Q's Year in Review: Q's 2013

Here it is, the last day of our week(ish) long Year in Review for 2013!  This is the one where I get to talk about myself incessantly.  It will probably be the most boring…or the most interesting, depending on how in to me you are!

2013 was an interesting and pretty awesome year.  I got to visit some of my favorite places, I got to have some new experiences, I fell in love...and I almost died!  Well, sorta!  AND, I turned 30!  Sheesh.  It was pretty must your standard Patrick Quinn year (well, if you add in the falling in love part...but we'll get into that).

As always, I picked out my top 10 moments of the year.  These are the things I did, or that happened to me, that I deemed to be the most interesting/entertaining/important in 2013.  Let's check them out!

First, the honorable mentions.  Dan and Jonelle's Wedding in SoCal was really quite fun.  It was great to see the ol C-Squad clan!  I got to spend a weekend in Seascape with Jessica and her family to celebrate her birthday that was really fun...even if it was a wee bit foggy.  Thanksgiving in Lancaster and Christmas in 72 degree Pebble Beach are always highlights!  And, finally, we gave my old sweatshirt Big Red a proper send-off.  All awesome parts of 2013...all not quite on the list.

And don't forget my epic 700th Blog Post!  One of my all time favorites.  Anyways, on to the list...

10.  Ouch!  My Appendix is Bursting!

“I do not want you dying on my bathroom floor.”

Haha, yeah, I can be a stubborn one.  But Jessica was able to get me into the emergency room before my appendix burst.  While I would not call this a, um, highlight of my year, it was definitely notable.  The entire story can be found here:  Stomach Pains.  The highlights...my stomach hurt.  I figured it was caused by food poisoning.  I ignored it.  Ate tacos.  Went to bed.  Woke up in extreme pain.  Laid on the cool bathroom floor.  Jessica competently shamed me into going to the hospital...and lo and behold, my appendix was ready to burst!  One surgery later, and it was gone!  Oof.  Not fun, but definitely notable!  And I'm glad I didn't die on Jessica's bathroom floor.  Thanks, Jess!

9.  Memorial Day at the Cabin

For Memorial Day weekend, I accompanied my brother and his family up to his cabin in the mountains near Alturas, CA.  Alturas is a little town up in the Northeastern corner of California.  Its very pretty country up there...lots of hills and trees and such.  And Bubba has a cabin up there...so I jumped in for a weekend of fishing, shooting guns, and hanging out with my brother, niece, and nephew.  And it was pretty awesome. 

Take a look here to see pictures from a fun weekend:  Q's Adventures: Alturas

8.  Grace Potter is Freaking Incredible

In late June, I wandered down the coast to Santa Barbara to see my good friend Jimmy B.  The point of this trip, other than brilliant company, was to see one of our favorite artists in concert...Grace Potter.  And let me tell you, she was INCREDIBLE!  Everything I could have hoped for and more.  She played all our favorites...Medicine, Goodbye Kiss, Paris...and many more I had yet to hear.  She completely outshined the headlining act of the night, Robert Plant.  It was such a great concert!  And, of course, its always good to see JB!  I don't appear to have blogged about this particular trip this year, so that's all you get!  Just let me say, if you ever have a chance to see Grace Potter live, DO IT!  She sounds even better in person than she does on a record...just an incredibly powerful voice.  And her and the Nocturnals put on a heck of a show.

7.  The Happiest Place to Recover from Surgery on Earth!

One week after my surgery for appendicitis, I was scheduled to run in the Disneyland 10k!  Hah!  Yeah, like a minor appendix removal is going to keep me from a race...or from Disneyland!  So off we went...Myself, my parents, and my loving girlfriend who had got me to the hospital one week prior.  I did my race...whether I should have or not...but I took it easy.  I walked the first two miles or so, and then I jogged the rest (walking is just far too boring!).  The rest of the time I spent in the happiest place on earth!  And it was awesome!  We did Disneyland perfectly, from beginning to end.  And getting to share one of my favorite places on earth with Jessica was pretty excellent as well.

Pictures and stories from this weekend can be found here:  Q's Adventures: I'm Going to Disneyland!

6.  PQ:  International Business Traveler

Yes!  This year, I officially became an INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TRAVELER!  Hah, yes, I took a business trip to Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  Pretty snazzy, right?  And what a trip it was.  One day I had to sit in on a 3 hour meeting/presentation to our customer.  The next day I had to run a QA Audit for our Canadian office...and then I had a day off to myself!  I ventured around downtown Toronto, seeing the CN Tower and the Hockey Hall of Fame.  And then I drove around the lake to Niagara Falls...one of the more beautiful natural wonders I've ever witnessed!  It was really very cool.

This trip also took me to South Carolina, where I spent a Saturday in Charleston!  Check out a TON of pictures and a bit more story of my trip here:  Q's Adventures:  From the True North to the Dirty South

5.  Arizona Baseball

In March, for the first time ever, I ventured down to Arizona to consume some Spring Training baseball!  My good friends Keith and Cameron accompanied me on this trip, and it exceeded everything I hoped Spring Training could be.  From the warm weather to the intimate stadiums, to the easily obtained autographs, Spring Training was awesome!  The best part of the trip is, not only did we hit up three baseball games, we also saw a Phoenix Suns game and a Phoenix Coyotes game!  SO MUCH SPORTS! 

See pictures and read all about my trip in more detail here:  Q's Adventures: Spring Training

4.  A Ragin' Cajun New Years

New Orleans might just be my favorite place to ring in the New Year.  I'm kind of cheating with this one, since most of the trip was in 2012, but since it happened too late to make last year's list, I'm including it here.  Bubba and I rang in the new year Cajun style...with all the turtle soup, alligator sausages, and gumbo we could find!  The food was incredible, the weather was warm, and the people were friendly.  I really do love the French Quarter...and cannot wait to go back for next year's new year!

New Orleans sights and sounds can be seen here:  Q's Adventures: New Orleans

3.  Aloooooooooooooooo-ha!

Whaaaaat???  Kauai is third???  I know, a shocker...that's how awesome 2013 was!  Kauai is still, literally, my favorite place to be in the entire world.  And my family and I ventured out there for Easter yet again this year.  10 days in paradise! There was hiking, ziplining, golfing...and gigantic waves!  And, of course, the most perfect weather ever.  I really really love it there, and this trip was just as awesome as ever.

Pictures of sunsets, mostly...and other things Kauai, can be found here:  Q's Adventures: Kauai

2.  On Top of the Country!

So, what could possibly top Kauai?  Well, how about 14,505 feet?  Yes, this year in June, Chris, Darren, Jason and I hiked to the top of the highest peak in the Continental United States.  And it was such an amazing experience.  It's a two day hike...the first day was a 6 mile hike from Whitney Portal to the Trail Camp at elevation 12,000 feet.  We took our time making that hike, stopping frequently at mountain lakes, meadows, and waterfalls.  We were out in nature, seeing things that not everyone gets to see, and enjoying freedom and crisp mountain air!  So awesome.

Day 2 was the summiting.  We left before sunrise, and started out on the switchbacks...some of the hardest hiking I'd ever done.  The altitude was no joke, and it was very slow going.  However, once we got over the trail crest at 13,600 feet, everything felt better, and the views to the West were stunning.  The summit itself was incredible...and it was just an awesome feeling to be on top of the highest peak in the U.S.  An amazing adventure...and a completely new experience for me.  And...a true testament to how far along I've come with my fitness!

This was such an epic adventure, I couldn't fit the recap and pictures all in one post!  So I have two.  Check them out here: Q's Adventure: Mt. Whitney, Day 1 and Q's Adventures: Mt. Whitney, Day 2

1.  D'awwwwwwwwwww!

Sorry, writing about the top thing to happen to me this year might be a little much for some readers.  I apologize in advance. I have yet to really tell this story, so here we go!

So back in May I went out on a date with a very nice, very pretty girl I had met on eHarmony.  I'd been on plenty of first dates through various dating websites, with varying degrees of success...but any past successes had been fleeting. So I showed up for this date as I had in the past...no expectations, just seeing how we meshed and I'd take it from there.

The first date went quite well, an evening of dinner and watching the Sharks game at Yard House (followed by wandering around Santana Row, just talking and enjoying the company), and I was hopeful she'd felt the same way.  Since she immediately agreed to a second date, I'm guessing she did.  The second date was awesome too!  We went to Dave and Buster's, and had a grand ol time.  More dates followed, and soon enough we were inseparable!

This was a very different experience for me.  Even past girls I had dated and gotten past a first or second date with, we were never inseparable.  I was just "a guy."  This time was different, because for the first time ever, I was treated like "THE guy."  And being as she was smart, funny, interesting, and beautiful...I was quite alright with that.  Everything happens for a reason...and being as I had found a girl who was infinitely superior to all past girls in every single way, I'm very very happy I have found her...and she's decided to keep me around as well, for whatever reason.

So, yes, my number one most amazing event of 2013 was meeting Jessica.  And seeing our relationship grow into something very very special.  A Dodgers fan and a Giants fan falling in love...this certainly is a crazy world!

Seriously, Jessica...I know you are reading this...you are the best thing to happen to me...not just this year, but in my entire life so far.  And I'm very very excited to see what the future brings us!
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Anyways, that's it.  The best and most interesting of what 2013 brought me!  Here's to 2014...and an entire year of being a 30-something!