2009: A YEAR IN REVIEW

January 1: Weight 207. Foggy. Gas $1.849.
January 3: Our first REI Fresno used gear sale. Wasn't all THAT great!
January 3: Drive to Mariposa. What a remarkable little town.
January 4: Rain. Almost an inch.
January 5: My first Vietnamese pho with rice noodles and chicken.
January 5: Gas $1.879.
January 7: Gas $1.899.
January 7: The traffic lights go up at Kelshaw Corners.
Januray 10: White out, brown in...rice that is...organic brown rice...short grain and basmati.
January 11: Gas $1.999.
January 12: Gas $1.979.
January 14: White rice is out for good. Brown rice is in!
January 15: The dentist.
January 17: Road trip to Grass Valley. Stayed at Yuba City.
January 18: Bass Pro Shop. Our first visit. Pinch me I am in heaven!
January 20: Gas $2.079.
January 21: Papou and Nana's 53rd anniversary. We have an Italian dinner at Nativos at Chukchansi Casino. Comped! Food tastes better when it is free!
January 30: Gas $2.099.

February 1: Watched that "game" between the Steelers and Cardinals at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, at Basecamp.
February 2: Applied for our passports. Four to six weeks for delivery.
February 2: Gas $2.129.
February 6: Gas $2.169.
February 9: Gas $2.239.
February 10: Two years since we "met."
February 11: Pam experiences sciatic problems on her left side.
February 13: Gas $2.299. Snow in the foothills.
February 13: Received both of our passports in the mail.
February 15: Drove to North Fork and then on to Mariposa to look at real estate.
February 16: Windy and rain. Rained all day.
February 17: Gas $2.259.
February 18: Amgen Tour of California comes to the Sierra and ends at Clovis.
February 23: Gas $2.199. Ah, the sign of spring when oil is not used for heating.
February 24: Gas $2.179.
February 28: Definitely a sign of spring...weeding. Constructed compost box.

March 1: More weeding.
March 5: Gas $2.149.
March 7: Hiked the Squaw Leap loop. 7.68 miles. 2:58. California wildflowers abloom.
March 8: Planted blackberry bushes.
March 9: Gas $2.129.
March 12: Gas $2.099.
March 21: Gas $2.169. Whoa!
March 22: Rain. An inch of it. Throw in some sleet and high winds and brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
March 24: Gas $2.139.
March 26: I drink soy milk for the first time.
March 26: KFJK, aka 105.9 Jack FM, goes talk format and becomes KMJ 105.9.
March 26: Gas $2.169.
March 27: Gas $2.199.
March 31: Gas $2.219.

April 3: Gas $2.239.
April 4: Escondido and San Marcos.
April 5: Gas $2.299.
April 6: First scorpion kill of 2009. On the ceiling above the front door. It was a big 'un!
April 6: First grasscutting. The front yard gets a mow and a trim.
April 9: Gas $2.269.
April 18: Drained the spa and did work on the steps.
April 19: First confirmed rattlesnake kill of 2009. By the garage door. Discovered by Jingles, the Wonderdog.
April 25: The step project is complete.
April 26: The terrace gets a trim. No longer is there growth in the road.
April 27: Second scorpion kill. On the dining room ceiling. My wife noticed it. Used a spatula to "split" it instead of "splat" it.
April 29: Gas $2.299.

May 2: Gas $2.329.
May 7: Gas $2.359.
May 8: Gas $2.399.
May 11: Gas $2.419.
May 13: Gas $2.439.
May 14: The Fresno SSA office on Shaw and West closes for the last time.
May 15: The Fresno SSA office on Shaw and West is closed to the public.
May 15: Gas $2.499.
May 18: Gas $2.529.
May 18: The "new" Fresno SSA office on Locust and Palm is open to the public.
May 21: Gas $2.579.
May 23: Gas $2.599.
May 23: Sonora Pass and Bridgeport.
May 24: Bodie Historic State Park and Tioga Pass.
May 25: Photo "oops." Lost all photos taken over the Memorial Day weekend and more. Oh well. May 26: Gas $2.639.
May 28: Gas $2.669.
May 29: Gas $2.699.
May 30: The Eastern Sierra Drive: Yosemite National Park, Bodie, Bridgeport, Sonora Pass, Lee Vining. I get a warning for speeding in Tuolumne Meadows.
May 31: Lee Vining Creek, Yosemite National Park.

June 1: Gas $2.739.
June 3: Gas $2.799.
June 5: Gas $2.859.
June 5: Rain and plenty of it. Three-quarters of an inch. Plus lightning.
June 5: Papou's 76th birthday.
June 7: Chilnualna Falls. 11.2 miles. Four hours and 12 minutes.
June 13: Gas $2.889.
June 15: Gas $2.929.
June 24: Gas $2.899.
June 25: Jingles missing. Coyotes.

July 3: Four Mile Trail (Yosemite National Park). 9.2 miles / 5:45:00.
July 7: Gas $2.829.
July 13: Gas $2.799.
July 14: Anniversary #2 at Ruth's Chris Steak House in Fresno.
July 16: Gas $2.759.
July 18: Our first Major League Baseball game at Oakland versus Angels.
July 19: Japan bound.
July 22: Fuji-san summit at 6:15 PT (07/23/09 10:15 JT)
July 31: Return to the U.S.

August 1: Gas $2.859.
August 1: JayMi moves in.
August 3: Gas $2.899.
August 5: Our good friends, Dave and Jane, celebrate their 20th anniversary.
August 6: Gas $2.949.
August 7: New member of the family: Toby. A two-month old papillon/chihuahua mix puppy. A gremlin.
August 8: Gar(b)age Sale Part 1. The "b" is silent.
August 9: Gar(b)age Sale Part 2. The "b" is silent. The rolltop desk is finally gone after 20 years.
August 10: 911 call. Mom falls on her face and suffers a bloody nose as she tries to maneuver over the grill in the bedroom door that keeps Toby in. No broken nose, but quite a scare. It was a good thing Pam and I were there.
August 12: Gas $2.989.
August 15: My wife's birthday. Happy birthday, my love!
August 21: Drive to Aspen Grove to camp. At first, it was Porcupine Flat. Serendipity.
August 22: Mono Pass. 10 miles. Four hours and 45 minutes. Beautiful hike.
August 25: Gas $2.959.
August 26: Big Meadow Fire. "Prescribed burn" that got away.
August 30: Screens doors are put up by the den and front door. Let the breeze in!
August 31: Gas $2.999.

September 2: Off to Aspen Grove via Bridgeport due to the Big Meadow fire in Yosemite National Park.
September 3: We go a fishin'. Pam gets a 9-inch brown trout in Tioga Lake.
September 4: Fishin' Part II. Pam lands a 15-inch rainbow trout in Lee Vining Creek by the dam. September 8: Gas $3.059.
September 9: My good friends and former softball teammates, Bob and Jayne, celebrate their 20th anniversary.
September 9: 09-09-09 Oh my. What happened on 06-06-06? Not a damn thing. Then there was 07-07-07. Then, 08-08-08. Coming to a calendar near you...10-10-10, 11-11-11, and 12-12-12. Wait! There's 12-21-12!
September 9: The palm tree eyesore gets a trim and the dead oak tree in the back ravine is felled. Good firewood.
September 10: Gas $3.099.
September 14: A "good soakin'" rain falls early this morning. Nothing like the smell of rain.
September 14: Gas $3.129.
September 22: First day of fall. 100°!!!
September 23: Gas $3.079.
September 26: The first of three bathroom faucets installed in the main bathroom.
September 27: The other bathroom faucet installed and one in the other bathroom.
September 30: Gas $2.949.
September 30: Renewed my driver's license.
September 30: Nana's 79th birthday.

October 3: Purchased a coffee grinder and a Savage .270 Winchester rifle.
October 3: Coarsegold gets a traffic light. Just like Lone Pine...the only traffic light.
October 4: Painted the wrought iron fence in back only to quit due to a faulty sprayer. To be continued...
October 4: Snow in the mountains.
October 5: Paperwork for the Savage .270 WSM Model 11FXP3 is filled out. The wait for 10 days begins.
October 6: Gas $2.919.
October 7: Gas $2.899.
October 8: My renewed license arrives. I look a little "cheeky" in the photo. More "platinum highlights," too.
October 10: Begin "road trip" to Sonora, San Andreas, Jackson, Sutter Creek, Volcano, Angel's Camp.
October 11: End "road trip" to Copperopolis, Hornitos, Cathey's Valley, Mariposa.
October 12: Paint is applied to two-thirds of the wrought iron fence.
October 13: Gas $2.859.
October 13: First major storm to hit the Dutch Oven. Over 2 inches of rain fell at Basecamp Dragonfly. Snows above 8,000 feet. Our daugher is involved in a small auto accident by running over something in the road, but is OK. The car didn't fair too well. Whatever she hit, it did a number on her car.
October 15: The Savage .270 WSM Model 11FXP3 is ours. The wait is over. We nickname the rifle, Libby, short for Liberator. Goodbye feral pigs.
October 16: Gas $2.799.
October 17: Wire mesh put up by the wrought iron to keep Toby in and the varmints out of our backyard.
October 17: Marlin Model 981T .22 rifle. We nickname the rifle, Freida, short for Freedom. Goodbye wabbits.
October 18: The wrought iron fence project is finally completed.
October 18: The felled oak tree on 09-09-09 is cut up for our stove. Just gotta haul it out of the ravine.
October 21: Got JayMi's car back. That was quick.
October 22: New wipers for the car. No more, "Skreeeeeeekuhkuhkuh,skreeeekuhkuhkuh."
October 22: New guitar case and guitar stand for the acoustic Epiphone.
October 24: Libby is fired for the very first time at 2:39 p.m. and then at 2:41 p.m.
October 25: Swamp cooler covered.
October 26: JayMi's 25th birthday. Happy birthday, JayMi.
October 26: New front door lock.
October 27: Pick up "Freida" in Oakhurst's Sportsmen's Den.
October 28: Macy's opens up where Gottschalk's once was in River Park Shopping Mall. Wifey pooh very happy.
October 28: My first visit to a holistic dentist. Dentist says my "gold crown" emits a lot of electrical charge.

November 1: My bro-in-law's 50th! Happy golden birthday, Boyeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!
November 1: Spa water changed. Sun shades taken down.
November 5: Gas $2.759.
November 6: Last day of carpooling as my wife goes "north."
November 9: Solo for both of us.
November 12: More rain.
November 13: Gas $2.739.
November 14: Wedding of one of the SSA co-workers.
November 15: Chainsawed one of the woodpiles.
November 17: The atrocious dinner table and chairs are "dumpsited."
November 21: Hunter safety education course.
November 21: Kiss concert at the Save Mart Center.
November 22: Shooting with TheOS and my wife's boss, Bernie.
November 25: My iliopsoas flares up while loading up the birdfeeders.
November 28: The Christmas lights go up.
November 29: 1,354 cookies are baked.

December 2: Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert at the Save Mart Center. Our first concert. Awesome! Section 123, Row M, Seats 1 through 8. The whole family went!
December 5: Freida fired for the first time at 2:41 p.m.
December 7: Gas $2.699.
December 7: Snow at 1,500 feet!
December 8: One of the pipes to solar collectors freezes and bursts.
December 9: Uncle J passes away. My only American uncle gone.
December 11: Rain...and lots of it.
December 11: Christmas luncheon.
December 11: Gas $2.739.
December 12: More rain.
December 13: Got the Christmas tree.
December 14: Five years.
December 15: Gas $2.769.
December 21: My BroIL's fiancee, AllA, arrives from the Ukraine.
December 25: Our third Christmas. No REI!
December 27: I exchange the identical gifts I received for new items.
December 28: Papou takes a "header" into the ground. ER visit. Bruises and scrapes.
December 29: Gas $2.799.
December 29: Papou is admitted to the hospital due to the severe pain in his right shoulder that is broken in several places.
December 31: Gas $2.839. Weight 208. Five scorpion kills. One rattlesnake kill. What a great year. One other thing, not even a cold or flu all year.
December 31: Papou spends NYE in the hospital.


What happened in the world in 2009.

Our 2009 Resolution: Have fun

And what did we do?...



















We definitely had fun in 2009!


Our New Year's resolution for 2010?

Have fun...and eliminate the white spaces on our weekend calendar!

HEADER II

My FIL took a tumble on our back step.

















He fell from the third landing from the top. Yeah, he fell a long way. As you can see from the picture, I am sitting on that same landing he fell from. He landed at the bottom by the left stringer.

When we erected these steps, we told Ma and Pa to not go down these steps since it will be dangerous for them to go down the steps without a handrail system. If anyone needed to go to the garage, to go out the front driveway where the terrain is a gentle slope with no steps.

Luckily, my FIL was with Toby and had his cellphone with him. When he fell, he yelled to reach my MIL, who was inside and couldn't hear his voice.

My FIL tried calling my MIL on her cellphone, but she wouldn't answer.

Then, he called my BroIL and got him and AllA to come over and assist him and they called 911.

When he was lying prostrate on ground, Toby thought my FIL was wanting to play. Fortunately, Toby probably saved my FIL by licking his bloody face and keeping him from losing consciousness. Come to find out that Toby started barking at the back door to alert my MIL, but she just took it as if Toby was just barking in general.

I get home from work around 4:00 p.m. and I noticed my BroIL's truck in the driveway. I park my truck in the carport and notice track marks in the gravel. Handtruck? Somebody moving?

As I made my way to the backdoor, I notice more tracks in the gravel in the Zen garden. One of the old diningroom chairs off to the left of the stars as you face it. I spot droplets of blood on the last landing and on the gravel.

I run inside and there was a message on the landline phone from my wife telling me what had happened. She said she left a voicemail message on my cellphone. I get my cellphone and I had three messages.

He was taken to the Kaiser emergency room by ambulance. Had I known what had happened I would have met them there.

They did a CAT scan of his head to see if there was any internal hemorraghing. Nothing.

He is home now.

He looks like he got into a bad bar fight.

I told him, "You're no Superman!"

This is reminiscent of the time my MIL took a header on August 10, 2009, into the hallway floor while trying to climb over the gate to keep Toby from running around the house.

I feel real bad that we didn't completely finish this project earlier in May like we had planned.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

From all of us to all of you...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Some guy, my lovely wife, JayMi, KSea, AllA, BroIL, Nana, Papou, and Toby

The tree...

What the heck is this?

My lovely wife.

My BroIL and his fiancee, AllA, and Toby.

The bird.

They got munchies!



Kids will be kids no matter how old they are...

Toby opening up (or tearing up) his gifts.

Kitchen antics.

Uh, when's breakfast?

Like I said...kids will always be kids no matter how old they are (or will be for that matter.)

$h1+! I am SO busted! Caught red-handed (red-shirted, too) with a second helping. My wife exacts revenge.

I call this picture "The Waning Crescent with Rainbow." My FIL has always said to "kiss me where the sun don't shine." Well, the sun is shining there!

If you click on the picture to enlarge, you will notice a "stream" emanating from his right knee...

Any guess as to the anomaly?







For the first time I didn't receive any clothing, gear, or gift card from REI. Heck, I got everything from REI!

Check that...I did get a Turtle Fur Powderhorn earflap hat. Ah, the streak continues! Thanks, Santa!

Christmas was light this year due to the "economy." The weather was very nice considering what it was like a year ago this day. With that being said, nothing else matters when you are with family.

After pigging out on biscuits and gravy and eggs for breakfast, we finally decided to open up the presents! Wow, how 'bout that! Usually, it is the OTHER way around isn't it? Open, then eat?

I did, however, receive two gifts of the same kind from my wife and MIL. That has never happened in my life.

They both got me a stainless steel professional french fry cutter and a stainless steel drum cheese grater (for freshly grated parmesan cheese). I had told both of them what I wanted for Christmas at Thanksgiving.

I opened up the first identical gift from...the french fry slicer.

Should have seen the look on my wife's face when I thanked Nana for the gifts.

Should have seen the look on Nana's face when my wife told her she got me the same thing!

Should have seen the look on my wife's face. Did I say that already? I wish I had my camera handy.

"Hey, I told you both what I wanted for Christmas a month ago!" Crisis averted.

Let's see...Santa(s) also got me a leather belt, silver ring (no diamond), muffler (neck, not car), rechargeable flashlight, Bourne Identity CD pack, collapsible chopsticks, LED light safety glasses (crabman glasses), Japanese tea, stainless steel scouring pads (hey, I am cookin' and a cleanin', too), vegetable slicer.

Strange though...I didn't get any bullets. Hmmm...guess Libby and Freida will have to wait until next year.

Afterwards, we feasted (and I mean feasted) on turkey, ham, lamb, mashed potatoes and gravy, fried asparagus with garlic, cranberry, stuffing, ambrosia, rolls, pumpkin pie and pecan pie. I wanted to make oven fries with my new cutter, but wifey-pooh wouldn't let me.

Hope all of you had a Merry Christmas...

Toby sure did!
















Exhausted from being exhausted.

GEYSER OF THE NOT YELLOWSTONE KIND

I received an email from my wife saying that JayMI had called to say we have a leak in our bathroom and water was coming down from the vent.

Leak? There is not a cloud in the sky. This is a day after the first major winter storm left its calling card on the local mountains.

I sensed a more serious problem.

Last night the temperature hovered near the freezing point, and this morning the temperature dropped to 25°. There was frost everywhere.

Karma. Phone rings. It is my FIL. "There is water everywhere on the back patio. Water is coming from the solar panels and it is leaking in your bathroom."

Emergency procedures activated. Find the shutoff switch near the water heater.

I told my boss I had to leave to take care of what the heck was going on. My wife tells me my BroIL is enroute to the scene. I call him and tell him my ETA will be 40 minutes.

I arrive at our house around 2:40 p.m. to find my BroIL there already.

Water is coming from everywhere.

I looked into the waterheater area. There is a shutoff valve for incoming water. Nothing from or to the solar panels. Now, is a find time to find out this?

Contingency plans. I'll be damned if I am taking a cold shower tonight.

I shut off the main. We climb on the roof to investigate.

The water had frozen in one of the pipes leading to one of the solar panels. The expansion of the ice split the copper tubing. The gash was an inch long. Of course, when the ice melted the water started squirting out.

We assess what repairs need to be done. We climb back down and head off to the hardware store. I purchase copper tubing and connectors, flux, solder, foam and insulation.

Our repair took less than an hour. Soldered the joints and wrapped insulation around the exposed areas to both panels, and secured them with duct tape. We were done just around sundown. Good thing...it was getting a little nippy and fast.

The joys of home ownership. Obstacles and challenges. Each a learning experience.

The shower sure felt good tonight. Of course, we had to delay our showertime to allow the water heater to get up to full-strength. Thank goodness for our spa...

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..

SNOW DAY

As predicted, Mother Nature dumped her white stuff at the 1,500 foot level. Not much accumulation, but enough to see some white. The higher elevations got a lot more snow.

Will it snow Christmas Day?

FIRST FREIDA FIRING

There was no senior moment this day. The first round went downrange at 2:41 p.m.

Freida doesn't have any kick at all unlike her bigger sister Libby. No bruises to the shoulder today.

We fired off 200 rounds. Three thousand rounds left. Plenty of target practice time.

My southpaw wife.



From 25 yards out, not bad for a first time firing. Had to adjust the sights to get the "desired" effect.

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA

My wife and I, along with some members of the family, went to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra perform at the Save Mart Center in Fresno. My BroIL went to see them last year and recommended we see them this year.

It was to be our first concert. We were not disappointed for the two and a half hours sitting in Section 123, Row M, Seats 1 through 8. The seats were cushioned and quite comfortable! HELLO, FRESNO!

If you are "almost" into the Christmas spirit and need a little extra "umph" to get you getting into high gear, then see these performers live!

The concert theme was "Christmas Eve and Other Stories." Marvelously narrated.

Christmas carols never sounded better with a "heavy metal" twist.

I promise you that your ears will not be "ringing."