Moab - a Blaze of Glory

There might be other days during the year when Moab is hotter, but I doubt there are that many. We drove down with Kirk & Missy and Nick & Nicole for the weekend (sans Gus for the first time in his life!) and camped along the Colorado northwest of Moab. We spent a few hours in Arches National Park, ate some great camp food, owned some class one, two, and three rapids on a full day rafting trip, saw Get Smart, sweated it out in a six person tent, were breakfast and dinner for a thousand heat impervious bugs, contracted a mild sunburn, saw some dinosaur tracks, chucked rocks (I'll never grow out of that), ate s'mores, participated in a hand-stand contest, saw first hand how Moab has somehow attracted the likes of: Bon Jovi, Jason Patrick, Bill Murray, Rick Springfield, and Daredevil Dan (the failed daredevil nephew (?) of Evil Kanevil). Most people who know me know that I am somewhat proud to be a mere Life Scout, and that I don't go out of my way to be in the outdoors, but I do enjoy it. This trip wouldn't have been possible without the encouragement and planning of my REI loving friends. Thanks. Christy and I had a terrific time.

Delicate Arch

(L to R) Nicole, Nick, Missy, Kirk, Christy, Brad Pitt

Hitting some small rapids

Working some bigger white water

Christy laughing, probably at one of my funny stories

The ladies at Balanced Rock

Another shot of Balanced Rock

Kirk watches over his breakfast

New York City

Christy, Gus, and I returned this last weekend from a long seven day trip to New York City, part business part vacation. While we were there we did the following activities: Fun with friends (Adrienne, Michelle, and Brent), Time Square, Broadway play (The Drowsy Chaperone), Central Park, Patsy's Pizza, SoHo, Little Italy and genuine gelato and postres, The Museum of Natural History, about a hundred clothing stores, IKEA, the twisted Gordion knot that is the freeway system in New Jersey, Pampano (Modern Mexican cuisine), The Crown Plaza Hotel, Subways, Buses, Taxis, The Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center, The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Ground Zero, and the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art). Gus was an absolute soldier and garnered lots of attention in public transit. Christy was inebriated with the joy of the city. We will most certainly return at some point. There is always something waiting there.

We forgot our still and video cameras, but bought a cheap digital when we got there. Here are a few pictures: