Post by Huntress on Mar 3, 2012 1:59:16 GMT -5
Well, he might now. Every time we repack, we manage to get more free space.
***
Feb 29 - Just around the riverbend
At this point I'm more or less convinced that we're bending time on this trip.
We'd had the foresight... or rather blind luck of setting our tent up facing east. At around stupidly-early o'clock, Fraze kicked me out of sleep to watch the sunrise. It was a very nice sunrise. And we didn't even have to get out of the tent for it. Except we did anyway because our air mattress leaks and needs regular reinflating over the course of a night.
And then we slept until 9. Being the driver, I refuse to get up at stupidly-early o'clock.
Wonderful pancakes happened once more, we packed up and headed northwards through the mountains. Our goal of the day was Fresno and Fraze's aunt. We were taking Highway 395 with every intention of crossing west over the mountains once we got level with the city. Yosemite National Park is in that region and we figured that driving through that will be an extra cherry on the cake.
We should really stop intending. It's just a sort of excessive waste of perfectly good brain cells.
Yeah, that whole winter thing. Most mountain passes are closed for the season. Chances are it's a warm-state thing, since the Rockies ain't shutting down for no man who feels the need to drive through Narnia just for the heck of it, but as it was, we had the option of heading on for the one open pass that would've meant an eight-hour trip to Fresno, or going back round the southern edge of the range for a measly four-and-a-half-hour shot at the city. Three guesses as to which route we took.
Wrong, in fact. For once, we were reasonable and turned back. Got to Fresno after dark.
On the way to Fresno.
Rainbow!
March 1 - The Rare Elusive Lazy Day
Well, it was a lazy day for me. Fraze had to do his taxes.
(Srsly, that whole US tax system is weird. Our tax returns thingybob is running at the same time, and I did my taxes what, two days ago. Logged onto the IRS website via my bank account, clicked two buttons and I was done. Americans have to buy a CD-ROM and spend hours poring over paperwork. Wut.)
So we hit the store.
The Time magazine has learned the ways of snark.
Got the ridiculously expensive CD, and some foodstuffs, got back shortly, Fraze hit the paperwork and I spent the time reading a book and combating my fleeting stomach pains with a herbal remedy.
(*hic* :3)
Once that was done, we took over the kitchen. I had another shot at making the family's increasingly famous sour cream cake, and Fraze had another shot at making the equally increasingly famous Taiwanese steamfried buns. Both turned out well. If no other career options work out, we can start our own cooking show.
He cooks so fast, he's a blur.
O hai I have come to haunt your nightmares :3
March 2 - Crepes, cake and ice cream
What do you mean, that's not an acceptable breakfast? That's a perfectly good breakfast.
Soyeah, we had crepes with ice cream and leftover cake for breakfast. It wasn't even all that out of the ordinary for me, pancakey things with dairy is common breakfaststuff in Estonia.
Today we felt that we need to at least try to check out the city, since we plan to head out tomorrow. We dug through tourguides and found this awesome-sounding place called Forestiere Underground Gardens, and decided to check it out.
After a lengthy drive (it was about five miles, but man was there traffic) we got to the gardens, which were closed. Off season. They open tomorrow. That's a consolation, at least, means we can go for another try tomorrow. For the time being, however, we were stuck finding entertainment elsewhere.
We tracked down a post office to mail taxes and postcards, then headed downtown. Fresno has a rather nice downtown, nothing spectacular but clean and green and with lots of space to spare. I found lots of squirrels. If I'd had food at hand, I'd have a brand new batch of chittery minions by now, but alas.
In the evening, we joined Fraze's aunt at a nearby Mexican foodplace and stuffed ourselves with tasty tasty noms. This was the second time in my life when I felt full enough to burst.
And then we got back and I fetched some ice cream.
***
Feb 29 - Just around the riverbend
At this point I'm more or less convinced that we're bending time on this trip.
We'd had the foresight... or rather blind luck of setting our tent up facing east. At around stupidly-early o'clock, Fraze kicked me out of sleep to watch the sunrise. It was a very nice sunrise. And we didn't even have to get out of the tent for it. Except we did anyway because our air mattress leaks and needs regular reinflating over the course of a night.
And then we slept until 9. Being the driver, I refuse to get up at stupidly-early o'clock.
Wonderful pancakes happened once more, we packed up and headed northwards through the mountains. Our goal of the day was Fresno and Fraze's aunt. We were taking Highway 395 with every intention of crossing west over the mountains once we got level with the city. Yosemite National Park is in that region and we figured that driving through that will be an extra cherry on the cake.
We should really stop intending. It's just a sort of excessive waste of perfectly good brain cells.
Yeah, that whole winter thing. Most mountain passes are closed for the season. Chances are it's a warm-state thing, since the Rockies ain't shutting down for no man who feels the need to drive through Narnia just for the heck of it, but as it was, we had the option of heading on for the one open pass that would've meant an eight-hour trip to Fresno, or going back round the southern edge of the range for a measly four-and-a-half-hour shot at the city. Three guesses as to which route we took.
Wrong, in fact. For once, we were reasonable and turned back. Got to Fresno after dark.
On the way to Fresno.
Rainbow!
March 1 - The Rare Elusive Lazy Day
Well, it was a lazy day for me. Fraze had to do his taxes.
(Srsly, that whole US tax system is weird. Our tax returns thingybob is running at the same time, and I did my taxes what, two days ago. Logged onto the IRS website via my bank account, clicked two buttons and I was done. Americans have to buy a CD-ROM and spend hours poring over paperwork. Wut.)
So we hit the store.
The Time magazine has learned the ways of snark.
Got the ridiculously expensive CD, and some foodstuffs, got back shortly, Fraze hit the paperwork and I spent the time reading a book and combating my fleeting stomach pains with a herbal remedy.
(*hic* :3)
Once that was done, we took over the kitchen. I had another shot at making the family's increasingly famous sour cream cake, and Fraze had another shot at making the equally increasingly famous Taiwanese steamfried buns. Both turned out well. If no other career options work out, we can start our own cooking show.
He cooks so fast, he's a blur.
O hai I have come to haunt your nightmares :3
March 2 - Crepes, cake and ice cream
What do you mean, that's not an acceptable breakfast? That's a perfectly good breakfast.
Soyeah, we had crepes with ice cream and leftover cake for breakfast. It wasn't even all that out of the ordinary for me, pancakey things with dairy is common breakfaststuff in Estonia.
Today we felt that we need to at least try to check out the city, since we plan to head out tomorrow. We dug through tourguides and found this awesome-sounding place called Forestiere Underground Gardens, and decided to check it out.
After a lengthy drive (it was about five miles, but man was there traffic) we got to the gardens, which were closed. Off season. They open tomorrow. That's a consolation, at least, means we can go for another try tomorrow. For the time being, however, we were stuck finding entertainment elsewhere.
We tracked down a post office to mail taxes and postcards, then headed downtown. Fresno has a rather nice downtown, nothing spectacular but clean and green and with lots of space to spare. I found lots of squirrels. If I'd had food at hand, I'd have a brand new batch of chittery minions by now, but alas.
In the evening, we joined Fraze's aunt at a nearby Mexican foodplace and stuffed ourselves with tasty tasty noms. This was the second time in my life when I felt full enough to burst.
And then we got back and I fetched some ice cream.