just an amalgamation...

My life just seems to be a mishmash of things these days.

I had to pick up my son last Thursday for a tetanus booster shot. They won't let him into school this year without it. He was apprehensive about it but was trying to be brave. We played solitaire on the phone in the waiting room. When we got tired of that I just slunk down in my chair and closed my eyes. Brandon was not so relaxed. He kept playing with my arms, asking when he was going to be seen, asking if it was going to hurt, etc. At one point he decided to rub my head, then moved his hands to my face where he found a lot of stubble. He exclaimed "You're growing a beard!" I'm not, but it was funny. We weren't the only ones laughing.

While in the examining room he kept trying to make faces and I kept making him laugh so he couldn't. At some point we switched places and I ended up on the examining table. He was hoping I would get the shot. While I'm probably due for a booster, I don't mind shots or giving blood. I spent six years in the Navy and I just learned to accept a needle every other day or so to put something in or take something out.

You should have seen the look on the doctor's face when he walked in and saw me instead of the 11 year old boy he was expecting. :-) I do believe I have stated elsewhere that I like practical jokes.

So Brandon got his shot and was very brave. They gave him some ice cold liquid courage though, and no, not the adult variety. They now numb the spot of the shot with a cold liquid.

We went on to Subway for dinner, then to dodgeball, then I took him back to his Grandparents.

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My brother came up Saturday for the East Coast Surfing Championships (ECSC). He skims in an amateur / pro-am capacity. At dinner that night we talked about a lot of things. Something he said was interesting as it has come up in conversation for me lately too. He asked me if I had a bucket list. He said he was camping with a friend and they asked him that. I said not really. Usually if I think I want to do something, I do it. He doesn't either. I should probably tell you some stories about the predicaments my brother and I often find ourselves in. Phrases like "Danger, Cliff area" "Small craft advisory" "Bears won't bother you unless it's been a bad berry year, and it's been a bad berry year" "You will drown before someone gets to you" "I have a bad feeling about this but it's too late" "Why did I let you talk me into this" "How do we get down without dying" and "That's gonna really hurt tomorrow" come to mind. See the picture below as this was one of our favorite "trails" at Snowbird. The one at the boarder cross entrance was better and I wish I had gotten a picture of it...but I didn't want to stop.



We laughed at some of the things we've done. Then he said he really wants to go back to Yosemite. Me too. Here is why...at least I get it, maybe you will too...

Yosemite from the Hoover Wilderness, Eastern Side. I was hiking in the Sierras by myself on day in June 2002. I saw this and it hit me "I have to hike through Yosemite someday". My brother called two weeks later and said he and his wife were going...


We went just after labor day. It is an epic adventure story nearly as funny as Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods". Below is the Hetch Hetchy resevoir. In a day or two (maybe more) I'll write the story out here. My sister in law would tell it a little different...but I'll never forget what she said in the car about our bodily smells on the way to Santa Cruz after our two day ordeal...



And of course the main valley...Unfortunately for you I'm no Ansel...


and just in case you thought I was kidding about the bears...



:-)