Everything's Gonna be Alright...

The 2009 whitewater season starts up in just one month for us. It's been raining and snowing and more storms are lining up to come in to California over the next week and beyond ... and California now has a budget and President Obama's stimulus package is being unfurled.



As we are all aware, the economy is a mess and folks are justifiably nervous about the present and the future ... time for the adrenaline, sunshine, water, good food, and the relaxation that a whitewater trip can provide and without breaking the bank (or what's left of the bank!). A one or two day California whitewater trip feels like a week at the spa...except you get an extra dose of endorphins, adrenaline, and team building. Whether you bring the family group, friends, the office, or just yourself, you are part of a journey team-building and bonding that has no other agenda than to have the best time possible!

The river guides are on the same page and you're rafting rivers with others that share that agenda as well. It's a time a maximize your investment and create a life-long set of returns, benefits, and dividends: memories, friends, rafting photos, emotions, and flat-out fun! Your guides have no other imperative other than to help you enjoy your trip safely, provide you the best meals you've ever had in the outdoors, and make every moment an escape.... You need and deserve a whitewater trip!



As Bob Marley sings in "Three Little Birds"...Everything little thing's going to be all right! Thanks and Praises for whitewater, California, and those wacky river guides....got to love 'em...they're your guides!!!! (Note from WET: lump in my throat watching Connie sing this ...)

Note SpamReminder: Guide School starts on March 14th. Couple spaces are available on 4/4; 4/11, 4/18 & 4/25::

Family, Love and Tradition

Family.

Tradition.

Love.

Namaste.

Our connections to one another have never been stronger and never more pertinent.

The nuclear family has changed for sure and for ever and that is a very good thing. Our iconoclastic, cellular, and micro-concept-manifest destiny that embodied the Ozzie & Harriet wax-statue family values that stereotyped our collective visions of the American Family for too many decades has been shattered and with good cause: Change Happens.

Our families have changed for good. Our families have become larger, more diverse, and non-traditional. That non-tradition had become a new tradition of richness and invigorating freshness.

Thanksgiving 2008 is a mixed bag of emotion that ranges from the economy to Barack Obama to the choice to serve a Vegan meal instead of the flesh of foul. Let's celebrate what we have become and what we are yet to be...

This year our family has diversified, flexed, re-focused and moved toward new frontiers while "embracing change". We will meet together this Thursday with a brilliant conflagaration of individuals that bring their unique talents, thoughts, gifts, and needs to the magic table of "Fun Castle" with a bounty of food, drink, music, art, and conversation. Sure we'll talk about whitewater rafting, trips, music, events, the economy, jobs, and fun/fun/fun ....but, we do it together as a diverse and flexible family of friends, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, cousins, and mystery members ...Thanks to all.

Namaste.

(Hail to the flesh...fowl and faux!)
Check white water gift certificates for a great family gift!
And don't forget the rafting teens this year...
Oh yeh, t-shirts in the online rafting store.

HALLOWEEN International

The sunlight is fading, and the darkness grows as we prepare for the Winter Solstice and the longest night and shortest day…but first Halloween!

Halloween has officially (I'm calling it) the biggest celebration in the World. Yes… true. Christmas is big, but it's still a secular holiday. New Years is big as well if you don't count the Lunar New Year celebrated by China and many of its neighbors (except the Hmong and Lo Mien that celebrate the New Year in late Fall). Carnival is huge; however, it too is secular and limited. Halloween is everywhere! East to West and in-between, we as a World now celebrate and participate in the rituals of Halloween (dressing-up, sweets, food, drink, parties)…. what's not to like?

Yes, there are those remnants of Druid rituals, All Hallows Night, All Saint's Day etc. brought to us in America by Irish immigrants after the Potato Famine; however, the Melting Pot that is America distilled the World's rituals into the unique celebration of Halloween that has spread to the middle, near, and far east and expanded the pre-existing celebrations of Europe.

We all love Halloween for what it is: an opportunity to be something/someone different and to celebrate with our children, family and friends.

So get your mask on, touch up your make-up, stock-up on candy, buy some eggs to chuck and don't forget to vote!

Psst….this year's secret, best-ever costume: a River Guide! Think of the possibilities: dreadlocks, spandex, poly-pro, big shorts, helmets, facial hair, thrift-store shirts, knives, PFD's, sandals, bad hair, tattoos, hemp chokers, and chipped teeth (or no-teeth!).

I'll be at Java Lounge to see two hot bands: Sucks (check out SacBee Sucks review) and Fatty Acid!

I'll leave you with this:
"Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth."
Oscar Wilde

PUNKS ON WATER ... P.O.W.

W.E.T. River Trips has had an alter-ego for the past 27 of our 30 years in business as a whitewater outfitter....
P.O.W. Punks on Water!

P.O.W. re-emerges this coming weekend on Sunday August 3rd to host a benefit for the American River Conservancy with a concert/party on the banks of the South Fork of the American River at the Nugget Campground.

In the interest of creating opportunities for meaningful cultural exchanges and in the spirit of celebrating diversity.... P.O.W. is importing bands from Davis, Sacramento and the surrounding area with DJ zAc from HexLove maintaining the groove!

Buffoonery, Hijinks, and swell times will be had by all.....

And in the interest of fostering diversity and cultural exchanges... Hippies are now very welcome at all P.O.W. events!!!!

$5 cover 6:00pm - 9:30pm on 8.3.8

When's the next event?

Note from W.E.T. River Trips::: for more info on California whitewater rafting see the C-W-R.com website peeps!

NEW YORK CITY and TOURISTS

Connections and relationships are what this world is all about right? So, when my one of my sisters best friends took care of us upon moving to NYC, we were stoked. She had been in NYC for 5 years; had come to go to Columbia University and then had worked for a year after school to figure out what the next step in her life would be. The time finally came for her to leave and in doing so, she gave us a sweet present.

The gift was an extremely thoughtful one and will give us an opportunity to record our thoughts, organize them and have a pocket size reference handbook to New York City. So she gave us this pocket size organizer-extensive New York maps-subway guide-fill in your NYC experience book. Inside, she included her personal guide to New York complete with restaurants, coffee shops, museums and random "must do" things; like spinning the Astor Place cube. Anyway, good connections and good people are the best. Probably part of the reason that I am so happy to be staying in touch with the W.E.T. River Trips crew.

Thai is some of our favorite food to go eat consistently. Last Friday night, Maria and I decided to meet at Columbus Circle and walk to one of the recommended Thai Restaurants. The restaurant is called Pam Real Thai and is on what I understand to be the Hell's Kitchen District of New York City, close to midtown on 49th Street in between 9th and 10th Avenue.

We went to the place and realized it was cash only; no problem for us at the time considering I had cash on me. We had heard that is was a "hole in the wall" type of place and semi-small and comfortable. Maria and I enter and are seated and get used to the place.

I'll skip to the point here, we ordered three dishes, all recommended by local media and mentioned that they are recommendations on the menu. The dishes included one red curry, one green curry and one deep fried duck dish. Here we are at this hole in the wall, low key, small Thai place and we taste the food; best Thai I have ever had hands down!!!

It was awesome. The two curries were $6.95 each and the duck dish was $9.95. This being said, we frequented Thai Basil and Amarin Thai Cuisine in Sacramento and tried as many Thai places as we could in Northern California. All in all, we left smiling, having eaten excellent food and will be going back consistently. Just so everyone knows, the name of this place is Pam Real Thai.

Fast forward to Tuesday evening and the good vibes that Maria and I felt from Thai on Friday are still around and we want to do a repeat. All day Tuesday, the only thing I can think of is that duck dish that I had last Friday and eating it again.

We decide to again meet at Columbus Circle and walk to the restaurant. Upon meeting, the entire feel of the evening is different. Maria's hinting that maybe we should just go home and not walk the distance or that perhaps we should just eat at a place closer to 59th Street (Columbus Circle). It's hard for me though, to get the thought of the duck out of my head and so I push to make the hike.

One issue that comes up is the need for cash in order to eat at Pam Real Thai. I have none and Maria has none and all we have is our card, therefore we need to see our bank on the walk in order to get cash. It's a twelve block walk, 10 streets and two avenues; avenue to avenue being longer than street to street. On that trek, we see many banks, however, none of them are ours.

Finally, we are at the corner of 9th Avenue and 49th Street and we see a Duane Reade, a popular New York Drug Store. Our thought is that we can get cash back. We bought the right gum and Maria picks out her candy and we pull out are card and hear the sad words that say, no we do not give cash back. Thai will have to wait!

What are we going to do now! Well, we're both cold, we're tired of being on our feet, we have to use the restroom and we would like to sit down and enjoy a meal. Fortunately, there are other restaurants around. We pop our head into a Japanese place on 9th Avenue; they only take cash.

Okay no problem we think, there is a nice looking Mexican restaurant across the street. We walk in, and see the decals on the window that say they take cards. Good thing, we make eye contact and I ask just to make sure if indeed they take credit; they do and we are in business.

Now this blog is meant to contrast these two restaurants literally across the street from one another. While the Thai place across the way had been a hole in the wall, this place was very nice. There was an obvious bar scene, trendy electronic beats created a sound that potentially could draw a crowd. It was somewhat bust and we sat down immediately.

Maria and I, having just moved to New York City and just started new positions after traveling in Costa Rica are on a budget and when we looked at the menu, we realized we may be blowing the budget. The prices were a little high for us, something like $15.00 was the least expensive Burrito.

Coming from California and being used to a plentiful taqueria scene with amazing Mexican cuisine at our fingertips, for a good cost, we were a bit saddened. I chose to go for the Chimichanga and Maria went for a salad with chicken. The Chimichanga was $15 and the salad was $13. We made sure to drink water and stick to only one basket of chips, as each additional was $2.50. Certainly, the prices were high, but the restaurants intention was to have the trendy vibe make up for that. My hope was that the portions would be good sized. The service was efficient and the food did not take too long.

Unfortunately, there was more disappointment to be had in realizing that the portions were tiny. Literally, if I had wanted to, my Chimichanga, cut in half and plated in a creative way, could have been eaten in four bites. It was sad and so was I. Maria was equally disappointed in receiving her salad, a small and interesting spin on a salad, Mexican style. We left disappointed and will not go back. The name of the place did not stay in our memories long enough to make it to this blog. Just know that it is on the East side of 9th Avenue near 49th Street.

Two Hell's Kitchen restaurants, 100 feet from one another, and they couldn't be any different. Always remember to carry cash in New York City.

Thank you Theo for the blow by blow... the warning has been noted! Ok, all you travelers this summer... bring some cash when you are in New York City... then come on out and do a whitewater rafting trip with us in California! We feed you on the house!

MOD MUSIC for RAFTING PARTY

Events, parties and everything California, the sun is shining here! Our rafting trips are going full bore now with daily trips available from now until the end of September. Group rafting trips are being organized everywhere, and they are coming to go rafting with W.E.T. River Trips. Woot people for bachelor/bachelorette parties, birthdays, anniversaries, reunions... you name it. Cap that party or event with a whitewater rafting trip with us... make it truely memorable.

Our young blogging staff sent up this cool list of places on the net to check out bands, music, up-coming shows around Northern California. Organize your group, load up on music, come check out the shows and head up to the river. California love... it's our lifestye.

Yet another amazing Sacramento House Show the other night featuring a very special guest percussionist hailing from Pennsylvania. Taysuya Nakatani was creating some of the most amazing sounds I have ever heard. All by himself, he creates music with a drum kit that you could carry in a large backpack aside from the 3' gong.

The nights other performances included Kevin Corcoran who is also a solo improv drummer worth checking out. Kevin and Chad Stockdale have a seven-inch that they recorded together on clear yellow vinyl that is definitely worth the loot. And my buddies from Hexlove winding up the night with an amazing loop pedal, keys and drums... fun fun. It was a good night... woot!

I went to an amazing party the other night at the Horse Cow Gallery to check out my girlfriend in a fashion show featuring local designer Amy Hemmens among others. There was also live music from Night Nurse, the beautifully noisy brainchild of Sacramento's own Hailey Chase featuring one of my favorite Sacramento saxaphone dogs Chad Stockdale.


Now, everybody must get blown away by Animal Collective's newest release, the Water Curses EP which is being released by Domino Records on vinyl and cd.

If you are living near Sacramento, you should also be very excited about all the awesome shows coming up in the next couple of months. We are soooo lucky that bands such as Mutators, Shearing Pinx, Modern Creatures, Mae Shi, Pre, Uneasy, and Magick Daggers are going to be passing through our city.

Also be expecting a new EP from Prints out soon... I think it's going to have a DFA remix on it.

MORE MUSIC RESOURCES FOR RAFTING TRIPS:

white rainbow

http://www.myspace.com/whiterainbowwhiterainbow

yume bitsu

http://www.myspace.com/goldenvessyl

dirty projectors

http://www.myspace.com/dirtyprojectors

aids wolf

http://www.myspace.com/aidswolf

XBXRX

http://www.myspace.com/xbxrx

yacht

http://www.myspace.com/yacht

lucky dragons

http://www.myspace.com/luckydragons

night wounds

http://www.myspace.com/nightwounds

twin crystals

http://www.myspace.com/twincrystals

shearing pinx

http://www.myspace.com/shearingpinx

mutators

http://myspace.com/mutators

modern creatures

http://myspace.com/moderncreatures

Oh yeh, WhiteLite, our fav music blogger has a cool announcement: Mutators and Modern Creatures are playing with WhiteLite's band at Funcastle on the May 4th! Congrats, dude... I'll be there.

California Rafting and Music

Yo! On my way to rafting trips, I have to listen to my tunes. Especially if you are heading for the Class 4 stuff like the North Fork American... so close to home! If you live in California's great valley around state capitol Sacramento, then I'm sure you know how hard it is to purchase good music around here without having to order from online distros and such.

For me it's really annoying, 'cause I love to buy new music fairly regularly. So to get my fix, it usually requires making a trip to the Bay Area to dig around in the bins at Amoeba Records store in San Francisco and Berkeley. I recently found some great albums for super cheap. Titles such as CARIBOU's new album "Andorra" is out now on Merge Records and DAN DEACON's "Spider Man of the Rings" on Carpark Records. Both albums are totally amazing if you are into electronic music or trance.

Another outstanding release from last year is the MAGIK MARKERS album "Boss" on Ecstatic Peace. This is a band that I can't get enough of and is highly recommended especially to fans of SONIC YOUTH. Some other albums to check out are BLACK MOTH SUPER RAINBOW's "Dandeloin Gum", Japanese band OOIOO's "Taiga", and for the noisier side of life, check out anything and everything on Load Records; especially KITES.

RESOURCES FOR WHITE WATER RAFTING MUSIC from W.E.T. River Trips:

California Whitewater Rafting Blog

Myspace Music Friends

Dan Deacon

Ecstatic Peace

Black Moth Super Rainbow

Load Records

Caribou

OOIOO

Peace
WhiteLite:::: more rafting music coming from my homies at W.E.T. River Trips!

ps! WhiteLite just introduced us to Zach Nelson from albums Who's Your Favorite Son God, HexLove and Prints! He is sooo ridiculously cute! Yoko Tuttle from Fatal Insomia says of his music "This sounds like right now!" Woot!

Rafting and Music

Recently, we were reviewed by internet marketers as a prime example of blogging and marketing. The California whitewater rafting blog is really old. Started as a journal on our original website on Geocities as a way to get our passion for rafting and whitewater out to the public, we are now part of Blogger, a division of Google.

We have various tags or labels for each post since we seem to blog about everything including our rafting trips. But here's what's happened to this blog: it's become a lifestyle blog for our rafting company and has become bigger than just outdoor recreation. The young bloggers who blog about college life, extreme sports and the adversity of young adulthood are also, heavily into the music scene.

All of us listen to music on the way to river trips or traveling and working to the mundane chores of life. Music, like recreation is a way of life. Our young bloggers want to let you know about the coolest music that they love and they want to share it with you, our paddling and rafting friends. We welcome WhiteLite to the team, an artist, a musician and a passionate advocate for music. Here is his first post...

All right dudes check it out! Two new really awesome albums that are out on Paw-Tracks Records are Eric Copeland’s “Hermaphrodite” and Animal Collective’s “Strawberry Jam”, the hit “Peace Bone” on Strawberry Jam is particularly awesome, even my mother likes it. The music video that you can find on YouTube is disgustingly magical.

Another magnificent release to check out on Paw-Tracks is the latest Black Dice album "Load Blown." I saw these guys live with the band f*ckwolf (note from W.E.T. River Trips; sorry parents, but some bands like to shock with just their name) a couple weekends ago at San Francisco’s 12 Galaxies, and they really know how to put on a show. Their music is mesmerizing.

Another very respectable artist to pay attention to is Ariel Pink who is currently touring the East Coast. His music is a classic pop song washed out in a mess of psychedelic effects.

Last month, I went to Big Sur to see him play at the Folk Ya Music Festival. The festival ended up being a piece of sh*t and made me want to barf after seeing so many terrible bands. Ariel Pink was good as usual, and he even artistically shaved his legs on stage while singing. The only other entertaining act to play that festival out of the 20 terrible bands was Lucky Dragons. This two-piece band from LA was whimsical and original .

If you live in Sacramento, about 45 minutes from the American River whitewater, or happened to catch Hella’s last tour, you probably witnessed co-touring band Who’s Your Favorite Son God an awesome band featuring some of Sacramento’s best musicians.

The drummer Zach Nelson also has three other equally as rad projects including his collaboration with Kinseth from the band Pinback called “Prints”. The project Prints is out on Temporary Residence records. Zach Nelson’s other projects include Chant’os with Sacramento local pianist Carson McWhirter from Hella, and his solo project Fahlouah.

Last, but not least, I also found myself dancing to Cornelius. He is labeled the “Japanese Beck”, and for good reasons. His evaluation of a pop song is the closest thing to perfect. Check out his hit "Smoke" off his album Point.

Check out our Second Life rafting avatar myspace site, too. She's gotta lot of music friends...

Post by WhiteLite... more to come!

Return from the Trip of a Lifetime

After the 3 week trip to Europe, my friends and I returned home to our home town. What a relief it was to be home to feel comfortable again, see our families, friends and get back to our lives. It took me about 4 days before I realized how much real life and growing up is a pain in the ass.

But we all have to do it sooner or later. I came back and have been searching for a job, a living situation, and trying to figure out school for next semester. I have now realized how important it is to plan ahead and have short term goals so you don't get in a rut. As most teenagers, we are working hard to do right when we're are having fun partying and not taking care of business.

Not only is it tough to do this, but another member of the Euro crew, Zee, came home to a big decision and responsibility of her own. To go to college here in town or in the Bay Area... going to the Bay Area school on a scholarship and for something that can line up her future as an artist... whatever she may choose will be a stressful decision, but hopefully work for the better.

All the stress of a teenager and growing up can be extremely hard on young adults... that's why we need our friends and families for support. Personally, I think the best support is, that whatever we do, our friends and parents just want us to be safe and be happy with our lives. Yea... it might take a few of us a few years to figure out if school is the right choice, but so be it.

School is not for everyone, but if we are happy and content with our lives, that's all that should matter... if you want me to elaborate more, let me know; just writing this was stressful haha... K

Parents... listen carefully... words from a wise soul on the torture of teen angst... believe us, when we say, their lives are filled with enormous pressure. Facing real life decisions with a teen brain has got to be intense...
your friends, W.E.T. River Trips

Lunch Meat's Dog Dilemma

A new roommate arrived while the bloggers and skaters were in Europe. M, or Lunch Meat as he is affectionately called by his friends. He signed the contracts and knew that no pets were allowed at the rental house for the team. W.E.T. River Trips was searching myspace recently and came across a picture of M's dog in the kitchen of the rental. BUSTED. Here's his pitiful little story about "lying to the landlord." Growing up, coming of age, these teens are learning that life is tough. Sigh... the first-time renters are quickly learning the ins and outs of rental contracts... and grown-up life.

"Well it all happened the day after 4th of July... My sister and her husband were leaving town and she had asked me if I could watch her dog. He's an old fart, so I figured as mellow as he is, that him staying with me at the house wouldn't be a problem. I did post a pic of the dog on myspace as a joke hoping to give Liz a scare... well, I guess W.E.T. got a hold of the picture before her and gave me a scare.

We all know nothing can be kept secret if its on "the space" and with that stated, you should know that I had no intentions of hiding anything. Plus, I remember an old Full House episode where the girls tried to smuggle a dog into the house and Bob Sagget ended up finding out. The girls went through so much trouble to keep the pup a secret, but Mr. Tanner was just too much brains for the girls.

Since then, I always knew it was impossible to hide a dog in someone's house. Anyhow, I'm sorry again, I should have asked and made sure it wasn't a problem. I hope we're even now... if not, let me know what I can do to make it up to you.
Sincerely Lunch Meat. :)"
Whaaaaaaaa.... says the landlord... no pets, period.... not even fish.

Sollie, Taiwan, the Cove, SF Giants

Hi Y'all! So my phone keeps getting messages... I have 7 today, but no way of reaching any of them. Oh well, at least I can get to a computer now and then. Today, I ate a fried leaf...

Oh, just an update: I spent a week in Tennessee visiting family and The Farm with Irene, Rob and Gin. From there, I flew to Taiwan for an educational understanding tour for principals in America. They basically sent us around the nation, and we toured colleges and universities, and they still haven't told us why we are here. However, they are treating us like kings.

So, I have been here in Taiwan a few days, and the coolest thing I saw, was in a night market; a 15-foot boa slithering around on the floor. Today, I ate fried stuff. Yup, just like a Taiwan State Fair. I also ate a fried flower and a fried taro root. Mummmm. Greezy. So I woke up at 5 am and we got on a bus to the train station. I was hoping we would be on a bullet train but sadly this one didn't seem to go faster than 20 mph.

We arrived in some town Hulain (sic). Sounds close. We ate a meal at a place that if it wasn't in Taiwan could easily have been a forgotten place in Mexico. There were no signs for the restaurant, dogs sleeping on the dirt floor, stumps for seats, palm leaves for a room, and squat pots for restrooms, and a monkey chained to a tree, but the food was great. I think I will deep fry some leaves when I get home.

Afterwards, we went up to a National Park and drove through this Slot Canyon 9000 feet deep. With a river running through it! Just in case you were wondering , it was all runnable whitewater.

We arrived at our motel and watched the natives do a dance and use some clubs to make a rice paste. Mummmmm rice paste...

After that, I went upstairs and watched the Home Run Derby on ESPN Taiwan - I think I saw Jason in some W.E.T. river rafts out there in McCovey Cove. I wandered down to the game room and spent the last hour teaching the locals to play ping pong. They don't even know how to hold the paddle upright. Rookies.

Hey guys - did my dirt catch on fire? I received an e-mail from a resident who lives in Coloma and thinks my property caught on fire. Can you have one of the guides check on it?

I will be in Taiwan for a few more days, then off to Korea for a week where I will meet up with Irene. Good times...
Saul

NOTE from W.E.T.: On Monday, July 9th, the crazy guides from the W.E.T. crew took a couple of rafts, a partying spirit to the Cove to try to catch a $1M ball. It was a party. Last year, it was chaos but the organizers this year had set up a parking lot just for the crazies. The W.E.T. boats made ESPN, SacBee, Major League Baseball and the rest of the world out there. But the best picture came from the Official Site of the San Francisco Giants. Yeh, its a good pic.

KD and Barcy Nightlife

Today is day 14 of my trip to Barcelona, Spain. I had never been to Europe and was not too sure as to what to expect. The trip was solely planned around one thing and one thing only; skateboarding. To the average person, Spain's architecture is amazing and beautiful. In the eye of a skateboarder, we see a giant playground. Not only is the city itself perfect for skateboarding, but so is everything that comes with it.

For example, the weather is cooler, and as far as the laws for skateboarding on the streets, mellow indeed. There is no real reason that the police are more giving out here with skateboarders. But after two weeks of skating around, I have a theory. The fact that skateboarding is less familiar here in Spain, it has only begun to blossom, and has only been around for maybe 10 years or so. Therefore, compared to California, or just America in general, skateboarding in Spain has not had enough time to become a problem. Which for now, is AWESOME for skateboarders.

I came over here to skate and then got here and realized I had a new plan. Don't get me wrong, I have been skating non-stop and taking advantage of how much fun it is, but came across a different comfort zone. Obviously, being in another country where they speak a different language is going to take you out of your comfort zone right? Well, I had never really thought about it until I got here and jumped right into it. For me, the thing I really enjoyed is meeting people from other countries. But, very sadly trying to communicate with each other with the bits and pieces of words we know from each others languages was a bit frustrating.

One night, the skate crew and I decided to go out to the clubs and check out the Spanish night life. Luckily, the drinking age over here is only 18 which was a recipe for disaster for us, right? HA HA HA. So at one point, we were all together dancing and having a good time in a club called FELLINIS. I decided to go outside to get some fresh air for a few minutes, and I found myself at another bar separated from the crew.

Thinking I knew my way around town, I decided to go with it and have a good time by myself. I took a seat at the bar, and, within 5 minutes, I was chatting it up with 2 Spanish guys who lived here and 2 girls from Norway that spoke English and Spanish. The girls would interpret my English for the Spanish dudes and vice verse. They were surprised I was still out and about even though I was lost from my crew of team mates. The girls offered to hang out with the Spanish guys for the rest of the night, and, of course, I went with them.

We went to 2 more clubs and 1 more bar. Throughout the night, the Spanish dudes kept saying they wanted me to have a good time and kept buying my drinks. Being the gentlemen, I could not refuse a drink someone offers me. When the sun was coming up and the bars closed, we said our good nights and "nice meeting you's," and I took off in search of my destination; our apartment. Little did I realize, I was about a 30-minute walk from the apartment. After asking a million people for directions, I finally made it home by 6 in the morning.

The next day, my friends asked what happened to me the night before, and so I told them about my lost wild night. Then I realized I didn't even remember the Spanish guys' or the Norwegian girls' names. It was funny to think I had made friends and hung out with them all night long, but never got their names. The more and more people I meet now and see, I have concluded that it doesn't even matter if I get their names or not because it's more of a good-nature thing. Whether you speak English, Spanish or French or whatever, it's human nature to speak with one another and teach one another.

We still have another 4 days here in Spain and the weekend should be fun. Hopefully, I will have another story to tell before I come home. THANKS for reading ya'll... KD

Check out these resources on Skateboarding Barcelona:
Why skate Barcelona?
Thrasher Magazine Article
Barcelona Skate Tours
Barcelona Metropolitan Magazine
Against the Law

After skateboarding all day in your current heatwave in California, ya otta check out whitewater rafting. It'll give you the same thrill except no road rash. LOL... ollie-oop...

Barcy Excerpts from the Teen Bloggers

W.E.T. River Trips has a brethren of young guides and bloggers working for us. They bring a youthful and enthusiastic lifestyle to our company. Many of them are also involved in surfing, kayaking, rafting, skateboarding and snowboarding programs and events because of their wide range of talents. They live the lifestyle. Our rafting news and California rafting news pages also highlight the lifestyle of the extreme sport outdoor enthusiast.

This month the young bloggers headed to Barcelona, Spain. Meeting with several other skateboarders and production crews, the 20-somethings joined pro skaters in Barcy (that's their nickname for this beautiful city) after their tour to end the trip as a vacation. And yes, W.E.T. ended up sponsoring more than just a few... the story of the card-eating ATM machine was one of the reasons given for the "extra" sponsorships...

Here are some excerpts:

July 2, 2007
"...last night I stayed at the new apartment for the first time. It's the epitomy of Spain. Woooooooo hoo. We are right next to a main street, so there's a bagillion people out at all times. Anyway, I hope my account s%!* is all correct... but whatever. Anyways, I miss you and I hope all is well..."

July 3, 2007
I have a butt load of money because Arthur just transfered 800 bucks online into my account cuz his card just got lost too. So I officially have everyones money in my account, so I technically don't have that much. Anyway, Danny seo is going to pick us up from the airport since you can't, but his car is too small so can you have a full tank and keys to the Subaru ready for Danny on next Wednesday... anyways, I'm having a lot of fun, and today I'm trying to relax because I've been going non-stop. Last night we went to the 'skater bar' called Bar Manola and they project skate videos on the wall, and everyone that goes there is a skate dude. We saw some pros... and blah blah. Then we went to NASTY MONDAYS. It was radddddddd. No one got carded except for poor Goober, but he talked his way in. We danced till 4 in the morning to all American songs... Beastie Boys, Joan Jett, Of Montreal... it was rad. Anyway, I'll keep you posted and I miss you guys a lot... it's super fun and you guys would love it."

Words from W.E.T.
KD had an encounter with a card-eating ATM machine in London... day 2 of the tour. This was the first of many card losses with the group. KD contacted his parents who contacted W.E.T. who contacted the only one in London who still had their debit card. So in went the money. (Read post above about the butt-load of money...) I think everyone had LL handle their funds. The crew also discovered that drinking was legal at 18 years. We didn't get many blogs after that.......

My Dad

The memories of dear old Dad seem so far away. I remember most, the rides on his shoulder as he hoisted me around our cherry tree. Picking those cherries is a memory that I hold dear. I remember the warm sun on my face and squinting skyward to see the cherries high in the branches. I would pick and eat cherries until my hands were dyed pink.

He was a big, burly guy who was 100% military trained. From his pressed creases in his pants to the tip of his hat, he stood like a soldier, even at home. We had a strict routine around our house during dinner time. No one came to the dinner table without a bath and fresh, clean clothes. Dessert was always served on the TV trays while we watched Ed Sullivan shows.

I still remember those nights eating jell-o, chocolate pudding or ice-cream. My mom and dad would sometimes turn on the stereo (Dad was an early audiophile) and dance together while we kids jumped up and down laughing and clapping at the adult antics. Such fond silly memories...

Dad died a few years ago, leaving me and the rest of the family to contemplate life without him. With Father's Day coming, the little tug at my heart is a constant reminder of how much I miss him. Even though he is gone, I still celebrate Dad's Day by making my family a great dinner and toasting his memories with a glass of wine.

This year, the kids and teens are gathering for a group rafting trip on Sunday to celebrate their own father in the outdoors. Most of my friend's still have their dad's in their lives, but as for me, he is still with me every time I eat a handful of cherries.

Day Two, Boredom?

The kids have been out of school for only 2 days now... and already they are bored to tears. Yes, we have the family vacation coming up in a few weeks, the baseball camp, the trip to see grandma, but how do we keep them occupied and out of the mall for the next couple of weeks?

When I was young, my mom would not let us be bored. There were always chores to do. We didn't dare say we were bored because she would assign some awful task such as cleaning the garage or the yard. So we learned early to occupy our free time with neighborhood basketball, bicycling around the neighborhood, or just hanging out at the neighborhood school. The community pool was always open in the summer where we would just waste hours playing in the water. TV? Who stayed home and watched tv during the summer... not us. Mom would have kicked us out of the house before she let us waste our time like that.

Parents now are so worried about the real bogey-man that may be lurking. So most of us keep our kids close by or in organized activities. It's a real shame. I'm always reluctant to just say, "Go outside. Go ride your bike..." since, I'm not too sure if it is really safe to do that. So we organize stuff for them to do. This year, some of us have organized a rafting trip for our teens.

The kids will go on a whitewater rafting trip on the South Fork American just for a one day trip. Just enough to wet their whistle on an adventure that they've never experienced. My daughter is dragging a few of her friends while another family's son is bringing along his buddies. The kids are actually excited about this family get together. Can you imagine? They want to go with us!

Birthdays on the River

Kind of cloudy today and a bit cooler. Mom says that I was born on a day like today. Birthdays are a funny thing. A celebration of a monumental event called birth. Of course, the special event is celebrated early in life mostly by parents and surrounding relatives.

When you're really young, birthdays are a hazy memory of birthday cake and Aunt Margaret pinching your cheek. Balloons surround and silly hats sit on the heads of the family. I remember the candles and blowing them out.

Adolescence brings a sense of greed. Its all about the presents and hanging out with your friends. Usually, a parent or relative has arranged for a simple backyard gathering with a picnic and birthday cake. Or, an extravaganza at a local party place filled with activities and games. It didn't matter as long as there were presents for the birthday child. Those birthdays, I remember the most. Filled with family and friends and tearing open a bunch of presents. I remember the bowling ball I received when I was around 9 years old. I was so thrilled since my mom and I were on a daughter/mother bowling team. That ball was all swirly and creamy... that's all I remember.

In the teen years, birthdays were about money. Cold hard cash. Birthday money. I remember hoarding it once I received it from parents, grandparents, uncles and friends. I would save a bundle then head out to Tower Records and buy music and magazines. Shopping for makeup was more or less a stick of mascara and a tube of lipstick all purchased from the local drugstore. The money would burn a hole in my pocket and hand. I'd give it a month, before all the funds were gone.

Young adulthood enters in and you just can't wait until you're 21 years old. Ready to vote and ready to drink grown-up drinks. Once there was a surprise birthday party in my early 20's. That was the one with the singing gorilla that arrived unexpectedly and swept me away to a party at a local restaurant. After a few margaritas, I really don't remember much about the party except that I know I had a good time.

In your 30's & 40's, birthdays are spent with close friends and/or possibly a spouse. Usually a weekend getaway plays in the scenario while celebrating with a loved one. There was the time on a wilderness rafting trip that I spent with about 10 close paddling friends on our favorite river. I remember the birthday cake coming out of the dutch oven. We were plied with cheap booze, and I still remember spreading the icing on the cake and my fellow bakers.

Now, as age creeps up more quickly, birthdays are to be ignored. That day is no longer a celebration but a relief that I've made it that far. Celebrating the day includes going about the day as if nothing was special, nothing was remembered. I join just a few close friends and we spend our time at a nice lunch or maybe shopping in a cool place. This past birthday, I spent it rafting with 3 of my closest friends. We didn't do a wild class 4 run this time, though... just a great whitewater trip on the South Fork American... just enough to make me remember how wild I used to be. Now if only I can stop the birthday cards coming to keep reminding me that I'm a year older and hopefully a year wiser.

Graduation 2007

My baby is graduating. And the heaviness that weighs inside is almost unbearable. How did my teen become an adult overnight? The flurry of end-of-school year events is helping to distract me from my agony. Yes, I am in agony. This day just seemed so far away, and now it's here.

The baby came on a cold rainy day... one of the rainiest days ever. I always looked at that as being a sort of cleansing. A purifying of the world before the baby arrived. Those days seem so far away, now. The diapers, the breast feeding, the sleepless nights. I remember I felt as if the non-stop baby routine would never end. And now, it just seems like a small blip in all of our family life.

All the family trips that we took were just not enough. The road trips, the rafting trips in California, Idaho, Oregon... it was just not enough. And the thought that we may never get together as a family again for any vacation trip really gets to me. I could just cry.

College beckons now for my adult student teen. Already, my teen is a busy college student; taking care of paperwork, getting classes together, meeting with counselors, getting ready for the open house. Going away will be hard on all of us. We've purchased all the sundries to accommodate the new living quarters, and we've probably bought way too much. My teen doesn't seem to understand how difficult this is for us. And they shouldn't feel our sadness. I don't want to rain on their blossoming heads.

The confidence and independence that we had hoped to instill is reflected in their almost cavalier attitude of leaving home. This is how it should be. My teen is ready for adulthood, and as far as mom and dad? We're the ones who aren't ready.

Bush Boogie

Watching Bush dance at the Malaria Awareness Event with the West African dancers made me wince. You could tell he felt a bit awkward at first as he started to "get down" with the music. Then , he cut loose. The man's got rhythm! I was a little embarrassed; much like a teen would be watching his parents trying to be cool. Sigh... he seems like such a nice guy. I'd love to party with the man, you know. His past background is riddled with rumors of drunken frat parties and more. You just know that he'd be the life of a party if only he wasn't the President of the United States of America.

It makes you wonder. Is he the typical trust fund baby who was coddled by his wealthy parents? Was he pushed into a college because his father was in a position of power? Is that why Dubya had poor grades and a reputation for being a party animal in school? He was like a lot of wealthy kids. Just occupying space because he was suppose to graduate from a prestigious school.

From his parent's power base, he became our president. The awkwardness of his position is evident each time he has to "wing it." He resorts to cliche phrases and canned responses. He's been groomed to this position even though I think deep down, most of us feel that he is definitely in over his head.

The real power lies in the old guard. They are the ones who have been in power these last few years, not Dubya. The fiasco of Iraq, the excruciating slow response to Katrina, the lack of leadership on health care, the seemingly naive attitude about our economy and our recent public image to the world has been overwhelming.

I grew up in a honorable military family. Where I lived, we were required to pledge our allegiance to our country every single morning. And during the day, when the alarmed was sounded, we stopped where ever we were, and we faced the flag with our hand on our heart until it ended. I grew up respecting the military and my country. I was told countless times that freedom, liberty, free speech and religious freedom were the cornerstones of this great nation.

What has happened in the last few years is frightening. Our country has lost part of its soul. Instead of condemning torture, our leaders make excuses. Instead of regulating our food, our drugs, our leaders allow these companies to operate without the past regulations that kept us safe. Instead of allowing environmental scientists the ability to research and publish their findings, this administration has deliberately hampered science's efforts in conservation or in anything that goes against the giants of industry. What is going on?

And as far as Dubya? I'll party with him anytime. I just don't want him to be our president anymore.

Unbearable Likeness for a New Guide

I didn't know what to expect on the trip up to the Northern California rivers. It was my first trip away from the American River rafting with the W.E.T. guides. I was ready for a full couple of days of river rafting new rivers, but I realized there is more to a road trip then rafting. The comraderie, traveling, rafting, and camping are all as much a reason to go on the road as any other reason.

After the day has ended, and dinner has gone and passed, it becomes time to settle around the camp fire. I recognize the camp fire as a place to discuss the days happenings, and also to discuss what to expect the next day rafting. The fire is a relaxing place to sit back and exchange river stories, and maybe to share a beverage or two.

As the night goes on, the stories become more and more elaborate. The tales are harder to comprehend whether or not these things really happened, or have, at least, a semblance to reality. The fire and the drinks allow you to, maybe, open up a little more then you would when the sun is up.

Being the young and newer guide, I hear a lot of life advice from the more seasoned crew members. Advice about how to deal with all possible situations... sometimes the advice comes not in verbal form, but in the actions of the other guides. The life lessons are not just for the world of rivers but come into use on a daily basis. I think after only a few more river fires, I will be ready for every situation imaginable. I will always remember these river trips and all the advice given.

Note: Heffe is a 2nd year guide for W.E.T. River Trips though he's had approximately 100+ trips training with our company. He is a great river guide and kayaker who is fast learning the ways and wiles of our more (ahem) "seasoned" crew members (the wise ol' farts). His youth and enthusiasm bring a breathe of fresh air to the more seasoned guides as his eyes look with wonderment at every nuance of the river. Aaaah, I remember my beginnings when I was a newbie on the river.

Heffe is helping with the guide training this year as he passes on his experience to the guide school students. Saul and Andrew, our senior staff members look to Heffe as the new generation coming up on the W.E.T. team. Look for him on the American River rafting this year!

Drainage; California Snowpack

My first day of snowboarding was March 2nd... the latest start for me ever but, I'm happy to say it was freakin' awesome; no lines and first tracks through thigh-high deep powder. On the drive-up Hwy 80, I saw the first patches of snow just before Colfax, and it just got deeper and deeper until Donner Summit where 12' banks teetered over the highway. The blue-bird conditions were perfect.

Sunday, I went up again to Sugar Bowl. The place was packed, light clouds shifted overhead, and I was with three of our teen staff members. The snow was still deep and light. From the top of Mt. Lincoln, I could look down into the upper drainage of the North Fork of the American River and all I could see was deep white snow... the North Fork whitewater is going to flow strong and long!

After a few more runs off of Lincoln, I made the traverse to Mt. Judah and re-connected with the teens, waded through the crowds and rolled down Hwy 80... another great day and a great North Fork season is just a coupla weeks away.

I've still got the time to make it to Kirkwood and see what's coming down the hill for the South Fork American (Kirkwood had 14 feet of snow in three weeks!)... happy to say.

Sidebar: both the drainage for the North Fork and the South Fork American look very healthy after these past few storms. Looks like a great 2007 rafting season after all despite the dry January!