It’s done. It’s moved.
I finally moved this little void of mine.
It’s moved.
It’s new.
I’m not hosting it anymore.
WordPress.com.
I don’t have to worry about it being down and trying figure out how to fix it anymore. No more headaches of troubleshooting. No more headaches of trying to translate wrong information given to me on the web and from help support.
No more.
The only thing that I need to worry about now is content.
To be fair, it was just that once that GoDaddy fucked me over.
The other time, I fucked myself.
Sigh.
It’s a change and I’m all about changes this year.
39.
The year of change.
The year of yes.
My last year before adulting.
^^^^^
New.
With the new service comes new quirks or basically, just shitty thing that I have to deal with.
They are not life ending, but just different.
Growth, dealing with shit, right?
I’m writing this using a different client, not Semagic.
Doesn’t work with WordPress.com hosted sites.
I tried to find other clients that were similar in style, in simplicity, but nothing out there that works with Windows 10 or anything that comes close. Nothing at all.
It’ll be an adjustment.
It’ll be frustrating, but I’ll manage.
I’ll have to.
I’m sure I’ll find something else that might work for me, but right now, I have no choice and I’ll manage.
Learn. Grow.
Deal.
Life.
Irvine.
Asiantown.
I haven’t been down here since Yen left.
I’m meeting Linda and Sung for lunch while they are out here on vacay.
I don’t even remember the last time that I saw them. The last time I was out in Philly?
The last time I was out there for work.
I’m writing this at a teashop that is near the restaurant.
Asiantown.
I haven’t been around this many Asians in a while.
Sitting here, typing, next to some friends, chatting, I actually heard someone say “LOL” aloud in conversation.
Kids.
I don’t understand them.
Don’t think I ever will.
Seniors. In college. Ready for graduation.
Or maybe even highschool kids, ready for graduation.
I don’t know.
New Day.
Old hangout.
Back at Volcano, finishing this off.
It’s going to get some getting used to, and I don’t know if I like it.
There’s a lot of change with this, but it’s a little trying.
First world problems, I know, but hey, it’s me.
My problems.
So, back to it, back at it. Let’s get it started.
Let’s get it back.
No work.
No MS.
That’ll be a different post, but let’s talk about the trip.
Let’s talk about the banquet.
Let’s talk.
It was a mess.
Shit show would be a better word, but I’m glad in the end, everything worked out.
It’s shit like what happened that makes me really don’t want to have one or a wedding at all.
Keep it small. Keep it simple.
I feel sorry for the bride.
She was mad, upset, and everything was beyond her control.
Guests arrived on time.
By the time the bride and her family got there, there were no more tables.
NONE.
The parents struggle and scramble to get the employees to free up some tables and bring in more tables and make things work.
After about 2 hours, everyone was seated and ready to go and it proceeded.
Headache.
Mess.
Glad it wasn’t me, but I definitely felt for her.
It’s all over now and it’s time to focus on her real wedding in 2020.
Congrats to her and her fiancé.
Hiking.
Nature.
The main getaway.
I turned my little obligation into a side meditation trip.
Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park.
AMAZING!
I started at Kings Canyon first.
I drove all the way through making very little stops since I’ve done most of that the first time that I was there a few years ago.
I planned on doing the hike that Stephanie recommended, the Zumwalt Meadow to the Roaring Rapids Falls. It looked to be a quick and easy four-mile hike, but I was ambitious. I wanted more.
I wanted something more strenuous, something longer, something on a whim.
That’s what ended up happening.
I started at Zumwalt meadows, finishing half the loop before I found another trail. I decided that it’ll be a big giant loop and I trudged ahead.
Step by step, mile by mile. Easy peasy.
When I got to Road’s end, literally where the road through Kings Canyon ends, I found another trail to Mist Falls. It was a 4.3 mile hike to the fall.
Decided.
Hiked through the woods and then along the Kings River.
I got to the falls and eventually then up to the top of the falls.
Was I ready to turn back? Not quite. Two miles up ahead was a place called Lower Paradise Valley.
I want to see paradise.
It wasn’t. Turned out to be a campsite.
But it was an adventure anyway. The views were amazing.
The river. The fall. The rapids.
Amazing.
The weather was great too. Not too scorching hot and not cold.
On the way up, I almost stepped on a rattlesnake.
It was well camouflage in the middle of the trail. It was dusty grey on the dusty grey rocks of the path.
I saw it move just as I stepped down and I jumped a few feet back, heart racing.
Scared the shit out of me.
I left it be as I went on my weary merry way.
At the campsite, which didn’t look like a campsite at all, I took a little tumble. I tripped on a big branch, scraped my knee, but it’s all a part of the game.
It’s all a part of the thrill.
At that moment, I trudged on a little more, but it was time.
Time to head back.
By the time I got to the trail head, I had to make a decision.
Should I continue on and finish the original hike I planned, or should I go to the hotel.
It was 4pm. I was a good 2 hours away from my hotel (getting out of the park and then the drive to Three Rivers).
What to do?
The end point was a good 1.6 miles away, so it’ll be a good hour hike.
It was time to go and I’ll finish that a different time.
In total, I did about 16-17 miles that day.
It was the first time hiking that something strange happened to me. My hands started to swell.
I didn’t know what it was. I thought maybe it was my camera and my backpack straps being too tight, but I don’t know.
Maybe I didn’t get enough water? Not enough salt?
I wasn’t sure.
I looked it up later and it was because I didn’t have enough salt and water. There was an imbalance of one or the other that caused it.
As I drank more water heading to the hotel, the swelling went down.
Kings Canyon.
Amazing.
It’s becoming a favorite place to go and hike. It’s a drive up. Clean and simple.
Hiking.
Day 2.
Sequoia National Park.
I didn’t have much planned that day. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do.
Considering the weather was drastically different that day compared to my first visit, I decided that maybe I should redo everything that I did and in a way, that’s what I did, but all by foot, for the most part.
I drove up bright and early and did Moro Rock.
The views were majestic, but didn’t have the flare or the drama with the clouds that I first saw.
Next, I did Crescent Meadow and like last time, I took some off shoot trail to Logs Meadow.
In a way, I was doing exactly what I did last time, but in a way, I wasn’t. I took different trails and different paths.
During my morning hike, I ended up seeing a small herd of deer too.
Just AMAZING.
Unlike last time, I didn’t drive to the different sites. I left my car at Crescent Meadow intending to hike back. There’s a shuttle stop there too, just in case I felt too tired to hike back.
Loop.
One big loop.
I randomly picked trails that I believed would take me to where I needed to go, from one to the next, connecting and connecting.
I hiked my way to General Sherman and then back to Sunset View, hoping that I’ll have another magical moment with a family of deer again. No luck, but I got to see the view that Sunset View had to offer.
After, I went to the museum. I was out of water at this time. I only brought a 16 oz bottle, hoping that it would be enough for the day.
I didn’t want my hands to swell again, so I didn’t pack any food or extra water. I left my backpack in the car.
Thankfully, there’s a water fountain at the museum.
At the information desk, I was plotting the hike back to the meadow. The last leg. I asked how far was the hike back. 2.5 miles. The ranger said I could always take the free shuttle, but I was like, eh.….
“It’s not visceral for you,” she said.
I agreed.
2.5 miles and I was off.
I made it in about 30-40 minutes and then I was done.
It was over.
I got to the car, chugged water and filled up on my snacks as I prep to head back to the hotel.
I finished with about 12-13 miles for the day.
It was a great day.
Splendid views.
Gorgeous trees.
Sequoia, another beautiful place to go hike.
I think I hiked through most of the popular area of the park. Now it’s just the trails in the middle, the outskirts between Kings Canyon and Sequoia that remains to be explore.
Next time.
Definitely will be a next time.
Family.
As noted at the beginning of this post, I drove down to Irvine to meet Linda and Sung. I didn’t plan on spending the whole day with them, but that’s what I did.
I neglected Pickles, but thankfully, there were no accidents.
I felt bad, but overall, it was just great hanging out with them again.
It was great catching up with them and just chatting.
It was great playing with their son.
Family time.
It was great time.
I’m sure I’ll see them again this year.
Moorestown needs some work and I’ll make an effort to go.
Mumblings of a Hermit 隐者 