On the other side of the pass....

I started writing this post over the weekend, so thought I better just publish it... Makes it look like I am SORT of keeping up with blogging. Ya right! This post doens't even include anything about weekend rides, but oh well! My next post will include more bike-related updates.

Greg, Murphy and I are enjoying our weekend getaway to sunny Palm Springs. I can see the clouds packed into Banning pass and from what Kelly told me yesterday, Redlands is/was socked in. Not sure if that means rain or just clouds, but it's a different story here in the desert. Even though we are only 45 min away from Redlands, it feels worlds apart. The news channels are even different here!

We are doggie sitting for Chris and Steve until Monday and Murphy is in heaven. Two other dogs to play with, nice weather, a pool to sit by and sun himself, rocks to eat, other dogs toys to destroy. We headed up to the wash behind Chris and Steve's house yesterday to do some hiking (essentially the east side of San Jacinto wilderness) and will do so again here in a little while. It's a great hike (and totally screams for a mountain bike to be ridden on it). The dogs go off-leash and the cutest thing is to see all three dogs in a row hiking up the trail. Pix to come soon!

The other great part about being in the desert right now is The Palm Springs International Film Festival. This is the 17th year of the fest and it keeps getting bigger and more prestgious every year. This is our 2nd year attending some portion of it and I highly recommend it to all of you! Typically the director and/or actors of the films attending the screenings and conduct Q/A after the movie. As of this afternoon we have seen three movies and have at least one more scheduled for tonight. Chris & Steve let us use their passes so we get priority seating and don't have to pay! A pretty sweet deal. Chris & Steve were at the awards gala last week for opening night along with the likes of Charlize Theron, Jake Gyllenhal and Shirley MacClaine. Not bad! Last year, Chris rubbed shoulders with Nicole Kidman! It's fun living vicariously through them. :o)

We have seen:
Hard Candy (the director and lead actress were in the audience for this one!)
Bal-Can-Can (very good from what I recall, but I dozed off! Director of the film was present)
a.k.a Tommy Chong (excellent!!!!!!!!!!!! Director of the film was present. had we gone to yesterday's screening, Chong himself was there!)
Days of Santiago (very disturbing realizations....)

In any event! It was a nice weekend, but taking care of three dogs is alot of work. I don't know how Chris & Steve did it for 10 days over Christmas!