Happy Chinese New Year!

It’s the Year of the Dog and we are fully in it now.

Sheeps and Dogs don’t mix, so it might not be a good year for me, but we shall see. I do have to say, I’m much calmer and less stressed than I was previously.

Maybe it is because of the launch and that people are using SharePoint. Of course, there are problems and issues, but that’s any software and server.

But, here I am, back at it, the grind, settling into the quiet routine I setup for myself.

Here I am.

Happy Chinese New Year!

* * *

I drove up to Fresno for the first to visit family. It was hectic and crazy with everyone back home for Chinese New Year’s.

I met my two new little cousins, Santino and Amira. I think that’s what their names are, but they are cute little babies.

Unfortunately, baby Amira was sick and she’s so tiny.

Thankfully, they both didn’t cry when I held them.

I still got it….for the most part.

Family is good. Everyone seems happy and well.

Gifu looks happy, especially with his grandson. Didn’t see him interact much with his granddaughter though. So traditional.

Sister was fine, albeit stressed and a little angry at the lateness of everyone and everything.

Family. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.

It’s family. I love my family.

It seems like I’ll be making another trip up to Fresno in June. Loretta’s Chinese wedding banquet. It’ll be small like how Maggie’s was. I think I’ll take an extra day while I’m out there to fully explore and hike King’s Canyon. I didn’t get to hike it last time and I think I’ll just spend the day to do it.

I’ll get a hotel out there or something. I haven’t figured it out yet, but let’s do it.

Overall, my time with the Vongs was great and I look forward to seeing everyone again in June.

I didn’t spend the night with them. They were rushing off to get their yearly family portrait after dinner and I never intended to stay.

I got a hotel in Oakhurst, out near Yosemite that night. It was just way too much for me and for some reason, I couldn’t handle all of the excitement and people.

I was over it and was glad when I left.

* * *

Happy Chinese New Year!

Yosemite.

My meditation.

My Zen.

Nature.

To my mental health.

I had two full days in the park and I needed them.

I planned my first day to be the most strenuous and my second to be the easiest since I planned to meet Steve for dinner that night.

Day one.

Yosemite Falls.

I’ve done this hike before. It was my fourth time and the last time I hiked it, was back in ’08 with my brother. 10 years ago.

Man, 10 years. I was a different person back then, younger and in much better shape.

The weather was perfect for it. Not too hot and not too cold. It was cold in the morning when I got to the park, but as the sun rose, it got better, and as I started hiking, my body temperature rose.

The hike wasn’t too difficult. I’ve done worse, especially in Banff and definitely at the Rockies, but I was dying.

I was tired. I was drained. Also, for the first time in my many years of hiking, I cramped up like a little bitch and thought I couldn’t get up there.

I finally realized that my 38th year of life was a year of bad decisions. I still have a month and some change left. I’m not making any decisions until after my birthday.

My body wasn’t tired, but it was my legs. The cramping became an issue and there was a point where the cramps were so bad that I couldn’t bend my legs. There was a moment when I feared that I might not be able to get down the mountain.

On the way up, I met this much younger white guy (30) who saw me struggling and said that my camera was anchoring me down. In a way, he got a point. I packed it up in my backpack. I wasn’t going to be taking any pictures on the rest of the way up.

But man, he was about 8-9 years younger than I am, much better shape most likely, and he didn’t understand why I was struggling.

I was cramping.

I was severely dehydrated.

Why?

Bad decisions.

Thursday night, I went to happy hour to get a few beers and then I went to dinner and had beer.

I didn’t drink much water that night after I got home and on Friday, I didn’t drink much water in Fresno or my drive. Well, at least I didn’t drink as much as I normally would.

I was dehydrated.

On the hike, I went up fast and strong like I normally would, but my body was dehydrated and that killed me.

Bad decisions.

What ended up happening, I had to rest almost at the top and just hydrate and ate my jerky and my trail mix. I needed to get salt back into my body. I needed electrolytes.

After that small rest, I was good to go. The cramps went away and I was set.

Fuck that guy.

Most of all, fuck me for being stupid.

Never again.

I hope.

I make stupid decisions.

With everything that happened, it took me about 3 hours to reach the top. I’m trying to remember how long it took me last time. I think it was about 3 hours also.

It made me think, if I was in better shape, meaning not dehydrated, would I have made it up in 2.5 hours. Possibly.

Looking at the Yosemite guide board, the hike was rated at 6-8 hours round trip for 7.2 miles. I did it in 4.5 or close to 5 hours. Not bad.

I relaxed while I was up at the top. I found the viewpoint and chilled, then I went to the river and had a nap at the river’s edge. I think that whole hike, including the rest at the top, took me about 6 hours or so.

Not bad at all.

I went hiking to find my Zen. It did help me meditate in a way, especially a hike like that. I didn’t think much about work and I tried not to think about much of anything else. That helped. For the most part, my thoughts about getting up was just enjoying the view and watching my steps until the whole cramping happened.

On the way down, the same thing, my thoughts and focus was more on watching my step and not wanting to roll my ankles.

Focus on the now.

Practicing mindfulness.

Being mindful of my steps.

Zen.

Relaxing.

Until the fucking douchey hipster bros that were hiking down.

There were about six or seven of then hiking down at a slow casual speed loudly talking about beer and wanting to try bud light.

I normally wouldn’t mind much of it if they weren’t so fucking slow and don’t understand the hiking etiquette. There were times when they were walking two-abreast.

Fuck them.

The proper etiquette would be being aware that they are slow and stop, step aside, and let faster hikers pass them. Nope. None of that.

They owned the trail. We’re on their trail and on their fucking time.

Fuck them.

I got tired and angry and I just hiked through them.

Fuck them.

They ruined my Zen a little bit, but after I left them behind, I was in a better mood.

Getting down the falls took me about an hour and a half. Not a bad pace.

Not bad at all.

After the falls, I went to the lower falls and just wandered aimlessly for a bit to figure out the parking situation for the next day and then I drove back to Oakhurst.

It was a nice day, douchey bros and cramping aside. It was a nice day of hiking, peace, not thinking about work, or much of anything.

It was a good day.

I took a shower at the hotel and then went out to dinner and had a few beers. I know, I know, no more alcohol, but I was on vacation.

I ordered too much food, but I was starving and on vacation.

It was a good day.

Day two.

It started a little later than the first day, but no different. The long drive in was no different than the day before.

I got into the park, parked, and was on my way.

I decided to do the Yosemite Valley Loop. I’ve done most of it many times before. It was my slow day, my stroll day. I didn’t want to get all sweaty, stinky, and tired because I know I was going to do some socializing that night.

The day was much quieter and less crowded the day before. I think many people left because there were threats of rain and snow throughout the day, plus it was fucking cold.

It was about 10 degrees colder than the day before.

I strolled and strolled. For most of the day, I was alone. I wasn’t around anyone on the trails. I would cross paths with a few people, but for the most part, I was alone.

It was nice.

The most crowded part of my day, besides getting lunch at the General Store and Cafe was at Mirror Lake.

Mirror Lake was one of the more popular easier hikes, because it was flat.

I finished the loop, which I started a few times, but never finished. It was a nice hike. I enjoyed it.

I met up with Steve around 3:30 or 4 and spent the rest of the day with him and met his girlfriend. We had dinner, chatted, caught up and it was great.

It’s great to see that he’s doing well and that he loves where he is.

I would love it too.

Yosemite is a great place and in a way, I think I could see myself living out there, secluded from people too.

Maybe. One day.

It was nice.

When I left Steve’s, the weather started to roll in and was snowing. I took the long way back to Oakhurst, avoiding the higher elevation of Rte. 41 and took Rte 140 instead.

It was long, but if I could avoid snow in the mountains, at night, for my little civic; yeah, I’m going to do it.

Bright and early Monday, I drove home.

It was a great getaway.

A much-needed getaway.

I need to think about where to go or what to do for March. It’ll be a trip with Pickles and maybe a long drive out somewhere would be nice.

Then I need to commit to what I planned for my birthday.

I’ll do some research soon, but I can’t wait.

Small trips.

Traveling.

Zen.

Do it.

* * *

Happy Chinese New Year!