404 - Page Not Found

Looking at web traffic & stats gets kinda boring sometimes, unless you're really into the numbers for some personal or professional reason. Web geek talk to follow. Huh?

404 ERROR, everybody dislikes these broken link pages all over the web (& any advertising that accompanies it). NOT finding what you're looking for gives some no hope of every enjoying their online surfing experience.

After a decade online, thousands of photos & 2000 HTML pages later, Total Escape has some major cleaning house to do. Ouch! Earlier this year 49% of my users were experiencing "Page Not Found" errors, cuz of the site revamp. Bummer!

Converting the entire web site from old skool HTML files (some dating back to 1998), to a new MySQL database proved to be the quite the task for us, as it was a learn-as-we-go kinda experience.

In late 2006 programmer Liz & I launched the new lodges data. That's 3000 independent California lodges & all the towns associated with them. 670 towns & destinations in California for you to enjoy. Rolling out the new towns database this Spring season shows big signs of improvement in the flow of info.

That high percentage of the 404 errors made me think my Escapers must be getting pretty aggravated just trying to use my web site, Total Escape. Actually finding what you are looking for shouldn't be a treacherous experience. Nature is free & accessing it should not be a hassle. That where UI comes in. That a "user interface" - how the person interacts with a web site.

I am happy to report as summertime traffic builds, Total Escape 404 errors have decreased significantly in the last 6 months. From almost 25,000 in January to approx. 10,000 in May. Continuing to scour my site for more fixes, I will to cut this 404 figure in half again before the end of the year, so you can experience a better Total Escape.

(BTW, I welcome all feedback)


HTTP Error codes / Hits / Percent of Traffic

JAN 2007
404 Document Not Found 24766 49.1 %

FEB 2007
404 Document Not Found 16940 21.3 %

MAR 2007
404 Document Not Found 21119 7.8 %

APR 2007
404 Document Not Found 18610 0.7 %

MAY 2007
404 Document Not Found 9890 0.6 %

JUNE 2007
404 Document Not Found 6225 0.1 %

cookin fragile

If blood will flow when fresh and steel are one
Drying in the color of the evening sun
Tomorrow's rain will wash the stains away
But something in our minds will always stay
Perhaps this final act was meant
To clinch a lifetime's argument
That nothing comes from violence and nothing ever could
For all those born beneath an angry star
Lest we forget how fragile we are

On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are how fragile we are

On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are how fragile we are
How fragile we are how fragile we are

drum circles, yoga works

we sat here for the drums

martyr for love

I've been a martyr for love
And I will die in the flames
As I draw my last breath
As I'm close in on death
I will call out your name

I've been a martyr for love
Nailed up on the cross
While you're having your fun
As the damage is done
I'm assessing the cost

I knew what I was letting myself in for
I knew that I could never even the score

I've been a martyr for love
I need to be by your side
I have knelt at your feet
I have felt you deceit
Could have leave if I tried

I've been a martyr for love
Tortured every hour
From the day I was born
I've been moved like a pawn
By the greatest of powers

I knew that I would have to suffer in vain
A way that I would never outgrow the pain

I've been a martyr for love
I've been a martyr for love
I've been a martyr for love

individual levels

Let the goodness rise.

Taurus: You may feel that you have made real progress in your relationships, dear Taurus. And you are right to feel this way. "Evolution" best defines the path you are on right now. You can be proud of yourself, because the work that you do on an individual level is the best way for you to contribute to the development of society. This way of taking action is no less important than the work done by global organizations...

saabaru tires are bald now

addicted to the lofty highs of our time together

you came to...

Lilac Out

What a weekend! Spring in the mountains, with sunshine & greasy food. Arts, craft, bands everywhere & the all the new cars in front of the pub. Drum circles, off-roading, dinners & new friends, & nature. The 25th annual Lilac Festival was great this year.

Bob & Mike gathered up 10 new autos from Bako Motor City. They needed transport drivers for these new cars. Yipee, let's do it. We rounded up a bunch of neighbors & friends, shuttled everyone down the hill on Friday @ noon & drove them back up on a sunny gorgeous day. Mike had reserved the Pontiac Solstice for me. Red, Sweet!

The dealership vendor booth was located at the front of the festival, along the main drag & many stopped by. The booth was my Total Escape screen room, with white draping & purple flowers as accents. Thanks to the big bricks from Solar Bill, it did not blow away. Monday, all the cars had to go back down to the dealership & we all ate Mexican food.

In between all this wild activity with the new cars, (& the new baby) I still got to enjoy:

Jenny's company...
some of the booths at the festival...
the post office...
2 meals at the Bear Cafe
2 great drum circles...
1 mighty yummy BBQ meal...
1 potluck with LA Remo folks...
1 off-road trip to Santa Barbara Canyon, all the way up (to the Cuyama Peak lookout tower.) That road is nearly a 4x4 route now, challenging at 40-60 mph, but I had a very experienced race driver with me. On Quatal we caught air several times & my Amigo did not even break. Yet.

Read My Mind

On the corner of main street
Just tryin' to keep it in line
You say you wanna move on and
You say I'm falling behind

Can you read my mind?
Can you read my mind?

I never really gave up on
Breakin' out of this two-star town
I got the green light
I got a little fight
I'm gonna turn this thing around

Can you read my mind?
Can you read my mind?

The good old days, the honest man;
The restless heart, the Promised Land
A subtle kiss that no one sees;
A broken wrist and a big trapeze

Oh well I don't mind, you don't mind
Cause I don't shine if you don't shine
Before you go, can you read my mind?

It’s funny how you just break down
Waitin' on some sign
I pull up to the front of your driveway
With magic soakin' my spine

Can you read my mind?
Can you read my mind?

The teenage queen, the loaded gun;
The drop dead dream, the Chosen One
A southern drawl, a world unseen;
A city wall and a trampoline

Oh well I don't mind, you don't mind
Cause I don't shine if you don't shine
Before you go
Tell me what you find when you read my mind

Slippin’ in my faith until I fall
You never returned that call
Woman, open the door, don't let it sting
I wanna breathe that fire again

She said
Oh well I don't mind, you don't mind
Cause I don't shine if you don't shine

Put your back on me
Put your back on me
Put your back on me

The stars are blazing like rebel diamonds cut out of the sun
When you read my mind



lyrics by - The Killers

the car-free zone

A new wave in urban village design.

thank you

finally, someone to enjoy

What's your MPG?

Gotta 4-banger in there? I hope so - with the gas prices so outta control. My old SUV, a 1993 Isuzu Amigo has officially turned the 200,000 miles mark on the original Japanese engine. On the return trip from the recent Kern River outting. Tired & well worn out, the lime green 'Migo is still running. Only adventurous locally tho, she has retired to the hills of Cerro Noroeste. The AWD 92X Saabaru, on the other hand is running very well at 30+ MPG. I'm going thru tires pretty fast tho.
Click the link above. The MPG calculator is now needed.

Express yourself, Don't repress yourself

To all the birthday boys...



And I'm not sorry [I'm not sorry]
It's human nature [it's human nature]
And I'm not sorry [I'm not sorry]
I'm not your bitch, don't hang your shit on me [it's human nature]

You wouldn't let me say the words I longed to say
You didn't want to see life through my eyes
[Express yourself, don't repress yourself]
You tried to shove me back inside your narrow room
And silence me with bitterness and lies
[Express yourself, don't repress yourself]

Did I say something wrong?
Oops, I didn't know I couldn't talk about sex
[I musta been crazy]
Did I stay too long?
Oops, I didn't know I couldn't speak my mind
[What was I thinking]

You punished me for telling you my fantasies
I'm breakin' all the rules I didn't make
[Express yourself, don't repress yourself]
You took my words and made a trap for silly fools
You held me down and tried to make me break
[Express yourself, don't repress yourself]

Did I say something true?
Oops, I didn't know I couldn't talk about sex
[I musta been crazy]
Did I have a point of view?
Oops, I didn't know I couldn't talk about you
[What was I thinking]

Express yourself, don't repress yourself
Express yourself, don't repress yourself

[I'm not apologizing]
[Would it sound better if I were a man?]
[You're the one with the problem]
[Why don't you just deal with it]

[Would you like me better if I was?]
[We all feel the same way]
[I have no regrets]
[Just look in the mirror]

[I don't have to justify anything]
[I'm just like you]
[Why should I be?]
[Deal with it]

The Lilacs in Pine Mountain Club

This is my parking spot in the village center, near the post office & gazebo. But only in the afternoon. If I am caught anywhere near here in the morning hours I am likely to run into a bad boy who hates me & calls the sheriff upon the mere sight of my car. Luckily, he has shifted HIS schedule so he does not hafta SEE me as much. If he would have altered his daily routine years ago, maybe we could have avoided all the drama and court cases. It's a gorgeous Spring Day in the mountains & at least I am not getting assaulted at the local cafe.

Flax Flowering

The blue flax is flowering very well this season. Chriszy says it will take over if I let it. She calls the tall purple flowers "stalks". New yellow flora that I have yet to identify. Seen on road out west (Cerro Noroeste), so I know it's native to California. I have golden poppies popping & the infamous white lupine just coming up. Finding the names of these flowers online is more challenging than sprouting these plants from seeds. But not as hard as keeping the bunnies away.

turbulence tours

Once in a Blue Moon: There are two Full Moons on May's menu, two bright, lovely spotlights that will bring all your emotions to the surface. If you get through the first Full Moon on May 2 all right, that's no reason to become careless. Two Full Moons in a month inevitably cause quite an emotional ripple. Although May provides quite the obstacle course for you to navigate, it can be plain sailing with your May Romance Forecast. Know when to hold on tight and when to use a little turbulence to your advantage.

Another Taurus!?

Apples and Wine

Women are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the top of the tree.

Most men don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they sometimes take the apples from the ground that aren't as good, but easy. The apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality, they're amazing. They just have to wait for the right man to come along, the one who is brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree.

Men are like a fine wine. They begin as grapes, and it's up to women to stomp the crap out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.

toad springs on quatal cyn

Last week I was overworked (as usual) & trying to pry myself away from the computer for a sunset drive. I took the trusty Isuzu Amigo out with 201,000 miles on it, way out west for some dirt road exploring. Marian Campground was nice at 7000' elevation, but the views were smoggy over the Central Valley. I then took a run to the OHV haven of Quatal Wash to check on a campsite for our June Clean-Up. It was a lot warmer at the bottom of Quatal Canyon. On my way back up the hill, greeted by pine trees & a camp fire at Toad Spring Campground. For a Monday night, this was rare. A locals birthday celebration was in already place, with Hillbilly Rigs & all. I stopped to say hi, warm up & stayed out until 4am.... on a Monday night. I love living in the mountains!

Until the Morning

I keep on fear, keep on loathing
Nothing brings it on I keep on falling
Decide what it is I can not find
It's subsides what you make it
Never feel like you're gonna break it
It's gonna be alright alright
Sleep until the morning comes
The sun will warm your soul
Sleep until the morning comes for you
Til the morning it's alright
I can walk into the sunlight, into the day, into the day, to the day
I feel it falling, nothing comes to my mind
Bring it on in a different tide
I feel alright, alright
I feel strong, i feel rigid
It's nothing to do with the vision
Oh feels so right, so right
Sleep on tight, sleep on tight
Sleep until the sunlight
Sleep until sunlight
Sleep on tight
Sleep on tight
Sleep on tight
Sleep on tight, til the sunlight
Sleep on tight, til the sunlight burns you happy
Til the sunlight burns you happy, till the sunlight burns a happy hole in
Your heart,
In your heart
In your heart...



lyrics by --- Thievery Corporation

constructive

"Most people would prefer to be ruined by praise, rather than saved by criticism" - Professor Wiley Sanderson

This Weekend

I do what very few can. I make my living off of the web.
My very own unique creation, Total Escape.

I do not earn cash by selling products or trinkets, but actually providing valuable content on California to outdoor enthusiasts. Large photos, real info & maps for places you wanna go. The actual "clicks" are what I get paid for. I get commissions from dozens of sources, like Amazon & Google. You clicking thru to lodges, booking campgrounds, reserving recreation tours & visiting banner ads, help me create this huge database for California. The real data that will help you vacation better this weekend.

Total Escape was started in late 1996 & has grown to nearly 3000 individual pages. Each month I update the home page to direct you deeper into the site, so you can discover cool new destinations, in your very own backyard, all local to California. Keep spreading the word about my site & I'll keep creating this dream life, as long as my high speed connection stays. Thanks for being loyal supporters!

Jousting Tournament & Faire

On Sunday MAY 6th, Total Escape will have a booth at this years event in the Los Padres National Forest. This one day fair in the mountains of SoCal, will feature local artists, musicians & skill-at-arms competitions. Stop by & say hi.