Bartending and playing

2010-09-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

I need to update!!

2009-05-11T16:12:00.000-07:00

Mt Rainier Trip

2008-09-06T12:59:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday of this past week I headed with my friend Bill up to Mt Rainier for a motorcycle trip. We left early and headed North up towards Trout Lake, get a few miles past there and find out that the road that we needed is closed and we need to find another option. Long story short, lots of driving on forest roads, AKA roads that aren't in that great of condition and lots of drips and places where there isn't a road, just some gravel and mud. We keep riding and made it up near the entrance of the park and to say the least this area is amazing.

I am sure that I have never taken so many curves on my bike, there was little straight stretches and by the time that we had gotten to camp I was tired. I think that Bill had a great ride on his bike, first trip on it and I am sure that he loves it more and more everyday.

Once we got camp set up I went for a trail run, incredible views of the river but everything was straight up and then back down. I slept good that night. Speaking of sleeping, we set up the tent just decided to sleep out under the stars instead.

Thursday AM we got up early, broke camp and then headed back up into the park to get to see the summit of the mountain and grab a few photos before we headed back down and the East over to Yakima and then home.

It was a great trip and look forward to taking another one soon...

Our Wedding

2008-08-15T12:25:00.000-07:00

So last Friday, 8/8/08 Stacie and I got married! Yeah you read that right, we got married... We have been engaged for about 4 months, we wanted a small wedding and nothing fancy. It took place outside at an area called Catherine Creek, I have spent a lot of time in this area trail running and it just fit to have the wedding there. It was a small wedding, my mom, Stacie's parents and brother and Stacie's aunt and uncle. We had a friend of ours marry us as the sun was going down and it was a great day!

2008-08-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

To be honest I never thought that it would happen. I had asked mom is she would go for a motorcycle ride with me and she really didn't think that it was a good idea. I asked then if I could just get a picture of her sitting on the bike with me, she said yes and then something must have clicked, she decided that she did want to go for a ride... It was a short ride, we just followed the river a ways and then turned around and came home.... I think that she enjoyed it! At least I hope that she did!

Mom's Visit to the Pacific Northwest

2008-08-15T12:03:00.001-07:00

So Mom came out for about a week, she came for a very special event and we had the best time. We headed down to Bend for a night and then came back to the Hood River area for the remainder of her stay..... I think that she really liked it out here, it was great having her here that is for certain.

Stacie is back on the water!

2008-07-25T11:48:00.001-07:00

Wednesday Stacie and I went out to the wall for some windsurfing, it was going to be Stacie's first day back out there since she broke her leg windsurfing at the end of last summer. We had come out to the wall last week to sail but the wind wasn't all that great and although I got to sail Stacie decided that she was just fine not getting out there.
We get to the launch area and it is just packed with people, I have never seen that many people before at this spot. Neither one of us were glad to see that I can assure you but we get a parking spot and say hello to a few people and start to rig....
I rig 4.7, Stacie gets her 4.2 out and before you know it we were both on the water. I was hanging close to watch Stacie the first few reaches and I have to say that it was great to have her back out there again..... She was smiling ear to ear!!!
Stacie got in two sessions and I got in one long one and then we called it a day, I am not sure that i have ever had a better day on the water than that day, great to see her out there....
Oh yeah, I forgot my camera at the house when we left so that is the reason there are no pictures of Stacie's first day back on the water.

Fires and More Fires

2008-07-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

So last week I decided to go out on the motorcycle and see from the top of Dalles Mountain what the fires looked like up there. Mt Adams has a huge fire going on that is burning east and consuming many acres of land. The view from this top is incredible for sure and you can really tell just how big the fires are. Hard to believe that we had such a wet winter and spring and we are so DRY right now!

Siskiyou Out and Back 50K Trail Run

2008-07-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

Weekend before last I headed to southern Oregon to do a trail run called the Siskiyou Out and Back on the Pacific Crest Trail. Must say that it was a tough race but one that I enjoyed very much all but the last 6 miles.

I left on Thursday went down to Stacie's parents house in Grants Pass and had some great food and stayed the night there then headed over to Ashland on Friday afternoon. The race started at Mount Ashland Ski resort and I just slept in the back of the car and was up early to race that Saturday at 7AM.

I would say that the run up till the marathon distance was just fine but after that I started to struggle, I had been eating along the way just not sure that I was eating enough. After one of the last rest stops there was a three mile climb back out of the gap up to the top of the mountain, I have never seen such a long three miles in my life.

Well I can say that I finished and the time was a respectful 5 hours 35 minutes.... I will be back there next year to do it all over again!

2008 Dirty Half Marathon

2008-06-12T09:20:00.000-07:00

So last Saturday AM a bunch of us headed down to Bend for the running of the Dirty Half Marathon. Joel, Jen, Bill, Hollie and myself all made the trip down and had a great time. First stop off in Bend was to the Deschutes Brewery for some lunch and then off to check out some of the retail stores that Bend has to offer that we can't find here in Hood River.

Stacie's parents were nice enough to let us stay at their condo for the night so after getting a good nights sleep we all headed out early to get to the start of the race. I have this problem of always wanting to be somewhere early but we did get a good parking place.

The race was good, fast for sure, something that the three of us from up here never get to run that much. We all ran fast and had fun, the drive back was good, Jen got some food along the way back and she talked the rest of the way home! Bill thanks again for driving and I look forward to doing this all over again next year!

Carson to Stevenson Ridge Run

2008-05-12T11:48:00.000-07:00

So on Sunday Christine, Joel, Hollie, Bill and myself all went up to Carson, WA for a "trail" run. It was a 14K race that started in Carson and then over to Stevenson by the ridge that separates the two. It was called a trail run but was really a mix of paved roads and some STEEP fire roads. We really had fun though and I think that we all ran well and happy with the way that we finished.

One final note is that Bill didn't do the race but got up early and drove us out there and then went down to Stevenson and picked us up and I can't say how much better that was than trying to shuttle cars... Thanks again!

Backyard Work

2008-05-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

So Stacie and I started this project about two weeks ago and we finished it last week, I have not been doing a great job on my blog so just trying to catch up some.

We wanted to do some kind of raised beds for planting and this is what we came up with. I made the boxes, then we hauled some topsoil and then we moved the rocks around and Stacie did the placement of them, I think that it turned out great.

Kinda strange how much I enjoy just doing stuff around the house, Stacie has always liked it but I just recently got on that program. I can thank Stacie for the way that the yard looks now, it was all her idea....

Long Lost Friend Comes to Hood River

2008-03-23T13:08:00.001-07:00

So just this past week I had a college friend visit that I hadn't seen in 1991. Rob Hughes and I went to Hungary and were roommates there in the summer of 1990. I had lost contact with Rob for a long time and just last summer we caught up with one another. Anyway to make a long story kinda short Rob was visiting some friends in Seattle and drove down last week and spent the night with Stacie and I.

So while we were in Hungary Rob bought this bottle of Tokaji wine bottled in 1981 and had said that he wouldn't open it with anyone else beside me. In hindsight I wish that he would have opened it with someone else because the taste was so bad, it had become sherry or something....

I don't think that either one of us could keep a sip down, tasted a lot like metal...

Next stop was the sink and poured the remainder out....

I even got Stacie to try some, she didn't like it either, I even think that she was scared of this stuff... Kinda look like river mud as Rob said.

All joking aside about the wine it was great to have Rob down here and show him around and go on a great hike, 17 years since we last saw one another.... That is a long time!

Night shots

2008-03-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

So just the other night the moon was coming up and it was clear and cold so I thought about going out and taking some photographs... This is what I came up with on a few? Kinda strange for sure... but I like it!

So what happens in this is that I just set the camera on bulb and in the dark just take a flashlight and "paint" myself in... Now if Mick would send me that Mac that I am waiting on my life would be great:)

Trip to see Mom and Dad in Virginia

2008-01-31T11:46:00.000-08:00

So last week I took a flight back home to visit my parents for a week and it had been too long since I was last home, I think almost a year to the day. It was great to get to see them along with Bodie and see some friends that I hadn't seen in a long time as well. As some of you know my mom was diagnosed with cancer almost two years ago, has recovered great and now has more energy than any woman that I know. My Dad was there with her during the entire process of surgery and radiation and helped Mom every step along the way. They are great parents and I am lucky to have them and have made my life wonderful and taught me to be happy and enjoy what life has to offer.....well truth be known, Mom would have loved for me to have worked for the Social Security Administration just like her but for some reason I wanted to bartend:)So I really think that I am like both of them, my mom really loves to be around people, she has never met a stranger and I think that I am just that way, I am better at remembering names than her but that is about the only difference. My dad is the most content person in the world, he wants really nothing, has a schedule to everyday that for the most part never changes and if he never leaves Gretna, VA again in his eyes that would be great. Me, well like him in that I am very happy with where I live, really hate to leave here, Stacie would agree with that with a frown on her face, I do want a few things but mostly just some different toys and I have a schedule that I don't like to change that much, kinda throws off my days if it does change. So yes, us kids do grow up to be like our parents...not saying that i am a great person by any means but I really did have great parents!!!

Bodie was my dog before I moved out to Oregon in 2000 and I had asked Mom and Dad to look after him for the summer while I was out here anyway needless to say I never got Bodie back!! Dad and Bodie do just about everything together, Bodie is over 12 years old but looks really good and has a great life there in Gretna with Mom and Dad.

It was a great trip, I ate well all the time, must be a southern thing because it seemed like every other world out of Mom's mouth where "you want something to eat?" or "there are snacks in the kitchen" or "I will fix you something to eat"...... well you get the picture!

Thanks for a great visit and I will be back home soon...:)

I love you Mom and Dad!!!

Lennis Gets a Job!!!

2008-01-21T10:06:00.000-08:00

Well never really thought that I would see it happen! Lennis gets a "real job"!!! I love it. So Lennis has started to bartend over at Brian's downstairs bar. I got word of this on Saturday night when Lennis and friends were in and I hear him say that I have to leave, I have to go to work!! Sweet words for sure.

So last night I ran over with my camera just too see if it was true that Lennis was working and this is what I came up with.

Anyway he had a few people sitting at the bar and was making cocktails left and right, OK, not really that fast but he was slinging some drinks all the same and had one woman at the bar that wanted something fruity...... I suggest a Cosmo and Lennis gives me this stare and says: How do you make that? I didn't miss a beat, told him how and said see you later and headed towards the door and I head out I snap another pic and hear him say, "What goes in that again?"

I am thinking just make it red and may the force be with you Luke.... or Lennis!!!

Great Weather for this Time of Year!

2008-01-19T11:42:00.000-08:00

So this past week the weather has just been incredible and I love that, seems like though that is coming to an end soon but it has been really nice seeing the sun. I was able to get out for a mountain bike ride with Stacie, road ride with some friends on one windy day and a couple of great runs with Shanti and Roxy along with a few rides on the motorcycle. The runs have been great, Shanti and Roxy, AKA the Girls just love getting out there, they start to go "crazy" when I start getting my running gear out and once the running shoes go on there is no stopping them. The good thing is that once we get back to the house they are so tired, I want to one day put my GPS watch on Roxy and just see how many miles she gets in on one of our runs, I think that she doubles my distance! Anyway, they are happy:) and we like that!

So the other thing with the weather was getting out on the motorcycle, it was cold some of those days but once out there it all just goes away! On Friday I got in about 125 miles on the bike and found some incredible roads that I had never been on and just incredible views.

Well enough of this, got to head into work very soon and looking forward to that as well.... Heading back East next week to visit with Mom and Dad for a few days and looking forward to that as well and seeing some friends back there that I haven't seen in awhile... Enjoy the weekend!

2007 is gone and 2008 is here

2008-01-02T19:11:00.001-08:00

So we left for the Oregon Coast on New Year's Eve morning, the drive out was interesting for sure. Just about 40 miles West of Portland the road went from dry to a sheet of ice, we noticed that as we get behind a firetruck responding to an accident as we were following it up into the mountains. We were first car to be stopped going West so we got to see all the medics and firefighters responding to the accident and sliding around as they walked. Anyway we were able to get by after about a 30 minute wait but the remainder drive was nothing but a sheet of ice. We have studded tires and we took Stacie's Subaru and it did great, I never worried about us but there were many people that I think that was the first time they had ever driven on snow or ice.

Anyway we get to the coast in the afternoon and checked into our room at the Hillcrest Inn there in Seaside, OR. Great place too, I had been told about this place from my friends Nate and Katie and it lived up to its reputation.

We went out had some fish and chips and one of the worst service restaurants that I have ever been too, no kidding and I even had a beer there, yeah I know, I say that I don't like to drink in public but it was really fun:) Fact remains that it was the worse service that I have ever gotten.....After a walk on the beach and watching the sunset we headed out for a nice dinner and I hate to say it but I think that I was asleep by 10PM, I suppose that I am getting older and like my sleep....

We woke early, another walk on the beach and then headed up to Astoria and the surrounding area, great day again but it was another cold one.

We did all that we wanted to there in Astoria and hit the road driving home, much better drive back than the drive out the day before.

I think that Stacie and I had the best time out there, great to get away and we left Shanti and Roxy in the hands of our neighbors, Kevin, Lisa and Olivia so no need to worry about them being left alone here in Lyle!!!

2007-12-03T13:54:00.000-08:00

So this is what things have come to in our house, the dogs are content to spend their time either sleeping on the sofas or on the bed. Roxy really seems to like to be wrapped up! The weather here has turned to rain now and not so much of the snow, I suppose that the grey above is something that we should accept and that it is going to stay this way for awhile. I did catch an afternoon to get out on the motorcycle, fun for sure, was snowing when I left the house but the roads were good. I took a dirt road as far as I could or rather i didn't feel like going any higher was a good idea. I have spent two days up on the mountain and had a good time, I will wait for Wednesday to get back up there.... Think Snow..

Stacie's Accident

2007-10-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

Well I have to say that I am not the greatest at keeping up with this blog. Something happened in my life and Stacie's that was huge and that happened over two months ago and here I am now getting around to writing about it. As most of you already know Stacie broke her leg while windsurfing near the end of August, freak accident for sure and more freakish was the time that it took for us to get her off the water. I think that by the time that she got to the hospital it had been about 3.5 hours...... Long time..... So the injury was having fractures just below her knee resulting in getting surgery of some screws tied all together with a metal plate. (Notice pen marks on knee and leg to make sure that they get the correct leg for the operation) She has just recently starting to put weight on her leg again and is doing great. Her recovery has been about bending that knee and pool sessions with a list of different exercises to do and now starting to ride the stationary bike.

So in her spare time she has started to knit and is learning to play the guitar, I have learned how to be a nurse and I will say that this has brought us closer together than ever. She is one strong woman and I hope that her recovery goes as fast as it can!!!

Eastern Oregon Trip

2007-08-13T08:39:00.001-07:00

So last week we headed out to Eastern Oregon to get away and do some backpacking and the trip was great. The plan was to go out to the Lostine River and hike up that trail to the high alpine lakes and spend the night there. Mileage on the hike in was about 9 miles but I can say it was a beat down. I went in with an out look like that we would be there in no time, I run 9 miles on trails a lot and thought that we would be there fast, that didn't happen though. We had about 3,000 feet of climbing to go up from the trail head to the lakes and it was technical hiking so the pace wasn't very fast and having on heavy packs didn't help any either. We got to the lake about 5 hours after we started hiking and I can honestly say that I have never seen a trail that was a dusty as this one.

So we got to lake and set up camp, we had looked around for one of those "Outside Magazine Cover Shot" campsites but just didn't find one that really would work out great. We get the tent up, have a snack and then Stacie goes down to the lake and comes back with some news. So we go down and she shows me this new campsite and it is incredible, great view of the lake and mountains so we head back up and grab our gear and move down there. I can honestly say that this was the best spot for a tent that I have ever seen....very nice!

Anyway we had fun, the hike out was long and dusty and we were both glad to see the car, hate to say that but I think that I am getting soft in my old age:)

New Toy

2007-07-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

So as the last post said I did sell the truck and camper but I had found a used BMW motorcycle in Bend, OR last weekend and I wanted to go down there and see what the bike was like. The bike is a 2005 BMW R1200GS, it is one amazing bike. It has luggage already on it with hard side bags and the one on the top in the back.

I must say that at the test drive I was a little scared about taking it out, I had never ridden something this big before and I will say that I was blown away at just how this thing handled. Once on the bike you really forget just how big it is, it is tall but I don't think that will bother me. All that i can really say is this test drive made me want it even more.

The previous owner had done some upgrades and that helped close the deal for me, the hard bags are great, taller windshield, engine guards, heated grips, etc... They all make for one nice ride:)

So my only concern was to see if Stacie would ride with me, I bought her a helmet while down there and when I got home and she saw the bike I am not sure if you wanted to ride it or not, now she likes riding and it only took one ride for her to like it. We have been traveling around on it and I really like it when she and I go out for a ride.

It is a lot of fun to ride and I just want to be very safe while out there while riding.

Saying Goodbye to a "family member"

2007-07-27T08:18:00.000-07:00

So on Monday we said goodbye to the truck and camper, it left with a great family that will get lots of use out of it. Ashley and Sheila Wegner from up in Washington came down and drove her home and I must say that it was a sad day seeing it leave.

Stacie and I traveled so much in that thing and had many adventures in it. It enabled us to see parts of the country that were just great and was a cheap way to travel. I think that if we had it to do all over again we would do it just the same way. We had been all over in that truck and camper and had made the trip across the US 5 times I think....... So I am rambling, great combo and that is all that I will say about that....

McCubbin's Gulch Scramble 2007

2007-07-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

So today was the scramble at McCubbin's Gulch, a place that i had never heard of but I will remember for a long time. So the idea of a "scramble" is that on purpose it is not a trail run, they even tell you at the start that this is a not a trail run. There might be lots of trails around where you are running but for the most part you really don't get on them. They have marked the course with ribbons and you just follow them and you cross everything from creeks to log jams. The idea of a scramble seems strange but there are many people that love doing them and I think that I might be in that boat as well.

So three of us decided to go, myself, Joel Hart from Hood River and Dave Huber, long time Snowshoe, WV friend and bar patron that has recently moved out here. I must admit that I wasn't going to do this run, I had rolled my ankle about 9 days ago and the swelling was still there but decided this morning with pressure from Dave that I should do it and it turned out just fine. Great feeling to cross the finish line or rather as it was a finish creek. It was a blast, Dave smoked the course, that guy is fast and Joel ran the downhills like something wild was chasing him and I just ran, felt like the uphills were my sweet spot and the downhills, well lets just say that i took them very slow! Enough said, great day and looking forward to the next

race....

Just one last note, Dave drank a beer on the way to the race and was having a beer when I crossed the finish line, I suppose that beer is good training fuel.

Thinking about bartending

2007-07-13T09:53:00.001-07:00

So with the name of this blog I was thinking about how bartending has affected my life. For the most part all of my friends I have met because of bartending. There are only three that come to mind that I new before bartending, Neil, we met in first grade, Joey and Mick, met in college and the rest were from standing behind a bar and getting to know people.

My first bartending job was at Ham's in Burlington, NC, just graduated from Elon College and then started bartending, I think that my parents especially my mom had a tough time understanding this move but after a few years she found out that I was really happy with what I was doing and that this was a "real job" for me and one that I loved.

That was 16 years ago, wow does time fly. So after spending 9 years at Ham's I moved to Hood River, OR and just windsurfed the summers and then went to work at FoxFire Grille in Snowshoe, WV bartending during the winter. The FoxFire job was tough, long hours but the money was great and I had lots of friends come up to spend long weekends skiing or snowboarding and once again they would all come to the bar after skiing and we could hang out. Spent 6 winters doing that, three of those Stacie came with me and having her there made all the difference in the world.

Just over two years ago I started working at 6th Street Bistro and Loft in Hood River. I work on average about 4 nights a week and it is such a great little restaurant bar. The people that I work with are fun and once again my friends come and hang out with me while I am working. The owners are super people (check out the pic, that is them) and seem to like having me around so I think that is a that good thing!

Back out there

2007-07-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was the first day of really doing anything since I rolled my ankle last Thursday down in Bend while trail running and things turned out pretty good. It started late in the day when the wind came up down at Doug's Beach so Stacie and I went down there to see what was going on. Going down there it looked really light and Stacie didn't stay that long at all but I played the waiting game and it turned out OK, well at least I got to sail. I sailed 5.3 with the big board and stayed out there until the wind just kept coming up till the 5.3 was just too big.
Once I left the beach I came home and Stacie and I went for a little road ride going North towards Klickitat. The temperature was going down so it was a great ride and my ankle held up well during the ride.

Post ride was a little cookout for us that produced some great food and a relaxing night outside.

First Blog

2007-07-11T12:21:00.000-07:00

Well not sure how this will go but I think that it will be interesting keeping up with some of the stuff that happens here. I must say that proof-reading is not my strong card but i will try to do that better:)
Hot weather out here right now, looks like one of the rivers will be calling my name this afternoon to seek some comfort from the heat. When I left to go to work yesterday it was 106 degrees and that was around 3pm. Today it is at least some overcast up there to give us some shade.
Stacie and I went up towards Klickitat to pick blueberries and it was so much fun. You can pick and buy or give them half and then the other half is yours for free. The bushes are just hanging full of fruit too so looks like we will be heading back up there to pick some more.