Posts from November 2013-November 2014 are part of The Manzanita Project, a joint effort of Kevin Wiseman and me. Each week, I write a post and he draws a sketch (unrelated). We're trying our hand at co-creation.
A couple of months ago, my friends Kenneth and Peter signed up for something called the Warrior Dash and then (as they are like to do) immediately set about trying to strong arm everyone they know into doing it too. I was kind of an easy sell at that point, as I have been the entire year because of this project (and hope to be going forward). I just got the text "sign up for Warrior Dash," maybe a link to the website on Facebook, did a few clicks around on the site, and was signed up within 10 minutes or so.
That was the easy part.
When I told my Dad about the event, he also went to the website, did far more reading and clicking around than I'd done, and came back saying "No way, Jose." This surprised (and alarmed) me. My Dad is in great physical shape and challenges himself in that area on a weekly basis. If he was intimidated by the prospect, what on earth was I thinking?!?!
As the weeks went by, I had occasion to mention that I'd be Warrior Dashing perhaps 3 times. And every time, a split second shock crossed the face of the person I was talking to, followed with, "really?!" or "you?!" I don't think it should come as too much a shock, then, that I was pretty nervous heading into
Today's New Activity: The Warrior Dash!!
When we got to the event grounds (Casa de Fruta, down in the dusties of Gilroy), I felt an immediate sense of relief. While I didn't exactly see any super out of shape people there, it definitely wasn't an iron man only kind of thing. And there were minors there as well...how scary could the thing be?
I'd brought Monkey with me so that I wouldn't have to spend the whole day away from him (the event was 1 1/2 drive from my house), and his Auntie Kelsi, who lives relatively close in Morgan Hill, was generous enough to come and scoop him up for a couple of hours. It was nice to know he was nearby--playing with Mo on the train and carousel at Case de Fruta--having fun while I "competed."
The only bummer about the event is that, in an effort to space people out, each heat starts with 1.5 miles of running. I hate running. I absolutely HATE running. And I suck at it. So I didn't exactly feel like a warrior, having to walk a good part of that. But Kenneth and Linda were there with me while Peter, Jeanette and Jon ran ahead, so it was nice to be in good company.
And then the obstacles came, which was the real fun part :)
There were 11 or 12 total I think, and here's a sampling:
This wall was probably the most terrifying to me, because I've never been great with upper body strength, and once you got started you were pretty much committed to either making your way over or having a real unpleasant fall back down, haha. The top was the most difficult, figuring out how to get all the way over the wall once you ran out of rope. But I made it. Actually, in that difficult part when I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to pull myself over, I thought of Monkey, reminded myself that I have a son who looks to me as his example (not that he was there watching, but still I knew), and found that extra bit of effort within. That was a pretty cool experience.
The last two obstacles were two little mounds of flames to jump through followed by a big trough of mud to slug through, leaving us coming out looking like this:
To help us all get home without ruining our cars, they'd set up a giant firehouse for us all to splash around in and get as clean as we could.
After a quick change of clothes I collected Monkey and sat down in the gravel with my fellow warriors while they ate giant turkey legs and I enjoyed probably the most hard fought veggie burger in the history of veggie burgers :)
It was such a great day. I'm so happy I had the chance to join the fun and challenge myself a bit. But I'd also like to say that I think most anybody could do this; they make it accessible enough. So next year I'm bringing more warriors along for the fun!
This was the phrase we heard repeated all day long, from the mouth of our guide to
Today's New Activity: White Water Rafting!!
Groupon and Living Social have been good friends in the course of this project. If you are familiar with either of these sites, you know that all sorts of deals on all sorts of random activities are presented on a daily basis. When I saw the Living Social deal for Action Whitewater Adventures back in February (half price for a full-river trip down the south fork of the American River), I knew I had to jump on it.
I sent out an all points bulletin to former Barnes & Noble coworkers, suggesting we make it a reunion on the river. I was so happy that my friends Nessa, Benson & Joey signed up right away, with Peter and Brian following closely after. A couple of other friends were supposed to come, but events in the interim prevented that from happening. In the end our friend Jay was able to take one of their places, so it was a 7-person group for today's outing.
Now, I have to say that before I signed up for this trip, I hadn't given much thought to the fact that death by drowning is the most terrifying idea to me, and one that haunts me any time I meander even a little ways into the ocean. This is owing, I know, to a semi-traumatic and super embarrassing experience I had in a wave pool back when I was 9, and it's been that way ever since. It's something I'd like to change at some point, but at the same time I think a healthy fear of drowning is a good thing; it'll keep me from doing anything stupid.
Unless, of course, balancing on the edge of a raft moving quickly over class 3 rapids is considered stupid.
Make that mostly balancing.
On the very first rapid (named The Meat Grinder), we slammed into a jutting rock at a wicked scary angle and speed, and Jay, I, and Benson (in that cascading order) were launched from the raft and into the fast-moving water. I have to say that was probably the most terrifying moment of my life, partially because the lead guide had only 10 minutes earlier put the fear of death in us by imploring that we put our toes up in the water should we happen to fall in, unless we cared to get a foot stuck under a rock and be drowned by the rapids running over our heads. All I could think in that moment was 'don't die, don't die, why did I do this (?), don't die!'
I somehow was soon back at the raft's edge, where I was able to grab onto the oars the others were holding out for us, and Joey yanked me back into the raft. Jay and Benson had quickly made their ways back to the raft, and we were soon on our way again (mad props to Nessa for having the presence of mind to grab all three of our oars. We would have been pretty useless for the duration of the trip if she hadn't!).
Here is a sequence of pictures (taken by a local company that sells them for the price of one arm and one leg (thank you Benson and Joey for offering yours)) from a rapid that *didn't* manage to kick us all out of our boat. In fact nobody fell out for the rest of the day, following that first adventure 10 minutes in.
The only bummer about falling out of the raft so early into an 8-hour day on the river was that it put me on guard for a while. I was wondering if the whole day was going to be one big, stressed-out quest just to stay in the boat. It wasn't until after lunch that it finally sunk in how rare the falling out is and how manageable the act of staying in the raft actually was.
But anyway, one nice thing about doing the full-river option was that there was a lot of relaxing, down time as well (almost *too* much on the first leg). We talked and took in the nature and got to know our guide, Austin, a little bit. It was a clear and beautiful not-too-hot day, and the water--though cold--was refreshing. Most everyone jumped out for a swim now and then, but once I was safely back in the boat I was pretty committed to staying there ;)
I was also thankful that we had a full boat comprised solely of our group. There was one raft in our party (we pretty much stayed in the vicinity of the 5 other rafts our company took down the river that day) that contained a super obnoxious man who was the only one in the raft talking every time our raft came close enough to hear, and who never--in 8 hours--tired of splashing the people in the rafts passing by. I think their group was only three people, so the other 5 people in that raft were just randomly subjected to his incessant chatter. Yeah, I was pretty grateful for the friendly, happy, good-natured, non-obnoxious group that made it out for the trip!
When we got through the lower fork of the river, the current subsided and all the companies' rafts chilled out for a 20-minute jet ski tow back to the let-out point. We watched the river pass by and took in the experience and relaxed to near napping. A short bus ride back to camp and we were done for the day.
We put up camp and then met up with Benson and Joey in Placerville where, on Austin-the-river-guide's recommendation, we ate at Z Pie, a pot pie restaurant. They are worth checking out even if only for the experience of eating a pot pie that was not scalding hot in the center or else cooled down to the point where the crusts had hardened. They had two vegetarian options as well and everything was very reasonably priced.
After that we headed to Red Hawk Casino for a spell, where Benson, Peter, and Brian all won money, promptly using their winnings to treat us to pitchers at Austin's other recommendation--The Coloma Club. It was the only bar in town (only about a mile from our campsite--score!), but it was enough. It was actually one of the coolest little watering holes I've ever been to, with old wooden fixtures in the bar area, a good house band playing classic rock, and a huge patio lit by lamps and Christmas lights, where all the locals were hanging out and where Nessa and Brian schooled the crowd in a game called ladder golf.
All the way around, it was a great experience with great company. I'd love to do it again, now that I'd be more relaxed for the duration of the rafting and know the best spots to hit up afterward. Thanks to all you guys for making it truly memorable and for waiting until we were all safely inside the raft to pull out the cameras :)
(Timestamp is wrong...this was written a good deal after midnight)
I had all sorts of awesome plans (mostly in my own mind) to go out, go dancing last night. I have been feeling the growing desire to revisit a feeling I only get when I just basically dance until I lose it. You know, in a good way. Unfortunately I made those plans with a friend who has been working 6 days a week for like a year and half now, and what she wanted to do most of all was to relax. Understandable.
But what to do then?
I was invited to join in the festivities at the home of my friend Kenneth's girlfriend, Jessica (my friend also, now that I've finally had the chance to meet her a few times :) What a beautiful home! What a warm, open family! It wasn't the kind of party I was expecting to attend tonight (it was actually at her parents' home, so the scene I first walked in on was a room bumping with about 35 parents (like parents *my* parents' age) and some young kids). All the folks I knew were kicking it around an outdoor fireplace, but I didn't know that yet.
Today's New Activity: *New* New Years Venue
In 5 out of the past 6 years, I've celebrated the new year at the same bar/pub place, which was a place I wasn't even all that fond of...but it was comfortable and familiar. I was excited to have the chance, this year (and having already secured babysitting with the folks--yay!), to make the decision of where new years would be spent all on my own. But I have to admit I wasn't all that excited at first about the prospect of a house party. Like I said, I wanted to be out dancing.
Buuuut, it ended up being a *better* party than I expected to be at tonight, partially on account of that grown-up/slightly less grown-up mix of people...of ill-advised things the younger folks might be known to do:
(Haha. They FOUND it. I don't know how, but they found it (Little "Back to the Future" reference there, for all you children of the 80's). I did not participate in the four loko madness (and thankfully nobody got crazy on that), except to try a coduple of sips, and I have to say it is the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted that was actually sold that way. Ewww. It should have been banned on those grounds alone, nevermind the danger it apparently posed to over-indulgent teens.)
And of the nice traditions of a family...we released together--about 100 people in attendance or so--what seemed like hundreds of balloons to commemorate the New Year.
Plus, I got to ring in the new year with some people I've considered myself very lucky to have become reacquainted with in recent months.
And hey, THIS was new to me: I can't seem to get my video to load, but there was firedancing (not sure that's the right term) going on at one point (thanks for the show Brenna, Peter, and Jeanette!).
All the way around it was a very nice night. And I'm not one for New Years resolutions, but this time around I really am looking forward to making this year better than the last was. For certain, and as much as I have control over this, it will be less stressful, more adventurous and outgoing, and is sure to include more dancing than 2010.
New year. New outlook. And, as ever, life is good.
