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Family
Ways in which society deals with needs like socialization and familial bonding are through various institutions like school, work, church and extra-curricular activities like sports, scouting, performing arts, service projects, and so on. We do our share of such things but, when the kids were small, I was looking for activities to do with them that would be mutually beneficial, match my introverted and independent nature, and wouldn't add something else to our agenda that threatened to totally take over our family and personal calendars. Thus was born the idea of the Personal Adventure with each Family Member. This genesis is described further in the Dedication and Chapter 1 of the first book, discussed next.
Ways in which society deals with needs like socialization and familial bonding are through various institutions like school, work, church and extra-curricular activities like sports, scouting, performing arts, service projects, and so on. We do our share of such things but, when the kids were small, I was looking for activities to do with them that would be mutually beneficial, match my introverted and independent nature, and wouldn't add something else to our agenda that threatened to totally take over our family and personal calendars. Thus was born the idea of the Personal Adventure with each Family Member. This genesis is described further in the Dedication and Chapter 1 of the first book, discussed next.
Viannah was the oldest child; I went with her first. This is a picture of her taken in April 1997, about two months before the two of us hiked across the Grand Canyon. (It has been my computer background ever since.) Not shown is a cast on her leg and crutches she was using to get around that day. This was "Take Your Daughters to Work Day" and here she is sitting at my work station in the Rogue Receiver lab, then in Building 238 of NASA's JPL. (See work.) This pre-adventure is also described in the book. Yes, we did do our hike. Yes, she did do better than I.
Here is the book:
Viannah Walks Across the Grand Canyon
Note to the Reader, Dedication, Introduction, and Contents
Chapter 1. The Concept: Doing Something Big Together
Chapter 2. A Start
Chapter 3. Some Training Hikes
Chapter 4. The End Game - A Broken Stride
Chapter 5. The Week Before, The Drive Out
Chapter 6. A Day of Rest at the North Rim
Chapter 7. The Hike In
Chapter 8. Tuesday at Bright Angel Campground
Chapter 9. Up at Four, Hike out by Noon?
Chapter 10. Back to Civilization
Chapter 11. Summer Weeks After
Chapter 12. If We Were Going to Do It Again...
Appendix A. The Scrapbook
Appendix B. The Camping List
Appendix C. Balance Sheet
The next adventure was with Katherine. She and I visited Santa Rosa Island off the coast of southern California in August 2000 as the culmination of some hiking, some touring, and some light ocean kayaking.
1998-99 Palm Crest Art Contest
First Place Grade 6
Here is her book:
A Beginning with Katherine
Note to the Reader, Dedication, Introduction, and Contents
Chapter 1. And Now...
Chapter 2. Early Plans, A Busy Year
Chapter 3. Training Events
Chapter 4. More Training, More Planning
Chapter 5. Kayaking
Chapter 6. Family Camp
Chapter 7. From La Canada to Santa Rosa Island
Chapter 8. From The Pier To The Campground
Chapter 9. Canada Lobo
Chapter 10. East Point
Chapter 11. Monday, August 21, 2000
Chapter 12. From Santa Rosa Island to La Canada
Chapter 13. The Aftermath, Lessons Learned
Chapter 14. Transitions
Appendix A. Pictures
Appendix B. GPS Positions
Appendix C. Girl Scouts
Appendix D. OAARS
Appendix E. Dad's Transition, the Longer Version
Appendix F. Family Camping List (Raw)
The latest adventure was with John. We drove up and down the west coast for two and a half weeks in August 2006.
John and the HeliCat, August 1999.
Here is his book:
John on the PCH
Dedication, Note to the Reader, and Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1. The Idea
Chapter 2. The Preparation
Chapter 3. North Bound
Chapter 4. The Northwest
Chapter 5. Seattle
Chapter 6. Turning South
Chapter 7. South Bound
Chapter 8. San Francisco
Chapter 9. Highway One
Chapter 10. Back Home
Appendix A. E-Mailed Pictures
Appendix B. Statistics
Appendix C. Preparatory Outings
Appendix D. Ham Radio
Appendix E. Joanne Butler
Appendix F. Training and Planning Lists
Appendix G. Post Outings
Not exactly in the "with the kids" vein, but I spent four weeks early in 2007 in Hillsboro for my mother to get both knees replaced. While I was there we also installed a new digital TV, bought a new car, introduced her to the cellphone, and had the old garage torn down and a replacement started. The complete story is here.
The original plan had been for me to do something quadrennial with each other family member, maybe around their 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th birthdays (later for Viann). As you can see from this original plan and by reading the books, I am a chronic over-planner. By the end, it was clear that each event would end up being limited to a few days to a week, a thousand to a few thousand dollars, and, sadly, only once. But, by the time training, planning, and execution were done, the pieces picked up afterwards, and the book written, that was enough to remember. (And, anyway, time had to be left for all that other stuff: church, work, school, scouting, performing arts...) And, Viannah used "Grand Canyon with Dad" material in her college application essays. There has been synergy.
After the kids are done and gone, Viann wants to climb Mt. Whitney. As a warm up, Viannah has planned an all-family trip to the Grand Canyon in June 2010. We've started hiking locally to prepare for this. Maybe in 2011 or 2012 we'll extend to Whitney.
Notes on the Grand Canyon preparations.
last modified 2010 February 27