Monday Complaints

We all know how Mondays seem to go. Instead of enjoying the weekend, it seems that everyone involved in your life (work, home, family, friends, etc) spent the whole weekend thinking about extra projects, issues, and drama they can throw at you today. For me, there is always that spark of excitment/anxiety associated with the 15 minute drive to work.
I walk in the front door, turn off the alarm, start the oh so blessed coffee (The best part of waking up is Folgers in MY cup!), and strap into the coveted captain's chair. Just like that, I take the lead and turn PROBLEMS into "Opportunities for Improvement" - and make it look easy.
While I start my day, I know that so many of you start your's with a similar routine. No matter how good we are, we need that little venting session to clear our minds. So in response to my wife's amazing "Friday Letters", I am starting "Monday Compaints". Every Monday, I will post "Monday Complaints", and you can chime in and share your complaints in the comments section. To start this off, I will be giving away a one of a kind.... wait for it.... wait for it..... PAT ON THE BACK!!!! (LOL), because that's the only thing we ever get. Here we go!

Monday Complaints:

Dear IT, while you provide a huge service, your timing always stinks! (except for Tom).
Dear Weight Watchers, we have been friends for about 2 weeks, and your helping me get over my addiction to food, but why do you have to be so difficult! Calories - Proteins - Carbs - Sugars - I just want to be skinny!!!!!!!!
Dear COD Zombies, I am also addicted to you, but when a 12 year old starts cussing me out online, you've got another thing comin! 
Dear Wife, not that I watch it, BBBUUUUTTTT - last night Kourtney had a point... sometimes you need to show me that you love me by going camping with me. It's just overnight.

Well that's it for this Monday, if I keep going I'll blow up! (lol) Let me know what your complaints are!

Wes

The Racetrack, Death Valley, Ca

THE RACETRACK

During my roadtrip through Death Valley, one of the places I had never heard of was The Racetrack or  Racetrack Playa, nor had I heard of the Sailing Rocks. As mentioned in a previous post, these rocks sail along the ground. When the ground gets wet, the water freezes, then the wind pushes the rocks along the ground. Set inside some awesome mountains this ended up being a great place to take pictures. I captured the first couple of pictures during the day, but I must confess I had more fun at night. 

At night we could see all of the awesome stars. Not a cloud in the sky. One weird thing about this place, when the moon is just right, and your facing away from the sun, it looks like there is fog in the valley - weird - but there wasn't a cloud/fog at all. 

Here I caught a shooting star in the photo! I was pretty excited about that! :)

And one of my favorites from the whole trip - The Moon! 

All in all this was an awesome place to stay. If you pass The Racetrack, and continue own the road, there are some great campgrounds to stay at. Just beware, we had some coyotes take off with a spatula and empty can. WE WANT THAT BACK!!!! (lol)

Wes

Zabriskie Point, Death Valley, Ca

Today I want to share a post on Zabriskie Point in Death Valley, Ca. This was an awesome vista point/ interpretive hike. We spent about 2 hours hiking around, and it was a blast. We started to the right of the parking lot, made a full circle, and came up through a cave to the right of the parking lot. It was pretty awesome. Also, there are restrooms here - so that helps.

In this last picture you can see the hug hill we hiked over. We started on the opposite side of the darker part (right), and hike across to the left, down the ridge, and back up the hill I am standing on. It was pretty tough, I was huffing and puffing but made it! 

Zabriskie is definitely a place to visit. Have fun! Let me know what you think! :)

Wes

Abandoned Towns - Death Valley, Ca

One thing I noticed on our trip to Death Valley, Ca was the amount of abandonment. They don't call it Death Valley for nothin. I will walk you through a couple of places we saw - some planned, some not. The first pictures show the town of Rhyolite.  Rhyolite is 35 miles from the Furnace Creek Visitor Center on a paved road heading north (left) from Hwy. 374. It was definitely interesting to see, including the shacks in the background, rattlesnake signs, and the abandoned mine on the hillside that I desperately tried to talk my friends into stopping for.

Rhyolite - Death Valley, Ca

Rhyolite - Death Valley, Ca

Rhyolite - Death Valley, Ca

Leadfield was also another interesting town. It is located in Titus Canyon, with an abandoned mine. It is little bit off of a hike off of the road, but worth it. 

Leadfield, Death Valley, Ca

Abandoned Quarry, Death Valley, Ca

Last, we found this random abandoned quarry. We don't know what it is called, but it was pretty cool. A ton of equipment was left here, along with a huge hole in the ground. It's always interesting to see these things. It's also great for pictures & photo shoots. 

I hope you liked this post, and please comment & visit my facebook page by clicking HERE. 

Have an awesome day!

Wes

Eureka Sand Dunes

Hello Everyone!

Eureka Sand Dunes - Death Valley, Ca - Jan 2013

When we arrived my brother Albert, and friends Clay & Brian decided to go for a hike. I decided to stay and setup camp, as I don't necessarily like hiking in sand (lol). 

Eureka Sand Dunes - Albert, Clay, and Brian

 I want to share my experience while at the Eureka Dunes in Death Valley, Ca. We spent the first night of our road trip this month, at the Eureka Sand Dunes. If your planning on going to Death Valley, Ca, and the weather report says it will be 70/40 - DON'T BELIEVE IT!!! It was 14 degrees at night, and was so cold that I could not sleep for more than 10 minutes at a time, and ended up using my single burner stove as a heater inside the tent. No matter how cold it was, this was one of the most awesome camp sites ever! Here are some pictures from the trip:

The views were just amazing - especially at sunrise.

This campsite does have an outhouse - but it is not very.... let's just use the word 'nice'. You are able to have a fire here, and may even find some foxes to play with - like us. My hope is that you would want to visit the Eureka Sand Dunes because of these pictures. Let me know if you need any help planning a trip and I'll be more than happy to help! 

Thanks for checking my blog out. Please leave me a comment! :)

Wes

Blood vs Water

Growing up there was a saying my dad
drove into my brain, "Blood is thicker than water. Family is blood, and Everyone else is water." This lesson was one I had to learn early if I was to be the leader of my 'Band of Brothers'.

There were many times when I fought with my brothers, but there were just as many times when I fought for them against outside threats (whether they knew about it or not). I'm sure you can sympathize with the saying, "Nobody can pick on my brothers except ME!". It was my birthright!

We all have a family. If you're in a situation where you don't know if you have a family, this will help: "Family bleeds together". Your family isn't perfect, and won't succeed in life unscathed; But it will be there to support you every step of the way.

We all need our family, whether we want to admit it or not. Some of us deny that we need them, only to learn later that life is better with your family in it.

I am so thankful for my cousins (see picture, heather I love you too). They are champions of their own lives. Each one going through something most would categorize as traumatic, only to stand at the top of the mountain they each climbed. None of them have come this far in life unscathed, but each one with an awesome story to tell.