The Lost Boys Return

Cruised down to Santa Cruz with my brother Andy and some new friends to catch the movie The Lost Boys on the beach in front of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The town of Santa Cruz and the Boardwalk were used as the setting of this 1987 cult classic vampire movie. It was awesome to hear the crowd cheer during the opening credits as the camera panned from the ocean to the lights of The Boardwalk. This movie was likely the pinnacle for the Corey boys but more importantly it started Jack Bauer aka Kiefer Sutherland on his way to saving America several times over in a days work. Afterwards we walked back to our car along the spooky train bridge also featured in the movie.

Big Sur

Sunset from the best campsite on the west coast.

Oakland earthquake

Apparently there was an earthquake in Oakland at 4:42 this morning. I didn't feel it. I want my money back.

Rollin VIP with Ozzie!!!

Managed to score a last minute VIP ticket to Oz Fest so I could tag along with my brother Andy and his buddy John. We rolled up at 9pm, next to the tour buses, in VIP parking, just in time to get in and catch the Oz man himself take the stage. Andy and John had lawn seats and I planned on kickin it with them on the lawn for most of the show. I had a little trouble talking my way in the common folk entrance instead of the VIP entrance until a manager came over to see what the issue was. She had overheard "VIP" and tried to bend over backward to make sure I was being taken care of - all I wanted was to walk in the regular entrance!

Ozzie took the stage like a giddy little kid who can't get enough of the spot light among adults. It may have taken a few songs for his vocals to sober up to being legible but he certainly had the energy and enthusiasm of an aerobics instructor. Periodically he unleashed a fire hose loaded with foam upon the first dozen rows like a kid with a new toy. Zakk Wylde ROCKED on guitar and Faith No More's Michael Bordin wailed on drums while his kids peeked out from behind the drum riser. I waited till the last 20 minutes to go down to my assigned seat on the 20th row. All the ushers continued to bend over backward every time I flashed my VIP ticket. When Crazy Train came on everybody tried to rush to the very front row. The usher in front of me tried to keep everyone back but just smiled and waved me by when I flashed the VIP! I got to about the 12th row before being stopped. Just as well because Ozzy threw several buckets of water on the first few rows and continued to wield his foam hose to the end.

Observing the demographics of the fans at this event was also quite entertaining. The range was all over the board: little kids, junior high kids, generation X,Y,Z etc., die hards, has beens, "normal people", over the hill, sober, three sheets to the wind and just about anyone in between. After the show, as we waited to escape the VIP parking, it was hilarious to see how uncool some prima dona on a bullet bike can be when they rev their high pitched Ninja next to a leather clad grandma sitting on her heart thumping Harley.

Quintessential R.R.A.T.

I don't know what is more random, the fact that it just rained at 10:30PM on July 10th in Palo Alto or that I went for a walk around the block in the rain, bare foot, by myself and drinking Gatorade.

07/07/07 in Zion - The Perfect Day?

Here are some pictures:


Going down the first rappel.



The Palo Alto crowd (Dave, myself and Sara)



The Crew right before the last rappel. (front to back: Brent, Ronnie, Tara, Sara, Reina and myself)



Sara descending with grace down the 165' last rappel of the day.


Here's an email from Reina regarding this calculated adventure:

Friends new and old,

07/07/07
was the perfect day. Yes, triple 07 was Better than Bond. There was action (9 rappels, including a 165 foot free rappel in the sunset), blood (a few burns and a bloody nose), terror (Tara can tell you about that), and romance (even the cesspool stench couldn't keep 4 women away from Evans, Brent Evans).

With that, let's look at the results for the
Perfect Day Behunin Canyon Awards

* Brent wins sacrificial pimpin' frog award. …By the way, judges are wondering if you've showered yet. Judges also want a personal demonstration of how you like the women walking; feel free to post it on YouTube.

* Reina wins best guinea pig award.

* Sara wins the wet t-shirt contest (self-proclaimed and uncontested). Looks like she won 2 awards! The other is…most appreciated for being a great hostess. And the canyon walls are echoing, "Here, here!"

* Tara wins most improved. (And she actually wasn't even too sore the next day! Hard core, Tara! Speaking of hard cores…)

* Ronnie wins hard core award. Oh wait, there's some confusion among the judges… judges say she actually wins… best hair award!

* Robert wins most willing to save Jefe.

* Dave wins best giggle. That's right, best giggle.

Thanks, folks. All I've got to say is, YAHOOOOOO, let's do it again!

Send Pics Soon,
Reina

Here's a video showing what I hope was a calculated rappel:

The Drive to St. George

My friend Sara and I wanted to join our friend Dave and company in Zion National Park for some good old fashion canyoneering. So in true Robert's Random Adventure Tours style we made a road trip out of it.

Here are some choice moments and memories:
-Our smokin red hot rental car that made me forget my train of thought the second I hit the accelerator for the first time.
-Ten hours of enthralling entertainment watching the thermometer reading on the dashboard soar ever higher.
-Ice cold air conditioning driving through Baker, CA.
-Sara's snoring. *
-A cultural experience named Jenny Rose (restaurant - not a girl)
-Huevos Rancheros
-Fake tattoos
-Some of Sara's music (okay, okay, almost all of it)
-The fact that she didn't complain when I played my Led Zeppelin CD.
-The fact that it was a hundred and what?!?! in St. George (NOT!)
-Meeting Sara's aunt, uncle and cousins.
-Jeff and Mary's generous hospitality.
-Playing boys against girls pool basketball.
-Poolside pizza
- ...did I mention Jeff and Mary had a pool!
-Dust In The Wind
-My very own guest room full of Legos!



*J/K, more like an opportunity for taking in the sights and quietly meditating while she slept quiet as a mouse.