Girls weekend...plus Pete of course!

Julie had some of her girlfriends come visit us for the weekend.  Of course we wanted to show them all that Saint George had to offer which included a full dose of Pete.  You see, they have been following Pete on this blog, but never got to "experience" him up close and personal. This was their chance.

The girls, I will call them Christine and Michelle (actual names) arrived late Thursday night from the Bay Area.  We made them comfortable in their rooms and then went straight to drinking.  Michelle does not like to drink and I can only say I would hate to see her if she actually enjoyed it, if you know what I mean....  Sorry, no pictures of that.  We got up Friday morning at a reasonable time and waited for Pete to accompany us on a "starter" hike in Snow Canyon State Park, 5 minutes drive from our home.  The hike is on a dirt road that goes into the end of the canyon.  Not steep or rugged, but enough to give them the flavor of what we do here.

Christine, Julie, Michelle in Snow Canyon State Park

The hike was about five miles.  As the group spread out, Pete kept walking back to the lagging folks, then went back to the front of the pack.  "What is that all about?" asked Michelle.  More steps of course.  It never ends.  After the hike we took them to the Tuacahn Amphitheater in Ivins, also 5 minutes from our house.  It is a beautiful facility nestled in the end of yet another canyon and features nightly musicals such and Peter Pan, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and various musical groups.

Later in the afternoon we road bikes in our neighborhood.  The girls got to ride the cruisers while Julie and I road our mountain bikes which are a bit more challenging.  Afterwards we sat out by our fire pit and enjoyed a variety of wines.  I recently purchased a bottle of Carnivore at my favorite wine shop, Costco in Las Vegas.  I have to say that it was the hit of the party.  Even "non-drinker" Michelle tore it up!  I will try not to be a wine critic, but it has a cool name, the label with rips in it as if some wild creature had clawed it and I'm not talking about Michelle reaching for a third glass...  It also tastes good and has a great price point.  Try it!

The following morning it was up at the crack of dawn, well actually in the middle of the night to get to the Angel's landing Trail head before the crowds.  Pete entertained us on the ride out regaling the girls with "interesting facts" about the local area, geology, history, etc...  Shortly before sunrise we were on the trail up to Angel's Landing.  Michelle did not plan to take the final trail out to the end so we quickly divided into two groups...crazy and not so crazy.  As you can imagine, Pete, Christine and I were in the crazy group headed to the very edge of the earth.  Pete quieted down on the hike up which is often the case as his air is no longer available for luxuries such as talking.

As the trail narrowed towards the top (2.5 miles up), the number of hiker also thinned out as many get to Scout's landing and opt not to traverse the narrow trail to Angel's landing.  Keep in mind, Pete and I have done this hike a number of times and could probably do it with our eyes closed, although I do not recommend it.  We came upon a couple who were taking down the camp they had set up just off of the trail.  I did not know that was possible.  While it looked cool, I could only think of the fall that might occur if someone had to get up through the night to use the potty...  Pete greeted the couple and promptly asked "Where is Angel's Landing?".  Now, I previously mentioned that he and I have done this trail numerous times, there are chains up all along the course to prevent most deadly falls, and here he is asking for directions...  Perhaps he was just trying to make small talk, or was looking for Observation Point, another outcropping on an adjacent mountain so he says.  I'm not sure which it is, but I will not let him live that one down.  Anyway, we moved on and finally made it to the end as I have pictures to proved!

Christine on the chains!  Easy...

Christine and Pete at the top!

Dave, Christine and Pete at Angel's Landing

We had another exciting experience that day besides getting Christine to the top.  How many of you have ever seen a California Condor in the wild?  Well, there we were at the top when all of a sudden two huge birds go drifting by.  We knew immediately that they were condors just because of their size.  I quickly whipped out my phone and took these pictures which will never do these amazing birds justice.

California Condor 

Condor.  Note that their feet hand down during flight rather than being tucked up.  

On a previous hike we spotted Big Horn Sheep.  I wanted to include them because I often see similarities between Pete and the wild life.  See if you don't see it as well.

Majestic Big Horn Sheep

Majestic Pete in his natural habitat

Ok, if you did not see that similarity, see if you can see this one....

Gollum from Lord of the Rings.

Pete from Mississippi...

Did you see it?  Ok, let's try another one....

Pete....

Gollum...."my precious..."

Julie, Christine, Michell and Gollum...I mean Pete!

One last thing.  We had a great time with the girls and Pete and hope they want to come back some day as we have other adventures to share with them such as crossing the Grand Canyon!  Seeing the condor was really a highlight for me.  I kept telling Julie how cool it was to see them so close and in the wild.  Never wanting to be outdone, she took this picture...

Julie sharing a smooch with a "condor" in the Human History Museum at Zion.  Lucky bird!

Pete and I are off to Moab for a bike trip.  Julie was supposed to go as well but had a bit of a tumble on her bike resulting in a fractured radial bone in her forearm.  No cast, but she has wisely chosen to skip the trip and let her arm properly heal.  Pete and I will miss her terribly, especially me.

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS STAYS IN VEGAS...UNLESS I BLOG ABOUT IT!

September is a very important month of the year.  Actually, the most important month because September is Julie's birthday month.  Yes, unlike the rest of us who celebrate the day we are born, Julie makes the entire month a celebration, dedicated to her birth.  I did not realize this until early in our relationship when we looked at picture after picture of her childhood birthday parties.  Never having had a single party myself, I was both surprised and educated as to the importance of her birthday.

Julie's birthday is not until the 21st, but it is never too early to start the celebration so we headed to Las Vegas, party central.  Not wanting to miss a chance to go to Vegas AND celebrate Julie, her parents met us there on the second day.

I thought I might share some photos with you to describe our celebration...

Dinner on the first night!

We ate at the Steve Wynn Steak House the first evening sitting outdoors on the patio next to the lake which features music, lights and animated creatures singing every 30 minutes once it becomes dark.  During one of the shows a human figure comes up from the water, standing for a few minutes before re-submerging.  Pete made the observation that this "person" was not part of the show, but was performing maintenance.

"Maintenance Man"

Well, I took a picture of this "Maintenance Man" for Pete.  He was there not moving for at least an hour before the shows started, then disappeared once the shows started only to reappear as part of the act popping out of the water just as you see him in the picture, only to disappear once again when the act was over.

Birthday Girl!

Pete and Cookie came on day 2, meeting at the pool.  Cookie has been bragging about her ability to float on water and was kind enough to demonstrate her buoyancy prowess for us mortals.

Cookie afloat with Julie observing.

Ok, she is amazing.  Her feet are sticking out of the water.  She can float with her hands out or across her chest.   I don't know about the rest of you, but my legs begin to sink immediately when I try to float.  The only thing that keeps my upper body even remotely close to the surface is the air in my lungs.  Otherwise it would be straight to the bottom for me.  If we take a cruise, I plan to make certain Cookie is onboard should things go wrong.  I plan to cling to her like Kate Winslet on that floating door in Titanic!

We had a great time hanging with Pete and Cookie at the pool where many adult beverages were consumed.  I don't know if it was the alcohol, Vegas or she was simply tired of Julie and I smooching and wanted to give us a taste of our own medicine, but something was up in Vegas....

Are you cold Pete?

Dessert anyone?

Julie photobombs an intimate moment

We had a spectacular dinner at the Lakeside Restaurant at the Wynn, our favorite place to eat in Las Vegas.  Not only does it have wonderful seafood, but it shares the lake and show with the Steve Wynn Steakhouse.  I have to share with you the strangest thing that happened when they wheeled out the lobsters on a cart so you can select the one you like if you are so inclined.  I was admiring a good sized lobster when I noticed that he was using his claw to point to the lobster laying next to him.  He sort of motioned towards the unsuspecting crustacean with his  head and then gave me the most subtle of winks...  I figured he knew what he was talking about and selected his neighbor for dinner.  He was right!  

The Wynn and Encore are two adjoining luxury hotels and casinos, both owned by Steve Wynn.  We highly recommend staying there if you ever visit Vegas, particularly if you want to avoid the unwashed masses that abound at other casinos.  

Dave and Pete with glass bubble sculpture of Popeye.  This piece of art is very expensive and fragile and has it's own security guard 24/7.  Pete, not so much!

Dinner and a show! The mechanical frog peeks over the wall and sings "What a Wonderful World".  

 It was a wonderful trip made very special by Julie's parents taking time out from Parcheesi and binge TV watching to come join us.  The month is not over and there will be many more opportunities to celebrate Julie.  In case you were wondering, she is accepting gift cards for Nordstrom, Athleta, Stitch Fix and Lululemon.  Only joking, cash is also accepted!

Happy Birthday, Julie!!!!

Happy Birthday, Beautiful!!!!!

Yosemite Visit - Hiking Half Dome

Kids in Yosemite.   Half Dome here we come!

We have been anticipating our trip to Yosemite to hike Half Dome since March of this year.  That is when we were notified that we had received a permit that we applied for months earlier.  Apparently the hike/climb is so popular that you must have a permit or risk a $300 fine per person.  The permit is good for 6 hikers and runs about $58.  In spite of that we met up with several hikers who were willing to test the system and the fine.  This is also a great revenue source for the park as they issue hundreds of permits and tickets each day.  Ok, enough about permits...

Julie, Pete and I drove the 10 hours to Yosemite on Thursday.  Well, actually I drove while the others rode, read, slept and generally relaxed.  I know I've mentioned that Pete is Julie's father, but he also serves as our child.  "How much longer?"  "Can we make a potty stop?"  "What do we have to eat?"  You get it.  Also, once on the trail, Julie is constantly getting things from or putting things into his backpack so that he does not have to remove the pack which also requires her assistance.  Early into the hike Pete stuffs an orange into his pants pocket so that it is easy to get to should he need it and Julie is not immediately available.  I guess he does not mind the bulging pocket and questioning looks from other hikers as he hikes.

One of MANY forays into Pete's backpack for something.

We finally arrived after a long drive, checked into the hotel, had pizza for dinner as that was all that was available and then went to bed early as we had a 2 AM wake up in order to leave for the trail by 3 AM.  The next morning we met up with Julie's brother Sean who had arrived later the night before with his family.  We piled into the SUV and headed to the trail head 30 minutes away.  Even though it was dark, the views were breathtaking with the full moon.

Gorgeous scenery!

The 7 mile (one way) hike starts with some steep trails and then never ending steps in the rock of varying heights in order to achieve the 4,800 feet of elevation gain needed to get to Half Dome.  Luckily we had trained hard and the hike was just another quad workout.  Pete did an amazing job on the hike and even took time out to enjoy the wildlife, although the wildlife did not enjoy him....

Pete spots Bambi!

The hike takes you past Vernal Falls and Yosemite Falls as well as through the meadow at Little Yosemite Valley where the trail became more crowded as overnight campers joined in on the trek to the top.  During the hike we had plenty of opportunities to chat with people as we passed them or on a very rare occasion they passed us.  About 10% of the visitors to Yosemite are from outside the U.S..  by our accounts that seemed a bit low as many of the people we spoke to were from France, Canada, Germany, England and New York (is that part of the U.S.?).  They were all friendly and excited to get to the "cables".  The cables are installed on the last 400 feet to the top to aid hikers in getting up the wall of granite that averages a 45 degree slope meaning it is sometimes steeper than 45 degrees and somewhat less as you crest the top.  The cables are used to literally pull yourself up the steep and often slippery slope.  The cables are also where most traffic jams occur as people ascending Half Dome try to maneuver around those coming down.

Left to Right: Sean, Pete, Julie and Dave with The Cables in the background.  Yes, those specks are people on the cables.

Warning sign!!!

Dave on Cables near the top so not as steep.

Julie near the top so not as steep.

Sean further down the slope, much steeper.

The cables have planks of wood every 10 feet or so that provide a place to stand and wait or rest if needed.  The cables require a good bit of courage and a lot of shoulder strength.  Pete wisely opted out of the cable portion of the hike since he had recently torn a rotator cuff during a mountain bike fall...see previous blogs for specifics.  He waited patiently at the base of Half Dome known as Sub Dome, or party central.  This is where folks hang out before climbing, after climbing or while waiting for others.  Pete made himself comfortable and kept the many young women nearby entertained.  Oh, that orange...when Pete finally got to Sub Dome, he decided to sit on a rock to wait for our return.  As he squatted down, the orange became compressed in his shorts pocket and eventually launched itself out like a cannon ball.  Imagine an orange sphere ejected from a pocket skittering its way across the gray granite surface of Sub Dome, eventually dropping over the edge into oblivion. We considered calling Search and Rescue to see if they were willing to recover the orange from the rocks hundreds of feet below, but then thought better of it.  I am happy to report that was the only casualty of the climb.

Sub Dome.  Anybody see an orange?

We spent a little time and the top of Half Dome taking pictures and talking with people.  It was a very friendly bunch.  I ended up taking family photos for numerous groups, just one of the many services I provide.  

On Top!

The trip down Half Dome was more challenging than the trip up.  After years of hikers on the same path, the granite gets worn and is pretty slick which is much less noticeable on the way up.  You basically slide from one board to the next hanging on to the cables to try and keep the speed of the slide down to a minimum.  Most people chose to keep their backs to the bottom as they slid, but I preferred facing down so I could watch the other hikers below me on their way up or down.  It was entertaining, plus I could chat with them and take an occasional picture for them.  

The hike down the remaining 9 or so miles (yes, we took a longer route down) was uneventful with stops to take pictures of the beautiful scenery.  As we got closer to the bottom we ran into swarms of mortals as they "hiked" to see Vernal Falls.  The Park is CRAZY busy by mid day.

Yosemite Falls

Pete and his baby boy, Sean...ahhhhhh.

Dave and Julie, oh, and some background scenery

 One last thing before we go.  As you park your car in the park, there is a sign warning that food items left on the car will attract bears who will rip your doors off for a Snickers bar...  Who wouldn't?  Any way, I asked Pete to pose with the pictures and here is what we got.  You have to look closely to spot Pete "driving" the car and then reacting to the bear....

The display with Pete "driving".

Pete minding his own business as he drives...

Pete realizes he is not alone in the car!

Ok, you can not tell me Pete is not a hoot.  He is such a good sport.  As always we had a great time with him and really enjoyed Sean coming out for our latest adventure.  Oh, and I have to point out that the stuff in this fake vehicle is pretty close to the clutter in Pete's car as he is always hauling recyclable materials in his car plus a bunch of other junk he may need if the apocalypse hits.

Having a Fit over Fit Bit

Julie got us Fit Bits for Christmas last year.  It was intended to inspire us to keep fit, like we need some constant reminder about how many steps we have taken each day.  In fact, it has become a constant source of disappointment and frustration. The trouble started when Pete "buddied" up with us so we could all compare our weekly steps against one another.  It seemed like a great idea at the time and I honestly thought it would motivate Pete to get out and get some exercise.  What seemed like a good idea at the time has turned into a nightmare.  Each week I get a summary of my, Julie's and Pete's total steps for the week and without many exceptions, Pete is the step "winner" by a long shot.  How can that possibly be?  We are runners, Pete is not.  When he works out, he is with us going the same distances.  We should be kicking his butt!

I have studied this phenomenon for months looking for some glitch or trick that may be causing this obvious mistake.  Here is what I discovered...  Costco has a sale on toilet paper...you know, 30 rolls!!!  Well, you are limited to one massive block of toilet paper per customer.  That is obviously not enough for someone who invests in toilet paper futures so Pete buys his block of 30, walks to the car, returns for his next block of 30, walks to the car and so on until he has accumulated 6 of the blocks for a total of 180 rolls, keep in mind there are only two people in their home.  OK, toilet paper consumption aside, this walking adds up!  Then you have the six trips to the car just to get out of the driveway.  Keys?  Wallet?  Phone? Coupons (toilet paper)? Shirt?  Shoes?  Many of us would, A. Learn from previous mistakes and think about what we need so one trip to the car is sufficient, B. Discover we had forgotten the keys and think, what else should I get before going back to the car?  Or, just keep walking out, discovering something else is missing and going back specifically for that item, repeating this process over and over again.  More Step accumulation!  On a recent road trip, we were at a standstill while they escorted vehicles past the construction.  Pete took this as an opportunity to walk quite a ways away from the car in order to take care of "business" while pretending to enjoy the flora and fauna.  Once that was complete he walks over to talk with some truckers, a motorcycle gang, kids on skateboards, a dog and a bush.  All the while I'm thinking of the steps he is accumulating while I have to wait in traffic in the event it is our turn to go.  I did vow to leave him if he was not back, but as always, he timed his last step perfectly to arrive just as we were ready to go.

If this was not bad enough, we take the same hike, cover the same distance and compare steps and he is ahead, way ahead on steps!  How can that be?!  Frustrated, I walked behind him counting his steps against mine.  The Fit Bit is right.  Here is the problem, his stride is probably normal for a strapping 5 foot 5 inch man.  My stride is considerably longer meaning fewer comparable steps over the same distance.  20 percent fewer to be exact!  I can't possibly win this competition.  Yes, it is a competition, life is a competition!

I have given up trying to beat Pete, but can't help but cringe each week when our Buddy summary arrives.  Now that I think of it, he is killing us on toilet paper consumption too!

Make no mistake, this is a Step Machine.  Don't ask me to explain the rest....

East Coast Vacation

Can you technically be on vacation when you are retired?  I'll get back to you on that one.  Anyway, we traveled east to visit my oldest daughter, her husband and two boys.  She is VERY pregnant with son number three and we honestly hoped he would come while we were there so we could help out, but he did not make an appearance.  We did get to spend a few days in Southern Maryland swimming, watching movies, walking with the boys and putting together Lego's.  Our oldest grandson Jack organized a Lego building contest between Julie and myself.  We each had to put together some pre-assigned Star Wars fighter craft, instructions included.  If I had not gotten that eyelash in my eye I am certain I would have won.  Anyway, Julie managed to construct hers in record time as I fumbled with the pieces.  They are very small you know!  We had a great deal of fun with all of them and are planning to go back for Thanksgiving when we will meet Benjamin Issac and have a rematch.

Jack, Papa, and Seth (Hamming it up)

Papa, Jack and Julie

Seth

Did I mention that Julie got her hair cut short?  I guess the picture above was a clue.  She decided after great consideration and my prompting that it was time to go short and sassy.  It looks amazing!

While we were back east...why do we always say "back east"?  The term is a matter of convention.  I will define that at another time.  We say back east, out west, down south and up north.  At some point the settlers of this country started in the east and some moved west, making back east a common term.  Out west makes sense if most settlers started in the east.  I have no explanation for down south or up north other than they signify direction on a map.  Anyway, we were also back east for our niece's wedding. It was great to spend time with all of the nieces, eat all the local delicacies and spend time with two of my brothers.  The wedding was just outside of Philadelphia so we got to try Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches.  They are huge!  I guess I did not have to eat the entire sandwich but I did not want to seem like a west coast snob.  You know how folks can be out west...  We do not have similar speciality foods in Saint George.  I'm trying to convince my nieces to come visit us and all I could offer as far as local delicacies are the "World's Greatest Corn Dogs", their words, not mine as written on the side of the food truck that sits outside the hardware store from time to time.  I'm not sure how they know it is actually the worlds greatest, but I'm going with it for now.  Hopefully that is enough to get them out west.

Brother Gary, wife MaryAnn 

Brother Randy and wife Lynne

Brothers - Dave, Gary and Randy

Julie with bride Megan, niece Colleen and Dave

Niece Suzy and boyfriend Ryan

Greg and Megan (Bride and Groom)

Oh, in case you were wondering, we did not attend the DNC which was in Philly at the same time...

All the time we were gone I kept talking about our hiking and riding buddy, Pete.  Pete stories are my favorite to tell.  We honestly missed him.  Well, we are back home, out west, and once again hard at it with Pete.  We rode our bikes 20 miles yesterday and hiked the West Rim Trail in Zion today.  I've attached a picture or two from the hike....

The views are breathtaking!

The boys missed each other...Pete and Dave!

Bryce Half Marathon

After running many, many marathons, the "Half" is gaining some appeal with Julie and me.  You can prepare pretty casually and still be prepared for the run whereas the "Marathon" takes a LOT of preparation and focus.  As retirees, focus is somewhat low on our priorities, right behind having fun and chilling.

The Bryce half appealed to us because of the location and scenery.  It is only a 2.5 hour drive from STG and it is just outside Bryce National Park.  Just because it is outside the park does not mean we did not get to see Hoodoos.  I know, you are asking yourself, "What the heck are Hoodoos"?

Julie and the Hoodoos

Check out them Hoodoos!  Hey, they are the rock formations on the right side of the photo!  You people disgust me!  Anyway, A hoodoo (also called a tent rock, fairy chimney, and earth pyramid) is a tall, thin spire of rock that protrudes from the bottom of an arid drainage basin or badland. Hoodoos, which may range from 1.5 to 45 metres (4.9 to 147.6 ft), typically consist of relatively soft rock topped by harder, less easily eroded stone that protects each column from the elements. They generally form within sedimentary rock and volcanic rock formations...Zzzzzzzz.....  Well, at least they are cool to see, and Bryce is full of them.

During the ride up we saw places where you could take a helicopter tour of the park, rent ATV's and go on horse rides.  Lots of stuff for tourists to do.  Each time we passed a new attraction I would say, "Pete would love that!  We need to bring him with us next time we come up and take him...ATV'ing, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, biking, you name it".  Finally I realized I missed having our little guy with us.  If only we can get him running.  We ended up going to dinner at a great place in Tropic, Utah.  Yes, that is the name of the town.  The restaurant is called, Stone Hearth Grille.  It was slightly away from the booming metropolis of Tropic and down a dirt road, but when you get there it is worth it.  Julie had steak and I had a huge pork chop, plus a bottle of wine, the perfect pre-race meal.  What do we care, it is only a half!  We ate on the back deck overlooking the koi pond and scenery of Bryce.  I highly recommend this restaurant if you find yourself driving through Tropic at dinner time.  

Stone Hearth Grille

The run was great.  It started at 6 AM.  We hung out in the Ruby Inn, taking advantage of the lobby restrooms and warmth until just minutes before the start.  The run is mostly downhill with some very deep descents around mile 2-4.  Don't be fooled, running downhill may increase speed, but it hammers your quads as we later learned.  Anyway, the run was lovely, scenic and fun.  Would we do it again?  Perhaps if someone wanted to run it and asked us to go along.  Our next big run is in October, the STG MARATHON!!!!  We've done that before, but it is local, so what the heck!  

Oh, in case you are also missing Pete....

Pete with his new phone!

Pete pretending the cow backbone he picked up on the trail is from his back!

Pete sticks the cow backbone in his shirt and pretends to be injured.  You got to love this guy!  We do!