Reeves and I are right now staying at the Ahwahnee hotel in Yosemite valley for a vacation with his parents which were in town for the wedding of Nancy (Reeves Cousin) and Chuck, which took place in Sausalito on September 4, 2005. We are here from Monday evening to Friday morning enjoying the beautiful hikes and yummy food of the Ahwahnee hotel and the Yosemite Lodge’s Mountain Room.

The wedding was beautiful – the ceremony was in the quaint Presbyterian Church across the street from the Alta Mira hotel where the reception and dinner were held (and we were staying).  The previous night, Saturday, we went their rehearsal dinner in Tiburon at Sam’s Anchor club - a fun, all be it rowdy façade to the back dinning room.  Many of Reeves’ family were there and it was fun to catch up with them.  Some of them we had not seen since our wedding 10 years previously.

Speaking of our anniversary – we celebrated our 10^th wedding anniversary on September 2, 2005.  We had a lovely day and enjoyed the company of Reeves’ parents and Cousins Kathy, Charlie and his wife Laurie at dinner that evening at the Boulevard restaurant in San Francisco.  We stayed the evening at the Palace Hotel and woke to a lovely morning and yummy buffet breakfast at their famed dinning room. 

We are still here at the Ahwahnee for 3 more days and I have to say I am not ready to return to the realities and responsibilities of real life till then.

One of my great pleasures of not doing the corporate gig now is my ability to go hiking at will.  I try to do it 2 to 3 times a week, but as my schedule allows some weeks are better and some worse.  I place I usually go is Rancho San Antonio in the foothills below Skyline ridge.  It is convenient to get to, just off the 280 at the the junction of the 85, but still has an outback feel.  I mostly love it because I don't see too many people when I hike on weekdays and there are always wildlife sightings.  Today I saw a quail family trot across the path with at least a half a dozen little chicks - so cute! Also some deer, lizards and the always present birds.  Over the course of the past year however I have seen a rattlesnake, rabbits and even wild turkeys!  So, the environment I am describing is back-country enough that even the animals feel at home.

With that in mind, I almost laughed out loud when an early 40-something woman came briskly walking up the path toward me.  She had in her cell phone ear bud chattering away while she gestured wildly from the conversation with an invisible friend on the other end of the line while trying not to spill the Venti sized Starbucks cup in one hand!!!

All I can say, only in silicon valley would you see this woman; Californians try at least keep up the appearance of a healthy lifestyle, even if the actual practice of it is a bit suspect!!  (and only here would you get a cell signal where their aren't even roads!)