Sunday, January 27, 2008

Floods, Epic Hikes and a Mighty Crab Feast!

What a weekend! It rained and rained and rained, and then rained some more, until Friday night when my street literally became a raging flooded river for the second time in two years. While some neighbors fretted over potential damage, which I of course don't wish on anyone (well, almost anyone), I must say I was euphoric. I love, and have always loved, natural disasters, as long as no one dies. There's something about one's street becoming a river that is just so primal - it triggers my male survival what-in-here-would-make-a-good-raft gene, or something.

Needless to say, what water didn't end up in the streets ended up soaking the hills that surround Marin County, and the hikes this weekend were epic, the best they get! I did a two mile loop through the beautiful woods down the street from my house Saturday morning, then met some friends for a 5 mile hike through waterfalls, canyons and forest two miles from my house. So fun and beautiful! Today, I organized a posse of three guy friends to hike Cataract Falls, which I think might be the closest you'll get to Hawaii on the mainland. Picture towering trees, including redwoods, shrouded by a mist and light rain falling on about a mile and a half of cascading waterfalls gushing with torrents of water down 1,000 jungle-like vertical feet. Unreal.

Better yet, view the actual pictures by entering the website of the Fraternorority I preside over and checking out the Cataract Falls Hike 2008 pics. Epic. http://bdsanga.googlepages.com/home

It wasn't all nature this weekend. (Good segue, Krouzman!) I saw a great strange avant garde play put on by the Traveling Jewish Theater Saturday night (which actually included a scene of a guy with a huge fake penis fucking a stuffed deer, something we've all of course envisioned and joked about, but don't really expect to see), then met up with my friend Luke and his friends at El Rincon, a bar / club in San Francisco's Mission District featuring great afro-funk music and more stunningly beautiful women in one place than I think I saw in all of 2007. No offense to any Fairfaxians, there are many beauties among you! It was so "Luke" that when I called he happened to be 2 blocks away at such a cool place and welcomed me with open arms, though he did mess the address up cus he was drunk.

Just when the weekend couldn't get any better, my dear friend Liam rolled into town today for a 2-month stint! After our hike, I cooked up a delicious local crab, spinach salad, rice and brussel sprout feat for him and 4 other good guy friends. It was off the hook. We laughed our asses off and talked about sensitive things like the orphans Ellis has been helping out and Elan's latest charity drive. Also a few other things that aren't fit for my mom's ears. Hi mom! Don't worry, she's cool with the sheep thing cus she spent lots of time on a Kibbutz when she was young. Wow this is dangerous territory.

OK Roni, off to bed. Yay rain, forests, friends, feasts, Obama trouncing Hillary and NOT being sick anymore!

3 comments:

Lucas French said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lucas French said...

Hey, I was just tryin' to help out. I just figured since you don't make it to the big town so much you might enjoy a little extra time exploring! (lost, after dark, in a bad part of the mission in frigid monsoon rains)

your most-helpful friend,
--Luke

Trisha Ekstrom said...

Yes, the first storm we had made me euphoric too. Since I don't own my house, I got quite a thrill knowing the winds and rain were able to tear down our back deck! Now, all that's left is a platform with no walls--I love it! And storms remind me of the Midwest, especially if they involve any thunder and lightening.

trisha