Postcards from the Ledge: January 2010

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Life can seem akin to uncharted territory, revealing itself one moment at a time. Last year, the economic state of affairs made that territory rife with uncertainty and challenges. Terry taught 5th Grade in a high-tech classroom with interactive Smart Boards, in the bounds of an education system that struggles to stay afloat. She works hard and gets an A+ in my grade book. As for me, I helped bring Riverside into the new California power market, which, after years of delays, finally went live in April. You may recall the “energy crisis” of several years ago: Enron; bankrupt utilities; rolling blackouts. The new market design will prevent this chicanery.

But enough about work and uncertainties.

For us, the year usually commences with sorties to Joshua Tree Nat’l Park, and 2009 was no exception. I’ve been going there for 30+ years now. Its desert mystique has yet to wear off. Basking in winter sunshine is one of the perks of living in SoCal, and Josh becomes a rock-climbing Nirvana until Yosemite thaws out in the spring.

Another desert milieu that I totally dig is Zion Nat’l Park. And since Terry had never been before, I was adamant that we go over her spring break. Joining us was her brother Dan and his wife Becky. That’s Dan in the photo, ascending a precarious section of the old Lady Mountain Trail. This trail was blazed in the 1920s, scaling the 2000-foot high walls of Zion Canyon from floor to rim. It has long since been abandoned by the Park Service, fading into obscurity. But it is quite an adventure—if you can find it. Weather-wise, we experienced snow flurries, rain and glorious sunshine, all in four days. But that’s springtime in Southern Utah for you.

Mom and Darrell visited us in February, driving in from Arizona, where they’ve been living now for 20 years (my, how time flies). It was Darrell’s 80th birthday, so Terry made a cake. Since this was the first time that Mom had seen her great-grandson Logan, I took the opportunity to snap a “four generation” photo.

Doug graduated from high school in June (flanked by his proud mom and dad in the photo). He is now attending Fullerton Community College full time, in addition to working full time as a bike mechanic at Jax Bicycles, and putting in 100+ miles/week on his road bike, plus dating Sarah… In his spare time, he catches up on sleep.

So I come home from work one day, and I find our kitchen gutted down to studs and a concrete slab. The Great Remodel Project had officially begun. We did the

conceptual design over the winter; hired a contractor in the spring; finalized the design and materials (which took quite a while); and started construction the first week in July. Besides the kitchen, we also remodeled the family room; knocked out a wall; installed new flooring throughout the first floor—eight fun weeks of living in a construction zone. Alas, the project consumed much of the summer, taking a big bite out of vacation time and weekend fun. But the end result was worth the sacrifice.

Grandson Logan turned one in August. Heather has become a thoroughly fabulous mom. A natural. She and CJ bought a home about a year and a half ago; put in a new back yard over the summer. The homestead is really coming along. As for Logan: I can’t wait to get him into some climbing shoes and ski boots.

Despite the Great Remodel Project, we did manage to sneak away once in a while. Terry, Doug and I climbed the East Face of Mt. Whitney in July, my third ascent of this classic route. Doug was genuinely stoked, because he had never scaled anything higher than a 200-foot crag at Joshua Tree. He led the final pitch to the summit (photo above), and when I reached the top, he was grinning ear to ear. There’s nothing like the rush of being the first to top out on a big mountain. A few weeks later, Terry and I returned to the High Sierra to climb Mt. Ritter. And though we didn’t quite make the summit (should’ve brought crampons to deal with the ice chute), it was still a sublime trek into the backcountry.

Terry and I celebrated our one-year anniversary in August, which we deemed a good excuse to disappear for a few days. We spent the time on Catalina Island, staying at the Banning House at Two Harbors. It’s a quaint bed & breakfast inn, perched on a hillside overlooking the bays on both sides of the isthmus. As a romantic getaway, it was spot on. We also brought mountain bikes along and scored some good rides, including a dash with a herd of wild buffalo... or should I say Ronaldo rode with the buffalo—his wife wouldn’t have anything to do with it.

Randi turned 22 on Christmas Day. She is due to complete her BFA at Cal State Long Beach in spring, 2011. One advantage of having an artist in the house is that you’ll always have plenty of hip artwork to hang on the walls. The only caveat is that it’s easy come, easy go. I hung a particular large canvas in the living room, one of Terry’s favorites, and when I came home the next day, it was gone—Randi had sold it. So I hung another painting. Let’s see how long this one lasts.

Allie is 19 now (yep, can’t believe it myself). She moved to Los Angeles in the fall, and has started her second year of interior design at FIDM. The girl has got talent. On more than one occasion, we used her burgeoning expertise in colors and layout in our Great Remodel Project.

In October, there was a Barry reunion in Oregon that commanded our presence. It was at my brother Jeff’s place in West Linn, a small, picturesque town on the Willamette River, 15 miles south of Portland. My biological father, Bob, flew in from Hawaii for the occasion; sister Pam came down from Seattle; sister Maggi drove up from Chico. We also spent time with Terry’s sister, Maureen, who lives in Portland with her husband Harv and adorable little daughter, Ahna. It was crisp, autumn weather for Halloween, complete with full moon. Jeff threw a grand costume party. Fun times in Oregon, indeed.

Terry’s sister, Beth, started it. She saw the Flickr photos of our new kitchen and declared: “Thanksgiving at Terry and Ron’s house, woohoo!” Since Terry had been biting at the bit to entertain in the new digs anyhow, she was agreeable. And thus the Mulcahy clan arrived in Yorba Linda. Terry’s mom, Mary Ann, came. So did her brothers Mike and Mark (expressing brotherly love in the photo above), plus Maureen and Harv; Mark’s wife, Ves; and Ves’ sister and family. We had a houseful. As for Beth—well, she had to work Thanksgiving (somebody has to cover the ER on holidays). It was two days of feasting, wine-drinking and movie-watching. As for the new kitchen: It functioned perfectly.

Close on the heels of Thanksgiving comes Christmas, and soon you’re busy jotting down engagements on the December calendar. But hectic as it can sometimes be, it’s wonderful to spend time with family that we don’t get to see often enough. We had Allie, Heather, CJ and little Logan over for Christmas dinner #1. When it came to gifts, Logan made out like a bandit (I was stimulating the economy big time at Target). His favorite gift was the vintage Pink Floyd t-shirt that I got him. I know, I know… but someday he’ll grow to truly appreciate that shirt.

Christmas dinner #2 was a few days later at my brother TJ’s new abode in Riverside, which he and his family had moved into over the summer. My sister Therese was there, and cousin Dan; Eileen; Randy; all my nephews and nieces (niece Charlene at right, with her son Trey).

Then Christmas Day arrived, bright and gloriously sunny. We went for a morning ride along the Santa Ana River Trail before descending upon all those shiny presents under the tree. Later on, Doug’s girlfriend, Sarah, and Randi’s boyfriend, Nick, came over and joined us for dinner (steak and lobster!) and Randi’s birthday cake.

A Mulcahy get-together was planned for New Years in Truckee, where Beth (at left w/ Terry) and her husband, Tom, have a mountain home that can accommodate a whole posse. Dan and Becky flew in from DC; Terry’s sister, Kathy, drove up from the Bay Area, as did her brother Pat and his family; and last but not least, the family matriarch, Mary Ann. Dan, a master chef, cooked up an incredible meal for New Years Eve. On the morning of Jan 1st, we rolled out of bed to fresh snow outside. Squaw Valley was beckoning: Time to hit the slopes.

Hence we began 2009 on desert stone, and ended it on Sierra powder. In between, we tackled a major home remodel; climbed Mt. Whitney; celebrated our first anniversary; watched Doug graduate from high school; rejoiced at Logan’s first birthday party; got Allie moved to LA; shared heartwarming times with family and friends. It was a good year. As one of my heroes, George Harrison, once said: “Life flows on within you and without you.”

Peace to all.