Touch is Good

So I cut a screaming deal with Tobi. I used my mad UAF hook up to save him some money on a computer for school and he gives me the free ipod that comes with it. Of the options I chose the 16 gig iPod Touch. pretty fancy, it can access the interweb and play youtube videos, has google earth and... plays music I think... I would put a picture up but if you really want to see one just google it.

While I was waiting its arrival today I watched the last part of the Return of the king. which reminded me of a video I had on my computer. I'm sure you'll find it entertaining if you like LOTR





Season 3 of Stargate is much better than the second. I'm pretty well hooked now. After watching the Dark ages episode i'm fairly convised that the pope is/was a goa'uld. I liked this episode especialy because Teal'c almost died in it.

No work tomorrow, what else is new. The glorious rain is making me wish I still had blue destiny... or enough money to replace it. lame duck...

Super Fun

Super fun, thats how I'd describe this last week/end, super fun. I had some (most) of this last week off thanks to my lame-o job. Admiral acbar told me it was a trap before I started the summer, I'm not sure if he meant working was or not working was the trap. Though this has been my least productive summer evar, I don't fell too bad about it as its the LAST summer evar. Any way the week/end. Yeah I did some hard things:

On Friday Doh and the Pastor and I went door knocking. It really wasn't too hard to do as Noah did most of the talking and I just followed him around and watched out for dogs. At on point this kid, who I think we woke up at about 11 let his three little rat dogs out. They were pretty fearsome and harried us like wounded caribou almost to the next house. One of their names was "Bogie" like "This is Red 6 We've got bogies at 7 o'clock, closing fast."

The real kicker came on saturday when the Pastor decited to go to Alaska Land to hand out tracks. We took Tobi with us this time. Before we left the dread of such an event was nigh overwhelming. Noah and Miss Suzie were talking about books and college and I was pacing a hole in the floor. After Caleb came in and said that the hospital was having a picnic there I called Noah outside. All I could see was a horde of future employers looking at me like we look at Mr. "Lisa is an Angel." Not my idea of a great time. During the drive Tobi was sitting next to me and after enduring my silence started talking at me. He must have been trying to distract me as he kept offering me his little metal puzzles and then gave me some gum, I think he also told me a story about a religious wacko, I'm not sure if that was supposed to be comforting or not. I kept thinking "Shut up Tobi! Can't you see I'm trying to panic over here?" After we got there Team college boys and split off from team Humphrey and after watching him "Did you get one of these" like one person, I flinched a little (wasn't sure if the universe was going to explode or not) and then got down to business. It really is just the thought of giving a track out that is so scary.

Most of the time people take them quickly, thank you and then wander where ever they were headed. Even the ones who freak out and tell you "no" it's like you're asking them to marry you, If they say no you don't loose a thing so it just rolls off your back instantly. Some lady told Noah to "get away from me" and we laughed about it. Its almost like giving out the wrong colored lolly pop to a bunch of kids, some take it and don't care, and some freak out and throw a little fit. Either way its no big deal.

On the way out of the park after the crowd died down a little Tobi came up to me and said "That was pretty terrible wasn't it?" I just kinda smiled at him. He's a good man to have in a tight spot.

(I'm listening to Hayley Westenra right now and I really like it)

Saturday night was, honestly, as good as it gets. Of roading out the window. Had the best picture of me EVAR taken. Also Brian said we could take his jeep out, its pretty much the ideal rig for doing that kinda thing. could hold 5-6, we can take the top off and stand up in it. It has a jack and a wench and big ol yicky mud tires. I think were gonna take it out Saturday night after the guys get back from our hike with Travis. (See Tobi's blog in my links)

Sunday was good. It was nice to know that what the pastor was talking about was doable from experience instead of just enduring that fearful wondering that goes bump in the night.

After church I got shanghaied into playing soccer with Travis. "You can't really say no to Travis if he wants to do anything because then you loose all your ammo against him" A wise voice told me.

The game was bitter sweet. It was fun to hang out with the guys and get all tired and sweaty but by the time the game was close to being over I was thoroughly done with all things -chasing a ball around like a dog.- I did, as usual, have little patience for Jock and his little prince attitude, but the fact that I was tired made it easier to hold back... no wait the other way. Also I slipped at one point and tried to do the splits. I could just hear every muscle in my groin shredding and popping off the bone. That scared me so bad it made me angry enough to need to stop playing for a bit (Jock made sure to take a jab at me taking too many breaks.) What a considerate guy ;)

The experience was very revealing and allowed me to take a look at myself objectively and in a circumstance I've done my very best to avoid. As if their was any doubt to the depravity of the flesh I have all the more reason to glorify the God who saved a wretch like me when I deserved hell. The road of sanctification is a long one.

Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Frontier Wolf Reviewed/Think Rome A double feature.

"Frontier Wolf" by some lady with a name...

I would make a big apology for my inconsistent posting but the fact is that I plan to post inconsistently, expect it (All revivals loose steam eventually twice born) but not yet, today we’ve got a double feature.

I finished my book yesterday “Frontier Wolf” and even though I’m under the strictest of orders to like it and say not the otherwise. The reality is however (stomachs drop as the verdict is read “stupid parenthetical say it already”) I did like it. In fact I wish it was about 300 pages longer.

For those of you who don’t know Frontier wolf is about a Roman fort in northern Britain. When Rome was young and growing quickly their territory expanded across much Europe and Northern Africa. One people whose mouths refused to bear a Roman bit were the tribes of modern Scotland. When Rome marched into a new area after the army was defeated they allowed them to keep their religion and much of their practices so many people submitted, not happily but what else could they do. In northern Britain the people would have fought to the death to keep their freedom so Rome decided to build a few walls to keep them out and then just hold the line where it was. This story takes place at this frontier only many years after the strength of Rome’s youth had given way to her gluttony and excess.

The book had an unusual feel to it. Normally a story is introduced and the action starts and then shortly after the solution it ends. This story is almost half over before the crisis begins. In a way it’s frustrating because you don’t get to know the characters ‘courage under fire’ as well as in other books like, LotR, or Lone Survivor. But it did give you, in a very deep way, a feel for life on the greatest frontier of its age. It’s really a book about guard duty, and as you might imagine guard duty isn’t always a gore soaked glory fest.

Its main character, Alexios, is a young officer who is pushed up the military ladder too quickly because of some family ties higher up in the Roman government. He gets into some trouble which gets his career put on the shelf, guarding the corner of No and Where. It’s interesting to have book from the perspective of the leader of the Frontier’s men (called wolves for the wolf skins sown over their cloaks) but the sad thing is that you loose some of the flavor of the Wolf experience because your character, as the commander, isn’t ever one of the guys. Also because the action starts so late you only get a little ‘action’.

Over all its worth the reading if you like the subject but something is missing, pulling it short of being truly epic. Because of this it gets (censored by her royal highness) mandibles out of ten , which is being generous.

Think Rome or you’ll be speaking Chinese

Ok, I have this little problem with liberals. I agree with that guy who says its a mental disorder.
Ok when Rome conquered a people they gave them freedom to continue their lives for the most part. The only changes were that now your favorite team was the ‘eagles,’ you paid taxes to the Caesar and if you were naughty you might end up a slave. What was wrong with this system? Rome was stronger because they were smarter and was therefore ‘fitter’ (Think survival of the…)

Those stupid hippies area always saying we should ‘go green’ and use ‘all natural’ stuff. But if we did things all naturally would we be bending over backwards to shell cash out to useless native corporations like Doyon, Nana, and Goldbelt? I think not. The fact is that our culture and society was stronger and more united that theirs and that’s why we took their land and taught them our language. The fact is, and it’s a fact, that they would have done the same thing to Europe if they could have. Don’t believe the Disney presentation of the peace pipe smoking chief who learns from the bear spirit. In and of itself it’s a tragedy to have your people and way of life shattered by another culture but when you step back and think about the good that was done you can’t deny that its better.

Before the pale face came to America the native people didn’t have the two great building blocks of our society, soap and steel. After we took over the native people their population has been given the opportunity to grow and expand beyond their own abilities before contact. Not to mention things like oil heat, light, and transportation. Even more important they have the Gospel now (and all the cults but that’s just part of the deal sadly).

I don’t want people to get the idea that I’m a racist or any other kind of bigot. The point I’m trying to make here is that when we create corporations that are based around a racial identity then we create sepperations between the races. A few years ago a native corp on the kenai gave every native member 50,000 dollars. Where did this money come from you might be wonering? Its our tax dollars wisely invested and then redistributed. It’s a ‘sorry about the gift of soap and steel’ card with two years salary tucked in. I want to know where my 50G’s are! Oh yeah I GET to work for it, not have to. I am allowed the great honor of applying my 1 man hour per hour to the highest bidder and being paid my worthy wage. This kind of ‘help’ is not help it’s like doing your kids homework and chores for them. Think Rome, they should be doing back flips that they are allowed to be first class citizens. Do fancy things like vote and own land and hold jobs and practice their faith openly. Instead they gripe and complain about not getting more.

This liberal mindset of being sorry for being the strongest is what is killing these people. This is why most of the bums you see down town are white guys… wait no they’re not! They are drowning in some liberal’s bleeding heart and it should break yours.

I hate the idea that you have to hire so many black, Hispanic, or native people just because. You want to see some grade a racism just try to apply for a job at a federal post office. You get points for being not white or for being a woman… the noose tightens.

These equality promoting corporations, like labor unions, may have had a constructive purpose in the past but now they’re a thorn and a joke to any one not benefiting from them.

Our country is being slowly choked by people masquerading as Americans but would love little more than to suffocate us as we prostrate our airway into the dark earth. If we don't realize that some times working as a strong society take some short term sacrifice (like hireing people based on their work ethic and not some long forgoten ancestral tragedy) then we are going to be taken by young and ruthless nations who with great patence ease their hand around our necks. Every day Americans who are thinking of today sell their companies for a big cash pay off to a chinese company who is willing to take a little hit now to own the future. They aren't going to have to beach a single boat to turn the US into its slave. If they are the ones selling everything we want then all they have to do to bring us to our knees is say "No" one time. After that we'll be begging in chinese. I guess our only hope is the fact that we produce more wepons that we know what to do with. The problem is that being better buisnessmen is no reason to go to war. Its sad to think that like Rome who started out so strong America will get old and fat someday as well.

"This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper." T.S. Elliot.

Sorry if this didn't make any sense I think it was more for me than you. Oh well, you asked.

Conserning Yesterdays eventuality.

Yesterdays thread created quite a stir among my regular readers (sadly mostly women, hence the added note of caution) Its funny how they think that by telling me I'm an embarasing nerd and that this movie was as interesting as me running on a treadmill for 30 minutes that they are going to stop me from puting more movies of me crossfitting on my blog.

I'm already prepareing for the next one, not just to get a reaction (not JUST) but because showing people about crossfit was one of my charter goals for this Blog. I think about guys like Phil and Jordan who are naturaly very strong and have much more natural ability than myself and it makes me want to realize that potential.

I belive that God would have us to maintain and develop our bodies to the fullness of their excelence, not at the cost of spiritual wellbeing (bodily exersise profiteth little after all) but it's shamefull that half of the missionarys we support are morbidly obese, so much so that many come off the field before their work is done.

The truth is that Crossfitting actualy takes less time out of your day than standard weightlifting/cardio. Usualy ammounting to less than 30 minues(Its cause all the sufering is boiled down into shorter periods). Also, because it changes every day, the chances of being injured from over use are greatly reduced, so are the chances of getting boerd.

We all knew this day would come

Caution: This post contains such an amazing display of masculine prowess that it may have certain undesireable consequences on the viewer including: extreme enfatuation manifesting as projected emarasment or the desire to idolize the athlete in question. Any attempt to compete on this level of phisical excelence should be held as a weighty desition as the level of fitness attained is uncompareable to any other form of exersise, especialy standard "non timed" weight lifting, which makes the "workerouter" not stronger/faster but slower/heavier. (Still looking for Crossfiting partners this winter if I decide to stay with Brian in North Pole.)

95 lb. Clean and Jerk, 30 reps for time. 135 lbs is Rx'd... but thats all heavy.

This was the first time that I've been able to see myself work out. I give lots of criticism to the guys I lift with and don't get much. I'd be faster if my hips were lower but its not bad. I'll know I've meet the Woman of my dreams when she says she wants to learn how to Clean and Jerk.

My time was actually 3:33 Doh stopped the watch late.

Noah did a Tabada circuit (sets involving 20 sec. work and 10 sec. rest) after I did. He was a little sick to he threw up half way in and quit there. Poor guy is kindof a delicate flower, not really built of hearty stock like myself. (For those of you who don't know Noah(Doh) he's one of those "built like a Greek statue" "Good at everything he touches/king midas" kinda guys.)

Like I've said this style of working out is the wave of the future, its just for fun, and its scaleable to any level, so if you want in just lemme know.

Special thanks to Tobi for supplying the music. (I had my car baked up with the doors open just off screen)


In completely girly man news. This is my sister Noora's wedding hair per Joanna's request.

American history and the birth of a patriot

The latest of my intellectual endeavours has been to familiarize myself with American history. My relationship with my country has a sordid past. I was raised by a liberal family, I watched Bambi though hunting was just killing animals (or would have if I hadn't been such a boy), I thought mining was just dumping chemicals and logging was just killing trees. Evidently you actually get trees when you cut them down, crazy talk I know. I remember being in third grade and being so happy when Clinton got elected over Perot. Fifth grade was my best experience with a history class. Mr. Powers was a young fit guy with black hair that was steadily greying. He just came in to help our teacher out with the history section. He taught us all about European history and the famous sea explorers like Magellan and Columbus. We had as reenactment of the trial after the Boston massacre. In which I played the defense for the British captain (John Adams). I was sure we were going to win, we had history on our side, and logic. What we didn't account for was the popularity of the prosecutions lawyers, who were something like Le jeune étudiant dressed in 1995 instead of pink. We lost, but I stayed loyal to the crown through the entire class.

When I was in high school I took an Am Hist class which consisted of a horrendous text book that you had to read and then answer questions out of the back... I'm still not sure how I ever passed as I did very few of those lessons. The only memory I have in class was learning about all the terrible things we did to the Indians. OOH, one cool thing they did was had the principal of the school come in and tell us we were going to have to start paying for the paper we used as students. It was supposed to show us something about taxation with out representation. We were supposed to get all riled up and refuse to pay it, instead it just made this poor girl start crying. (HA! poor people are funny).

After I got saved, as much of you remember I'm sure, I still didn't like my country. Wow, I can't remember why though I'm sure you can imagine, just insert the standard liberal banter. The real turning point in my political world view came as a two pronged attack. There was a summer I listened to Rush Limbaugh while delivering mail on campus. It was at this point I realized that the line between Liberal and Conservative followed closely the line between those who believed that right and wrong was decided by humans or decided by something above humanity. The other prong came from a political economy class I took. The teacher was probably liberal but never the less he mathematically proved to me that capitalism was the best/only way for a society to function. Capitalism stands against Communism like Libs and Coservs do. Capitalism works based on the principal that people are greedy and will only work for themselves. Communism works on the assumption that people can just be good comrades and will work hard to benefit the commonwealth. The later simply isn't true, that's why Russia fell, and why China is pink (not red) at best with all the trade they do. In Cuba Castro keeps communism as a facade but the invisible hand of free trade where supply and demand do battle is working very well.

I'd recommend that class for anyone who wants to know how the world really works. My face about melted out my nose when I realized you could graphically represent the net loss of benefit that an economy endures when ever the government subsidises something or artificially alters prices. Ask me about it some time if you want to see the graph and I'll do my best to draw one up its really cool.

I really don't like the Idea of America being a melting pot. I used to ask my parents what our ethnicity was but all I ever got was a vauge Northern European mutish reply, I had friends who could take pride in a German or Scottish ancestory and would read all about it. I wanted that but didn't have it. Eventually a sociology teacher brought up this subject and I expressed my frustrations on being a mutt to the class. Earlier we'd had some technical problems and I came up with a solution that 'saved the day' She argued that this kind of ingenuity and ability to think on your feet was an American characteristic and at that point I decited that I'm not just European mut who lost something on Ellis Island but I'm a member of a new race called Americans who unlike the Germans or Jews are too young and too widely bread to have any racially defining characteristics yet but make no mistake I am one.

Lately I've been watching A few TV series one for adults called John Adams ( our second president), which Chronicles his life and all the history surrounding it. If you're looking for an show with some really powerful examples for conduct and loyalty this is a good one. Mr. Adams was short and pudgy but believed powerfully in his convictions, he knew that American was not a British colony but was in fact an infant country that hadn't realized it and he worked hard to unite it. I think it much to his credit that he defended the British Captain who was part of the Boston massacre because it was the right thing to do and didn't shy away from the colonial mob that wanted then soldiers all dead. His wife Abigale is an equally amazing woman very intelligent, very loyal and very committed to her household her family and her country. I guess John is away from home a lot as he's part of the Continental congress and even though she hated him being away she still inspired him and helped him in any way she could. Its cool to see a family that realized that when a cause above their heads exists that if its going to cost them something its worth paying. (How much greater Christian soldiers is OUR cause)

The other show came at the recommendation of the Humphrey's. Its a PBS kids show called "liberties kids" in which three kids lives are woven into the formation of our country. Its very through and seems to be accurate, though its hard to allow my self to lay the foundation of my knowledge on a cartoon.

If you find your knowledge lacking in this area you should watch both of these shows. Either borrow them or buy them (Definitely worth owning). The only thing you need to watch out for is that 'John Adams' is and HBO series so theirs some stuff you shouldn't watch in them. (theirs some nudity when a guy gets tarred and feathered but that's all in the first two episodes)

Happy learning!

Ok here's the question of the day: where do you see the liberal agenda being most craftily applied to keep people from believing in universal truth (IE God)?

Think broadly: History, art, education, entertainment.

I'd have to say it's in the environmental area. If we can be brainwashed into thinking that the action of our race is killing the "all holy pure and sacred" ecosystem then we are more inclined to believe that the earth should be worshiped and not God and are more inclined to believe in evolution.

Motorcycle

Ever since Dave brought home the motor cycle brochures they've been on the mind a bit. I decided to look around and see what kind I'd get just out of curiosity. I know I don't like the big dumb choppers and I also don't really like the rice rocket style, too GI from the states for me, but I do like the idea of a bike. So this is what I came up with. The only problem is that its a one seater so you couldn't come for rides with me (you'd just have to get your own). I'm not sure I'll ever really get a bike. I definitely wouldn't get a new one but this is what I came up with. Yamaha has a cool [web site] you can customize a bike, like I did this one. I changed all the trim and seats and stuff on it.

So I'm gonna try something a little different to see if I can't get your creative juices flowing. I want to know, If you could have any form of alternative transportation, what would it be. (If I could have ANY it would be this, but I'd settle for the bike.)


Post links/descriptions to the comments.

Ok, Time for bed, I hope I get off early enough to make it to dinner at the church tomorrow, we'll see. (Tobi is right sleep=stupid)

You just asked about Crossfit, BTW.

Five rounds for time of:
135 pound Deadlift, 15 reps
135 pound Hang power clean, 12 reps
135 pound Front Squat, 9 reps
135 pound Push Jerk, 6 reps

135 is pretty heavy so I used 95 lbs. Even still it took me 35:35, Mostly due to muscular fatigue and not so much cardio.

This a picture from a crossfit certification seminar in Santa Cruz. What I like about crossfit so much is that its the sport of making your body a power plant, the question is how much power can you produce?

Check out Tosh producing close to 1/2 of a horsepower for more than 2 minutes. Also pay special attention to the brand of the timers green jacket...

Windows media player
Quicktime
(Video is ok for anyone, no music either.)


Here are your options: you either crossfit with me or you get weaker and fatter every day. If you're a cop or play hockey or want to be a man someday you pretty much don't have a choice. Crossfit isn't about looking like a bowflex ad, its about developing functional strength and endurance, plus its so much fun it shouldn't be allowed.

Ok I should probably say something intelligent or I'm gonna get yelled at.

Star gate is growing on me. But I still (ironically) hate the pile of muscle with no character.

All I caught was a clue

The Fishing trip got rejected when our trail was socked in by the clouds. We were supposed to hike to the far side of the lake and then up into the hill to get to the good fishing but when we got there the cloud ceiling was too low for us to make the trip. We decided to stay the night and see if it would clear up. In the morning it was worse so we bagged it.

There were no women within 200 miles so we had Phil tell us a bedtime story about the time [Carlos Hathcock] shot a VC sniper through his scope when all he could make out was a the glimmer off the lens. Johnny also agreed to show us his spider man dance entitled: "how spider man does it." What "it" is I'm not sure, maybe you can tell me. The good news is that Ty was so hungry on the way back through delta that he bought us all breakfast at the buffalo cafe.

The drive was really pretty even if we didn't get to hike. I wish I had taken some pictures of the rainbow mountains. They were beautiful, modestly clothed in clouds yet stunning in the distinct array of colors both of rock itself and the vegetation. We saw several moose including a big bull on the side of the road.

After getting back into town and watching the rain fall it hit me how lame it is that my jacket is just gone. I drove around the rest of the afternoon looking at shells in every shop I could think of. I stopped by prospector in tome to eat lunch with Tobi, which was nice, almost bought an OR Shell there. then went to woolly rhino and almost bought an arc'teryx shell. I was going to go to Sportsman's and then Beaver but I know what they have and by that time I was getting a little disillusioned with my search. It began to occur to me when I had [this] coat on that I identify myself too much by the clothes that I wear, as if they some how magically transfer their awesomeness to me. "The Alpha SV (the blue coat) is Designed for severe weather protection during epic climbs." Its really phony how people (LIKE/ESPECIALLY ME) buy thing to make other people think they're designed for severe weather and epic climbs, I'm a fat kid from the suburbs not some seven foot tall swedish guy who is just in town to "bag a few peaks and denz I goes baks to sveeden (go teem rugged)" Really who are we fooling? Am I cooler because my daddy bought me a shiny fast car? The only people who think so are kids and losers. I think I'm gonna buy some bottom of the line Helly Hansen jacket for like 50 bucks and just wear that for a shell.

How cool am I? Honestly? [about this cool]

I should save the good stuff for this stud:

Housekeeping

The WOD: (links for men only, turn off sound)

5 rounds for time of:
225 pound [Deadlifts], 5 reps
10 [Burpees]

took me 12:22 I felt pretty good about my pace. the DL was hard to get off the ground the first time the the last 4 reps came up nicely. I'd like to get my time below 10 min on this one that'd be less than 1 min an turn, smokin'!

Also its a sad day for "how very aaroneous" I had to reject a comment today. I won't give any specifics but I'd just like to remind my readers of a few things:

1. YOU ASKED!!!
2. their called "witty retorts" so please make sure you've slept and eaten something that day if you're going to comment.
3. think first, then write. I'm the only one who gets to blather.

Dear Diary, I'm a Loser.

This week has done nothing to slow my humphroidian transformation. Wednesday after work I went out there I just got back Tonight (Sunday) Wearing out the welcome mat? Pre-Happs, but theirs so many of them they can put me on ignore for a day and I don't even notice.

Thursday was a snoozer, Caleb and I were supposed to cut wood, we didn't.

Friday was the 4th... sadly it was more of a trial for me than anything to celebrate. I really hate games, in case no one knew. I also really hate being forced into things (like games) which I was slated for both, so I spent the day hiding, brooding really in the cool ground floor of the old church building. I read my bible and a book called "Frontier Wolf" by Rosemary Sutcliff, which is REALLY good so far. It starts off slow which allows for good character develompent (my favoite) and I hate the cliche high stress intro most books have, all action packed edge of your seat... blah... Despite dreading being forced into water balloon fights and softball I had a relatively good day. I slipped away, a bit to obviously evidently, to do a crossfit at Brian's house.

3 rounds
21-15-9
95 lbs squat clean
pushups
30 squats
30 box jumps.

I made it though 2 rounds by about 20 minutes and quit feeling throughly smoked.

Also while I was there I told Brian that Noah had mentioned he was looking for a roommate for the winter and said if there were such a position available I'd only need know where to apply. He told me that'd be OK and that I should pray about it. It'd be nice as I'd save money, live in north pole (not to mention a beautiful log home) have the place to myself 2 weeks on and off while Brian is on the slope. And (not have to live with Dave) he said very garbled. Also I wouldn't have to find a new place to live after they kick me out of the dorms come Dec. 15. It would also facilitate a smooth transition into non-collegiate adult life. Whether I pass the state boards or not I could move out at my leisure and have my own "for reals-honest" apartment by next summer. The bum deal is not getting to live in SAC with LT and My roommate from last year which I was looking forward to.

Saturday, this was a day to epic for words. We Canoed/Kayaked down the Chena River. We paddled 15 road miles which would have been 30-45 river miles. I was a long day, 10 hours to be exact. No sun screen, no sun glasses, I just glad I brought extra food. I started out the day as captain of the one canoe we had. After my crew and I tipped twice, lost some sun glasses, and had a few more close calls we were glittery enough to decide we were ready to try the kayaks, whose occupants were generous enough to trade with us. Some of them strangely seemed to enjoy the canoe more, I've scheduled them for full psychological workups as well as brain MRI's later this week, though usually the prognosis for such silliness is inoperable." The water was cold enough to not want to stay in it but not so cold it was horrible to fall in. The highlight/down point of the trip was when One Kayak tipped and got washed into an eddy behind a log jam. I, being daring and stupid, approached it to pull the boat out but in the processes got flipped my self and ended up dragging my own boat up on the shore and then having to swim across again to get the other boat. At some point Jordan said he saw a blue thing floating down the river, I dismissed it immediately and he wasn't sure what it was, I thought I was a hat Tobi had on... Turns out it was my blue Arcteryx shell, which was loosely tied around my waist. If I had seen it I probably would have died trying to grab it. I planned to be buried in that coat, not for it. I'm really not that broken up about it. In all honesty I wasn't super happy with the coat anyway, I just need something to wear this winter when I learn to snowboard, (and play hockey, and break bones evidently). All in all the float was beautiful, challenging, and exhilarating, (plus I got to play the hero and rescue stuff) couldn't hardly ask for a better day this side of glory (thanks Bub). By the time the trip was over the crew was very much spent. Not as spent as their whining indicated, but spent.

Today After services we had a few more hours left on our rental so we all went back out to Chena lakes. The trip was overbooked by one so the canoe was pretty cozy. None of the girls wanted to get dumped and had craftily (using their wiles I'm sure) manipulated me into promising not to dump them over. (How do I end up captaining such finicky crews? I think it has a lot to do with being the most competent man-child around with OUT HIS OWN KAYAK!!) ahem... despite my promise The MOST competent man around was able to tip us. And did, much to my squealing delight. Krista's expression as she clung to the bow of the over turned raft was pretty priceless. She just sat their bobbing in the blustery surf saying "Stinkers... was a bunch of stinkers." at varying volumes. Some how our entire crew wound up in the drink swimming back to shore. I had the delight of hauling the canoe with Krista attached to the back like a lamprey (a term she would have preferred to what I actually used to describe her hydrodynamic effect on the operation, but I digress). After we got back to the shore I started throwing the Dogs that came into the water to "teach" them to swim. In the process I wedged one of my crocks in the the muddy bottom and lost it. Its true, a floating shoe... I lost... in the water... I think I need to start tieing things down better.

So that brings the tally for the week to.

1. One Pair of Jordan's sunglasses (not his nice ones... either pair)
2. $500 Arc'teryx Alpha SV rain shell.
3. One size 12 crock sandal, blue, left foot.

Its the truth, I'm a loser.

I did however have way more fun than you this week/end. So... yeah work is still pretty unsteady but its the last summer I'm ever going to get and I'm only young once (but I can be single forever HA!).

Also I'm not sure yet but theirs a pretty good chance I'll be hiking out to two-bit lake Tuesday/Wednesday.

Oh also to reference my Monday post... I failed. Hard things are too hard for me.

Classical Gas

The best Insturmental Guitar Music EVAR! Just pretend it's some no name guitarist.