skiing in Tahoe

After threats of 1 to 3 feet of snow in Tahoe my friends and I decided to head up for the weekend anyway...ok I decided. I told them I would drive! My new 4x4 did great! and there was no snow on the roads compared to what they kept threatening. The roads were covered on the way up Friday night...1 to 2 inches maybe... packed...it was working. plus that was only on the pass. The rest of the road was just wet!

We woke up to an additional 5 inches on Sat AM and the snow was tapering off. It started to storm again around 1pm and I ended up leaving the slopes by 230 when my ski mittens blew off the ski lift... as my friends put it...MacGuyer at my best. I pulled out my xtra socks from my pocket and skiied down with them on my hands! I was done for the day! Not skiing without gloves and the weather was getting bad! Time for the hot tub!!

My friends Jen and Heather from Burke invited me to join their classmates from here in CA in Tahoe for the weekend. It was a great group of people. Mostly PTs of course... also most from Europe! It was very nice of them to slow down and let me keep up with them! Actually some were still new to skiing but new to skiing in the Alps sounds more advanced then here any day!!

So one of the girls was from PA... she happened to be from about 1.5 hrs south of where I lived in PA after College....she also happened to know one of my friends from college who graduated a year ahead of me that I have lost touch with! Small world!! Mine keeps shrinking!!

We stayed at the Forest Suites Resorts and got a great deal! It cost me 50 bucks for 2 nights! We stayed in 2 suites with kitchens and 2 bathrooms. Each held about 6 people. Nice place. I would go back with another group in a heart beat! Let me know when you are coming out!!



Our first glimpse of the lake...didn't see much of it since it snowed most of the day!






This was so cool! you could ski in Nevada or CA!! WE did both! most of the day in Nevada actually!

My only other glimpse of the lake.

A lift for 6!! Awesome since 6 of us managed to ski together most of the day! I have never been able to ski with a group that large before and actually stay together! There were 9 of us at one point... 30 % rule...

Weather started looking like this around lunchtime..

Warming up at lunchtime!

A much better place to warm up!


Some of us have more sanity than others...what was in those mugs anyway?

Note I was the one standing out side in the snow in my bathing suit taking the picture...like I said...someone might be sane?


Jen and Carla on the way to the casinos to test our luck!

Hey what are the chances I would meet one person from PA who knows someone I went to college with? Time to buy a lottery ticket....or hit the casinos!

Jen and Heather
The high rollers made a whole 4 cents on the penny slots...

South lake Tahoe is in both NV and CA! You can tell where the line is...

The Casinos are in Nevada!

I am in CA!

The CA state line...not what you were expecting??

The roads weren't that bad driving home on Sunday either. WE only got about 5 inches a day! Perfect ski weather! Now to go back so I can see the lake!

Another move

The nursing home in Antioch hired a permanent OT the month I started. Luckily she didn't start until the month I was leaving. I ended up covering in a few of their facilities...including one up in Napa my last two days. (a 45 min drive each way!) only two days and I stayed in town and met friends for dinner the last night.. so it worked out well!

I took a week off between contracts and flew home for Thanksgiving. I had a nice time with family and friends. Then flew back in on Sat night had some friends help me pack my car (apt was all packed up before I left). Went to lunch and for a last hike at the Black Diamond mine area in Pittsburg CA (again similarities with PA..coal there too!) then drove down to Merced to stay the night in a hotel. Found an Apt on Monday and moved in on Tuesday after my first day of work.

I spent this weekend emptying the rest of my car and recovering from a cold...hmmm can't imagine how I got sick...could be that all of my coworkers were sick this week too!

So I am working at another nursing home...learning lots of things that need to be improved...mostly medicaid and medicare!! I got really frustrated on Thursday when I was told to evaluate a patient who had a pretty bad stroke. I was told to only recommend 3 treatment sessions...NO WAY! That is all that was covered. I recommended what I thought he needed and if insurance won't pay it that is not up to me.. It's what he needs. He is on medicaid and they don't cover therapy. Luckily he may qualify for medicare....soon I hope!!

Anyway here are a few pictures of my new place and the Black Diamond mine area before I left Antioch!



hiking the trails around the black diamond mine preserve.



Apparently the gopher snake resembles the rattle snake...Similar patterns and it can make itself look like one by flattening its head into a diamond shape!! Apparently not all rattle snakes have rattles...they sometimes fall off!


Finishing the hike the car is packed and I am ready to hit the road!

Merced CA

The first week in December and the leaves are finally turning! I can't get used to this climate!
Its in the 30s at night now and 50s during the day.

My new place. I don't get it...all the apartment complexes in CA have car ports... the girl said the frost gets bad!! Is she kidding?? I was thinking it was for the sun in the summers? I wish we had these in CO for the hail storms!



The not heated pool at my apartment complex that I will not be using! The HUGE hot tub in the back....I have already used!

A CA snow man!! I caught the tail end of the christmas parade...these were lining the streets.


Something doesn't look right here...can't grasp the pine tree and palm tree thing...

On the road again...the Pacific Coast Highway that is!

So I arrived in CA about 3 months ago now and the first thing I did was drive to Santa Cruz and head north on the PCH to the Golden Gate Bridge. I wanted to spend my last weekend exploring the area and headed north on the PCH from The Golden Gate Bridge through Muir woods and Stinson Beach to the Point Reyes national seashore.

Then off to Sonoma through Petaluma to meet my Burke Friends for dinner. Cute little wine country town. I much preferred it to Napa... I am sure it has nothing to do with the fact that I spent 6 hrs of my time in Napa at the ER.. It was more because of the little town square in Sonoma...It was Really nice!! I just couldn't afford to breathe in that town!! Sothebys on one corner etc... : )

I am working my last week here in Antioch while packing every night and next Sat. Then off to the East Coast for Thanksgiving. Next Stop Merced CA for another 3 months. Its about 1/2 way between Fresno and Modesto. only 1.5 hrs to Yosemite and about the same to Sequoia NP and Kings Canyon NP! oh and still only 2 hrs from Lake Tahoe...something tells me I won't be home on weekends!




They have done alot of rebuilding of the boardwalks and parking area. So now they are replanting.

Muir Beach View Point

Muir Beach viewpoint

Good thing it wasn't too windy!

Protection during WWII

Green Rocks!!

Look!! You Really can see Japan!!

Apparently it is one of the Farallon Islands according to Google maps!

Stinson Beach

I drove through a small town named Dogtown!! I saw more horses than dogs!

Didn't have time to head to the lighthouse...off to Sonoma for dinner..

Petaluma Afternoons....

Ernies Tin Bar! Anyone want a drink?

Same intersection as the bar

SHEEP!!! It looked like Scotland!!

Now this sign looks like it is located in a more appropriate place!! (as opposed to the middle of now where near Lassen Volcanic...see earlier post!)

Driving from Petaluma to Sonoma

Stopped for Strawberries again! I still can't believe they are still harvesting them!

Sonoma City Hall

I parked and walked by the Merceds, prius and BMW...finally found a few Saturns, Hondas and Toyotas..oh and a Dodge truck!

Then there is mine that looks like I have been off roading...ok just a little bit..

Walking around the town square.

The shops are off the town square down some really nice alleys into some nicer courtyards!

Even the CVS sells wine!! All the grocery stores out here have aisles of wine!