The Vista Experience

No this post is not about a Microsoft product. It is about my past week in Vista, California. At last look I was about to go Kayaking in the pacific ocean. It turns out that I actually did Kayak in the pacific. We started in the little town of La Jolla. Apparently "La Jolla" is pronounced "La Hoya" as in Oscar De.

After we had paid our $23 and selected the blue personal flotation device (or PFD or Life jacket if you are a normal person) we headed to the beach. Getting out on to the water is great fun. You pull your kayak out into a foot of water, get in, and then.... the water disappears and you are on dry land again. All you have to do is wait until the next big wave and you are free. Free to try to get through the breakers dry.

I failed in this regard. I got quite wet getting through the breakers. I blame it on the silly open kayaks they gave us. Eskimos would never approve. Once out on the waves it was pretty easy going. Sure the ocean rollers are huge, but they are far apart and not very steep. Lake Michigan is actually much scarier. We paddled about and saw seaweed, sharks, and the famous La Jolla "sea caves". These caves are not at all impressive and I can recommend that anyone waste a neuron thinking about visiting them. They certainly are not worth the $50 for a tour.

The Sea lions were cool though, if a bit smelly. They were piled up on the rocks sunning themselves. Don't they know the dangers of over exposure to the sun's harmful UV rays?

The highlights of the trip were, my sister's friend falling in, and riding the waves back into the beach.

Other fun stuff? My nephew turned one. It was a great party. There was basketball, volleyball, a beanbag toss, a tiny pool, and cake.

For Vetrans day I left my phone where a sprinkler could get it. It no longer works in any capacity other than a chew toy. A new one is in the mail. That does mean that, whoever you are, I no longer have your phone number. Feel free to call me at random over the next week or so.

Sam's Summary

• I went Kayaking
• 'twas great fun
• I visited an old friend
• I ate cake
• My volleyball team won.. most of the time.
• My phone is no longer a phone.
• More like a perfect skipping stone really. Too bad I have to send it back.
• I hiked Torrey pines
• I am headed up the coast this weekend.
  

Back in the Saddle

Wednesday brought me back. Back to California and ,more importantly, back to my car. It was good to go home. I did, however, sleep too much when I was there. Thus it is good to be back to work. Work being the act of employing the U. S. of A as a play ground.

I did not get any exit row seats on my flights back out. The planes were chock-a-block full of travelers. At least no one tried reclining their seat into me.

One odd thing was that while I was most certainly wedged into coach class seating the guy next to me was enjoying first class amenities. He was laying back with his feet up, elbows out, and reading a novel. Ah to be five foot nothing again! He was a Vietnamese transplant. We had hours of terrific discuss wherein I pretended to understand his accent and even replied at appropriate times using context clues to guess roughly what he was talking about.

I did learn that in Vietnam the fish live on top of the trees, at least that is what I think he said.

Anyway I am back and the plan is to go kayaking in the pacific this afternoon. Should be fun. I will attempt to take my camera, but that could be inviting disaster.

Sam's Summary

• I am back in California
• The flight was good
• One pilot did, however, enjoy turning the plane on it's ear.
  
• I think he confused a flight to Minneapolis with the Le Mans
• "If you look out of the left side of the plane you can see Minneapolis and to your right is the Orion nebula"
• I am going Kyaking