A few hours south of the US/Mexico borderThe place we were to be going in Mexico was called Punto San Jacinto,and it's located on the Pacific coast, and if I recall it is somewhere around 150 miles south of the US/Mexico border, definitely a good several hour drive. Getting there is pretty easy, you just head south towards Tijuana, cross the border, and head to the toll road going south. Once you get out of Tijuana it's a straight shot on the winding highway. There was only one checkpoint, and the fact that my girlfriend is pretty fluent with Spanish made it easy.

At the time we took this trip, the Tijuana area was getting a pretty bad rap in the news because of murders and kidnappings, but we had no problems. We left after dark with the goal being a straight drive with no traffic. Everything went smoothly, all you really have to watch out for is the truckers who wind up and down the narrow highway, and the sharp turns. Not knowing where our destination actually was, we followed our friends and after a few turns from the main road, we were there. The property we were going to had no house, and it was quite desolate, with nothing around for miles with the exception of about 20 or thirty other lots, some of which had proper homes, some which just had campers or trailers. On our friends' lot they had constructed a shack with a water tank on top which was used as a makeshift bathroom, and a nice little windbreak made of corrugated tin which was quite good at doing its job, which of course is to block the wind and provide a bit of shelter The area is right on a point, and even as the temperatures inland are warming, the breeze off the Pacific down there is quite cool. We quickly set up the tent, did a couple obligatory shots of tequila, had a few beers, then went to sleep.

Read the rest and see photos here

Labels: adventure, mexico, photos, time off, travel

I always enjoy reading other people's Top 10 lists, and I thought to myself that I've never done one. Usually I'm not great at picking favorites, but just for fun I decided I'd put together a list of ten books that I've thoroughly enjoyed over the past few years, plus a few extra just because I can't narrow it down to ten.

Keep an eye out for some reviews of these books in the future. I have actually written some for another site I used to run, so over the next week or two I'll try to get a couple posted up here. Also, for a list of all the books I've read over the past couple years, take a look over here.

Here is my list (in no particular order). What are some of your favorites?

• Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
• Dharma Bums - Jack Kerouac
• The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway
• Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse
• The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
• A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemingway
• Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky
• Life of Pi - Yann Martel
• Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen - Chris McDougall
• A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail - Bill Bryson

And some runners up:

• Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
• On the Road - Jack Kerouac
• Into the Wild - Jon Krakaur
• Veronika Decides to Die - Paulo Coelho

Labels: books, random, reading

Photo credit Matt HammI have been thinking a lot lately about how social media has changed how we communicate. But not in the way you might think. It is obvious that sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter have changed the game, but not only have these platforms made everyone connected in simple, straight forward and immediate way, I think they have also made the majority of people more accessible and approachable. Of course this has some obvious downsides like spam and stalkers, but now our worlds are much smaller and people who would have otherwise been unable to be contacted can now be located and contacted in less than a minute. Obviously, this has downsides too, but I'm focusing on the positive aspects. In a way, it has leveled the playing field for everyone since there are all sorts of people from all walks of life and of varying degrees of success all using these same platforms of communication.

Every day I take in quite a bit of media, including blogs, Twitter feeds, news, and also good old fashioned books and magazines. In the past (before online social media), there were distinct lines of separation between people and all the different medias of the time. There were publishers and consumers, writers and readers, and most everyone belonged to some group or category, whether it was based on their career, what they read, or what they did for work. But now, no matter how we fit into the picture, most anyone who does anything online is just a tiny piece of this great social media puzzle. From CEOs to cubicle drones, Hollywood stars to high school geeks, once we starting tweeting or reconnecting with friends on Facebook, we're all in the same game.

I've had this thought several times before, but it all came together for me today. What prompted it is this book I'm currently reading, Born to Run. In brief, the book is about running, the Tarahumara people of Mexico, ultra marathoners, and the art of running. So as I'm reading, I note the different people the author mentions, then it hits me... This is a non fiction book, I wonder if I can get some background on these people online? Next think you know I find the Facebook page of one person in the book, the Twitter feed of another, and the blog of another! I mean, ten years ago could you read about someone in a book, and then go find their personal ramblings online? Of course not! There was barely even an internet then.

Another book I've recently read is Scott Stoll's Falling Uphill. In the past I would have never thought twice about how to even contact someone who had written a book that I've quite enjoyed reading, but after a blog post I wrote about the book several weeks ago, he's now following me on Twitter!

Chris Guillebeau, internet rock star and non conformist, found a post of mine where I linked to him, and he sent me a direct email message thanking me. (Side note, he replies to everyone who messages him, whether on his site or on Twitter.)

I mean seriously, when I was a kid it would take some time to work up the courage to send a letter to my favorite basketball players to ask for autographs (not to mention the time it took to find the contact info and write the letter by hand), and if I received a response within a month or two I was ecstatic. Now, I could send Shaquille O'Neal a tweet and he'd probably reply to me in less than 24 hours.

Even something as simple as a comment thread on a blog can bring together different people who have never met for random dialogue. This simple interaction is something that would have been virtually impossible years ago. There are blogs that I follow and comment on where this happens regularly, and there are people online who I've never met or even spoken to who I would consider friends.

There are a million examples to illustrate these points, and most certainly there are downsides too. I'm sure that some of this online interaction has become a substitute for just walking outside and chatting with people the old fashioned way. Hell, I'm guilty of this too. Have we lost some of our innocence in this? Is it a good thing to be a little nervous to contact someone who is very successful, or to approach one of our idols? Or is it good that the playing field is now even, and that even if it's a perverse sort of approachability, we're all equals if we want to be? There are plenty of people who don't get this online interaction and are leery of it. My girlfriend doesn't quite buy into it yet. And I know there are plenty of others out there who don't as well. To many people, there is something about being "friends" with someone you've never met, or acting like you know someone based on their daily ramblings, that can certainly be a little weird.

The internet, and especially social media, is a weird beast. It takes normal everyday people, brings some of them extraordinary success, rockets others to superstar status overnight, while allowing them to still be your neighbor in relative anonymity, and without the paparazzi. Hell, Dooce was just named number 26 on the list of most influential women of all time.

What do you think? Have our perspectives just changed? Other thoughts?

Labels: interesting, internet, lifestyle, random, thinking

Ultramarathoner Scott Jurek and Tarahumara runner
Photo credit: not sure, I think hereMy new interest. Well, an interest maybe, but that's about where it ends. I do run, but typically only 3 miles at a time. Hardly even a 5K, never mind an ultra marathon. Though I do love the idea of being able to run long distance, it is just so raw and primal and is truly the way we were meant to get around. But is it really possible for anyone to run 100 miles at a time?

I've been reading the book Born to Run and it's just amazing. I'd heard of Dean Karnazes and ultra marathoning in the past, but sort of just figured he was some super human guy and there were only a few crazies out there who did this sort of running. But after flying through the first half of this book in just a few days, I'm wondering if it really is true that anyone is capable of running great distances. Not only does the book thus far tell the interesting story of the Tarahumara natives of Mexico who regularly run distances of 100+ miles, but there are a few profiles of other some interesting people who actually do this sort of running regularly too.

The most I've ever run at a time is when I did a half marathon three years ago, and that took 3 months of training to be able to complete. And for me that was tough, as I've never been a runner and never found running that enjoyable. But maybe there is something to it, a technique that most people just can't figure out. I know that since I've started running semi regularly, I've been able to adjust my technique to a point where I can do it a bit easier, though conditioning is still my issue.

Maybe I'll try it barefoot or with sandals like the Tarahumara. I'll get on it right after my calf heals from when I pulled it running last week...

Labels: adventure, inspiration, interesting, lifestyle, running

Photo credit: fr1zzThis post may be a little too new-agey or "out there" for most of you, in fact it's even a little too new-age for me too. But I've been having some interesting coincidences in my life happen recently that I can't ignore. They are related to the 11:11 phenomenon. Before you write me off as someone who's losing his mind, let me also say that I am not an overly spiritual person, nor am I into metaphysics or anything like that.

According to Wikipedia:

Numerologists believe that events linked to the time 11:11 appear more often than chance or coincidence. This belief is related to the concept of synchronicity. Other authors believe it is an auspicious sign, and others that it signals a spirit presence.

I have always heard of coincidences with numbers, and have had them happen before in the past, and quite honestly I always attributed them to confirmation bias. But lately I have been having a LOT of weird 11:11 coincidences and it seems that it's more than just coincidence, though I'm still not entirely sure.

I had never heard of the concept of 11:11, but a few months back I read an article by Steve Pavlina, and to be honest, I kind of laughed it off as a little kooky. Not that I don't think there are "signs" or other things in our lives that can help us confirm our thoughts or feelings, but I'm still a bit skeptical of anything too radical or seemingly "out there". Mind you, I read Steve's article months ago, so it's not as is the topic was fresh in my mind. Which is part of what is nagging at me now, since I'm seeing all these coincidences, I think that maybe it could be more than confirmation bias. I don't know about it being a bridge or a pathway to another reality or anything like that, but I'm starting to believe there just may be some message behind it. If nothing else, perhaps something my subconscious is trying to tell me.

This started happening maybe a week or so ago, and I've had quite a few moments of 11:11 coincidences happening since then:

• Almost daily while I'm at work I check the time while at my desk and it's 11:11. This had never happened before that I can remember, but now it's almost daily.
• The other day I decided to do some Googling about the 11:11 topic, and while I was reading an article I had this feeling and I said to myself, wouldn't it be funny if it just happened to be 11:11 right now? So I looked over at my clock and it was exactly 11:11
• A few days back I was microwaving lunch while at work, and I left the kitchen and then came back and walked over to stop it to check my food, after I stopped it I checked to see how much time was left, and 1 minute and 11 seconds were left
• I stayed up late the other night to work on the computer after my girlfriend went to bed, when I got into bed I rolled over to check the time, and it was 11:11.
• I typically get hungry sometime between one and two o'clock for lunch, and I looked to see the time the other day and it was 1:11
• Was online paying bills the other night, pulled out my debit card. Expiration date? 11/11
• I took a $20 bill out of my wallet the other day, and someone had written in pen on the bill the number 11, really big...
• My girlfriend likes the band Rodrigo and Gabriela (check out their website), I just recently found out that they have a new album called 11:11 with 11 songs on it coming out this fall. Additionally, I found out that Regina Spektor, an artist who I like, has a CD called 11:11 too. (I realize these aren't really coincidences, but it is interesting that I found them both out this week.)

I know this probably is making me sound a little nuts, but there have been even more than this, and it's just been really strange to me, since like I said, I don't usually look for these coincidences or number patterns, and the topic was not even on my mind recently. I'm not sure how to interpret this, but I am trying to be more aware of my thoughts and what is happening around me to see if there is any insight I might be able to find that may be related to these occurrences.

Labels: 1111, interesting, random

Photo Credit: Sean Haffey, Union TribI don't live in Ocean Beach anymore, but when I did I lived near Dog Beach and the San Diego River. Actually, many people don't even know that there is a river in San Diego, but there is. So anyway, when I lived there, I always used to jog along the river on the bike path, (yes the linked map is the actual path of the river, only the first few miles were paved at the time I lived there) and once when I was trying to avoid getting in my car I tried to follow the path on my bike into Mission Valley to make a run to Borders to look for a guide book for my trip to Spain.

Of course during that attempted ride is when I realized that the path didn't actually follow the river that far, or at least if it did it wasn't obvious to me. In typical San Diego "you can only get there in a car" style, it just stopped near the freeway where the there was really nothing but a perfect place for a homeless camp. And actually, I'm pretty sure there were some camps right near by, since I've heard plenty of stories. None the less, I made it to Borders in once piece (though I was quite out of place in the sea of cars) and got my book, but not without having to carry my bike up a hill, across the end of a freeway ramp, and even over the dry river bed on some railroad tracks that had there been a train coming I would have been killed. Oh yea, then I had to brave an actual road, which is no minor task around here since most people who are driving are usually doing something besides driving.

So when I saw this article, I can't tell you how excited I was to read that the bike path is being extended to actually go all the way into Mission Valley, eventually all the way to Julian. If it actually gets completed, I'll certainly make use of part of it which could connect me to the beach without ever really having to ride on a main road. And the other more noble goal of the path is to make people realize that yes, there actually is a river there!


Related Links:
San Diego River Conservancy
San Diego River Coalition
San River Park Foundation

Labels: biking, conservation, ocean beach, San Diego

I know I have at least a few readers out there. Some of you I have exchanged emails with and some have commented in the past, so I know you're out there, but I'm curious about those who read but have never commented.

So now I'm putting out the invitation. Feel free to drop in and say hi, post a comment or say hi over on Twitter. If you have a blog, feel free to put in a few notes about it. Since you read my blog, I'm interested in what you're writing. This isn't a request for spam, but I'm certainly interested in helping everyone, including myself, to build a little network here online.

Currently blogger automatically inserts the nofollow attribute into all links that are in comments, so unfortunately your link in my comment won't help your page ranking. But just so you know, in an effort to increase reader interaction here I am in the process of trying to remove it. The only reason I can't do it now is because I self host my blog, and also use a custom template. I am hoping that when I have the time make the switch to use the new blogger layouts that I will be able to allow comment links to be followed by search engines.

So anyway, feel free to say hi!

Labels: random, updates

Please tell me Oh City of San Diego, it's no secret that you have been having financial problems, so why are you redoing the sidewalks in my neighborhood that were just fine, with private contractors, of all things?

As we know, there were last fall's budget cuts, there is the pension crisis, and there are potholes so big that they are damaging cars, so why has the sidewalk on every corner of my neighborhood been dug up when there were no apparent problems. I jog the neighborhood several times per week and with a few exceptions have seen no breaks in the sidewalk or any real reason they weren't good enough.

What it looks like is that each corner is being replaced with a handicap accessible ramp. So ok, I get it, but still it doesn't seem to me enough to warrant the time and resources of hiring a private company to do this work. And I'm sorry, but for any wheelchairs that need to get up on the sidewalk, there is a driveway at least every 20 feet, so is it really necessary to put a ramp on every corner? In lieu of all the budget cuts and layoffs, I would think there are many other more pressing issues that could make use of this money. And why not use city workers that are on the payroll instead of hiring outside contractors to do the work?

Perhaps this is something that was approved years ago, or maybe it's cheaper to contract it than to use city workers? Beats me.

San Diego and California, just let it be noted that you're not winning any supporters. Without your great weather you would be lost.


Related Links:
A letter to the City of San Diego
Water Conservation - A letter to the city

Labels: budget, San Diego

I came across this video today. Brings back memories for when I was planning my Spain and Morocco trip. I had really wanted to ride on the Marrakesh Express, but sadly though I made it into Morocco, didn't make it down to Marrakesh. Oh well, next time. Until then, enjoy a live video of Crosby and Nash rockin' it, well rockin' it 70s style.




Related Links:
Day Trip to Tangier, Morocco

Labels: morocco, random

I've had strawberries growing in my garden for a few months, but unfortunately have only been able to eat a few because they seem to disappear from the plant the day they reach optimal ripeness. I've just chalked it up to the birds or the ants, though I did catch my cat lurking in the garden too. And I'd be surprised if a colony of ants could make a strawberry disappear, but who knows?

But the other morning I had quite a surprise. Every single jalapeno on my jalapeno plant had disappeared. There were probably 10 or more that were an inch or two long last time I looked. This was definitely not the work of ants, nor was it due to the cat or dogs. Is it possible that the birds at all of them?

I did do a google search and saw that birds can eat hot peppers no problem as the heat of it does not affect them. But wow, has this happened to anyone else before?

Additionally, now a small cucumber has gone missing, as have the buds on my pea plants. I can only guess that this is the birds. Is there a way to keep them out of the garden without having to cover it with chicken wire or something like that? Do scarecrows really work?

Labels: garden, interesting, pests, random

Photo credit: Sarah MaeHow often do you hear someone tell you that they are "swamped" at work? I've been thinking about this phrase a lot, and it's no irony that it's usually while I'm at work. I haven't touched a topic like this lately, but I used to quite a bit in the past. If you've been a reader for a while you know that I am a big fan of the the concepts of the 4 Hour Workweek and the idea of ROWE (Results Only Work Environment). And since I'm still a 9 to 5 working man, I still very often have thoughts like this, even though I'm not writing them.

I think everyone has found themselves saying "I'm swamped at work" at one time or another. How often do you hear it? Do you hear it more than you did 5 years ago when the economy was blazing? Well, I guess that's a real possibility considering the layoffs that are going around and the fact that your company just might really need to squeeze a bit more out of you, but it's also probable that you don't hear it any more often. I was thinking about it abstractly today, and I realize that being swamped is often indicative of mismanagement. If you are swamped it means your boss or manager is giving you more work than you can handle. Of course there are exceptions, and also industries which are more susceptible to creeping deadlines. But at my company, IMO it's mostly due to mismanagement. Changing tasks on people and losing attentiveness to what was last week's priority results in wasted time and effort, plain and simple. If it is repeatedly happening that something was a priority last week and it's not this week, there is clearly a problem. It's probable that giving you more work is just based on rash project decisions by management, or even worse is just a way to get you to work longer hours. At my company, it's both.

Do you know why I know?


Photo credit: reemerBecause I fell into the trap when I started. I would try to impress my boss by completing a task, but after about a year I realized that it was like chasing the dragon (see definition #3). The longer I worked the more I was expected to work, and the more I tasks I completed the more I was given. And even worse, all that work wasn't even helping the bottom line. As mentioned above, some of my tasks would change priority after a couple weeks or even daily. And other projects were completed "in a push by management" never to even be used.

I have secretly identified hours and hours worth of work that I have put in and my company expects that could be totally removed without even hurting the company. But do you know why no one isolates these tasks and axes them? Because 1) then everyone would only work 10-20 hours per week and we'd look like a bunch of slackers, or 2) the big boss would be so thrilled that another 10-20 hours worth of workload would be added that still wouldn't improve the bottom line.

So I slowly started pushing back, getting myself to an 8 hour day, and on many days much less. And you know what? Nothing changed. As long as they see my face and me sitting at my desk, all is well. There is no tangible measurement of success, the measurement is for the most part hours logged, and the impression of being busy. The company is still around, I get my paycheck, and my stress is lower. And you know what? As long as you are smart enough to determine what really is priority, you can work this out and still be the superstar with a bonus at the end of the year.

I do want to point out that I am quite aware that this isn't the most ambitious plan, nor is it particular enviable to admit to this form of slacking. I also realize that if I need to work like this then I am obviously in the wrong job. But this is not a long term solution, and I have not just settled for handling my workload like this. Instead it is a way to keep myself sane while I explore other options and keep myself motivated in other ways. And even though I have some guilt about it, like I said, I have worked much harder in the past and put in many hours on other projects that just turned out to be wasted effort, which is why I don't feel so bad.

So what did I learn?

I learned that you have to be responsible for managing your own expectations. If you get cornered into a tight deadline, or get more work than can be done in a reasonable amount of time, speak up. Otherwise the work will keep coming. With certain exceptions, being "swamped" is no more than having a boss who likes to give you too much work. Know what is priority, know how to make a difference, but manage your workload on your own terms. If you want to try to be the office rock star, go ahead, people will always find work for you to do, and in the end you may be lucky to have an appreciative boss and get all that your little heart desires, but more likely than not you will just end up stressed out and overworked, and you will continue being able to say "I'm swamped", while I'm sitting in my cubicle with a moderate workload, relaxed and stress free.

Related Links:

Labels: 4HWW, 9to5, how-to, productivity, work

It's almost time for the long weekend, so I'll keep this post short and sweet. I've written this ahead of time but will schedule it to go out before everyone heads out for the their three day mini vacation.

I just want to wish everyone a safe and happy 4th of July weekend. Most likely I'll try to keep myself away from the computer, so we'll see how that goes. Or maybe I'll just spend some time getting ahead on some good posts for next week. In either case, keep an eye out. Also, in case you haven't noticed, I've been trying to be better about posting more regularly too, but no more than one or two posts per day, if that.

I'll be sticking around, staying in San Diego, but heading down to Ocean Beach for a party on Saturday afternoon.

Anyone have any big plans? Or are you staying home and doing the traditional bbq and party thing?

Labels: time off, United States, updates

Pets, pests, and pesticides, or my flea plea.

In our house, there is one cat and two dogs. We are in San Diego where the weather is usually great year round. Unfortunately this means that all of our favorite pests also can live year round, and they are especially persistent in the summer. So I send this plea out to my reader(s), if you have pets have you been able to control fleas in your houses without using all the usual nasty chemicals?

As much as I hate to do it, I do use Advantage or Frontline on my cat, and my girlfriend uses it on her dogs. But to be honest, I've never seen much change in the fleas on the animals after administering it. The last two times we gave Advantage to one of our dogs, within a few days time I spotted large fleas on him. And same thing on my cat. Though I do notice that when I find the fleas on my cat after giving the Advantage, they seem sluggish and are easy to catch, no doubt due to the effects of the chemicals. But the thing is, if I'm putting this poison onto my pet's skin, it should work perfectly. And at $10 a dose, I'm not going to poison my cat and keep having fleas. I know how terrible this stuff is and I cringe when I give it, and I always do so reluctantly hoping all the flea problems will go away, but they never seem to. And yes, I've read all about how pests are becoming resistant to these pesticides, ironically because we use them too frequently. In our overzealous attempts to kill them we are actually giving them so much exposure that they are becoming immune to the chemicals.

I've also tried diatomaceous earth, both on the pets and on the beds and the carpet, but again, I haven't seen a big change, and if there is one, it's never more than a few days relief before the fleas show up again.

Now I'm reading about these non-toxic flea traps, has anyone used those? Do they work?

For the past two year I've been looking for safe non-toxic solutions, and try to avoid the nasty chemicals, and the truth is I haven't had anything work for me. Next option is to "flea bomb" the house, which I hate hate HATE to do, but my girlfriend and I can't take the flea issue. I find them on my feet when I do yoga in the living room. I find them on the bed sheets after my cat has her nap. And I find them on the dogs the day after their Advantage dose.

Update 9/9/09: I have used this Victor Ultimate Flea Trap for the past month or two, and it does actually work. I wouldn't count on it to handle a full infestation, but it does definitely catch fleas.

Labels: chemicals, eco-friendly, pesticides, pests, pets

Image credit: Letz DesignI figured I'd share interesting article about drought tolerant landscaping, known as Xeriscaping, that I found via my Ode Magazine Newsletter. It's especially relevant since I live in San Diego at a house with a lawn that uses irrigation. It's not very detailed about specific plants that can be used for making changes, but it is definitely food for thought.


View article here: Yanking out lawns saves water and money

Interesting side note: I started thinking about writing this post the other day while at work. Ironically, as I was pondering drought tolerant landscapes and the water shortages and new water rationing rules here in San Diego, I looked out the window into Petco Park to see them watering the dirt in preparation for the night's baseball game. My office is located in such a position that we can see down into the ball field, and I think based on what we see it's safe to say that they are one of the biggest water wasters around. Even next to the ball park is a public park, my guess under the same management, and it is watered so frequently that you sometimes can't even walk in the grass because it's so squishy from over watering. Nice job city of San Diego.

Related Links:
Succulents, perennials make a colorful drought-tolerant team
How the neighbors are coping

Labels: conservation, interesting, San Diego, water