So a few weeks ago (at the end of July to be precise), I took my first big trip with some of my co-workers from Abbott. While I've gotten to know them in the office setting over the course of the year that I've worked there now, this camping trip to the Big Basin Redwoods State Park (a brilliant park in Santa Cruz County) would really give me a chance to see folks outside (literally and figuratively). Check out some of the highlights of the trip:
We were led by our "Camp Counselor", Linda, who owns an impressive array of camping gear including the kitchen setup you see in the foreground and the 10-person, 2-cabin tent in the background. I snapped this pic of the beginning of dinner prep as Linda slices some polenta.
As the sun set and the air began to chill a bit, we figured a fire would be lovely to help warm us all up as we waited for dinner.
Dinner is served: artichoke & arugula salad, polenta (one sun-dried tomato and the other red quinoa) and tri tip. Exquisite dining I must say!
We stayed up for a while talking about work/life and such until the fire began to die a bit and we all retired to our respective tents for a good night's sleep. The next morning, we woke up and began prepping for a lovely breakfast. I didn't snap a pic of the fare, but we have scrambled eggs and bacon warming in the foil trays over the fire. Again, you get another view of the kitchen setup as Mike, Alex, Me (slightly obscured), Linda and Steph (the only non-ABT person) hang around.
After a delicious and energizing breakfast, we all got together to tag team the cleanup. The kitchen setup included a trough style sink where we gathered together to wash dishes: Me, Mike, Naomi, Steph, Adam and Alex.
We took our time getting ready so we didn't get on the trail till about noon. We took the trail from the Visitor Center out to Berry Creek Falls which included a healthy dose of elevation change. We didn't do the full loop hike but we did subject ourselves to a particularly strenuous section of the trail as the sign indicates.
The long slog down to the falls was definitely worth the effort as you can see.
Me, Naomi and Mike enjoy a bit of a break near the base of the falls where we rested, snacked and enjoyed the scenery.
Another view of Berry Creek Falls, this time from below. Very, very pretty and a reminder of the lovely area we live near.
We took a pretty aggressive pace on the way back and made it in very good time. As a reward, and for the few folks in the group who had not tried it before, we bought some It's-It ice cream sandwiches from the store at near the Visitor Center. Delicious, especially after all that physical exertion.
A pretty view of the roadway near our campsite (Sempervirens).
Our yummy dinner: chicken nachos (someone, who shall remain nameless - not me = forgot to bring tortillas and instead brought tortilla chips) and homemade bean salad.
As we sat around the campfire after dinner and played games, this particularly brave critter wandered in and out of our campsite. These guys just aren't very cute in real life...
Sadly on Sunday, it was time to pack up and head back to the real world. Did you know a Honda Element could fit so much cargo?
We all had a great time and much thanks goes out to Linda for putting it all together. Thanks also to everyone who came and made for a really fun group as well. We'll have to do this again sometime.
So this past Saturday, I got to ride around in a brand new Focus ST. They set up a autocross style course in the parking lot of Candlestick Park (home of the 49ers!) and got to drive around a bit (a lot more aggressively than I typically do on the streets). After two initial laps acclimatizing to the car on the "beginners track", I got four laps around the slightly more challenging, timed circuit. They said a decent laptime would be in the 32 second region and I thankfully bested that with a 31.8 second time on my fourth lap (still pretty far off the ~30.0 second time reputed to be the fastest of the day). I will say that this 252 bhp vehicle handled quite well and stayed pretty well behaved despite maximum accelerator application, abrupt braking and constant side-to-side steering maneuvers. All in all, a fun day driving a quick car around and learning more about a potential contender for my next vehicle...
Thanks a bunch Ford!
Moving right along to all those little random things I got around to after my trips home...
On a hazy day in the Bay Area, I looked outside my house to see this colorful sunset. The colors of the picture just don't quite do the real life sight justice...
Thanks to Daniel's help, I spent an afternoon pulling the old spark plugs from my motorcycle and replacing them with shiny new ones. Unfortunately, my bike still won't start...
After fiddling unsuccessfully with the motorcycle, I joined Brent in the city for a BBQ at Noelle's. My contribution to the feast: homemade burgers with pepperjack cheese and avocado on a toasted wheat bun. Delicious of course.
So Daniel turned 30 this year and we celebrated with pizza and this balloon.
Went out on a lovely weekend for a hike in Santa Cruz. No trip to SC would be complete without stopping for some Pacific Cookie Co. My favorite: dark chocolate & dried cranberries. Yum.
With summer well and truly upon us, I'm glad to say that the old Foxhollow gang has resurrected our semi-weekly pickup soccer game. I took the above pic after our first game of the season on a lovely, warm afternoon.
Rainier cherries. The best kind in my humble opinion.
Kids grow up so fast these days. Happy Birthday Devin!
Nothing like a potluck for 4th of July. Among the tasty offerings: tri tip, ribs, sausage, pearl couscous and mixed green salad. Drove up the hill to watch some of the fireworks around the Bay after, but didn't get any pics unfortunately. Happy B-day America.
It being summer, I had yet another BBQ to attend within a few days of the 4th. Sausage, pasta salad and, the highlight, my homemade salad. In the mix, I had cucumbers, grape tomatoes, sweet peppers, heirloom carrots and romaine lettuce.
The last "Edgewood Eats" food truck meet up occurred a few weeks back and I couldn't pass up an opportunity to eat at my favorite truck: The Chairman. Kurobota pork on the left, braised pork on the right. I ordered up both meat choices in the baked "bao" since it gives you a nice, slight sweet taste. So good!
Dinner for two at Shalizaar. On the platter, we had koubideh (ground beef), lamb and amazing game hen skewers. The game hen alone made the dinner worth it. Too much food to be consumed in one night but I won't complain about having dinner for a couple nights after.
Finally, the BBQ at my house a couple weeks ago yielded some enjoyable company, yummy food and intense heat/sunshine. Bulgogi from Costco, chicken tenders marinated in NZ BBQ sauce and some kale/lentil salad that Brent/Mary brought. Thanks to everyone for coming by despite the warm weather and my lack of seating!
The summer keeps trucking along and I'm glad to say I've gotten to eat some great food and hang out with some amazing friends. Onward to the next adventure. Until next time.
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