Hiking West Cliff Drive

After early morning breakfast, we decided to enjoy a beautiful day of hiking on West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz. When we arrived there at 10:30 am, the weather was a bit cold and overcast, with a temperature of 60 F.

Eventually, as we approached Natural Bridges State Beach (1.8 miles from the Santa Cruz Lighthouse), the clouds cleared up, and beautiful sunshine leaked in.

We saw many birds on the way but no surfers, as the ocean was as glassy as a lake (the calmest I've seen). A few brave souls were swimming in the ocean, and some were trying to bodysurf. At the Natural Bridges, we hiked back, almost to the Santa Cruz boardwalk.

It was a lovely day for a beautiful hike.


After our long walk, we stopped by for lunch at the Walnut Avenue Cafe. Although it was busy, we were seated in about 10 minutes. I was actually pleasantly surprised by my Turkey-Avocado-Cheese Scramble. It was better than I expected, and I enjoyed it (and the freshly baked banana muffin).

Inna selected the Zucchini, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, & Cheese scramble and also enjoyed it (though she said that mine was better).

Afterward, we stopped by Verve Coffee Roasters for a quick coffee. I had the mocha, and Inna ordered a latte.

September 3, 2018

We repeated our West Cliff Drive hike on Labor Day (September 3, 2011). This time, we saw some surfers skimboard on the waves.

Here is a short video of one of the runs:



The 4-mile round-trip to Natural Bridges was pleasant, and the clouds parted in the afternoon.

We dined in Vasili's Greek Restaurant on Mission Street (close to downtown Santa Cruz) for lunch.

Inna selected the Roasted Lamb Souvlaki plate. It had generous helpings of lamb and rice. Inna enjoyed it, though she wanted more Tzatziki sauce.

As I was hungry, I chose Moussaka and a small Greek salad.

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Biking Almaden Quicksilver County Park

Since the surf forecast in Santa Cruz was poor, I decided to ride my Specialized FSR mountain bike at my usual Almaden Quicksilver County Park.

I arrived at the Hacienda Entrance at around 9:30 and pumped up the tires on my bike (which were flat). I put on my Aukey Latitude Bluetooth headphones and started the Strava app on my Apple watch (to record my ride and heart rate).



I had a fun ride but did not get my best time. Today, the long loop took me 88 minutes, while my best time was 79 minutes.

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Surfing at "The Hook"

Alex was getting used to his Firewire Spitfire 6' surfboard and had another fantastic surfing session at "The Hook" in Capitola, CA.

I also hoped to try out my used Firewire Spitfire 6'6" surfboard (45-liter) that I recently acquired, but I was too tired from yesterday's surfing to continue.

After a short hike to Capitola, I returned to "The Hook" around 1:00pm. The wave sets were getting larger, and I immediately spotted Alex on my right. I set up my old Velbon tripod (which needs retirement) and my Nikon P900 ultra zoom camera. I recorded many of Alex's wave-riding sessions.

Here is a Nikon P900 video I recorded:

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Intel Atom C2538 defect in Synology DS1815+

For the past 3 years, I have used the Synology DS1815+ with 6 WD 6.0TB Red hard disks (in a RAID-5 configuration) for backup and Plex duties.

It has served me well so far (though it can be a bit slow during Plex transcoding) until recent events. All of a sudden, I started to receive messages of unexpected system shutdowns. On some days, the unit was entirely off, and when I pushed the power button, it would not turn on.

I did some research on the internet and learned that the Intel C2538 Atom Processor used in the Synology DS1815+ had a reliability defect that will fail eventually. Intel has fixed the defect in the new C0 stepping of the processor.

I filed an RMA ticket with Synology and selected Advanced RMA, where a refurbished unit will be sent to you. It took about a week to get here (and Synology placed a $799 hold on my credit card until the defective unit was returned).

Earlier steppings (B0) of the Intel Atom C2538 processor have the defect. To find out if your Synology has it, open the command windows on a Windows 10 PC. My replacement (RMA) unit has the B0 stepping (hopefully with the board fix).

Intel has the errata listed here. There is a long thread on the Synology forum of all the users experiencing DS1815+ failures. 

ssh admin@192.168.1.104

admin@proton:~$ cat /proc/cpuinfo

processor       : 0
vendor_id       : GenuineIntel
cpu family      : 6
model           : 77
model name      : Intel(R) Atom(TM) CPU  C2538  @ 2.40GHz
stepping        : 8
microcode       : 0x121
cpu MHz         : 2400.000
cache size      : 1024 KB
physical id     : 0
siblings        : 4
core id         : 0
cpu cores       : 4
apicid          : 0
initial apicid  : 0
fpu             : yes
fpu_exception   : yes
cpuid level     : 11
wp              : yes
flags           : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe syscall nx rdtscp lm constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts rep_good nopl xtopology nonstop_tsc aperfmperf pni pclmulqdq dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr pdcm sse4_1 sse4_2 movbe popcnt tsc_deadline_timer aes rdrand lahf_lm 3dnowprefetch arat epb invpcid_single tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority ept vpid tsc_adjust smep erms
bogomips        : 4800.19
clflush size    : 64
cache_alignment : 64
address sizes   : 36 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
power management:

I finally received the replacement DS1815+ from Synology. It was a refurbished unit and not a new one (disappointingly). I would like a new unit that will last me another couple of years.

I had to open the refurbished unit to install the 4 GB DDR3 SRAM (installed in my previous unit) and update the firmware with a new hard disk. It was annoying having to install a hard disk just to enable updating the unit's firmware.

Once I installed the backup configuration, I moved all of my 6 hard disks from my old DS1815+ to the refurbished one and rebooted. Surprisingly, the migration worked well, and the new unit behaved like the old one.

Let's hope this unit lasts longer than the previous one.

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Tennis Training Review 8/17/18

Since I have been practicing tennis at the Sunnyvale Municipal Tennis Center for the past two years, I started recording my training session, followed by my own in-depth review of my tennis technique.

I created a video recording on my GoPro Hero4 Silver to identify my mistakes and errors for each tennis stroke.

Forehand/Backhand Video



Serve Video



I have also subscribed to Jeff Salzenstein's Tennis Evolution Plus website, where Jeff describes each tennis stroke in minute detail.

Errors Observed

General Errors

1. Not doing the split-step
2. Not moving forward before striking the ball (looking jammed up)
3. Not looking at the ball (head is turning to where the ball is going)

Stroke Errors

1. Forehand Buggy Whip
• Racket not dropping all the way down (hitting too flat)
• Too much backswing
• Move forward on each stroke
2. Forehand Drive
• Racket not dropping all the way down (hitting too flat)
• Too much backswing
• Move forward on each stroke
3. One Handed Backhand Slice
• Finishing too far on the right
4. Handed Backhand Drive
• Need to stand with the right side facing the net (not the whole body)
• Need the right arm to be higher at the finish
• Move forward on each stroke
5. Two-Handed Backhand drive
• Keep the racket close to the body during the 1st move
• The right front leg should be straight on completion (push into the ground with your right foot)
• Move forward on each stroke
6. Slice Serve
7. Topspin Serve
• The elbow should keep moving forward during the racquet drop to create the whiplash effect. Without it, one is pushing the ball.
• The ball toss should be arcing overhead from right to left while the racquet arm moves in the opposite direction (left to right) to create the topspin. I am not tossing the ball correctly.

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Surfing Pleasure Point on Firewire Spitfire

For Alex's 16th birthday, Inna and I purchased an almost-new Firewire Spitfire Helium 6' Epoxy surfboard (since Alex has long outgrown his Wavestorm 8' board).

This new board has a volume of 34.9 liters and a length of 6 feet. It was perfect for Alex (as the 25-liter board he tried at Ripcurl was too difficult to surf).

Alex was eager to try it out, but the lack of waves in Capitola was a significant deterrent. However, the swell forecast improved, and Alex could surf on his new board on Saturday, August 11, and Sunday, August 12.

Alex was ecstatic about the new board's lightweight performance and maneuverability. On Saturday and Sunday, the morning started out quite foggy, but the fog cleared by noon.

Here is a surfboard volume chart for selecting a correctly sized surfboard:

The waves were not very big (even at the Hook, where they can sometimes get quite tall), but Alex could still catch many. He has definitely progressed nicely in his surfing abilities.

I recorded a video using the Nikon P900 camera mounted on a tripod of Alex's wave-riding.
I have a higher-definition version here.

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Fanatic FreeWave STB 105

Having sailed on my 1999 Mistral Flow Classic 276 for 19 years, it was time for an update. I tried out the Fanatic Freewave STB 95-liter version in the ABK Windsurfing Camp at Rio Vista in July and thought it was a nice board but lacked a bit of volume for lighter wind days.

The "Stubby," as it is affectionately known, has a unique outline with no nose and parallel rails. It's quite different in design from my ancient Mistral. It is wider and can sail with 1 or 3 fins, with the tri-fin configuration intended for the waves.

Since the standard price of the Fanatic is over $1,999 + tax & shipping, I decided to wait for a well-maintained used version. However, a few weeks ago, I saw it on sale for $1,595 at Second Wind Maui (one of my favorite windsurfing shops when I am on Maui).

Since my favorite local shops (Delta Windsurf, Boardsports) did not have a sale on it, I decided to purchase it from Isthmus Sailboards. It was delivered promptly (through Pilot Freight Services) and wrapped in multiple boxes. I look forward to sailing it at Coyote Point, Crissy Field, and Sherman Island.

I started windsurfing when I started my first full-time job at Compaq Computer in Houston, Texas, in September 1991. My first windsurfing board was the 1992 Bic Samba, 320 cm long, 64 cm wide, 15 kg, and with 170 liters of volume.

I started to learn that the beach and water start at Texas City Levee (south of Houston). After a year of trial and error, I could use the harness and foot straps but still had trouble with water starts.

My next board in my windsurfing progression was the F2 Orbit. Unlike the BIC Samba, which had a daggerboard, the F2 Orbit was a proper shortboard. The F2 was 290 cm long, 60 cm wide, and had a volume of 124 liters.

I had a lot of fun learning to windsurf on it and even took it to Bird Island and Corpus Christi.

I did manage to crack the nose of the F2 Orbit and had to figure out how to repair it using epoxy. My next board was the BIC Tempo. It was my first performance slalom board with a volume of 95 liters.

It was a performance board compared to the Bic Samba and the F2 Orbit. However, it had too much volume for the really windy days, which occur during the winter storms in Houston (January - March).

Thus, I chose the Mistral Ecstacy for my next board to enhance my high-wind sailing. As a true sinker with a volume of 84 liters, the Ecstacy required a lot of finesse to sail (and could not be uphauled).

I used it in Houston (on really windy days) and in the Columbia River Gorge, where it was my main windsurfing board for many years. It was durable, indestructible, and an excellent jiber. However, it was hard to get it planned. It was fantastic during 4.0m days in the Gorge and on Sherman Island.

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Alex's Birthday Lunch at Alexander's Steakhouse

Since it was my son's 16th Birthday, we decided to treat him to lunch at the Michelin-rated Alexander's Steakhouse in Cupertino.

I made reservations for Saturday, August 4, at 13:45. Before eating lunch, we decided to stop by for a couple of bowling games at Bowlero in San Jose.

We played 3 games, and I scored 111 on the first, 128 on the second, and 73 on the third. Alex and Inna had lower scores but had a lot of fun. After finishing bowling, we drove down to Alexander's Steakhouse in Cupertino.

For lunch, Inna selected the following items from the Three Course Prix Fixe menu:

• First Course: Two Hamachi Shots (Truffled Ponzu, Avocado)
• Second Course: Wagyu Burger on a lettuce wrap
• Third Course: Almond Creme Brulee
• Cocktail: "Drunk Munchkin"

Alex selected the following items from the Three Course Prix Fixe menu:

• First Course: Caesar Salad
• Second Course: New York Strip (7 oz) with wasabi mash
• Third Course: Chocolate ice cream

Since I was not feeling well and was not very hungry, I just selected the following a la carte:

• Wagyu Burger
• Zairai Sencha Tea

Inna and I liked the Wagyu Burger, but Alex was not overly impressed with the New York Strip steak. He compared it to the one he ate in Applebee's for 1/3 of the price. 

Inna really enjoyed her "Drunk Munchkin" cocktail, and I liked my "Sencha Tea," though not as much as the Matcha tea in Japan.

Of course, American restaurant food is generally underwhelming after our recent trip to Japan.

We enjoyed our time at Alexander's Steakhouse, but it was expensive.

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