Thursday, March 14, 2024

Here [I] Go Again

I'm moving to Fort Worth, Texas. I don't particularly want to move. I'm not excited about the move. What I've been telling people in regards to my feelings about it, and how I think is the best way to describe it is, I'm at peace with it. It's a little more than base acceptance - although accepting it was the first positive step towards becoming at peace with it.

If it's not been stated yet or made evident - Deric and I broke up at the start of this year. Short-lived relationship, for sure. I suppose there were red flags early on which I chose to sidestep. I didn't quite ignore them, but then, he also responded positively when I laid out some boundaries around them, so that seems good and mature. But they were still red flags nonetheless, I suppose in hindsight. Anyways, we fought and that was just about the end. I didn't publish it then, but might as well now... here's what I wrote that day. He texted a couple days later and I held my stance, and he didn't apologize, so that was that.

Not a great start to the year, but also not terrible in light of the uncertainty which became more certain - that I'd be moving to Fort Worth, basically to keep my job. It's not quite that simple, work drama, but I'm definitely making the best choice for me and for the team and the company, I believe. It's just tough because I wasn't quite ready to leave Palmdale - I weirdly like it here and there's still a lot to do in California. I've been trying to knock some of those things off my list before moving.

Today, though, a big step forward in the move progress occurred when I finally got an offer on my house. I already have a house I'm under contract for in Texas, but that is contingent on the sale of my house here and it's been a while. So I am relieved, on the one hand, especially because I hate being in limbo and not being able to plan things. But on the other hand, it just made it real, final and eminent. I guess a part of me hoped the contract would expire and I could push the move out a bit, find a different house that I was more excited about.

It's not that I have buyer's remorse, I don't think the house I want actually exists and I was perfectly ok with buying a minimally livable house which I could decorate with my own taste. And so much cheaper! But I suppose a part of me still thinks there are better options - either to go cheaper or to go move modern / upgraded. The first house I had put an offer on had a dreamy pool like none other, and while the pricetag was also higher and the commute was painful, I started to fall for that pool. I worry / wonder if I'm going to miss having a hot tub, too, now that I've had one and love it so much. I guess we'll see.

Anyways, with an offer now at an acceptable price, the ball is going to start rolling quickly, I think. And that's good because I do want to be with my team, I am struggling to feel engaged in my work from afar and we have some real problems I want to go solve out in Fort Worth and beyond.

I think it'll be good to have less expenses - and really, this giant house is far too big for just me. And I think the dating scene will be better, I mean, it can't be worse than Palmdale, right? Swing dance isn't an hour and change away… at least not the place I went to when I was last out there (and going to tomorrow). It'll be an adventure, right? 

I think what I'm going to miss most is the people I've come to know and like here. I wasn't as well established in San Diego, partially because I lived there during COVID, and even in Florida and Connecticut, I felt like a stranger visiting rather than a resident with a life and friends there. Not sure if that was because I had a significant other and therefore we kept to ourselves, or if it’s the lack of longevity in those places compared to the ~2.5 years here, or maybe both plus my efforts to really connect with people this past year. I'll just have to convince them to move to Fort Worth with me. 

On to Texas! 

Friday, March 1, 2024

Designing Texas

 Family Room











 



Primary Bedroom








Sunday, February 18, 2024

Luxe Yosemite

One of my newest life objectives is to see the Milky Way with the baked eye. I mean really see it, like those gorgeous long exposure pictures but irl. I've been searching for opportunities for a few years, missing optimal conditions and being disappointed by the non-results. The now-ex and I had gone up to Yosemite but stayed at an AirBnB in the hills just outside of the park, which I thought would still be close enough but the light pollution from the small town was still too much. We did enjoy a luxurious hot tub outside and listening to the wild turkey calls, and we hiked around the park and climbed a waterfall, so the trip wasn't a let down by my standards, we just failed to see the Milky Way. We also took a trip to Bryce Canyon and had a ton of good hiking fun in that park. We even returned to the park after dark in hopes of seeing the Milky Way, but it was still much a no-go. This past year as a newly single woman, I camped at Amboy Crater twice and booked a stargazing and astrophotography session at the top of the mountain in Maui, still to no avail. The Hawaii native photographer kept commenting how she has never seen the sky this unclear. I assured her, its me, I'm the problem, its me.

So now I'm attacking my quest with more intention, trying to have plans to be in a dark sky site for every new moon, or at least the weekend closest to the new moon. January was Amboy Crater again. And while the stars were pretty dazzling at Amboy Crater, I didn't get the full effect I expect from a Milky Way shot.

For February, I made plans to go back to Yosemite, this time staying in the park. There are a number of options and I don't mind roughing it usually, but I do get up and use the bathroom a lot so I wasn't too excited about the cabins that had communal bathrooms some distance away outside. Instead I opted for the high end option at the Ahwahnee. And if you've followed some of my adventures before, you know that when I go high end, I kinda go all out high end. So I booked the King room with a balcony. Usually hotels have several of these types of rooms if they have any. Here, not so much it seems. I'm basing that on the comment the waiter said to me when I gave him my room number to charge to. But I'm jumping ahead, let me get to that later.

From my home in Palmdale, CA, the drive to Yosemite was just around 6 hours. So, I could easily drive up there early in the day Friday, do some hiking or have down time, stay over night and hopefully get the view I'm after from my balcony, do some hiking in the morning and head home Saturday evening. That was my theory, anyways. And I was glad I planned it that way, because I ended up taking a business / househunting trip leaving early Sunday morning. The Saturday before my Yosemite trip, I checked the weather forecast for Yosemite for my planned trip dates and it showed snow and overcast. I was extremely disappointed, realizing that meant absolutely no chance of a Milky Way appearance, and snow deterred my desire to hike or even drive there. I tried calling to cancel, although I did notice that the reservation said 7 day cancellation policy. Canceling was a no-go, as the somewhat rude personnel informed me on the phone that weather was not a valid reason. So, knowing I wouldn't get my money back, I debated forfeiting it rather than drive up there in the snow by myself and risking wasting my time having a bad time. But as the week went on, the weather forecast changed from snow to just overcast. Still not promising to see any lights in the sky, but at least the danger of icy conditions seemed to lessen.

I decided to go and make the most of it, as I am prone to do, even if that meant driving to the lodge, bundling up under the covers and enjoying my view from indoors. Nadine advised me that I might need chains for my tires and indeed I saw some warnings to that effect, but nothing certain. I decided better safe than sorry, so the first thing I did after packing my car up was to stop at Walmart and get chains. I had no idea it was so complicated, but luckily I was able to goggle sufficient (I think) info about my car to get the right set and they were in stock. I never had to use them, so I guess I technically don't know for sure I got the right ones, but we'll just assume I did my diligence.

That hurdle seemingly behind me, I headed towards Yosemite. I listened to my audiobook for a good portion of the trip (this is a great way to make use of your time on long road trips)! It occurred to me, and not sure how it hadn't registered in my brain before, that one of the warnings in the Yosemite park's page was about the influx of traffic due to the February "Firefall." I looked up more information and found that yes, this weekend was the first anticipated possible sighting. The phenomenon lasts only a few moments, and conditions would have to be just right. Some websites said the sky had to be completely void of clouds, which I knew would be unlikely given the overcast forecast. But other sites showed pictures of the Firefall with clouds in the background - so clearly it didn't have to be totally, umm, clear.

Not getting my hopes up, I decided to at least try to locate where the possible Firefall would show and do some hiking in and around the area before checking in to my hotel. The websites made it sound like you had to get there really early to "claim your spot" for the viewing, so I didn't want to risk losing my "spot" by checking in to the hotel. Also, I thought there was a good chance that once I was in my room, I wouldn't want to leave my bed.

But it was also chilly outside - there was snow in parts of the park. I put my snow boots on thinking I'd just meander a bit, not quite ready for a full on hike. I ended up meandering for over 3 miles and, not wearing socks, my feet were starting to get a little sore in the boots. As the sunset drew closer, the clouds hadn't budged so I knew it was really unlikely that the Firefall would show at this point. Still, my FOMO (and frankly, not having anything really better to do other than unwind in my hotel room) kept me out there just in case the clouds suddenly parted.

For those that do want to pursue the Firefall, here are some tips I learned, at least based on the 2024 season.
  • Entrance to the park is by reservation only Saturdays and Sundays during the peak Firefall weekends in February. But if you enter Friday as I did and stay at lodging in the park, then you don't have to worry about that.
  • It's a 1.5 mile walk (one way) to the designated viewing area from the optimal parking lot. The park had lots of signs stating no stopping along the route to pickup/drop off passengers, but they did make a nice walkway out of half the road.
  • The viewing area is a small field so you can bring a chair or blanket to sit on, otherwise you're probably going to be standing for a while and then hiking back the 1.5 miles.


Finally, I made my way to the Ahwahnee. It was valet parking only, so I did my best to juggle all the bags and things I wanted to bring in. I assume, after a 6 hour drive and then hiking and carrying in all my stuff, I must have looked a big frazzled because the front desk personnel did not seem interested in helping me. The keys to the rooms are not like those credit card-like keys that are so common, but rather old-school metal keys which is kind of neat.

Before heading to my room, I stopped by the Dining Hall hostess and asked if I could get a reservation for about an hour out - she said she'd put me on the wait list and it would be about an hour, so that was perfect. I figured I'd go shower and clean myself up a bit and then have a nice dinner and cocktails.

I took the pretty ancient elevator up to the fourth floor and not too far down its own hallway was my epic room 450. The room itself had a lot of old world charm much like the whole hotel. Not particularly my style, but definitely over-the-top, everywhere you look.

It took me a while to negotiate the double dutch doors out to the balcony but that was the biggest surprise. The balcony was GINORMOUS! I mean, this wasn't a 4 x 6 balcony. This was a deck with multiple couches, tables and chairs and gorgeous views 270 degrees. It looked like the outdoor seating area for an entire restaurant or bar. I think it was strangely shared with one other room, but there were no other doors leading to it so at worst it was a giant party balcony shared between two rooms. 

 

I hopped in the shower and got ready to head downstairs, figuring I'd go to the gift shop or bar if the restaurant wasn't quite ready. But in perfect timing, the text came through that my table was ready as I was waiting for the elevator. I assumed I had never been in the restaurant before, but as soon as I walked in I realized that my ex and I had gone there for lunch in our previous trip to Yosemite. Nevermind that, since I wasn't driving anywhere, I intended to have some delicious cocktails and a nice dinner in this gorgeous hall. And that is exactly what I did! For my first cocktail, I ordered the Inspiration Point. Then I went to the buffet and loaded up my plate. While the food was all good, I have to say that the mac 'n cheese had something a little magical about it and was hands down the best mac 'n cheese I've ever had (and I think I am a bit of a connoisseur, so that is a big statement).


I went back to get a few things for dessert, and I got my Firefall after all - in the form of a delicious cocktail. It was a hot chocolate spiked with a chili liquor. It was so sweet it was almost hard to drink, but very delicious.

In the morning, I grabbed a hot chocolate to go from the bar downstairs, and then retreated back to my room. I tried enjoying the breathtaking view on my gigantean balcony, but it was still a bit too chilly to really get comfortable. My windows had fogged up but I was able to wipe it off from the inside, so I enjoyed a not-so-complete view from my bed while I read and did some things on my phone.

When I was a bit more awake, I decided to explore the hotel a bit more. My first stop was the gift shop, and then I checked out the Solarium and the Mural Room. As it got close to checkout time, I packed my stuff up, checked out and called for my car at the valet. I still drove around quite a bit, still enjoying the park, but didn't feel up for any further hiking. I ended up on the other side of the park and exited that way, which was a little weird but seemed to put me closer to home, so couldn't complain about that. 


Anyways, if you want the most baller balcony ever, go for the "Featured Hotel Rooms - King" and book far in advance.



Sunday, January 28, 2024

Audio Books for Road Trips

I'm an efficiency-obsessed person by nature and by profession. And I love travel but it pains me how long it takes - all those hours sitting in a vehicle. For me, audiobooks are a great way to pass the time and feel like you're getting something out of those otherwise wasted hours.

If you're traveling alone, then honestly just pick whatever audio book you want! But if you're traveling with others, you probably want to find something more agreeable to everyone.

There are several ways to get audiobooks. The easiest is probably Audible, which has a huge selection and allows you to purchase the audio books so you have them in your collection permanently. It can also automatically sync and integrate with your Alexa devices to continue the audio book at home.

Pro Tip for Audible: If your friends or family also use Audible, they can share a book they've purchased for free to you and vice a versa. This only works once per account combination, but is a great way to save a little money when you have a book recommendation.

That can add up though so if you're looking for a cheaper option, check out Libby. You'll need a library card from your local library and can browse their selections from the app. The selection can be more limited and you have to wait on other customers for more popular titles, but the app works great with Bluetooth, Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.

Pro Tip for Libby: You can toggle between multiple libraries. So if you're like me and have lived in multiple places, you can often keep your old library card and use the one for your new location. It is dependent on the library, though, and how they renew their membership. Also, I'm pretty sure the Los Angeles library doesn't check for residence, and that has a huge selection. But I didn't tell you that.

Through my employer, I also have access to Percipio which is a little clunkier, as well as Coursera and LinkedIn Learning for more academic-style courses. Finally, a last possible option from in the "old days" and less and less of an option now is to borrow physical media CDs from the library or purchase them. Really old school, one of my libraries had a little independent player device for each audio book that connected via a headphone jack. But with Bluetooth and apps so prevelent and becoming moreso, I'd stick to those.

Without further ado, here are some audiobook ideas I can recommend for roadtrips that may appeal to all parties.


Jurassic Park
- Most people know the movie and it's premise, and could recognize the gorgeous musical theme by legendary composer John Williams. But how many have actually read the original book? This was a good one that my now-ex and I listened to on our epic road trip, and I was surprised he (not being a reader) endured the whole thing. That speaks volumes to its universal appeal.

Cheaper by the Dozen - Nothing like the movies you've seen by the same name (unless you have seen the OG 1950 movie), this book is a true story of the original efficiency expert, Frank Gilbert, who fathered the field in which I now work, Industrial Engineering. As told by two of his children, the tale weaves through the quirky parenting of the dozen Gilbreth children and comically illustrates their parents' great professional achievements. If you're a parent or want to be, there may be some nuggets of wisdom you may take away.


Life, Unscheduled
- This is an easy romance read but it describes Idyllwild, an area not too far from my home in Palmdale, in such a blissful way that I took a weekend trip to experience it for myself. I could relate to the main character also in how she schedules things and tries to do it all and how life can be overwhelming sometimes.


The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World - As the name implies, this is a true story that mostly takes place in the concentration camp and provides some humane insight into how these events could be allowed to happen, as well as the triumph of this escapee who helped shed light on the horrors happening at the end of the train line. Not a cheerful roadtrip read, for sure, but I think it appeals to a broad audience wanting to learn and understand a dark part of our world's history.


The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as a CEO of the Walt Disney Company
- A business book the whole family can relate to, this book covers the major decision points and challenges of Bob Iger's command as the head of one of the most beloved brands and companies.


Your Perfect Year
- Part mystery, part romance novel, this is another easy read of hope and sickness and love.


Drunk Tank Pink: And Other Unexpected Forces that Shape How We Think, Feel and Behave
- This is a conversation starter with lots of quirky and largely unknown anecdotes of things you wouldn't normally think about.


The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest
- An interesting read about how people live in different regions. This book could also be a good conversation starter and perhaps inspire some lifestyle changes.


Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do and What It Says About Us
- I debated putting this one on the list because it could induce more road rage on a road trip, but I really like this book in general and figured some of the insights and applications may be helpful on the road trip.

Pimsleur Language Lessons - If you're doing a road trip over a longer time period (i.e. not just a weekend), you may want to consider language lessons. I'm a big fan of Pimsleur - it's all audio so you can do it while you drive. You can get Pimsleur lessons for several languages from the library and/or on Libby. We did this with the Japanese language in preparation for an upcoming trip to Japan. For me, it was more of a review and brushing up, and for him, it was learning for the first time, so we went at his pace and repeated lessons as he felt he needed. But we could practice together afterwards while driving and listening to music.



Sunday, January 7, 2024

Amboy Crater

Just three or four hours east of the Los Angeles area is a quiet dark sky site great for car camping overnight, to view meteor showers or just general stargazing, as well as a unique and uncrowded hike into and/or around a volcanic crater.

Note: I hiked here alone, and it is NOT recommended to hike alone. I am an experienced hiker and was equipped with two means of communicating and several survival items as well as plenty of water and snacks. I do not recommend hiking alone.

I first went with my friend Nadine in October 2023 and we watched the Orionids. It was very hot when we arrived, but cooled down with the sunset and we were comfortable to slightly chilly as we sat and watched fireballs streak across the sky. The information online had mixed messages as to whether it was okay to car camp at the primary trailhead parking lot, but that's what we did and it seemed fine. There was also a man in a small RV and a couple who rolled in late and set up camp, so we weren't alone. I preferred camping there to the overflow parking lot, which the online info consistently says is ok, because there were toilets at the main parking lot. No running water, though, so be sure to always have hand sani or wipes for bathroom breaks. 

 

In the morning, I was hoping to do some hiking but Nadine wasn't up for it. So I told her I'd just go a little ways and come back, not wanting to leave her in the heat with nothing to do for too long. Since I could see that nobody had left their vehicles yet in the parking lot, it occurred to me that I was quite totally alone on the hike. I'm used to hiking on trails where there are definitely people ahead and behind me, and people coming back would be passing me. The eerie feeling of loneliness and the peril of hiking alone was exhilarating and creepy. I never really felt in danger, with two cell phones on different carriers (personal and work) and knowing Nadine was at the trailhead - certainly if something happened to me I could either contact her or she would eventually come out after me if I didn't return. Still, it was neat to feel like I was the only one on the trail. Of course, I had no idea if people had started after me, and sure enough, I did see people as I returned. Even though it was pleasant when I left the trailhead, it got hotter quickly and I made it only about 3/4 of a mile before turning back, and it got very hot by the time I returned. 

 

Since then, I'd been wanting to return when the weather was nicer to do the full hike. I got the chance a couple days ago (camping on Jan 5 and hiking the morning of Jan 6) - purposefully planning it when the moon was minimal and also would rise late in hopes of also seeing the Milky Way as I set up camp and relaxed under the stars. It wasn't as spectacular as the best Milky Way pictures, but sure enough I did see it faintly, and I got a couple decent pictures with my cell phone of Orion's Belt and other stars. 



Because it was cooler, I didn't do my full hatch-tent setup to let the outside air into my car. Instead, I slept in it fully enclosed, but with a view out the top through my sunroof. I was mostly comfortable until about 3 or 4 am when I started to get very cold, and I turned my car on temporarily to heat the cabin a bit. I woke up around 7 am as the sun was rising, and while it was still quite chilly, it was so beautiful I was ready to get going. I had a small, quick breakfast in my camping chair enjoying the view but sitting still was making me too cold, so I cut it short in favor of starting the hike. It was 40° when I started, and I layered two sweatshirts over my tank top, knowing that I'd like remove one or both sweatshirts as I hiked, and it was easier to wrap them around my waist than deal with a bulky jacket. 



The hike to the crater is very easy, with a bench at about half a mile (0.47 mi by my tracker) and another "last chance" bench at the end of the easy part, 1.1 miles from the trailhead. Most of the terrain is packed dirt and sand with sporadic lava rocks, but there are also patches of very loose sand and dirt, much like walking on the beach. There is next to nothing as far as elevation change. There is also zero shade, so
be prepared to be blasted by the sun. If you're still a Pokemon GO player like me, there are Pokemon on the trail and a stop at the last chance bench!


After the second bench, the hike gets exciting as you wind your way up onto the side of the crater and up and over into it. A half mile past the bench, at 1.6 miles from the
trailhead, is a three-pronged fork at which you can go straight to basically head directly into the middle of the crater, or go left or right which will take you in a loop around the rim of the crater to the highest point just under 1000 feet. The Crater Trail taking you into the center is much more moderate and less dangerous, and affords a spectacular 360 view at a saddle point. If you turned around and went back from there, I'd say you thoroughly did the hike and saw what there is to see.

For more advanced hikers with confidence in their ankle strength, the Crater Rim Loop offers a steep change in elevation and unobstructed views from the top. I ended up taking the Crater Trail first and then continuing to the other side of the meteor, making my way up to the Crater Rim Loop. At the top, I had trouble deciding which way to turn, but ultimately turned right to hit the highest peak of the hike. I had to be very careful with my foot placement and took my time both going up and down, while along the rim it was fairly easy going. On the way down, I stopped for a snack to recharge and ensure I had enough energy and strength not to slip, especially since I was by myself. 



 

 

On my way down, I finally saw other people on the trail for the first time. Many of them did not have water. Please, people, do NOT go hiking in the desert without water!! Even in the winter, it is very dry and you need to stay hydrated. After making my way down from the crater rim, it was easy going headed back on the same and only trail back to the parking lot. It was about 50° by then so I stripped down to my tank top and had both sweatshirts around my waist - stylish, I know! With the very light breeze, it was perfect hiking weather. I really enjoyed myself but was pretty beat when I finally got back to my car. Luckily, I didn't have much to pack up so I was able to use the bathroom once more and then get on the road home. (And I got home just in time to do Pokemon Go Community Day on my couch - LOL!)

It was a great first adventure for the new year! I nearly procrastinated on going, but so glad I pushed myself to do it. It was just an evening and morning - hardly a big time investment relative to the joy and peace I got from it.




Recommendations for Amboy Crater

  • Set up camp just before sunset and enjoy the stars
  • Bring a headlamp as it is very dark and you'll especially want your hands free when going to the bathroom
  • Bring hand sani or wipes for using the bathroom
  • The bugs (specifically, tiny, little flies) are incessant at night - you may want to bring bug spray and/or a face net and have weather-appropriate clothes that cover as much as possible
  • Bring good hiking shoes with ankle support - lots of opportunities to twist an ankle on the hike
  • Bring a hat, sun screen, and lots of water! At least 2 liters of water per person is recommended. Even in the winter, the desert is dry and you need to replace the water you're losing as you hike.
  • Give yourself a few hours to hike it before sunset - you don't want to be caught out there in the dark!