Tuesday

As it was my Destiny (Ha!) to be in the Birdland area I did a little geocaching before and after the meeting.

Found the twins, unlike the previous cacher.

Found the one on the bridge, too. It was very scary to be up there. I may be scared of heights!



After the meeting I headed south into Birdland proper and found one with a great view of the valley below.

Did I mention I found my Sacre Bleu (Dimitri From Paris) cd? I listened to it during the drive.

That is all for today!

Sunny Day In Lakeside

I went geocaching in Lakeside this morning. It was a bit chilly, but warmed up after a while.

I looked for twelve point five caches, and found seven. I managed to make my thousandth find (w00t!!) on Chuy! Has Lots Of Friends, an easy find but a scary moment, involving a GIANT SPIDER!!

This was supposed to be in a rusty pipe. A TALL rusty pipe. Nothing around the rim, though. I took a picture holding the camera over my head, down the pipe. I think I see it down there! How far down do you suppose it is?



Nearby I saw a couple of snakes, which was only proper since the cache was named for a boa called "Rosie" that someone let loose in the area.



Yes, they are plastic, you silly!

I was looking for one cache that I neglected to bring the coordinates for, as it was reported missing. I looked anyway, since I was there. I THOUGHT I spotted it up on a gatepost, but I was wrong.



So I've added it to my Watch list.

I utilized a shortcut through a forbidden area to get to one cache. I was encouraged by several dog walkers to do so. They said "Everyone does it. Tell 'em we said it was ok." I found the cache, but a guy in a truck pulled in before I could retrieve it to sign the log. He didn't look like he was going anywhere soon, so I came back in the the truck when I finished the rest (NOT using the shortcut, this time!) and signed the log.

That's about it for today!

Rainy Log Weekend

I went geocaching yesterday in Parkway Plaza, or whatever it is being called this millennium. I found some caches, didn't find some others. It was rainy.

I went geocaching around central El Cajon this morning. It wasn't as wet as yesterday, although my shoes leaked. I saw a duck. I saw a BUNCH of ducks. Here is one:



That is about it for today!

Sunday Geocaching

Went geocaching early this Sunday morning around Santee. Some were 'urban' caches, some were in the semi-swamp lands around the glorious San Diego River.

Saw a lot of wild flowers and weed flowers, and little birdies, too!











Over by the WalMart a big pine tree had fallen down. I posed a banana schnapps mini-bottle I found on top of it.



I found Wilson!



To the west of Carlton Hills Blvd. the city of Santee has fixed up their trails a bit. Not like the last time I came through here! Talk about well-manicured!



Now, this is more like the last time!



Can you see the geocache up there? Right about in the middle...



Here is me goofing with a remote control I found on the trail. Cache In, Trash Out!



Found twelve today, didn't find two. Not a bad haul!

Down To The CVS & Back

I stopped by the CVS Pharmacy to pick up some batteries for the bike computers (and the chicken!). Of course, they only had one that I needed. I shall have to visit Radio Shack, I guess!

Saw this cute little mini-truck low-riderish. Looks real nice, but the turn signals don't seem to be working...



Hmmm, I seem to be low on gas. Hey, is that Zumwalt's over there? I haven't visited them in a while! No time today, though.

You gotta know how I feel about lane-splitting motorcyclists. On the highway in slow rush-hour traffic, it might be ok. Heck, I did it a few times myself, back in the day. But the ones that creep around cars at a stop light to get to the head of the line, that just seems asinine and rude.

This guy, on his manly-sounding v-twin, slipped around the cars waiting for the light at Montezuma and El Cajon Blvd.



Here we are at 73rd and El Cajon Blvd., as he paddles his way forward.



Same light, he has eased his way ahead of the car in front of me.



Now we are at Parks and El Cajon Blvd. He sure is shaving the precious seconds off his driving time!



Finally, at La Mesa Blvd. and El Cajon Blvd, he has sidled his way past the waiting cars and broken free of traffic. Free at last!



What's a "coonie"? Sounds faintly salacious. I don't THINK I've got one.

In fifteen-odd blocks he has managed to get five car-lengths ahead of me. Wow, I am SO impressed! And how many drivers has he alienated? Surely it wasn't just ME!

Hey, I'm an equal opportunity ranter, a bicyclist did the same dumb'n'rude stunt on Lake Murray Blvd. today. He held up five cars crossing the bridge over the 8 when he could have stayed behind me and held up no one. I would have.

I think I'll bicycle to work tomorrow and see if I can irk someone!

I Don't Get Out Much

A list of books I read in January of 2011:

Bosch, Pseudonymous
If You're Reading This, It's Too Late
The further adventures of Cass and Max-Ernest thwarting the plans of the nefarious Masters Of The Midnight Sun in their search for the homunculus Mr. Cabbage Face.

Bosch, Pseudonymous
This Book Is Not Good For You
Cass and her friends investigate a plot to discover The Secret using chocolate.

Cornwell, Patricia
Port Mortuary
In which we learn a lot about Scarpetta's past in the Air Force. Also, more of how she can't run an organization. Read in one day.

Eland, Lindsay
Scones And Sensibility
Polly is quite obsessed with Anne Of Green Gables and Pride And Prejudice. She tries to manipulate everyone's love life, to great disaster.

Fitzgerald, F. Scott
The Great Gatsby
I only read this because of a referential quote in Painted Ladies by Robert B. Parker. I missed have missed the quote when I read it, though. The story is ok, but I keep picturing Robert Redford speaking as Gatsby. I found The Text Of The Great Gatsby section, by Matthew J. Bruccoli, very informative about textual errors and the editing and un-editing of them.

Gash, Jonathan
The Great California Game
Lovejoy ends up in New York after his Hong Kong adventure. Then on to California. He seems a bit bedazzled by American food and slang.

Harrison, Kim
Pale Demon
Rachel has to travel to San Francisco to proclaim her innocence for using black magic.

Ok, I admit it, I started reading this because of the jacket illustration. Ir you know what I mean...

I wanted to stop reading around twenty, but I kept on reading and stuck it out to the end. Part of the problem is I am not really interested in witchy stuff. I got interested around page two-hundred and ninety-something, at the coven meeting in San Fran.

I think one needs to start with the first book. There was a LOT of background story that I needed to understand who and what was going on. I read the uncorrected proof edition.

Mull, Brandon
Fablehaven
In book one of the series, Kendra and Seth learn their grandfather is caretaker of a refuge for magical beings, most of whom are not very nice.

O'Nan, Stewart
Emily, Alone
I enjoyed reading this recounting of the daily life of an elderly woman. There were no spaceships or battles, (it is not science-fiction!) just an old lady, a classy lady, examining the meaning of her life as events unfold. To be published March 2011, read the advance uncorrected proof.

Reeve, Philip
A Darkling Plain
Fourth book in the Mortal Engines, or whatever they call it, series. I wept at the ending. Twice.

Reeve, Philip
Infernal Devices
Book three of the Mortal Engines series. I was half-way through book four when this come in at the library. And I was lost. I recommend reading them in order, and not waiting YEARS between books. Get the cast of characters from Wikipedia, too. I'm a lot of trouble remembering who is who.

Sachar, Louis
There's A Boy In The Girl's Bathroom!
I read this because a student said it was not like she expected, and it was really good. It IS really good. I weeped at the end.

Sepetys, Ruta
Between Shades Of Gray
In WWII Lithuania, teen Lina and her family are deported to Siberia by the Russians who have invaded her country. A very moving story, easily read, and it will go on my latent list of "So Cold" books! Two maps! Read the Advanced Uncorrected Galley.

Wilks, Mike
Mirrorscape
In a world where the privilege to use color must be purchased as a "Pleasure" (and there are many other "Pleasures" one must purchase, too), a young apprentice artists discovers a secret world in paintings that he can enter into. First of a series, good stuff!