Graphic of the Day - Incoming Atmospheric River III

Now the weather models are backing off previous prognostications to the effect that this late-season Atmospheric River/Pineapple Express event later next week will be epic nature. It seems now that there won't be any storm system coinciding with its arrival to squeeze maximum precipitation out of it. Hence, it appears at the moment that this event will bring mostly very warm showers with high sno levels and higher precipitation where orographic lift can occur such as the Sierra Nevada. It also appears the focus of this moisture will be further north than the Central Coast. Image courtesy of NBC Bay Area (all rights reserved).

Picture of the Day - Model A Downtown

While walking along the periphery of the downtown park in Paso Robles today, I chanced upon this functioning museum specimen, a Ford Model A (1927-31). Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Graphic of the Day - Incoming Atmospheric River II

Atmospheric scientist Alicia M. Bentley tweeted this earlier today. This is now the second consecutive 24-hour period in which models are progging an Atmospheric River/Pineapple Express hitting California about a week into April. This is no April Fools Joke!

Picture of the Day - Marlyn Moonroe

Today I felt lost with what's happening in my family and needed to reboot my mind by leaving town and heading south to San Luis Obispo for a couple of hours. I had my breakfast/lunch/dinner combo in the form of the sampler plate at Mo's Barbecue Steakhouse, my first such visit. I also visited BooBoo Records and Phoenix Books, although I purchased nothing. On my walk back to my car as I passed along the south side of the SLO REP, I espied one of the Cow Parade cow statues on permanent display. I do not recall seeing this one before which made it an added treat. As some of you may or may not recall, I worked both the public display event for the Cow Parade at the Madonna Inn in September, 2016, and the private auction of the cow statues at Oyster Ridge Barn outside Santa Margarita.

Graphic of the Day - Incoming Atmospheric River

NBC Bay Area weatherman Rob Mayeda tweeted this tonight.... I hope this happens (Atmospheric River/Pineapple Express) .... it would be a first here in California in my living memory.

Picture of the Day - Haile's Rare Pepe

Today I subbed at Atascadero High School. Two of my students from last year's student teaching experience were in study hall. Haile began to draw the outline to Pepe the Frog, my all-time favorite meme. She remembered from last year when I revealed my Pepe-fetish to my classes and shared some of my favorite Rare Pepes. As she neared completion I handed her a green dry-erase marker to color in Pepe. She created a great Pepe image! Thanks, Haile! Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

A Great Last Breath

Two minutes into this 2014 modern progressive house gem by Polish deejay Matt Eray (Mateusz Szadziun) and Russian-Canadian Serei Kanev entitled "The Last Breath" comes alive.

Picture of the Day - Twisted & Glazed

Today was a particularly fulfilling day for me as I experienced a number of minor successes in sharp contrast to how things have felt for quite some time. I also wanted to cheer myself up after suffering a big let-down when I visited Loved One this afternoon. After celebrating by grabbing a burger & shake at a downtown diner I took a walk to burn off some of those calories. I unexpectedly kept walking much further than I had originally intended. On the fly I elected to walk at sunset from my 15th Street address all the way down the main drag of Spring Street to First Street/Niblick Street and turn around and walk back on the opposite side of the street. I was waylaid in that endeavor just past 6th Street when I walked southbound on the southbound side of Spring Street in front of a specialty doughnut store at 521 Spring Street with the carb-ominous name "Twisted & Glazed". Previous to this and recently, my brother-by-another-mother Wibergman let me finish half of a doughnut he acquired from this place and I was impressed and noted to myself that I needed to visit the place. Of course, I then proceeded to forget all about it.... until earlier this evening. Somehow I got out of their with only three calorie grenades at $2.50 a pop. Yes, the one at left has bacon on it, the one at top has Fruity Pebbles cereal on it, and the onte at bottom right has wafers and chocolate and such on it. Note: I did not actually eat any of this tonight preferring a full pour of red wine and two Rum & Mexican Cokes for dessert and to numb my pain. Photo by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

How It Works

Well it happened again today. I stopped by to visit and guess what I discovered? It must have started yesterday. Apparently, it was once again triggered by "breathing problems" (read as Anxiety Attack) and self-medication ensued. This will not end well I fear. I've been going through this full-on for just over three years now and much longer than that peripherally and unaware. I am haunted by the words from Alcoholics Anonymous' Big Book which are read before every meeting. That the Big Book of A.A. was heavily influenced by the Bible (A.A.'s founders were Christians) can be seen throughout this breathtakingly beautiful and profound excerpt. I am haunted by multiple parts of this which God has been bringing to mind a lot the past several months not unlike how He brings to mind passages of Scripture. It is noteworthy that one can replace the word "alcohol" with the word "sin" and it all works just as well. Each can be seen as a metaphor of the other.


"Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault; they seem to have been born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty. Their chances are less than average.
There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest.
Our stories disclose in a general way what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now. If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it -- then you are ready to take certain steps.
At some of these we balked. Thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not. With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely.
Remember that we deal with alcohol, cunning, baffling, powerful! Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power that One is God. May you find Him now!
Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked His protection and care with complete abandon.
Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery:

We admitted we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable.  Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.  Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.  Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.  Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Many of us exclaimed, "What an order! I can't go through with it." Do not be discouraged. No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We are not saints. The point is, that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. The principles we have set down are guides to progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection." 

~ Chapter 5: How It Works

Picture of the Day - Mobile Mancave

Today into this evening I worked a wedding at Four Sister Ranch Vineyards & Winery northeast of Paso Robles, CA. There I witnessed a new thing in the universe: Mobile Mancave "For the Modern Day Gentleman" courtesy of Kramer Events. I wish I had thought of this first and possessed the capital to make it a reality. Oh well: at least it now exists and on my Central Coast no less. I was told by those who know, that within is contained are flat screen TV & surround-sound and plush chairs & sofas and a kitchen no less.

Both photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

Graphic of the Day - So It Begins

The long-awaited Pineapple Express/Atmospheric River has arrived in California.
Image courtesy of National Weather Service.

Graphic of the Day - Incoming Pineapple Express

This is a computer modeling of rainfall totals across California from this week's epic Pineapple Express/Atmospheric River event as of earlier today with expected arrival sometime tomorrow. Image courtesy of John Lindsay (all rights reserved). 

My First Grey Pines Trail Hike

Today I took another vigorous hike on the west side/main section of Santa Margarita Lake Park with my hiking bros. I'm trying to get into a weekly routine of a 2-3 such hikes as I attempt to get back in physical fitness and lose weight. Below are some of the notable things I observed as I hiked the entirety of the Grey Pines Trail from Grey Pines Flat to Vaca Flat and back.

There are an abundance of interesting sedimentary rock formations.

This part of the lake is also where the Salinas River Channel used to run before being dam impounded by the Salinas Reservoir Dam.

The main trail skirting the north shore of the lake is visible across the lake from here.

I christened this the Penis Formation for obvious reasons.

All the rock formations in this area are Miocene sedimentary deposits that have been tectonically lifted at a uniform angle.

On the way back to the car we encountered these vultures sunning themselves on a tree overlook. They seemed utterly unconcerned with our close proximity. All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).