch-22. We're damned if we do. We're damned if we don't. We decide to wait it out, since the last time we didn't we got screwed.
Greg is now convinced that Cal Trans is in cahoots with the Truckee businesses. It's all just a ploy to keep people in the area...force us to spend money on food, gas and lodging. "Cal Trans sucks @$$," says Greg.
It's amazing how cold a car can get when it's cold outside. Luckily, Ed and Char had blankets to keep us warm. Note to self: pack blankets whenever we roadtrip. We talk for a little bit, and then everyone in the car dozes off.
12:00 AM - We wake up and decide to give it yet another shot. The storm seems to have passed. It's not snowing outside anymore, and the wind seems to have died down. It's *still* closed! The guy in the truck says 80 probably won't be open until the morning. Hmm...we could just stay overnight, call in sick and board in fresh powder. Except we both have doggies we need to get back to. We've got nothing to lose now. So, (this is just classic) we drive *back* to S. Lake Tahoe to take Hwy 50 home. On the plus side, there's no traffic on the roads.
2:00 AM - Life is cruel. 13 hours after we left, we're back where we started. We basically drove to Truckee for dinner and a nap and then back to S. Lake Tahoe. Hahaha! On a positive note, everyone in the car is taking this in stride. No one's blaming anyone. Tempers are *not* flaring. Greg was probably the most frustrated person in the car because he's not good at feeling helpless. But he was still laughing at the situation and making jokes.
2:30 AM - Hwy 50 is...open! Hooray! We pass chain control and are on our way home. According to Char and Greg, driving 50 that late at night was surreal. You're literally staring into the blackness and you see nothing. Every now and then they'd see an animal along the side of the road. They saw a coyote, a mountain lion (they think) and Sasquatch (not). Ed and I were passed out in the back seat. So we'll take their word for it.
7:30 AM - After being on the road for 19.5 hours, we are *finally* home! I think the entire drive home is a lesson in patience. If we had just had the patience to wait it out on Hwy 50, we probably would've been home much sooner. Needless to say, we "worked" from home today and managed to take a nice long nap in the afternoon.
Call us crazy, but we're plotting another trip back to Tahoe to erase the sour memory of our insane drive home. =)
We left Friday morning and had an uneventful drive into Tahoe. After settling in, we built a fort and snow people to greet the rest of our group. Saturday, we boarded at Sierra-at-Tahoe, even though we were closer to Heavenly. I think most folks in our group prefer Sierra because it's less expensive and is more boarder-friendly. The conditions were good in the morning: fresh powder, no lines, decent weather (not blue skies, but also not snowing or too windy). As the day progressed, we could tell that the storm was moving in. By lunch time, it was snowing and pretty gusty at the top of the mountain. But we went out for more boarding because the snow was so good. After a yummy dinner prepared by Grace, we just hung out and played Rock Band. Thanks for bringing it up, Ed and Char!
Sunday morning was a lazy morning. Slept in, made breakfast and had a snowball fight. That was good fun! Then it was time to pack it up and head home. This is when our weekend turned into a miserable, never-ending comedy of errors.
First a map of Lake Tahoe to help orient you.
We were staying in S. Lake Tahoe (bottom of the map), just off the road that takes you from S. Lake Tahoe Blvd to Heavenly (Ski Run for those of you familiar with the Tahoe Area). 1:00 PM - We departed the cabin. We inched our way forward on Pioneer Trail and noted all the cars turning around. Hmm...this is not a good sign. Thanks to the magic of GPS, we were able to take back roads to Meyers, near the junction of Hwy 50 and 89. (We're still at the bottom of the map). Cal Trans has closed Hwy 50 and 89 for avalanche work at the summit. Hwy 88 was closed due to avalanche danger. So, we couldn't take the 89 to 88 past Kirkwood. We just sat and wait...and wait...and wait. If any of you have taken a road trip with my husband, you *know* that this is cruel and unusual punishment for him (and anyone else in the car with him). He *cannot* sit still and gets incredibly antsy. Thankfully, we had a deck of cards and started playing card games.
3:30 PM - We've been sitting for 2.5 hours. Some of us have to potty. We made an executive decision to turn around and drive around the lake to the North Shore/Truckee to take Hwy 80 home. Of course, we checked road conditions before we made this decision. Hwy 80 as open. Why is this a big deal? Because in the winter, you have to go the long way around the lake. Hwy 89 is closed at Emerald Bay due to avalanche danger. For those of you not familiar with the long way, look at the map. We drove back towards our cabin on Hwy 50, crossed the Nevada/California State line, up Hwy 50 to Hwy 28 to Hwy 267 to Hwy 80.
6:00 PM - We're now at the top left of the map, near Truckee. The road conditions are not stellar. It's snowing, borderline blizzarding. The visibilty is poor. But traffic is moving! As we approach 80 westbound, there aren't many cars on the highway. Maybe everyone's already headed home? It looks like we made a good decision...until we see brake lights and then 80 becomes a parking lot at Donner Pass Road. Hwy 80 is *closed* at Donner Summit due to blizzard-like conditions and zero visibility. We also find out that Hwy 50 is now open. OMG! Are you have to be kidding me?! It's kinda comical...in a sick twisted way. What should we do? We decided to get dinner and see if the road opens up after we're done.
7:00 PM - We manage to maneuver around all the parked cars and flip a u-turn on the highway. Yes, we flipped a u-turn. After driving around for 20 minutes, we found an Italian place in Truckee. We had a nice meal, watched some TV (the Oscars and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader), hung out for a bit and then decided to give it another shot.
9:00 PM - Hwy 80 is *still* closed. In fact, they blocked all the westbound on-ramps. What to do? Let's get gas at the gas station. There are heaps of cars, trucks and SUVs parked on the side of the road, just waiting. Should we drive back to S. Lake Tahoe and take Hwy 50 home? There's no guarantee that 50 will remain open and still be open by the time we get there. Not to mention the fact that our trek to Hwy 80 would've been a futile effort. Or do we wait it out for them to open 80? The last time we didn't wait, 50 opened up. Of course, there is no estimated time of re-opening. It's a catch-22. We're damned if we do. We're damned if we don't. We decide to wait it out, since the last time we didn't we got screwed.
Greg is now convinced that Cal Trans is in cahoots with the Truckee businesses. It's all just a ploy to keep people in the area...force us to spend money on food, gas and lodging. "Cal Trans sucks @$$," says Greg.
It's amazing how cold a car can get when it's cold outside. Luckily, Ed and Char had blankets to keep us warm. Note to self: pack blankets whenever we roadtrip. We talk for a little bit, and then everyone in the car dozes off.
12:00 AM - We wake up and decide to give it yet another shot. The storm seems to have passed. It's not snowing outside anymore, and the wind seems to have died down. It's *still* closed! The guy in the truck says 80 probably won't be open until the morning. Hmm...we could just stay overnight, call in sick and board in fresh powder. Except we both have doggies we need to get back to. We've got nothing to lose now. So, (this is just classic) we drive *back* to S. Lake Tahoe to take Hwy 50 home. On the plus side, there's no traffic on the roads.
2:00 AM - Life is cruel. 13 hours after we left, we're back where we started. We basically drove to Truckee for dinner and a nap and then back to S. Lake Tahoe. Hahaha! On a positive note, everyone in the car is taking this in stride. No one's blaming anyone. Tempers are *not* flaring. Greg was probably the most frustrated person in the car because he's not good at feeling helpless. But he was still laughing at the situation and making jokes.
2:30 AM - Hwy 50 is...open! Hooray! We pass chain control and are on our way home. According to Char and Greg, driving 50 that late at night was surreal. You're literally staring into the blackness and you see nothing. Every now and then they'd see an animal along the side of the road. They saw a coyote, a mountain lion (they think) and Sasquatch (not). Ed and I were passed out in the back seat. So we'll take their word for it.
7:30 AM - After being on the road for 19.5 hours, we are *finally* home! I think the entire drive home is a lesson in patience. If we had just had the patience to wait it out on Hwy 50, we probably would've been home much sooner. Needless to say, we "worked" from home today and managed to take a nice long nap in the afternoon.
Call us crazy, but we're plotting another trip back to Tahoe to erase the sour memory of our insane drive home. =)
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