Whiskey Tango

Sea legs...

2007-04-11T10:39:00.000-06:00

I'll be out to sea within a month and I'm starting to get real antsy. Not sure which company or which boat, but I need a lot of lower rivers trips (St. Clair and Detroit.)

This might make you a bit seasick:

Link to original at YouTube. From user.

Alive and Kicking!

2007-04-05T11:35:00.000-06:00

Jeez! Hardly time to come up for air!

Yes, I still hate it here in TC. More and more each day.

But. The end draws nigh.

Sailed on our training ship last May for Spring Cruise and maintained a Cadet Log. Sailed on this boat last summer for sea project.

Oh. And the webcam for the training ship (I'm living aboard as a ship-keeper.)

"They talk of my drinking but never my thirst." –Scottish proverb

Light it off and put it OUT!

2006-03-30T15:42:00.000-07:00

Well, we're on spring break. But no rest for the wicked. Fire school!

Check out the pics.

Grinding it out...

2006-02-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

Oh my.

School is SO HARD! Well, busy would be more accurate. I understand all the concepts, but have to spend a lot of time immersed in the material and doing all of the lab work for navigation and meteorology.

So, not much time for anything other than school work. I had two tests last week, a test and a quiz today, and a test next Tuesday.

Every hour of every day is allotted for class or study of specific subjects.

But, here are some quick shipping links:

Modern Egyptian shipwreck

Ancient Greek shipwreck

Cocaine Ship bust

Mackinaw Crashing into wall (scroll down to Dec. 13th) and video

Pile it on...

2006-01-18T20:56:00.000-07:00

Added one more class.

Watchstanding II
The purpose of this course is to begin to develop a cadet's piloting and watch management skills. The use of the Shiphandling Simulator/Academy Vessels will allow the development of the Bridge Team Concept through piloting exercises.

2006-01-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

Another semester begins...

2006-01-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

So here we go again. Here's a brief description of my courses for this next semster:

Rules of the Nautical Road
Comprehensive study of the international rules of the road–COLREGS–including their origin, purpose, history, technical provisions, and application. Included is a comparative study of both international and inland rules, their interpretation and practical application as well as a study of case histories and legal interpretations resulting from collisions at sea.

Navigation I
An introduction to principles of piloting and marine navigation. Includes chart projection, the magnetic compass, chart usage, buoyage systems, aids to navigation, fixes and running fixes, and the use of standard tables.

Navigation I Lab
This lab is taken concurrently with MDK 121 and concentrates on applying the principles of piloting to plotting on the chart. Chart projection and use will be introduced. Dead reckoning, terrestrial fixes, set and drift, lines of position, and the use of navigational instruments will be covered.

Ship Construction
A study of the principles of hull construction as applied to all types of vessels. Includes construction nomenclature, criteria of design, methods of construction, materials used in construction, and the forces acting on the hull.

Maritime Law
A study of the ship’s officer responsibilities to the owner, personnel, vessel, public and governmental agencies.

MTH 140 College Algebra & Trigonometry
This course is designed to provide the student with the necessary maturity and skills to begin the calculus sequence. The topics covered include elementary set theory, equations of the conic sections, polynomial, logarithmic, exponential, trigonometric functions, linear and nonlinear systems of equations.

Meteorology & Climatology
Designed to acquaint the student with the science and art of weather analysis, this course includes studies of the basic properties of gases, organization and composition of the atmosphere, basic energy flow, and general weather phenomena that result. Global climates are also investigated. The laboratory portion presents the function and effect of selected physical processes, and includes the use of weather instruments and weather maps.

Last semester went well. I made the Dean's List. The good one. You know; for feeling alright, getting good grades...

Of course, I worked me arse off. But that is part of the plan.

Spent the nearly month-long break back home in Colorado. So nice to be back in the mountains where I belong.

Off to Nav.

Arrrrgh!

2005-12-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

Who knows where it came from, but dang it, this is the keyboard for me!

Google it.

GobbleGobbleGobble...

2005-12-02T11:20:00.000-07:00

Ah, Thanksgiving break. A quick breather to lull you into a false sense of peace before the total chaos of finals begins.

I had a good break. The pictures are at Flickr.

I thought it might be a bad break. I wasn't going home to see my family. Everybody I know in TC was leaving. My house has crappy insulation and is really cold.

But then it started snowing. A lot. And snow pretty much lays down a nice foundation of good vibes for my soul.

And T arrived. We met via the web and had a half day of getting to know each other back in Denver, in August. We went to the DBG and then to SD for dinner (you CANNOT miss this place if you are in Denver and like sushi.) We've been corresponding pretty regularly and she decided to visit me here in TC. I must have done SOMETHING right back in August (the botanic garden date IS pretty smooth, you got to admit.)

I picked her up at the airport and we took a tour of the school and ship. We drank a few local brews, which were pretty good, but not as good as my favorite.

For Thanksgiving, we volunteered at to deliver TDay dinners for a local church. We're not religious or churchy, but delivering dinners in a blizzard is a good thing to do. Plus I can pilot my little Hornda through just about anything. (Yes, I know, I seem more like a truck guy, and I am, but I had to give my trucks away when I moved here for school, and besides, the Hornda is fun and gets great mileage. And I can now fit everything I own into it.)

On Friday, we did a little ice skating and walking about in the snow, as T is from AR and utterly fascinated by deep snowfall. Hell, it was 70 in her hometown on Thanksgiving day.

And then dinner here. Oh. My. GOD! So good. We sat at the bar and ate for about 4 hours. The bartender/manager, John, took us on a food and wine tour. We let him pick all of our dishes and the wines to go with them. He would suggest a dish and offer up about four different wines to taste with each. T and I would split each dish and John poured us half glasses of the wine we would choose from his selections. We got to try a lot of different food and wine by splitting everything. Very Euro.

We were going to head out to the wineries on Saturday and ski on Sunday, but the nice folks at the ski shop mentioned a warming trend for Sunday. So we went skiing on Saturday instead. And indeed, Sunday saw rain and toal decimation of the snowpack.

Rainy weather and late mornings spent rolling around in bed combined for a driving tour of the peninsula. We hit Fishtown and the beach. Monday quickly came around, and T flew back to AR, though she did experience some delays and eventually wound up on a different airline. But her bags made it! Yay! Small victories.

We're talking now about a possible New Year's Rendezvous in my little mountain town home. I can. not. WAIT. to get home. This place is nice and all, and seeing it through T's eyes made me appreciate it a bit more, but I miss my family and friends. I want to be around Coloradans. I want to be home. For the holidays.

Speaking of which, a few of us are heading up the coast tonight to participate in a bit of Midwestern americana culture.

Finals are in the pipe and the next few weeks promise to be TOTALLY INSANE!

Best to you and yours for the holidays!

Rock & Roll Show...

2005-11-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

Went to this show last Thursday. Jeff Tweedy and Glenn Kotche. Sweet.

Left right after class, took about 2/12 hours to get to Grand Rapids from here.

Best acoustic show I've ever seen. The sound was crazygood, the venue was intimate, the songs were great.

The only thing that sucked was ignorant-clapping-guy-whose-life-is-given-meaning-by-Wilco's-music. Dude. Shut up. Nobody else is clapping. And Jeff is not going to have a conversation with you no matter how much stupid trite crap you yell at him between songs. You are that guy. I can't believe you sat next to me.

But I asked him to please knock off the clapping, as I was trying to enjoy the show, and he was nice enough to comply. Thankfully.

Pray for the sailors...

2005-11-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

Over 6,000 shipwrecks on the Great Lakes have claimed the lives of 30,000 mariners.

http://www.shipwreckmuseum.com/

http://www.ssefo.com/

http://www.boatnerd.com/fitz/

Google it.

New Flickr pics...

2005-11-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

I bought a phone to take some pics. But I can't seem to get any pics from the phone. So I thought I would never have any pics from time here at GLMA.

However, another cadet was kind enough to kick down with some pics. So I put them in a Flickr gallery.

http://flickr.com/photos/lakerdave

There is a set from winter layup yesterday. Also a set from our first two weeks aboard the training ship.

During layup we had two crane crews from a local company on the dock; we pulled one 80,000 lb boat, one 70,000 lb boat, and one 22,000 lb boat. Unfortunately, no pics from the crane work (too busy working.)

It's a sad day for a sailor when the ladies come out of the water.

If I only had a brain...

2005-11-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

Man. I miss home SO. MUCH.

That's the niece and nephew.

It's me for the inland lakes, me boys, me for the inland lakes...

2005-10-24T17:50:00.000-06:00

This past Saturday found us visiting the folks out at the ISEA during their volunteer-appreciation potluck dinner. We attended with our friends J and J, as they had volunteered during the removal of the ship's rigging as preparation for winter layup. The evening was a great chance to talk with some of the folks over at the school, and to get a real good look at what they are all about.

The evening was spent chatting, looking at the boat, checking out the learning exhibits in the school, etc. Also, the crew treated all of us to an evening of shanties! They even let us join right in and sing along with them.

Afterwards, we headed over to a local watering hole for some beers with the crew. Apparently, by purchasing a pitcher of brew, we were invited to the next Sch00ner Union meeting. Perhaps we shall be allowed to become members.

The Academy program does not really have a traditional sailing component, which I feel is unfortunate. However, I hope I will be able to volunteer some of my time next year. But I'll probably be out to sea for most of the summer. Perhaps during the fall semester, if school workload permits.

What these folks are doing is very important. Many traditional cultures are vanishing in America, as emphasis is placed on maximum profitability at the expense of everything else, and all hastened along by our transition to the digital age.

Google map it. (Yes, I am aware of the irony. Heh.)

I'm Sailing Away...

2005-10-12T12:39:00.000-06:00

That's the 41-footer. It doesn't have a name yet. It used to be a USCG utility boat, but we use it to train twin screw maneuvering.

We took it out last Friday, with a 3-5 foot chop in the bay.

The boat rides so sweet. It weighs about 20,000 lbs. and is powered by twin 450 hp diesels.

So, school is getting a little bit more fun.

Too cool for school...

2005-10-06T11:09:00.000-06:00

Ever said to yourself, or somebody else, "Man, if only I knew then what I know now."

Well, if you knew then what you know now, you would have

a.) Gone insane and killed all of your classmates.
b.) Gone insane and killed yourself.
3.) All of the above.

Going to skool with these 18-22 year-old kids is a living nightmare. They are inane, insane, attention-deficit, ignorant, attention-seeking, f;alk .,dfsa ., mxz cv ... d

FUCKERS! SHUT! THE! FUCK UP!

I can't handle it. I'm sitting here in the computer lab trying to do an assignment. I'm trying to work, in a space commited to academic endeavors, and you are goofing aroud, listening to songs, watching videos and talkingtalkingTALKING!

I could get an Ipod, but I work much better in SILENCE!

Okay, Okay...

2005-09-29T12:01:00.000-06:00

Hi.

Notice how I kept that all casual as if I hadn't been AWOL for a couple of months?

Well, I've just been getting HAMMERED by skool. If I'm near a computer, I'm doing skoolwerk.

Where to start...

Umm, let's not talk about skool just yet. Instead, let's talk about my weekend.

As you can probably guess, the biking up here is not at all like what I'm used to. But I bought a cruiser, and have bben doing a lot of casual riding. Will hit the Biketoberfest this weekend. I'm going to do one of the road portions on my cruiser and hit the downhill on Sunday.

Okay. Back to the grind. I'll try to update as I get some time. Thanks for your patience.

Information Overload...

2005-08-15T11:09:00.000-06:00

Whoa.

Good month off. Lots of work to get moved. Lots of work to spend quality time with friends.

We're on the boat now. You know, this one. 45 Deck and Engineering cadets in our class. Nine of us are Charlie Company and I am acting as our company commander. Lots of responsibility, blahblahblah.

I'm alive, I'm well, and I'll try to post as much as possible, with photos.

Strapped to the front of a train...

2005-07-13T17:52:00.000-06:00

Last day of work is Friday.

Total carnage. I haven't even started to clean out my office, let alone start cleaning/copying all of my digital assets.

Totally overwhelmed.

At least I got to ride Saturday evening and all day Sunday. We rode some of the stuff up on Monarch, though not the same route as that marked on the map.

I am having so much fun with all of my friends. DB and his new gal were in town last weekend for our rides, and BK shows up Friday for more of the same.

Also, Cattlemen's Days.

John Denver and Women...

2005-07-08T15:05:00.000-06:00

On Tuesday, July 12th, Jim Salestrom, guitarist Pete Huttlinger and John Denver’s best friend and backup singer Denny Brooks are doing a John Denver tribute concert here in town.

I will volunteer as MC/Host for the evening.

From the Crested Butte Music Festival press release:

"TRIBUTE TO JOHN DENVER CONCERT - Gunnison, July 12

Gunnison Area Community Foundation (GACF) will hold a July 12 concert to honor John Denver, who earned international acclaim as a songwriter, performer, actor, environmentalist and humanitarian before his tragic death in 1997. Denver’s music career spanned three decades and included hits such as "Take Me Home, Country Roads," "Rocky Mountain High," "Sunshine On My Shoulders."

The concert, to be held outdoors at the I-Bar Ranch in Gunnison, will begin at 7 p.m. and feature three musicians who worked closely with Denver: Denny Brooks, Jim Salestrom and Pete Huttlinger. Denny Brooks grew up playing music with John Denver, beginning in 1964. Brooks was Denver’s background singer and guitarist from 1976 -1986. He hosts an annual tribute to Denver in Aspen.

Jim Salestrom sang and recorded with Denver. He has two new CDs: "Music from the Mountains," featuring a remixed and remastered compilation of original songs including recordings of "Rocky Mountain High" and "Sunshine on My Shoulders," and "Music from the Grand Canyon," including original music and a virtual tour of the Grand Canyon. Pete Huttlinger is world-renowned guitarist who played at Hollywood Bowl and London’s Royal Albert Hall with John Denver. He toured, recorded and performed on television with Denver from 1994 - 1997. He recently released "The Santa Rita Connection" CD hot on the heels of the acclaimed "Naked Pop." The concert is the culmination of an afternoon and evening of family-oriented activities to benefit and showcase GACF and Gunnison Valley nonprofits. For more information and tickets, contact (970) 349-6889. The ticket cost will be announced in the near future."

Should be interesting. I think JD was a good songwriter. And he testified alongside Frank Zappa at the PMRC hearings back in 1985.

In the meantime...

I put together some online personals profiles at a few different sites a long time ago. Maybe a year or two? Two, probably. Right after I broke up with a long term girlfriend; we had been dating and living together for close to five years.

Nothing much ever came of the personals sites. I didn't get very many responses, and I didn't find many of the women to be very interesting.

But I got a VERY interesting response the other day from a women who is my age, very cute, and very much of similar lifestyle. We've chatted online and corresponded a bit via email. She seems very nice. That, or she read my profile very closely and is saying all the things she thinks I want to hear.

Only, she lives in Arkansas and won't be moving to Colorado until Spring of '06. Of course, by then, I will be in MI at GLMA.

Typical, eh? Ah, well...

Enjoy the weekend! Fishing? Biking? Drinking? Cleaning out the house and getting rid of everything non-essential? All of the above? (No wonder I'm always so tired on Mondays.)

New public blog...

2005-07-06T18:06:00.000-06:00

I went ahead and started a new blog. It will be a chronicle of my GLMA experience, mostly so family and friends can keep up with what's going on.

It's public, and I plan on telling everybody I know about it. You're welcome to check it out, but it will be much more tame and more... I don't know. My parents and sisters and everybody will be reading it. And the subject matter will tend to stick with the Great Lakes Maritime Academy theme.

In the meantime...

My roommate is supposed to have moved out, which he somewhat has (he moved a few of his big items and sleeps at his new place), but still has shit all over the house. Dude, it's July 6, get ALL YOUR SHIT OUT AND CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF!

I could understand a few extra days if there was somebody moving out of the room he is moving into, but his room has been sitting empty, waiting for him. During a long holiday weekend.

The whole point is to get him out so I have a few weeks to do the 100% top-to-bottom overhaul/cleaning/punchlist before I leave. I rent the place from a friend living overseas and feel obligated to make sure EVERYTHING is square when I leave.

Seven days on the job left. The whole idea is to work gradually on the place over the next week and a half, cleaning, etc. I'm done with work on 7/15 and have to be in MI on 8/13. Have to be in Longmont on the 4th to celebrate my niece's bday, then off to Omaha to visit with the aunt/uncle/cousins, then maybe 6-7 days road tripping to MI.

The whole point is, I don't want to spend my last two weeks in Gunni working on a house. I want to be done with all that stuff by 7/15 so I can ride the shit out of my bike, roadtrip/camp/bike/guzzle beer with friends, etc.

7/15 - 8/3 is going to be MY TIME!

Also, I will pare down personal belongings to the bare minimum:

Duffel of clothes
Hockey gear
Biking gear
Fishing gear
Winter/Ski gear
Guitar

The coming weeks will be a good time to drop by and see if you want anything. I'll store a few pieces of furniture and my parents' place and I'm just giving away the rest.

I can hear the vultures circling now. Too late, though; the ex has already claimed the grill.

It's starting to feel real. My departure appears imminent.

And a leeeeeetle bit of anxiety is starting to creep in.

Holiday...

2005-06-30T18:32:00.000-06:00

Taking tomorrow off. FOUR DAY WEEKEND!

MT and friend come into town Fri-Sun for gun shooting, fishing, food eating and beer guzzling.

Happy birthday America!

Enjoy your weekend.

“My country is the world and my religion is to do good.”
--Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man, 1791

Those Norse gods REALLY know how to party...

2005-06-30T13:19:00.000-06:00

Oh. My.

This is fucking SWEET! Made my cheeks hurt.

[via]

All aground who are going aground...

2005-06-30T09:01:00.000-06:00

From boatnerd.com/news on June 29th:

"Original Report
About 1 p.m. Tuesday the CSL Niagara grounded in the St Lawrence Seaway near St. Helena island about 1/4 mile east of the 1000 Island Bridge. The vessel reportedly lost steering and grounded on a shoal. The vessel was reported to be taking on water in her forepeak but her pumps were keeping up with the flooding and no injuries were reported. Damage was reported to be minor.

Navigation in the area was temporarily suspended but resumed later that afternoon. The Niagara was able to refloat itself while waiting for inspectors to arrive.

8 a.m. update
The CSL Niagara was freed early Wednesday morning and got underway about 4:30 a.m. Shortly after 6 a.m. she was westbound at Cape Vincent with an ETA of 9:40 for Sodus Point. She has a cargo of coke from Quebec City, her destination is unknown."

Also found on Newsday.

Meme on, meme on, meme on, meme until your memes come true...

2005-06-29T18:48:00.000-06:00

It used to take a bit of tweaking with Photoshop, but now there is an online utility that does all the work for you...

Polaroid-o-nizer!

[via] [via] [via]

That's a lot of [via].

I want some wiiiiiiiiiinne...

2005-06-29T09:19:00.000-06:00

Heh. Came across this little haiku in an ad for what would seem to be my ideal brand of wine:

our motto is to
live dangerously then drink
well as your reward

"Retro cool (in a jug with a screw cap), super-sized (at one liter), and cheap ($9.99)."

I like decent wine. I don't like paying $30+ per bottle, though. Two of my favorites have gone from reasonable to "special occasion only" price in the last 5 or so years.

I like drinking wine when I'm eating, because beer can be a bit of a gutbuster when mixed with a 12 oz. ribeye, salad, veggies, and sweet mashers.

And while I like good quality, price is definitely a major concern. Because when we all get together for a little grilling action after a ride, well, we drink a LOT. The boys drink a lot of beer and our badass biker babes (wives & girlfriends) drink a lot of wine. (Of course, some of the babes drink beer and some of the boys drink wine.)

And lately, we buy the bulk sizes for get-togethers. There's Yellow Tail, Black Box, and several others in the "quality wine at everyday price" category.

So we'll add Three Thieves to the repertoire when we "live dangerously then drink well as our reward."

Congrats, little sister...

2005-06-27T15:02:00.000-06:00

Unlike myself, my little sister takes pictures when she has adventures. She recently vacationed on SJ Island with her husband in celebration of one of their anniversaries.

I wish I didn't have to be so obscure, but I don't want her coming across Whiskey Tango.

Which means I can't direct link her blog or her flickr set. So. You'll have to work with me here.

Here is a Google search that should give you an idea where to start. Look for H***y and K******n in the domain names.

We ride...

2005-06-23T14:57:00.000-06:00

That's it. Screw this working crap.

I'm taking the rest of the day off. And tomorrow, too.

It's summer, dammit! I don't need to be sitting in my cloffice (closet/office) staring at my computer.

I need to be out riding my bike, looking at tiny little desert flowers, discovering the ways life expresses itself in a landscape that appears inhospitable upon initial observation.

Dang it, today is a rock n roll kid of day! Put in The Distillers and crank it up to 11! Drive the car 100 mph! Burn baby burn!

HA! Going on a ride this afternoon with the ex. And others. We'll do a lot of rock crawling, super-techie, scary shit. Because I'm a sadistic nutter.

Ride the Rockies came through town last night ("Seriously, dude. Your ride ended, like, hours ago and you couldn't put on a normal pair of shorts? You got to strut around in your sweaty-ass grease diaper bike shorts? Yeah, we get it: you're a biker. Sweet."), which meant a free rock show in the park.

Road bikers are tools.

And one more thing. I can't wait to get my hands on the new Tsar album. Tony's been pumping them for years. I've heard a few of their tunes and I think this album will become a new pre-ride headbanger.

I'm gone...

More from Jack...

2005-06-22T08:49:00.000-06:00

Here is a new update from Jack regarding his Peaceful Steps walk:

Hello Friends,

It was only a week and a half ago that Birch could hardly walk from being hit by a car now she is walking fine and yes even chasing squirrels again without hardly any kind of limp. Thanks to everyone who gave her so much loving energy and especially our new friend Claire who has been giving her acupuncture! Claire is an amazing person who works with animals alot and also has been to Africa on a volunteer projects to help teach doctors there acupuncture to help with the treatment of HIV. We were very blessed to have met this wonderful healer!

This past weekend we went to a conference on Earth and Religion where people from many different faiths and backgrounds gathered together to discuss how to align religion and spirituality with an ecological consciousness to create a more sustainable world. You can listen to a NPR clip below that talks about the conference and has a segment on Birch and I. We didn't even know about it until we showed up at the conference and people kept coming up to us saying "oh this must be Birch, we heard about you two on the radio." A big thank you to our friend Jude who made it possible for us to come and is the one who did most of the organizing of the event. A powerful force of change.

http://publicbroadcasting.net/wamc/news/content/782281.html

Birch was allowed to come into the conference and was treated like an angel. We met so many incredible folks who are doing amazing work around this world. From creating sustainable communities, cleaning up the Hudson River, creating inner city community gardens, etc... It was a gathering of people who have a deep belief that it is only through an ecological spiritual consciousness that we are going to create a sustainable future. Meeting and listening to all these amazing people gave me so much hope because I know all of their actions are creating a ripple effect of positive action that is spreading around the earth. On the last night we were invited to a sweat lodge ceremony. When we showed up it was pouring rain and we slopped around for quite awhile in the mud building the sweat. It had been really hot the whole weekend so it felt great in the refreshing rain. As soon as the lodge was finished the rain stopped and allowed us to start the fire. It was a great way to connect with the earth after a great weekend. There was alot of sharing, singing, praying, and a lot of sweating. I know that sweating is a great way to cleanse toxins from your body and I have been wondering about the carbon monoxide we have been breathing in walking along the roads. I should have maybe put Birch in the lodge too.

Anyway, today we are resuming the journey with our next destination being in southern New Hampshire to a mindfulness community that is being set up by a monk and nun who have been with Thich Nhat Hanh from Plum Village for several years. It looks like a great place. Well, we are out the door right now to continue the journey. Thanks for coming on this journey with us by reading these posts.

Take Peaceful Steps & Enjoy Life!

With Love,
Jack & Birch

Here is another article about us.

http://www.cpnn-usa.org/cgi-bin/read/articlepage.cgi?ViewArticle=244

Peaceful Steps Google group.

Neither rain nor sleet nor snow...

2005-06-21T09:27:00.000-06:00

The pic above was the scene from the beginning of our ride on Sat., June 11th.

We spent a lot of time slogging through mud and snow in the higher reaches of the ride. And that is fairly typical during early summer high alpine rides. We have some riding areas at lower elevations, more "high desert" than "high alpine", and the trails tend to dry out much earlier.

But most of the epic descents begin at higher elevations and can't be ridden until later in the summer. Since we've had slightly above average snowfall this past winter (which stands in stark contrast to several years of drought), I'm a bit worried that several of my favorite high rides may not melt before I have to leave for Traverse City, MI.

We'll see.

On a completely unrelated note...

Watch what happens when a bike sits locked to a bridge for nine months.

[via]

Summer time and the living's easy...

2005-06-16T15:00:00.000-06:00

So many fun times to be had. I can already feel summer slipping away. Every spare moment is scheduled with activity.

Wedding weekend for R and D. I am officiating.

If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy...

2005-06-13T18:16:00.000-06:00

Oh man! I GOT to build one of these before I leave for the summer.

Town bikes (also "townies") are a HUGE part of mountain town culture. Almost everybody has at least one townie and certain people keep a fleet of differently-purposed two-wheelers around.

I prefer the classics: I have a late 1960s/early 1970s Coast King five-speed twist-shift from Coast to Coast Hardware. It came into my possession via an ex-girlfriend's grandfather. I love it. It is my favorite way to get around town.

I'll bet I can talk JL into building one of these with me.

[via]

6 attempts...

2005-06-13T09:39:00.000-06:00

... and still NO LUCK eating at the new restaurant.

They were closed yesterday and are closed today. They have stopped serving lunch and takeout. They are currently open only for dinner. The sign says they need to "regroup." Is that code for "we ran out of food"?

Running out of food is a good problem to have if you are a new eatery. Being TOO busy means you are doing something right.

Everybody raves about the place.

But dang it, I just can't seem to connect the proper cosmic forces. Perhaps I am destined to eat only chicken-fried whatever with a side of nutrient-free filler for the rest of my life.

What does a guy have to do to get something to eat around here?

2005-06-10T09:22:00.000-06:00

Dang it!

They were closed for staff training. I've made 3 attempts to eat at the new place and have met with failure every time!

Maybe today for lunch...

Want to grab a bite?

2005-06-09T18:25:00.000-06:00

I just watched a video of a spider eating a mouse. I wouldn't suggest viewing it if raw nature makes you squeamish.

The video triggered a few quick flashes in the gray matter.

I'm really hungry.

I get that way a lot, because I kind of get caught up in my work and forget to eat.

And that sort of means different things depending on my current lifestyle status.

When I was involved in a relationship, it meant establishing taste consensus, finding a recipe, procuring ingredients at our limited grocery store, prepping, cooking, and cleaning. Time consuming. Hard to endure when you are hungry NOW! And maybe it helps to explain why I often found myself so impatient and short-tempered with significant others around dinner time.

"NO! You can't help. Just get out of the kitchen until I tell you dinner is ready. You can do dishes."

Yep. That really makes for some great pre-dinner quality time: me, fuming in the kitchen; her, fuming in front of the TV. Reverse said scenario for post-dinner quality time.

Now? I eat when I want. Without regard to anybodies desires' other than my own.

And I find myself eating out a lot, or carrying out a lot, or microwaving a lot, because spending time with friends (riding/fishing/talking/drinking/whatever) is more important to me right now than cooking up a wholesome meal. Although sometimes we will cook a dinner together.

But it is hard to feel enthusiastic regarding the offerings available at our local eateries, seeing as how I've been eating virtually the same thing for FIFTEEN YEARS! I know the owners of most of the places by now. I never need a menu. It's one of the drawbacks of living in a small mountain community.

Occasionally, some enterprising restaurateur will open up a new place. Like ANOTHER Chinese place. Or ANOTHER Mexican place. Or ANOTHER sandwich place. Or ANOTHER greasy spoon serving chicken-fried whatever with potatoes, crappy veggies, and an iceberg salad drowned in ranch. A few hold on and the others fade away.

Up valley, CB has more to offer, but it's a sixty mile round trip. And more expensive. So, a rare treat to head up valley for dinner.

Thus, it is quite an event when a new eatery opens in town. Usually, it turns out to be a disappointment, just more of the same, executed poorly.

But every now and then somebody gets it right...

There is a new eatery in town. They serve various bowls with diverse ethnic influences. Indian curries, Thai curries, teriyaki noodles, Vietnamese, turkey dinner, etc. Most have a shrimp, chicken, beef, tofu option. Everybody raves about the spring rolls. Sushi is on the menu in the near future (I know... seafood in the mountains.)

I haven't been there yet. But I'm going tonight.

Mmmmmmm... new food.

We got to get out of this place...

2005-06-08T08:38:00.000-06:00

How far would you go? How desperate must your situation become before you would risk everything to better your circumstances?

Would you hide in a plane? [via]

Would you ride the rudder?

33 miles with 32 riders...

2005-06-03T14:39:00.000-06:00

W. O. W. This was easily the largest group ride I've ever been on. Only a few mechanicals and one minor head injury.

Great trail. Great weather. Breakthrough ride for me as I was able to work on a few different techniques, mainly manuals off of ledges. A manual is when you pedal your bike off of a vertical section of rock and pull the front of the bike up so as to land flat or slightly on the back wheel. Very effective for keeping your head from slamming into the ground.

We have some video.

Unfortunately, the footage of the one really hard section doesn't do any justice to the steepness. People were having a hard time walking down that section, and some were sliding on their ass. I only made the first part, but next time I hope to send the whole problem.

S (kickass core biker chick) actually rode it first, with K (S's boyfriend) and M succeeding as well. G's friend J rode it as well, but they were way ahead of us. Out of 32 riders, 4 of 6 attempts were successful.

The file is big, 27 MB, and in Windows Media Format (sorry, that's how it was sent to me):

http://www.archive.org/download/moab_biking/moab_biking_may_05.wmv

On a COMPLETELY unrelated note...

I am sending in my $500 deposit for school, which goes toward my uniform order:

* Black Shirt, L/S
* Black Shirt, S/S
* Black Trousers, 2 pair
* Black Tie
* Black Jacket
* Black Cap
* Black Coverall, L/S
* Blue Chambray Work Shirt
* Assorted patches and collar devices, belt.

I kind of like the idea of wearing a uniform. In fact, I may have mentioned it way back in the beginning...

At least I won't have to go to sea in any of these silly maritime uniforms.

Closest thing to flying...

2005-05-27T12:27:00.000-06:00

Road-tripping off into the desert. Driving out by myself.

I love rocking out when I drive. I'll probably listen to some Hot Hot Heat and some Distillers (Brodie Dalle is the sexiest woman in all of rock.)

Highway 128 south?/west? from I-70 snakes along the Colorado river all the way into Moab. It is, quite possibly, one of my favorite stretches of American Two-Lane Desert Highway. Go to Google Maps, zoom in a bit and scroll down, following this stretch of road.

Windows open, music blaring, cooler of beer riding shot gun! I got to be in Moab before sun down.

Have a good weekend!

Wanna ride yer bike?

2005-05-26T09:28:00.000-06:00

Feel free to join us. It'll be a small group of about 50, with people coming from FIVE different states to ride the 30+ DOWNHILL miles of Hazzard County and Porcupine Rim.

WOOT!

[large image]

[Google Maps sat image]

Think skinny...

2005-05-25T12:06:00.000-06:00

Why is Great Lakes shipping considered so difficult?

Big boats + confined waterways.

"You've got clearance, Clarence."

"Roger, Roger."

"What's our vector, Victor?"

Movin' on up...

2005-05-25T09:07:00.000-06:00

There must be something in the air.

More people moving forward with their lives.

Two friends have decided to move out to California. She worked ski patrol. He worked as the sushi guy at a local restaurant (yep, we got sushi in the mountains.)

They are both smart and multi-talented. Both are great skiers and mountain bikers. He has owned his own event sound production company and has lived and worked all over the country. She is a talented artist and faux-effects house painter.

She has decided to attend nursing school and he has some experience with television production. But he also talks about apprenticing with a sushi chef and becoming a master if the tv thing doesn't work out.

C (he) and L (her) left during the off-season with a plan: road trip out to California, look at schools, decide which one L liked best, find a community they would like to live in, and line up some tentative work options for C.

Looks like they'll be living in Echo Park. From the Historic Echo Park web site:

Echo Park is one of the oldest neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Located about two miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Echo Park is an incredibly diverse and culturally rich neighborhood that is more than a century old.

Sounds pretty cool; tiny mountain town to downtown LA.

Sometimes massive changes are necessary.

And perhaps life in paradise is ultimately a bore.

Flickr pics of Echo Park.

Tock like yer from Michigin...

2005-05-23T09:14:00.000-06:00

Hmmm. This Michigan Accent Pronunciation Guide may prove useful.

[via]

Cool Stuff...

2005-05-20T09:07:00.000-06:00

Wow. Wow. Wow.

All KINDS of cool stuff over at Gizmag.

My favorite? A really cool human-powered hydrofoil capable of speeds close to 20 mph.

[via]

Goin to California, 2004...

2005-05-18T18:34:00.000-06:00

About thhis time last year, perhaps more early-Aprilish, Shorty and I cruised out to California. We pushed 3300 motherfuckin' miles in nine days on the road!

Here's the first part of the trip. More later.

Part I

Shorty and I left home on a Friday afternoon- we made it to Moab in time for the Avs Game. We watched to game at the brewery and split out into the desert afterwards, about 80 miles on down the road.

We hit dirt at the Comb Wash road around 11 p.m. and cracked a couple of Coronas for the rally drive out to the ever elusive "perfect camp site." Three beers apiece seemed the magic number and we 4x4ed the Hornda over some rough terrain to achieve total "killer-campsite" consciousness.

We awoke to incredulous looks on the faces of mouth-breathing rednecks driving past our camp in huge trucks.

We went lizard and sprawled on the sandstone in our shorts giggling like schoolgirls.

The sun on our backs from the East drove us onward into the desert. It drove us so hard we went 115 mph past a cop in Arizona. He had chosen a genius spot in the median, but I had enough time to slow to 98 mph before he could clock me. He was in a sporting mood and dropped the ticket to 90 in a 75. And he actually LAUGHED at me!

"Okay sir, have a nice day and (smirk) try to keep it around (snicker) 75."

I laughed, thanked him and shook his hand.

"That was a REALLY good hiding spot."

He gave me a wink and headed back to his car. He knew it was a game and he could tell I was having a good time going 115 mph.

We wandered into Joshua Tree at about 10:30 p.m. Again, we cracked beers at the park entrance. We proceeded into the park with a sense of uncertainty, as we had just rolled past a sign that read "ALL CAMPGROUNDS FULL."

They couldn't ALL be full.

They could. And they were.

California is not like ColoradoUtahWyomingMontanaArizonaNevadaIdahoEtc. You can't just find a piece of public land and squat on it for an evening. Mostly because there IS no public land in the parts of California we visited. Except the beaches- the beaches are public. But you SURE AS HELL can't sleep on the BEACH! Oh no!

I digress. Four beers was the magic number and we pulled into some campground area around 11:15. A quick assessment confirmed that which we had already resigned ourselves to- no empty campgrounds.

Our strategy called for simple begging. All these campers were here to climb, and dirtbag climber-types tend toward generosity when fellow wanderers find themselves in need of a small dirt patch for sleeping. Most will even share their campfire and beer in exchange for some fresh conversation.

Only... there WERE no dirtbag climber-types. Only YUPPIE climber-types; the types that get a little nervous and uneasy when a strange wandering derelict saunters into camp asking for a piggyback on a campsite that can hold twelve but is currently occupied by four.

"Umm... we're kind of.." (avoid eye contact) "umm... we have some friends..." (look towards other campers, also shuffling feet and avoiding eye contact, for some help) "uh... they're on there way... meeting us... ummmm..."

"Alright. Well, thanks (for nothing, you fucking lying cowards) we'll figure something out."

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Exasperation set in around midnight and we settled on a small illegal patch of decomposed granite for our nightly rest.

"We'll pull in here. Somebody already moved the rock. It's too late for the ranger. We'll just get up at first light and bust out before anybody knows we're here."

"Yah. That'll work."

Simple plan, eh? Enter the ever-present National Park Ranger. He was about fourteen years old.

"Excuse me. You 'gentlemen' planning on camping right there (asked in a rhetorical manner)?"

Quick, LIE!

"No 'sir'. We're just figuring out what to do since the campgrounds are full." Luckily, our gear was still in the Hornda and not spread out all over the ground.

"Well, I noticed you moved a rock and have parked in a sensitive area we are attempting to re-vegetate."

I glanced down at the 12x12 patch of decomposed granite, noting the tracks from THOUSANDS of campers cutting across as a shortcut to the pit toilet we were parked next to.

"Um, we didn't move the rock. I just pulled off the road to use the toilet. I didn't want to block the road. We've been driving around for a while trying to figure out what to do. Sorry about the, uh, 'impact'."

The ranger stared for a moment. Perhaps the Jedi mind tricks were working. Alas, he came to his senses and we were undone by his Maglite. He flicked it on and stepped toward the Hornda.

"Are those BEER CANS in your vehicle?"

"Yah. Shorty drove a lot today and started drinking beers after his shift. I've been driving lately and I haven't been drinking (LIE!)."

More staring.

"Gimme your license."

He headed back to his wildly flashing, well-lit behemoth Park Cruiser. Not sure why the Park Service feels it necessary to drive around paved park roads in a full rally-outfitted oversize Chevy Suburban. After about 20 minutes he stepped back into the blue and red cacophony of light with ticket book in hand.

"Alright, I believe you didn't move the rock. I'm writing you a ticket for open container (because I can't prove you did anything else wrong). You get the ticket even though your friend was the one drinking."

(I guess California law is a tad strict regarding open container; you can get a ticket for beer cans that have been rattling around in the back of your car or truck for weeks.)

"Okay. What should we do about a place to sleep?"

He directed us to a parking lot several miles away and told us we could spend the night.

We awoke early and wandered around the park, scrambling up the various rock outcroppings and enjoying the sunny carnival-like atmosphere of JTree on a busy weekend.

The desert in bloom

2005-05-17T09:25:00.000-06:00

I cannot begin to relay the wonder I experienced this past weekend.

The great american desert in full bloom is a rare event.

I have never experienced anything like the overwhelming desert life explosion I rode through.

Of course, I also nearly died from heat stroke, because riding your bike in the desert in May after a night of drinking whiskey around a fire is a lot like riding your bike in a pizza oven while drinking a big mug of hot sand.

We ran across a couple of bikers from TheFrontRange who had no idea where they were going and had not set up a shuttle to get themselves back to their car after their ride. So we let them tag along with us. And we gave the driver a ride back to his car. One of them was wearing a unitard (quite simply the single most scorn-worthy item of clothing a male cyclist can wear.)

They were... nice. And boring. And they should be road bikers because they walked over all of the rocks and hard technical sections of trail. They didn't even TRY to ride the stuff.

The rest of us, however, wrecked many times and are covered in scrapes and bruises.

I still don't understand how we manage to get a dozen people together and NOT HAVE A SINGLE CAMERA!

Here, go look at some images of the Death Valley bloom.

Single track mind...

2005-05-13T08:45:00.000-06:00

No time today.

Wrapping up a few things at the office and taking a half-day, quick spot of laundry to clean the biking gear, and off to Fruita for riding with a ton of people whose homes span the West, from Salt Lake to Denver and all points in between!

Somehow, we never manage to take pictures of ourselves. So instead, go look at some pretty pictures of the Tabegauche/G.J. area over at Mountain Biking forum. The pictures are of some dudes I don't even know, but showcase one of my favorite areas to ride in the western U.S.

And here are some more pics of the Fruita area.

Have a good weekend!

We RIDE...

2005-05-12T19:11:00.000-06:00

JT came through town before shipping out for his summer sea project with GLMA. We got a couple of rides in, but he is suffering from a back injury and was in no condition to push himself as hard as some of our favorite trails require.

I did manage to "clean" Ring Dyke trail for the first time ever. w00t! It is a tough, technical trail with lots of steep rock work. I have managed, throughout the years, to overcome all of the crux moves at one time or another, but never all on one ride. (Ring Dikes are a type of geological formation, but I couldn't much general info about them- just academic theses on specific features.)

Oh! And a MAJOR geological change on Sacrifice; a car-sized chunk of rock broke off a cliff wall and fell onto the trail, breaking in two. Dang, I wish I could have seen that rock let go!

We'll need to figure out a way to ride this successfully. I think it's a possibility, but will require some trials-style balance work.

We will head to the Fruita area this weekend with a big posse. I am a bit worried, though, as I have been experiencing problems with my IT Band. It really twinges in my hip and knee during sustained climbing in my lower-rpm/higher-torque gears. I may have to spin more instead of cranking.

JT and I spoke about his sea project while he was here. It sounds just BRUTAL. 80 days on the boat, working regular watches the whole time, 4 hours on/8 hours off. Cadets are also expected to be on the bridge for "learning opportunities" like transiting a river section, or locking up/down, or splicing a cable, or loading/unloading cargo, etc. And there are also some heavy duty homework assignments including diagramming all of the ships emergency equipment, and plotting landmark/lighthouse locations and courses with notation on blank charts.

So cadets don't get very much sleep.

The Academy admits about 30 cadets each year. JT told me they graduated FIVE this spring. The Admissions Director told me they have a 50% attrition rate in the FIRST YEAR.

As the reality starts to set in I find myself getting a bit nervous about the course and work load. But screw it. I can handle this. I've been bored lately and look forward to throwing myself into the deep end.

Deal O' the Week...

2005-05-11T09:34:00.000-06:00

Pssst. Hey. Wanna buy a lighthouse?

"The Barcelona Lighthouse on Lake Erie was built by the U.S. Lighthouse Service and was first lit in 1829. It is the only lighthouse in the United States to be lighted by natural gas. Constructed of natural fieldstone, the lighthouse and light keeper's house overlook the scenic Barcelona Harbor and Lake Erie."

Tu Dong...

2005-05-06T08:49:00.000-06:00

Furious commented regarding her enjoyment of the Peaceful Steps posts [ 1 & 2 ].

So, in that spirit, here are the journal entries from another local young man and the buddhist monk he is accomanying on a walk from New Orleans, Louisiana to Thunder Bay, Canada.

I don't know Austin nearly as well as Jack, but he is a remarkable young man who very much embodies many of the tenets of Buddhism.

On Tuesday morning, March 1, a local man and an ordained Buddhist monk will set off on foot from New Orleans, Louisiana to Thunder Bay, Canada, with shaved heads and robes. They are embarking on a six-month journey of 1,800 miles, up the banks of the Mississippi River surviving completely on donations in honor of the ancient Buddhist tradition of wandering, known as Tu Dong. Theirs is the first walk of its kind in this country.

Absolutely fascinating.

Have a great weekend!

The good ship St. Clair...

2005-05-05T17:10:00.000-06:00

JT found out his boat for the 90-day summer sea project. From his email:

"Dave, I got the "St. Clair" (American Steam.), they are doing a run all summer long between Lorraine Ohio and Two harbors Minnesota (just north of Duluth). They came through for me. I'll be doing all the rivers and lakes, except Ontario."

From boatnerd.com:

The St. Clair was launched July 24, 1975 at Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, WI. When hull # 714 slid down the ways, she was the largest vessel ever to be side launched, built at a cost of $24.3 million.

Power for the vessel comes from three V-20 cylinder, two stroke cycle, single acting diesel engines, 230mm (9.1") bore x 254mm (10.0") stroke, built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors Corp., La Grange, IL driving through a Falk single reduction gear box to a controllable pitch propeller. Total engine output: 10,800 bhp. Rated service speed: 14.5 knots (16.7 mph). She is equipped with bow and stern thrusters.

He'll be here on Saturday for several days and we are going to RIDE OUR ASSES OFF! We will probably also drink a ton of beer and cook lots of meat with fire. It will be fun to have the whole crew together again.

Come on in, take a look around...

2005-05-05T08:53:00.000-06:00

Want to take a look around inside a 1928 Great Lakes steamship?

Believe it or not, the Joseph H. Frantz, built in 1928, is still in service with Great Lakes Associates, Inc.

The interiors of the boats have been repainted and refitted so many times that I feel they have lost some of their aesthetic appeal. Who ACTUALLY enjoys the color "Institution Green" for crying out loud?!Why does this color exist? Is there some feature that qualifies it best for use in industrial/institutional settings?

The museum ship William G. Mather has been restored to her original condition and boasts lots of beautiful wood in her interior, including her guest dining room. You can peek around inside of her as well.

I find myself fascinated by photos of these boats, as I will be spending a LOT of time on them in the coming years.

I will literally get rid of everything I own except for a duffel of clothes, my biking/hockey/fishing/rafting gear, my guitar, and the LittleRedHorndaCivic. I am just going to pile everything else in the living room and let my friends vulture through my possessions, taking whatever they please. That includes my 1983 Toyota 4x4 with 332,000 miles on it. STILL RUNS! (Though it could use a little tlc in the form of new some engine seals and a left rear axle seal.)

Already, there has been a bit of squabbling as to who will keep my grill. I suppose we'll have to hold a lottery.

Out with you, damn accursed invasive species...

2005-05-04T18:15:00.000-06:00

These stories dovetail nicely.

Story 1:

Three UC Berkeley bioengineering students are developing an approach to sniff out stowaways on cargo ships. But they're not looking not human stowaways. What they're looking for are invasive marine species that hitch a ride in a ship's ballast water before it leaves home port and wreaks havoc on the non-native ecosystems when that ballast is eventually released. According to the International Maritime Organization, the introduction of invasive species is one of the four greatest threats to the world's oceans. The students, recently-named fellows in the University's Management of Technology (MOT) International Research Program, will head to China to conduct a feasibility study of their innovative idea for combating the problem.

Nate Beyor, Stephanie Yeung, and Erik Douglas, PhD students in the UCB/UCSF joint graduate group in bioengineering, work in the laboratory of Richard Mathies. Their theses work focuses on developing lab-on-a-chip technology, chemical analyzers that pack the power of large, expensive instruments into a thumbnail-sized device complete with microscale valves, pumps, and reaction chambers.

From "Lab Notes: Research from the Berkeley College of Engineerin

Story 2

Bill calls for ocean vessel permits - 4/29

Oceangoing ships would need a permit to enter Michigan ports starting in 2007 under legislation approved Wednesday by the state Senate. The bill, approved on a 38-0 vote, is aimed at reducing the threat of invasive species in the Great Lakes. Ships couldn't discharge aquatic nuisance species. They would have to treat any ballast water before releasing it.

The legislation, which heads to the House, also would authorize Michigan to form a coalition with the Great Lakes region's other states to deal with aquatic invaders. Supporters say states must join together to act because the federal government has been slow and ineffective. "We must eradicate these foreign species from the Great Lakes ecosystem before they destroy it," said Sen. Patty Birkholz, a Republican from Allegan County's Saugatuck Township and the bill's sponsor.

Scientists have counted more than 160 exotic species in the Great Lakes region, including the sea lamprey, zebra mussel and round goby. A new invasive species, typically imported from Europe or Asia, is discovered in the Great Lakes at the rate of one every eight months. Ship ballast is widely believed to be a leading contributor to the problem. Species are scooped up when a freighter takes on water, then discharged in the Great Lakes when a ship must get heavier or lighter for porting operations.

Permit applicants would have to show their vessels don't discharge aquatic nuisance species, or have the technology to treat ballast water in hopes of eliminating them.

Zebra mussels clog pipes at power plants, raising utility costs. They also may be responsible for killing off tiny organisms eaten by native species such as yellow perch and whitefish, leaving them underfed and under-populated.

The legislation has the endorsement of Gov. Jennifer Granholm's administration.

Reported by the Associated Press / Detroit Free Press

One more reason...

2005-05-03T09:42:00.000-06:00

As if I needed any more reasons to effin' DESPISE basketball and basketball players...

Walking, Part III...

2005-05-02T17:35:00.000-06:00

Here is another update from Jack. [prior posts: 1 , 2]

Hello Friends,

Soon these updates will be coming from peacefulsteps@gmail.com so keep your eyes open for that address.

We have been walking through Connecticut on our way up to one of Thich Nhat Hanh's meditation centers in Woodstock Vermont. Our cross country peace walk is heading into New England before heading west.

Our journey thus far has been incredible!!! People have shown us so much kindness and have been really receptive to the walk. We have had people pull over and offer us food, water, money, shelter, and most important their blessings and encouragement. On the back of my pack is a satellite photo of the earth that says, "We're all in this together." Most of the attention we have got comes directly from the angelic presence of Birch. She has been such a blessing on this journey. For those of you that have never met Birch she is the most beautiful gentle furry companion you could imagine. She is a white husky with incredible blue eyes and has a very calm peaceful presence. She stops people in their tracks as we walk down the street. A child in the Bronx asked me if she ever got in fights and I said no never, she is a dog of peace. He then replied, "Yea, she must be from God's land." I often think that I have just be called to be her attendant on this journey of peace. Sometimes when I might not have a smile on my face someone will see her and light up with a smile which in turns makes me smile. She truly creates peace through her presence.

Anyway, we have walked through some of the poorest and richest neighborhoods in the country. As we walked out of the north end of the Bronx we literally walked right into a neighborhood with million dollar mansions. They were beautiful homes and would be truly beautiful if they housed 40 to 50 people instead of two or four that most likely lived there. There were fleets of lawn care workers with backpacks full of gas blowing leaves off the lawns and riding around on large lawn mowers. It was truly a culture shock after two weeks in the Bronx. Unfortunately, this brings me to something that has really been disturbing me on this journey. All through CT as we pass bright green lawns we have been seeing these little yellow signs that have a picture of a mom holding the hand of a child and the child holding on to a leash with a dog inside a circle with an X through it. Saying danger Pesticide Application. Then the other day as it started to pour down rain and the sidewalks were full of puddles and I was walking in sandals we watched all the water flow from these toxic lawns into the storm drains that then go into the closest river and out into Long Island Sound. Thinking about how now those signs need to be put on the puddles, on the sidewalks, the rivers, and the ocean. I watched robins eating worms out of these toxic lawns and thought of all the dogs and children that have been playing on these lawns for decades. I guess one positive thing about this is the fact that these signs are even there now. Where have they been for the past 40 years? Awareness is growing and one day we will learn how much we have polluted our land and water in order to have a green lawn which in my humble opinion should be producing food and flowers instead of pollution. One day we walked by a home that had a sign in the yard that had a picture of butterflies and birds and it said Pesticide Free Lawn. I got so excited I wanted to knock on the door, give them a big hug, and thank them but the hour was a little late. Anyway, my spirit has been mostly at peace on this journey but this has been a major distraction because I love children, dogs, worms, water, butterflies, birds etc.. and we pass these signs and lawns that are threatening our health everyday. If you want to learn more about this issue go to www.organicconsumer.org and they will fill you in on major campaigns that are going on to raise awareness about this issue.

We are now in Hartford CT helping out with an after school children's program at a Catholic Worker house. These houses have been set up all over the country to provide services in low income neighborhoods. They were started in the 60's by Dorthy Day who is considered to be a Catholic anarchist. These homes have been havens for activists who provide help to the poor and also are constantly working on peace and justice issues. The day we arrived at this house things were a little frantic because a two members of the community a father and his fourteen year old son where in Darfur delivering aid to a refuge camp and reporter who they were with had been arrested by the government and the safety and location of these two were unknown. A few hours later we received word that they were safe and were on a plane home. Many people think Birch and I are courageous to be walking across the country but when I think about the activists going to war torn regions of the world our journey seems like a cake walk. Anyway, Dorthy Day and the Catholic Worker movement is really something to learn more about.

Today we went to a Quaker Friends Meeting here in West Hartford and met so many great people. I talked about the fundraising part of our walk to help some families in Iraq and as I was talking to folks afterward people kept coming up to me and putting money in my pocket. When I got back to my friends house. I found well over $100 in my pockets that is going straight to some families in Iraq. Birch and I have needed very little money on this journey due to the generosity of people we have met. On our website at www.peacefulsteps.com you can learn more about the Iraqi Family Support Project and have the opportunity to help some families that are suffering due to the occupation and the atrocities that have occurred at Abu Graib. It is my dream to create a grassroots effort throughout this country to help out the people of Iraq because they will need our compassion for years to come.

This past weekend was the 30th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam war and the Hartford paper had a front page column about the lingering affects of Agent Orange(produced by Monsanto the same corporation that makes the pesticides lawns are being sprayed with.) I wonder what the effects of depleted uranium will be thirty years after the occupation of Iraq? I recently heard Dahr Jamail (an unembedded independent reporter who has been in Iraq for eight months over the past year) report on Democracy Now that depleted uranium is probably the most under reported issue of the war. Dear friends, as we work to put an end to this war we must educate ourselves about this issue because it will not stay hidden for long. US troops and generations of children in Iraq are going to suffer from depleted uranium and we must prepare ourselves to help them and hold our government accountable for the clean up and support to the victims of this atrocity.

Sorry about the tone of this report but we are at war and there are issues that we can't hide from. Anyway, we are off today to go to the Volutown Peace Trust in Voluntown CT that is a retreat center for nonviolent training. There is a gathering of peace and justice activists from all over the east coast and is located on 60 acres where we can camp and Birch can run free.

Peaceful Steps,

Jack & Birch

April showers bring angry bikers...

2005-05-02T09:15:00.000-06:00

Yeah. Snow and rain all weekend. No biking.

Highlight? Rocking out to Hair Force One, a local 80's hair-metal cover band. Fun to see all the kids dress up. Quite a spectacle. Of course, for me, the music recalls afternoons spent in DS's basement, playing foosball with a stack of vinyl on the record player.

We preferred a bit of the harder stuff: Iron Maiden, Sabbath, AC/DC, Scorpions, Judas Priest. I remember some early Motely Crue. But the Poisons, Warrants, Whitesnakes, Quiet Riots, et al. were a bit cheesy to us.

I think we're supposed to remain saturated throughout the week.

From the "How NOT to Drive a Boat" files...

2005-04-29T08:50:00.000-06:00

The folks over at Countryman & McDaniel would seem to specialize as Air & Ocean Logistics / Customs Broker Attorneys & International Trade Consultants.

But they also maintain a gallery of air and sea "Transport Loss."

**WARNING** The site design is AWFUL! To view gallery images you will need to scroll down to the yellow box, and then look for "Ocean Vessel Loss Features" half way down the right column.

I'm not sure what fuels my morbid fascination with these accidents. Perhaps it is a way of coming to terms with the unknown dangers I will face in my new profession.

On a completely different note

It is snowing. AGAIN.

I rode on Tuesday with CB. We had a good mellow three-hour cruise. I feel my fitness coming around and could have ridden longer, but she is still in early season shape and was toasted early.

People around here tend to be a bit manic in the pursuit of recreation. Not being able to ride for several days can start to drive a person crazy. Our sport is our therapy/meditation/church.

RockyMountainSpringtime is rough: full of promise, but fickle and capricious.

Hmm. Enjoy your weekend. I see lots of cleaning, reading, and coffee shop sitting in my immediate future.

Changing course...

2005-04-28T18:08:00.000-06:00

I read several blogs on a regular basis. And I've noticed several people writing about their struggles with... stuff. Wrestling their demons, examining their life and world, etc.

The very cute yet tormented Danielle writes of her adjustment to grad school and the loneliness she experiences.

Anti writes about the kind of stoner life that people always seem to hassle him about, but he also has some pretty solid ideas about life.

And one of my favorites, Tony Pierce, was recently rejected for the graduate program at a school he REALLY wanted to attend. He had this to say: "when youre 25 and have a few years of unrewarding employment its not such a bad thing cuz youre getting laid, meeting people, learning shit, transitionning into the real world. but when youre 111 riding the bus and the best thing going for you is your gayass blawg you can either jump off a bridge or start applying for things that have been recommended to you by those cooler than you." I can relate.

I don't have any wisdon to offer. But maybe my situation can stand as one small example of hope.

You CAN do anything you want at any time, simply by deciding to do it.

I'm 35 years old. I lived in a tent in Alaska at age 17 after dropping out of high school. I lived as a ski bum for one year in Winter Park. I lived as a general party addict in Boulder, working at Boulder Ski Deals and skiing at Berthoud.

I came to college on a whim, accepted on the strength of my GED score and divine intervention. I worked during summers as a rafting and fishing guide. After graduation, I continued working as a guide and picked up backcountry snowmobile tours in the winter. I worked as an instructor for Colorado Outward Bound School.

Eventually, several friends and I started a Harley-Davidson rental company that ultimately failed. I started working on a second undergrad major to apply towards a secondary ed teaching certificate, during which time I became editor of the college Arts & Literature magazine...

But instead I got a job doing web work and 86ed the teaching cert. And I've been doing it for six years, with great benefits like retirement, medical, and dental. In addition to my regular gig, I've done freelance and consulting work for several municipal governments and for multi-million dollar grant projects. I've also taught as an adjunct professor.

During the last six years I've also managed to raft the Grand Canyon, officiate at over one dozen weddings as an ordained minister, and record a bluegrass CD with my (now defunct) band.

But now I'm bored. And I want to do something new and different and get out into the world. I thought, for many years, I could just work hard and be good and something would come my way (throw me a bone, so to speak.) But I know that isn't the case; the only way to get something is to bulldog it like a hard charger. So I decided to get licensed and I'm doing it.

I'm not listing my accomplishments and experiences in order to brag or as some kind of RAHRAH positive thinking tirade. I'm just a regular, average guy. Every time I try something different I'm a terrified, inexperienced n00b, plagued by voices expressing doubt, afraid of failing or being grossly underqualified.

And yet, somehow... I've got all of these incredible experiences under my belt because I am willing to face uncertainty and try anything. And my life is far from over. Hell, in five years I might decide to do something completely new and different. Or maybe I'll work marine shipping for twenty years and retire on my sail boat. Or do a documentary on old sailors. (My father retired as an electrical engineer at age 60. Now he works in his basement shop 40+ hours a week making furniture, because he LOVES it.)

No one owes me anything. And I don't feel entitled to anything other than what I earn with my own sweat. And I wouldn't be half the person I am today without the help and support of all my family and friends.

So, anything is possible.

"Dang, This Blog Post is REALLY Interesting"™

2005-04-27T13:51:00.000-06:00

Remember this stuff? Apparently you can still buy it!

See the clever thing was that the product name was also its marketing slogan. That way, every time you mention the product you are reinforcing the impression of terrific smelling hair. And who doesn't like terrific smelling hair? (You know what hair DOESN'T smell terrific? That would be my beard after poker night. I should shampoo my face with this terrific product.)

Perhaps some other products...

"Golly, This is Tasty Meat"™

"Wow, Your Toilet Does Not Reek of Urine"™

"Gosh, Your Gums are Pink & Healthy"™

"Criminey, Your Foot Odor is Mild & Inoffensive"™

"Hey, People Will Think This Lotion is For Your Hands"™

Let me know if you have any other bright ideas...

School has never been so dang cool...

2005-04-26T16:02:00.000-06:00

So it begins. I received my registration materials from GLMA. And I put together my schedule last night. With hard work, luck, and perseverance, I will be licensed in 3 years.

I'll have class from 3-5 on M; 1-8 on T; none on W; 1-8 on Th; and 9-1:30 on F.

Sweet. Should allow some time for hockey and freelance work.

Here's the first semester of classes.

MDK 100 Survival at Sea
This course of instruction covers the following: concentrated instruction and training for the U.S. Coast Guard certification as LIFEBOATMAN; including the fundamentals of seamanship, small boat handling with power and sail; construction equipment, and marking of the standard lifeboat; construction, equipment, and operation of inflatable life rafts; abandon ship procedures, man overboard procedures, and survival swimming; the launching and retrieval of lifeboats; sailboat nomenclature and operation. Group 2 course.

MNG 100 Intro to Marine Engineering
This course is a general introduction to the shipboard Engine Room. The duties and responsibilities of the engine room personnel will be covered. The course will include an introduction to the engine room propulsion systems (Diesel and Steam), and a study of the operation of the ship’s steering gear and deck machinery. This course provides a foundation for the deck and engineering cadet to build upon in his/her program of study. Group 2 course.

MDK 104 Rigging and Ship Maintenance Lab
The purpose of this course is to provide the cadet an opportunity to acquire practical experience in general seamanship: including marlinespike seamanship, line handling; splicing line, splicing wire rope; rigging, block and tackle nomenclature and use; vessel maintenance, the practical application of the procedures and equipment used in vessel upkeep. Group 2 course.

MDK 106 Watchstanding I
Prerequisite(s): MDK 100
The purpose of this course is to provide an opportunity for the cadet to acquire practical experience in shiphandling with vessels sufficiently large to duplicate shiphandling problems encountered with much larger vessels. Topics covered include the general principles of ship control for both single and twin propeller vessels. Cadets are exercised in line handling, towing, anchoring techniques, landing techniques, and shipboard safety. Cadets will then advance through the use of simulation to shiphandling exercises dealing with the general principles of vessel control and the problems of handling a vessel in narrow channels. Group 2 course.

MDK 149 Damage Control & Safety
Prerequisite(s): MDK 100 or instructor’s permission
This course is designed to give the cadet a comprehensive knowledge of shipboard safety with particular emphasis on fire fighting and damage control. Subject areas include: personal safety, pollution, U.S. Coast Guard rules and regulations, temporary damage repair, shoring principles, and practical shoring problems. Group 2 course.

MNG 105 Shipboard Information Systems
This course will introduce the student to the PC and its use as typically found aboard a Merchant Vessel. Basic computer setup, maintenance, and system troubleshooting are covered. Operating systems, communications programs, databases, word processors, spreadsheets, internet research, and CBT programs are discussed and demonstrated. The future of computers in the marine industry is explored. Group 2 course.

MNS 100 Naval Science
This course is required of all GLMA cadets and is an introduction to Naval Science specifically oriented toward Merchant Marine officers. It is intended to familiarize students with the role of the Merchant Marine in national defense and policy and with the various concepts of cooperation between the Navy and the Merchant Marine industry. Group 2 course.

MTH 140 College Algebra & Trigonometry
Prerequisite(s): Placement by COMPASS and a high school trigonometry class.
This course is designed to provide the student with the necessary maturity and skills to begin the calculus sequence. The topics covered include elementary set theory, equations of the conic sections, polynomial, logarithmic, exponential, trigonometric functions, linear and nonlinear systems of equations. Group 1 course.

I'm SAILING AWAY...

2005-04-25T18:36:00.000-06:00

JT is finishing his semester classes at GLMA and preparing for his summer sea project. Sounds like he'll get a berth with the American Steamship Company. And things are shaping up for him to be assigned to the American Spirit, formerly known as the George Stinson (named after JT's fiance's great uncle, former CEO of National Steel. Weird.)

He'll swing out to the valley for a quick visit before getting underway for 90 days. We'll ride a lot; he says the riding in Traverse City is okay, but just can't compare to Colorado (obviously.)

Springtime in the Rockies...

2005-04-24T13:07:00.000-06:00

Remeber how I said I was going to ride me bike all weekend?

It's snowing right now.

And extra moisture is never a bad thing in the high alpine desert.

But dang it, I worked on my bike for several hours yesterday getting things all tightened up and cleaned and lubed, and I REALLY wanted to spend four or five hours out riding all my favorite trails.

Meh. Guess I'll go play some video games. Probably stop by the sister's house and play with my niece and nephew, too.

It seems just yesterday we were a bunch of 24-year-old derelicts...

2005-04-22T12:34:00.000-06:00

A friend is doing a reading tonight from his new book at our local Arts Center. I read early drafts of the work and look forward to getting my hands on a copy. He is an incredible reader.

From the description by his publisher:

"Doing A Bit of Bleeding is a substantial literary work that leaves readers satiated yet challenged. This collection is literature of the American West in the truest form - it is generational; it is romance; it is political; it is humorous; it is of and for the individual.

Liederbach‘s characters struggle to make sense of their pasts, smart men and women whose relationships are tinged with detachment, people who‘ve been stung by cultural anomalies like religion fervor and sudden violence - Bleeding is a study of the frailty of the heart and its capacity for love amid irresolvable disappointment and extraordinary beauty."

Enjoy the weekend. The BLM opened our local riding area, so I am going to pedal the shit out of my bike. I'm going right now...

Walking...

2005-04-21T17:45:00.000-06:00

I knew Jack in college. He was on the ski team. We met at a few parties and around campus.

Eventually, I ended up dating his sister. We spent over four years together. We broke up right as she finished her undergrad and headed off to med school.

Anyhow, I mentioned his walk across America last month. And here is the first update.

Dear Friends,

Some of you recieving this have know idea what I am up to and may not even remember who I am. To find out more go to www.peacefulsteps.com. Anyway, I will be sending out these updates of a walking peace pilgrimage from New York City to San Diego. If you want me to take your name off this list please let me know. They will be sent out less than 4 times a month.

The journey has begun! On Sunday March 20th Birch and I gathered with our friends Shane and Jonathon to start our walking peace pilgrimage that will eventually lead us to the Deer Park Monestay in Escondido California.

The day started by attending the Manhatten Friends Meeting. The peace generated out of the silence and sharing of the meeting was perfect way to start the day. After the meeting I was asked to give a little talk about the pilgrimage on video. On the way out Birch and I met with a group of peaceful children who gave us the most incredible send off we could of asked for wishing us good luck on our journey. After playing my flute for awhile we then started a walking meditation to Ground Zero. We circled the empty void where the tower used to stand. They are in the process of rebuilding and it will be the tallest building in the world.

We encountered an older African American man with a deep haunting voice who was hanging some things on the fence in honor of all those who lost their lives there that kept repeating, "What happened here was not an accident. Get the facts. Get the facts. This is not a mystery. Know the history. Get the facts. Get the facts. Hundreds more died here that were never identfied." Those words have gone over and over in my mind. What are the facts? What is the truth and will we ever know?

After that we walked up to Jonathons art studio to dry out and talk about life, peace. and the miracle of life. At about midnight it was time for Birch and I to head out on our own. We walked right into Times Square and it was like being on a different planet! The skyscraped sized video screens trying to penatrate the minds of every passer by to blindly keep consuming as much as possible. Right in the middle of it all there is the office for the US military recruiting station. Where several activists from the War Resistors leauge layed down in the middle of the street on Saturday to protest the war in Iraq. Symbolically, it seemed like all of this freedom of mass consumption revolves this little building that represents the military might of our country. We sat right down on the steps of the recruiting office to take in all of this confusion. I closed my eyes for awhile in meditation and prayer for the young men and women would walk through those doors in the future. I almost decided to stay there until morning to just talk with the recruiters when they opened in the morning but decided to walk on into Central Park to lay down for the evening.

My pack felt so heavy and my feet and legs were exausted! We walked alot this winter but not with a pack. Before 9 am dogs are allowed to be off leash in Central Park so we were always up early so Birch could have some freedom from the leash that attaches us together for many hours of the day. After not even owning a leash for her in Alaska it has been a little difficult with her being a sled dog who is used to pulling. She doesn't pull to bad but she always wants to be in front and even just a little pull all day long get hard on me with the pack on my back.

We spent two nights in Central Park. It was hard to leave there because even with the dangers at night the comfort of the open spaces felt safe and welcoming and I truly belief that Birch is my guardian angel. The last night we spent next to the one of the parks huge compost piles. That night shortly before dozing off we heard gun shots coming from Harlem. I sent out prayers to those involved what ever happened fell asleep. In the morning it was time to leave the safety of Central Park and head into the unknown lands of Harlem and the Bronx. My legs felt stronger and my feet were no longer in pain. When you leave the northside of Central Park and enter Harlem everything changes quickly. Two blocks into Harlem and I was the only white skinned person in sight. The energy feels really different and was refreshing.

We walked all the way through Harlem and into the Bronx where I had been given the address of a group called Moregardens. They are a group of peaceful warriors who help to create and protect community gardens. The weather was getting cold and it was starting to snow. I found the office but no one answered the door. So I walked to see one of their gardens. I almost decided to just keep on walking but I went back to try one more time and right as I showed up at the door someone was coming out. I introduced myself and she welcomed me in to meet everyone. They welcomed me in like family and in know time plans were made for me to stay in a Casita in one of the community gardens. This particular garden is in danger of being bulldozed by the city and what this group does is sets up an encampment in threatened gardens. Meaning they stay there in case they come in the middle of the night to bulldoze it. They have been known to lock themselves down and attract alot of public attention to save a garden. Anyway, this particular garden wasn't in immediate danger but they still wanted someone to stay there at night just in case so Birch and I took the job of be the guards of the garden staying in a small little shack in South Bronx. We shared the little hut with a stray cat and in the morning the door had come open and I heard something pecking at Birch's food bag and looked over to see the rooster who started making a racket at 5 am right next to us. Birch who has been known to attack chickens was just staring at this rooster.

We spent the rest of the day helping clean up one of the other gardens that has a huge tree house with triangular plexiglass shelter in it. These gardens are so amazing! It would be great to spend a growing season here watching the children and families planting and growing in these little islands of earth within the city of concrete. We are planning to stay here for a week before moving on.

I know it can be hard to read long emails so I thank you if you made it here. I will try to keep them shorter but these may turn into a book someday.

Peaceful Steps my friends.

Enjoy Life
Jack & Birch

Does NOBODY from the midwest blog?

2005-04-19T20:50:00.000-06:00

Well, Traverse City, MI, specifically. I searched on Technorati, coming across only mentions of the town, and not actual bloggers writing from Traverse City.

Maybe it's a good sign. Maybe everybody is having so much fun they have no time blog.

But I'm going to be moving there in August for school, and I want to get a feel for the place. Because I'm scared. I'm not sure what to expect and I don't know whether I'll fit in.

That's what a really good blog can do; give you a feel for a place and it's people.

I'll use Tony Pierce as an example. He lives in Los Angeles. The HOLLYWOOD part of LA. Which, in my mind, is populated by six-foot-tall poodle-walking models and the actors/producers/directors who want to sleep with them. Oh, and really awesome surf/skate guys and girls that will kick your ass for looking at them wrong. And everybody all blinged out and playing the game of constant one-upmanship. Fabulous cocktail parties every night of the week. Partying with strippers and rock stars and famous people, OH MY!

But reading Tony's blog daily has shown what life in Hollywood is REALLY like...

It's six-foot-tall poodle-walking models and the actors/producers/directors who want to sleep with them. Oh, and really awesome surf/skate guys and girls that will kick your ass for looking at them wrong. Everybody all blinged out and playing the game of constant one-upmanship. Fabulous roof-top cocktail parties every night of the week. Partying with strippers and rock stars and famous people, OH MY!

Heh.

But also, Tony narrates the non-glamorous, day to day, down to earth, regular working guy, hanging with your friends, this is what we do, here's my neighborhood good and bad, every day SHIT that is life in Hollywood. And it's obvious the guy loves his barrio and his homeys.

I want to get a feel for Traverse City, but the only sites I can find are from the tourism association, chamber of commerce, state park system, etc. Those sites make it seem as if all everybody does is ride their bikes to the lake where they fish and have a picnic while staring longingly into each other's eyes beneath a lighthouse silhouetted by the sunset. Oh, and children frolic gently at the waters edge.

And perhaps, when I move, I can give voice to one perspective of life in Traverse City. But I'm going to have to save for a camera, laptop, and a 60GB iPod Photo. I think this blog will become a glimpse of the day-to-day maritime academy cadet experience. And my attempts to adjust to mid-western culture and society.

Google Maps is giving me some ideas of places to visit during my 10-day road trip to school.

I plan to drive from Colorado to Omaha for a visit with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. Then up through Green Bay. I know the Pack has been sold out for about 45 years, but maybe I can scalp some tickets for the Aug. 11 preseason game against the Chargers. Anybody know anything about getting tickets for Packer games? Pipe dream?

Then I plan on driving around, hitting various state parks and maritime museums, camping out, and wandering aimlessly about the area, taking it all in.

We have an orientation cookout on 8/14, then we move on to the training vessel State of Michigan for 12 days to get a feel for shipboard life, and classes at the campus start on 8/27.

Sometimes I would like August to be NOW! But I also want to savor my last summer with my friends.

One day / one beer / one ride at a time. August approaches. Or maybe August is just sitting there and I'm approaching it. I'm not very good with the quantum space/time stuff.

You BASTARDS!

2005-04-18T13:56:00.000-06:00

There is now a second South Park character generator. It has more stuff.

This is what I would look like if I lived in South Park and was going to GLMA in August.

I linked to the original back in December. It's still available over at South Park Studios.

What would YOU look like if you lived in South Park?

2005-04-15T16:58:00.000-06:00

I'm a sucker for the old "retro" design aesthetics. So here are a few for your viewing pleasure.

Ephemeranow

Posterglory

Chicago transit posters

And links to MANY MORE retro designs.

We WILL Rock You...

2005-04-12T18:21:00.000-06:00

It has been said that first impressions are often accurate.

But that is not always the case.

EMT played a few weeks ago and I left the show without much impression other than "Meh."

I saw them again last night and I am not too proud to admit that I was HORRIBLY WRONG about this group and their ability to coax blood out of your ears and shred your face off of your skull through sheer strength of rock will.

Now, I must qualify my original assesment of the group:

They were playing in a CRAPPY venue. SO crappy the landlord refused to renew their rent. It is rumored that they NEVER KEPT ANY BOOKS. At all. Ever.

The crowd was young college wastoid. Really more into getting sideways google-eyed drooly WASTED than listening to music. EMT wasn't getting much from the crowd other than an occasional "WOO!" (Picture stumbling dirtbag pumping fist into air while almost falling into the band with simultaneous spilling of drink into the monitor.)

Actually, it wasn't EMT. It was just EM. He was playing with a different drummer and bassist. Sometimes a band is greater than the sum of its parts, and I think EMT is one of those bands. The individual players are loaded up with more technical chops than can be seen by the human eye, but get them all on stage working together and... um... words fail me.

I was in a sour frame of mind at the time of the show. There were some school issues and money issues, and other stuff that contributed to me being saltier than the middle part of Utah. So I reckon I MAY not have given them a fair shake. Also, the stumbling wastoid vomit squad was really getting on my nerves.

Last night's show at my favorite neighborhood pub was great. EM really had the crowd with him and he was willing to go as far as the people would follow. And if NASA wants to really start exploring the outer limits of space, well, they should hire EMT as the officer crew because those guys can get WAY OUT THERE without freaking everybody out and losing them along the way.

The symbiosis was sweet. EMT would push some boundaries, the crowd would go batshit, EMT would push some more, more batshit craziness from the crowd, on and on and on until a portal to the fourth dimension of rock was opened.

Sweet.

I am making every effort to really enjoy every bit of my last three months here amongst the hills and friends I have know for over fifteen years. So last night I talked LA into letting me bar back during the show so I could get some free beers. And she was super cool and said yes. I had a great view of the show, and everybody was so busy rocking that things were manageable behind the bar. All the bartendresses and myself were dancing around like freaks, jumping up and down.

And after the show, EM helped us move furniture back into the pub. That's nutty. What a great guy. Much nicer and more down to earth than my original experience had led me to believe.

Tonight we watch Sideways and wish "Farewell!" to a friend heading off to Qatar with his reserve unit.

I'm packing my free time with so much fun I'll be whistling "Dixie" out of my asshole!

YEEHAW!

Good on ya, mates...

2005-04-11T08:59:00.000-06:00

Though I would have preferred Colorado College in the final, I am thrilled with the DU Pioneers for defending their status as NCAA Division I Hockey National Champions.

Success came from gritty play by the entire team against a very physical and hard-hitting opposition, significant contributions from freshman team members, and OUTSTANDING net-minding by a freshman goaltender.

What a great season.

We now return to our regularly scheduled life.

Funny HaHa. And funny weird, too.

2005-04-07T17:05:00.000-06:00

I've been able to laugh much more since resolving my money issues. Just a HUGE weight lifted from my shoulders. The last several weeks have been spent in a state of perpetual preoccupation.

And when you want to laugh more, you should check out all of Mitch Hedberg's shit. Though I am kind of mad at him for ODing. You would think an experienced drug user would know how much to take. "Hmmm. I wonder what would happen if I take tree times the amount of pills I normally take?"

Fucker.

Also, Bill Hicks brings the funny. I very much enjoy his rants.

Remember: laughing = good.

Show me the money...

2005-04-06T14:25:00.000-06:00

Hah. I've worked out my money issues. I WILL be heading off to GLMA come August 1.

Didn't have to borrow money from mom & dad. So sweet.

Who's the funny...

2005-04-05T18:55:00.000-06:00

NotSoFresh was kind enough to link me in his links section and then goes so far as to mention it in his linklog. So I thought I would mention his mention and thus perpetuate the incestuous circle-jerk that the "mainstream media" call weblogging ("blogging" for short.)

In his linklog he says "another complete stranger who, i'm guessing, came from either tony pierce or hepkitten, but who the hell knows?"

Who the hell knows is right. I don't even remember how I first came across NotSoFresh. In fact, I think I may have first heard about TP in the NSF linklog.

But NSF was one of the first personal blogs on the internets I started reading on a regular basis. Because it made me LAUGH OUT LOUD.

I seem to remember lots of movie watching and cereal-eating in Prague, a few office pranks, etc.

And then nothing. There was a big blank spot. No regular updates. So I stopped checking daily. Then I stopped checking weekly. And finally I stopped checking altogether.

So imagine my surprise when I was cleaning my bookmarks file and happened across FRESH posts over at NotSoFresh.

Mmmmmm... freshposts.

A christening...

2005-04-04T17:37:00.000-06:00

The 1944-built, 5,252-grt, Great Lakes heavy ice breaker Mackinaw has been replaced. The new ice-breaking USCG Cutter Mackinaw was launched this past Saturday, Apr. 2nd.

My good buddy JT, who happens to be attending GLMA right now, served on the old Mackinaw while in the USCG.

More pics.

Vids. [wmv- right click "save as"]

The Makers.

Pedal...

2005-04-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

I love riding in the desert. We're all leaving this afternoon upon another foray to the Fruita / GJ area for some camping and drinking and pedaling and laughing and...

However, jungle riding looks cool, too. Perhaps someday I'll bring my bike with me when I ship off to foreign ports like Taiwan. Seems they have some interesting trails.

Enjoy your weekend.

[via]

Let's all go to the SOO!

2005-03-31T09:17:00.000-07:00

The shipping season has begun again. From the Duluth News Tribune:

"The opening of the Soo Locks at 12:02 a.m. Friday, March 25th, heralded the start of the Great Lakes navigation season in the Port of Duluth-Superior on Saturday."

About the locks:

"The St. Marys River is the only water connection between Lake Superior and the other Great Lakes. There is a section of the river known as the St. Marys Rapids where the water falls about 21 feet from the level of Lake Superior to the level of the lower lakes. This natural barrier through navigation made necessary the construction of the locks project known as the St. Marys Falls Canal.
The world-famous Soo Locks form a passage for deep-draft ships around the rapids in the St. Marys River."

Watch some videos of the locks in action. Camera #2 is really the only good one.

I CAN. NOT. WAIT. to get started on school. Still working on the money thing (fell asleep at about 3 AM last night.)

MenMenMenMen...

2005-03-30T21:07:00.000-07:00

I've been letting my beard fill out since mid-January. I usually keep it trimmed pretty tight, down to a #1 guard on the trimmers, more like stubble than a true hairy beard.

The reasons for keeping a beard are many and various.

Chicks dig it when you nuzzle up between their thighs all prickly like. Hot stubble-on-vuvla (misspelling intentional) action!
Bonus flavor-saving feature. Everything you put in your mouth gets on your moustache or dribbles into your beard. Which means you can enjoy it later at your convenience. Perhaps share some with your friends? "MMmmm, I had some delicious soup earlier. Let me crumble a bit off for you. Just a second while I reconstitute it with saliva..."
Icicles... on your FACE! (Seriously though, your face does stay warmer.)
Makes me feel MANLY! Ha HA! I can grow hair... ON MY FACE!
NOT SHAVING!!!! WOOT! All men are jealous of other men with hairy faces. EVERY GUY wishes he could stop shaving and grow out the beard.
You can get together with all your other hairy-faced friends and have a little contest:

Jürgen Burkhardt, a 48-year-old photographer from Leinfelden, Germany, competes in the freestyle-mustache category at international beard and mustache championships. Burkhardt used to compete in the imperial-mustache category, one of 17 officially recognized styles. He switched to the freestyle class after a 2004 rule change barred closed-loop whiskers from the imperial-mustache category.

Some other stuff

Like Napoleon Dynamite? How about Halo? Two great tastes that go great together.

Some of the most beautiful animation I've ever seen. The little ninja.

Colorado a Hockey Powerhouse?

2005-03-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

Watched about 6 hockey games this weekend.

Both University of Denver and Colorado College have made the Frozen Four.

Minnesota and North Dakota round out the other half of the bracket. Which makes the Frozen Four a showcase of all WCHA teams. Sweeeeeet.

"This marks the first time in the championship's 58-year history that four teams from one conference have made up the tournament field."

Sip like Peasants or Carouse like Kings?

2005-03-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

As it is Friday, perhaps a brief etymological examination of common drinking vocab.

One of my favorites:

brannigan- This colorful and increasingly popular term describing a drinking spree probably owes its life to the popular 1820 Irish ballad "Barney Brannigan" (sometimes Barney Brallaghan), in which the eponymous hero rouses his heart’s true desire at two in the morning with promises of whiskey and wine. The term was immortalized in Emily Bronte’s wildly popular book Wuthering Heights when Heathcliff declared to Cathy, "Excuse me m’dear, but I shan’t be in for supper this evening as I’m off out on a prolonged brannigan with the boys."

John and Cole visit for the weekend, so perhaps a brannigan is in order.

Creative financing...

2005-03-24T18:56:00.000-07:00

Called my father yesterday and asked him for $17,000. Well, asked to BORROW $17,000.

My student loan from undergrad is in default. And I can't qualify for NEW student loans until I pay the old one off IN FULL. Oh, and I need to have all of my financial aid apps completed by April 1.

No sweat. I have a 401a retirement account, I'll just cash that out, take the tax hit and pay off the loan.

So I called the account people to make arrangements to cash out and...

DANG! You can't cash out until you are no longer employed by the institution.

But I need to pay off the loan by early April. AND I need to stay employed until I leave for school in August.

That's why I asked my dad to borrow $17,000.

And it sucked. I don't want to borrow money from my parents. And they probably don't want to lend money to me.

I borrowed $1100 from my dad way back in college when a truck repair cost spiraled out of control. It took a while to pay it back. That's when my dad vowed never to have financial dealings with me again. And I can't blame him.

My parents are very fiscally responsible. I am not. Asking dad for money really stings. I think he relishes the chance for smug lecturing. But he was pretty mellow this time around. Perhaps he realizes what a big deal this is.

I haven't heard back from him, so I imagine my parents are really thinking this one through and sweating it out a little bit. I know they would like to help me, but I haven't given them any reason to trust that I'll be able to pay them in a timely manner.

But this time around I will be able to pay them in August when I cash out my retirement account.

If they don't lend me the money, well...

I'll figure something out. Probably while I lie awake at night staring at the ceiling.

Flattered, I'm Sure...

2005-03-23T18:02:00.000-07:00

Give it a whirl: your name here.

[via]

Too little, too late...

2005-03-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

Ah. The new color of hockey.

If the changes make the game look better on t.v., great. Large swaths of white seem to be difficult for t.v. cameras to handle consistently. My friends and I must frequently readjust our sets' brightness and contrast levels based on which network is broadcasting the game.

I'm sure a major complaint the NHL receives from new fans/viewers is "We can't see the puck!" Which is often the case. Fox failed miserably when attempting to address the problem in 1996.

The Fox system was a failure because in alienated hardcore fans, many of whom complained that the graphic was a distraction from all the other things happening on the ice: offensive player movement, line changes, defensive schemes, goalie position, trailing players, etc.etc.etc.

I RARELY find myself watching the puck during a game. Watching player position and movement is a much more reliable means of following game flow.

So, I think the color change is a nice solution; new fans get better contrast and have an easier time following the puck, and purists won't have to contend with intrusive graphics or technology.

I still have a beef with the networks regarding camera angles. The left/right aspect is ingrained in the collective viewing conscious, and is effective for most popular American sports e.g. football and basketball.

But you never see World Cup soccer shot at the field level, using a left/right panning camera, because there is too much going on. Well, that and the field is REALLY big. But a wide aspect perspective lets viewers watch the action that is happening away from the ball or puck or whatever, and this is where many of the opportunites for scoring chances develop.

I love watching a defenseman pinch in behind the play unnoticed, sneaking unguarded into the high slot. My sense of tension builds as I wonder whether or not the forwards will be able to get the puck out to him. And when the pass comes out, I KNOW it's going to be a goal before he even touches the puck, and I'll jump up yelling "Oh! There it is! That's going in for sure!" and then "GOAL!"

Lately, I feel the NFL has done a FANTASTIC job implementing nontraditional camera aspects into broadcasts. I feel as if I'm immersed in some Matrix-style NFL video game.

I wish the NHL would take some risks with overhead flying cameras, end-of-ice corner overhead angles, head-on angles, etc. Different angles could help new viewers understand the game better while giving purists a wider view of the game surface so that we can watch the ENTIRE play as it develops away from the puck.

But good on ya with the color change. Especially seeing as how NEW fans are the ONLY fans the NHL is going to have next year.

[via]

Hidden gem...

2005-03-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

Holy Moses!

The BIG surprise of last Friday night was the opening act, Rose Hill Drive.

Rocktacular.

In fact, I think they kicked the CRAP out of NMA.

You can read a bit about them over at Jambase.

Caught more live music last night. Eric McFadden & Wally Ingram played at a small local college-dirtbag / hippy dive pub. Matthew Moon opened for them.

As an aside, drinking at the pub is a lot like drinking in a dorm room, if that dorm room were ten feet wide and about 100 feet long. I find myself, at best, easily annoyed by the freshly minted derelict party-kids, and, at worst, downright infuriated by their total disregard for anything other than their own immediate gratification.

In fact, I have NO IDEA how such a talented set of players wound up booked at the pub. I'm sure the whole scene freaked them a bit, but I'm willing to guess they've seen it all out on the road.

Back to the music. McFadden is a great player, but has a narcissistic guitar-god vibe to him. In fact, he comes across as sad and pathetic; you can literally FEEL his desperation. During his solos I felt his contortions and acrobatic finger work were born not so much out of a love for the music but from a desire to have people recognise his superb rock prowess.

And that just feels creepy.

As for Matthew Moon... well, he was alright. He didn't really stand out one way or another, though a few of his songs had some nice hooks and solid pop melodies. I found his lyrics to be a bit smarmy and puerile.

I left the gig before the band finished and before I throat-punched some incosiderate drunk hipster kiddies.

However.

If you like good ole hard rocking music.

DO. NOT. MISS.

Rose Hill Drive.

Westbound...

2005-03-18T09:42:00.000-07:00

Off to the desert for the weekend. Weather is kind of iffy. But screw it... ain't going to let a little weather get in the way.

Back on Tuesday. No computers in the desert, though my ex will be there. There will be about a dozen of us all partying tonight.

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
-- traditional gaelic blessing

From hockey right into biking...

2005-03-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

Werked four 10s this week and will take off for the desert again tomorrow for some riding.

BK's a school teacher. His Spring Break begins today AND the wife and kids are out of town. So, he'll join me on the trail.

We'll ride the 18 Road area Friday afternoon, then hit the Mesa Theater that night to see the North Mississippi All Stars.

Some friends own the Mesa, so we always have a good time. Probably stay at their house Friday night, recover from the hangover and saddle-soreness on Saturday, camp in the desert Saturday night, and ride Tabeguache on Sunday.

Dang! Spring in the desert is like crack.

Addendum...

2005-03-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

Yep. Not a very good political commentor. That's okay.

I'm mostly frustrated in regards to the end run technique employed by adding the decision about drilling as a rider on a budget vote.

Bleh. I'm just not even going to get into it. Forget I mentioned it; consider the post redacted.

If you want some actual cohesive insight, try DailyKos.

But the pano of Beirut is remarkable, and I hope the people of Lebanon will be heard by the world...

Jackhole Fucknuts

2005-03-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

asld;jkfhl .k as d.,kjhc

FUCK!

The Alaska refuge could supply as much as 1 million barrels day at peak production, drilling supporters said. But they acknowledge that even if ANWR's oil is tapped, it would have no impact on soaring oil prices and tight supplies. The first lease sales would not be issued until 2007, followed by development seven to 10 years later, Interior Secretary Gale Norton said.

No impact.

Just go ahead and say it. Go on! SAY IT!

"Um, we're really just pillaging the public trust for private gain. Rhetoricrhetoricblahblahblah, cash in our pockets, fuck you very much."

Meanwhile, in another country where citizens seem to GIVE A FUCK...

Being on the same team as you is all the padding I need, Rosie!

2005-03-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

A few of my boys. (l to r) Swanny, Tommy, Phil, Moi.

Swanny striding and Pete carving. Hockey is all about anticipation. Who made the right decision?

Me, cycling the puck back behind the goal to my winger.

In rugby it's called a scrum. We call it digging in the corner. And also sometimes scrum. Swanny and Travis (dark jerseys) working hard for a little piece of rubber.

Swanny watching from the bench. Average shift is between 35 and 65 seconds. And all you want to do is GET BACK OUT THERE! As soon as your legs and lungs start working.

Pete tries to take the puck from me, or at least prevent a pass towards the front of the net.

Swanny down. If you're not falling, you're not skating hard enough. NOW GET UP! SKATESKATESKATE!

Sin bin face. In the penalty box (I deserved it.)

Shotay! My favorite guy to play hockey with. Surgeons had to rebuild his ACL and Meniscus, so no skating for him this year. Though he still coached the Pee Wees and managed to scorekeep almost EVERY adult league game.

Stop. Monkey time.

2005-03-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

Alright. First I want you to imagine a monkey.

Okay, good.

Now I want you to imagine the monkey in the middle of a multi-day meth bender.

Got it? Alright.

Picture, if you will, this same monkey trying to have sex with a handy object. Say... a football.

Wow. Go, monkey. Go! Dang! That monkey is a spaz. He's going to hurt himself.

Now. Imagine me riding my bike this weekend.

I am the monkey.

2005-03-11T12:36:00.000-07:00

"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones that you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain

It's been a long time since I left my home...

2005-03-11T12:20:00.000-07:00

The general euphoria has worn off and now I am genuinely terrified.

The quantifiable stuff is daunting, but manageable. Mostly finances. Tuition for year 1 is $7000. Not bad.

But my $17,000 student loan from undergrad is in default, which means I am ineligible for any further loans at this time. Fortunately, I have a TIAA-CREF retirement account and I think I will cash it out and take the tax hit in order to clear all of my debt (I also owe around $2000 on my car.)

I had thought about a bank loan to pay off the student loan but I don't want to be making any payments while in school.

So, I got to come up with around $20,000 within the next month, pay off the school loan, finish my taxes, and complete the FAFSA.

And by the way, I am NOT a Financial Whiz. In fact, I am not even a Financial Chimp. This crap scares me SILLY! But it's just money. It can be dealt with.

It is much more difficult coming to terms with LEAVING MY HOME. Fifteen years in this valley and an entire life in this state. Much of who I am is a consequence of geographic location.

Joseph Campbell, in his Hero with a Thousand Faces, compares and summarizes hero myths from across a huge spectrum of cultures. And one recurring motif is that the hero must leave home and embark upon a journey to fulfill his destiny.

Now, I'm no hero, though I have been known to wear a cape on several occasions. But I believe Campbell is asserting the necessity of leaving a safe place in order for growth to occur. It is easy to thrive when supported by a network of friends and family. They can prop you up if you should stumble and lend assistance when you are weak.

But to truly thrive against adversity, one must face the challenges alone.

I'm going to miss all of my friends dearly. They, too, have played an essential role in the development of my character. So between now and my departure I shall truly relish every moment spent in the company of those whom I love like family.

It's is interesting to me that the very stability, familiarity, and routine lifestyle that first drove me to restlessness is now the very thing I find myself mourning the loss of.

Heh. The human spirit is fickle indeed.

On a completely different note...

Off to the desert to pedal the bike. No thinking; just grinding, flying, and reacting.

And beer.

Enjoy your weekend.

Put some bubbles in th' bottle, ya' wee milk-sipping fairies!

2005-03-09T13:45:00.000-07:00

Furious would seem to have an uncanny insight as to my choice vice:

Bushmills Irish Whiskey is the original whiskey from the Old Bushmills Distillery. The iconic Bushmills Original is made from just two natural Irish ingredients pure Irish water from St. Columb’s Rill and ripe Irish barley - not forgetting centuries of experience.

Bushmills Original is a blend of Single Malt Irish Whiskey with a single grain Irish Whiskey. Grain whiskey reserved for Bushmills Original is slowly matured for a minimum of five years in American oak casks that are specially selected to bring out the golden hue and light, yet distinctive characteristics of the whiskey.

When mature, this grain whiskey is blended with a Single Malt whiskey to balance the flavor. The malt used in our mash derives its clean taste from the deliberate absence of peat used in the barley drying process. The barley used in Bushmills is dried in closed kilns and thus there is no smoky flavor present.

Lighter, no smoke and perfectly balanced, Bushmills is triple distilled for exceptional smoothness.

I enjoyed mine on the rocks. Garth took his direct from the bottle.

AhOOOOOOGaaaa!

2005-03-08T15:05:00.000-07:00

It's official. I am in.

Just got off the phone with the Admissions Director. His words? "Welcome aboard."

Too overwhelmed. I will spend the rest of the day dancing a jig while calling every family member and friend.

USDA Grade A Choice Beef...

2005-03-07T17:41:00.000-07:00

Our local chapter of the Business & Professional Women organization holds an annual fundraiser. It is called "Ladies' Night Out" and benfits a different local charity each year. The event is comprised of a social hour, silent auction, fashion show, bachelor auction, and dancing.

Last year, I was a bachelor. This year, I was the auctioneer. However, I did auction myself at the end as a sort of "bonus" bachelor. Hey, it's for CHARITY!

You want to terrify some local bachelors? Put them in a room with 300 women, representing the ENTIRE spectrum of womanhood within the community, and tell them they're the meat for an impending feeding frenzy.

I was the only repeat from last year, so I had a little fun with the other bachelors.

"See, it all starts innocently enough. The first couple of bachelors will just dance around a bit to some appreciative catcalls. But then one of the bachelors will inevitably remove his shirt, and WHAM-O! the frenzy begins. By the time the last bachelor is strutting down the catwalk, it will be all he can do to keep his clothes from being ripped completely off his body!"

And of course, that's not the case at all. The whole thing is tasteful and in the spirit of good fun for everybody.

There were 14 bachelors; some were VERY nervous, some were kind of sad, some were cheesy, and some knew what it was all about and just went with it and had fun.

Last year, I crawled around on stage doing the tiger. "ROWR! GRRR! Take me home and TAME me." I was bought by a group of women with whom I am friends (and most of whom are married and pregnant.)

This year I was bought by an older lady, perhaps mid- to late-forties; we get a $50 gift certificate to nice local restaurant, where I'm sure we'll have an excellent meal and a wonderful time. Though I hope she doesn't expect a goodnight kiss. At least, not anything more than a friendly peck on the cheek.

There is a fine piece about the bachelor auction experience from the female perspective over at Tequila Mockingbird. Very well written and very touching.

Walk on by...

2005-03-04T14:02:00.000-07:00

I first met Jack in the early nineties, when I started dating his sister, Susan.

Susan and I dated for 4 1/2 years, and I spent a lot of time with her family.

Her father and brother taught me to love the sport of hockey.

I also spent quite a bit of time fishing with the whole family, including a trip to Alaska, where I met her aunt and uncle.

They are all dynamic, wonderful, caring, giving people. It would take many paragraphs to describe all the great experiences I've had with this family.

Jack begins a walk for peace next week. He'll start in New York and head westward across our great country. He has no itinerary, no plan, no funds, no route.

But he does have a web site; PeacefulSteps. Please check it out. And maybe consider lending suport, whether financial, spiritual, email, or otherwise.

Good luck Jack. I hope you'll wander through Colorado. Perhaps we can walk together for a while.

The Future's SO Bright...

2005-03-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

"Hey man, what's up with those ugly ass shades?"

"Wow, those specs are SWEET!"

I find it interesting that certain people feel compelled to make editorial comment upon my choice of protective eyewear.

I smashed my "primary" pair of shades on Tuesday, while snowmobiling.

So I've been cavorting about in my "backup" pair. Joe gave them to me as a wedding favor.

But both JH and TK have had EXTREMELY averse reactions to the "backup" pair. They seem genuinely upset that I would choose to place such an abomination on my face and then proceed out into PUBLIC!

Now I understand what is going on here. You know when you see some guy with a really bad combover, and you wonder out loud, "Man, doesn't that guy have any friends to tell him how CRAPPY that looks?"

That's what my friends are doing. My glasses SO upset their aesthetic sense that they feel ABSOLUTELY compelled to correct the error of my ways. They're doing me a favor, helping me out.

And the glasses are... different... looking... I know that. But I'm not wearing them in an ironic sense. I'm wearing 'em because it's fun. Like wearing your best girl's g-string to work just to feel silly; it's hard to get upset about ANYTHING when you're flossing your crack with the touch, the feel of cotton, fabric of our lives™.

And that's the thing. I don't mind if people think I look a little silly. And my sense of style and coolness isn't rigid or inflexible. On the flip side, I'm not going for every trend in an attempt to stave off middle age, either. Though, to a degree, most of us in the mountains tend to dress a little younger and hipper.

So while both JH and TK could never pull off wearing the Kavus, my persona is such that, for whatever reasons, most people understand that I'm just having some fun and don't take my choice of shades so seriously.

A lot of people have rigid ideas about what you can and can't wear if you're identified with a certain "type."

Well, screw that. I'm going to attire myself according to whatever my mood and keep everybody guessing.

What's the maximum dosage of ibuprofen?

2005-03-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

Just... completely exhausted right now.

Hockey: 2 games last Sat., game last Sun., Mon., Tue., Wed. Games are scheduled at either 8 or 9:15 PM. It is very difficult to sleep after a game, as the mind is at full throttle, engaged in critical analysis of every situation, move and decision. I typically fall asleep between 1 AM and 2:30 AM.

Oh, and of course we always indulge in a few beers afterwards.

Took a day off on Tuesday and went snowmobiling with a college friend in from Georgia. We hit some great snow and great terrain. Rode some nice Polaris 700 RMKs.

We rode above I**** Lodge. The lodge was bought recently by some friends of mine, and they have some really great ideas for its overhaul.

Snowmobiling isn't some lazy sport where you just sit there and push on the gas. There is a lot of flinging, and yanking, and leaning, and standing, and straining. Not to mention the amount of work it takes to get one unstuck.

So I'm just kind of physically crushed and haven't quite been able to get back to 100%.

Still fighting off this damn viral thing as well.

We'd fire no guns, shed no tears...

2005-02-28T17:45:00.000-07:00

My test is done, the letters of recommendation are in, had my physical, etc., and my application is now before the admissions board at GLMA. I can do nothing else other than await their decision.

If they admit me, I will have to scramble to get finances arranged, which means completing my taxes and filling out the FAFSA.

But I have every confidence I will be accepted and intend to do everything within my means to secure monies for school.

Which means I must start learning sea shanties. My favorite is not a traditional piece, but instead a modern shanty written in the traditional style by Stan Rogers:

"Barrett's Privateers"
by Stan Rogers from his album "Fogarty's Cove"

O the year was Seventeen Seventy-Eight
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
A letter of marque came from the king
To the scummiest vessel I've ever seen

Chorus:
God damn them all
I was told we'd cruise the seas for American gold
We'd fire no guns, shed no tears
Now I'm a broken man on a Halifax pier,
The last of Barrett's Privateers

O Elcid Barrett cried the town
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
For twenty brave men all fishermen who
Would make for him the Antelope's crew

Chorus

The Antelope sloop was a sickening site
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
She'd list to the port and her sails in rags
And the cook in the scuppers with the staggers and jags

Chorus

On the King's birthday we put to sea
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
Ninety-one days to Montego Bay
Pumping like madmen all the way

Chorus

On the ninety-sixth day we sailed again
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
When a great big Yankee hove in sight
With our cracked four-pounders we made to fight

Chorus

The Yankee lay low down with gold
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
She was broad and fat and loose in stays
But to catch her took the Antelope two whole days

Chorus

Then at length she stood two cables away
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
Our cracked four-pounders made awful din
But with one fat ball the Yank stove us in

Chorus

The Antelope shook and pitched on her side
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
Barrett was smashed like a bowl of eggs
And the main truck carried off both me legs

Chorus

Now here I lay in my twenty-third year
How I wish I was in Sherbrooke now
It's been six years since we sailed away
And I just made Halifax yesterday

Chorus

Here is a page that explains the song a bit.

And more info about privateering.

Which is where I got my own Letter of Marque:

Sir JOHN SHERBROOKE, Knight of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Lieutenant-Governor, and Commander in Chief, in and over His Majesty's Province of Nova Scotia, and its Dependencies, vice Admiral of the same, &c &c

To The Worshipful and Honourable ALEXANDER CROKE, L.L.D Judge and Commissionary of His Majesty's Court of Vice Admiralty for the Province &c &c &c

Whereas, by His Majesty's Commission under the Great Seal of Great Britain bearing Date the 13th Day of October in the year of Our Lord 1812, and in the 52d Year of His Majesty's Reign, the Lords Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral are required and authorized to issue forth and grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal to any of His Majesty's Subjects or others, whom we shall deem fitly qualified in that Behalf for apprehending, seizing, and taking the Ships, Vessels and Goods belonging to the United States of America, or to any Persons being Subjects of the United States of America (save and except for any Ships to which license has been granted) and to bring the same to Judgement in any of His Majesty's Courts of Admiralty with his Dominions, for Proceedings and Adjudication and Condemnation to be thereupon had, according to the Court of Admiralty, and the Laws of Nations; These are, therefore, to will and require you to cause a Letter of Marque and Reprisals to be issued out of the High Court of Admiralty unto WhiskeyTango Commander of the Roughneck Burthern of about 310 Tons, mounted with 16 Carriage Guns carrying Shot of 12 Pounds Weight and navigated with 150 men, whereas the said WhiskeyTango is commander, to apprehend, seize, and take the Ships, Vessels and Goods Belonging to the United States of America, or to any persons being Subjects of France, according to His Majesty's Commission and Instruction aforesaid. And you are to keep an exact Journal of Proceedings, and therein particularly to take notice of all Prizes taken, the nature of such Prizes, the Time and Place of their being taken, the value of them as near as you can judge, as also the Situation, Motion and Strength of the Americans, as well as you can discover by the best Intelligence you can get; of which you shall from Time to Time as you shall have Opportunity, to transmit an Account to our Secretary. Provide always that security be given according to His Majesty's Instructions before mentioned; the Said Letters of Marque and Reprisal to continue in force until further orders, for which this shall be your Warrant.

Given under my Hand, and the Great Seal of the Province this 28th day of February 1814 in the _______ year of His Majesty's Reign.

By His Excellency's Command.

A modern tall ship.

An academic examination about the song as it relates to national identity in Canada.

As for our hockey tournament weekend... we lost two games and tied one. Six teams participated, with the team from Woodland Park winning the chamionship game. More importantly, we raised several thousand dollars for the girls' college fund. More hockey tonight as our city league winds down; not sure how much longer the ice will last.

And yes Furious, I will write about hockey soon.

Ramble On...

2005-02-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of history between JT and myself, much of it dangerous and illegal. JT and I have been good friends for nearly fifteen years. We met as college freshmen and were both 21. We both are and/or have been whitewater guides, snowmobile guides, hockey players, avid skiers, avid mountain bikers, etc.

After college, JT was accepted to the Coast Guard OCS. He served his three year commision and then left the Coast Guard, much to the astonishment of his fellow officers, who felt he was throwing away his career and future. But the armed forces weren't for JT, as certain USCG values conflicted with his personal mores, and not in the ways you might initially expect.

JT returned to the private sector, drifted around in the mountains of Colorado, including a stint in Telluride, where he found himself longing for a return to our town. So he broke up with his gal and moved back here.

But JT flits about like a hummingbird on a permanent full-throttle meth bender. He so badly wanted to live in our town, but his skill was boats. So he decided to get a Near Coastal Mate 200 Gross Tons (International & Domestic) license and went to Flordia for a bit of school and to take the exam. And he passed it.

The Boat Company hired him and he spent his summers in Alaska, driving the M/V Liseron and guiding guests during their wilderness adventures.

After several seasons in Alaska, The Boat Company decided to hire him for a winter season in Costa Rica. And things didn't go so well, taking quite a toll on JT's mental and physical well-being.

JT met C and they hit it off REALLY well. She is in PA program in Denver.

They both want to live in our town. So JT moved here and buckled down with a 40+ hr/wk construction job. And thoroughly hated it. But how to live here, make a living, afford a home, have time to recreate, etc.?

His head and heart kept returning to the boats he knows so well. And he decided to go for the unlimited GT third mate license for Oceans/Near Coastal & Great Lakes/Inland/Rivers.

But with both in school and far from one another, how could JT let C know he loved her and was committed to their relationship?

How about a RING and a PROPOSAL!

So, tying to bring this all together: they're engaged, JT is in school at GLMA, C will finish PA school at the end of this year, they'll get married, JT will sail the seas, C will ease pain and suffering here in out town while pining for her sailor, and everyone will live HEA (happilyeverafter.)

Recently, though, JT has been in contact with the USCG checking on his qualifications and attempting to discover whether school is neccessary. He may have enough ocean time to qualify and may merely have to take the exam and get a job.

So he's been talking to the American Steamship Company about employment opportunities. And it just so happens one of the ships in their fleet, the American Spirit, used to be named the George A. Stinson, AND WAS NAMED AFTER C's GRANDFATHER!

The point of all this? I don't know. If it weren't for JT, I wouldn't be about to embark upon such a life-changing course of action.

Enjoy your weekend. I will be playing in a hockey tournament all weekend. It's a memorial tournament for a friend who was killed in an accident several years ago. All of the proceeds go to a school fund for his two daughters.

I miss you Brent, and playing hockey without you doesn't seem quite right.

Would you like some cheese with your wine?

2005-02-24T18:13:00.000-07:00

Dang. I'm going about this all wrong. The number one dating accessory for MidThirtiesDating™ is a child in the 3-7 year age range. There is no MidThirties social scene more vibrant than pick-up/drop-off times at daycare/school/activities; it is the MidThirties divorcé meat market.

MidThirtiesDating™ totally blows. I don't have the energy for it. Figuring out if object of interest is single. Putting on your game face. Thinking up creative activities. Stockpiling conversation starters. Editing your life story. Being witty. Selling yourself.

And the whole experience leaves me with a very limited general impression of the person. But McSweeneys has some funny pieces recalling the minutiae of a blind date. The disjointed impressions convey the sense that we are not the mysterious romantic strangers we envision ourselves, but rather just a collection strange little narrative tidbits.

Date 1

Date 2

While you're at it, read the interview with Dave Eggers.

But I like companionship. I like being with somebody.

And I REALLY like sex. A lot.

And physical intimacy in general.

Oh, and cooking; I never cook when I'm single.

Arrrrgghhh...

2005-02-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I decided to attend maritime academy has to do with the opportunity for world travel. Especially Asia. Guess I'm gonna pack some heat.

Pirates preying on shipping were more violent than ever in 2004 and murdered a total of 30 crew members, compared with 21 in 2003, the ICC International Maritime Bureau reported in its annual piracy report for 2004.

The number of attacks reported worldwide through the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur was 325, down from the 445 recorded in 2003.

The article.

The maps.

An opinion.

Weekly Piracy Report.

Piracy info from Cargo Security Intl.

I'm getting schooled...

2005-02-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

The deadline for my application to GLMA is March 1. And I'm pushing it a bit here, but I will probably cover costs to have the proctor UPS the test via one- or two-day air.

I just need all the time I can get to study the math crap. Like solving polynomial equations.

And I'm so frustrated, because I remember learning all of this stuff back in JR. HIGH! I know for a FACT we were solving complex quadratic equations in eighth grade. Jim Bristol was the man standing at the board in his chalk-smeared polyester slacks, repeatedly admonishing us "You're never going to make it in high school if you don't understand this."

A friend told me a story about her father. He came home every evening from work a sat down to several math problems, in the same manner as those who sit down with a crossword or word search.

I wish I had been doing the same over the last 20 years.