Joshua Tree is Amazing!

I spent this morning/afternoon driving through Joshua Tree National Park, and all I can say is WOW! This must be one of the most pristine places on the planet. Some of the scenery took my breath away; ok most of it did!!

My drive was solo since Rachelle had more insurance business to attend to today, but I totally wish she could have been there in person to see the expansive beauty of the park. What should have taken me only a few hours ended up stretching out to about seven hours since I had to stop every mile or so to take it all in.

Naturally, there were a lot of Joshua Trees, but I also saw some interesting and colorful scrub grasses, other strange trees and the most interesting cholla cactus. I also came across kangaroo rats, birds of prey, and Jackrabbits at every turn. I didn't encounter any reptiles, but that was probably due to the chilly temperatures. It was quite windy and in the high 50s in the park, which lies at about 3500 feet above sea level (I think).

Aside from the beautiful, and varied landscape, I was impressed by the deep blue sky, and pollution free air. A few times, I hiked off the road a bit and ended up in a world of my own, where all I could hear was the wind, and an occasional unidentified wild-life noise. Standing in nearly complete silence in such an environment was humbling.

Anyhoo, it's back to the soggy (but equally as beautiful) Pacific Northwest tomorrow. I have enjoyed my brief stay in the land of perpetual sun, and hope to return soon.

The attached picture is one of many excellent pix I snapped on my journey. The conditions were perfect.

Old Hollywood Hangout

We had an interesting night on Monday. We went to an event put on by one of the large insurance brokers attending the conference that Rachelle is here for. Remember, I am just along for the ride, and the sun.

The social aspect of the event was not much to write home about since I don't know much about corporate insurance, which tends keeps the conversations to a minimum. When I explain that I am a software engineer here with my wife, they usually utter something like, "Ahhh...computers, interesting."

What I found fascinating about the event was the venue. We were bused to the La Quinta Resort, which used to be a regular haunt of some of Hollywood's most memorable stars. I'm talking about the classic folks, like Bette Davis, Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, Katherine Hepburn, Eddie Cantor, Greta Garbo, and Shirley Temple.

We were greeted by a Sinatra look-alike, and treated to some 1940s era music delivered by a live big band. Well, they weren't that big, but that was the genre of music they played, although they did slip in a Steely Dan song. Frank even got into the action with a rendition of "New York, New York". I don't think the insurance folks were paying much attention to the music. After all, this event was really an opportunity for the host company to mingle with clients, and talk business.

I enjoyed the opportunity to visit an historical place I probably would never have seen was it not for the insurance industry, and Rachelle's involvement in it.

Anyway, the picture attached to this post was taken from our hotel room at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort and Spa.

It's Sonny Here!

Ahhh...there's nothing quite as nice as a cool breeze, sunshine, and the absence of rain. We made it to Palm Springs, and like Florda last year, it feels strange to be sitting around in shorts and a T-shirt in January; strange, but good!

Took a nice tram ride to 8500 feet above sea level, which gave us a nice view of the desert below. It was a bit chilly at the top of the San Jacinto mountains, and there were several patches of snow on the ground. We didn't stay up there long because our main objective for being here is to be warm. I can hang out in 45 degree weather at home anytime.

The landscape here is (naturally) arid, with nothing much on the ground but rocks, scrub, and sand. There are mountains all around since Palm Springs lies in the coachella valley. I haven't gotten any great desert shots yet, but I did have Rachelle snap this picture with me hangin' with the former mayor in downtown Palm Springs.

Rachelle has business to deal with this week, so I am contemplating a solo ride to Josua Tree in the next day or two. Maybe I'll get a few good shots of cacti.

Right now, I'm kicking back in a cabana (with wireless internet, of course), and enjoying the weather. I believe the forecast in Seattle is still rain, but here it seems to be perpetually Sonny!

Flu, Grey Skies, Desert...

Wednesday evening, I had a temperature of 100 degrees F. The evil flu had finally caught up with me, and I began to regret passing up the flu shot back in November. I spent most of the following day sleeping, which seemed to help. I don't feel so bad today, and that is a good thing because I was a little worried I was going to be stuck at home, alone under grey skies while Rachelle was on a biznazz trip to a much warmer, sunnier, drier place.

That's right, the Northwest has been hella grey this year, and we have had our fair share of rain. The forecast for the next week is more of the same...rain. Oh, and it has not exactly been warm either. Take a look at this picture of the Space Needle I took 2 years ago. The sky looks like that right now, and has for nearly 2 months. Sure, we've had a few semi-clear days in between, but not quite as many as last winter.

No worries though. This afternoon, we are heading for a place where the climate is a complete 180 of the Seattle area. That's (insert expletive) right, we are heading for the desert!! Palm Springs, here we come!

I will be taking along my trusty 35 mm, and my laptop, and I hope to post a few pictures on my Flickr page while we're there.

Later,

- Chris

Rollin' on Twenty Fo's

Life seems to be getting more complicated every year. I mean, between a demanding software engineering job, part-time school, and keeping up with the latest gadget du jour, I sometimes feel exhausted!

I was thinking today that I really needed to finish processing the 3500+ digital photos I have taken of various people, places, and things over the last few years. I was also wondering when I was going to find the time to get back to converting my vinyl collection to digital, so I can put my scratchy records on my iPod Photo, or maybe even my iPod shuffle (both gifts for working a lot at the software job). Then, I was wondering when I was going to find the time to get familiar with the video camera I got for my birthday as a means to document our soon-to-be child's every step.

I recently gave up on creating my own custom Web site in favor of this and other ready-made solutions for blogging and posting photos, so that's out of the way!

Sigh...

Sure it seems like whining from some poor, yuppie, geek with too much access to good technology, but I think most of us are in the same boat these days. Too much information, too many choices, and the same limited number of hours in a day.

And, there is a child waiting for us in China. What am I going to do when she comes!?! I guess I'll figure that part out when I need to.

Anyway, there are those times when I feel like a simpler life could be better. I start thinking back to those days when (as a teenager/young adult) I was mostly concerned about driving around aimlessly with my pals, blasting what is now considered "old skool" rap, and just laughing about really ridiculous stuff. Those days will never return, but it is good to reflect on them and it makes me laugh when I think about it, so that in itself reduces the stress and pace of my modern existence.

Oh, and speaking of laughing, just like the guy in this picture, if we had 24 inch rims back in 1986, I am positive they would have been installed on one of our cars. So, when I'm feeling overwhelmed with the multitude of daily tasks, I imagine myself rollin' on twenty Fo's!

Tired...

It's late, I'm tired, the Seahawks won the NFC Championship game today, here is a squirrel sniffing another squirrel's butt in Yosemite, and Rachelle is probably wondering why I have been sitting in front of the computer since dinner.

G'night...Zzzzzzzzzz.....

A Boost!

Rachelle and I have been getting a little anxious about how long it has been taking to finalize the adoption of our first child. As most of our friends and family know, we have been on this journey for a while now, and in the last couple of months it has felt like it is never going to happen. Of course, we know it will, but it has felt like an eternity.

Lucky for us, we got the boost we needed on Saturday. We attended a dinner a neighbor's house who had invited a few families (friends of theirs) over to meet us. These families had all adopted children from China in the last several years, and this would be our first contact with other folks who have made the same journey we are about to make.

The dinner was great, the company was thoughtful, and they shared many interesting stories with us about their experiences in China and with adoption in general. The stories were very sincere, none of them sugar-coated, and they (the families) all seemed eager to share as much info as possible with us. It was great!

The best part (naturally) was meeting the children. They were all girls ranging in age from 5-7 (I think), and they were adorable, sweet natured, and were obviously fond of their American parents.

Seeing these children inspired us to keep moving forward to our destiny with the little angel we will be privileged enough to meet in the coming months. Of course she will be a teenager some day, so I reserve the right to revoke my "little angel" comment at a later date. :)

First Post

Hello and Welcome...

The primary purpose of this blog is to share my thoughts and daily life with friends and family, near and far.

Cheers,

- Chris