Good Nite Inn - Redlands

... of the dreams they had and never fulfilled. Why would you want to live a good regrettable life rather than an extraordinary life full of things that most people can only dream of doing? We forget that the power to make dreams come true is in our hands if only we are willing to take the leap and go beyond our bounds. <br><br> So here I am planing to take that frightening and exhilarating leap. All I can do is cross my fingers and hope for the best!

... thus far:<br><br>We'll be starting in Lake Elsinore where we'll be renting our car and starting travel no later than 10 am! Our first stop will be in northern Cali! A place called Sonoma Coast State Beach! It's right on the ocean and rumor has it that during the winter whales and elephant seals migrate and can be spotted here. There will probably be a stop in San Fran to see the sights as well but we'll play that by ear. (Keep in mind the places I'm saying are just to get us from ...

Hey friends and loved ones!<br><br>I am leaving for Japan on November 2nd this year. I am just verifying that you still want to be on my blog address list. If you wish to have your name removed, let me know and I will see to that!<br><br>When I leave I will be with out internet for a couple of days so don't expect any fun news or exciting adventures until around the 6th of November. I'm looking forward to another great year, and I love sharing my stories with you!<br><br>Peace,<br><br>Mark<br>

I had made many a trips to Big Bear during the snowboarding season being that it is really the only place you can do a day trip from Vegas. However a few times we got the luxury of having a place to crash for the night. Only Teresa and I would somehow manage to be able to make a crash pad out of Oscar de la Hoyas Big Bear cabin and training compound. The two of us and usually 15 or so of the worlds best fighters under one roof..... we consider ourselves very lucky ladies :)

... I arrive, so I'm packing plenty of cotton. Can't wait to get my hands on some great street-side noodles, and soak in the sights, sounds, scents and tastes (mmmm REAL Thai food) of this colorful culture. These Thai phrases are coming in handy because I definitely don't want to look like some nasty American jerk when I go.

... up to show their aunts how much they enjoyed and appreciated them. In our first year on the road, we brought my Mom out to Wilmington to visit her "Big" Sister and "Little" Brother Tony (he's 3 years behind Mom, I think!). All of the get-togethers have always been joyous occasions, as the three of them entertained us with their great senses of humor, funny memories, and overall upbeat ...

... blue sky. Most of the great views were along the canyon road here, where it was difficult to stop and take a picture - so for now, here's the one shot I got from a parking lot this afternoon. Am going to try to snap a few more tomorrow! The temps today got up into the 60's I guess, but it never ceases to amaze me how it's almost summery when we're surrounded by snow-capped mountains!

... yes! that's "Mrs. C" - Richie Cunningham's Mom in Happy Days - and, Amy's on-screen Mother in Brooklyn Bridge, a great series that ran back in the early 90's. Anyhow, Marion was very sweet, and is a beautiful woman, who, upon hearing that I'd lived in Minnesota for many years, wanted me to be sure to check out her old car from Happy ...

... I'll meet in the next two weeks. But I'm not sad. I'm excited. There are more than 130 million orphans in the world. That's roughly the size of Canada and Mexico combined. And the number is steadily increasing. Some say that every 14 seconds another child becomes an orphan. I have the privilege of working for a Christian organization, God's Kids, the purpose of which is to focus on the orphan ...

... he is still travelling light, although he did have to strap his huge umbrella (could be quite a weapon!) that he took from Kruger, onto my bag - lots of sellotape involved! They ran a check on my big rucksack, which had taken quite a while to pack so that it all fitted in, but very rudely made no attempt whatsoever to close it all back up again! Also quite rude was the $20 exit tax they surprised us with - travellers cheques to the rescue. We had checked in 3 1/2 hours before our flight ...