One very early Sunday morning in January, I found myself making my way to Daley Ranch in the northeastern part of Escondido.  I needed to record footage of a sunrise for a video contest I was entering.  I found that the park’s highest peak is Stanley Peak & decided to trek there in hopes of capturing the sunlight spill over the horizon.  When I arrived at the La Honda entrance of the park, it was still dark & the moon was bright in the sky.  Upon my research, I found that Daley Ranch schedules a moonlight hike to & from Stanley Peak, when there is a full moon, which in this case had been Friday evening.

The night prior I searched online for a map of the trails at Daley Ranch & planned my path.  My hike began on the Ranch House trail.  It was extremely still & quiet, almost spooky.  After passing the actual Ranch House & some dilapidated buildings, I followed the Sage Trail which leads to the peak.   At one point I heard a pack of coyotes in the distance; which I admit, freaked me out for a minute or two.  The sky began to get pinker as time passed & I found myself coming upon pockets of cold air every once in a while.  I was relieved to see the Stanley Peak sign, however I knew I still had some major uphill hiking to do.  While ascending the steep grade, the sun started peaking through the brush.  After passing the Old Water Tank, I was almost there.  I seemed to be above the fog in the valley of Escondido (meaning “hidden” in Spanish).  Arriving at the peak, I took in the panoramic view.  What a sight & accomplishment! ~ especially so early on a Sunday morning.

After only several minutes, I heard voices & noticed some mountain bikers heading my way.  It was treacherous enough just hiking this terrain, so I can’t imagine biking it.  Amazing!  After getting some video, I made my way down the grade & eventually wandered back to the parking lot, realizing how far I had walked.  Though I used this footage for a video contest, I decided to re-cut it with my favorite shots & different music.

Here are also some past photos taken at Daley Ranch & Dixon Lake:

I'll take the Chocolate Stout, please!

Daniel Del Grande, owner & brewer of Bison Brewing Company out of Berkeley, CA was in San Diego last week.  He visited Hamilton’s Tavern in South Park on Tuesday, January 26th & Pizza Port Carlsbad’s Bottle Shop in North County the following evening.  I really enjoyed the Chocolate Stout, which had a smooth cocoa flavor with a touch of bitterness.   If you are a dark chocolate & stout fan, this beer is for you.  The Imperial Brown Ale & the India Pale Ale were favorites among tasting attendees.  I look forward to trying some of their seasonals like the Gingerbread Ale & the Honey Basil Ale, though their  beer is very hard to find in San Diego.

Not only is Bison Brewing’s beer organic, they look to reduce the beer drinker’s carbon footprint with their Carbon Offset Program.

“Drink Neutral” is a long term Bison promotional program for organic beer consumers to reduce their carbon footprint associated with their beer consumption.  As a leading national natural and organic brand, we engage consumers like you on this issue, educate, and encourage you to take action on your own personal carbon footprint.

Here’s a video which shows the organic farm where their hops are grown.

Apparently Daniel will be returning to San Diego in the next few months, hopefully he brings some more awesome brews to sample.

Attempt 1: The Vanpool

Commuter Nightmare

When I was rehired in 2005 at my current job, I knew what I was in for as far as my commute.  So I decided  I would try to find an alternative to alleviate some of the time & gas I knew I was going to waste sitting in traffic, since I lived further away than during my previous stint.  At the time, via the SANDAG Ridelink website, now iCommute,  I found a vanpool with open spots for alternate riders, which was sponsored by Enterprise Rent-a-Car.  It was a pretty good deal, because I could pay as I rode, instead of paying a monthly rate like permanent riders.  Also, permanent riders had to commit to driving on a rotating schedule, which I wasn’t too keen on doing.  I would see what available days they had depending on if the permanent riders drove into work on their own or not.  Sometimes riders needed their vehicles to attend a meeting, to leave work early for a doctor’s appointment, or to take the day off.  Nonetheless, my role was to fill those days to keep the cost down for everyone.  At the end of the month, the vanpool leader would total the cost of renting the van & fueling it, then divide that by riders & the number of days each rode.

If you did not make the van by 7:05 AM, there was no mercy.  They did not wait for you.   I admit I was kind of  flaky, especially since I was considered an alternate rider.  On the other hand, the best memory I have about the vanpool was that I got to take a rest before returning to my car & embarking on my evening.  I didn’t have to get stressed about driving or pay much attention to traffic.  I feel sorry for the other riders who had to witness me “catching flies”, while I was taking a quick, yet refreshing, cat nap on the journey north.  I regret not taking it more seriously, but it just wasn’t meant to be, I suppose.

Tip: If you’re in a vanpool & not the socializing type, be sure to take a book to read, pretend to sleep, or better yet, strap on your iPod & shut out the chitter chatter.  Some people just need to talk & ask you about your personal details.

Attempt 2: Carpooling with Co-workers

Two of my coworkers approached me about carpooling, since we all lived in the inland, north county San Diego area & at the time, gas prices were skyrocketing to levels we had never seen before.  Our main meeting point was the Escondido transit center, where we felt our cars would be safe, since it is located across the street from the police station. Unfortunately this was short lived & only last several months.

We found it difficult to coordinate between the three of us.  Though we work for the same organization, our hours varied & our positions had different demands.  One coworker needed to stay late a lot while the other often had off site meetings.  Sometimes things would come up & the texts would fly between us in the morning due to an illness, a forgotten appointment, or simply waking up too late to make it to the transit center to meet on time.  It is unfortunate that it didn’t work out, because distributing the driving between three people would have really saved us all in the long run; however we certainly gave it our best effort.

Tip: Plan, plan, plan.  If you need a calendar to help coordinate, create one & give each carpooler access.  Google calendar or a similar solution would work perfectly for this purpose.

Attempt 3 = Success: Carpooling with a Friend

My friend moved back to San Diego from Portland & got a job a few miles away from my office.  She mentioned for a while that we should drive together, so we could take advantage of the carpool lane.  Since my first attempt at carpooling, a construction phase on Interstate 15 was completed & the HOV lanes extended further north.   In addition, she & I get along rather well & are fortunate to have common interests.  We are both silly enough to look forward to War of the Roses on a local radio station, which comes on close to the end of our morning commute.   This may sound evil, but we sometimes relish in seeing people sitting in their cars alone in traffic that’s only going 5 mph, while we zoom past them.  Though I have to be ready to go at a certain time in the morning,  consistently carpooling has helped us to reduce fuel & wear & tear costs & mileage collectively on our cars – overall a win-win situation.

Tip: Commit to make it work & stick to it.  Get into a routine & make it fun.

Though it may seem like carpooling could stunt your freedom & flexibility, the overall benefits are worth the discipline.

Split pea soup seems appropriate for the winter season & can be more of a dinner soup or stew, especially when potatoes, celery, & a lot of carrots are added.  Last year after Thanksgiving dinner, I was the beneficiary of a leftover hambone (long story), which prompted my first attempt at making Split Pea Soup.   The hambone still had meat on it & it fell off the bone as the soup was simmering in the crock pot.

A Crockpot, or slow cooker, is the essential tool for this recipe.  If you don’t have one, get one!  It is the easiest way to cook a fabulous meal.  Fill, then turn it on in the morning & you have a ready cooked dinner when you get home at night.  If possible, cook recipes on Low, however in making this soup I cooked it on High & it still turned out well.  Since it gets really hot, it is a good idea to let the soup cool a little before serving.  I have had my trusty crock pot for over 10 years.  Needless to say, it has some character, which can be seen in the Flickr slideshow below.

Recipe

I usually go to the Internet or to my Betty Crocker cookbook (a staple), to find a roadmap to follow when planning a recipe. I searched on Google for “crock pot split pea soup ham hocks“ & found a Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup recipe on About.com: Southern Food. I also checked out the Albertson’s Green Split Pea packaging for their recipe, morphed the two together, then added my own touches. Using a hambone is ideal, however ham hocks will do the job too & supply the soup with a salty pork flavor.  I decided to add diced ham (on sale too!) to the recipe, which was a plus since the ham hocks did not end up being very meaty.  I ran out of black pepper & substituted cayenne pepper, which seemed to work well with the peas & ham & added a nice kick to the dish.

Ingredients

• Green Split Peas (16 oz)
• Ham hocks (2)
• Red Potatoes (3)
• Carrots (3 – 4)
• Celery (2)
• Yellow Onion – small (1)
• Garlic – several cloves
• Fresh Basil – leaves (5 – 7)
• Cayenne Pepper (1/2 teaspoon)
• Sea Salt (to taste)
• Bay Leaf
• Water (1 ½ quarts or make sure H2O covers everything in the crock pot)
• Diced Ham (optional)

Process

• Clean out any small pebbles from the green split peas, then rinse.
• Cut the potatoes, carrots, celery, & onion into bite sized pieces. Mince garlic & chop basil.
• Layer the ingredients in the crock pot in the order listed above under Ingredients.
• Cook on High for 4 – 5 hours.
• Remove the ham hocks & the bay leaf.  Mash the peas, if you would like a thicker soup.
• Add the diced ham (optional) & turn the crock pot down to Low until ready to serve.

Them Crooked Vultures

On November 17th, my BF & I raced after work to Los Angeles from San Diego to catch Them Crooked Vultures at the Wiltern Theatre.  I was worried we wouldn’t make the show in time, especially since it was all ages, which normally start earlier than 21 + shows.  We missed most of a Bad Brains show earlier this year at House of Blues San Diego, because we didn’t realize all ages shows started earlier to accommodate the little kiddies.  Luckily, we made it with enough time to park, get a beer, & find our seats with some time to spare to take in the art deco beauty of the theater & indulge in some people watching.

Dubbed a super group, Them Crooked Vultures, or TCV for short,  includes: John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), Dave Grohl (Scream, Nirvana, & Foo Fighters), Josh Homme (Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, & Desert Sessions) and Alain Johannes (Eleven, Queens of the Stone Age, & Desert Sessions).  I was glad to have been able to acquaint myself with the album beforehand via their YouTube channel.  As the band began we rose to our feet & stayed there until the end.  It was cool to see see Dave Grohl walk onstage & get behind the drums again.  He usually plays at least one song each Foo Fighters concert on the drums, while Taylor Hawkins sings, but it’s just never enough.  All were enamored with the legendary John Paul Jones’ presence & talent.  Queens of the Stone Age, from which TCV borrows a lot of their sound, is my favorite band, so I always look forward to seeing Josh Homme perform.  As well, Alain Johannes, a QOTSA regular, lent his skill on rhythm guitar for the live show.  This show rocked!

The one downfall to the show was that it was extremely loud for the venue with sound bouncing crazily off the walls.  However the next day, I wished I could go back & relive it.  I hope they come to SoCal again.  I’d love to see them play with Faith No More, when/if they finally decide to bring their tour to the States.

Brant Bjork

On November 28th, we trekked to the “high desert”, Yucca Valley, to check out Brant Bjork (Kyuss & Fu Manchu) at Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace.  The first time I saw him perform was at the Viper Room in L.A.  (Still waiting for the live album from that show!)  The second & third times were at Pappy & Harriet’s, the polar opposite of a Hollywood club & of the previous TCV show a week earlier.  Brant Bjork appears to be unassuming, as does his music, which is extremely refreshing.

The stage is only a few inches off the floor & it is easy to get close to the action.  More filming occurred at this show, than at previous BB shows, & I’m wondering if a video might be released in the near future.  This was certainly a kick back desert rock show.  There was good energy, everyone was in a chill mood, met some great people, & got to say “Thanks for the awesome music!  Crank your vinyl all the time.” to Brant personally.

It is the best seeing live music of any kind, though it is always special to see a band or musicians you really love – especially if travelling is involved to make it happen!

Javen Jules Babauta

“Never doubt that a small group of dedicated people could change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

We, by the sheer force of our combined passion, commitment, and numbers will move this field forward to find effective treatments and a cure for this devastating neurological disorder called autism.

I am participating in Walk Now for Autism San Diego on behalf of Team Javen.  Please help me to reach my fundraising goal, so I don’t look like a turkey.  If you are interested in participating in the walk, please register here.

Please click here to donate to Walk Now for Autism Speaks San Diego.

About Walk Now for Autism
Walk Now for Autism, the nation’s largest grassroots autism walk program, is Autism Speaks’ signature fundraising and awareness event, taking place in communities across the United States, as well as in Canada and the United Kingdom. Powered by volunteers and families with loved ones on the autism spectrum, this successful grassroots fundraising effort not only generates vital funds for autism research but also raises awareness about the increasing prevalence of autism and the need for increased research funding to combat this complex disorder. To see a current list of walk sites pleas visit www.walknowforautism.org.

Walk Day Information
Walk Now for Autism is a family-friendly event so bring the whole family along.  There are activities for the children, resources for families, light refreshments and entertainment.

Date:
Saturday, September 26, 2009

Location:
Mission Bay Park of San Diego
De Anza Cove Area

3000 East Mission Drive in North Mission Bay
Registration opens: 8:00AM
Walk Start: 9:30AM

Parking: The parking lot of De Anza Cove is free.

Directions: Take I-5 to the Clairemont Drive Exit, head West to East Mission Bay Drive, then right to North Mission Bay Drive. This road goes into the parking lot of De Anza Cove. Parking is free in these lots.

On February 23rd, the website icanhascheezburger.com contacted me through a YouTube message asking for permission to use & edit my Cat on Cat Ambush video posted last August.  I am a huge fan of the site & get their emails in my inbox every day, so of course I obliged.  I was lucky enough to see Ben Huh & Eric Nakagawa from icanhascheezburger.com speak at SXSW in 2008 & their presentation & slideshow were a riot, plus there were cheeseburgers for the audience members afterwards, which was a bonus.  Nearly a month passed before my video was posted on their YouTube channel (March 20th) & it appears to have been posted on their website on April 7th, when I happened to see a few comments pop up on my channel.  I hadn’t given it too much thought & wasn’t even sure if they’d post it.  It wasn’t until Thursday that I actually saw the hits on their YouTube channel.  Thursday afternoon they had over 372,000 hits for the video & comments were flying.  Positive & negative.  The negative comments stemmed from the loud audio at the end of the video.  If you have not seen it, consider yourself warned.  Today the video had accumulated over 1/2 million hits on their YouTube site & over 35,000 on my site.  It has also been reposted on other sites including Break.com, BuzzFeed.com, & LiveLeak.com, & at least one other that took it for their own.

Who would’ve known that a video I took on a little Sony DSC-S730 of two cats playing last summer, while I was visiting family on the east coast, would become viral 8 months later.  Here are both versions of the video.

Cat on Cat Ambush (the original)

Cat Ambush! (the Cheezburger version)