Monthly Archive: March 2004
Urban Sombrero
I’m putting this picture back up. Some people prefer this one of Kelly wearing a dart board as a head piece. One of her girlfriends said; “oh Kelly! you’re going to wear a sombrero to the prom!” Sombrero or not, she is beautiful 
\”taking the chicken exit\”
one of my memorable vacations was when we went to Disneyland with the Camello’s and Sturm’s. It was a surprise trip for the kids, we showed up after school with everyones bags packed and ready to go. Then it was a three car caravan down highway 5 and into the night. This was a great trip because of the group dynamics. Out of the three families, it broke down like this, 3 dads, 3 moms, 8 kids ,(ALL GIRLS!!) 11 women! SERENITY NOW!! The excitement of the trip with two other families was amplified by the fact that we had all just became friends through the kids soccer team. It was a vacation lovefest at Disneyland! We all had those little motorola walkie-talkies. So even on the 5 hour drive to the magic kingdom in three separate cars it seemed like we were together. I’m sure all the cars had “no walkie talkie for 5 minutes please” blackouts. Needless to say, the three dads bonded on this trip and spent quality mantime together. I’m not sure what ride we were on or if anyone in fact took the chicken exit, but that is where the phrase was born in my mind. the chicken exit is the place in line on a ‘scary’ ride where a person can leave the line and not have to walk back though the original line (and face humiliation). These are typical on Disneyland rides like “Indiana Jones”, “Space Moutnain”, “Thunder Mountain RailRoad” etc. Over the months (and now years) the meaning of the phrase “taking the chicken exit” expanded itself to include any time that you wussed out, quit, took the easy way out etc etc etc… The reason I think about this now is sometimes on those oh so cold mornings when I go for a bike ride, there are the first few blocks where I sometimes consider taking a side street back home rather than go for a long ride ride. I swear, that first 5 minutes is brutal sometimes. I’ve considered taking the chicken exit, but never have.
Sunday ride
Since we are getting closer to our around Lake Tahoe bike ride in June, I thought it would be good to get in some hill training. Rode the short way out to Coyote Hills and ascended heart attack hill 5 times! I’m still amazed that I can make it up that hill once, but five times? Unbelievable!
Heart attack hill is comprised of three parts. Part one, as you can see in the picture below is a somewhat gradual climb until the trail disappears behind the hill. Click the picture for a better view.
Once the trail disappears behind the hill, it flattens out for 50 feet or so. This spot is most secluded and certainly one of the most beautiful on our rides. Not many people make it up here. Making it a special place with a special view. Here is one of my favorite shots from this location of the Dumbarton Bridge, the old salt ponds and the bay.
From here the more strenious part of the climb begins. A short but steep climb to the top and end of the Coyote hills trail. Its never easy getting up this part of heart attack. Didn’t even make the first few time I tried this part.
Although it seems like the end, I proceed past this sign and continue up the hill you see in the picture above. The last ten feet up to the top is the toughest! But once conquered, it is truly the top of heart attack hill. Enjoy the view!
On a clear day, you can see forever! San Francisco (with mount Tam 50+ miles away!!) and Oakland on each side of the hill in the foreground. Click in the pic for a better view.
Anyway, back to today’s ride. it took me on average, 11 minutes to make a round trip, up and down, heart attack. Thats 8-9 going up and 2-3 coming down. Usually 3 MPH going up, 35 MPH going down!! 16.6 miles total in 1 hour 40 minutes.
Felt pretty good afterwards too, but realize that I’m still not ready for the Emerald Bay climb and 9 mile uphill to Spooner Summit.
foot note: .66 miles up heart attack.
Servitude Saturday
Interesting day today. Started out the morning over at Our Lady of Guadelupe church hall cooking breakfast for the less fortunate. Our church, in cooperation with the Tri-City Homeless Coalition’s winter relief program, is housing 25-30 people in the church hall for the month of March. These homeless folks sleep in the hall at night, Parishioners volunteer to prepare breakfasts and dinners. Barb’s girlfriend coordinated the breakfast. We went along to cook. Pancakes, bacon and potatoes. Its a tough life these people are leading. families with small children, single mothers with toddlers. We are happy to help these folks. “There but for the grace of God go I” After that it was home and ready for a quick ride. Barb and I went on a 24 miler. The usual Alameda Creek Trail, Coyote hills loop, heart attack hill and home back via Alameda creek trail. Glad to have Barb back in the saddle again. Here is a picture of Barb breaking the law at the tippy top of heart attack. 
At 4 o’clock, it was off to Holy Spirit church hall where we all had volunteered to work at the Our lady or Guadelupe crab feed and silent auction. Our original intention and duty was to supervise the teenage servers that would be bringing the salad, bread, pasta and crab to the tables. This is a large event. 500 people in a sit down dinner. Anyway, when we got there we were asked if we would be willing to “do the crab” instead of supervise. We agreed. “Doing the crab”. 1000 pounds of crab was delivered to the hall and is placed in the kitchen in ‘iced’ boxes. in each box there contain 4 separate 10 pound bags of either legs and claws or knuckles ( thats what we called them, some called them the bodies, but they looked like knuckles to us). Our job was to get the crab out of the boxes and into bowls so the kids could bring them to the tables. The trick to this is that you want the crab ‘on ice’ for as long as possible to retain the freshness. Timing is everything in the crab feed business. The schedule indicated that the crab would be served at 6:40. So around 6:00 we start ripping into these bags and place 1/2 knuckles, 1/2 legs/claws into bowls. The first service consisted of 62 bowls!! It was like a crab tornado whipped through the place, there was crab “juice” everywhere. In our clothes, shoes. everything. We smelled like the guys at Fisherman’s wharf in the city. So we make it through the first round, then, since it is a crab feed, the kids would come back for more to bring to the table. And as is tradition at crab feeds, any leftover crab is sold to people to bring home. So me and Barbie spent the rest of the night bagging up crab for people to take home. We filled 2 gallon ziplocs about half full and sold them for $10 each. The school made over $600 just on the leftover crab. The crab feed was a success and it was fun for us. We still know a lot of people at the school and we had a great time seeing everyone again. But next year I want to work the bar!
flashback – the Maui Wedding
Everyone has a handful of special moments in their lives. The day you got married, birthdays of your kids, graduations, stuff like that. If you are lucky, you have more than you can count on your fingers. One of my special moments was the Maui “wedding”. It was already our third or fourth day in Hawaii, on the isle of Maui, on a family vacation that rates as a big #1 on my list of all time best vacations. We went with the Camello Family, our good friends from Fremont, girls soccer, and previous Disneyland trip fame. See “taking the chicken exit” from a previous post. The lovefest that was going strong in DisneyLand was still going strong as the Hawaii trip rolled around. All the kids were getting along great, the wives liked each other, and I had become great friends with Mike Camello. The Kahuna. The success of the Disney trip created the spark for Maui. I don’t remember exactly how far back it was planned, but I know we were counting down the days. We were leaving for Maui on Easter Sunday, right after the early mass at St Leonards. Father Larry gave us a blessing, and we were on our way. We had a great, oceanfront, groundfloor condo in Kehei – Menehune Shores. Nice three bedroom jobby that fit our needs perfectly. The water was 25 feet from the patio door. Now since we had so much time to plan this trip, we really didnt need to plan anything! our main goal was to kick back, get some sand between our toes, drink some nada-coladas, and do some snork’n. And basically, thats just what we did. 
So we are into our 4th day (out of 10) in Maui, everyone is relaxed, Hawaiian style. We had just came back to the place after a day long snork expedition, and were all kickin back in the pool with the kids. Now remember the group dynamics. With the exception of the me and the Kahuna, its all girls on this trip !! Its two dads, two moms, five daughters. So the moms are in the condo getting ready because we are taking them out to a nice dinner. Thats when we spring our little surprise on the girls. ” Go get ready for a wedding. in one hour we are going to renew our wedding vows in a double ceremony at sunset. Its a surprise and your moms dont know anything about it!” To put it mildly, the girls were stoked. Not only was there going to be a surprise wedding, but they were going to be in it ! IN HAWAII !!!!!!! Man, girls sure love that stuff ! Little did anyone know, that weeks (and months) prior, the Kahuna and I had come up with the idea of each couple renewing our wedding vows together while in Hawaii. Both of our anniverseries were either right before or after the trip, so it was perfect! I even found a minister named Kolleen Flaherty to perform the ceremony. Perfect! We arranged for flowers, wedding leis, everything! So we go back to the condo, and the flurry of activity was astounding, seven girls, all getting ready at once! Lots and lots and lots of hair to get done. The great thing is that the wives are still in the dark about this. They still think we are just getting ready to go out to a nice dinner. So everyone is ready, we are sitting on the lanai sipping nadas and watching the setting sun as the trade winds blow, and here comes a lady strolling up to us with baskets of leis. Barb and Ann thought this lady was selling flowers. Thats when we told them. “ladies, this is a minister. and in a show of our undying love for you, tonight we renew our wedding vows and re-pledge our love for you in front of God and our children, here in paradise, Hawaiian style”. It was something like that. Either way, they were impressed, surprised and definetly IN LOVE with us The ceremony was perfect. Short, sweet, traditionally Hawaiian and performed as the sun was setting and the trade winds blowing. The wedding music was from the IMUA cd that the Kahuna had bought on Day 2. PERFECT PERFECT PERFECT!! Ann and Mike Camello, and Barbara and Jim Flaherty, and all their daughters on one of the most glorious days. The minister took this picture right after the ceremony. You could really feel the love. 
After the ceremony, we really did have reservations at a nice restaurant. PERFECT!
lunchtime sprint
Well, not really a sprint, but it sounds good. Took the long way out Alameda Creek Trail, around the “backside of Coyote“, up heart attack, and home the short way through Ardenwood Historic farm. This is a great ride, 15 miler, and usually takes me about 1 hour 15 minutes. Like I said, not really a sprint. 195 miles so far this month.
Luella Veronica Hurley
My mother turned 89 yesterday. Since she had me when she was 44 years old, the picture of her in my head is something like this. This is a shot of me and Mom in our kitchen on Fairlawn Ct. must be 1976 or so. Moms making gravy But, since most people think of themselves in a younger type way, here is the real Luella Hurley-Flaherty. This is a shot of her and her little sister, Margurete, outside their house on Andover St. In San Francisco. 
Going to business school – Dressed for success – San Francisco 
Honeymoon on Catalina Island 
50 years of marriage, 4 kids, numerous grandkids and a lifetime of memories later……….. THE ORIGINAL HURLEY GIRLY 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MA
Kelly turns 17 today
HAPPY BIRTHDAY KELLY………. 
you are strong……… 
you are beautiful……………… 
you are funny……………….. 
you are one cool kid! 
Happy Birthday honey
Bike Ride Today- 15 miler
Out to Coyote Hills the short way (Decoto Road over 880 to Ardenwood bike path then city streets to Patterson Ranch road), around coyote (3 mile loop) up heart attack twice then back home the short way. Great day to ride but a little windy. then again its always a little windy!
