Back to Blog

Transition time

2011-08-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

The transition from summer to fall has happened. It's amazing how long ago the hot days of summer seem when in reality they were only a month or so ago. The leaves are falling from my backyard tree. The mornings are cool and there's moisture on my car windows. The afternoons are warm and calm, with blue sky and sunshine.
Fall is my favorite time of the year.
In a few months it will be winter, but until then I have many miles to cover in S. central and SW North Dakota. The only way I can describe how this time of the year makes me feel is to say that it feels like I'm living a sequel, every year to the poem by Robert Frost Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
______________________________
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
____________________________________________

That is one of my favorite poems and I have thought of it many times when I'm in the woods watching the snow fall, darkness setting in and listening to the sound of silence in the woods... which is like no other. And not surprisingly, I think of a specific place and time when I read this poem.

More thoughts on life - I'm starting to get it...

2011-08-09T20:24:00.001-07:00

or at least I like to think I'm becoming more accepting and this writing seems to be the outlet for my fears. I always feel better after writing my thoughts here and I guess I just assume like most blog entries, my writings go unnoticed, except by the writer who finds them to be a venerable masterpiece! HA! Think of that next time your reading someones blog - if you don't already.

Anyway, maybe that's also why I get lengthy in my posts, unconsciously trying to bore a possible reader into leaving the post, because it's a lot of information that I typically only share with a limited group of like minded individuals.

Deep down though, I write these things with the hope that they will initiate thoughts about the things that really matter in life, whatever that may be to whoever is reading this.

On to the substance... When I think of my life and others, we're all like characters in a movie that plays out in a blend of many seemingly mundane things, which are actually the best parts of our life, the ones we often take for granted. Unfortunately, the blend is mixed with tragedy,that we all have to endure, some more than others.

I heard this song for the first time in a long time the other day. The song is called "Grey Sky Morning" and it was introduced to the music world by a group called Vertical Horizon. I think it's a great song and for some reason I had thought I had read at one time it was written by the singer for his wife that died of cancer?? Well, I don't know what the hell made me think that because I cannot find a shred of evidence supporting that anywhere and I can't even find out who wrote it?

What a pipe dream, I can't believe I even admit that I thought that and it kind of makes me happy and pissed at the same time. Happy for the obvious reasons, but pissed (to a much lesser extent) because the song that I thought was so full of substance could possibly be the result of some professional song writing dude or dudette who hit a yatzee one day sitting at some urban coffee shop.

Either way, it's a good song and really gets me thinking about life (what doesn't, right?) and it also helps that the lead singer from Vertical Horizon really sings this song well. I would say perfect in fact.

Here's a link to the song, which I'm going to listen to, to solicit the thoughts that I want to share.

Grey Sky Morning

The movie "Stranger than Fiction" is easily one of my favorite movies. It was definitely one of the biggest influences on my recent thoughts on life, as you can tell or will be able to after watching it, based on the things I wrote above.

Whoever put that movie together really, really gets it. They lay it out so perfectly. Life can and will pass you by if you don't wake up and really, really realize that 1. this is it here on earth and especially if you don't believe in God, than this is absolutely it. 2. I recently saw a quote that went something like this "Life is made up of a thousand little things, and to a much lesser extent the occasional big things" 3. It can all end in a second, without warning.

So, what's the point of this shit that I'm writing? The point is that we can live our life in a few different ways. You can either realize and make the most of it or not realize it, being oblivious to the inevitable things that will change with and around you. In some ways I envy the person who is oblivious, but I'm ultimately brought back to the realization that my way is the right way for me. And for confirmation I fully realize the beauty of the words my good friend Josh S. once said to me "Is the pain of my leaving worth joy of our next meeting?" This is life, pain and joy. Both are dependent upon and intensified by each other.

Lastly, I have been wanting to put it out somewhere a few things that really inspire me. As I was accumulating these things I realized that there's nothing I can say or deserve to say. These things bring up pure emotion and makes me grateful to be part of this beautiful life.

They inspire me to be more, do more and appreciate life more:

Randy Pausch
Skid Boot
Richard Holcomb and especially Dick (The man among men) and Ricky Hoyt

Not as long as I thought

2011-08-09T20:15:00.001-07:00

I was pleasantly surprised that it hasn't been as long as I thought it was between posts. The last post still makes me laugh and I'm glad I posted it, because I had forgotten about it.

If you enjoyed that you will enjoy this as well. The other night she was "reading" to her little brother, and I say reading in quotation marks because she doesn't really know how to read. She had a book open towards him and as he was looking and listening intently she says: It was a fine morning in the evening, during the daytime and the world made sense...

A and I were having a discussion up until that point and as expected burst out laughing (quietly and contained as possible) to which Mck new she had said something funny, but was not slightly embarrassed, but proud of herself because I think she knew we weren't laughing at her.

Anyway, what I originally came here to post are some thoughts that might take me a while to grab a hold of and put down on whatever the technical equivalent is in the blogging world to paper.

I will do that in another post, since personally I'm not a fan of reading 99% of really long posts, which this one is already.

My sweet little girl

2011-06-24T06:36:00.001-07:00

Last night Mck and I were driving home from the grass clipping recycle area and we passed the road that goes to my parents house. The conversation that followed was pretty funny. I wish I would have recorded it, because this doesn't do it justice.

My parents place hasn't flooded, but we can't get to their house because the roads to their house are all flooded.

McK: That's the way to grandma's house.

Me: Yep, you're right, it is.

McK: Can we can go there again.

Me: Sometime we can, but it won't be for a while.

McK: We can't because there's water all around her house and grandma has a dike around her house.

- - - -
I was surprised to hear that she obviously had an idea of what a dike was because she hadn't been out there to see it. My mom must have told her about it or she remembered us talking about it at some point a month ago. The following is where it get's funny.
- - - -

Me: Do you know what a dike is?

McK: What?

Me: Well it's a (trying to think of the easiest way to describe it to a 4 year old), it's a...

McK: It's something that protects your house.

Me: Yes it is, very good.

McK: Daddy,I know things better than you do.

Me: (laughing) Yeah I guess you do...

The way that you wander

2011-05-16T13:09:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite lyrics from the Jeremiah Johnson soundtrack by Tim McIntire.

"The way that you wander is the way that you choose, the day that you tarry is the day that you loose. Sunshine or thunder a man will always wonder where the fair wind blows, where the fair wind blows."

"An indian says you'll search in vain for what you cannot find, he says you'll find a thousand ways of runnin down your time. An indian didn't scream it, he said it in a song and he's never been known to be wrong, he's never been known to be wrong."

No Time To Kill

2011-01-25T06:17:00.000-08:00

Written by Clint Black and Hayden Nicholas.

No Time To Kill

There's no time to kill between the cradle and the grave
Father Time still takes a toll on every minute that you save
Legal tender's never gonna change the number on your days
The highest cost of livin's dyin', that's one everybody pays
So have it spent before you get the bill, there's no time to kill

If we'd known ten years ago today would be ten years from now
Would we spend tomorrow's yesterdays and make it last somehow
Or lead the cheers in someone else's game and never learn to play
And see the rules of thumb are all the same that measure every day
The grass is green on both sides of the hill, there's no time to kill

No time to kill, even I've said it, and probably always will
But I can look ahead and see that time ain't standin' still
No time to kill but time to change the kind of hurry I've been in
And quit this work and worry lookin' back at where I've been
If you don't look ahead nobody will, there's no time to kill

If we had an hour glass to watch each one go by
Or a bell to mark each one to pass, we'd see just how they fly
Would we escalate the value to be worth its weight in gold
Or would we never know the fortunes that we had 'til we grow old
And do we just keep killin' time until there's no time to kill

No time to kill, even I've said it and probably always will
But I can look ahead and see that time ain't standin' still
No time to kill but time to change the kind of hurry I've been in
And quit this work and worry lookin' back at where I've been
If you don't look ahead nobody will, there's no time to kill

No time to kill, even I've said it and probably always will
But I can look ahead and see that time ain't standin' still
No time to kill but time to change the kind of hurry I've been in
And quit this work and worry lookin' back at where I've been
If you don't look ahead nobody will, there's no time to kill

No time to kill
No time to kill
No time to kill

It's been a long time.

2011-01-04T13:43:00.000-08:00

I figured it is about time I put something on here. Well, not much new that everyone doesn't already know or expect to read.

Had a good christmas and new years. Saw a bunch of friends that I haven't seen in a long time.

My family is healthy and life is good.

I do believe

2010-09-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite singers.
Good song.

Plantains...

2010-07-25T21:42:00.000-07:00

Tastes like a sweet potatoe to me. Pretty good, I suggest you try one if you haven't already.

Slice it and then fry it in a tablespoon of olive oil.

The first time I had this was about 15 years ago, when I knew this Nigerian guy who came to ND from NY. His name was Malik (sp?).

I wonder where he is now.

He pan fried a plantain for me since I hadn't ever seen one until then and he couldn't believe it.

Anyway, time for bed.

I hope you all are well.

Colorado on my mind.

2010-06-18T13:08:00.000-07:00

Going to be headed down to CO next week for a week. Hopefully I will get into the hills for a morning with McKenzie. When we were hiking in the river bottoms this spring she said she wants to hike in the mountains, so...

There's nothing like the smell of pine, the sound of a stream and just being in the mountains.

Here is John Denver talking about Rocky Mountain High; one of my favorite songs.

One of the best summers ever.

2010-06-12T16:58:00.000-07:00

There was a summer when I rode bike everywhere. We looked for arrowheads where old villiages once existed near the river.
We spent many nights by the river with good friends and learned a lot about ourselves and each other.
I met nearly all of my closest friends that summer and the others that are my close friends now are a result of those friends. All except 3 or so.
I worked at a hardware store and had lots of adventures. Made my first trip to the Rockies and it changed my life forever.
That was definitely one of the best summers of my life and I'm greatful.

Thanks Matt and everyone else who I'm friends with now becuase of!!!

I can't imagine life without all of you.

A few of the best who ever lived

2010-05-25T22:09:00.000-07:00

I was listening to a song tonight that always reminds me of my grandparents. Its a song by Van Zant called "Help somebody". This song hits so close to home it practically brings tears to my eyes everytime I hear it. I wish I had some digital pics to post of my grandparents on here. Maybe I will be able to get some from my folks one of these days.

My grandma was one of the most giving people I know, had the biggest heart and she was only 4 foot 10 inches tall. My memories of her are always of giving. Giving to me, my cousins and all kinds of people who needed someone to listen. My grandma worked for Community Action and her job was never 8 to 5. I remember meeting so many people who would stop in at her house to talk with her, needing her for who she was. But, I also remember her turning into a little fireball when she would get mad at my grandpa or one of us kids for something. She walked her talk always.

My grandpa was one also one of the kindest people I have ever met. I can still hear his laugh and I can still feel his hug. My grandpa had an answer for everything, whether it was always right or not I don't know. But he was one hell of a man and one of the things I remember my grandma telling me that he said to her once was "I will always stand by your side no matter what, as long as you always tell me the truth". And he did. I cannot even remember a single time when he was mad at her.

Both of my grandparents died a little more than a year apart from each other at about 68 years old, both from Pancreatic cancer in April,2002 and October,2003. The saddest thing I have ever experienced was a night in March about a month before my grandma died, standing in her kitchen and giving her a hug as I was crying, because we all knew she was going to die soon and she just kept telling me it's going to be alright.

One of the best memories I have of my grandpa, even though it was on his death bed was when he said to me "you and I are so alike, Blake, we are so alike".

I guess this post is obviously more for me than anyone, but I guess most blogs are in my opinion. They make good journals.

Here and gone

2010-05-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

So,one of my favorite seasons has come and gone... unless it rains again before June.

The Morels were back and it has been a very enjoyable few weeks. It seems that I might have been a week or more late on my initial harvest I was told.

Last Wed. McKenzie and I collected over 70. Then on Sat. between me, my dad, McKenzie, uncle and cousins we collected close to 150. Then yesterday I had a half hour and found about 10 that were in good shape, but there were a lot of them dried up already.

McKenzie even started finding them on her own!! I wonder how many 3.5 year olds there are wandering the woods finding Morels on their own? I'm proud of her and she is my little out of doors buddy.

Anyway, a few things came to mind as I was walking the "river bottoms" this season that I will share (besides better pictures of the Morels for identification purposes).

1. The first is that beyond the general appreciation of the Morel, taking it step further in realizing that each one you have the honor to pick could be the last one. This year they weren't as plentiful as last year. I was anticipating another year like last so I left a bunch that most people would have picked, but I was only picking the freshest at that time.

2. When I go to harvest the mushroom, I cut it at about 1/4 to 1/2 way up the stem. I noticed that this is how much the deer leave when they eat them, so it is obviously the right thing to do.

3. I don't really understand the reproductive cycle of the mushroom, so I don't know when it is that they release their spores. I know that isn't very responsible, but as a result of that lack of knowledge I have decided that I will leave several standing when I find a group of them and anything that has any part of the mushroom that is too dried up or moldy will be left where it stands.

4. I like to use a knife to cut the mushroom off, but a scissor would work fine. This minimizes the risk of damage to the lower half and underground structure.

Anyway, I will post some pics soon!

Anxiously waiting

2010-04-29T08:08:00.000-07:00

Well, if all goes well we should be about 1 month out from the return of the Morels.
I went into the woods yesterday to check it out hoping they were either early or that I had just found them a little late last year.
Not the case.
It is still too dry and it has been cold. Hell we even had snow this past Sunday so it's not mushroom friendly weather.
I did take my little girl with me though and she loved it! She also has a surprisingly good memory for specific areas that we stopped etc. I can only dream where that kind of awareness already for the woods will lead.
Anyway, going to Montana and Wyoming for the weekend.

Who cares, right?

2010-03-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed that the word liar is within the word peculiar?

Answer to "The meaning of life"

2010-01-17T11:06:00.000-08:00

I truly believe that I have figured out the meaning of life. It's really so simple.

The meaning of life is simply to Live, to be alive. That's it! Our exsistence alone is the meaning of life. Everything else is just a benefit or a distraction.

The meaning of life can be summed up, easily observed and witnessed all throughout nature. The more simple forms of life (when compared to interactions such as human to human, not DNA) especially show us this is true, in my opinion.

Take a flower for example. What is the purpose of life of a flower? Is its only purpose to simply act as a servant to other life forms? I say no, but my explanation of this will sound insane to those of you who don't already understand what I'm saying here. If you don't understand I politely suggest you open your mind. I acquired it first through years of time in nature,especially through the mountains and hunting. And then formed a deeper understanding of my life and other life through exposure to Taoist philosophy.

I'm not claiming that this is the only way to find it, find it on your own terms.

Anyway, I do realize that you can argue yes to my question about the flower and its purpose. But do you really believe the meaning of life is only to support other life? There's nothing in it for us beyond that?

I also realize that we all play a part willingly or not in the existence of other life forms, even after we die. But, I assure you, the true meaning of life is simply to live and hopefully enjoy it while you are here.

Because it's "such a long long time to be gone and a short time to be there".

Good song and question

2010-01-15T07:14:00.000-08:00

It's come to our attention
Life now is bound to change
While we the peaceful majority
We sit back and anticipate

These are our days now
These are not the same now
These are not the same
These human beings are dangerous
Their greed is contagious
Now the world it waits

These people they attacked our freedom
Their weapons technology and hate
Lives were stolen without warning
Brothers and sisters now erased

These are our days now
These are not the same now
These are not the same
These human beings are dangerous
Their greed is contagious
Now the world it waits

_____________________________________

How do you interpret this song? Maybe I should try and find it somewhere as to what he is saying here, before I ask and make a fool out of myself by writing my thoughts.

I mean it seems pretty obvious. Spet. 12, the day after, life has surely changed. I get that.

I'm sure I'm stating the obvious here, but, I hear this song as though he laying out the fears of both "sides". And by sides I don't necessarily mean us and the "terrorists", but more between all of us who are simply caught up in it all. Mostly the innocent who get caught up in the real bullshit, which to them, even if they have a clue why "we" are there would be a very scary situation.

Anyway, I'm curious if someone can tell me their thoughts or the exact meaning behind Xavier Rudd's lyrics in this song.

I love the melody of the guitar-like instrument and his singing and of course the dige. To say he is an amazing artist is definitely an understatment.

Badlands 2009

2009-11-04T15:26:00.000-08:00

Badlands 2009

2009-11-04T15:21:00.000-08:00

Badlands 2009

2009-11-04T15:10:00.000-08:00

I finally found the cable for my camera. Now I can show you some pics from this years Badlands trip.

There are few places on this earth that are as spiritual to me as this area of the Badlands in ND.

Everytime I'm there the thought crosses my mind that it might be the last time and everytime I leave I can only think about the next time.

Absolutely beautiful.

Redundant

2009-09-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

I can't get enough of this song.

It makes me happy and sad... sad mostly. Reminds me how short life is, not that I need to be reminded because I think about it often.

Hope you all are well.

___________________

No, I'm not colorblind
I know the world is black and white
Try to keep an open mind
But I just can't sleep on this tonight

Stop this train
I wanna get off
And go home again
I can't take the speed it's moving in
I know I can't
But honestly, won't someone stop this train?

Don't know how else to say it
Don't want to see my parents go
One generation's length away
From fighting life out on my own

Stop this train
I wanna get off
And go home again
I can't take the speed it's moving in
I know I can't
But honestly, won't someone stop this train?

So scared of getting older
I'm only good at being young
So I play the numbers game
To find a way to say that life has just begun

Had a talk with my old man
Said "help me understand"
He said "turn sixty-eight
You renegotiate"

"Don't stop this train
Don't for a minute change the place you're in
And don't think I couldn't ever understand
I tried my hand
John, honestly we'll never stop this train"

Once in awhile, when it's good
It'll feel like it should
And they're all still around
And you're still safe and sound
And you don't miss a thing
Till you cry when you're driving away in the dark
Singing

Stop this train
I wanna get off
And go home again
I can't take the speed it's moving in
I know I can
Cause now I see I'll never stop this train

Got Land?

2009-08-21T07:28:00.000-07:00

If you are in the market for some land in good ol' North Dakota check this out.

I know the sellers personally. This is a great investment if your investment portfolio includes land.

If you know anyone who might be interested please pass this on.

Thanks.

North Dakota Hunting Land For SALE

http://ndhuntingland.blogspot.com/

CO

2009-08-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

I have Colorado on my mind. I'm want to go back already. I simply can't get enough of those mountains and just being in CO.
I've also been wasting a lot of time (relatively, actually only about an hour total) the past week looking at/for Harleys. Daydreaming about the day I can actually get one. I wouldn't have time to ride one right now if I had one anyway... but that's not going to stop me from putting in a lowball offer on one today on ebay anyway!!! I'll know by Thursday if I'm the proud owner of a new Harley and on death row in my house via A.

On the way home Aug. 3 we went through Spearfish, SD which is only 17 miles from Sturgis. I haven't ever seen so many bikes and bikers in one place. It looked like a lot of fun and I will partake in that event one of these years to come.
After Spearfish we stopped at this little gas stop/convenience shack that looks like something out of the movie Dusk till Dawn. I have actually joked to A about how there is probably a pile of cars just over the side of the hill of all the naive travelers who have stopped. This place is in the absolute middle of nowhere and there usually isn't any cars parked in the lot - and there wasn't this time either. BUT, this time we had to stop because McK had to use the "potty".

It was a very pleasant experience and the ladies working there were very nice. I asked them how business was and they said sporadic. They told me that usually if one person stops and other people see the vehicle sitting out front, others will stop as well. I had parked our vehicle kind of in the back, so I went out and moved it to the front well within view of the highway. Sure enough, 3 more vehicles of people stopped and came in. I bought several items more than I needed just to support their cause and out of gratitude for the restroom. A had a turkey sandwich which was nothing fancy, but it was good she said.

Those of you who have travelled the lonely stretch between Bowman and Belle Fourche know the place I'm talking about and I would say you shouldn't be afraid to stop.

Here is some interesting history I found on the buttes and this place is right at the foot of the Buttes.

"CROW BUTTES - Crow Buttes located in Harding County, SD;at this point, was the scene of a bizzare battle between the Crow and the Sioux Indians in the summer of 1882. Sioux men ravaged a crow camp, destroying it. Crow warriors fled to the top of the buttes with the Sioux chasing them. Without water, the crow warriors died of thirst. Subsequently the nearby 'Canyon of the Skulls',to the northwest was filled with skeletons of the Sioux who died after contacting a fever from the Crows."

Stop This Train

2009-07-20T21:02:00.000-07:00

So, I listened to this song for the third time since my last post. That makes a total of three times ever.

This song is amazing. I stumbled upon that song by pure luck and I'm so impressed with John Mayer that I want to start listening to him nearly all the time (again).

This song brings up a lot of emotion and I realize that it relates so much more to my last post than I originally thought.

Life is so damn short!

On a complete side note, I find it very interesting that all my posts revolve around music. Posting videos, commenting about how they make me feel... or something.

Better than my attempt at video blogging I guess :)

Dreaming with a broken heart

2009-07-19T19:31:00.000-07:00

"See the thing is no one really knows what they have till its gone, and these things are so complicated, I mean we wake up one day and things are not the same..."

I saw the above quote as a response on a lyrics page for this song. I can't fully express the understanding and connection I feel with that statement in regard to life, but it's strong. It is something that I have realized before and tried to explain to a few others, but never this concise.

Sometimes it's not even waking up and realizing it. It's sitting at a stop light and having the realization that nothing and everything has changed. It's knowing that someone you love is dying. It's the moment you receive news that someone you cared about has unexpectedly died and they have been dead for hours and you didn't even know it. It's that moment you fully realize there are no guarantees in life and anything can happen at anytime - including your own mortality.

I guess the longer I live, the more I realize things have been the same since our grandparents were our age. The same problems with love and marriage. The same problems with kids and teenagers. The same problems with politics and taxes.

Life is interwoven with pain and happiness. We (or at least I always have) seem to think that everything is constantly evolving and the problems we have now are so different than anytime before.

Sometimes I wonder how much control we really have over our own fate. Sometimes it seems like you step off the tracks of one train and on to the tracks of another. Eventually one of these trains is going to hit us.

The worst of it is when you can see the train coming and no matter how hard you try to get off the tracks, all you can do is run down them, away from a train that's moving 5 times faster than you can run.

Don't be alarmed, I'm not relating to anything in particular here. Just past observations/realizations.

Anyway, this is a really good song. John Mayer is an awesome writer and musician.

I know you rider

2009-07-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

This is a great song.

Awesome cover, I like it as much as the original by the Greatful Dead.

This song is served best on a warm Sept./Oct. day on a rural gravel road in Southwestern ND or a fall day in the mountains anywhere.

The Morels

2009-05-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

My dad and I had a great day on Sunday.
132 Morels in about 2 hours.

One thing that I really enjoy about this state is the opportunities available to live off the land.

By the way, Morels grow pretty much throughout the US, and NOW is the time to find them. Most of you still have a few days to a week left I would imagine.

They are a fantastic tasting mushroom that sells for about $20 a pound at your local co-op.

Make sure you know what you have before you eat them though.
Check this site for proper ID. Do not eat a false Morel.

To my knowledge, a true morel is completely hollow from the stem into the cap. The cap and the stem are one, unlike other mushrooms.

We could be heroes

2009-04-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

Time to move on

2009-03-26T06:10:00.000-07:00

I really want to move. I have never hated this state, until now. I guess I don't really hate the state as much as I hate the weather.
It is snowing again, floods are still happening and pending.

We had to move all of our stuff from the basement to the main floor.
The city has done an absolutely shitty job of keeping the roads clean this winter - absolutely pathetic.

We moved back here for 1 reason - our family. My parents and A's parents all live here.
I have a bonus in the fact that I love Western and Southwestern ND - to hike, hunt, driving the gravel roads for literally hundreds of miles or just sitting on the side of a hill taking in the rolling plains on a warm September or October afternoon. I love that.

BUT, it is getting to the point that none of this seems worth staying in this god foresaken land. I constantly ask myself why anyone willingly lives here?

1 more winter like this and I'm seriously going to consider moving - Hello Colorado.

Here is the forecast for the months of November through March for ND.

Lets blog about the weather

2009-03-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

Today, in this wonderful state we have/had warnings for:
Flood, hail, tornado, blizzard, sleet.

Somebody let me know if they see a man riding upon a white horse in the midst of all this... :)

Linton, is currently flooding and most of the town is only accesible by boat.
Fox Island is under a voluntary evacuation due to the rapid rising of the Missouri R.
Fargo is about to be flooded as well, as expected.

Last I heard we are scheduled for up to a foot of snow over the next 24 hours or so. I hope it doesn't happen, but it is cold enough right now for snow.

Usually by this time of the year I'm done asking myself why I live here.

Random

2009-03-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

I remember when I first met Andrea. Odd circumstances, one more confirmation for me of fate. Anyway, I particularily remember the first weeks, months and into the first year. Her working at BBB me working these ridiculous late hours at Lewis trucking with Onree and Christ. I would go see her on every one of her breaks, eating dinner or just holding hands and talking.

If she wasn't working she was at school. I would go and sit and read while she was spending endless hours in the photolab, printing her photos. Just wanting to be where she was as close as possible.
I couldn't spend enough time with her. Everything was new and exciting.

That seems so long ago. My memories of that time and most of my time in Fargo seem like a blur or like bits from a movie. I can still feel those feelings of excitement and joy when I think about those times.

Now of course things are different. We have evolved in our relationship. Still love each other very much, but as expected things are different.

Anyway, the reason for all this randomness is that I heard a song just a little bit ago that reminded me of all those things. Andrea had bought a CD a few months after we met that had a song on it that she said made her think of us. It's crazy when I hear this song and haven't heard it for a while. It actually chokes me up a little bit, becuase it reminds me of how much I love/loved her at that time. I have never loved like that and at that time nothing had even come close. I still do love her on that level - just to clarify.

Now of course we have McKenzie and she brings so much love and joy to my life it is impossible to describe. My love for her is on a similar level, but different of course and I feel very lucky.

I always remember that song and a few others when I think of us at that time. All were songs on the radio at that time that she really seemed to like and we would seem to hear a lot.

Finally, here is the song and it is the first time I have ever seen the video.

One Thing.

2009-02-23T19:03:00.001-08:00

God this song is powerful.

And the list got shorter

2009-02-10T20:38:00.000-08:00

I was going to only leave this post with the title, but decided to leave an explaination... for myself I guess. As most blog posts are in my opinion.

Anyway, I'm pretty much done here with blogging... for the most part.

Tonight I realised why I originally started this thing and why I continued with it for so long. I realised that it doesn't really matter.

I will say it was fun, served it's purpose for the time. But with the list getting shorter and time becoming more precious, the posts are going to become much less frequent.

Perhaps this has spawned from a serious frustration right now of wasted time on the net, even more or less precisely it is of wasted time concerning several other aspects of the past blending in and out of the current, but I do not care to get into it beyond that.

The point is that I have found new value in several aspects of my life to the point that I simply don't want to invest my time into things that I can see are a waste of time.

Anyway, my guess is that future blogs will be even less meaningful to most everyone, but me. I will probably only randomly use it to vent something of anger or my personal enjoyment which most don't really care about anyway.

A statement that I really enjoyed the first time I saw it and still do which if you read as it is and then after that change a few words to blogs and writing blog posts will pretty much tell half of my story and like I said the other half I don't care to get into.

"I stayed up late last night, slogging through endless websites. I think I was looking for meaning online, which is about the most ridiculous endeavor I can imagine. I feel a little more sane this morning."

To my wife and daughter.

2009-01-24T21:56:00.000-08:00

The best part of my day every day is coming home from work to see McKenzie's big smile and then hearing her say "Dadieee" and then getting a kiss from her and Andrea.

You're a falling star, You're the get away car.
You're the line in the sand when I go too far.
You're the swimming pool, on an August day.
And you're the perfect thing to say.

And you play it coy, but it's kinda cute.
Ah, When you smile at me you know exactly what you do.
Baby don't pretend, that you don't know it's true.
Cause you can see it when I look at you.

[Chorus:]
And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, You make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

You're a carousel, you're a wishing well,
And you light me up, when you ring my bell.
You're a mystery, you're from outer space,
You're every minute of my everyday.

And I can't believe, uh that I'm your man,
And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.
Whatever comes our way, ah we'll see it through,
And you know that's what our love can do.

[Chorus:]
And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, You make me sing
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.
So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La
So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La

[Chorus:]
And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times
It's you, it's you, You make me sing.
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.
You're every song, and I sing along.
'Cause you're my everything.
Yeah, yeah

So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La
So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La

I am a ship out on the sea

2009-01-23T07:30:00.000-08:00

The Good be Tanyas song I really like - cover. I couldn't find the original.

F* it all

2009-01-17T20:57:00.000-08:00

Fuck:
Politics
Tv shows, especially the crime and murder shows
Magazines that glorify and idolize movie stars
Taxes and the way the government spends them
Congress
Elitist politicians
Anyone who takes advantage of or exploits a child
Anyone who abuses anyone
Anyone who thinks they are better than anyone else
Wasting money at bars
Wating money on really expensive restaurants
Wasting money
Money

Cause it's true!!

2009-01-13T08:43:00.000-08:00

Well, almost. I doubt anyone under here under 25 yoa knows who Lawrence Welk is, but damn I find this funny.

Funny

2009-01-05T06:16:00.001-08:00

marriedtothesea.com

Day 7 windy surfing

2008-12-26T18:14:00.000-08:00

2 words on surfing... it hurts! At least when you suck at it. Also, my apologies on the video, bad sound. Hopefully I will have some quick evolution of better vlogging. I figure if I keep at it I'm bound to get better at it. Take care and I hope you all are well.

Aloha!

2008-12-22T18:57:00.000-08:00

Just figured out how to use my webcam. I think I will start doing more of the vlogging... isn't that what it's called? Anyway, do any of you do this already?

"For The World"

2008-12-17T21:17:00.000-08:00

This is some of the most beautiful music I know.
Tan Dun is the name of the composer and he created this for the movie "Hero".
I really like the movie as well as all the music within. It really is an artistic masterpiece as far as I'm concerned.

Name this state by provided clues

2008-12-09T20:05:00.001-08:00

Try and figure this out. Don't go and look it up first and then post your response.
I will tell you what state it is in a week.

clue #

1)average annual temperature ranges from 37° F in the northern part of the state to 43°F in the south. January is the coldest month. Temperatures average from 2° F in the north to 17° F in the southwest with an average of fifty days below 0 . July is the warmest month with temperatures averaging 67° F in the north and 73° F in the south. Temperatures over 90 are common. Highest temperature was 121° F and the lowest -60° F, were both recorded in 1936.

2)Annual precipitation ranges from 13 to 20 inches a year. The average increases from west to east, with the southeast receiving the highest average precipitation. Winter precipitation is highest in January. June is the wettest month receiving 3 to 4 inches of rain.

Because I like it

2008-12-04T06:29:00.000-08:00

This song speaks my soul. Not necessarily of the Colorado rockies, which I do love, but the Rockies in general - especially Montana.

On a cold winter day

2008-12-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, around this time of the year, when I first started, there was a rough and tough looking man with a handle bar moustache who would sit in the first chair in the waiting room.
He would look straight down the hall and watch us as we went in and out of the rooms. He was waiting for his turn I guess.
He would stare at me everytime I came out with a blank stare and because of it I thought he didn't care for me, so I returned the blank, emotionless stare. It was the same everytime.
A few months went by and once or so a week I would see him sitting out there and he would see me walking from room to room.
Then, one morning, with a shocked blank expression someone said to me...
Remember the guy with the moustache? Yes, I said. He jumped off the bridge last night, committed suicide. I guess his pain was too much to handle.

I feel bad for him to this day. I feel bad that I didn't pass a smile on to him, everytime or at least once.
I hope he found peace. I don't know his name, but I'll never forget him.

A dedication

2008-11-25T21:03:00.000-08:00

I was thinking about lots of different people tonight and my interactions with them or lack there of.

I was thinking about people I know, people I used to know, people I thought I knew, people I wish I didn't know.

This one goes out to many, but not all.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Bob Dylan....

Old tires? Dangerous...

2008-11-21T08:26:00.001-08:00

But hey, there's no scientific evidence that it is dangerous. So, it's still safe...right?

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897

Funny

2008-11-18T13:38:00.000-08:00

Sat. night I bought a little carton of chocolate milk.

I was reading the ingredients and the last thing it said was "contains milk".

Why would they even have to put that on there?

Curling

2008-11-12T14:29:00.000-08:00

I'm a sub on a curling team.

Should be fun.

Anyone have any tips for me?

This kind of day

2008-11-10T06:33:00.000-08:00

Got Cat Stevens in my head this morning, praticularily "Miles From Nowhere"

badlands sept 2008

2008-11-08T20:09:00.000-08:00

Here are some pics from this years trip, there are a lot more that I would have liked to post, but I couldn't get them to download right for some reason. There were some more of our camp site and some other great scenery, but these are nice.

Don't do it...

2008-11-08T19:56:00.000-08:00

take someone for granted:
to not show that you are grateful to someone for helping you or that you are happy they are with you, often because they have helped you or been with you so often.

take something for granted:
to expect something to be available all the time and forget that you are lucky to have it.

take someone for granted:
to fail to appreciate someone.

Generally, it is the people we love most who we take for granted.
Everything could be gone tomorrow, it's easy to forget that.

The badlands

2008-11-06T12:06:00.001-08:00

I'm going to focus more on pictures for a while.

Blizzard here today. Cold and nasty. It was crazy wind last night, sleet to snow and thunder.

From my badlands trip last year already. I'm wishing I was in them today. So enjoy.

I will post some pics from this years trip as soon as I get them loaded into Picasa.

Off the map

2008-11-02T18:42:00.001-08:00

I only saw this movie once, quite a while ago.

I remember that I liked it a lot and it is one of my favorite movies. If you look up the reviews, you will see it didn't do too well. I disagree with them.

This movie is uniquely different and meaningful. If you watch it, I would enjoy hearing what you think.

See the trailer.

Just a playlist

2008-11-02T17:36:00.000-08:00

I'm not trying to say anything here, this is just an easy access playlist.
These songs have been in my head lately, interesting theme I know. I didn't really know the lyrics to a lot of these songs. It's not that I didn't know anything of the lyrics, I just mean that I didn't know them like I know other songs - if that makes sense. Anyway, after I looked the lyrics up to the ones I really didn't know that well... definitely a strange theme of songs in my head these past few days.
Life is great here; its just good music I guess.
Some of the videos aren't that great to watch, but its all about the music anyway.
Enjoy.

Ramble on

Hole Hearted

Greek song

California stars

Could have been one of these things first

Castles in the air

That's the way

Absolutely beautiful

2008-10-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

"Painters"

Eighty years, an old lady now, sitting on the front porch
Watching the clouds roll by
They remind her of her lover, how he left her, and of times long ago.
When she used to color carelessly painted his portrait
A thousand times-or maybe just his smile-
And she and her canvas would follow him wherever he would go

'Cause I'm a painter and i want to paint you a lovely world
A lovely world.

Oil streaked daisies covered the living room wall
He put water-colored roses in her hair
He said, "Love, I love you, I want to give you mountains, the sunshine, the sunset too
I just want to give you a world as beautiful as you are to me

'Cause they were painters and they were painting themselves
A lovely world.

So they sat down and made a drawing of their love, they made it an art to live by
They painted every, passion every home, created every beautiful child
in the winter they were weavers of warmth, in summer they were carpenters of love
They thought blue prints were too sad so they made them yellow

'Cause they were painters and they were painting themselves
A lovely world.

Until one day the rain fell as thick as black oil
And in her heart she knew something was wrong
She went running through the orchard screaming,
'No God, don't take him from me!,'
But buy the time she got there, she feared he already had gone
She got to where he lay, water-colored roses in his hands for her
She threw them down screaming, 'Damn you man, don't leave me
with nothing left behind but these cold paintings, these cold portraits to remind me!
He said, 'Love I leave, but only a little, try to understand
I put my soul in this life we created with these four hands
Love, I leave, but only a little this world holds me still
My body may die now, but these paintings are real.'
So many seasons came and many seasons went
and many times she saw her loves face watering the flowers,
talking to the trees and singing to his children
And when the wind blew, she knew he was listening,
and how he seamed to laugh along, and how he seemed to hold her
when she was crying

'Cause they were painters and they were painting themselves
A lovely world.

Eighty years, an old lady now, sitting on the front porch
Watching the clouds roll by, they remind her of her lover
how he left her and of times long ago, when she used to color carelessly,
Painted his portrait a thousand times, or maybe just his smile,
and she and her canvas would follow him wherever he would go

Yes, she and her canvas still follow
Because they are painters and they are painting themselves
A lovely world

song and lyrics by Jewel

If it were a different time

2008-10-20T17:56:00.001-07:00

But then again, there's still Alaska...

"O con noi o contro di noi"

2008-10-15T18:19:00.000-07:00

And here we are yet again, a cycle of many years upon us.
Something good for one thing only and not nearly as important
as I wish it was.

Knowingly or unknowingly said, a line directly or indirectly drawn
to me it couldn't be more obvious
the words are loud
You are either with us, or against us.

Passion fades when years go by and what of a line needlessly drawn?
With friends who live like leaves on trees don't forget the fall is inevitable
especially when you don't see I'm neither with you or against you,

What will be will be
and it will be fine with me,
for things like this I have little tolerance.

I wonder if it will have all been worth it
for those who have crossed it
Fathers and mothers no more, brothers and sisters no more,
friends no more
and all over a pointless tradition
of manipulation in which we need no more.

A serious Question, Obama supporters please help

2008-10-14T14:11:00.000-07:00

First of all Do Not take this the wrong way, I'm not against Obama and I'm not for McCain. I'm asking a serious question and I know a few of you are pretty passionate about Obama, so that is why I ask.

I also know this is a long post, so if you don't want to read through it all please read the bold questions 1) and 2). That is all that really matters. Thanks.

Lately, the question of Obama's stance on small business taxes has become a big deal to everyone, at least on the right.

I have been trying to figure this out for quite sometime now and haven't gotten much. Sometime in June I tried to find the tax breakdown and what it will all mean if Obama gets elected and really couldn't find anything of exact detail (yes, from his website). Later in the summer I came in contact with someone from the ND office/supporters of Obama and she couldn't tell me anything other than that which I had already seen on his website. She told me that I would be better off as Obama would be giving me a $1,000 credit or something to that effect(which wouldn't mean crap to me in the long run if my taxes went up even 5%).

Personally, my income is low enough that I would assume anything he does will benefit me - I would hope, because I sure as hell couldn't afford to pay more taxes.

One thing that I did see is that he emphasises that he will do a lot for minority business start up etc. I don't understand why it wouldn't be the same across the board, anyone who wants to start up a business should get the same deal, right?

Anyway, I have 3 questions.

1) The $250,000 tax increase issue for small businesses. Is this on Net or Gross?

-I did see somewhere that they mentioned net, but it was used so vaguely that I couldn't tell if that is what the actual tax will be on.

- I know the right is trying to make it sound like gloom and doom - I don't trust anything they say. I have heard the right say that Obama made a statement to the effect of 90 some % of small business don't make more than the $250,000 per year. Unless they are talking about net (which I would still have a hard time believing) it is a blatant lie- that is if Obama even made that statement.

2)The other question is on the taxation of small small businesses, such as myself.

- I know personally as a small business s-corp, I already pay close to 30 some % on my gross when it is all said and done (some of which is taxes you all pay, and the other half is taxes you do not pay - unless you are an s-Corp that employs yourself) and I net less than 30,000 per year. The thought of my taxes going up mortifies me.

3) What can you say of this statement from McCain's site?

- "John McCain's opponent wants to increase the marginal income tax rate which applies to the nation's 23 million small business owners who pay their taxes under the individual tax rate system."

Anyway, thanks for your time. I apologize in advance if this info is blatant on Obama's website, but I have looked and couldn't find any specifics - hopefully I have been looking in the wrong place. And for the record I think McCain is a d-bag and I couldn't find much of value on his site either.

Interesting thoughts

2008-10-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

In the past few months for some reason I keep finding out about these crazy, yet incredibly interesting thoughts on theories such as the big bang (as it is wrong), string threories (relating to physics and space), and much more abstract ideas such as this one "Nanotech and the Physical Manifestation of a Reality"

I find this incredibly interesting, let me know what you think.

If you like it I will post more of what I have found interesting relating to that which I mentioned above.

Have a great day, evening or whatever it is wherever you are :)

copied and pasted thoughts

2008-10-01T14:04:00.000-07:00

Know yourself
Ask for help
Identify your goals
Listen to feedback
Love what you do
Focus on your goals
Believe you can achieve them
Visualize your success,
Take Action and
Persevere!

New Horizon (again with a few edits)

2008-09-29T18:26:00.000-07:00

I've had so many changes in the past 6 months with many things it really has been amazing. I really don't know anything about astrology, but I would love to see my chart, not some generalized website bs chart, the real deal for me for this past year.

I don't feel like I have changed as a person with my ideals, values, goals, etc., but I must have to some degree without notice or perhaps I have been recognized for who I always have been and certain people didn't see the real me before (which is a good thing as far as I can tell). It's the only thing I can think of that could have initiated so many changes in the interactions and relationships I have with so many people within such a short amount of time.

Anyway, its more than just interactions with others and even has some to do with getting to know myself again. Something that I have only had the privilege to do a few times in my life. I really feel like I'm getting close to what I have wanted for a long time and that is to be content. There are 2 main things and a few realizations of myself that have just very recently happened that have allowed me this very relaxed state.

I will also say that now I can see a few of the relationships are definitely over and I guess I didn't realise how detremental or worthless they were to me as a person. I have heard the term cancerous used to describe such relationships and I now know exactly what that means, especially one in particular.

Anyway, every day I think about my life as it is now and what I am and have been searching for and my mind has been laying it out like the lyrics to a song or words to poem or something. It is strange and this is the first time I will be writing it out, so here it is.

Things that used to matter just don't matter anymore and I had been searching for a sunset I hadn't seen since I was 8. My memories of some the best things that ever happened, I wonder if they did and I miss the simplicity of life I felt when I was a kid.
For the past 10 years I've been searching for a lot of things I guess, the first time I thought I found it was in it mountain town out west. The sunset right and all was better than I imagined, but like most good things I cut it short I felt something more was waiting. I didn't know then why I left and the prairie was home agian.
Now it's obvious why I left and a lot of things have happened. The best part I'm still living and its only getting better. Things keep changing and I'm looking west while the sun is starting to set in a way I haven't seen since I was a kid.

______________________

Anyway, I know that is lame but I'm telling you its like this evolving song in my head at random times when I'm driving.

Anyway, I'm still figuring it out and the story is far from over. Don't be surprised when you find me living in western Montana again someday.
______________________________________

Finished the run

2008-09-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

Well, we did it.

Our relay team ended up taking 28th out of 57 teams.

I was able to run the 6.5 miles in 57 minutes. My knee was hurting like hell the last .5 miles, but I made it.

We also won $100 for taking 2nd, I beleive in the all male relay category.

Can't remember what our overall time was, I'm sure KP will have it posted though.

There is talk of 1 or more next year, so we better set some goals and beat our time from this year.

7.3 miles

2008-09-16T05:37:00.001-07:00

Last night I ran/jogged 7.3 miles in 1 hour and 11 minutes. The farthest I had ran at one time before this was slightly more than 4 miles. At no point throughout the run/jog was I even winded, which surprised me.
I ended up having to walk 3 times because of knee pain. The road turned to shit at about mile 4 and earlier in the run I also had to run in the ditch for close to 1 mile. The shitty road really hurts my knees.

Anyway, I'm still relatively happy with that time, dissapointed in my knees. I should be able to run the 6.5 mile this weekend, but I will pay for it after I'm done since my leg of the run is that shitty part of the road for the entire 6.5 miles.

I found this on http://my.dietpower.com/features/best_weight_loss_exercise.php

Walking, 3.0 mph (20:00/mile)
Walking, 3.5 mph (17:09/mile)
Walking, 4.0 mph (15:00/mile)
Walking, 4.5 mph (13:20/mile)
Jogging, 5.0 mph (12:00/mile)
Jogging, 5.5 mph (10:55/mile)
Running, 6.0 mph (10:00/mile)
Running, 6.5 mph (9:14/mile)
Running, 7.0 mph (8:34/mile)
Running, 7.5 mph (8:00/mile)
Running, 8.0 mph (7:30/mile)
Running, 8.5 mph (7:04/mile)
Running, 9.0 mph (6:40/mile)
Running, 9.5 mph (6:19/mile)
Running, 10.0 mph (6:00/mile)

Empty

2008-09-13T18:58:00.000-07:00

Today was opening day of Sharp tailed grouse and Hungarian partridge.

I have been hunting them since I was 13 years old. Hunting in general, but birds in particular has been a big part of my life. For the past 7 years though it has created a very undeniable feeling of regret every time I kill an animal (fish, bird or mammal).

For those of you who don't know I have a decent education in animal biology including behavioral and ornithology and my background is in natural resources management so I fully recognize the benefit of proper management of anything, including animals. That is not my problem. In fact if it wasn't for the wildlife management programs that have been funded by hunters, the populations in the lower 48 of almost every animal we all take for granted in the "wild" would be minimal in most cases at best.

Anyway, I shot 2 grouse today. I don't really want to get into the details of it, but as I was cleaning them and again later when I was putting the meat away I couldn't help but think that I would rather know of them out in a field somewhere tonight alive than in my fridge soon to be a meal for me, my wife and daughter.

I could have shot several partridge today as well. I quit shooting them about 14 years ago though because I haven't felt that the population is stable enough to support hunting. Oddly enough the game and fish hasn't lowered the limit which is ridiculously high even in good times (5 birds per day). Prime example how following a "science based" system isn't always the right way to do things. Ask any bird hunter in ND and they will tell you that the population is way down from what it used to be.

Unfortunately for the partridge the hunting partner I was with today doesn't see things the same way I do and they will be dinner soon as well. It really doesn't matter though, because if he wouldn't have shot them someone else would have. I know that based on the location where we were hunting when we shot them. They would have been in the same place and someone would have walked the trees they were in. Same for the grouse I shot.

Anyway, I continually think of this passage out of Walden by Thoreau concerning my internal conflict. He describes it so well. I have in the past and continue to put more time into the hunting than almost any other "hobby". I can't understand it, but when I think of other things I could do or buy with the money I spend on it I can think of very very few. Like only 1 and I should focus on that, but every year when hunting season comes around I find myself in the field hunting.

I'm pretty sure that I will always be a hunter, but I can tell my role as a hunter is slowly evolving.

Anyway, here is parts of the passage:

"I have found repeatedly, of late years, that I cannot fish without falling a little in self-respect. I have tried it again and again. I have skill at it, and, like many of my fellows, a certain instinct for it, which revives from time to time, but always when I have done I feel that it would have been better if I had not fished. ... There is unquestionably this instinct in me which belongs to the lower orders of creation; yet with every year I am less a fisherman, though without more humanity or even wisdom; at present I am no fisherman at all. But I see that if I were to live in a wilderness I should again be tempted to become a fisher and hunter in earnest."

Wow, now thats refreshing

2008-09-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

I just found a new band tonight that I really like. Most of you are pretty up on the music scene so I can only imagine what your initial thoughts will be when I tell you who I'm talking about and how I'm about to describe them.

I have only heard 2 of their songs now and I'm listening to a thirdas I write.

My initial thoughts when I heard them for the first time tonight, actually I got to watch them sing and play the song on tv. I got that great indescribable feeling that you get when you get to see something that is true talent.

I haven't had that feeling (well almost that feeling, not quite) about a song or group since I was introduced to "The Bends" by Radiohead - the song the bends or high and dry and many other songs off that album (of course) and some of the songs by Keane and Coldplay.

Anyway, I'm taking about OneRepublic the song Apologize.

So here are some songs for your viewing and listening pleasure.

"It's like my pleasure in other peoples leisure"

Apologize

The bends. Goddamn this is AWESOME!!

and I couldn't post the above and not post this one
High and Dry

Open call - The best MP3 and video player combo

2008-09-05T20:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, I have a question for anyone reading this. I don't care if you know me or not.

Here is the scenario.

1)You have a budget of $200 to $300 dollars to spend on a MP3/movie (not video recording capability, I don't care about that).

2)Also you have a budget of up to $200 for accessory speaker system.

What would you get?

I have considered Zune,Creative, Samsung PS2, Ipod to name a few. I'm open to considering anything though.

Thanks.

A good weekend

2008-09-02T07:10:00.001-07:00

Had a really good weekend. Spent it in Colorado, Denver mostly.
I did get to take a 10 mile kayak trip down the Arkansas R. on an inflatable 2 person Kayak with my brother-in-law and his fiance and her friend. They called the kayak a duck boat, but it looked like this. The start point was Salida, CO and we floated to a boat landing called Rincon. For the most part it was class 2 with a few spots that were small class 3 rapids. Class 2 and 3 really isn't that big of a deal, but this late in the year it can be challenging because of the rocks, since the water level is lower. It was a lot of fun and I will be doing a float again earlier next summer down in CO, with mostly class 3's. I will post a pic. of this past trip if my brother-in-law sends me one.
Everytime I visit Denver I'm tempted to move to Colorado. Not necessarily Denver, but somewhere in CO.

Anyway, thats all that is new here. Deer and Antelope hunting with the bow started this past weekend, so I will be in the hills and badlands a lot over the next month, with the highlight being a camping tirp to the badlands for 4 to 5 days at the end of Sept.

Have a great day.

My favorite group, music or whatever...

2008-08-28T05:41:00.001-07:00

The Grateful Dead. Maybe it is that I used to listen to them a lot and when everything in my life seemed so much easier (Now there are many more bills to worry about, but life is still good). Anyway, here are just a few that bring back some great memories or just flat out give me a great feeling.

Box of Rain
I love listening to this song in the early morning glow driving into town from my parents house.

Sugar Magnolia
Reminds me a lot of my time in Montana.

Cumberland Blues
Weird video, I never pictured this before when I listen to the song, but also reminds me of Montana.

A new world

2008-08-26T06:44:00.000-07:00

Today I have been exposed to a whole new world.
I was reading about the alleged Obama assassination plotters in the Mirror UK and came across an article that said something to the effect of "Fry-ups can increase the likliehood of bowel cancer by 63%".
What the hell is a Fry-up? So, my dear wikipedia, thank you.
I now know that a Fry-up is the slang for a Full Traditional English Breakfast.
As to the constituents of the Fry-up there was one in there that looked heinous and I couldn't figure out what it could possibly be. It is called Black Pudding. The main ingredient of this delicatessen is blood. I can't imagine eating it, I'm almost positive I would puke.
Inturn, the reading about Black Pudding led me to reading about white pudding which is the fat based version instead of blood. Which inturn led me to reading about mince and tatties.
The last revelation I had through this experience and possibly the most gratifying for some odd reason is learning of the existence of weasel words.
Images of a little elusive critter come to mind and I will forever be searching for weasel words, sentence stuffing and convoluted syntax.

another 4 mile 8/9/08

2008-08-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

I forgot to write in that I did another 4 mile on Sat.

I ran this one in 32:42.

My shoe lace even came untied during the run which I had to stop for probably 15 seconds to retie, I didn't time it.

Also, my stop watch didn't start immediately when I took off from start point so everything about that time is F'd up.

What can safely be said about that run though is that it was my best time, whatever it really was. I would assume somewhere in the 32:30 range.

8/6/08 2 miles

2008-08-06T10:28:00.000-07:00

Ran 2 miles today in 15:50.

I had already been in the gym for an hour and got in a pretty good work out shoulders/chest/tris. Legs were a bit sore in the beginning but felt fine after the 1st mile.

The past couple times after running I have been left wondering how the hell I broke the 15 minute mark at all let alone by more than 5 seconds on the 2 mile. I have yet to break it since then and I always look when I hit the 2 mile mark even on the 4 mile runs.

Anyway, got softball yet tonight. So it will have been quite a workout day when it is all over.

another 4

2008-08-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

Just got done with another 4 miles tonight.

This was a mess, I think I have to take a day off in between each 4 mile until I build up some endurance, or I should say until my legs get strong enough to handle consecutive 4 mile runs. My lungs were great, didn't even phase me - but my legs - S.O.B

Tonight from the start I could tell it was going to be a bitch. My legs were sore from the first stride and before mile 2 my knee was already hinting at giving up on me. I pushed through it though. Other than my legs I felt great.

Then, literally as I looked down at the last 1/4 mile mark, I started to feel a burning sensation on my L. achilles area - blister - my F'ing sock was just low enough to allow my shoe to burn a hole through my skin. I'm positive the sock didn't fall down until seconds before I noticed it, because it isn't very bad (bad enough to leave a little blood stain on my shoe), but I pushed through that as well.

Then as I go to open my car, I dropped the goddamn electric key opener thing under my car 1/2 way between both sides, just far enough that I couldn't reach it without a ridiculous stretch that almost caused a pain that felt like a tear in my L. trap. Somehow I managed to restrain myself from absolutely destroying that goddamn thing, but tossed it against the opposite door and somehow it landed back at my feet - You gotta be fricken kidding me, so I gave up and tried to gently toss it into the cup holder - I missed and it fell between the seat and the council. I give up. For those of you who don't know I'm not above breaking inatimate objects as I firmly believe in resistentialism
And before I even new about this theory I had already lived by my own saying of "if it doesn't work by the third try, break it", with few exceptions, but that is another story.

Anyway, I still managed to pull the run off in 33:59, which I believe is exactly 1 minute slower than I ran it last night.

Tomorrow I will hit the gym and take a day off from running.

A good run

2008-08-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

Well,
I have been running with more frequency this past week.
Thanks to some good advice from my buddy Andy, I managed to relatively crush my last 4 mile time. It was also quite a bit cooler out this morning than when I usually run.

I ran the 4 miles today in 32:52. This is after running a 2 mile 14 hours before which was a time of 16:15 with the first mile being 7 mins. I have done quite a bit better on the 2 mile in the past, but I'm not worried about it.

Anyway, my legs were pretty tired by mile 3 today, but I can tell this is going to make the 6.5 miles in 52 mins. goal very realistic by Sept. 20.

Thanks Thork!

not too good

2008-07-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

Fell back - 2 miles in 15:14:59.

Ran this immediately after 1 hour of Aiki-Kempo training.

Still shouldn't have been that slow. I don't know what to say.

I even felt pretty good. First mile was 7:33, I guess that probably had a lot to do with it.

Anyway, overall I felt a lot better running. I think my endurance is definitely going up.

a decent 2 mile

2008-07-21T19:48:00.000-07:00

I just knocked out 2 miles in 14 minutes and 50 seconds (and 32 hundreths if you must know).

Anyway, it is a muggy bitch out there right now, so I sweat as much or more tonight than I do on the 4 miles. Wow, it just struck me as to how strange of a thing that is to write - I'm sure you all wanted to know that (all 3 of you who occasionally read this that is).

I was definitely beat after that run, really feeling it in my legs. I will probably give myself until Thursday before I run again. In the mean time...
1)tomorrow lifting arms, shoulders and back
2)Wed. softball
3)Thursday running, lifting chest and shoulders

Have a good one.

4 in 35.1

2008-07-21T05:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I pushed myself pretty good. I crossed the 4 mile mark just as the 1 second was passing the 35 minute mark.

It seems that progression is going to slow a bit now, becuase this is probably the same time as what I did on my last post - before I was running farther than 4 miles which explains the extra 2 minutes.

A few things that I realized after yesterday's run:
1)I can push myself harder and actually handle it. So, that is the goal for next time.
2)Do Not drink the night before the run. I had about 48 ounces of beer, I'm going to blame that for slowing me down. - I really don't know if that was a factor, but it seems reasonable.
3)Do Not eat sooner than 2 hours before running. I had to push through a side ache for close to a mile (mile #2), it was a late breakfast.
4)When it is hot, milk is a bad choice.No personal experience with this in the past 20 years, but I'll take Ron Burgundy's word for it.

On a side note, I did time my first mile and I hit 7:45. I thought I was running faster than that, but I wasn't trying to set a 1 mile presonal record either. I was keeping the distance in mind.

Goal for my next run: 4 miles in 34 minutes - or better.

1 of my all-time favorites

2008-07-17T07:03:00.000-07:00

such a good song.

A new favorite

2008-07-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

4 in 37

2008-07-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

So,
Today my knees held out and gave me 4 miles.

I was pretty surprised that I made this full 4 miles, regardless that it was at a slow jog towards the middle/end.

In the last 3/4 of a mile I think I hit a delirious, euphoric semi-dehydrated state that actually felt pretty good and determined that this must be the "runners high".

Anyway, I'm actually starting to enjoy the running.

I'm setting my goal at 6.5 miles in 52 minutes. Seems reasonable if I stick to the training.

Great song - John Denver

2008-07-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

This is how I felt when I lived in Montana.
_________________________________________________

He was born in the summer of his twenty-seventh year
Comin' home to a place he'd never been before
He left yesterday behind him you might say he was born again
You might say he'd found a key to every door

When he first came to the mountains his life was far away
On the road and hangin' by a song
But the string's already broken and he doesn't really care
It keeps changin' fast and it don't last for long

CHORUS
The Colorado Rocky Mountain high
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
The shadow from the starlight is softer than a lullaby
Rocky Mountain high (Colorado)
Rocky Mountain high (Colorado)

He climbed cathedral mountains, he saw silver clouds below
He saw everything as far as you can see
And they say that he got crazy once and he tried to touch the sun
And he lost a friend but kept the memory

Now he walks in quiet solitude the forests and the streams
Seeking grace in every step he takes
His sight has turned inside himself to try and understand
The serenity of a clear blue mountain lake

CHORUS
But the Colorado Rocky Mountain high
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
Talk to God and listen to the casual reply
Rocky Mountain high (Colorado)
Rocky Mountain high (Colorado)

Now his life is full of wonder but his heart still knows some fear
Of a simple thing he cannot comprehend
Why they try to tear the mountains down to bring in a couple more
More people, more scars upon the land

CHORUS
And the Colorado Rocky Mountain high
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
You know he'd be a poorer man if he'd never saw an eagle fly
Rocky Mountain high (Colorado)
The Colorado Rocky Mountain high
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
Friends around the campfire and everybody's high
Rocky Mountain high (Colorado)

3 in 25

2008-07-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

So,
Yesterday I ran 3 miles in a little over 25 minutes. I'm relatively happy with this, considering it is only the second time this year that I have "ran" outside, and probably the fifth time I have "ran" at all this year.

For those of you who are actual runners you would probably consider what I did as jogging, since the time is so slow. Anyway, for the rest of us who don't have the ambition, anything that is not walking is essentially running ;)

At this point running 6.5 miles seems like a physical impossibility since I could tell if I would have kept going my knees would have been in some serious pain.

I plan on running every other day until the race on Sept. 20.

I should probably mention that my entire trip was slightly over 4 miles and it took me approx 42 mins. Since I walked the entire last mile.

Some of my favorite quotes

2008-07-11T08:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a few of my own, I will post some others when I get the chance.

"Most things aren't a problem until they effect you directly"

"If it doesn't work by the third try, break it"

"Fuck this tax system and everyone who thinks that there should be higher taxes on small business"

"Anyone who thinks taxes are too low either makes too much money, doesn't own a small business or really doesn't know what the fuck is going on"

Antony Garrett Lisi

2008-07-08T09:16:00.000-07:00

There's not much I can say about this guy other than I'm amazed.

How can someone so intelligent be so... normal?

I think the things that impress me most is obviously his intelligence, but also the places he chooses to live.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Garrett_Lisi

Off of Craigslist.org

2008-07-01T10:23:00.001-07:00

Apparently this was a post on craigslist.org (like an ebay i think).

Anyway, pretty much sums it up.

Of course I'm blogging, but anyway.

The post:

I don't care what colour you are. I don't care where you're from. I don't care what you do for a living. I don't care what class you are, how you dress, what you smoke or drink or who you know or whom you've fucked.

I hate you all. I hate every last living, breathing, snot and feces producing, promiscuously copulating, celebrity obsessed, opinionated one of you. From right here in Toronto right around the planet and back, coast to coast, nationwide and internationally. Every. Single. Last. One. Of. You.

Fuck love. Fuck your insipid grasping at some abstract concept of chemical imbalances and reasonless actions, fumbling around in the crowd trying to find some cinematic supposition for real human interaction. Fuck lust, too. Fuck you all, from the lowlife dirtbags that think dropping trou and waving the little soldier in a sloppy arc is a pick-up line to the sniveling of the desperate 'nice guys' who never get the girl due to a total lack of testosterone grown stones. Fuck you all, from the crazy, under dressed sluts that judge a persons character by the price of their shirt, right down to the fat, flabby chicks that think personality is enough.

Fuck you drivers, for thinking that a yellow light is a sign that says 'step on the gas'. Fuck you wheelmen and women that think it's okay to sit in a left hand turn in the middle of morning traffic, even though there is a protected left in the intersections before and after where you need to make your turn. Fuck you too cyclists - you're not exempt from the traffic laws just because your peddling, you miserable spandex covered neon reflective fucks. Fuck you too, pedestrians. Use the fucking crosswalk if you don't want to get hit, and use it before the little countdown clock says '3'. You don't have enough goddamn time to lope across four lanes of traffic.

Fuck you chick on your cellphone. Fuck you attitude packed minimum-wager that makes my coffee. Fuck you cops that spend all their time handing out speeding tickets. Fuck you douche bag doing ten over the limit in the passing lane on the highway. Fuck you lady using exact change at the counter at the grocery store. Fuck you kids having a conversation in the doorway. And fuck you also for not getting the fuck out of your designated handicapped seat when a pregnant or elderly person gets on the fucking bus.

Fuck taxes. Fuck welfare. Fuck the whole selfish, over politicized and party driven government system. I'm sick and fucking tired of policies and new laws with seven hundred bylaws that nobody but you and your cabinet reads. Fuck you councilors and your stupid 'district improvement' plans. Fuck you unions, for asking for so much and giving nothing more that what you already give. Fuck the whole process that allows people who are supposed to be working for us work for interests that only benefit the next campaign. Fuck your short-sightedness, your rush to the bandwagons, and your incessant arguing over fuck all. Fuck the parties, fuck the conventions, and fuck your campaigns. Do some real fucking work for a change.

Fuck you bottles of water. You're water. You're not worth two fucking dollars.
Fuck you trendsetters, fuck you fashionistas. Fuck your little dogs and and your idiotic outfits. Fuck your high heels in the snow. Fuck your five dollar coffees and your fifteen dollar veggie burgers. Fuck your health kick, your diet or your fucking new interest in kickboxing or sushi.

Fuck your culture. Fuck your race. Fuck your sense of entitlement. Fuck your sense of uniqueness. Fuck you all for the belief that you have something unique and interesting to contribute. Fuck you for filling the internet with your useless garbage. Fuck your blogs, your wikis, your forums. Fuck your name calling. And most of all, fuck whatever you believe. It's all wrong. Fuck it.

Fuck your complaints. Fuck your addictions. Fuck your dependencies. Fuck your pain. Fuck your tears. Fuck selling whatever it is you sell. Fuck your manipulation of others. Fuck movies. Fuck fucking. Fuck everything you own. Fuck your allergies. Fuck your stupid commons sense. Fuck your spelling and fuck your lack of education, or your ignorance, whatever is applicable.

I don't give a fuck. Shut the fuck up and just get on with it.

it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
PostingID: 649999147

Lots to say

2008-06-27T10:26:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of things I have thought about writing on here over the past few weeks, but they seem to draining and pointless to put on here as I'm not sure anyone really reads this blog anyway.

Where to start... hmm.

I was on vacation for about a week to Minneapolis. Family reunion on A's side. We went to Winona, the Como zoo, and Stillwater, MN. That ended on Sun. and I stayed 1 more day to observe my buddy who is employed with a hospital down there as an acupuncturist - really neat set up and I enjoyed being there. After that we and another buddy went to eat chinese food, not american chinese food - the real chinese food. I talking about the kind of food you can only get in 3 places that I know of...
1) China 2)this restaurant 3) the tv show Fear Factor.

I have eaten at this place twice and I have now named it fear factor (I use that endearingly). The food is actually fantastic and the majority of it is nothing unusual such as shredded lamb and pork various ways, bamboo tips with chili sauce, dan dan noodles, etc., BUT the unusual things that I have had there (most of which are rather tasty) are: Pork intestines and tofu, beef tripe thinly sliced, and a few other dishes which I don't really know what they were.

Anyway, you would be surprised how good some of that stuff actually tastes, incredibly strog flavor (usually good) - and then how some of it tastes like nothing at all - chewy and tasteless.

Tuesday I ended up in Fargo and got to meet up with some friends. Sat outside, ate and drank at Granite City which has very surprisingly cheap beer - if you find yourself there I highly recommend the "two pull" beer. I liked this beer as much as New Castle - and that is saying a lot. After that we got to play some Disc golf which was a lot of fun and the first time I had played in about 5 years. Then poker in which we all lost to KP, the usual.

Anyway, I was intending to vent some of my personal aggravations in here today but this is already long enough. I will probably just put them on www.thedailyskunk.com
and piss people off there instead.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

lost a toe

2008-06-11T10:01:00.000-07:00

Almost,
I stubbed my pinky toe on my left foot Monday night. So, running is put on hold for only a week I hope.
Almost tore the nail off, lots of blood, decent ammount of pain. Now it is purple and really only hurts minorly when I have a shoe on.
Figures, I have to miss softball tonight if it isn't rained out that is.

the update

2008-06-06T09:37:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I lifted legs and then ran on the treadmill.
I felt really good, but it made me realise that I probably didn't run the distance that I originally thought I had the other day. It was probably more like a mile and a half at most.

I based this on my the time it took me to run that distance on the treadmill - even though it was after doing squats, extensions, curls, and calf raises.

Anyway, I didn't so much tire out as I 1)ran out of time and had to get back to work 2) figured I better ease into this and not destroy my legs (in a good way) from the running - since I have just begun.

Anyway, thoughts and opinions from those who know are much appreciated.

So what have I done

2008-06-04T13:50:00.000-07:00

Well, nothing.

I haven't done anything for running since that last post. Lifting yes, upper body only, which puts me on par with 90% of all other guys who lift weights.

I had hurt my left leg (hamstring - vastus medius - I think) in softball and there was no hope of doing any kind of exercise that involved the legs.

So, tonight I have a softball game and we shall see if the rest paid off.
Speaking of that I have to start stretching right now off and on until 6:30.

I will let you all know how it goes.

Also, Thork, do you have any recomendations as to brands for a heart rate monitor, shoes and anything else I should consider for the running.

Thanks.

Run Forest

2008-05-23T09:59:00.000-07:00

So, I will be a member on KP's relay team for the Bismarck Marathon in Sept.!
This will be interesting since I've never ran more than 2 miles at one time.
I did go running the other day though. I think it was close to 2 miles and I did it in about 14 mins.
I was really surprised by this time since I only do about 5 to 10 mins. of cardio 3 to 4 times per week. I also lift 3 days a week and play softball one night per week so that must have conditioned me more than I thought.
Anyway, I'm on a mission to get in the best shape of my life.
Maybe I will give some before and after pics. Before as in now and after as in after the race.
Looking forward to this... supposedly Dietrich is going to be on our team as well and maybe Wolf. Sounds like it is going to be a good time.

Oh yeah, my goal by race day is to be able to run 5 miles in 35 minutes or less.

I will be establishing a running schedule starting Monday.

I hope this insane frickn wind stops soon, that will make it much more enjoyable.

Any tips from those of you who are runners or have been in these types of events would be very appreciated.

Thanks.

Acupuncture Portland!

2008-05-12T11:56:00.000-07:00

This is a very neat idea, not that I'm saying we should go plant 23 ft needles all over town - maybe 18 footers would be just fine. I wonder what effect the wind would have on one of those needles here in the prairie region.

Anyway, interesting way to promote awareness and change.

Oh yeah, there would probably be some serious "what the hell" flying around in this part of the country.

I can just here it already...
"That's voodoo", or "I can't believe in acupuncture because it is against my religion" - seriously, I have had people say that or similar things to me about it.

For example, I had one person say that they liked the concept of the medicine, but they don't agree with the religious aspect of it. OK, IT'S NOT VOODOO. You will not go to hell for trying to promote your health, using acupuncture is not a sin... I promise.

If that were the case, you would be going to hell for using western medicine for sure. In fact, there would probably be a higher chance of you going to hell for using western medicine than acupunture. That would be based on the evasiveness of the medicine (specifically surgery) and the fact that it is based on a science that says if you can't touch, feel or reproduce it in a lab (Trust me - I'm not saying that this method is a bad thing, but keep in mind not everything used in western medicine is proven by science, even though most think it is). What I'm getting at is that since God, Heaven or Hell cannot be proven to exist by science - well...

Speaking of hell, I had someone who had been through complete hell with western medicine from improperly prescribed antibiotics and surgeries gone wrong. After we got through the consult, the person said they had to check with their priest first to see if it went against their religion. She never came back, so I don't know what he told her.

I'm not sure why I'm going off on this, but it leads me to something that just happened this morning.

I started treating a guy last week for leg and knee pain. He had surgery on his knee 2.5 months ago and he has been in a reasonable amount of pain since. Shortly after the surgery his legs started hurting in both sides. He has not had a day since the surgery where the pain has been down. He has even been back to his surgeon to find out why, and after x-rays the answer was that everything looked fine, no noticeable problems.

Today he comes in and tells me that the pain in his one leg is completely gone since the treatment and the pain in the knee and same leg are significantly diminished. He then went on to say he didn't know if he should thank me or the good lord for taking the pain away.

I should have said I know who you would have blamed if it didn't work.

Anyway, wow - sorry about the tangent(s).

Check out the article it also has pictures.

Acupuncture Portland

BWCA

2008-05-08T07:58:00.000-07:00

It was a tie between the Boundary Waters and Oceania. I decided that I will do a post on the BWCA for now since it was a much more recent trip. And I since I didn't take a lot of photos from the oceania trip,this one will be more aesthetically pleasing... that is if I actually post the photos this time.

Anyway, I will get on that soon.

Have a great day.

And now, for the rest of the story

2008-04-29T07:49:00.000-07:00

The legend of Paul Harvey.

I don't listen to the radio often, but when I do it is generally to our local AM. I like it because it is real. The information is that of the state/local area and if there is anything worth mentioning of world or national news you will get that as well. You can find the talk shows that sometimes provide some useful information via local farmer/city person opinion and I even occasionally listen to the talking heads of Rush and Ed Schultz,which in my opinion are 2 pathetic individuals, but that is not the point of this article.

I want to talk about Paul Harvey. If you haven't ever heard Paul Harvey's "The rest of the Story" you have missed out. The oddly punctuated voice of Paul Harvey on a warm fall day, driving the back roads of good old ND always seemed to make me feel connected with something from the past. A time when the rural areas and even the city folks relied more on the radio for entertainment than the TV.

Paul Harvey's stories created the pictures and scenes in perfect detail, held me in susupense and left me with a smile, especially if I wasn't able to guess who he was talking about by the end of the story.

Sadly, I think the voice of Paul Harvey Senior is gone from the radio. Currently, it is only to be herd as solicitation for any number of vitamin supplements, credit protection, superior sound systems, etc.

Is this the fate of a radio icon, it shouldn't be for someone as good as Paul Harvey. I wish he would leave with some dignity - now instead of a voice that I looked forward to hearing, I literally turn off, and I'm sure many others feel the same way.

Oh well, like all good things, I guess they eventually have to come to an end and my fall country days will have to be filled with something else.

In case you haven't ever heard Paul Harvey's "the rest of the story" here is an example - I just found this and read it, granted it would be much better in the spoken voice of Paul Harvey, but it will give you an idea of what I'm making such a big deal about.

This is possibly the best one that I'm aware of - "And now, the rest of the story"

September 12th - Xavier Rudd

2008-04-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

3.33 per day?

2008-04-24T05:53:00.000-07:00

Last night we (me and A) were going over finances. After some realization that we are spending a ridiculous ammount of $ on food, she determined that we should be able to live off of $200 per month.
I agree that this sounds reasonable at first, but once I started the breakdown this is what I realized. That is $100 per person per month. That is approx $23.31 per week and $3.33 per day.
Does this seem crazy to anyone?
How can I buy quality food at this price? I can't even touch the organics for this price and stick to my budget.
Short of living on beans and rice and eggs, I don't know how I will do this once I run out of the meat I already have in the freezer.
Oh yeah, I didn't mention that A probably has a cleaner diet than I do, consisting of many organically grown and processed foods. I asked her how she is going to keep that up on $3.33 per day and she said she won't have a problem, so I guess I will see...
I'm the one who does the majority of the shopping, so I think she is in for a surprise, but she never ceases to surprise me and I'm sure my comments have probably given added inspiration to prove me wrong.
Anyway, comments and suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
I'm interested in low cost, high quality food sources rich in protein and good carbs.
Thanks and have a phantasmagorical day.

Thanks and other stuff

2008-04-21T13:13:00.000-07:00

Well,
For the 2 of you who took the poll, I thank you.
It was 50% TV and 50% radio. I have to check into the $ on radio advertisement, and I know that the TV is expensive as hell (really expensive).
So, I will let you know what I decide to do when I finally do that.

Other than that, just got back today from a weekend in Denver. Went down on Friday and got back this noon or so.

My perception has once again changed on the possibility of a Denver living situation. Status now is back to definitely possible, I woulnd't mind living there.

I'm almost completly content right here for now (never completely content), and A likes it here as well. So, if we are here for 5 years we will most likely be here for the next 20... only 3 more years to go, and then we'll be locked in - 3 years for me anyway till I hit the 5.

In the meantime day dreaming about a few of the things that keep me here in this state -and I know summer's not even here yet, but I'm already looking forward to this fall. Gravel roads, wide open views, great sunrises, great sunsets, badlands, camping, Antelope, Mule Deer, big White tails, grouse and pheasants. For me, those are a few of the great things about this state.

Anyway, have a good one.

Alaska

2008-04-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

August 2005
8 days isn't nearly enough, but a lifetime probably wouldn't be either. In totality, Alaska is the most beautiful place I have ever been. Well, actually now that I write that I feel like I'm taking something away from NZ, Fiji, Norway, MT, and WA. Since I really enjoy many/certain places within those and I would actually consider as beautiful, but this is about AK.
I was only on the Kenai Peninsula, didn't make it inland, that will be next trip.
The trippers: Myself, My Dad, My buddy Ben from MT, My Dad's and my buddy Mike V. also from MT.
Transportation: 22 ft motor home, loaded with food, beer, fishing poles, 1 BF net (for netting BF fish, relatively speaking) and the AK gazateer.
Route: Anchorage to Soldatna. Soldatna to Homer. Homer back to Soldotna. Soldotna to Kenai. Kenai to Soldotna to Seward.
Of course there were stops for fishing and tourist type activities. And that was over several days.
Nights: Most of our nights were spent in a nice little camp ground near the confluence of the Crooked Creek and the Kasilof R.
Notable happenings in the campground: only 1, and that was a young moose who walked within 5 feet of our camper one night. No pictures, but I happened to get this on video. He actually hung out there for several minutes and then moved on into the woods.
Most of the fishing we did was on the Kasilof R. and some on the Russian R.
Notable fishing experiences: 3 come to mind right off.
1) The first was when Ben and I met a Soldotna local who took us to his honey hole - "where the locals go". It was fun to sit with him and talk about life in a small relatively removed Ak town (not even close to removed as far as AK is concerned, but coming from the lower 48, removed enough). I caught my first and only Dolly Varden because of him and his fishing spot.
2) The second would be the day that we did go out with a guide on the Kasilof. We were fishing for Silvers since the King season was over, even though we weren't fishing for the Kings we caught several and realeased them back of course - it was incredible how big these fish were. Absolutely amazing to realize that they were only days at most from dying and they still had so much power. They were a beautiful red like no other I have seen in nature and within the azure blue of a glacial river, which was also a color I have never seen in nature (it was close to that which you see in caribbean waters, but not quite the same).
3) The day we got into the Reds and the Humpys (yes, this is a type of salmon). The best day of fishing we had was this day, which I will post pictures of in a bit. Again it was only because of a local who showed me what to use and how to use it that we limited out within hours, with 10lb + fish. There is no doubt in my mind I could have stood on that shore all day long and cought 1 fish after another, but there is a limit and I'm also ethical - so, I happily ended my day with what I was allowed.
About the towns:
Anchorage. I was only in Anchorage for about 14 hours (over the course of 2 days). My genereal perception of it the 2 days that I was there is that it was overcast and rainy (which I actually like when I know the mountains are near by), next to the ocean which I also like a lot, and when the clouds broke the view of the surrounding peaks was incredible, and of course it's proximity to all the outdoor possibilities is awesome. All that being said I could easily live there and given the right opportunity - my bags would be packed in a second.
Soldotna. This is a great little town for the sportsman, cause as far as I could tell there isn't much else for someone to do. The Kasilof runs right through town, so you could easily ride your bike to some of the best fishing anywhere.
Kenai. Maybe it was because we hadn't been fishing yet that day. Maybe it was becuase it seemed like we were in an area flatter than Fargo. Or maybe it was knowing that we were going to have to back track the same highway for the next couple hours to get to the fishing. I don't know, but all I could think of when I finally got to this town was I couldn't get the hell out of there. I still wouldn't care if I never made it back to visit.
Homer. Very nice looking town and a great view of Glaciers across the Bay. Knowing how inaccessible the other side is makes it even more impressive. There is a neat little area out in the bay that you drive out onto. Lots of people fishing there and charters available for Halibut (the real big fish) if desired. We didn't go on any charters. Possibly the best part about Homer is drive going to Homer, I can't remember exactly how many miles before - maybe about 10 and all the way in, everywhere you look is a postcard view. Absolutely beautiful. Flowers all around. Flowers of all sorts of colors, dramatic mountains with panoramic views.
Seward. There was something about Seward and that day and a half I was there that I hope never leaves my mind. It was amazing. For starters the wind and rain were unbelievable. Incredibly strong, it was equivalent to the power of a prairie thunderstorm and being right next to the water and mile 0 of the Iditarod, which is where the little RV parking area is, was almost like a sensory overload. It was one of those moments when you are standing somewhere so out of your realm, almost out of body and wonder where am I, I can't believe this place exists.
The surrounding glacial peaks are incredible, the atmosphere of the town is very touristy, but that wouldn't bother me a bit. I would absolutely love to live in Seward mainly because of its beauty (both the geologic and character) and its proximity to the amazing hunting and fishing. All that it would take for me to go to Seward would be for my wife to give the OK and I would be there.
Thats enough, if I haven't bored you to death already. I hope you found it enjoyable and I guess I will have to post the pictures tomorrow, as I cannot access them right now. Sorry.

blogger confessional

2008-04-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

Alright,
There is something I should tell all of you.
It is a dream of mine to have a successful blog, one that people come to and read and get something out of... whether it be knowledge or laughter, or in this case laughter and pissing people off.
I would like to be able to live where ever I want, doing acupuncture from a bungalow in the south pacific or caribbean and not have to worry about making money from it - because I'm making all I need from the advertisements on my blog.
This idea started with a joint effort on a site called http://www.thedailyskunk.com/
This is something that Kidpurple, myself and a few others have made into a site full of all kinds of random useful and useless information. It is still up and running and drawing in new users occasionally - who usually get a flogging, praise or indifference from the regulars, depeneding on the new users post.
Then there was another blog, which I would like to post here but won't for various reasons - that was based on videos - NO, not porn. It was created on a drunken night in St. Paul and some serious towel fighting that was recorded (yes, very immature - yet very funny). There was a group of people who carried this out and started making more videos to post, but unfortunately we never got those videos and one of the key players is gone from the area now, so we let the site expire.
Anyway, Very funny and generated many views to my knowledge.
Now, my next endeavour - check it out please.
And I will tell you, you who are my friends - on this new blog I write in jest, so please do not get offended by the things I write.
My hopes are to get a wide audience and keep them laughing and coming back for more.
So feel free to give me your honest opinion. Honesty is all that matters, I can take it.
Thanks
http://igeneralize.blogspot.com/

I owe you one

2008-04-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

I forgot that I owe you guys (or someone) a little story about my travels... Specifically, my trip to AK.
I will try and work on that tonight.
It inovolves an RV, the Kenai peninsula, fishing and some beautiful scenery.

Marketing

2008-04-14T05:53:00.001-07:00

I'm trying to figure out what I should do for some marketing. There are so many options and they all cost quite a bit of money (relatively speaking).
So, if you could please help me out by giving me your vote in the latest poll, plus some advice on what you think would be the most effective way to spread the word, I would appreciate it very much.
Thanks and have a great day!!

last poll

2008-04-10T07:19:00.000-07:00

Alright, the results of the last pole show some interest mainly in my travels (which haven't been much lately), so I will delve into past travels. Starting with Alaska. I will have to work on that this weekend.
There was also some moderate interest in my favorite recipes, wellness, and places I want to go. So, since these are also things that I have much interest in, I will be posting on them as well.
Thanks to all 3 of you for taking my poll.

" In a word: pleasure. It's like, my pleasure in other people's leisure. "