Death Valley & More

I recently made a trip to Death Valley for some site-seeing while the weather was manageable. Death Valley claims consecutive days with temperatures above 130F during some summer months, so a January trip seemed like a good idea. It worked out well with 65F and sun all day.

My first stop was at a place outside Ridgescrest, CA called Trona Pinnacles National Natural Landmark. It was a stop of opportunity when I saw the sign on the side of the road. I enjoyed it but the picture didn't do it justice in the early morning light.

Trona Pinnacles

The drive into Death Valley was spectacular. I came up from Ridgecrest and through the Panamint Valley. You climb up to about 4500 feet above sea level before plunging in to the valley, eventually winding up at the lowest spot in the US at 282 feet below sea level - Badwater Basin. Along the way were stops to see Salt Creek, the Devil's Golf Course, and Artist's Drive. It was beautiful. Crazy to think how hot it gets there. I find it very interesting that the lowest point in North America (Badwater Basin) is less than 100 miles from the highest point in the continental US (Mt Whitney). Talk about extremes!

Salt Creek - Home of the Pup Fish

One of the views from Artist's Drive

The Devil's Golf Course - salt deposits

Me at Badwater Basin

I also got word that my orders are changing a bit and I will now be assigned to submarine group nine in Bangor. This is a much better job that requires no commute and is real shore duty - no deployments. I am supposed to be relieved in July and should be home in July. I can't wait!

Home for the Holidays (Sort of)

I have been gone at sea for a while now, but we pulled in for the holidays and I am looking forward to my family flying to San Diego for Christmas. It won't be "home", but at least we will be together. I will be able to go home for a week or so over New Years to take care of a few things around the house for Jeannette. It has been 15 months since I left now. Feels like forever.

I have been talking to my detailer and it looks like I am going to be relieved in July of 2011. I am excited for this next change because this job is not a whole lot of fun. I don't know where I will go next but at least we will be together again, wherever that happens to be.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Trip to Joshua Tree National Park

A friend of mine from college came down to San Diego for work and we decided to take a trip out of town on Saturday to go see Joshua Tree National Park. I have been several times but Dave had never been there. We left about 11 and headed out. It has been kind of moist around San Diego recently and we hoped for some good weather on our way up there.

This trip was the first time I have been up there with clouds and a bot of rain. My first trip to Joshua Tree was last winter, and I have been there throughout the spring and summer months. Never a cloud before. This time we saw lots of rainbows and plenty of big rain drops. It was actually kind of neat and presented a completely different perspective on the desert. Made me think about flash floods as we drove through areas labeled as "wash", too! It all went fine, though.

We hiked out to Barker Dam, a place I had visited before when it had more water in it. This time, at the end of summer, it was nearly empty. We also saw a little rattle snake that Dave almost stepped on. Neither of us saw it before, but both of us were looking much more closely after that!

We drove back to San Diego through Julian, stopped at my favorite pizza joint along the way, and got back around 9 pm. Great day.

Now I am heading off to sea for a couple of months. I get a break around Thanksgiving and get to see the family when they come down. My next real time in port is at Christmas. My detailer tells me that I will be relieved in August. No idea where we will head next, yet. Hopefully, Jeannette and I will find out sometime in January.

San Diego

So I made it down to San Diego and have been on my boat for about the week trying to get turned over and relieve as XO. I am staying in the Bachelor Officer Quarters on the sub base (the picture above was a sunrise from my room) until more permanent housing is available. I signed a lease for an apartment down on the main base near National City and move in Saturday. I will post more pictures when done moving.

Most of my week has been spent checking in and talking to the guy I am relieving. The rest of the crew is on liberty following a very succesful deployment. I actually get a few weeks to get my feet on the ground before they all come back. Then I am in and out for the next several months.

Missing the family a lot and love calling to talk to them. I am going to try to spend some time in Los Angeles visiting my brother, Greg. I have to figure out how to get away from the boat occassionally.

I will post more when moving in.

Moving On

My time in Groton is nearing the end (thankfully). Not many memories that I will look back on favorably. The Submarine Command Course was challenging and frustrating. It is a necessary event, I suppose. I am glad it is done.

Next stop is in Newport, RI for two weeks of leadership training. After that I am home for a couple of weeks and then on to San Diego to report to the USS Topeka as XO. I am looking forward to this chapter of my career and hoping it turns out well. Anyone that finds themselves in the San Diego area - give me a call. I won't have a house or anything like that, but we can get dinner or something.

I spent Thanksgiving at home and it was great. Got to engage in relatively thoughtless activities like cooking and such. It was nice to see the family again. I am really looking forward to spending Christmas at home. This is my favorite time of year.

Take care.

Groton, CT

I made it to Groton, CT for the first stage of my school prior to relieving as XO on USS Topeka. Pretty uneventful trip through Detroit, MI. I arrived Saturday evening and friends Mark & Janelle picked me up and took me to their house for a little food and football watching. I got to my room on base at around midnight and set up shop. The room is alright. Clean and modern but no cooking facilities.

I have about a month here before we transition to the at sea phase where we ride a couple of submarines and do some war gaming stuff. Then back up to Groton to debrief the at sea time. I will be home for Thanksgiving and back to Newport, RI for a leadership school. Should be home for Christmas.

The Honda Fit is in the shop getting fixed after an accident Melissa had (no injuries). Total damage - $6,500. Ouch. Insurance pays for most of it, but the premiums seem likely to go up now.

I finished my ride to Glacier National Park the week before I left home. It was awesome. I posted some pictures over on my web site at www.web.mac.com/tnjallen. Not much riding in my future for now. Just have to keep looking at pictures.

That's it for now. Take care.

My Faith Took A Little Hit

So, walked out to the Honda Fit (Melissa's ride) to look at a paper in the window and this is what I saw when I came around the driver's side. Someone stole the rim and tire from the left front! And took the lug nuts, too. Unknown perps, but they have apparently been hitting people around our area and we are the third or fourth victim to have tires stolen from a Fit. At first I was just frustrated by the meanness of it, but now that I have the bill from the dealer (around $750), I am mad, mad, mad.

Not sure if I am more surprised at the lack of respect someone had for my property, or that I had any faith in that concept to begin with. Melissa suggested electrifying the car so they would get a surprise the next time. There is a little bit of me in that kid.

Either way, does no good to obsess, so on with life.