I just said to Dad that just because I haven't blogged doesn't mean I wasn't having fun! His reply was that we've been busy!! I decided I should write about last week, the penultimate (full) week of this epic visit to California. I figured out how to post date it though so it'll be in chronological order :) Fancy me!
I will start with the 2nd Annual Fawnskin Ride-n-Tie. Last year's ride was my first ever radio event. Now I'm an old pro ;) This event is put on by my big brother and takes riders/runners through the hills above the "suburb" of Fawnskin (it's across the lake from the "big city"). The race grew by 50% - from four teams to six!! Also, it rained. Stormed. Poured. Now, if you remember, I just spent at least 6 weeks wet in Texas. This was different. This rain was COLD!! It was quite exciting to turn on the heater in the car mid-morning in July!! In fact, this may have been the first time it was on in the new car!! The other memorable experience is that we had a team, so a rider and a runner, not me through our checkpoint. They left the one before us... After about 20 minutes thinking they'd be around the bend any second, we called in and the Race Director was alerted. They were found (they'd made a wrong turn but had turned around again) and headed back to the finish the way they'd come. We moved over to the first checkpoint and followed them in, basically. They were cold and wet and tired. I got home, took a hot shower, and slept curled up on the couch with Slugger while it rained. All afternoon!! Dad went to the airport and had some fun practicing direction finding, in the rain.
Sunday Dad and I drove down to Aunt Mary's in Temple City. Aunt Mary and Uncle Charlie were supposed to go to my birthday bash but I told them to stay home because of the weather. To make this re-do as authentic as possible, I ordered a vegan hot pink cake from a bakery on the way. I also took tablecloths and napkins. I forgot the tiara in Big Bear though :( It was a fun afternoon of family visiting, sandwiches and a really good cake! I think the cake was better than the first one!!
I don't remember Monday, but I think I did laundry...
Tuesday, Dad and I had volunteered to help with the Special Olympics World Games team(s) that would be spending a couple days in Big Bear. Cities around the area hosted teams and showed them good California hospitality. We were on tap to carry their luggage from buses to their hotel room. The time frame was quite fluid so that took up all day, even though we didn't actually do it until the evening! I actually went and had dinner with the other volunteers while Dad went to Search & Rescue training. I think I carried half a dozen bags. Glad to help though!
Wednesday was the big day! The team in Lake Arrowhead was being honored with a parade. Dad and I went to help with radio. I got to work "parade control" which is where all radio traffic goes through. I think I was supposed to just be the one to write it all down, but I ended up doing all the radio!! I was told I did so well at the beginning that they just let me go with it. It was a confidence builder when the other two guys kept walking off :) OH, and one of those other guys is a legend in the Ham radio world! He is a leading name in Ham instruction (like to get your license) and even has books and stuff. He was impressed with my abilities :) I still say it's just in my blood and I'm only doing what everyone else is doing. Dad says I'm crisper and more direct. Okay.
Thursday we got to sleep in and hang out!! We went for a nice walk in the woods with the pooches. On the drive back, we passed Uncle Charlie and family on their way to their campsite. We knew it was them by the gigantic RV pulling the jeep with all the kayaks! We ended up going to dinner with them that evening. Family spontaneity is good!
So, I'd been hoping to paddle board again while here this summer. It was new thing #2 and I remember it being incredible, but it just hadn't worked in to the schedule yet. Turns out that Cousin Sam has a paddle board instead of a kayak. On Friday, I rented a board and we all paddled around together!! I must add that I stood up and she did not. But I went in, and she did not! It was great fun!!
Oh, before that, on Friday, Dad and I went back to the hotel and helped load luggage ON to buses. Took all of 20 minutes. And that included watching the buses back up the driveway!
And then there was Saturday. I spent the day riding in a car going from Heaven to Hell and beyond. And back, of course. What? I was radio in a SAG vehicle for the Grizzly Gran Fondo, a mountain bike race of varying lengths that was all over the mountain. Heaven and Hell were two stops on a long, steep, gnarly dirt road. Dad was in the other SAG vehicle and he spent his day driving to the hospital. THREE level 1 (meaning hospital needed) incidents. This group of radio workers hadn't had that many combined until now! And dad said the hospital was flowing with even more riders who got there on their own! It was a LONG day and we were very glad to sleep late on Sunday!!
Sunday wasn't all about sleeping in though. Slugger and I enjoyed a great lunch with my dear friend Sarah, her hubby and their two dogs. Then we had a nice, warm walk through the woods to the lake. All three dogs enjoyed getting their toes wet. Of course, Slugger got his whole self wet, cuz, well, he's Slugger. Actually, we met another dog who's dad had a ball that he threw for Slugs. It squeaked. Next year I think Slugger needs more lake days!! That evening, Dad and I had a very nice Emig dinner with Uncle Charlie, Aunt Patty, Cousins Sam, Tyler and Steven, and Dave!
It was QUITE a week!!
(This turned in to a really long post - guess I should have blogged as it happened. Oh well!)
