As we write this, sitting in the middle seat of the Camry between Sam and Jacob on the way to Salem (We’ve already driven 6 hours from Pasadena. An hour and a half away from Redding. C’mon)
But the fact of the matter is, our Spring Break trip is basically over and done. We have tonight at Mark’s, which should be filled with pictures, food, Mario Kart and SLEEPING. Definitely no driving. What I’d like to do on this travel day is thank those of you who have supported us so much in this trip. Without further ado…
First, we have the car owners. The Van Ness’ and the Sandquist’s made the trip possible and these cars have been so reliable. I mean, the Sube is the Sube. But they made it down, partway up, back down and all the way back up. C’mon.
There are the Rawlins’. Our first day and last night have been spent in this wonderful home (“swamp” – Brennon). We’ve appreciated all that the Rawlins’ have given us, such as food, tires and lots of other things.
Then there was our oh-so-gracious Redwood City hosts- the Garvins. They let us stay in their house for two nights. Nine guys is a lot and we appreciate the space they gave us so much. They gave us breakfast and were so great to hang out with. So much thanks to the Garvins.
The Sandquists made us two fantastic meals and offered us the best spot we had to watch the March Madness games. It was great to see Tim, Kathy, Ellie and Hanna again, and they provided so much for us.
Then we went down to SoCal and got to Paul’s house at 4 AM, where he and Will Aufhammer were waiting for us to arrive. The Miller family graciously accepted us in and offered us another night to stay than we planned because we had a hitch with another plan. Their house was so great and it was great to meet Paul’s parents and brother. Also, they lent us three sleeping bags for our adventure on the beach. We owe them for the friendliness.
The LaBelle family invited us into their house so many times that we just had a debate on how many it was! We had two of our best dinners there and after we slept of the beach they let us take showers and clean up for Church there. We thought we were going to go there one time, but they made us dinner on less than a couple hours notice twice. They were so kind and so welcoming. We really loved meeting the family and seeing their amazing house.
Speaking of short notice, our decision to turn back down to Southern California couldn’t have happened without three more places to stay.
The Warner family invited us over for dinner and ended up having us all stay the night before departing for the beach. It saved us two hours of driving and gave us more sleep and beach. C’mon. They were SO great. It was fantastic to meet their family and get to watch March Madness there as well. They blessed our decision day so much.
Then, once we got down, we needed a place to stay. The Compton family gladly let us in their home for two nights and we can’t thank them enough for support on such short notice. We really enjoyed our time there and hanging out with Patrick and the family. They made us meals and everything. They were fantastic.
Finally, the Aufhammers. The best meal of the trip was our steak, potatoes, asparagus, salad and brownies that we got on our first time down to Southern Cal. We had nine of us and Will, so they made that meal for 12 people. We loved the conversation at dinner and took a lot of it to heart. Then the hot tub and pool house were amazing and we had such great places to sleep. Then breakfast? C’mon.
That wasn’t all with the Aufhammers. Mark left his wallet there so we would have had to go back to Pasadena to get it. We got a text from Will that it would be alright if we needed to stay again, even though he wasn’t there. The later five (Andrew, Sam, Mark, Jacob and Brennon) decided to pursue that for the last night in California. It was SUCH a great decision. That night was really the cherry on top of the whole trip. Jacquie and Al took us out for dinner at Islands and gave us a tour of Pasadena. It was so essential for a tired crew that needed rejuvenation for a 14-hour car ride the next day. We each got a very comfortable spot to sleep and they woke up with us at 5 AM for this very drive. They were the last people we saw in California and we have so much love for them.
Then there are you! We know the prayers of our friends were there – we could feel them! Also, to our friends who gave us mixes, that made our trip what it was! [FYI – we’re listening to the WINNER of best mix right now. We just belted out “You and I”…our theme song and the 1st song on the best mix of the trip – Jem’s Top Hitz! Jane and Emily you are the champs.] And then the friends on the trip just made it so much better. We love our friends and they helped us so much.
Last, but not least, God is The One Above that we want to thank so much. He gave us everything on the trip and He provided decision-making, weather and safety for all of us. So great. We are SO blessed. That’s the reality of it all.
The Guys.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Day 10: CUH-MONNN
Our bellies ached and our wallets were empty. So we are grateful to Marriott Hotel for treating us to a nice continental breakfast. We made our way from the hotel to Chelsea’s house to take showers. After that we attended the 11:15 service at Saddleback where we heard a great message and Rick Warren came up to us and gave hugs to us – his “homeboys”. During all this our wet sleeping bags sat in the back of the car saturated in rain and sand. Before returning the sleeping bags to Paul’s we stopped by the Laundromat to get those babies clean. It was an adventure at the Laundromat – apparently I said “c’mon” 65 times in two hours of figuring out how best to “clean” the sleeping bags.
After the Laundromat we headed to the Aufhammers house in Pasadena to stay the night. Unfortunately Will was not at his house but his parents are as legit as it gets so it was still fun. We arrived at the Aufhammers at about five. We chatted with Jacquie and Alan for 45 minutes or so. They decided instead of pizza they would take us out to eat at the Island (a favorite spot of the family’s). The restaurant was first class. The appetizers of choice were cheese fries, followed by a main course of a verities of burgers and tacos. The meal was topped off with a Mud Pie and brownie Desert. On the way home we took a scenic route to see the Rose Bowl, downtown Pasadena, and the house that Step Brothers was filmed in. When we returned to the Aufhammers we relaxed in the hot tub for a bit and then tried to get to bed by a decent hour so we could hit the road nice and early. SHOUT OUT TO THE AUFHAMMERS FOR BEING SO GREAT TO US……CU-MONNNN
Mark
After the Laundromat we headed to the Aufhammers house in Pasadena to stay the night. Unfortunately Will was not at his house but his parents are as legit as it gets so it was still fun. We arrived at the Aufhammers at about five. We chatted with Jacquie and Alan for 45 minutes or so. They decided instead of pizza they would take us out to eat at the Island (a favorite spot of the family’s). The restaurant was first class. The appetizers of choice were cheese fries, followed by a main course of a verities of burgers and tacos. The meal was topped off with a Mud Pie and brownie Desert. On the way home we took a scenic route to see the Rose Bowl, downtown Pasadena, and the house that Step Brothers was filmed in. When we returned to the Aufhammers we relaxed in the hot tub for a bit and then tried to get to bed by a decent hour so we could hit the road nice and early. SHOUT OUT TO THE AUFHAMMERS FOR BEING SO GREAT TO US……CU-MONNNN
Mark
Day 9: Just another day with not just another night
We woke up at patty’s house and Andrew took Jeremy and Nick to DISNEYland, and they spent the day as Jeremy’s cheeks experienced the biggest workout of their life. I don’t think Jeremy has ever smiled more in his life.
The rest of us woke up casually and Patty’s Mom fed the beasts and we were off to Main Beach Laguna. It was a mellow day as we played volleyball. We still need a lot of practice. We walked into BJ’s Brewery to watch the Arizona vs. Uconn game. The waiter tried way too hard to be cool and then tried to kick us out before we the game ended and before some of the guys had even finished his food. The food was still amazing. Uconn won, which was undesired. I then got to jet on over to Newport to surprise my Mom at a restaurant. She was shocked. I loved seeing my mom, because I didn’t think I was going to get to see her for a long time. I LOVE my Mom.
That night we decided to sleep on the beach. We were all so pumped to sleep at Thousand Steps, which is essentially a private beach, because you have to walk down 235 steps to get there. We grabbed a few extra sleeping bags from Paul Logan Miller so that we all had one and we headed down the steps. We sat on the beach close to a cliff and freaked out about getting caught, because it was a $400 fine. Eventually we got over it and explored a little bit before we finally crawled in our sleeping bags and went to sleep. It was 1:30 AM when Mark woke us up abruptly screaming that it was raining and we needed to move. We ran over to this little fort that someone must have built earlier that day and put a tarp over it. There was a hole dug under it but it was pretty cozy. It was shaped like bowl. Brennon, Mark and Jacob piled into the little shanti and snuggled while Andrew and I posted outside the tent and decided to bear weather, because it couldn’t be that bad. We woke up at seven and Andrew and I were completely drenched. Our sleeping bags looked like they were dipped in the ocean and rolled in the sand like a cinnamon covered donut. Our pillows were dripping and the three shanti boys had dry faces and were able to sleep a little longer because of their pampered beach motel. In all reality, we were all wet and miserable. Lets just say that it was an experience and it was most likely the wrong decision. Would I do it again? Yes. Even if it was raining? Not if I had another option. We packed up the car and headed for Saddleback Church, with our boy Rick Warren. On the way we spotted a Marriott and well.. I will just leave it at that.
Sam
The rest of us woke up casually and Patty’s Mom fed the beasts and we were off to Main Beach Laguna. It was a mellow day as we played volleyball. We still need a lot of practice. We walked into BJ’s Brewery to watch the Arizona vs. Uconn game. The waiter tried way too hard to be cool and then tried to kick us out before we the game ended and before some of the guys had even finished his food. The food was still amazing. Uconn won, which was undesired. I then got to jet on over to Newport to surprise my Mom at a restaurant. She was shocked. I loved seeing my mom, because I didn’t think I was going to get to see her for a long time. I LOVE my Mom.
That night we decided to sleep on the beach. We were all so pumped to sleep at Thousand Steps, which is essentially a private beach, because you have to walk down 235 steps to get there. We grabbed a few extra sleeping bags from Paul Logan Miller so that we all had one and we headed down the steps. We sat on the beach close to a cliff and freaked out about getting caught, because it was a $400 fine. Eventually we got over it and explored a little bit before we finally crawled in our sleeping bags and went to sleep. It was 1:30 AM when Mark woke us up abruptly screaming that it was raining and we needed to move. We ran over to this little fort that someone must have built earlier that day and put a tarp over it. There was a hole dug under it but it was pretty cozy. It was shaped like bowl. Brennon, Mark and Jacob piled into the little shanti and snuggled while Andrew and I posted outside the tent and decided to bear weather, because it couldn’t be that bad. We woke up at seven and Andrew and I were completely drenched. Our sleeping bags looked like they were dipped in the ocean and rolled in the sand like a cinnamon covered donut. Our pillows were dripping and the three shanti boys had dry faces and were able to sleep a little longer because of their pampered beach motel. In all reality, we were all wet and miserable. Lets just say that it was an experience and it was most likely the wrong decision. Would I do it again? Yes. Even if it was raining? Not if I had another option. We packed up the car and headed for Saddleback Church, with our boy Rick Warren. On the way we spotted a Marriott and well.. I will just leave it at that.
Sam
Day 8: The Boys are back in town….
Waking up at 5 a.m. is never enjoyable…but sometimes it is necessary. Case in point, we woke up at 5 a.m. in order to launch on our way back down South. Well, Mark woke up at 4:30 for some odd reason, and Jacob never went to sleep…both were decisions that brought about much laughter.
After being set up with some breakfast goodies from the Warner family, we hit the road and set our sights on our goal: the beaches of Southern California.
Unlike the first time we drove South, we encountered no resistance or obstacles. The weather behaved, and the drive went by fast; seems like whenever you travel somewhere again, it takes shorter time to get there the second time.
Nothing brought more joy to our hearts than to hear that our dear friends that we had hung out with on the previous SoCal beach days were still in town for another day. We were so pumped to reunite and make more sand-filled memories. We hit up our favorite beach spot (1000 steps – Laguna Beach) and explored the rocks, had great talks, and whipped out the volleyball for some crazy games.
A funny story from the day was when a group of Biola kids showed up led by an old man they had just met named Zeb. Zeb proceeded to gather the two groups of college students and form an epic game of “jungle ball”, a looser, less strict version of volleyball. Zeb. What a character. Was he an angel? Was he a lonely old codger? Was he an uber rich retiree? We’ll never know.
That first day back at the beach was one of our favorite beach experiences of the trip. After the beach, we left and checked out this place called “Top of the World” at the top of the Laguna Hill. This view of the sunset was one of the prettiest things we saw all trip.
For all you couples out there, you should add this place to the list of “totally awesome make-out spots”…
After “Top of the World”, we headed back to Chelsea’s home for another fantastic dinner. After eating, watching March Madness, reading Chels’ Yearbook, taking naps, and playing “Psychiatrist”, we took off and headed to our next lovely hosts’ home for the night. Patrick Compton is one our dear friends we stayed the night at his place.
After this day, there was no doubt in our minds that we had made the right decision in coming back down to SoCal. Definitely a special day indeed.
Friday had come to a close and we were making plans for our last day together as a group for the following day, Saturday.
Our trip had taken a whole new turn. We had called an audible and made a radical decision. It paid off.
Uh, yayyerrr….let’s go,
Brennon
After being set up with some breakfast goodies from the Warner family, we hit the road and set our sights on our goal: the beaches of Southern California.
Unlike the first time we drove South, we encountered no resistance or obstacles. The weather behaved, and the drive went by fast; seems like whenever you travel somewhere again, it takes shorter time to get there the second time.
Nothing brought more joy to our hearts than to hear that our dear friends that we had hung out with on the previous SoCal beach days were still in town for another day. We were so pumped to reunite and make more sand-filled memories. We hit up our favorite beach spot (1000 steps – Laguna Beach) and explored the rocks, had great talks, and whipped out the volleyball for some crazy games.
A funny story from the day was when a group of Biola kids showed up led by an old man they had just met named Zeb. Zeb proceeded to gather the two groups of college students and form an epic game of “jungle ball”, a looser, less strict version of volleyball. Zeb. What a character. Was he an angel? Was he a lonely old codger? Was he an uber rich retiree? We’ll never know.
That first day back at the beach was one of our favorite beach experiences of the trip. After the beach, we left and checked out this place called “Top of the World” at the top of the Laguna Hill. This view of the sunset was one of the prettiest things we saw all trip.
For all you couples out there, you should add this place to the list of “totally awesome make-out spots”…
After “Top of the World”, we headed back to Chelsea’s home for another fantastic dinner. After eating, watching March Madness, reading Chels’ Yearbook, taking naps, and playing “Psychiatrist”, we took off and headed to our next lovely hosts’ home for the night. Patrick Compton is one our dear friends we stayed the night at his place.
After this day, there was no doubt in our minds that we had made the right decision in coming back down to SoCal. Definitely a special day indeed.
Friday had come to a close and we were making plans for our last day together as a group for the following day, Saturday.
Our trip had taken a whole new turn. We had called an audible and made a radical decision. It paid off.
Uh, yayyerrr….let’s go,
Brennon
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Day 7: The Decision
This day sucked. Well, only during the day. This was the day of the decision, the day of pain and strife, day of tears and little laughter. So, what was the big controversy? To make the 6 hour drive we had just made to go back to beach and sunshine, or stick to the itinerary and drive an hour to Santa Cruz, which is supposed to have lightning. So, while Jeremy was doing his audition in San Francisco, we weighted the pro and cons of both decisions... for 4 hours. At the end, we decided to go to Santa Cruz and have dinner at Michaela Warner's splendid abode.
Now, if any of you know Michaela, you know she is a wonderful host. She is like Mary in the Bible who "took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume" (Jn 12:3). Yeah she might wash your feet with her hair if you ask her to, come on! Michaela's parents, Linda and Keith, exemplified this hospitality with Pizza My Heart, salad, chocolate covered strawberries, and a plethora of breakfast options. Michaela's little brother Collin is a solid man with a great heart. Anna Buurma made the gathering poppin like Jones soda.
If you thought "the decision" was actually decided, you were wrong. Much of our time at Michaela's was donated to the possibility of going back down to Laguna, 6 hours away. What sparked the grand debate again was God's mysterious way of closing down the pass to Santa Cruz (He is so good), and Brennon, Mark, Jacob, and Van Ness' hunger for the beach. So, at 11 pm we made the final decision we were going down again and were going to wake up at 5 am to get a head start.
Some notable moments:
Mark: "I bet Linda will make us some nice breakfast in the morning."
Linda: "No I won't!"
Linda: "So are you guys for sure leaving tomorrow morning?"
Brennon: "Don't question it." (Brennon was talking to someone else but Linda thought he was talking to her.)
No one saved Jacob a spot to sleep so he watched Charlie's Angels and the news all night in the garage.
Most important:
Jeremy did spectacular on his audition as a character at Disneyworld! He had to act like he was washing a dog, a monkey, and perform a dance with little rehearsal. We got the privilege of him reenacting the whole thing for us. What a character.
Anyways
One Love from Above,
Jacob
Now, if any of you know Michaela, you know she is a wonderful host. She is like Mary in the Bible who "took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume" (Jn 12:3). Yeah she might wash your feet with her hair if you ask her to, come on! Michaela's parents, Linda and Keith, exemplified this hospitality with Pizza My Heart, salad, chocolate covered strawberries, and a plethora of breakfast options. Michaela's little brother Collin is a solid man with a great heart. Anna Buurma made the gathering poppin like Jones soda.
If you thought "the decision" was actually decided, you were wrong. Much of our time at Michaela's was donated to the possibility of going back down to Laguna, 6 hours away. What sparked the grand debate again was God's mysterious way of closing down the pass to Santa Cruz (He is so good), and Brennon, Mark, Jacob, and Van Ness' hunger for the beach. So, at 11 pm we made the final decision we were going down again and were going to wake up at 5 am to get a head start.
Some notable moments:
Mark: "I bet Linda will make us some nice breakfast in the morning."
Linda: "No I won't!"
Linda: "So are you guys for sure leaving tomorrow morning?"
Brennon: "Don't question it." (Brennon was talking to someone else but Linda thought he was talking to her.)
No one saved Jacob a spot to sleep so he watched Charlie's Angels and the news all night in the garage.
Most important:
Jeremy did spectacular on his audition as a character at Disneyworld! He had to act like he was washing a dog, a monkey, and perform a dance with little rehearsal. We got the privilege of him reenacting the whole thing for us. What a character.
Anyways
One Love from Above,
Jacob
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Day 5 and 6: Working our way up
After two glorious days at the beach, we (admittedly reluctantly) headed back north to journey back home. Our stop along the way: Pasadena. The Aufhammer family hosted us for a night in luxury. We heard rumors that this was going to be the best meal of the trip. It turned out being the best night thus far.
We started by going through LA without awful traffic, making it to Will’s before 7:00. After Mark introduced himself to the family as our “team leader”, we were sitting at the dinner table, eating steak, twice baked potatoes, asparagus and Caesar salad. Jacquie Aufhammer is THUH BEST!
We had great conversation at the table as Mr. Al Aufhammer “interviewed” each of us and we learned so much about each other. We were at the table for almost two hours; it was such a great talk.
After dinner we scrambled to the hot tub. We were suffering beach withdrawals so we needed the water. Sam, Mark and Andrew ended up staying in there for almost two hours. The others hung out in the pool house. Holy cow, was this a nice place.
Everyone got a couch or bed, if I remember correctly. The hospitality we were given was just unbelievable and we just had such a relaxing, fun time at the Aufhammers. We joked around (“You can be in charge of women’s ministry”) and were serious (the hot tub talks). It was an amazing night and really a huge part of the trip.
At night, Will and I got to have our famed “Tuesday Night” sleepover. We skyped Emily and Jane and chatted for a while. The man is a legend. He’s so great. It was super fun.
We woke up to head north. A crazy journey ended in us arriving at PCC and checking out youth group before playing some great basketball and soccer. Lots of fun to be had in Redwood City. We like sports and we don’t care who knows.
Finally, there was the first epic night of “Nasty” and “Hey Mark”. Nick, Mark, Jacob, Van Ness, Brennon and the Piehlers were sleeping in Graham’s lower room and said random things for an hour plus. It was fun, but dumb. While Jeremy was preparing for his interview and Sam was catching up with Graham, we weren’t making any sense. Mostly, though, it was Mark making fun of Nick. Hey Mark.
We went to bed that night not knowing what would come the next day. As we catch up to real time, we will discuss the last two days and the hurricane that has come to the trip. Some know already, but there have been some drastic points. It’s been fun. Get ready for a flurry of posts!
Andrew
We started by going through LA without awful traffic, making it to Will’s before 7:00. After Mark introduced himself to the family as our “team leader”, we were sitting at the dinner table, eating steak, twice baked potatoes, asparagus and Caesar salad. Jacquie Aufhammer is THUH BEST!
We had great conversation at the table as Mr. Al Aufhammer “interviewed” each of us and we learned so much about each other. We were at the table for almost two hours; it was such a great talk.
After dinner we scrambled to the hot tub. We were suffering beach withdrawals so we needed the water. Sam, Mark and Andrew ended up staying in there for almost two hours. The others hung out in the pool house. Holy cow, was this a nice place.
Everyone got a couch or bed, if I remember correctly. The hospitality we were given was just unbelievable and we just had such a relaxing, fun time at the Aufhammers. We joked around (“You can be in charge of women’s ministry”) and were serious (the hot tub talks). It was an amazing night and really a huge part of the trip.
At night, Will and I got to have our famed “Tuesday Night” sleepover. We skyped Emily and Jane and chatted for a while. The man is a legend. He’s so great. It was super fun.
We woke up to head north. A crazy journey ended in us arriving at PCC and checking out youth group before playing some great basketball and soccer. Lots of fun to be had in Redwood City. We like sports and we don’t care who knows.
Finally, there was the first epic night of “Nasty” and “Hey Mark”. Nick, Mark, Jacob, Van Ness, Brennon and the Piehlers were sleeping in Graham’s lower room and said random things for an hour plus. It was fun, but dumb. While Jeremy was preparing for his interview and Sam was catching up with Graham, we weren’t making any sense. Mostly, though, it was Mark making fun of Nick. Hey Mark.
We went to bed that night not knowing what would come the next day. As we catch up to real time, we will discuss the last two days and the hurricane that has come to the trip. Some know already, but there have been some drastic points. It’s been fun. Get ready for a flurry of posts!
Andrew
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Day 4 & Day 5: Beaches...livin' the dream...
Up til this point, the majority of the trip had consisted of driving, sleeping, eating, and March Madness...very exciting things, we know, but not exactly why we came to California...on Spring Break. We had overcome rainstorms galore, blizzards aplenty, bone-chilling temperatures, and never-ending roads.
But finally we had made it; made it to what we thought would be our change of pace! Well, after waking up around 10 am or so at Paul's lovely home, we checked the weather report (looked outside) and took note of the torrential hail storm and tropical rain. Fantastic. But, we took the wisdom of the native Paul, and took his word that weather would be better at the beach. He was right....to say the least.
Newport Beach fue muy excelente y muy divertido. El sol fue perfecto. Nuestras amigas fueron alli tambien. Nosotros fueremos muy alegrado ver ellas.
The Spanish probably isn't perfect, but hey, it's getting better.
And just in case you don't speak speak Spanish, here's a link to help you translate that last part:
But anyway, Newport Beach was the place to be on Monday. At one point we had 28 or more people with us at the beach. Uh. Maze. Ing. We can't name everyone for fear of forgetting someone, but let us just say that we loved having every person there with us. You all made it that much better! The weather turned out to be flawless, and so did everything else. With frisbees, footballs, waves, cameras, wiffle ball games, and bucket ball games, books, and good conversation, we somehow managed to pass the time. Strange.
We had the time of our lives with some of the best people on the planet. THUH BESSST! We were mos def feeling the Cali love brahhhhh.....monz. Fer dayz. Fo realz.
Due to the fact that the ocean water lowered all of our body temperature's, we were all shaking and freezing post-beach. But soon after hitting the road in our warm cars that had been sitting in the sun, we warmed up and headed to our dear friend Chelsea Labelle's home for dinner. This was the temporary residence of the girls who traveled down. Mrs. Labelle prepared dinner for us and we enjoyed many delectable goodies. Jer and Sam Piehler serenaded us on the piano and someone also busted out a SuperScrabble Board.....best invention ever.
*Sidenote* - The homemade mac-n-cheese was soooo good. oh. my. gosh.
After dinner, we made our way to the T-Street area beach in San Clemente for a sick-nasty bonfire. Again, 20-25 people showed up....not too shabby. With poking Paul in the butt with marshmellows and skewers, having light-hearted and deep convos, roasting delcious hot "shmoes", and running around in the waves, we naturally had a blast.
San Clemente has owned the bonfire experience two years running. Let's go.
We parted ways, and went back to our respective places to sleep. And sleep we did.
Day 4 had started rough, but ended flawlessly. With friends, food, and fire, we rocked Monday.
So how would Tuesday possibly keep up with Monday? Let me enlighten you.
We once again woke up to an amazing breakfast; this time prepared by Paul's fantastic mother. She's really a great lady! So helpful and wise....she took care of our sick and wounded and gave us meds.
After spending an entire day at the beach the day before, we decide to just go ahead and do it again. Not a bad idea, eh? Nope, not all.
We mixed things up and set quest for 10th Street Beach/Laguna Beach, also known as "1000 Steps". And do you think it's actually 1000 steps down to the beach? Nope. Jeremy counted on his way down, and come to find out it's not even a quarter of that many! Someone needs to tell someone! Quick! We need to let people know about this horrible counting mistake that has been made for decades! But really, I think were glad it was not 1000...our calves and thighs were burning after about 15 steps...sooooooo.....
But this beach was downright stellar. We had a little smaller crew this time around, but that didn't matter in the slightest.
When SPU students go to California, we somehow always act like magnets and are attracted to the same area (refer to last year's blog in San Diego). Well, that little truth stayed true as we ran into our friends who had been camping in San Clemente. It was great to see them and get to have a moment of bonding with our fellow SPU beach-goers.
After thrashing around in the ocean and playing more intense wiffle ball, we all laid around in the sun and just chillaaxxeeddd.
This was a mistake for a few of the guys...as they soon found out later that night while slathering aloe vera all over their bodies.
But we were glad we had some time at this beach. We absolutely did not want to leave, but duty called. We knew we had a fantastic dinner awaiting us at the Aufhammer home. I'll let someone else tell you all about that amazing experience.
The beach is boss. We have all decided we are dropping out of Seattle Pacific and moving to the OC and attending a local Comm. College. And when Sam Piehler graduates this year, he's gonna join us. Not really, but hey, gotta dream once in a while.
Catch you all on the flipside,
Brennon
Day 4: What a blessed day!
About 4 am or so, shark bite and its five crew members FINALLY arrived at Paul's home.
With the sun shinning through the windows at about 10 AM, most of the crew woke up. Charlie and I were gracious enough to use our servants hearts to make pancakes for everyone.
After our wonderfully cooked food was eaten, everybody started to pack up to hit up the beach. Right when we were ready to move out the door, I accidentally clogged the toilet, and flooded the entire restroom. Great first impression with the hosts. If ya know what I mean.
We showed up to Newport Beach to meet up with some of the lovely SPU ladies. We played an intense game of wiffle ball, bucket ball, and swam with the many dolphins. Non of us wore sun-tan lotion, yet had no sun-burn. What a blessed day!
For din din, we hit it up at Chelsea's place. Her wonderful mother prepared a great meal for us. Hanging around for a couple of hours (playing a little scrabble too), we all headed to another beach for some more beach action.
The grand finale was having a spectacular bonfire in the moon light, next the waves. Paul and Jeremy prepared the cozy fire that perfectly toasted our marshmallows. Samuel, Char, Andy, and I also raced around in the waves, with Katie's laughter filling the air.
Y'all should be jealous if you weren't there, because it was truly, a Blessed Day.
Samuel Joseph Piehler
With the sun shinning through the windows at about 10 AM, most of the crew woke up. Charlie and I were gracious enough to use our servants hearts to make pancakes for everyone.
After our wonderfully cooked food was eaten, everybody started to pack up to hit up the beach. Right when we were ready to move out the door, I accidentally clogged the toilet, and flooded the entire restroom. Great first impression with the hosts. If ya know what I mean.
We showed up to Newport Beach to meet up with some of the lovely SPU ladies. We played an intense game of wiffle ball, bucket ball, and swam with the many dolphins. Non of us wore sun-tan lotion, yet had no sun-burn. What a blessed day!
For din din, we hit it up at Chelsea's place. Her wonderful mother prepared a great meal for us. Hanging around for a couple of hours (playing a little scrabble too), we all headed to another beach for some more beach action.
The grand finale was having a spectacular bonfire in the moon light, next the waves. Paul and Jeremy prepared the cozy fire that perfectly toasted our marshmallows. Samuel, Char, Andy, and I also raced around in the waves, with Katie's laughter filling the air.
Y'all should be jealous if you weren't there, because it was truly, a Blessed Day.
Samuel Joseph Piehler
Day 3 in the Cam.
We had a different experience in the Camry over the pass. We took the risk. We had the unknown adventure. We got there at 2:30 AM compared to 4 AM.
As we hit the bumper to bumper over the pass, we prepared for the worst. We knew that the traffic would be here for a while, and we just about set up Inception to watch for the long haul. Then, we got a call from the one and only Tim Sandquist. He showed us the way to get around traffic. We pushed past the fear of getting T-boned, cut across 3 lanes of traffic onto the shoulder and exited onto the 58 highway. Then we hit the real snow. It was some of the toughest snow driving ever. In California! It was unreal. We got out at a gas station in flip flops and tank tops. It was surreal.
After filling up for the long adventure we checked out our options. After some near-problems on an overpass, we went on the wrong on-ramp to a freeway and turned around to start over. The snow was flowing and we could barely see. However, tensions weren't as high as they could have been. We joked around and figured it all out. It was such a good experience and our trip through the pass was celebratory and great. As we flew through LA traffic on I-5 at 1 AM spitting, we were so pumped to finally get to Mission Viejo. It was 2:30 by the time we got to Paul's house, but it was just fantastic. Seeing Paul and Will was a blessing, and after Brennon and Jeremy went to sleep, Sam, Paul, Will and I stayed up until the bros got here.
Quote of the night: "40 miles": That's the text I sent Nick Nasty when he asked how long it was from Disneyland a little after 3 AM. They were devastated, but they made it. It was great to be reunited and we finally made it to So Cal. It was time to relaaaaaaax.
Andrew
As we hit the bumper to bumper over the pass, we prepared for the worst. We knew that the traffic would be here for a while, and we just about set up Inception to watch for the long haul. Then, we got a call from the one and only Tim Sandquist. He showed us the way to get around traffic. We pushed past the fear of getting T-boned, cut across 3 lanes of traffic onto the shoulder and exited onto the 58 highway. Then we hit the real snow. It was some of the toughest snow driving ever. In California! It was unreal. We got out at a gas station in flip flops and tank tops. It was surreal.
After filling up for the long adventure we checked out our options. After some near-problems on an overpass, we went on the wrong on-ramp to a freeway and turned around to start over. The snow was flowing and we could barely see. However, tensions weren't as high as they could have been. We joked around and figured it all out. It was such a good experience and our trip through the pass was celebratory and great. As we flew through LA traffic on I-5 at 1 AM spitting, we were so pumped to finally get to Mission Viejo. It was 2:30 by the time we got to Paul's house, but it was just fantastic. Seeing Paul and Will was a blessing, and after Brennon and Jeremy went to sleep, Sam, Paul, Will and I stayed up until the bros got here.
Quote of the night: "40 miles": That's the text I sent Nick Nasty when he asked how long it was from Disneyland a little after 3 AM. They were devastated, but they made it. It was great to be reunited and we finally made it to So Cal. It was time to relaaaaaaax.
Andrew
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Third day, Not the band.
Salutations,
It's the 3rd day of the trip. Nick and Brennon woke up early to watch the UW basketball game. It was incredible. The dawgs were beating UNC at halftime. I must mention that Michael Jordan was in the house as well. For those who don't know, (which they should) UNC is MJ's alma mater. If he never went to college for basketball, he probably wouldn't have gone pro, which means we wouldn't have Space Jam.
Not cool.
Everyone woke up and they all went to Sam Sandquist's home church, Peninsula Covenant Church. They all enjoyed the message which was spoken from the book of Habakkuk. Afterwords, they met up with a guy named Carlos whom Jacob and Charlie were eager to meet. The two applied for an internship this summer.
Will they get it? Even though it is so far away from Seattle? Tune in next week to find out.
Leaving the church, they all headed to Sam's Sandquist's house for lunch. They watched some more NCAA baskteball. Jeremy decided that he wanted all the upsets to happen in the tournament, so watch out. Ohio State will still win it. Go Buckeyes.
It was bitter sweet leaving Sam's house. His family was very welcoming and provided great hospitality. Mark, Jacob, and Nick all went outside to enjoy the sun right before leaving. Jacob had a big water bottle and it turned into a fight between Team Jacob and Team MarkNick (watch out edward). Mark went up the front while Nick snuck around the back. Jacob, being so agile, flailed like an octopus and was using water for his defense. He tended to run towards Nick and fake like he was throwing the water. Nick was always one step ahead and used his Dodgeball skills to dodge it (note: Nick was part of the Happy Trees, the famed dodgeball team that consisted of all freshman whom won the d-ball tourney in 06' at Lake Stevens High School). Mark tried to make his move and Jacob soaked him hardcore. The water bottle dropped and Nick ran up like Freddy Montero and kicked the ball between the tires and it was a goal!!!!!!
Everyone was in their cars and stopped to get gas. The now notorious water bottle was brought out again. Some of the boys were tossing it around like a football and then it turned into a game of flyers up. Mark, mischievous as he is, unscrewed the cap and threw the bottle up into the air. He, Charlie, and Nick all ran to catch it. Nick survived unscathed while Charlie and Mark got hit. Pray for them.
Sam Sandquist forgot his computer at Graham's house so they went back to get it. Again, the water bottle is out. Round 3. Mark vs. Jacob. The only thing is, Mark snuck another water bottle and soaked Jacob to the bone. Jacob took off his shirt (not the only time) and got back into the car. Thus, all 9 embarked again on the trip.
This is from the Subaru's side of things. We missed our turn onto I-5. Sick. Then we got back on. Cool story Handsel. Nothing else really happened to them until they reached Grapevine pass.
It was closed due to snow. Before they figured anything out, the crew ate at In-N-Out burger. It was Nick's first time. With the grin of a child, he opened wide and took a monster bite of a scrumtioulescent burger. Like a Quentin Tarantino movie, this scene is driven by dialogue. A question was posed, Who is the best at Mario Kart in succession. Everyone tuned in as Jacob and Nick talked about who was, Thuh BEST! A decision was made, Mark was number 1, Sam Sandquist number 2, Brennon number 3, and Charlie number 4. They picked Brennon as 3rd because he has the worst luck in Mario Kart. Sad day.
Back to the decision, I know you've been waiting. It was either stay in Bakersfield area, or take the 58 highway around it. We decided to just do it because it would only be 4 more hours. It was about 8 o'clock. Again, the suburu made another wrong turn...sick. Back to the highway, Nick and Mark starting talking to each other in accents and went into character. Nick (Nick Nasty) and Mark (Mark Rawlins) were co-hawks (Yes, co-hawks according to Mark), and held a talk show. They had some great characters on the show including Vince Piehler, Travis McCoy, and Felipe Conrad. In between conversation, music was played, naturally. With hits like "Fly Me to the Moon by Frank Sinatra and Rockaway Beach by The Ramones, it was a talk show that everyone missed. Literally.
The subaru got to the pass and hit a dead stop. There must have been some accident. Then, snow started coming down hard and was sticking. It was about 10:30 pm and they still had to get out of the pass. During their pleasant stay in the mountains, Jacob, Charlie, and Sam Piehler got out of the car and had a snowball fight. It was pretty sick. They got back in and chilled for a sec. No pun intended.
Jacob, being Jacob, decided to go up to a random bus and see if he could get on. It was full of tourists. Jacob was acting as if he were super cold and asked if he could step in. He made it. Simultaneously, the traffic started to pick up again and the suburu traveled about 200 more feet. Where was Jacob? He told the driver that he was going to try and find his car again. Momentarily Jacob made it back onto the ship. The suburu was abiding by pirate code as well. Whoever falls behind is left behind. Thankfully he made it.
The traffic still wasn't picking up and it had been almost three hours. Nick was getting antsy and got mad at Mark for something trivial. Nick apologized that he let that get the best of him.
Silly Rabbit.
The traffic started to pick up again and the snow had not subsided. An option of taking the 202 arose. Mark stopped the car on the shoulder, obviously. They decided to keep going. Upon entering traffic again, they heard a rattling. The Suub's bumper had been ripping off. Jacob and Mark tried to put it back on again, but it just got worse. They ended up tearing it off. It only about a third of the bumper so everything was kosher.
This is where the story gets good, but we're going to save it for another post because I need to get going. The secret snow foothills is what is to come. Stay excited.
I tip my hat,
Nick
It's the 3rd day of the trip. Nick and Brennon woke up early to watch the UW basketball game. It was incredible. The dawgs were beating UNC at halftime. I must mention that Michael Jordan was in the house as well. For those who don't know, (which they should) UNC is MJ's alma mater. If he never went to college for basketball, he probably wouldn't have gone pro, which means we wouldn't have Space Jam.
Not cool.
Everyone woke up and they all went to Sam Sandquist's home church, Peninsula Covenant Church. They all enjoyed the message which was spoken from the book of Habakkuk. Afterwords, they met up with a guy named Carlos whom Jacob and Charlie were eager to meet. The two applied for an internship this summer.
Will they get it? Even though it is so far away from Seattle? Tune in next week to find out.
Leaving the church, they all headed to Sam's Sandquist's house for lunch. They watched some more NCAA baskteball. Jeremy decided that he wanted all the upsets to happen in the tournament, so watch out. Ohio State will still win it. Go Buckeyes.
It was bitter sweet leaving Sam's house. His family was very welcoming and provided great hospitality. Mark, Jacob, and Nick all went outside to enjoy the sun right before leaving. Jacob had a big water bottle and it turned into a fight between Team Jacob and Team MarkNick (watch out edward). Mark went up the front while Nick snuck around the back. Jacob, being so agile, flailed like an octopus and was using water for his defense. He tended to run towards Nick and fake like he was throwing the water. Nick was always one step ahead and used his Dodgeball skills to dodge it (note: Nick was part of the Happy Trees, the famed dodgeball team that consisted of all freshman whom won the d-ball tourney in 06' at Lake Stevens High School). Mark tried to make his move and Jacob soaked him hardcore. The water bottle dropped and Nick ran up like Freddy Montero and kicked the ball between the tires and it was a goal!!!!!!
Everyone was in their cars and stopped to get gas. The now notorious water bottle was brought out again. Some of the boys were tossing it around like a football and then it turned into a game of flyers up. Mark, mischievous as he is, unscrewed the cap and threw the bottle up into the air. He, Charlie, and Nick all ran to catch it. Nick survived unscathed while Charlie and Mark got hit. Pray for them.
Sam Sandquist forgot his computer at Graham's house so they went back to get it. Again, the water bottle is out. Round 3. Mark vs. Jacob. The only thing is, Mark snuck another water bottle and soaked Jacob to the bone. Jacob took off his shirt (not the only time) and got back into the car. Thus, all 9 embarked again on the trip.
This is from the Subaru's side of things. We missed our turn onto I-5. Sick. Then we got back on. Cool story Handsel. Nothing else really happened to them until they reached Grapevine pass.
It was closed due to snow. Before they figured anything out, the crew ate at In-N-Out burger. It was Nick's first time. With the grin of a child, he opened wide and took a monster bite of a scrumtioulescent burger. Like a Quentin Tarantino movie, this scene is driven by dialogue. A question was posed, Who is the best at Mario Kart in succession. Everyone tuned in as Jacob and Nick talked about who was, Thuh BEST! A decision was made, Mark was number 1, Sam Sandquist number 2, Brennon number 3, and Charlie number 4. They picked Brennon as 3rd because he has the worst luck in Mario Kart. Sad day.
Back to the decision, I know you've been waiting. It was either stay in Bakersfield area, or take the 58 highway around it. We decided to just do it because it would only be 4 more hours. It was about 8 o'clock. Again, the suburu made another wrong turn...sick. Back to the highway, Nick and Mark starting talking to each other in accents and went into character. Nick (Nick Nasty) and Mark (Mark Rawlins) were co-hawks (Yes, co-hawks according to Mark), and held a talk show. They had some great characters on the show including Vince Piehler, Travis McCoy, and Felipe Conrad. In between conversation, music was played, naturally. With hits like "Fly Me to the Moon by Frank Sinatra and Rockaway Beach by The Ramones, it was a talk show that everyone missed. Literally.
The subaru got to the pass and hit a dead stop. There must have been some accident. Then, snow started coming down hard and was sticking. It was about 10:30 pm and they still had to get out of the pass. During their pleasant stay in the mountains, Jacob, Charlie, and Sam Piehler got out of the car and had a snowball fight. It was pretty sick. They got back in and chilled for a sec. No pun intended.
Jacob, being Jacob, decided to go up to a random bus and see if he could get on. It was full of tourists. Jacob was acting as if he were super cold and asked if he could step in. He made it. Simultaneously, the traffic started to pick up again and the suburu traveled about 200 more feet. Where was Jacob? He told the driver that he was going to try and find his car again. Momentarily Jacob made it back onto the ship. The suburu was abiding by pirate code as well. Whoever falls behind is left behind. Thankfully he made it.
The traffic still wasn't picking up and it had been almost three hours. Nick was getting antsy and got mad at Mark for something trivial. Nick apologized that he let that get the best of him.
Silly Rabbit.
The traffic started to pick up again and the snow had not subsided. An option of taking the 202 arose. Mark stopped the car on the shoulder, obviously. They decided to keep going. Upon entering traffic again, they heard a rattling. The Suub's bumper had been ripping off. Jacob and Mark tried to put it back on again, but it just got worse. They ended up tearing it off. It only about a third of the bumper so everything was kosher.
This is where the story gets good, but we're going to save it for another post because I need to get going. The secret snow foothills is what is to come. Stay excited.
I tip my hat,
Nick
Day 3: Throught the Grapevine Part 2
Goodness, where to start.
It is Sunday evening and we had just finished a twelve hour drive a day and a half before. This next drive from Redwood city to all our friends in Mission Viejo should be cake compared to the last. After a decent fives hours on the trip so far, we decide to take a stop and rest with the entire group for a few minutes. While we were together, we soon realized that the grapevine pass is closed because of snow and potential for heavy ice....WHAT?!! Some of us were thinking about braving the storm and going through the grapevine. But I once heard from a man that Marvin Gayes' song, "Heard it through the Grapevine" is based off one of his buddies (Lil' G) trying to go through the grapevine past during a snow storm. Lil' G's car slid on the ice and toppled over the side. When safety crews got to him, all they found were his 1957 limited edition Air Jordan high tops. It was concluded that an ice bear had found Lil' G and had an exquisite dinner that night. Following this tragic incident, Marvin Gaye wrote these lyrics:
I know a man ain't suppose to cry
But these tears I can't hold inside
Losin' You (make sure you sing that with a nice high pitch) will end my life you see
Cause you mean that much to me
Rest in Peace, Lil' G.
Okay, NBD. So we decided to backtrack 30 miles to Bakersfield because we heard that pass had not received much snow.......yet. We started backtracking at 9pm towards Bakersfield and hoped the latest it would take us to get to Mission Viejo would be midnight. Oh how naive we were to think that would be possible. After driving about 15 min. through the pass, we hit traffic. Apparently we weren't the only ones affected by the grapevine closure....................................................................................................this is how is it felt.................................to............................ d....ri.............................v.......................e.......................thro..........ugh.......................the Bakers..................field pass..............................................................................................traffic. Just imagine trying to say that sentence over a four hour time period w/out doing anything else. Safe to say it was quite the experience through the Bakersfield pass. With various attempts to pass the time/amuse ourselves, it became a spectacle that I had never been a part of before. Although I will let another fellowmen explain the rest of the adventure...
Remember the sacrifice of Lil' G,
Charlie
It is Sunday evening and we had just finished a twelve hour drive a day and a half before. This next drive from Redwood city to all our friends in Mission Viejo should be cake compared to the last. After a decent fives hours on the trip so far, we decide to take a stop and rest with the entire group for a few minutes. While we were together, we soon realized that the grapevine pass is closed because of snow and potential for heavy ice....WHAT?!! Some of us were thinking about braving the storm and going through the grapevine. But I once heard from a man that Marvin Gayes' song, "Heard it through the Grapevine" is based off one of his buddies (Lil' G) trying to go through the grapevine past during a snow storm. Lil' G's car slid on the ice and toppled over the side. When safety crews got to him, all they found were his 1957 limited edition Air Jordan high tops. It was concluded that an ice bear had found Lil' G and had an exquisite dinner that night. Following this tragic incident, Marvin Gaye wrote these lyrics:
I know a man ain't suppose to cry
But these tears I can't hold inside
Losin' You (make sure you sing that with a nice high pitch) will end my life you see
Cause you mean that much to me
Rest in Peace, Lil' G.
Okay, NBD. So we decided to backtrack 30 miles to Bakersfield because we heard that pass had not received much snow.......yet. We started backtracking at 9pm towards Bakersfield and hoped the latest it would take us to get to Mission Viejo would be midnight. Oh how naive we were to think that would be possible. After driving about 15 min. through the pass, we hit traffic. Apparently we weren't the only ones affected by the grapevine closure....................................................................................................this is how is it felt.................................to............................ d....ri.............................v.......................e.......................thro..........ugh.......................the Bakers..................field pass..............................................................................................traffic. Just imagine trying to say that sentence over a four hour time period w/out doing anything else. Safe to say it was quite the experience through the Bakersfield pass. With various attempts to pass the time/amuse ourselves, it became a spectacle that I had never been a part of before. Although I will let another fellowmen explain the rest of the adventure...
Remember the sacrifice of Lil' G,
Charlie
Monday, March 21, 2011
Day 3: Incomplete
Ok, folks So yesterday was a insane on the membrane. It started with leaving Sam's house at approximately 3:00 pm. Our destination (mission Viejo) should be no more than 6 hours away. After about a five hours drive we found ourselves at the base of the Grapevine which is just about 1:30 from our destination.
Mark
(This is where Mark stopped his blog. It was hard for him to focus, so Charlie will now post his own recap of yesterday's events. Today's events will be covered tomorrow. Hopefully we can catch up soon. It would help if people like Mark finished their blogs.)
Mark
(This is where Mark stopped his blog. It was hard for him to focus, so Charlie will now post his own recap of yesterday's events. Today's events will be covered tomorrow. Hopefully we can catch up soon. It would help if people like Mark finished their blogs.)
Day 2: Wagoo
So after getting lost on our way to Mark’s to meet up with the rest of the crew, we finally arrived at 2 am at Mark’s lovely home. Awaiting our arrival anxiously were Mark’s lovely mother and sister….oh yeah, and the other guys too.
But really, we would really like to thank the Rawlins family for hosting us, putting up with us, and feeding us. They are wonderful!
After much tom-foolery, we left Mark’s and headed South. The Toyota. The Subaru. Then the real adventure began.
We had heard rumors of more rain on our coming travels, and even snow, so we stopped at Walmart to replace Sam’s aging windshield wipers. The old ones were literally falling apart.
And so we went: Mark, Jacob, Sam, Sam, and Charlie in the Sub, and Nick, Brennon, Jeremy, and Van Ness in the Toyota. While Nick and Brennon slept from their stressful first-leg of the journey, Jer and Van Ness had some meaningful man-talk. Broseph stuff. Basically, nothing exciting happened for a few hours except sleeping (if you could call it that) and driving. Then, after switching drivers at around 6 am, we continued on into the pass. Oh, the pass…good stuff. Never thought we would see more snow fall in California than in Washington or Oregon, but….well…we did. With Brennon at the helm with his supporting crew of Nick, Jeremy, and Van Ness, the Toyota successfully navigated the blizzard through the pass. Sam manned the Sub, and being a natural snow-beast, the Sub plowed through it effortlessly.
After months of grey, cold dreariness in Seattle, we all were desperate for some California sun and heat!
Oh well.
Since we’ve entered California, we’ve only met snow, rain, sleet, and highs of 55. Nice. But we can’t complain.
After another few hours, we reached San Fran. What a boss city. Continuing south, we reached Redwood City, the home of our very own Samuel Sandquist, and one of our favorite destinations from last year’s trip. We planned on staying the night at Graham’s home (our trip hero from last year) and visited the community center at Sam’s church, where Sam and Brennon interned over this last summer. There were great reunions and new introductions all around. It was a beautiful thing. Charlie and Jacob applied to the internship here for this upcoming summer, so they might be calling this place home-away-from-home shortly.
We ate dinner at the Sandquist home. They were great as always! And as expected, we watched March Madness. Never was a thing ever created that is the cause of such agony, emotional instability, and competitiveness as March Madness. They should call it March Madness & Gladness & Sadness.
After all the games ended, we headed to the community center. After being inspired by the tournament, we balled it up in the gym. We ball hard. Fo’ real. I’m pretty sure we could take on Duke, Ohio St., and Kansas. I smell an upset. So we split into two teams (4 vs. 5 – Mark, Sam, Brennon, Van Ness vs. Jeremy, Sam and Charlie Piehler, Nick, and Jacob). But the MVP goes to Sam Sandquist with the game-sealing left-hand reverse lay-up. It was mm-mm good.
Post-game, we maxed and relaxed in the weight room and hot tub; some of the many desirable amenities of the community center.
Ending the night with some chill time at Graham’s, we called it a night.
Day 2 was probably one of the longest days of all of our lives. But sooo worth it.
We’re looking forward to a good service in the morning at Peninsula Covenant Church! Pastor Gary Gaddini is always on it.
Pray we get some sun…for our sanity.
Later days,
Brennon
P.S. Can we all agree that “Friday” by Rebecca Black is the worst song ever created? I think so.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Day 1: California, Where the beer flows like wine....not
Yo. Welcome to the 2nd perspective of the trip. Tunnel Vision. The way we see it.
Before they left, Brennon and Nick went to go check out some houses to live in for the next school year. As they were leaving, some new SPU prospects were across the street. Brennon said, "Should we?" Then Nick replied with, "Yea, lets do it." So they took the car and whipped around blasting Girl Talk and starting screaming SPU stuff at the newbies. The future SPU fathers all returned looks of disgust.
Fast Forward.
UW's Isaiah Thomas as officially been dubbed, "Thuh BEST!" as Nick would say.
Subsequently, Jacob returns from work and Brennon realizes that he needs to pick up his last check at South Center Mall. In a hurry, Jacob and Nick start grabbing all of the things they need for the trip. Jacob said, "Nick! Get money, your keys, fruit roll-ups..." and they were about to depart.
So, on Friday, March 18th, Brennon, Jacob, and Nick left for California in the sketchiest manual car they have ever had the blessing to drive. Let me tell you about it. First, the rubber on the windshield wipers were torn and the reason I am mentioning this is because it was pouring down rain. Nick didn't have trouble driving the car, but he had to keep his head more towards the middle of the windshield so he looked like a Homie with one hand on the wheel checkin' out the ladies.
The three successfully made it to South Center in time and Brennon received his check. Count it.
Get Money, Get Paid, ahhhh aha ahahah. No, Make Money, Get Prizes, ahahah hahah ahaha
Proceeding to the next note, they got lost trying to go to the freeway. A few wrong turns and they ended up in a LOVERS parking lot. Weird. For the sake of the kids, LOVERS is a place you never want to go.
Moving on, Sam and Charlie Piehler had been waiting outside of Federal Way's high school stadium for the big three to pick them up. It was a dark and dreary night...and the funny thing is, is that you think I'm kidding. Looking off into the trees was a vacuous darkness that looked as if it could swallow a semi-truck. There were two cars parked that contained 4 Piehlers. Sam, Tim, Mr. and Charlie. Hmmm...kind of has a ring to it huh? More of a ring to it than Frodo...OHHHHH!!!!
Kobe
Handshakes were exchanged and nods of thanks. Why the nods of thanks? The three don't quite know. But we all know that 2+3=5. Two Piehlers plus a KnottSchmittJohnson equals a swell time. Nick drove the car about 30 blocks while being completely oblivious to the fact that he had forgotten to turn on the lights. Good thing they prayed before they left of the trip. As if the candy were gross, there were also bugs in it. Nick stalled the car trying to go onto the freeway and Jacob sure let him know it. Nick broke out in a cold sweat. He pitted out within moments.
Onto the freeway, the fantastic 5 decided to have a freestyle session. It's also known as a "Cypher" or "Round Robin" (coined by Nick, Baron, and Charlie). The beats were heavy and the rhymes were slick. I believe that it was Sam Piehlers first time ever freestyling and I congratulate him. Jacob Schmitt got some sick bars in.
The suburu had officially made it into Oregon. Nothing really happened until they got to Salem. Out in the sticks lies a correctional facility that the crew sped past. Trying to find Mark Rawlins house (about 2:15 am), Brennon was given false directions. The SUPERU was driving through the country underneath the pale moonlight of the huge bright face above the sky. Nick was scared that Zombie danger was imminent. Thankfully he was wrong. After backtracking about 5 minutes, Mark's street was found and our heroes had made it to the rendezvous successfully.
I tip my hat,
Nick
Before they left, Brennon and Nick went to go check out some houses to live in for the next school year. As they were leaving, some new SPU prospects were across the street. Brennon said, "Should we?" Then Nick replied with, "Yea, lets do it." So they took the car and whipped around blasting Girl Talk and starting screaming SPU stuff at the newbies. The future SPU fathers all returned looks of disgust.
Fast Forward.
UW's Isaiah Thomas as officially been dubbed, "Thuh BEST!" as Nick would say.
Subsequently, Jacob returns from work and Brennon realizes that he needs to pick up his last check at South Center Mall. In a hurry, Jacob and Nick start grabbing all of the things they need for the trip. Jacob said, "Nick! Get money, your keys, fruit roll-ups..." and they were about to depart.
So, on Friday, March 18th, Brennon, Jacob, and Nick left for California in the sketchiest manual car they have ever had the blessing to drive. Let me tell you about it. First, the rubber on the windshield wipers were torn and the reason I am mentioning this is because it was pouring down rain. Nick didn't have trouble driving the car, but he had to keep his head more towards the middle of the windshield so he looked like a Homie with one hand on the wheel checkin' out the ladies.
The three successfully made it to South Center in time and Brennon received his check. Count it.
Get Money, Get Paid, ahhhh aha ahahah. No, Make Money, Get Prizes, ahahah hahah ahaha
Proceeding to the next note, they got lost trying to go to the freeway. A few wrong turns and they ended up in a LOVERS parking lot. Weird. For the sake of the kids, LOVERS is a place you never want to go.
Moving on, Sam and Charlie Piehler had been waiting outside of Federal Way's high school stadium for the big three to pick them up. It was a dark and dreary night...and the funny thing is, is that you think I'm kidding. Looking off into the trees was a vacuous darkness that looked as if it could swallow a semi-truck. There were two cars parked that contained 4 Piehlers. Sam, Tim, Mr. and Charlie. Hmmm...kind of has a ring to it huh? More of a ring to it than Frodo...OHHHHH!!!!
Kobe
Handshakes were exchanged and nods of thanks. Why the nods of thanks? The three don't quite know. But we all know that 2+3=5. Two Piehlers plus a KnottSchmittJohnson equals a swell time. Nick drove the car about 30 blocks while being completely oblivious to the fact that he had forgotten to turn on the lights. Good thing they prayed before they left of the trip. As if the candy were gross, there were also bugs in it. Nick stalled the car trying to go onto the freeway and Jacob sure let him know it. Nick broke out in a cold sweat. He pitted out within moments.
Onto the freeway, the fantastic 5 decided to have a freestyle session. It's also known as a "Cypher" or "Round Robin" (coined by Nick, Baron, and Charlie). The beats were heavy and the rhymes were slick. I believe that it was Sam Piehlers first time ever freestyling and I congratulate him. Jacob Schmitt got some sick bars in.
The suburu had officially made it into Oregon. Nothing really happened until they got to Salem. Out in the sticks lies a correctional facility that the crew sped past. Trying to find Mark Rawlins house (about 2:15 am), Brennon was given false directions. The SUPERU was driving through the country underneath the pale moonlight of the huge bright face above the sky. Nick was scared that Zombie danger was imminent. Thankfully he was wrong. After backtracking about 5 minutes, Mark's street was found and our heroes had made it to the rendezvous successfully.
I tip my hat,
Nick
Friday, March 18, 2011
Trip 2, Day 1: We're baaaaaaaaaaaaack
Well, we're at it again. Four of the same and five newcomers from last year are embarking on a road trip to California this Spring Break. Andrew Van Ness, Sam Sandquist, Brennon Knott, Mark Rawlins, Jacob Schmitt, Nick Johnson, Jeremy Davis and Charlie and Sam Piehler will take off for Redwood City, CA tonight at the strike of midnight (well, maybe a little later). When most of you wake up tomorrow, we will be there.
As for today, we are each taking the trip to Oregon, but in separate cars and separate times. Andrew, Sam, Mark and Jeremy (with special guest Will Harvey) have just arrived in Salem at Mark's house. See picture for details of our drive.
Just kidding, we had fun. Mostly, we were playing "Score", a game where you yell "score" when you see a yellow car and if it's yellow you get a point (two for a bug). If it's not yellow you lose all your points. It's a good way to make the time pass and it ended up as a good game [Andrew - Bronze (13), Jeremy - Silver (15), Mark - Gold (16)]. Mark would yell "Yellow Car" right before Sam yelled "Score". It's OK, he was a rookie. But Jeremy, because of his terrible mispronunciation of Willamette, lost a couple things. We also listened to mixes from Kath, Mikaela and Jane/Em. The jury is still out on the best one. All great mixes, much appreciated.
We arrived at Mark's house to find
a house all locked up with no one to help. Mark made many attempts, including this one, and finally got us in through a window. We're sitting and watching March Madness. What a treat. We shall relax and await our comrades (Brennon, Jacob, Nick & the Piehlers) arrival. Then we embark to Cali for good. Should be fun. Stay posted. Go Dawgs.Andrew
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Day 12: Ending Scene
Have you ever heard a wolf cry to a blue corn moon. None of us on this trip have, but we still had an incredible time.
36 hours ago we were surfing in Santa Cruz. Now were all home either in Oregon or Washington. It has been a wild ride and I cannot believe it is over. It was a week and a half, but it flew by like Aladin on his magic carpet.
We left Santa Cruz yesterday after surfing, grabbing some Pleasure Pizza, and cleaning up the incredible cabin that we stayed. We drove over highway 17 to Redwood City where we showered and cleaned up. We packed the car and made some quesedillas, but didn't hit the road until nine thirty or so. we drove through the night only to arrive in Salem at seven in the morning. Most of us were able to sleep in the car. Somehow I managed to stay awake for 9 of the 10 hours. It was a quick drive and when we reached Jake's house we crashed until noon. His lovely parents made us chocolate chip pancakes(which were delicious if anyone wanted to know). We left Jake in Salem and headed out around 1:30 or 2, I cant really remember because time seems to run together now. We dropped of Caleb with Nick at a gas station in Portland and we headed for Charlie's house. We got to Charlie's house at about 6 and Brennon dropped us off.
It is Ben Piehler's birthday today and so we hopped back into a car and headed for dinner, followed by ice cream. We played a little Bang (don't know what that game is? Look it up) I never won once but I am satisfied with the joy of playing the game (you have to say that when you loose anything or else your a sore loser). Every one is still healthy, but maybe a little or a lot tired. God has blessed all of us with this trip and blessed us on the trip. Everything ran very smooth and the worst thing that happened was the Cd's skipped. Not to shabby if I do say so myself.
Stay classy my friends,
Sam
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Day 11: Shoutout
So, we're on our way home. Every single on of us, by plane or automobile, starts our long trip up to Seattle today. It's been fantastic. Words can't describe -- so they won't...for now. But we can do this: thank people. SO MANY people helped on this trip. It's unbelievable. We're literally going to come up with this on the fly, so there could be hundreds of people -- who knows!?
So first, we'd like to thank the Van Ness' and Knott's for the cars from Seattle to Salem. We couldn't have done it without them. Those cars were so crucial, and it was so great to have them.
Nick Derrah's family so graciously allowed us in there home on our first night, which was so fantastic. Nick's parents and sister were all so great to us, providing us with a fantastic barbeque meal which was so perfect for our opening day AND a place to sleep (a king size matress and two couches! So great!). That was so amazing. Their house is so beautiful -- if you ever get a chance to go there you should check it out. The huge big screen TV for watching March Madness didn't hurt us, either. We won't forget Nighthawk Drive.
Next up we went to Salem and stayed with the gracious Howell family. Mr. and Mrs. Howell were so welcoming and hosted us for one night (well, at least Charlie and I slept there) and it was great to have Jake's sister, Olivia, there! Seeing Jake's friends again was so great too -- thanks for showing us around Salem! Mrs. Howell made my personal favorite meal of the trip -- an unbelievable plate of enchiladas and her specialty, which according to Jake is rarely made, her peanut butter pie. Won't forget that meal for a while. Most of all though, we'd like to thank them for trusting us with their car all the way down to SoCal. We know how big of a decision it was and we can't thank them enough. It made the whole thing possible!
Also that night, Sam burned the now-famous "Kath's mix". Kath, your one of our loyal followers and we are so grateful for your CD, prayers and dedication to our trip. Thanks so much!
At that point we split up, and me and Charlie would stay at the home of two more loyal followers -- Meegan and Allie Closner. The whole Closner clan opened up there home in beautiful Estacada for us, and that was so awesome. We have to thank them for showing us around town and letting us sleep on their comfortable L couch. We made dinner and breakfast together, too, and that was awesome. We'd like to thank them for praying for us and following what we're doing. It means a lot.
We have a lot of people to thank in Redwood City. First off is the Smith's and Sandquist's for letting us sleep in their home for THREE NIGHTS! Wow, that was amazing! We all loved Redwood City, and these people made it possible for us to enjoy it. Also, the Sandquist's are so great for letting us use their car all the way down to SoCal. That was a trip-saver, too. Literally, without these cars we would be toast. We are so so so in debt to all these car owners. Redwood City was the home to Sam's great friends Kate, Esther and Hannah and his sister, Hannah. These girls all were so fun to hang out with and even treated some of us to Chevy's and pretended it was Jake's birthday. We got a free sombrero! Also, they snuck in a couple CD mixes in our car. They were great! We owe them a lot and the best we, and all you can do is pray for them as some of them are in Mexico on a mission trip right now. We wish them luck and for them to have a fantastic trip. We'll miss them a lot. Oh, and don't forget John Miclean -- the Mario Kart master who played Wii and basketball with us. How cool is that!?
Sam's friend Graham deserves his own blog post, but I'll try to give him his due here. From what I heard, all Graham did while Charlie and I were in Oregon is take the troops to San Francisco, host a dance party at his house, make a bonfire and do so much other things for them. The kid is a stud. If there ever were to be an honorary member on the trip it's definitely him. Since I got to California, he made us a couple mixes, and then just recently did SO MUCH for us in Santa Cruz. He brought food and other supplies for us, made it possible to take all the surfboards to the beach, and helped us clean and cook everything. This guy is so amazing. I don't know how else to explain it. We had such a fantastic time with him and we'll all be friends with him for a long time, we hope.
Anyways, after Redwood City we headed down to Orange County. We have many to thank there. First off, the Comptons and Handsels (and Endresons). We arrived at Patrick's house and his parents had dinner ready for us. Wow! They were awesome! I loved the Compton's house and it was super fun to stay there. Breegan met us there and we have to thank her for hanging with us. That was great! Kaelyn was with us for those two days and she helped us during that part so much with directions, food and lots of other stuff. She showed us around Brea (with our friend and hers, Caitlin Stark, who we thank for hanging out with us as well) and then her aunt and uncle hosted us. That was so great. We had beds and couches galore and then a great breakfast of baked oatmeal. Compared to the muffins, bagels and apples we were having, we loved that.
Also in Orange County, we loved hanging out with the sophomore group (+ Thomas) that was there at their campsite. That was one of our favorite parts. They made a bonfire on Monday night and we all hung out at Laguna Beach on Tuesday. That was so great and we definitely bonded with our friends there. This time in Orange County really took the trip up another notch.
We went to San Diego the next day and met up with Sam's friend, Drew, at SDSU. Drew and his friends were so inviting into his home and we loved it. We went to the beach with him, they bought us dinner at their dining hall, and he let us stay in their house. That was so great and we really appreciate his sacrifice for us. We won't forget it.
We'd like to thank Natalie Closner a lot for the time we spent with her -- we made lunch and it was so great! She showed us BJ Novak which was kind of a plus, and we met her friend Rob, who definitely gave us a laugh. She also gave us a mix of her and her friends which was so awesome! That short 2-hour trip to Hollywood was really a great stop.
Sam's friends Micha and Ruth and all their friends were great in Santa Barbara. They took us to the beach and provided a place for a couple hours just to chill. That was very needed. It was great to meet them, and they gave us a mix, too. They will be remembered. Oh, we'd like to thank the Santa Barbara In-N-Out for dealing with us and our CD/boombox battle. We're glad they were understanding.
Then, there are the Anderson's. The fact that they let us into that mansion of a cabin in Santa Cruz was just unreal. It was definitely one of the coolest parts of the trip -- living in the cabin. The fact that they let us use their surfboards too was so awesome and we definitely will make it up to them so perhaps we could go back sometime.
Finally, though, we can't thank God enough. The beauty of His earth was so evident and we commented on it so much. He gave us this world to enjoy it and we did that to the fullest. It was pretty unbelievable. He blessed us with safety and that was so amazing. The trip was basically flawless. You don't get that very often. We just know that His hand was over us and it's so great. Overall, just the fact that He brought us to this trip was super. He blessed us with the ability to drive, with the money to cover it, with great places to stay and eat and with amazing friends to do it with. Without Him, it wouldn't be possible.
And without you all, it wouldn't, either! Most of our supporters helped us in one way or another and we are grateful beyond words. Thanks to all, we couldn't have done it without you!
Love,
Andrew, Sam, Jake, Charlie, Brennon, Nick and Caleb
Friday, March 26, 2010
Day 10: Day 9
So with all the excitement about the cabin that we came to, we forgot to talk about what happened yesterday. It all started at 7 AM when Andrew, Sam and Jake's alarms all went off at the same time. It took us 40 minutes to get out of bed, pick up our stuff and get to the car. That's how tired we were. We reunited with Nick and Caleb at Jordan's house in Mission Viejo. We bid adu to Nick for the last time. He helped make this trip what it was, and we were so blessed to have him. Nick, we miss you so so so so so much already! Brennon went to hang out with his old friend in Laguna and the rest of us (Sam, Andrew, Charlie, Jake and Caleb) made our way to Hollywood to meet with Natalie Closner, Allie and Meegans older sister.
We wish all of you could have met Natalie Closner. She is so cool, we cannot begin to explain and we have only logged two hours with her. If you are ever having a bad day, just hop down to West Hollywood and Natalie Closner will fix that. As we were all trying to take a picture with Natalie to prove that we actually did meet her, Natalie asked her friend Rob to take the picture. Rob did take the picture as well as 19 or more others. he walked around us in a circle taking pictures. He had a field day with it. Earlier that day Charlie knocked Jake's coffee out of his hand and all over the ground. Jake mentionted that to Rob and because Rob worked at Starbucks, Jake got a free coffee. AND we stood but 5 feet away from BJ Novak, one of Natalie's regular customers. It was, all in all, a great stint in Hollywood.
The five of us started our drive to Santa Barbara and within about 10 minutes, everyone but coffee-filled-driver Jake was out cold: asleep. We arrived after an hour and change in the beautiful city of Santa Barbara and Sam's friends Micha and Ruth and some of their friends met us there for some (attempted) body surfing. The waves weren't as good and we even saw sharks! Super dangerous. We headed over to Micha's house to watch March Madness and clean off. After that and an In-N-Out stop that you can read all about in Sam's post, we hit the road to Santa Cruz. We each had amazing conversation in our respective cars, and then arrived at our palace. And, obviously, you can read all about our time in Santa Cruz in the numerous blogs about it.
Love,
Sam & Van Ness
Day 10: Kath's Mix
Let me tell you this and you better listen. If you ever go anywhere and you are planning on listening to music, hit up Kath to make you a mix. She is the Queen.
Last night when we were leaving Santa Barbara for Santa Cruz, the two cars had an all out battle for Kath's Mix. To give you a brief overview of the battling sides; Brennon, Charlie, and Sam were in the Honda Accord and Jake, Caleb, and Van Ness were in the Nissan Pathfinder. The Pathfinder asked for Kath's mix, but the Honda was not having that, so they lied and said they did not have it. The Honda then asked for some more mixes that the Pathfinder had, but they held them hostage for Kath's Mix. Sam then ran to the Pathfinder and managed to grab a few CD's before Jake Got to him and pinned him in the car. They tussled into the street and Caleb ran over to help and when he got into the mix, Sam escaped and ran to the Honda.
Meanwhile Van Ness presses the eject button in the Honda, and when Kath's Mix comes out, Brennon grabs it and puts it back in when Van Ness turns his back. By guessing, Van Ness then presses the button again without Brennon seeing and so he stole the CD as well as all the other CD's in the Honda and ran away just as Sam was running back to the Honda. Just then, Jake stole Yoshi, who holds the Honda's keys. Charlie saw that the Honda lost the mix and its keys so He ran to the Pathfinder, which was unguarded and stole the boombox, which was the source of the Pathfinders music. If anything in history has been clutch, it was Charlie's boombox steal. Charlie got back into the Honda untouched and locked the doors as Sam found himself in hot pursuit to rescue Yoshi from the evil hands of the Pathfinder.
Yoshi was taken into the Pathfinder and Caleb began to drive away. At that point Sam knew that all the doors on the Pathfinder were locked, but he also knew that it was impossible to lock the trunk. Sam opens the trunk and climbs over all the luggage to grab onto Yoshi. As soon as Sam got a hold of Yoshi, Jake jumped from the front seat onto Sam to once again fight for what eventually will win Kath's Mix. As Caleb drove, Sam and Jake rolled around the backseat fighting over Yoshi. Sam tried to escape and managed to open the door as the vehicle was moving to try and roll out, but Jake had Sam in a leg lock. Eventually the car stopped and Sam was able to slip out on account that Jake was in extreme pain because of his wounds that he Acquired earlier on the trip from an EPIC longboarding crash.
Sam was able to get Yoshi back to the Honda and both cars began to realize that we needed to get on the road if we wanted to make it to Santa Cruz on time. At this point, the Honda had all the CD's, the Pathfinders boombox, Yoshi, and the will to live. The Pathfinder did have Kath's Mix but they couldn't listen to it if they wanted to. The Honda decided to split up the CD's and let the Pathfinder have Kath's Mix as well as their boombox. In not too long we were off to Santa Cruz. The music was not even an issue in either car. Both cars had such good conversation that music was irrelevant.
But Still, Kath's Mix wins hands down for "Best Mix of 2010."
Love,
Dont Worry About It
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