Tower, this is Ghost Rider requesting a flyby!

I had an awesome experience this weekend. My friend, Jonathan, is a flight instructor and he took me flying in a two-seater single engine airplane! It was so fun! We flew from Santa Rosa to Napa, an easy 20 minute flight. It was sweet seeing the Sonoma Valley from the air. Really, the vineyards look like they could be small cornfields :) I was able to take controls in the air which was sweet! I did some maneuvers where you pull back on the controls to climb for a couple seconds and then push them forward hard to dive and get the whole negative G's thing going like on a roller coaster! Jonathan did a maneuver where we climbed hard to where it stalls and then goes into a nosedive and then bring us out of it before we start spinning (a 500 ft altitude drop). He asked if I wanted to take the controls during it, but I passed :) But I did accept the offer to land the plane! I was pretty nervous. With his step-by-step instructions, I brought us into the descent, circled the airport, and landed the plane! It was quite the adrenaline rush I must say! We'll see, maybe I've found a new hobby :)

This was our plane...I wish! I may have to give myself at least 10 yrs before I get a private jet :)


Jonathan making sure our plane is air-worthy


This is my touristy pic!


Santa Rosa from the air

Sonoma Valley


The town of Sonoma

California Giant Redwoods

Recently I had to do a drive up north on Hwy 101, pretty much to the Oregon border, for work. It was a 6 hr drive each way. The upside to this drive was that it goes through the middle of the famed California Giant Redwoods. On my way back, I took a little detour on a road called Avenue of the Giants. Also, the final hour of driving north goes along the ocean which has some pretty sweet views. I basically ended about 30 miles from the Oregon border and at that point, was closer to Portland than to San Francisco; did my work duties, then turned around and headed home. All I can say is thank goodness for John Piper and Michael Savage podcasts for keeping me sane during the 12 hrs of driving!

A bit of fog rolling in off of the Pacific

Hitchhikers are a common site along the highway. On an unrelated note, this area is where some of the finest weed in the world is grown!

Look closely and you'll see people jumping off the rock into the river. If I had my swimsuit with me I would have loved to join them!

Entering the Avenue of the Giants...30 miles of this!

I mean, I'm a pretty big guy, but that's a pretty big tree!

I couldn't resist the "Drive-through Tree!"

Summer Fling (For Real!)

I wanted to let all my readers know that I officially have a summer fling! Yes, it's exciting and I can't wait to tell you about her. Some of you may have met her already, but I have officially claimed her...so hand off! Let me describe her to you for those of you who don't know her. Her complexion is a beautiful gold with gorgeous blond hair, and she has striking green eyes. She is tall and slender with a great six-pack and even better figure! Oh ya...she's a hottie! I met her playing water volleyball this summer. And since then we have spent many an afternoon at the beach and pool together. When I'm not with her, I'm thinking about her; and when I'm with her, I have such a buzz, it feels like I'm walking on air! Her name...Budlight Lime! Oh ya, she is my summer fling, and I am all about her! Some may call me an alcoholic...I prefer to think of myself as a hopeless romantic...you decide!

Weekend in Florida

I just had a great weekend in Florida! I took the red-eye from San Fran to Pensacola on Friday night and just got back late last night. It was a great time with my sister and her family (three girls all under the age of 4!). We stayed in their friend's condo on the Gulf of Mexico...pretty pimp! We were in the Penthouse Suites on the very top floor (21st)! It was three solid days of lounging in the sun, swimming in the Gulf, and drinking beers...some of my favorite activities! My typical day consisted of waking up at 7AM (my nieces are early risers!), taking a jog on the beach, drinking a couple cups of coffee, heading down to the pool at 9AM and swimming with my nieces until 11 when Tara and Steve (my sister and brother-in-law) took them up and I lounged around the pool offering to buy random girls drinks until noon (I think they were underage anyways :). After lunch I would lounge by the pool or on the beach during the girls' naptime with my Budlight Lime for about 2-2.5 hrs (this was my main recharge time!) After naptime, we would go to the beach and build sandcastles and wade in the waves and then finish the afternoon off in the pool again. Multiply that day by 3, add a bottle of California wine in the evenings, throw in a birthday party for Uncle Tanner, and you have my trip to Florida! Now back to the daily grind...

Our pool was sweet!

Me and Kylie

My favorite lounge spot by the pool

The birthday party!

Awwww...hugs for Uncle Tanner!

The worst thing was that you couldn't swim in the Gulf w/out getting stung by jellyfish!

Race Results

So I got the results from the 3k I ran on July 4th. I got first place in the 25-29 year-old mens division! (That was out of seven, but still!) To my shame, one girl beat me in that age bracket so I got second overall in that division which meant a medal instead of a bottle of wine. And I got 66th out of 430, so not quite top 10%, but close. The good news is that since I was in the top 75, I'm qualified for the Boston Marathon!

Redwoods in the Morning, Napa in the Evening

On Friday I had an early morning. I had to leave my place at 4:45AM to drive to Fort Bragg, a small coastal town 2 hrs north of Santa Rosa. To get to the town, you have to drive 33 miles through the thick of the Redwoods, which ends at the Ocean where the town is. It's about a 45 minute drive through the Redwoods. In the morning, the coastal fog sets in the forest and it's a pretty neat drive.

Then that evening I had to drive to St. Helena, the nicest town in Napa Valley, to check a patient. It was dusk and once again, a beautiful drive. So even though it was about an 18 hr work day, I enjoyed some beautiful scenery. Hippie, grungy Redwoods in the morning; ritzy wine country in the evening!

At the end of this forest is the Pacific!

If you look close, in the middle of the picture is a glimpse of the hwy

A private Napa winery

My first post high school organized race!

On the 4th of July I did my first organized race! I was pretty excited...I had been training for a good couple weeks, so I knew I was prepared. It was called the Kenwood Foot Race and it's in the small town of Kenwood just outside Santa Rosa (you may have heard of Kenwood wines) nestled amongst the vineyards. There were over 2,000 runners, so I was a bit intimidated to say the least...but I got in the top 75 averaging just over 7 minute miles! So I hit my goal, a total time of 13 minutes 57 seconds (my goal was to be under 14 minutes)...the race was a 3k :) I almost caught a 10 year old girl in front of me, but I just couldn't do it! (But karma was on my side because she puked afterwards, haha). Maybe I'll tackle a 10k next. After the race, there was a pancake breakfast at a nearby church that we hit up...some of the best pancakes I've had!

Steven on the left and Gary in the middle, my coworkers, also ran. (Steven did the 10k).