Well, I'm on my way home to Chicago after 3 weeks of pest control sales in sunny Sacramento, CA. And I finally have time to tell the tale of a long fun filled 3 weeks that all started with a crazy airport experience at O'Hare and ends with me blogging it up at the, tiny-er then you would expect, Sacramento International Airport (SMF). I think SMF stands for smerf, after the size of the airport. We will get back to this at the end of the story. But right now you can see that I am pleasently listening to some new music that my cousin Bret gave me. The bands name is Fleet Foxes. I love it. (Emotion not shown in above picture). Speaking of cousins that is where my story begins. I left from my home in Gurnee, IL saturday June 28th. Arriving at "the jungle", a.k.a. O'Hare airport I left my family for 3 weeks. I know. Not the longest a family has been apart. But this was a new one for us. It was hard to say the least. Especially leaving two little ones who knew not how long a their father would be gone. And leaving a wife who knew all to well how long she would be alone with the two little ones. Hats off Alicia. It was sad but I was also thrilled only because I was going to meet up with my two cousins, one of which I had not seen in two years. I was also thrilled because Alicia was scheduled to come visit me in Sac-town after two weeks for my birthday. So back to my cousins.
Bret Baker and Brian Markham.
Those who know our family know that us three have been the best of friends for our entire lives. The list of events that we have enjoyed together is long, to name a few: '97 National Scout Jamboree; Road trip '99 (Angie wahlen Daw, Jason Duffin, me, Bret Baker) to So. Cal (Brian included in the So. Cal part). There was a cousin that made her way back with us back home (Katie baker Anderson). Anyway, the list could go on, but suffice it to say that there are few cousins in this world as close as we have been. So to make up for not being together for a long time we planned an adventure to hike Half Dome at Yosemite, CA. At O'Hare I jumped onto an earlier flight to make it into Sac earlier. My brother Cory picked me up at the airport and we went down to Yosemite to meet up with Bret, his wife Whitney, and Brian. We got side tracked by an IN-N-OUT and got a little lost but we got to the camp site exactly the same time as the others did. We talked about it later and knew that with the loss of our cell phone service, it would have been next to impossible to meet up like we did. When we first met up, I can honestly say that I have not giggled with that much joy in a long time. It was a good reunion as we waited for the camp receptionist to sign us in to camp.
Anyway, we camped that night all in one tent. It was so much fun. Here we are at our camp-site. Not to leave out Whitney of the group picture, Bret remembered her by taking this funny one of her by herself. Now that I mention it, maybe this was one of those things that was hilarious only if you were there. Sorry, you had to be there. But we laughed pretty good.
That stud with the BYU shirt, is my younger brother Cory. What a stud muffin. (Ladies he is single).
We got an early start toward the trail head. We started up the trail head in the cool shade of the mountain. Little did we know that we would be desceding from the mountain later that day with dry mouths and beaten to a pulp by an 8000+ ft. elevation and a hot Cali sun. But we started the day with cheerfull, naive hearts.
Passing up the misty trail to the top of Vernal Fall was the most beautiful part of the hike.
Close to the top we stopped for a look at what we had come for,
Half Dome.
Up to the side of half dome there are a series of switch backs. When we got past all of the hiking, precarious switchbacks and the increaseing heat, there before us, stood what looked like a wall with two parallel cables going up the height of the rock wall. Well, looks can sometimes be deceiving, but not this time.
But luckily it wasn't crowded. Here is what it could've looked like.
The top was worth the scary, gustying winds. And near 75% grade.
At the top I had a feeling of great self accomplishment. I couldn't have predicted that my body would almost shut down due to a little thing called heat stroke. Although everyone else probably thought it was just because I'm out of shape. No way man. I'm a machine. But seriously, I dry heaved almost 10 times. But a friendly hiker game me a bunch of water to through over my head and drink. My camal back was out. I quickly recouped, because I'm a machine. Out of shape. But a machine no less. Brian had the sole of his boat fall right off. And he ingeniously made a sandal out of his shoe and shoe lace.
But we made it down. Along the way I renewed my frienship with my close, but distant cousins. I also got to know my younger brother Cory a little better. Who I also hadn't seen more than a week in that last two years. Long live the Half Dome adventure.
To continue on with my 3 week adventure. I had to take boards part I July 9th. So I would study in the morning before knocking doors all day and then again in the evening. It was a hard week and a half of door to door sells and study. But the test came and went. I was able to take the exam, incidently, at a testing center just down the street from my Cousin Bret's place in Alameda, CA. I stayed with Bret and his wife Whitney the night before the exam. They were so nice to let me stay with them. They have to have the coolest apartment I have ever seen. And Alameda, CA is the best kept secret of the bay area.
Later that week the highlight of my 3 weeks came on Saturday July 12th. I was visited by my beautiful wife, Alicia. No, not in a dream. She flew out for my birthday. She and the kids had been staying with the family in Kaysville, UT. I should mention how thankful I am for Alicia's parents, Dave and Joann, for taking our kids for the weekend. I am the luckiest son-in-law. After picking up Alicia from SMF(smurf airport) on Saturday morning, I worked the morning. Alicia stayed at the apartments and made me a delicious lazagna, my favorite. She also made pastachio salad. A birthday must. After work on Saturday we went to a little town just outside of Sacramento called Folsom. Despite being know for housing the state of Californias criminals at the local state pen, we stayed at a cool hotel near history old town Folsom. We had so much fun shopping, eating in-n-out, and just being together after being apart for two weeks. The best birthday ever. But I will say I missed my little Emma and my stout little Bennett. Alicia stayed with me through monday morning and then left. But while we were here, we developed a roll of film that had been in our old camera for over 4 1/2 years. Alicia was sure that we would find pictures of me and old girlfriends. But she was pleased, as was I, to see that the roll of film started at our honeymoon. There was no way we could have remembered that we had taken those pictures as we started on our way to Las Vegas.
I love her so much. We have become closer over the last 4 1/2 years. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Well, I had better go. I have had the last 4 hrs to write this blog because I missed my flight this morning. I guess I should have got some more sleep instead of staying up with my brother Cory last night and watched Star Wars Episode III.
Here is a pic of Cory with oreos on his teeth.
It was fun CA. Here I come Chicago.
