The Fables Equivalency

Its important to chain up your chair. 

Well I hate to say it but I can now see why people who read comic books do end up with active imaginations, seeing their favorite characters in their every day lives. Yes, that has happened to me. I've been reading a comic called Fables. I think I mentioned that I've been visiting this fantastic shop called Amazing Fantasy at 8th and Irving. So I'm about 5 books in and I found my last tour group to be full of characters! It was so funny.
Every time this one guy would start spinning a tale, I'd be calling him by the characters' name! Ha!

One of the kids in the group was having a hilarious fight with her brother and she said "haha deal with my pinwheel of pain"! It was so funny, I had to write it down, her mother said "don't encourage her" it was such a crack up. And about that time the Sullen Soldier comes up "pirouette of punishment"

On this tour I had the Sullen Soldier and his captive Min, a Klingon, the family fueders (Kiwi's vs. Aussies) and Jack of the Tales.

I just noticed how long its been since I've blogged. I can look back throughout the blog history and see my up and down times. I finally got a couple of days off and I'm really looking forward to it. I'll be taking a break before my next set of characters appear for this weeks tour.

Follow the Bread Crumbs?!

Iron Door Debacle

Bridal Veil Falls

The doors slammed shut on my three day camping trip thanks to the Iron Door Saloon in Groveland CA.
Not really, it was a strange trip from the beginning. I had only 4 passengers and they were all so different they didn't really get together. 2 girls were traveling together and then I had a young guy (really young) and an older woman. She was my favorite though, she traveled alot, usually camping and was really with the program.

Squirrel!

This was the first group I ever had where I finally had to show them how to use the door to the van because I wasn't going to do it for them all the time. They would just sit in the van. It was funny. This was also the first group where I had people who could care less about the scenery. Turns out I don't like that very much. I mean, you're in YOSEMITE?! I pulled up to Tunnel View which is usually where I get the Oohs and Awws, and after I parked and three of them got out I asked the last girl if she was getting out and she said "no, I can see it from here" she's in the back of the van!! I mean, seriously?? They didn't care about anything I took them to see. I finally started pulling over and taking photos myself. If they aren't going to tour I will.

Hetch Hetchy Reservoir

On the last day we went to a new place for me, Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and that was totally amazing! I really like it there alot! We hiked to the Wapama Waterfall which was totally massive and splashing right onto the walk way!! I loved it! My group didn't even finish the hike. I told them we didn't have to do it but they seemed to shrug and say, no we'll go. They didn't even stop to take a photo or look around. I did, they didn't even wait up for me. I had to catch them up back at the van. Sheesh. Fun.

Wapama Falls splashdown

Needless to say the combination of stupid idiots in Yosemite sometimes, the lack of caring by the rangers to control those idiots and my group of uninterested people it was a LONG 3 day trip. I couldn't wait to get them home. Which is saying something because I usually dread going to the city and dropping them off.

Playing Ketchup and Flogging Molly

catch up really but its funnier that way....

So much to blog about and now it’s a week later. As usual, when I fall behind a ton of stuff has gone on. I didn’t have paper and pen to write it down so that I could just type it when I got back from the 1^st camping trip. Then I did the same thing again on the second camping trip.

Now I’ve had a day of work and a day off and am back in Yosemite for a 1 day tour. Phew! Try to keep up!

Lets start at the very beginning.

Thursday I met Tom and Kim at…wait a minute. Wednesday night I crashed the finale party of powwow at city hall. I almost forgot. It paled in comparison to the Academy party. I’ll put a picture on so you can see it.

I had gotten done with work at 9pm and gone upstairs to change and generally make a mess and then left for th party. When I got to the party Brian A says, by the way Gussy is sleeping at the office too! I told him he better call her and let her know my stuff is everywhere in there! It was pretty funny. So I went back to the office after the party and Gussy and I chatted until the wee hours and then off to bed we went. Which was hilarious because there isn’t much room on the floor in the office for two sleeping bags. Ha!

The next day Thursday I met Tom and Kim for our first camping trip of the year! Joe had already packed the trailer and Tom went through it a bit and then off we went. It was a training trip for Kim and myself but Tom wasn’t in much of a mood to train for some reason. Anyways, we shopped at Food Co. and then picked up our guests. All 12 of them. Making that 14 on Tom’s manifest. It was a lot and he was really stressed out about it but we will take 14 by ourselves usually and he had 2 other guides to help him.

The group was really great. A lot of Aussies and all young and we had a great time the first day. We got camp unpacked and realized we didn’t have any silverware or utensils of any kind in the trailer. Whoops! After a big fuss on my part really, Tom ran up to the store and bought some plastic knives forks spoons and we made do just fine. It was great fun. The group was really good about the whole thing!

We hiked to the upper grove in the Mariposa Grove which I’d never done. That was really beautiful. Worth the walk. That night we partied at the bar a little bit which was fun and then headed to bed. Saturday we went into the valley for a little bit. Kim and I and Simon one of our guests did part of the Upper Yosemite Falls trail. Once you get up high you have a great view.

We were supposed to meet Brian A in the park and both of us ride out with him but he had a full van too so Kim went with him and I stayed with my group. I call them mine because Tom had checked out and wouldn’t tell them what we were doing, where we were going, what to do next. It sounds weird but people like to know what’s going on and they do like to be told what to do. It’s the strangest thing. So I stepped in and took over.

We got them dropped off and I went back to the office with Tom to help clean up and put away and ended up doing all of that too. It was a little annoying. It was his trip but he wasn’t really present for it. I’ve never seen Tom like that before. I don’t know if it was me or the group or what!

I slept at the office that night and then turned around and did the whole thing again on my own. Which was WAY more fun! I obviously like being in charge! J

I had a group of 8 and they were mostly Aussies as well. All great people. It was so much fun!

Really nothing out of the ordinary happened. We had insane Memorial Day traffic in the park. They basically closed down the valley and turned cars around because traffic was backed up for hours and miles. I got stuck once in that traffic Sunday afternoon but we were right along the river and the group thought that was awesome so they were happy to get out and walk around while I waited.

I returned Tuesday night and Wednesday I talked Brian into helping me with moving some things from Jolie’s house to my new place and that was really awesome! I had forgotten how much room is in Charlottes room! Its going to be great! I worked Weds afternoon until 9pm (10pm, as I had quite a night with reservations etc) then “home” to my bed and a pillow!! Oh boy, what a great nights sleep I had especially as I got to sleep in!!

I did laundry and unpacked my stuff and walked to the office to get the rest of it out of the “closet” there. I had to sweet talk Joe into driving me back over to the house because my big bag was there. He was nice enough to do that if I offered to buy him a beneigh ( I don’t know how to spell that!)

Once I got all my stuff in one place, which was nice feeling! I went to Just for You for a celebratory breakfast and had huevos rancheros. Oh man they were good!! Really really good!!

I went up to Trader joes to buy some mangos and then Adam (Joe’s computer graphic lackey) called to see if I’d help him move so I said why not! That turned out to be good fun. Adam is a bit all over the place but it was fun to help him. We went to Amoeba Music in upper Haight and watched a free Flogging Molly concert in there. That was really cool! They are terrific! Irish punk band! They have a new CD out now, which they were promoting.

One of Adams friends Jeff joined us there and then we all went back to Adams house to have some food. Another jeff showed up too and so it was man time in the the bachelor pad. J Jeff R and I ended up cooking which was fun. We had good kitchen rhythm together and good laughs.

Once dinner was done I went back home to where Olivia, a roommate of mine, was having her 30^th birthday party! So they were eating dinner and I got in on cake (gluten free chocolate cake) and ice cream (salted caramel!) then off to bed. Phew!

Now I’m getting ready to nap in the van until its time to pick up my peeps.

 Phew two solid hours of sleeping...man that was a rough wake up! I had a great group though, they were all stoked to have seen what they did in Yosemite. Now I'm back at "home" in my new room about to go to sleep on my BED with a PILLOW!! Yeah!

Tomorrow is Muir Woods Wine Country. Pictures to come. Its getting late for me and my nap was not enough. 

Camping Trips are Fun!

Two back to back camping trips and a night in the office in between makes Karen a zombie girl today!!
I really want to blog about the whole thing but will wait until I get properly woken up and in the mood. Coming back to the city after 6 days camping in Yosemite is harsh!!

I will share one thing though, last night I got on the train to come back to Jolie's house and the crazy homeless man sitting behind me told himself to shut the f up. It was hilarious. At least no one else had to do it. Welcome back to SF.