It’s been a while since my last update so I at least wanted to put something here.

Got into Honolulu Sunday the 10th at about 9 am, and passed the Revelle on her way out for several weeks of student cruise exctitement. Lots of glum faces due to their abbreviated port stop and ridiculous workload during said port stop. Glad I didn’t have to go. I gave my relief Scott a good rundown on the excitement that is Melville-land during the afternoon. Went out and partied that night with Scott as well as Paul and Tony from the ship’s crew, and Lauren, a scientist from a previous cruise who lives in Hawaii. We did dinner at the Brew Moon at the Ward Center, and then lost Scott somewhere, and Paul went off to a movie. Lauren, Tony, and I proceded to get lit at Dukes and Da Dawg House. I made it back to the ship sometime around the ass-crack of dawn and woke up with a slight hangover and more than my share of sleep deprivation. Hopped on the plane and headed home Monday night.

Tuesday I went to the office with the intent of only being in for 20 minutes. This of course turned into 5 and half hours. Blah. I was supposed to be on the road the next day. That needless to say didn’t happen, as my poor truck has been neglected since January of this year and was in no shape for a 1000+ mile journey through barren desert highways. I spend Tuesday night and Wednesday wrenching, and Thursday freaking out because shit was still broken and I wasn’t on the road yet.

I finally left Friday morning for Moab, Utah, and made it in about 11.5 hours. Met up with the TTORA crew in the Motel 6 parking lot and went out to the campsite where the Colorado guys were blowing stuff up and showing off their lack of even a square inch of straight sheet metal on their trucks. Wheeled Saturday on the “Top of the World” trail which had incredible views plus one member and a squirrel rappelling off the cliff.

Sunday the TTORA crew took off and I went biking. I finally made it out to the world famous Slickrock bike trail where the traction is incredible. Came back and moved camps that night. Monday I rode from camp up the Amasa Back trail, which provided more “shitty views”, but managed to tear up my driveline on my bike pretty well. Tuesday found my bike in the shop getting overhauled and me cruising around town on a rainy day with nothing to do. Finally got a short 1 hour ride in before sunset when I got my bike back.

Wednesday, I drove from Moab to Flagstaff via Monument Valley and the Navajo Indian Reservation to meet up with my parents who were on vacation. Watched the Red Sox clinch the ALCS from the Beaver Street Brewery in Flagstaff, which was an experience to say the least. Overheard from some guy at the bar: “It’s not so much that I like the Red Sox or anything, I just hate the fuckin’ Yankees.” Me too buddy, me too.

Thursday my mom and I travelled around Flagstaff and surrounding areas while my dad flew home for a business meeting. It started snowing that afternoon, somewhat early in the season. This provided for an entertaining next day when I had to shovel said snow out of the bed of my truck to make room for suitcases.

Friday mom and I travelled back to San Diego via Sedona and Prescott, then due south to Yuma and finally to I-8.

Busy couple of weeks. Now I’m back at work today wishing I wasn’t.