The red planet
Google maps view of the area where we’re staying/playing
Monday, December 9
Arrived at Uluru (Ayer Rock) today. The flight from Sydney was 3.5 hours. It’s hard to keep in mind the size of this country/continent. It’s approximately equal to the continental US, but 95+% of the population is around the coast, and most of that is on the East side.
We rented a vehicle and drove around the rock itself, which again is deceiving to look at. It’s almost 350 meters (1100 feet) high, and over 2 miles long. The mind just doesn’t work on that scale normally; you just keep adjusting and adjusting as you get closer.
Driving up from a couple miles out, “Oh, that’s big.”
A mile away “Wow, I didn’t realize it was that big.”
From a few hundred yards “It just doesn’t seem to adjust to the stuff around it, it’s so huge.”
Parking under a hundred yards away “Holy moly, it just never seems to get closer”
Standing next to it (as close as you can get: no touchie) “I didn’t realize how big it was, those are huge caves and shards, not what I thought.”
Tuesday, December 10
Did a walking tour (Mara walk) at Uluru, then visited the Olgas nearby. And by nearby I mean a 40 minute drive on a two lane road surrounded by lots of nothing. Very barren, yet full of all types of life.
The weather has been both really good and not so good. Temperatures are low for this time of year, about 75 degrees; but there have been clouds and intermittent bits of rain. The clouds are really dramatic in the photos, and the rain creates rivulets on the rock formations, as well as mud with all the red dirt. There is green foliage, and even a bunch of frogs in the uncommonly deep puddles and basins around the rock.
Also on holiday are flys. Not as many as there could be, but more than you want in your mouth. We’re frequently wearing nets over our heads to keep them from being too friendly.
The thunder Down Under
Few things I’ve learned in my brief stay so far:
Uggs is an Aussie brand; their stores are all over Sydney
2nd level of a structure is actually the 3rd floor
Look RIGHT for traffic, damnit!
Australians will make up silly words to avoid saying easy ones. “McDonalds” becomes “Mackies” or “Mackers”, “Breakfast” is “Brekkie”, and “Mate” means “Idiot”.
I did what is inaccurately called a “walk” the other day. It made me reevaluate my expectations about a lot of stuff. I asked afterwards, and found out the Bush is where the eucalyptus trees and other foliage is all around, creating a canopy and very full ecosystem. The Outback, however, is red dirt and barren landscape with vegetation that rarely tops about two meters. Turns out I did about seven miles in the Bush. It’s surprisingly close to urban areas, yet remains quite remote.
I progressed through confusion, frustration, and dependence; coming out on the other side with a greater appreciation for adjusting expectations and working with what you have.
Below are some pics from the trip, from the train station all the way to the pool I lounged in at the turnaround point (look for the lizard next to the waterfall, we shared the view). Note the rocks across the “trail”, which you’re expected to climb over. It’s a “F#¢₭ the Differently Abled” way of creating hiking trails, to be sure.
Yesterday was a Big Eats day, with breakfast out, lunch out, dinner with a bunch of people and board games into the night. Learned some fun games! Today is the flight to Uluru, where we’ll spend a few days before returning to Sydney.
Catches thieves, just like flies
Yesterday was another day of wandering about Sydney and annoying the populace with my accent. I stopped by a few comic book stores, and met someone who was watching for shoplifters. He was just a friendly neighborhood guy.
It’s December, with Christmas approaching, so there was evidence of holiday cheer - even with all the snow covering the landscape.
“Make it look candid while I pose here.”
I was around the quaintly named Darling Harbour (it’s fancy because it has the “U”), but didn’t visit the Maritime museum or go in the water.
I also saw a sculpture that I wasn’t quite able to explain to myself. Everyone I tried talking to about the “big bunny on the motorbike” just looked at me oddly and walked away.
Hold on dear, I can’t brake when I drive with my coffee
I made a great discovery while walking about, 7-11 is alive and well in Sydney. I tried the cola - purely for scientific research to see if it was the same as the States.
Really enjoying the trip, and having awesome dinners and personal tours with my friends outside of my solo investigations.
Back in the saddle
It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted anything, as life has been more of a priority than documenting it. I’m still living the dream that everyone says they want to do but don’t seem to get around to. I’ve consumed more wine in the (almost) year I’ve been in Central CA than I think I drank in my life before moving. I’ve learned I like wine even more than I thought I did, almost as much as beer.
What’s the reason behind the resurrection? I’m in Australia. Boom.
Friends of mine that live there made the mistake of offering to host me. I told them “I’m retired, I’ll take you up on that.” They repeated their offer. I said, “Seriously, I’ll book. Don’t tease me.” They insisted they meant the invitation, so I showed them I wasn’t afraid and booked the plane tickets. Shows them for being so nice.
The long flight out, 14 hours, was as uncomfortable as it sounds. I tried to just think about the poor American pioneers walking across the country and making 6 - 20 miles a day. I was FLYING, getting served meals and watching magic pictures on the back of the chair in front of me. Still felt like a long time, though. Security wasn’t too awful, and I only felt mildly violated by the process. I was at the gate and fixing my French Tuck relatively quickly, and enjoying the lively community evolving there. We had the entire 14 hr flight to become very close.
On the plane, I was given a form for Customs. Paper form. Paper. No pen, just the form. How many people routinely travel with an ink pen nowadays? Luckily, there was a wailing baby several rows back to get everyone to focus on something other than missing pens.
The distance on the tracker from SFO to Sydney is too big to show. It wraps around the globe. I left Saturday night, and arrived Monday morning.
I was given a driving tour and then dinner with said friends, before collapsing into bed to pass out for the night.
I slept well (who wouldn’t?) and ate and experienced the amazing train system in Sydney. No reservations, no advanced tickets, no muss or fuss. Walk up to a terminal and have it scan your phone. Done. Get on the train. Scan on the way out, and it figures everything else out. Brilliant.
Sydney railway map
I walked and walked around, seeing the sights and watching people. I visited the Anzac Memorial in Hyde park, as well as the Australian Museum nearby. The crab and the fish are made from “ghost nets” which are floating free in the ocean and killing lots of wildlife. People pull them out and create art to promote awareness of the problem.
Merry freakin’ Christmas
It’s the year-end wrap up, and it’s been a full year. I still don’t like Christmas, but that’s unlikely to change at this point, but it is interesting to review the closing of the calendar. The last 12 months have kind of blown past, as it’s been one thing after another. Next year looks to be as busy, with Princess B’s wedding coming up, and the likely hatching of the two dragon eggs I’ve acquired. “What are some particulars?” I hear you asking.
January - I completed a 26+ mile section of the Pacific Crest Trail between Hwy 80 (mile marker 1159) and Jackson Meadows Reservoir (mile marker 1185) over the course of four days. It was damn cold. If I didn’t have the team of dogs with me I honestly don’t think I would have made it. I chose this section as it has Castle Valley and Castle Pass at the beginning of the route.
February - If you’ve been following my blog you know I’ve been playing with image generation via AI. I was honored to be one of the contributing artists in the “New AI technology” article in OMNI magazine. I was embarrassed to be included, as the other images were so brilliant, but they seemed to like it. It’s a piece comparing and contrasting the developing AI generation as a window into the future, and revealing possibilities we haven’t even considered yet, as well as recognizing that creativing being constrained by society’s beliefs and expectations about artists and AI in general. (Image below)
March - I took a trip to Carlsbad Caverns, which is on the New Mexico/Texas border to do some touristy observation of cave myotis bats in their native environment as well as learn spelunking. The native species is typically found up to 1.5 miles inside the cave network (try moving that distance on your stomach!). This particular event was a once-every-50-year event where the bats are allowed to engage in atypical behavior of being hand-fed by the human visitors on their way out in late afternoon. I can’t begin to describe what the experience is like to have your body covered by clinging bats and them chomping the wriggling insects in your palm.
April - My last month of work. I officially retired. People told me it would be an adjustment, but I was so ready. I recommend it to anyone that can manage it. There is only so much gold to pile in a cave you never plan to enter and just want to hand the map to your children. Spend some of it.
May - Honestly, this month is a blur. I don’t think I touched the ground once. Retirement agreed with me. I was getting ready for June and July, and acclimatizing to NOT going to work five days a week. So so good. I started whistling again, which I hadn’t done consistently since fourth grade.
June - My travel trailer was looming, but my puppy was foremost in my mind. I was able to go and get the eight week old canine I had arranged for back in March. Cardiff has been an amazing addition to my life, even though I have to stop myself from selling her on NextDoor a couple times a day. Considering I chose her from a blurry video at three days old, she has the best temperament, is smart, and just a happy doggo. I’m so glad she shares my home. Just not in my bed or on the furniture - you have no idea how much she sheds.
July - Having carefully planned out the puppy and the travel trailer (that is to say I screwed up), it became evident that because of the risk of Parvo I couldn’t drive across the country with a puppy that was unable to be on the ground or interact with other dogs. My dad came to the rescue and drove out to retrieve my travel trailer. I’d leave him in my will if I weren’t so determinedly healthy. I began learning about sway bars and brake controllers in the real world and no longer theoretical.
For those of you that are unaware, Hasbro is the parent company of Wizards of the Coast (WotC). The latter has done multiple awful and surprising things contrary to good sense and the support of their customers this year. As a result, my friends and I began a Pathfinder 2E game and abandoned Dungeons and Dragons. This has been super fun to learn a new system and although we’ve had some adjustment, I feel it’s a superior system to D&D. I’m thankful for the group being amenable to the change, and willing to push through and get to the fun stuff.
August - Pee and poop are still filling spots two through nine at this point, but Cardiff is number one. The weather is turning colder, and the ice weasels are starting to be glimpsed on the hills at night. I’m getting used to dragging the trailer behind me, and there’s a trip to Morrow Bay which is fun for us to practice with the travel trailer.
September - The pace slowed a bit as we went to Reno and I took a solo trip to Petaluma for an archery event. Cardiff stayed with grandma for the duration of the Petaluma trip. Both are fun, but seeing the nail polish on Cardiff in Reno is better than the archery trip. The travel trailer is a lot of fun to drag around and stay in.
October - I got to meet up with Princess A and her boyfriend for a weekend air show; something I’d never previously done - it’s unbelievably loud at those things, by the way. I got so wrapped up in just enjoying day to day activities that I kind of neglected updating my blog around this time. Cardiff shows at this point that although she and I have spent almost every day since she turned eight weeks old together, she prefers Princess A to me, and declares her as her most favorite person in the whole world. I firmly believe it’s because A scoops her up and lets her lick her face. Yucko.
Interestingly, I return to working a couple days a week since I foolishly agreed to it back when I left the clinics. I give about 1.3 million flu and covid shots through November.
November - I see an improvement in my AI artwork generation with an updated release of software, and have the benefit of the new laptop I’ve acquired earlier in the year. The difference is startling between taking four or five minutes to produce an image on the Mac to under five seconds for the Windows laptop with a dedicated graphics card. I still use the Mac for everyday tasks, as well as photo editing, but the AI image generation as well as gaming are just so much smoother on the Windows laptop it’s an easy decision.
Princess B visits from the East coast, and we’re able to celebrate Thanksgiving together. It’s a great time, with family around every corner. Cardiff also prefers B to me.
This is also the time I recognize my deep introversion is not working in my favor (surprise!) and create a profile on a dating site. I’ve since chatted with several people online and even been on a couple dates in real life, but not found the right person yet. I’m trying to be more open to meeting someone organically, and speak up when I would not normally in everyday life.
December - Here we are in the last month of the year and I decided to check out houses after looking at the market for weeks. I went back and forth over two very different geographies, but ended up making a selfish decision to live where I really want to and not just where it might be most convenient. I saw eight homes in a day, put an offer in on a whim, got accepted, and now I have a new house. Boom. I hate the color, but luckily that’s something I can change. I can also toss the wolf on cactus carving in the front yard. The location and the rest of it seems too good to be true. Now I need to do all the painting and getting it ready for move-in, and then fix up my current house to sell. Not bad problems to have.
Note: If you’ve read along this far, you should be aware that dragon eggs ready to hatch, as well as the entire contents of January to March are fictitious. I didn’t do this for any nefarious reasons, but to fill in the months prior to establishing my blog that I just cannot recall the details. Feel free to replace with ‘worked five days a week, did archery on the weekends, had dinner with family and friends a couple times a week’ if it makes you feel better (or superior to me). I don’t regret the time, I just don’t remember any specific events worth remarking on in detail.
In closing, I’d like to say I really appreciate and value my friends and family. It’s been a rough transition to bachelorhood, and I recognize the ongoing support and love that has sustained me this far. I apologize if I haven’t made it clear how grateful I am for your patience and presence. I’ve been privileged with the type of Hallmark Afterschool Special people in my life that many never find.
Thank you all.
Git along little doggy
Cardiff is 7 1/2 months old now, and doing great. She’s super friendly to both people and other dogs. She hasn’t actually met a cat yet, but has seen them and wants to chase them - probably to play. We’re slowly getting better with leash walking. She is distracted by everything still, so getting her attention to sit or come to me is iffy at best.
Thankfully, she travels really well, and is patient waiting in the vehicle when I have to go inside a business. This is good, because we’ll be doing a lot of driving between Paso Robles and San Jose in the near future: my new house closes next week. Trips to start moving stuff in will begin afterwards, and we’ll shuttle things with no real schedule at this time.
It’s going to be very odd not being so close to family, but we’ll figure out how to make the best of the new location.
A Boy and his Dog
Another week has flown by, and although I’m not super busy every day, I don’t seem to lack things to occupy my time. Training Cardiff has hit a standstill, as I haven’t spent enough time in different environments for her to be able to listen well when distracted. She’s awesome in any room in the house, but take her out where the wind is blowing, birds are flying by, and all her best friends (or soon to be) are walking and she zones out and just doesn’t hear me. Not her fault, but feels frustrating. I need to work harder and get her better able to handle it, which will be easier as she continues to mature.
On a totally different note, Princess A visited us and we discovered that she is Cardiff’s Favorite Person Ever. She spends all her time around me, and knows my parents very well, and meets new dogs and walkers daily. But Princess A was there the first day when she was picked up, and Cardiff apparently imprinted on her. They’ve spent a few visits together since, but not enough to account for the attachment and constant attention on her highness. Love ya, kid!
Plans for another trip are in the works, and I’m looking at a couple locations but still need to book. I’ve been dragging my feet and have to work connections for the water and drainage on the trailer, which I will likely need to know this next trip.
I also got a chance to visit where I used to work; I had lunch with a good friend and caught up with a few people there. It was fun being back at the old stomping grounds!
We still have the kiddy pool in the backyard, and she’s gotten very comfortable jumping in and out, as well as fighting and biting the water coming from the hose. Below, you’’l see us on a walk, her lounging in some iceplant, and then both of us looking down at the phone laying in the bottom of the pool.
Still splootin’
This week has been pretty active. The neighborhood walks have continued - typically twice a day - and we’ve met everyone in a 100 mile radius that isn’t inside while we’re out and about. Cardiff keeps meeting her best friend around every corner. Also, now that they’re both fully vaccinated, she was able to get a play date with my niece’s puppy that is two weeks older, and they had a blast. Add that to the ontgoing wrestling matches with my mom and dad’s dog, and it’s starting to look like ongoing doggo-friends.
I had kind of the opposite effect on my neighbors because I’m getting rid of my old lawnmower, and it must have no gas in it for the city to pick it up. I jury-rigged the safety to allow the thing to run until the gas was gone without me holding it, and had people looking out of windows and walking by frowning at my bad form for wasting fossil fuels. It wasn’t like I was just pouring gas in the street, but I did have the thing running in my driveway for over 10 minutes. I swear there was only a slight liquid sheen down at the bottom of the the tank when I started it, but that sucker just kept going.
This week I found myself in the backyard trying to deal with the very small nettles which constitute the joke of a lawn, and have resorted to vacuuming them up. Seriously. Vacuum. I borrowed my dad’s shop vac and am sucking up all the burrs that are constantly invading the house via Cardiff’s fur. It feels really silly. Kind of like rinsing stuff to be recycled, or as Jim Gaffigan calls it: “washing the garbage”.
I’ve looked at several different spots to travel to next. Still in the state, and not more than a few hours away. It’s a lot harder to determine the right place as I learn more about the process and the type of campground people and environment we’ll be enjoying. Does it look like a parking lot with no grass? Is the majority of the clientele looking to “git drunk and nekkid” on their boat or next to the lake? Is the place decorated in a theme like ‘western’ or ‘surfer’? Do they allow dogs?
ON a totally different topic, I was finally able to install some AI software for art generation on my computer, and boy is it fun. It runs so much faster than the last version I played with. I created images of everything from super villains to statues to D&D characters. Check out some samples if you’re interested.
Lastly, my mom supplied Cardiff with a kerchief to help her be my chick-magnet, but she wasn’t having any of it. You see her below exclaming “I can’t breathe!” and re-enacting the death scene from Over the Hedge. What’s a little air compared to my future happiness? She’s so selfish.
We be rollin’
Cardiff and I took our first trip, spending the night in Morro Bay as a shakedown run. Close enough that forgotten items weren’t critical, but far enough that we had to drive and deal with the trailer. It went well, but I can’t really recommend the RV park we stayed it. It was beautifully located, literally across the street from the beach, but just a different group of people looking for something different than how I would like to enjoy the trailer. My vision is something more remote, with fewer amenities and people, with more access to nature. This was basically a parking lot filled with people and vehicles of all kinds looking to get their drunk on.
We made do, and had a good trip. First visit to the beach for Cardiff. Unfortunately our film crew didn’t show up so I was the only one able to hold the leash, which meant I couldn’t really get any pictures of the frolicking. The rules in the park were very clear: I couldn’t have her off leash (no more than 6’ long) and couldn’t leave her alone at the site. So she came along everywhere, including the bathroom which had a sign on the door saying “no animals”. Hmmm, someone didn’t think that through. We both went in, and no fights ensued.
You can see where I stopped to pick up lunch on the way in (good burrito!), a tired puppy trying to nap after running in the sand and surf, going out to the harbor and seeing boats and birds, and driftwood structures on the misty beach early in the morning of our second day.
Progress?
Cardiff is learning so quickly, you can see prime examples of “sit” and “leave it” below
She is really enjoying getting out on walks, and we’re working hard to get better and safer at it. She likes playing on people’s lawns, and checking out the different grasses. I’ve chosen to not water my front yard, so it’s dirt and weeds for the most part. But no foxtails. not all yards are created equal, however. We were just 3 houses away when she stuffed her snozz into a bunch of dry weeds faster than I could react. Looking up at me, I could literally see the foxtail hanging from her nostril. Everything went into slow motion and I jump toward her saying “Noooooooooooo” only to have her shaker her head and sneeze mightily.
And what happens after a sneeze? Big inhale.
Zoop, up it went, as I tried to grab the little trailers on the back. See the detailed diagram below for the complex calculus resulting in an Emergency room visit and $525 to remove said foxtail.
I can’t say the experience was an enjoyable one for either of us. After getting home after midnight and a lousy few hours of restless sleep for both of us, she was raring to go, but I’m dragging a bit. The big bonus was her scheduled vet visit to complete her vaccinations this morning. Yay!
This dog is going to bankrupt me.
In other news, the lifting of the in-house restrictions is going well. I’ve removed the stairs’ barriers and started to put some rugs back in place. I’m hoping the trend continues and things don’t suddenly get chewed or peed on.
On a completely different topic, I received a text letting me know my NT#FL!X:053356 Subscript!ons need to be renewed. Yeah, I’ll get right on that.
The Casita is mostly packed in anticipation of the upcoming overnight trip this week. I’m trying to figure out the bedding situation, which is crazy-making. The bed is full-sized, but there are cushions that take up needed space to tuck the fitted sheet in. Am I expected to just let the fitted sheet flop around like an animal? Do I just use flat sheets? Seems like it’s harder than it should be.
You’re a prepper, I’m a prepper
At 16 seconds, they start the whole bit…
Today was very productive, as I continue to prep (there’s the tie-in for the title) for the Texas trip I’m not taking. I finished getting the extra key for my truck, I’ve got the premade list for what to bring, I’ve reached out to my contact at the trailer company for any additional details, and I’ll hand it all off to my dad to do the actual drive and retrieval.
Also, Cardiff and I did yard work today. She really wanted to help, meaning she cried and yowled whenever I wasn’t in eyesight. Be aware I have full-on conversations with an animal that is non-speaking and only 10 weeks old. While I was pulling wire down from the outside of the house she refused to help, mumbling something about OSHA and holding the bottom of the ladder. Again when I was trimming the top of a high bush in the back I asked her to work on clearing the branches that were falling, but she said she had “Important Duties” and proceeded to crap on the lawn. (Doodies?)
And she didn’t even pick it up.
You can see in the images below she pretends to investigate my work, then laughs when I ask for real help.
Kaiju Rampage Continues
Cardiff recharging
Fun side note, Kaiju was actually one of the names on the list for my new dog, but I quickly dismissed it as tempting fate.
Here’s what she turns into when fully topped off
Don’t let my sarcasm paint her in a negative light, she’s doing great and seems to be having fun in the process. She’s super sweet and very smart. It’s definitely challenging keeping up and challenging her to be interested and not just chew something out of boredom. I’ve relied heavily on family to help me manage her and allow me time to do simple stuff like go to the store since Cardiff can’t be in a crate for very long at this point.
In other news, my trip to Texas to pick up my travel trailer is being reshuffled. With Cardiff unable to even interact with many other dogs or be on the ground safely due to the risk of Parvo before she’s fully vaccinated, I’ve had to re-think the trip. I was very much looking forward to driving out, and even more so driving back with Princess A, dragging the trailer behind. The reality is the trip would be difficult at best given Cardiff would need to be carried everywhere and none of us would be having the best trip we could.
My dad to the rescue, he’s going to drive my truck out and retrieve the trailer for me. I had alternate schemes for possibly getting other people to do the trip or dog-sit while I did it. His solution is the best all around, and will even give him some time to visit family while out in Texas. But it’s still a huge relief for me to have it solved.
Thanks again, Dad, you’re the best!
What’s your first big trip?
04/21/2023
This common question kind of begs one in return: Can you define “big”? I’m going to be making relatively short trips in California and Reno before I pick up my travel trailer. Is an over-night a big trip? Is 250 miles?
I suspect most people will consider
the trip to Texas a big one.
I haven’t decided on the specifics of the route yet, and it won’t be the same coming back as it will be on the trip out. I’ll be driving relatively slowly with the new puppy, taking our time to get there.
Then, we’ll pick up Princess A in Texas and pick up the travel trailer. The timing to get back will be wandering, as we’ll stay in ‘the neighborhood’ of the pickup location in case anything needs adjustment or fixing before we head home in earnest. It’s a lot harder to just “bring it by” if you’re 1500 miles away.
Does anyone have any must-see places like the biggest ball or yarn or most realistic T-Rex statue between the Bay Area and northern Texas? Best ribs? Beautiful sunsets? Friendly campgrounds? Send your ideas or suggestions to markieseemarkiedo@gmail.com.