BrewBlog

Bed Bug Registry - Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite!

A Bed Bug Registry has been set up as a public database of bedbug infestations.  For instance, the Gateway Inn hotel in San Francisco (438 O'farrell St) had a reported infestation a few weeks ago.  There were 133 reported infestations within 1 mile of that hotel!!!  You can use this registry to see if a hotel you are considering staying at has or may have bed bugs.  We just returned from a stay in SF and I just checked the hotel we stayed at and it has no reported infestations.

Apparently, bed bugs are becoming a bigger and bigger problem in many parts of the world.  These disgusting little bastards are wreaking havoc all over!  Bed bugs are nasty little bugs that survive by sucking your blood and typically live in mattresses, sofas or other cushy furniture.  Because they are typically active at night, they prey on you after you've already starting sawing logs.  Recent, drastic increases of bed bug numbers are believed to be partially due to the ban and reduction of spraying with residual insecticides and other liquid sprays that were being used to control cockroaches.  The advent of cockroach bait led to the end of the spraying and subsequent rise in bed bugs.  If you want more information the Wikipedia entry of bed bugs is interesting.

Ick.

Saddlebag Lake Backpacking Trip 2007

Having never been backpacking before, when a couple friends from work asked if I'd like to join them on a trip, I was intrigued.  The idea of going out into the great wide open and exploring for a few days was tempting for a couple reasons.  It's important to get out of the city to see some beautiful landscape and breath clean air.  The physical aspect of backpacking adds an element of sport and fitness which is something I should be doing more of.  Also it's key to get away from work.  I've been hiking and I've been camping countless times but I've never backpacked so this had the draw of something new as well.  Finally, The guys I was going with were among my favorite people at work and I was happy to spend time with them off the Mothership.

After some encouragement from Allison I was a lock for the trip and I was excited.  Having less than two weeks to prepare meant that my current physical condition was going to have to do because training was more or less out the window.  This concerned me since I hadn't been running and I knew poor cardio was going to be my potential nemesis.  I had very little acceptable gear.  After some consultation I knew I needed to carry less than 35 pounds total, including my backpack and everything.  I had no backpack and my tent, sleeping bag and sleeping pad were all too heavy or bulky.  After dropping some serious cash at REI I had everything I needed for the trip.  After some typical stress about what I was forgetting or packing incorrectly and whatever else I could worry about, the time to take off arrived.

The plan was to leave work a couple hours early and leave from there.  The day we left didn't exactly go off without a hitch.  Jackson was sick that day and Allison and I had to juggle our schedules to each spend half day with him.  For me that meant dragging him around while I did some last minute shopping a preparation the day off.  Then, just a few hours before we were to leave, a work related crisis hit.  We had an ugly e-mail outage (a service our team is responsible for) and had to do some scrambling all the way up until the time we left.  The rest of my team would spend several long days working the problem while I was leaving for my trip.  But we were off and the first night we were going to towards Tahoe and do some luxury camping (regular camping) at a favorite stop of mine, Silver Fork Campground. 

That first night at Silver Fork  was pretty relaxing because we had all the extra gear available to us because we had not yet started the actual backpacking portion of the trip.  We had the deluxe cooking supplies, picnic table, chairs, etc.  We also had a cooler full of beer which is nice because we had ice cold beer.  That first night though, we had a casualty.  One of the guys had a little too much to drink and feel onto the steel grate that's attached to the fire pit, breaking a rib.  Ouch.  Of course he wasn't going to be able to do anything, much less backpack, so he had to be driven all the back to Folsom the next morning.  It was obviously an unfortunate situation but we went on as a party of three from there on. 

The next day we drove to where we would begin our hike, Saddlebag Lake.  Saddlebag Lake is located approximately 13 miles northeast of Lee Vining at an elevation of 10,090 feet and is the highest lake in California that is reachable by road.  Since you undoubtedly don't know where Lee Vining is, Saddlebag Lake is close to Mono Lake and is right up against Yosemite's east border.  Saddlebag Lake itself is really just a small part of the trip overall but represents where we started and finished.  Saddlebag Lake is part of the 20 lakes basin.  We probably saw almost all if not all of the lakes in the area.  The day hike from Saddlebag Lake Resort covers the main area and is only about eight miles total.  Backpackers typically use that as a way to get to other areas and explore way off the main path, which is what we did. 

We spent a total of three nights and four days hiking the loop and covering plenty of terrain off the main trail.  The first day was all about getting from the trail head at Saddlebag Lake Resort to about Potter Lake (See map).  It was quickly apparent to me that my cardio could have been better.  At the same time though, I was pleased at how I was handling carrying the weight and I was confident about being able to handle the trip overall.  The second day was a tough day because we hiked over some mountains and into Yosemite.  The path we took was a tough and somewhat dangerous climb, high up and over big rocks, then back down into Yosemite.  Once there we set up camp and did some exploring in that area, covering a few miles.  That second night we slept right off Upper Macabe Lake in Yosemite (see map).  Day three was the toughest day overall.  We hiked out of Yosemite and climbed Shepherd's Crest (see map -- it's misspelled there!).  Elevation at the top is 11,400 feet and the view is incredible!  We went almost all the way to the actual peak and stopped just shy.  We regret it now but it was close enough.  The place we stopped had a good place to sit and take it all in.  The actual top would have taken another ten minutes or so of going across another set up rocks and up another steep part.  This was a highlight of the trip for sure.  After the long decent to the base and back down to the actual trail we headed for Helen lake and set up camp for our third night (see map).  The fourth day was a hike along the east side of the trail and back to the trail head, the car and civilization.

The trip was awesome and I'll be doing it again.  Once Jackson is old enough, Allison he and I will go as a family and I'm very much looking forward to that.  The trip totally wore me out.  It was my first time and my experienced friend David that has done this several times said it was the hardest hike he'd done so I was feeling good about my abilities.  I suffered at parts though.  Next time I will be getting in better cardio shape for sure.  But I hung in there and was able to do everything my friends were able to do.  The scenery was breathtaking and that alone is worth all the effort.  Anyone thinking about backpacking should just do it because it really is worth the effort and expense.  The good thing for me is that I have much of the essential gear now. 

Check out the map below (you can double-click them for a better look).

I put together a photo album of some of the pictures as well.

Hawaii

Going on a vacation rules.  Our family just recently returned from a week long stay in Oahu, Hawaii.  We've been talking about going somewhere and doing something for vacation all year and we finally decided to just book a trip and go.  The timing was right and we all needed a vacation together.  One of our concerns in coming up with the idea for this trip was taking Jackson on a plane and trying to pack him up for a trip away from home.  It was totally worth the trouble and it wasn't even any trouble.  First of all he's free on the plane as a "lap child" so taking him on a trip like this when he's only sixteen months old saved us a few hundred dollars.  The only real problem was when he blew out his diaper just as we were beginning to taxi for takeoff coming home.  We had to wait about twenty minutes or so before we could change him even though he had poop escaping from his pants.  As far as packing for him goes, we ended up renting most of what we needed from Baby's Away.  They deliver baby stuff to your hotel and then pick it up when you leave.  It was convenient and allowed for some of the comforts of home (high chair, decent stroller, toys, car seat, etc.). 

The time spent there was truly wonderful and I don't use the word "wonderful" too often.  My mom went with us so it was the four of us taking a day at a time and making up the agenda moment by moment.  This was one of those vacations where we didn't set up very much to do and had no set plans or schedules.  Since our lives are so regimented these days it almost seemed necessary to really relax and have a good time.  Allison and I even got a few date nights while we were there because grandma was able to look after Jackson.  Jackson got to experience so many new things on this trip and having him with us was a big part of what made the trip so great.  He did so well all week and we wouldn't hesitate taking him just about anywhere for vacation.  We stayed at the Resort Quest at Waikiki Banyan and that worked out really well.  It was affordable, fairly close to the beach and has a kitchen.  It's nothing fancy but I'd recommend it.  One thing I found kind of funny and had never seen before were the many coin operated barbecues they had out in the patio area. 

The rented a car for three of the days so we could go to different beaches and visit other parts of the island.  We've been there before so we had already done some of the touristy stuff like Diamond Head and Pearl Harbor.  This time though we did go to the Dole Plantation.  Our hotel was close to the aquarium and zoo so those were easily accessible on foot.  One slight disappointment was the missing Mynah bird at the zoo that entertained me so much our last visit.  I was blown away at how cool this bird was and when we went to the zoo we saw a sign that informed us that Toby to talking Mynah bird was retired and now in an old bird's home.  Allison managed to find some footage of Toby.  Click here to be amazed and delighted.  Awesome. 

It's always nice to come home from vacation but we immediately missed being there and want to be back on vacation.  The best part was just being together for a whole week.  Being near the ocean and spending time on the beach was great.  I did suffer a nasty little cut on my foot early on our trip.  I was swimming out by the sea wall and cut my toe on some coral.  Ouch.  It didn't slow me down too much though.  Jackson was a little freaked out by the tide but we didn't manage to get him out in the water and once he loosened up he seemed to enjoy it.  Another highlight was all the good food (tasty but not necessarily healthy).  We enjoyed some Hula Pie and many other tasty treats with reckless abandon.  One morning we had breakfast at a place that had the biggest pancakes we've ever seen.  You didn't have to pay for them if you could eat an order by yourself.  The waiter mentioned that one of the Sumo wrestlers that were in town for a big tournament couldn't finish them so I knew I stood no chance.  I only got a bout half way through it.  The gooey blender drinks were a treat as well.  There is nothing quite like enjoying a cocktail on the beach. 

Our vacation went by quickly but we'll never forget it.  Chalk it up as another successful vacation and Jackson's first big vacation.  He's been on smaller scale trips with us but this was his first on a plane and for a whole week.  I have a feeling it's going to be a while before we can take another one but it's always something to look forward to regardless. 

You can check out our trip photo album here.

Road Trip 2005

My wife and I wanted a vacation and were wrestling with different ideas for weeks.  To sort of force the decision we went ahead and reserved a week off even though we had no plan.  With her being so pregnant we had some limitations with vacation activities.  For example, delicious beach cocktails are out.  Lot's of walking is out of the question as well.  Plus, we're trying to save up for baby stuff so we set a pretty strict vacation budget.  We finally decided on a road trip.  Our honeymoon was a road trip.  We also did a road trip through Canada, eh?  One of these days I'm planning to post some of our vacation pictures.

Our plan was to visit some parts of California we've never seen.  Even after living in California my whole life, I have yet to see much of the state.  So, we booked some cheap hotels and set off on our journey.  Our first stop was in Yosemite.  I had never been to Yosemite, which is just crazy having lived here so long.  Yosemite was beautiful of course.  We spent one night there and spent most of the day we had there, driving through the park and going on some short walks.  They were supposed to be short walks but they turned into slightly longer walks, which is something we always do to ourselves for some reason. 

Our next stop was Death Valley.  The drive to get there was pretty long but it was beautiful.  We stayed in middle of Death Valley and explored much of it for the day we had there.  We saw as much as we could in a day anyway.  I really like the desert landscape.  Normally a very hot place, Death Valley this time of year isn't too bad.  It was 90 degrees the day we were there.  Our next stop took us through the Mojave Desert and to a stop over spot on our way to San Diego.  We ended up in Barstow, which is like the butt-hole of the world.  What a crappy place.  Before our stop over in Barstow, we went to a little ghost town called Calico.  We just saw the signs while we were driving and decided to check it out.  Neat place, better than we were expecting.  A tarantula crossed out paths, which was definitely a highlight. 

Our next stop was a two day visit to San Diego.  We'd both been there before but not together and it was our Southern California destination of choice.  We spent much of our time visiting the zoo and animal park.  On our way back up toward home we made a stop at her mom's place for an overnight visit.  Our last stop was Sequoia National Park.  We stayed nearby and dedicated a little more than half a day at the park, very much enjoying the views and huge trees.  Finally, we headed back home after what was the biggest road trip of our lives.  We drove 1,860 miles! 

Trip Photos

Trip Summary:

Night 1 - Yosemite
Night 2 - Death Valley
Night 3 - Barstow (Butt-hole)
Night 4 - San Diego
Night 5 - San Diego
Night 6 - Redlands
Night 7 - Three Rivers (Sequoia)

Acura Annie

We're putting some serious miles on the SUV on this road trip (see previous post Hotel Blues).  We have an Acura MDX (which we really love) and have come to depend on the navigation system.  At first the idea of a navigation system seemed kind of stupid to both of us.  What's the point when maps are so easy to come by?  But let me tell you, it is really great to have. 

We've had the MDX for less than a year and we have already used the navigation system dozens of times.  First, because of the GPS, it shows you exactly where you are and direction you're facing on its map.  So right off the bat you already have a map, which is stored on a DVD underneath the front passenger seat.  The map can be expanded to show more area with less detail or closer with more detail.  The current road you're traveling is on the display as well.  Icons on the map show nearby places to eat, ATMs, landmarks, etc.

What makes the system so great is the directions and guidance system.  I'm sounding like a commercial now, I know.  By simply entering in the name of your destination, address, intersection or phone number, the navigation system comes up with a path and directs you there.  You just follow the blue line on the map and listen to the voice.  We use this all the time and it takes all the guesswork out of driving.  Another cool thing is that you can verbally ask it for nearby parking, places to eat, etc. and because it knows where you are, it will give you ideas in order of closeness to your current location.  Very cool. 

This is totally cheesy, but we call the car Acura Annie.  The voice warranted a name and that's what we came up with.  You can have a male voice if you prefer.  The male voice was lame to me, probably because I'm a man.  So, thumbs up on the navigation system.  It actually does much more than what I've described but you get the idea.  Okay, commercial over.  Back to our regularly scheduled program 

Hotel Blues

My wife and I are in the middle of a road trip, driving all over California.  We're visiting national parks and driving routes less traveled.  I've lived in California my whole life and there is still much of it I've never seen which I suspect is true for many.  After this trip is done, we'll have both visited places we've never been and taken highways we've never driven.  As always, we're on a budget and part of why we chose a road trip was to save some money by avoiding flights and expensive resorts on tropical islands.  We love the tropical island vacations but with a little Brewer on the way, we're trying to save a few bucks.  So, when we planned out our trip, we went cheap on most of our hotels.  More on that in a second.  Fortunately, we did fork out for a night at the Tenaya Lodge in Yosemite.  As you would expect from a higher end place, all the amenities were present.  The lobby was great, very comfortable and relaxing.  Any time the lobby is really nice, you can typically expect a nice room and good experience, which was the case here.

Other than the Tenaya Lodge, like I said, we went cheap.  And as always, you get what you pay for.  We're still midway through our vacation so we still have another few stops but we've already experienced some less than ideal hotel conditions that I thought I'd share in the form of a top ten list.  So this is the top ten things we got to experience this week in our lovely cheap hotel stays. 

1. Bugs.  Granted, we were in the desert, but we had a few visitors.  Nothing serious really.  We had a giant stink bug I was smart enough not to crush.  We also had a large spider and some winged thing I've never seen before.  Also, there was an alleged scorpion hanging out  by our front door.  I went out to the car to get something late in the evening and a drunk British guy was standing in front of our room with a flashlight.  "There's a big scorpion running around here", he slurred.  Then he looked at me very seriously and said "I don't like scorpions". 
2. Smoke detector wasn't working.  Or at least the little light was out.  I don't so much care about this one too much.
3. Cigarette burns and Spackle on the bed blankets.  This is typical in crappy hotels.  The blankets are nasty.  Sometimes you get the tiny bloodstains on the pillows and sheets.  yuck.
4. Noisier than hell.  Paper thin walls make it impossible to get a quiet sleep.  You can hear the dumbasses in the next room or out in front of the room.  We also got the 700 pound guy upstairs, doing calisthenics at 3:00 in the morning.  In our San Diego hotel, we were directly under the flight path and we could hear the planes flying over.  It sounded like they were about 10 feet or so above the hotel.
5. Broken refrigerator.  This isn't really a problem since we had an ice chest in the car.  We had some leftovers were wanted to put in the fridge but it was busted and not even running. 
6. The alarm clocks in two of the places were set to go off in middle of the night, causing me to have to fumble around in the dark, dead asleep, trying to turn the damn thing off.
7. The fans in the bathrooms were unnecessarily loud.  The fan automatically goes on when you turn on the light.  So in the middle of the night, the loud fans helps to wake us both up all the way.  Two of the places we stayed had a loud fan in the bathroom.  A fan does not need to be loud.  These fans made it sound like you were standing close to a giant assembly line in a factory.  I was waiting for the damn thing to fall out of the ceiling. 
8. Non-potable water.  One of the places we stayed had non-potable water for all outlets with the exception of one, clearly marked as drinking water.  Again, understandable since we were in the middle of nowhere in the desert.
9. Busted secondary door lock.  This really doesn't matter but when you are staying in a city I'd call "the butthole of the world", you can really benefit from locks on the doors.  Ours was clearly busted off, reattached and then busted off again.  I was envisioning a drug raid in the middle of the night, police ramming the door down to catch the drug dealers off guard.  Come to think of it, that would make sense given the disabled smoke alarm.  Someone was probably cooking up some crack and didn't want to set off the alarm, so they disabled it.  Then, the cops rammed the door down, causing one of the purps to drop their joint on the bed blankets, burning a hole in it.
10. Men will appreciate this one; wrong remote for the television.  The stupid remote didn't work with our television because it was the wrong remote.  Obviously frustrating. 
11. I was going to do a top ten but I have one more.  Somebody, at some point, pissed in the air conditioner.  We were hot and turned on the air conditioner to cool off the place.  Suddenly, almost immediately, the room reeked of a very strong urine smell.  That's nice.  Somebody must have pissed in it because I just can't think of another reason for the stench. 

So that's it.  Next time you want to go cheap on the hotel, just be prepared for these types of things.