Labor Day Wknd '06

Talk about last minute trip... Talked Tammy into coming along with me on a "casual" backpacking trip in Rocky Mountain National Park on Wednesday before the long weekend.  Before we knew it, we were on the plane to Denver with our backpacks...destination Grand Lake.  Day 1: Hiked 6.2 miles from the North Inlet Trail Head going counter-clockwise.  Day 2: Hiked 8 miles round trip to check out lakes Nokoni and Nanita.  Day 3:  Continue on North Inlet trail, ascend Flattop Mountain, and hop on Continental Divide Scenic Trail.  Day 4: Hiking another 8.8 miles to complete the North Inlet/Tonahutu Creek Trail loop. 

4 days and 33 miles later...

Tammy passing out...

Can you find Tammy in the picture?

not a happy camper...

So I thought these were "wild horses"...but they turned out to be elks.

and finally at the finish line...

Overall, the trip was an awesome experience.  It was my first time planning and leading a backpacking expedition.  And it was definitely a lot of firsts for Tammy too.  Thanks for staying tough and being a good sport!  I promise the next beginner I con, or persuade, to go backpacking, I'll share more details upfront =P

Mi Casa Nueva

Finally...after 3 months of looking and the most emotional rollercoaster I've been through...my new crib!!  Signed the contract over the weekend and closing is in 30days.  I don't know what I got myself into...but I swear when I was sitting there going over all the paper work and documentation with the agents, there was a voice in my head saying "stand up and leave, Mark..."  Anywho...too late now.  I am now a slave to my mortgage...no more buying plane ticket to the Bay two days before leaving.  No more $100+ drinking tabs and saying "drinks all around on me!"  So please come visit me in Houston and bring some In-N-Out.  I promise there's plenty of floor space to sleep (there won't be any furniture cuz I need the $ for food) and we can drink some cheap 40's from the balcony.

City of Angels

Oh how I miss the awesome Korean food in Ktown.  And nothing like drinking whiskey, singing karaoke, and booking fobby girls at Prive.  Ah yes...good ol' ktown .  The Lim sisters always can party like rockstars.  Hands down to these soju loving gals who can drink me and Jas under the table any day.  Oh and In and Out is still THE best burger joint ever.  Diddy Reese also added to the weekend of pigging out...man I love those ice cream sandwiches

Alice, me, and Jas at Diddy!!

  Lena's Bday at Prive

Caught the Cal vs UCLA Pac-10 Championship game...guess it was a win win situation for me, but of course I was cheering for my Golden Bears

The grad nerds meet up at Santa Monica.  Chad drove down from SF on Saturday just to have a few beers with me...what a trooper!!

Doesn't that doube-double look good!!  I'm getting hungry just looking at this picture.  Great pose, Alice.

Bumped into Big Joet on 3rd St  , haven't seen this cool guy since '01!

CNY '06, Part 3 - Good Times

The "boys" reunite again (firs time since '03?) in Frisco: Jason from SF (of course), Da-wei from Shanghai, DH from Seattle, and me from Houston...

for some odd reason, it always gets kinda.."friendly"

mmm...Irish single malt Scotch...my favorite

I think I was trying to do the Batz Maru (don't ask me why...) or it was an imitation of DH with his eyes open

Bowles Men '97-'98 - James, John, me, & DH - unite!

Yvonne and some kinda monkey (or could be Camille) in the background

Paula and Camille reacted differently to the 4-horsemen

wtf is that in the back?! oh it's crazy Jason.

I don't think Jason was feeling the affection

Good times, guys and gals.  I shall be back...

CNY '06, Part 2 - South Lake Tahoe

Finally, after y'll pestering me to upload these pictures...

Jake driving up to South Lake.  Doesn't he look like "San-Ji", the Taiwanese Mafia boss, in Young and Dangerous?

Pasta, steak, and beer at the cabin...I think the 5 of us ate enough food for 10.

Dave did it.

Powder at Kirkwood was pretty sick...

Didn't take long to find ourselves back at the resort bar.

Lotion, paper towel, and a very exhausted Dave.