Oh Canada! - Day 9

Round about 9:30am, we crossed the border into Canada bound for Vancouver. Allyson had to drop of Garrett at SEA-TAC airport quite early and we wanted to maximize our day. This was quite a feat for us since the majority of our days haven't started until noon, but we arrived - not quite bright eyed and bushy tailed - pretty much just breathing.

For consistency's sake, Vancouver weather proved to be as unpredictable as it had been in the States. Light rainfall joined us off-and-on during our stroll around the Van Dusen Botanical Garden (terrible for the bangs, which the photos will attest to). We are quite used to the rain by now though so that wasn't going to damper our spirits. The garden was unbelievable - colors overwhelmed our eyes and I had a hard time deciding what not to take a picture of. There was a maze towards the end that we absolutely had to try out. Don't worry everyone, we found our way out.

Rested and relaxed, we decided a bike ride downtown would be next on our list. We were starving at this point (this seems to keep happening), so we found a little cafe called Bread Garden where we grabbed a bite and proceeded to fall asleep on their comfy couches for 2 hours! Once awake, and aware that the people here must think we are homeless or something, we hightailed it outta there and continued our ride down in the harbor area.

After the bike ride, a missed turn took us through the Stanley Park (gorgeous!) area on our way across the bridge to Grouse Mountain. We decided the detour was a good one, but were disappointed to find that the suspended bridge we wanted to see had just closed for the night. Making lemons out of lemonade, we continued a bit further up the mountain - stopping at Cleveland Dam and the Grouse mountain cable car. Somewhere around 10pm I got a second wind and we said goodbye to our friendly neighbor to the north, stopping about 20 miles outside of Seattle. Now that's what I call an honest day's work!

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Sprinkle-less in Seattle - Day 8

Ironically, the one place that both Allyson and I fully expected to be grey and rainy, was one of the only places that offered us blue skies and fairly warm weather. It seems the black rain cloud that has been following us decided to take a break...and we weren't about to complain.

We spent the day exploring Seattle - Allyson and Garrett hopped on the bikes and I met my friend Burch who generously offered to play tour guide. I got to see some breathtaking spots that I most likely wouldn't have seen otherwise. Alki beach in West Seattle is a definite must see for those of you who've never been. Also, we had another encounter with the law, but miraculously escaped ticket-free. I'm getting an eerie feeling that I'm a good luck charm in the passenger seat...hopefully I won't have to test my luck as the driver.

After the tour with Burch, I walked around the Public Market and watched a fish get thrown across a counter, admired the beautiful flower bouquets and almost got ripped off when I bought some local grown tomatoes (you gotta be careful in those tourist traps).

Later, Allyson, Garret and I enjoyed a nice dinner and then walked to Highway 99, a blues bar, for open dance night. For the second time of this trip, I got to shake my groove thing a bit - not to mention immortalize our journey on their Wall of Fame.

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Three States, Plus One - Day 7

Today was another fairly aggressive day of driving. We started in Missoula, MT, crossed over the panhandle of Idaho through Coeur d'Alene (gorgeous area!), made a stop in Spokane, WA then traversed the state and ended in Seattle, WA. The distance didn't phase us though, we have become immune to day-long drives at this point. Not so immune that we're not enjoying it, but at the end of our days, we're finding it difficult to recall where we woke up that same morning. I guess that's just part of the job.

In Spokane, we picked up a passenger - Allyson's boyfriend Garrett - who flew in to join the fun for a day. We explored the city for a bit, grabbed a bite (after coming so close to starvation point that Allyson and I barely tasted the food we shoveled in), hit the road (with Garrett in the backseat), and arrived in Seattle 4 hours later just in time to catch some Zs.

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Dances with Cowboys - Day 6, part 2

Our little red BMW handled the snow-laden roads like a champ and got us over the mountain to clear skies. At this point, we felt we had seen and conquered so many different types of weather (rain, fog, sleet, hail, snow!) that we needed to encounter one more enigma to complete our Northwest trip...a cowboy!

Not far from our destination for the night - Missoula, MT - Allyson spotted an eye-catching watering hole called Cowboy Troy's. Earlier we had discussed our idea of what cowboy life would be like and concluded that a bar crowd would be a safe bet in finding one. Besides, how could we go wrong if the word "cowboy" was in the name?

Our instincts were on the nose. Within minutes of walking in, we met a small group of 3 guys and 1 girl who were friendly and seemed to know everyone in the entire place. It turns out one of them was an outfitter - someone that takes groups into the open country and basically keeps them from being dinner for the wildlife. We all started talking and I quickly learned that outfitters in Montana have a strong perception (to put it mildly) of Southern Californians. After being that I should never admit to being from SoCal (Wyoming was the outfitter's preference), I decided it was "Game ON"!

The outfitter and I went head-to-head on several issues and quickly decided that politics were a lost cause - although somehow the topic kept gravitating in that direction. Despite our polar opposite beliefs, however, we managed to have civil conversation - and even a good time! Just before leaving, he made a gesture of peace by asking me to dance. I obliged, and couldn't help but think that maybe this Southern Californian helped put a small dent in his strong opinions.

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Mules and Snowflakes - Day 6, part 1

Rest and Relaxation, plus some time not in a moving vehicle was on the menu today. We've traveled a couple thousand miles already, so it couldn't have come at a better time to have some down time with family. Allyson went for a run, I chatted with Grandpa and cousin Bill and we all enjoyed a nice homemade breakfast of french toast and scrambled eggs. As we were eating and enjoying the view of the Salmon River, I noticed a few mules and a horse and asked if they were trained. That was pretty much all it took and about an hour later, my cousins Charlie and Justin had the mules saddled up for a trail ride in the hills.

I threw on a cowboy hat, Allyson got used to being on a mule (she has only ridden a handful of times - brave girl!) and Justin led us up the trail. Just as we got going, light snow began to fall but died down enough for us to continue. Then, a bald eagle soared over our heads, almost close enough to make eye contact. We reached the top of the hill and laid our eyes on an unbelievable view of the Salmon River snaking around the valley below. We could have kept going and explored for hours, but good old Mother nature had another plan. The temperature started dropping and our extremities could no longer handle it, so we went back to the house.

Our timing was impeccable, not more than 20 minutes later snowflakes the size of half dollars were blanketing the valley. We enjoyed the not-so-common mid-May storm from the warmth of the house while we defrosted our hands and toes with a hair dryer. Fully committed to our itinerary, we decided to say our goodbyes and brave the weather on our way back to Montana.

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Tank Tops and Snow Storms - Day 5

We woke up this morning in Billings, MT to blue sky and fairly warm weather. Rather than hitting the road immediately, Allyson wanted to see Moss Mansion and get a feel for the town. The mansion was a pleasant stop and once we got our fill, we proceeded onward towards Salmon, ID to visit my grandparents.

We covered a lot of ground and, as usual, stopped several times for some “I cant believe we are really here right now” shots. At this point, both Allyson and I are starting to lose track of what day it is – they all seem to blend together. I’m pretty impressed though with our progress. We started with a very ambitious itinerary, but if we keep this pace up, we just might see everything on our itinerary.

A stop in the old mining town of Butte, MT was a nice reprieve from the road – we walked around the historic district, saw an old Victorian mansion and grabbed a coffee in a former jailhouse that also happens to be haunted (the owner told us some spooky stories). A couple of hours later, we found ourselves in a mountain range between Montana and Idaho that took our breath away. Dense, untouched forrest surrounded us and snow-capped mountains stood proudly in the distance – easy in the top 3 most picturesque drives so far.

Like thirsty sponges, we soaked up every last ounce of the beauty, not wanting to miss a thing. And, just as the irony of having packed mostly tank tops while the temperature outside read 40 degrees (and falling), Mother Nature decided to show us her stuff again. This time…a snowstorm! Probably the last thing either of us expected was to be in the mountains of Idaho, wearing tank tops, taking pictures in the snow – but that’s exactly what happened. When in Rome, right? We lived it up, drove a little slower and made it into Salmon just in time to enjoy a delicious dinner with Grandma, Grandpa and Lynn. Ahhh, life is good.

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Devil's Tower puts Mother Nature on the Map - Day 4

After our victory at Mt. Rushmore, we chose to plug away a bit more on our journey and make it to Rapid City, SD. The morning greeted us with bright blue skies and crisp, clean air that my SoCal lungs were ecstatic to get a dose of.

Before we left for our next destination – Devil’s Tower, WY – we decided to take advantage of the nice weather and put the bikes we’ve been hauling all this way to good use. We pedaled leisurely around the quaint-but-artsy downtown area taking pictures, talking to store owners and window shopping. Once we had our fill, and Allyson had her coffee, we were on our way to Devil’s Tower.

The drive was epic, every angle looked like a postcard – the sky was an unbelievable blue, the hills were as green as the ones in Ireland and the clouds were perfect, puffy cotton balls. For a couple of marketing chicks, it was too irresistible. We pulled off the side of the road somewhere in Wyoming and just sat in the grass listening to the wind rustle through it. And, of course, took about a thousand pictures.

For the last couple days I’ve really been wanting to snap a perfect red barn picture. Well, we found one on the way and made a detour that was well worth it. A few hours later, we made it to Devil’s Tower – a very dramatic natural structure that stands over 800 ft tall smack dab in the middle of a valley. I couldn’t help but sit back and give Mother Nature some props for the work she has done over the years.

Speaking of Mother Nature, I think she must be feeling a little competitive (Current score: Thelma & Louise – 2pts, Mother Nature – 1 pt) because she really flexed her muscles with the sunset she showed us. It was so incredible, I am tempted to award her another point, but I think I’d like to keep her motivated for the rest of the trip. Current score stands.

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Rushing to Rushmore - Day 3

We got off to a bit of a late start this morning, maybe the driving is catching up to us, or maybe it was the heavy rain bathing Casper that made it hard to lift our eyelids. Either way, we dragged ourselves out of bed and stumbled into a Starbucks to fuel up and plan out our drive for the day. We befriended the baristas and it turned out one of them grew up in La Habra - not too far from where I was born - small world! In the end, we decided to press on and make the trek to South Dakota where Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse National Monument were waiting for us.

Just as everyone had told us, the drive from WY into SD was absolutely breathtaking. We made a few impromptu photo stops along the way including: a Stagecoach Museum, a herd of wild horses running along the highway (I can check that off the "dream come true" list!) and a few bulls that Allyson tried to pet (unfortunately they don't take too kindly to strangers).

Some of you may not know, but Mt. Rushmore was my main destination of this road trip. It's been on my list for quite a while, so needless to say, I was excited and anxious to get there - especially since since our day had started so late. Well, it turned out that daylight should have been the least of my concerns, Mother Nature had another trick up her sleeve. This time...FOG!

Yes, it's true, we walked up the flag lined pathway to the monument that had been calling to me from thousands of miles away, only to find it covered in a blanket of fog. I, of course, did not immediately see the irony in the situation - how dare this weather impose on my itinerary! We waited for a while, hoping the fog would clear and give us a quick glimpse, but to no avail. A nice tour guide tried to make lemonade from lemons by holding a pamphlet behind our heads for a photo.

Determined not to let Mother Nature even out the score (recall our drive out of Salt Lake), we chose to leave and check out Crazy Horse, then come back to Rushmore. Our plan proved successful. Crazy Horse peeked his head out of the clouds just as we were pulling up and Mt Rushmore fought off the fog for the rest of the night.

Score: Thelma and Louise - 2 points
           Mother Nature - 0 points!!!


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Mother Nature cuts us some slack - Day 2, part 2

After Mother Nature realized we weren't backing down, she stepped aside and gave us some nice weather for our drive to Casper, WY. The landscape gave us plenty of testing material for Hipstamatic, Allyson's new iPhone app. It's only the second day of our trip and between the two of us we've probably got over 200 pictures.

A few hours into Wyoming, it hit me that this state is an unexpected surprise. I think I was envisioning flat prairie land as far as the eye could see, but was taken aback by the beautiful, diverse scenery. At one point it looked like we were on Mars - totally barren, dusty hills. The next minute we set our eyes on vivid canyons colored by red clay and lush green grass. A rainbow even peeked out of the clouds to welcome us. A quick detour on a road less traveled took us to an old trading town called Ft. Bridger where we snapped a few shots and continued on our way.

Nearing Casper, we stopped for refreshments at the Hole in the Wall - yes, that's the real name - and ended up meeting some friendly folks who were entertained by a couple of California girls named Thelma and Louise. The sunset was "pull-over-and-stop worthy", so we did, and added another 100 pictures to our ever growing album. After the sun retired for the evening, we pulled into the friendly town of Casper where we grabbed dinner with a long-time friend, Trevor, then hit the hay.

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Topless in the rain - Day 2, part 1

We woke up on Day 2 in SLC ready to hit the road and head to our next stop - Casper, WY - but not before spending a little time with some family. I got to spend time with my cousin-in-law (is that even a real title?) Nicole, her 3 month old Jackson and my 2nd cousin, Hayden. Then I met with my cousin Maria (who is due to have twins in September) for a quick bite.

We said goodbye to Salt Lake and were soon thereafter greeted by a nice little downpour. Normally this would be no problem, however, in true OC fashion, we had the convertible top down and were both wearing short sleeves. Determined not to let anyone - even Mother Nature - rain on our parade, we blasted the heater and hit the gas (rain tends to roll over your head the faster you go). And the winner is...Thelma and Louise!

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Le Road Trip de Thelma & Louise - Day 1

Well folks, it's been a little over a year since the 2009 Magic Van Cross-Country Road Trip and I find myself back on the road. On this adventure - appropriately named the "Thelma & Louise Northwest Tour" (minus the murder and cliff jumping) - I, a.k.a. Thelma, will be accompanied by a good friend and previous co-worker, Allyson, a.k.a. Louise. The goal is to see Mt. Rushmore, then head west to Vancouver and back down the coast in 2 weeks. Mode of transportation? A bright red BMW convertible. This should be fun.



We left Orange County at about noon and decided to power through to Salt Lake City. Somewhere in the IE, we stopped at Starbucks for some much needed fuel. Allyson went in and came out a few minutes later with a pair of reusable cups (appropriately labeled with our aliases) and a friendly barista who humored us and took a couple of "Day 1" photos for us. Then, we were officially on our way.

Approximately 12 hours, probably a hundred pictures, one averted ticket (I think the cop couldn't resist our adorable head scarves), thousands of "ooohs and ahhhs" at the gorgeous scenery and a quick dinner of "Creative American Food" (mine was more American than creative), we made it to SLC. it was a little later than planned, but lucky for us, we had a very generous invitation to stay with my cousin David, his wife Nicole and their 3 month old, Jackson (who I have not yet met). They left the door unlocked for us and we sank into our beds for some much needed Zs.

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Relay for Life 2010

Yet another successful year for Fish Poop Soup! This was my 3rd year as Team Captain and I had a blast as always. I can't thank you guys enough for your generous donations and to those of you who showed up to walk throughout the day (and wee hours of the night)...I couldn't do it without you!

Relay for Life 2010

The Nightline piece about Hoarders, featuring my family

Last night, ABC's Nightline aired an episode about Hoarders and my family was featured. Dorothy Breninger, the organizer that worked with my mom during the A&E Hoarders show is featured as well.

ABC Nightline features my family regarding our "Hoarders" episode

This week ABC's Nightline News posted an article about Hoarding and how it affects different people. The article features Dorothy Breninger, the organizer who worked with my mom, Janet, back in November for the A&E "Hoarders" episode. Here is what they had to say about us:

'I Felt Really Helpless'
Janet Lamping, who, with Breininger's help, cleared the overwhelming mess that filled her house, insists hoarding is not a mental disorder. Lamping said she did not consider herself a hoarder, and the problem is manageable. "I can hear [Breininger] saying, 'Do it now, put it in a box, get rid of it, get it out of here,'" said Lamping. Lamping's house still has rooms that aren't clutter-free, but she says she's working on it.

In Lamping's case, as in many hoarding cases, a loved one called for help. Lamping's daughter Amy was desperate. "I felt really helpless, and kind of like I was watching a train wreck in slow motion every time I came home," Amy Lamping said. "It was very painful, and I think I dealt with it just by leaving, staying away as much as I could."

She said she doesn't share her mom's optimism that all the work done cleaning up her mom's house has solved the problem still buried underneath. "I don't know that I could say that my mom is completely better yet," Amy Lamping said. "I don't think you can just jump right out of something like this because it's taken years and years to get to where it was. It's going to take years to get out of it, I think."

To view full article, click here
By NEAL KARLINSKY and ELOISE HARPER
March 3, 2010

The San Gabriel Valley Tribune covers our "Hoarders" story

Read the recent article about my family's episode on A&E's Hoarders as published by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

When her husband died, her house became a reflection of herself and her family life. There was so much stuff piled up that there was no room to walk, nowhere to put anything. The devastation of Tom's death caused Janet to turn to compulsive hoarding, which is when an individual obsessively accumulates so much excessive clutter that it creates a debilitating and cramped environment. Even a photo of Tom, a Whittier Police Department sergeant, sat on top of clutter. But in a fateful moment that changed her life, cable channel A&E chose her story for the show "Hoarders." Things would change for the better.