Cruise

Tomorrow I set out on the second half of my Vacation: A week long cruise in the Caribbean.  Very well earned after the 57 miles on the AT.  

In other news, I'm adding a trip to DC for Jon Stewart's Rally to restore Sanity in October.  I think it's probably a much bigger deal than people realize.  Sure, it's based on humor, but I think that's just how my generation approaches these topics.  Just look at the damage Tina Fey's Palin impressions did last election for evidence of satire's effectiveness.  It should be a lot of fun.

How do you feel about the Colbert / Stewart rally in DC?

AT Day 6

The final day.  At slightly more than a wobble pace, we decide to skip the last section of the AT and come into Damascus on the Virginia Creeper trail.  The Creeper Trail is an old converted train bed.  Very slight downhill grade the entire way with flat smooth gravel.

It's 10 miles into Damascus from where we started.  My max speed in my current condition is about one mile an hour.  Taking breaks at the benches, I slowly work my way into town and stop at the first store.  Milkshakes. Allan and My stomaches are both upset, but the ice cream seems to settle them a bit.

It seems I've become mortal.  I can't simply rely on my youth to get me through these adventures.  Planning and conditioning are necessary.  I don't think I could have made it another step.

Lauren picked us up in Damascus and brought us back to eat and lounge for the remainder of the day.  My couch has never felt so comfortable.  And I never thought I'd be so happy to have fresh filtered water dispensed at the click of a button from my fridge.   Not to mention the shower...

I weight in 27 pounds lighter than the weekend before I left.  Most of the weight is probably skin from my feet and brain matter.  Definitely an extreme experience.

Summary:
10 miles.  Slow, but steady.  Last day of suffering.

AT Day 5

Elk Garden didn't have any water.  Once again Allan and I started off without any water, three miles away from the next source at the top of Whitetop Mountain.  Midway up the mountain we find a three inch puddle and fill up a water bottle.  One would think we would be better prepared for the water shortages along the trail, but as you'll see we seemed to be a little slow to learn this lesson.

We walked throughout the entire day.  We had 14 miles to complete in order to be within a one day range of Damascus.  My feet were starting to really hurt after spending another day walking on blisters.  I'm also really out of shape and the mountains were taking their toll.  Heck, I barely handled the 9 and 12 mile days.

Once again we ran out of water.  With streams and ponds littered across our path every 500 feet for the majority of the day, we failed to realize that the last 4 miles involved climbing a ridge of a mountain with absolutely no water.

The sun was starting to set.  With no clear idea of how far away the shelter was, no water, and limited day light, we continued to climb the mountain's ridge praying we'd make it in time.  At this point I was slowed to what I can only describe as a wobble.  Wobbling along, dizzy, dehydrated, Allan says stuff about digging deep and mind over matter.  I'm in another world.  We arrive at the shelter just as the sun disappears from the horizon.  Allan goes for water, I lay down.  We didn't eat, the idea of any more ramen or tuna is nauseating.

In the night I wake up long enough to vomit.  Unsure of whether it's the pain, exhaustion, or some parasite in our water, I head back to bed and hope I feel better in the morning.

Summary:
14+ miles.  Extreme suffering.

AT Day 4

At this point Allan and I were a little worried we wouldn't make it to Damascus.  After studying the map in our ample free time the day before, we found a shortcut on "Pine Mountain Trail" which would cut off about 5 miles of the trail and get us back on schedule after our short day yesterday.

We climbed Pine Mountain and found what should have been the trail, but it was completely unmarked.  Rather than take an unmarked trail, we forgo our shortcut in favor of not getting lost.  We continue 1.5 miles to Scales, where we find a map and a horse trail which takes us back to the top of Pine mountain and intersects with Pine Mount trail.  a 3 mile detour, but the shortcut saved us around 2 miles in the end.  The clouds and fog lifted around noon, and revealed beautiful scenic views on top of Mount Rogers.  

After walking in the rain yesterday and today with broken shoes, massive blisters were starting to form.  At lunch atop Thomas Knob Allan gave me a pair of Smart Wool socks as all I brought were cheap ankle socks.  These blisters plagues me for the remainder of the trip and changed my feet into what resembled bloody chunks of raw meat.

We continued on after lunch in hopes of reaching the next shelter 12 miles away.  After 5 miles I was slowed to a mere crawl.  Hungry for anything but ramen and packaged tuna, tired, in extreme pain from my blisters.  We stopped at Elk Garden and camped.  

Summary:

12+ miles, the true suffering began.

AT Day 3

Rain.   Sometime in the night it had started pouring, drowning out the deafening roar of the tree frogs and crickets.  We didn't have backpack covers of course.  After taking our time packing up and punching holes in the front sole of my shoe so I could lace it against my foot, we headed out.  We trudged 6 miles through the rain with rain soaked backpacks to the next shelter.

We ended our day early, around 1:00.  About an hour after we arrived a group of 6 grandmas in their 60's and 70's stop by.  They had originally planned to spend the night here, but after getting a glimpse of us decide to hike on to the next shelter.  A 14 mile day for them.  Maybe it was our smell.  Or the Jim Bean.  Regardless, they continued on.

Sub-man and Pringles stop by a short time later and share a piece of their sandwiches from Subway.  Brining fresh food to share the first night is definitely a great way to make friends.  They are also going to continue on to the next shelter.  We ended a bit too early, but lets face it, hiking in the rain was miserable.

Summary:
6 miles, rain.

AT Day 2

We woke up early and hit the trail.  The water source at the shelter was quite bad, no more than a one inch puddle with a tiny drip from a pipe.  With a single bottle of water in hand, we decide to wait for a nicer water source and head out.  It was about a .2 mile climb from the shelter to the actual trail, and at the top we hear Pringles yell out for us as he runs up behind us.  Allan forgot his headlamp at camp.  A mile up the road Sub-man comes trotting up behind us delivering Allan's jacket.  Forgetfulness seems to be a genetic trait. 

Two miles later, all up hill, we come across the next trail with signs for "Raccoon campground" 3 miles away which appears to be the water source marked with blue blazers.  Unwilling to take a 6 mile trip out of the way for water, we forge ahead.  We run out of water as the day approaches the hottest hours.  Stranded, confused, a little lost, we take a break and lay down on the trail.  Once again Sub-man and Pringles come up behind us, and offer us some of their water since they're getting off the trail in a mile to stay at a nearby town and wait for Pringles' brother to arrive.  

Offering a starving hiker steak and wine certainly has it's benefits, and I dare say Pringles and Sub-man more than paid for their steaks with their saving grace today.

My shoes break towards the end of the day.  The front half of the sole of my right shoe detaches and flops around.  With broken shoes and will, I barely manage to make it up the last mountain; after which I immediately fall asleep at shelter(@ 4:30pm.  For those that don't know me very well, I usually go to bed around 2:00am), wake up long enough to eat two packs of Ramen noddles and immediately go back to bed.

Summary of Day 2:
10 miles, broken shoes, exhaustion.

AT Day 1

Most of the planning for the Appalachian Trail Hike happened Thursday, the day we were starting it.  How hard can it be?  You find the trail and you walk on it.  

We picked up a map on the way, found a spot we thought looked like a good starting point and began our journey.  It was 6:00 when we got to the trail, and we hiked the 3 easy miles to the first shelter.   Serious hikers all have "trail names".  Something that identifies them.  At the first shelter, we met Pringles and Sub-man who were finishing up the last couple days of their two week hike.  We shared fresh steak and wine with our new comrades; a sure way to make a friend for life on the trail.  

I forgot to pick up a air mat and spent my first night on the hard wooden floor.  Between the hard floor and the significant change of schedule, I slept very little.

Summary of Day 1:

3 miles, easy hiking.

Appalachian Trail

Planning has never been one of my fortes. As such, I ended up getting a map of our section and decided where to start 1 hours before we embarked. The next several posts will share the adventure with you as it unfolded.

August 15: Devil's Bathtub (almost)

So I had a big hike planned for Today. I invited all my friends and set everything in motion. We were to hike a trail to Devil's Bathtub, a crystal clear 12 foot swimming whole and small waterfall.

We embarked on our trip from my place around 1:00pm. It immediately began to pour(as it has every day this week). It was raining to the point where you couldn't see anything above around 35 miles an hour. I should have taken this as a sign that we were just not meant to hike, but nonetheless we continued on.

We got lost. We were in the middle of nowhere, with no cell phone reception, and the only people we passed were on horseback. After 45 minutes of driving and exploring a deer trail we had hoped might be the path, a young lady on her horse stopped and helped explain where the road was. Despite the cries from my comrades to return home early, we set out again in search of Devil's Bathtub.

As we approached the final road, we were dismayed to find that the torrential downpour from earlier had washed out the road, and it was traversable. Disappointed, we begin the hour long ride back.

So today marks my third day of failing to make it outside. Our hike was replaced with a 3.5 hour car ride through the boonies.

Here's the swimming hole we almost saw.

And here the bathtub where it gets it's name:

I promised my friends I'd at least show them pictures of what we were going to see. Oh well, despite the curve-balls life threw us today, we still had a great time grilling out and watching Futurama at Nick's afterwards.

23 days and counting until my week long Appalachian Trail hike.

August 13 and 14: Lazy

Friday and Saturday broke my trend. It was raining(again), and along with prior engagements, I didn't get outside expect for a small walk at work.

It looks like my 5 day Appalachian trial hike is definitely on. I guess it's time to start seriously training. Hopefully we're getting all of the rain out of the way now so we can have a nice, dry hike on the trail.

August 10, 11, and 12: Midnight Walks

Midnight strolls were taken on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week. I tried to go out as late as possible so I could watch the sky for the Perseid meteor showers. It has rained every day since Monday. Disappointing since I was hoping to finish staining the house this week.

August Day 9

My friend Nick and I started a little Mowing coop. I help him mow his yard, and he helps mow mine. It has some advantages, mainly safety. The topography here is very steep. When my sister was visiting, she volunteered to help mow the yard. A short time later, she came in having flipped the push mower as it ran away into the ditch.

It's also more fun to work with someone. Today we mowed Nick's yard. I rely a lot on my friends. Together, it's possible to accomplish much more than one can do on their own.

August Day 8

August 8th brought another day of work on the house. We finished power washing, and stained the front right section of the house. Another 5 hours outside. The house is starting to look very nice.

August Day 7

We have lots of parents at our house today. What does one do when so much family comes to visit? Why, you put them to work. We power washed the front of the house and the deck, and began to stain the dormers.

We also weeded our garden beds and pruned all of our bushes. Living in the country comes with certain disadvantages. Poison Ivy is one such disadvantage. This year has been extremely bad for poison ivy, and we seem to be growing beds of it in our gardens. It seems everyone here but me has lots of problems with our three leafed friend.

A lot was accomplished today and with luck tomorrow will be just as productive. It's amazing how much can be accomplished with a group of people working on it. If only my sister were here to put to work as well.

A little over 6 hours outside today power washing, staining, and weeding.

August Day 6

Lauren's parents came to visit today. We power washed the front of the house and deck, mowed the yard and weeded the garden beds. All in all about 2.5 hours outside.

We also had a piece of our wedding cake, celebrating the first year(and 3 months) of our marriage. I was skeptical about eating year old cake, but it was actually quite good.

August Day 4 & 5

Well, I managed to make it outside during a break in the storm. Day 4 & 5 were both midnight walks through my neighborhood. I saw a shooting star, a small fawn with no fear of humans, and was momentarily convinced that a large crashing sound in the woods was a mountain lion ready to make a quick meal out of me. Alas it was just another deer startled by my presence.

August Day 2 & 3

A 1.2 mile loop between where my wife and I work has been the staple route of my outdoor experiences. On the second and third days of the month the loop. It has a small hill on it, enough to get me breathing hard but not enough to sweat so much I can't return to work. My company is place in the middle of woods and fields on the outskirts of our 3000 person town. There are often deer and turkeys that cross my path on these walks. I work at the top of the hill in the picture below.

Besides these walks, I've also spent time weeding our garden beds in preparation for our guests this weekend as well as a longer joy ride on my motorcycle(if that counts as being outside?).

Today, August 4th, it has been incredibly stormy all day. My workplace along with most of Lebanon lost power. As I write this at 9PM, I still haven't been outside for more than about 10 minutes. Will I fail my challenge already? Can I not make it more than 3 days in a row without staying inside? Stay tuned to fine out.

August Day 1: The Channels

I started off my August challenge of outdoor activities with a fairly large hike. My friend Nick and wife Lauren accompanied me to the Channels, a hike recommended by a friend at work. It was about 8 miles total.

Everything was very green and wet. Here I'm already exhausted and only about halfway up the mountain.

My two skinny companions waited patiently for me as I trudged along. We pause for a quick break just before the top.

There's an old fire tower at the top of the mountain. As we approached the summit, clouds started pouring over the top of the mountain. You could see the thick mist sweeping around you. I laid under the tower watching it sweep across.

The hike gets its name from the rocks at the top that have been worn into a network of channels.

We explored the labyrinth of tunnels and caves for about 45 minutes, and only saw a portion of it. The further you go the taller the rocks.

They were incredible.

At the end we scramble and climb to the top of one of the larger rocks and peer over the tree tops.

We spent a little longer playing in the channels then we should have, but they were just too cool. We spent the last 20 minutes or so in the dark, lead by a single headlamp.

All in all this was an amazing hike. It was a little more uphill than I was expecting, but it made me realize just how painful this Appalachian Trail hike will be in the September if I don't prepare. This area of Southwest Virginia is rich with natural beauty and wonder, with dozens of hikes that are just as amazing as the channels. I hope to explore and share several of them with you over the next month.

Day 1: An 8 mile hike, 3.5 hours outside.

Plans for August

I've decided to try something new for the month of August. I will challenge myself to exercise outside for one hour a day through the end of the month. I've always responded well to challenges and I desperately need to step up my exercise routine to prepare for a hike on the Appalachian Trail in September. I thought I'd add the outside part simply to see if being outside has any positive impact on me. Currently I spend at most an hour a week outside. I guess it wouldn't hurt in regards to preparing for the Appalachian hike either. So there you have it, a challenge for 30 days of outdoor exercise. I'll start off a day early with a hike to "The Crevices" tomorrow.

Code Freeze

Well, the code freeze crunch time is upon me. I have lots of late nights finishing up the more troublesome code in store for me the next few weeks. Part of the flow of work as a computer programmer. I played hard the last couple months with trips to Minneapolis, Roanoke, Las Vegas, and Charlotte, and now it's time to work hard for a bit.

In other news, it appears my E solenoid is having problems in our older camry's transmissions. It has been serenading us with a constant stream of cheak engine warnings today. I'm hoping I don't need a new transmission and can just replace the solenoid(apparently not terribly difficult and possible doable by myself).

Chevelle in Charlotte

I went to Charlotte, NC with my friend Byron to see Chevelle.  They were great, but not in the league with the concerts I've seen from Tool, NIN, and Muse.  

It was sad to see them opening for a newer band(Shinedown).  Am I getting old?  NIN stopped touring, Tool only plays a couple shows, and Chevelle is opening for new bands.  It seems most of my favorite bands are retiring or barely playing anymore.  

Sen. Mark Warner

Mark Warner visited Lebanon today and held a Town Hall conference.  He briefly discussed rural broadband, a topic I'm very concerned with as I'm in the process of trying to bring high speed internet to my home, as well as a myriad of other topics ranging from partisanship in the senate to the fine print of the medical bill.  

Mark and I agree on many topics, but I was disappointed to hear him say he wanted to see increased use of coal and natural gas and that natural gas was key to our energy future.  Okay, I understand I live in South West Virgina and no politician can stop by without praising coal, but I was really hoping for a little more.

Hopefully it will all be a moot point and we'll have fusion to grant us cheap and abundant power in the near future.  Carl Sagan and a few other scientists have said we'll likely see fusion over the next century.  Hopefully we can hold out until then.

What do you think is the future of our energy production?

Pink for Zoya

Last year at this time I was on my way to Duluth, Minnesota, having just heard the news my sister Zoya had passed away. Zoya was adopted from Russia when I was about 14 years old. She loved the color pink. Her room was pink. Her phone was pink. Even her hair was usually pink. As such, I'll dedicate this pink post to her memory.

Zoya was legally blind, yet through dedicated perseverance was able to accomplish anything she set her mind to. She was a straight A student. She studied for hours to make sure she was always at the top of the class. She even won a state sewing competition with a Pink business dress she made. The little girl that I helped teach English, responsibility, and life to taught me a lot in return.

After college we grew apart. We talked once a month or so and only saw each other on vacations. We failed each other I supposed. Today I'm exceptionally vulnerable as I'm reminded of my time with her.

I hope you found peace Zoya. You're deeply missed.

Home Sweet Home

Our trip has concluded. We arrived home safe and sound, ready to pick up life as usual. This weekend I head to Charlotte North Carolina for a Chevelle concert.

Day Five: Finale

On day 5 we ventured out to explore several of the other famous hotels we were hoping to see.

We saw Ceasers Palace

Flamingos at The Flamingo

A little taste of Venice at The Venetian. Here we catch a glimpse of the rare Skirted Lauren. Skirted Laurens are very rare in nature, and can only be found at night in far away cities.

And the Grande Finale of our trip, Love by Cirque Du Soleil.

Love was amazing. It's definitely worth seeing if you find yourself in Vegas. We roamed the strip a little after the show, and got back to our hotel room around 2:00 am. Tomorrow we head home bright and early. It's been a great trip.

Day Four: Roaming the strip.

We discovered the Tram today. There are trains between many of the hotels that makes traveling the strip during the day much easier. I wish we had discovered it on Friday and prevented a two mile hike across town in 117 degree heat.

We ate at the Buffet Bellagio, it was amazing. All you can eat Creme Brulee nearly did me in. On the way we stopped at the largest chocolate fountain in the world.

And a crazy botanical garden:

We got lost in MGM, and eventually saw both the gold lion:

And the real ones:

We tried an Oxygen bar, and explored several of the nearby mega hotels.

Monday will be our last real day in Vegas. We leave early Tuesday morning. Our stay will climax with the Cirque Du Soleil presentation of Love. Thanks to all of you for your suggestions on things to see and do in Vegas. This has been a wonderful trip.

Day Three: A Lazy Day.

We spent day 3 indoors, hopping around the different bars and gambling on slot machines and black jack. A fun relaxing day. The only solid plans we have for the rest of the week are to eat at the Bellagio's buffet tomorrow night(it came highly recommended by a couple folks) and then Cirque Du Soleil Love, their show on the Beatles, on Monday.

Day Two: TOOL!

Think for yourself.

Question authority.

Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are going in this ocean of chaos, it has been the authorities, the political, the religious, the educational authorities who attempted to comfort us by giving us order, rules, regulations, informing, forming in our minds their view of reality. To think for yourself you must question authority and learn how to put yourself in a state of vulnerable, open-mindedness; chaotic, confused, vulnerability to inform yourself.

The words echoed through the Planet Hollywood theater as Tool opened with Third Eye. The concert was unbelievable. Amazing. I can't manage the words to do it justice. Their live songs all have a little bit of their newer albums style worked in, and they were amazing. The effects were brilliant. If you get the chance to see Tool, definitely go. Hands down the best concert I have seen to date.

Day Two: The Strip

Lauren and I ventured out on the strip during the afternoon. It was about 115 degrees.

Here we passed by Excalibur.

We took refuge from the heat in the Miracle Mile mall. One part of the mall had a giant domed roof painted like the sky with small buildings built within it. Yo Dawg, I hear you like buildings.

At night it's still very hot, but nothing like the extreme temperatures during the day. We went out at night to explore some more. Here's Paris:

The Bellagio fountains were awesome.

Vegas Lessons learned:

1. 115 degrees is ridiculously hot

2. It's impossible to keep track of time in a casino.

3. Black jack dealers deal way too fast for me to count cards.

Vegas Day 2: Our Room

We checked in late last night. They were out of pyrmaid rooms, which we were suppose to get, so we have a room in the tower. We got upgraded to a bigger room, and our rooms location is the closest room to the casino floor.

Here's a little taste of the view from our room.

Stay tuned and follow along with our adventure in Las Vegas! Tonight: Tool.

Vegas Day 1

I don't know what it is about airplanes, but they always bring out a primal fear in me. I know it's much safer than driving in a car, and that it's virtually impossible for anything to go wrong, but there's something about being utterly out of control, a mile up in the air in a little metal box. A beer before the flight really helped :)

We chased the sunset all the way across the country

There were a couple storms on the way. It's pretty awesome, albeit terrifying, watching the lightening from above.

Finally we arrived in Las Vegas and took a shuttle to the Luxor hotel where we'll be staying. We have Tool tomorrow, the Beatles show, and I think a David Copperfield show Saturday and Sunday.

All the lights and statues... Man this place is wild. Let's hope I don't blow all our money!

Starcraft

Three days 'til Vegas. I must say I'm getting excited. I figured as soon as I picked up tickets to see Tool in Vegas that they'd announce an east coast concert nearby. So far it hasn't happened and the trip to Vegas seems justified.

I've been playing a lot of the Starcraft II Beta. It's one of those games where I'll sit down to play a match or two and before I realize it it's 5:00 AM and Lauren has to get up for work in an hour. It's nice to forget your sense of time in the passion of an intense Starcraft battle. To throw away responsibility, rules and order and lose yourself into a world of imagination.

Pale Blue Dot

I just finished reading Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot. It's an incredibly humbling and enlightening work, and I highly recommend reading it.

From the very beginning he illustrates how small and insignificant we are in the grand scheme of the universe.  Sagan vigorously talks about our successes so far.  Some highlights, the Voyager spacecrafts launched to explore our galaxy contain large samples of our culture, and will carry them for 600 billion years to the center of the Milky Way.  The Voyagers will last far passed the time when our solar system is destroyed and all traces of us from this day and age will be gone.

He goes on to talk about the horrific problems we face.  We currently face three potentially self inflected environmental disasters that could end life on our world.  First is the destruction of our Ozone due to CFCs.  As a species we have made remarkable effort to prevent any further creation of CFCs, but what we've already done will continue to destroy our ozone layer for roughly 100 years.  Whether we stopped in time has yet to be determined.

Secondly we face global warming.  With slight increases in global temperatures due to an increased presence of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere, the oceans will evaporate at a faster rate than it can precipitate, which in tern will trap more heat.  This vicious irreversible cycle will eventually leave our planet a charred volcanic crisp just like Venus.

Lastly we face a potential nuclear winter if we find ourselves in the unfortunate state of nuclear war.  The nuclear winter will freeze life, leaving our planet like Mars.

Which do you think is the most dangerous of the self inflicted apocalypses?

Certainty any other life that comes across our voyagers will be wondering if we made it through these trying times.  If we do come across any sort of life in our solar system, I wonder if it can survive with our interference.

We, who cannot even put our own planetary home in order, riven with rivalries and hatreds, despoiling our environment, murdering one another through irritation and inattention as well as on deadly purpose, and moreover a species that until only recently was convinced that the Universe was made for its sole benefit- are we to venture out into space, move worlds, re-engineer planets, spread to neighboring star systems?

We seem to have overcome our first stepping stone where a group of people has the means to destroy us all.  There are certainty problems we face; large scale environmental disasters to overcome, but we're still progressing forward.  Assuming we can overcome our current crises, I believe there will be a point in technology where any Individual has the means to destroy the world. Will we be prepared for that?  There will likely be a new species in the near future, a species that evolves at will through genetic and artificial manipulation.  Hawking's mentions it in his book The Universe in a Nutshell  and in his lecture discussed here.  Hopefully we will seek wisdom over power with superior intellect.  These are certainty exciting times.

Sagan's finishing words are uplifting:

If we have been locked and bolted into a prison of the self, here is an escape hatch-something worthy, something vastly larger than ourselves, a crucial act on behalf of humanity.  Peopling other worlds unifies nations and ethnic groups, binds the generations, and requires us to be both smart and wise.  It liberates our nature and, in part, returns us to our beginnings.

Here's to hoping we can find peace and unification.  That we can put our differences aside and achieve the unimaginable.

2-Dimensional Politics

Driving home from work I passed this sign.

"CLOSED DUE TO OBAMANOMICS."

Obama seems to have it out for these poor bakeries, if we take their word for it.  I've been to this bakery twice and was dissapointed both times, but maybe Obama is sabatoging their ovens and recipes?

I've been asked a lot about where I lie on the political spectrum lately.  People call me a "lefty", but I try to explain that summarizing the political spectrum into a single line is a terribly difficult thing to do.

I think that at worst there needs to be two dimension, with up and down representing government authority, and left to right representing fiscal policy.  

*Image from Political Compass

The term's "left" and "right" seem to have been rooted deeply in our two party system.  They try to establish that there are two base sets of beliefs, and that either someone is in line with your ideals or not.  It's hard to label people if they're spread out across a two dimensional map.  As such, I try to spread the idea whenever these conversations come up: "I'm a lower left".  Where do you stand?

http://www.politicalcompass.org/analysis

I did my fair share of complaining when Bush was in office, I guess it's my turn to patiently listen to the realistic problems Obama will introduce/has introduced.  And to do so without a "us" and "them" mentality, but realizing we're all different and hopefully through everyone's conflicting ideals we manage to come up with an optimal solution.  I hope that one day we have a political system that can more realistically represent people's positions and be less focused on opposing a single group of "opposite" minded people.

Indendence Day

I enjoy most things in life. Mowing is not one of them. My friend Nick came over and helped me clean up a terribly neglected yard.

We struggled through the heat to keep the tall grass at bay. I'll have to bring my mower over to his place and return the favor.

After some yard work, several of us gathered at Nick's place for a BBQ 4th of July celebration. With many varieties of beers, burgers, and hot dogs, a good time was had by all. We finished off with a fireworks display in Abingdon. My town postponed the Independence Day celebration until Monday, May 5th. Silly as it may be, I'm not complaining as I get to see two firework shows.


Happy Independence Day everyone!

A Glimpse of the Past.

While organizing my room, I came across several old photographs. These first three were given to me by my grandmother a month before she passed away. I thought I’d share a glimpse of my childhood that she passed on to me.

In this first picture, I was less than a year old and was presently the only grandchild. My grandpa and grandma sit in front surrounded by their children and grandchild.

Three years later, both my parents have cut their hair. Notice the mullet!

It seems my parent’s styles have their toll on me, as later that year I also sport a mullet. I believe this yellow truck was one of my favorite toys, as I still have vague memories of fondness towards it.

Lastly we finish with a picture from college of Lauren and me shortly after we started dating nearly 8 years ago.

It’s fun to look back and see how far we've come.

Shattered Dreams of the Quarter Finals

For a moment there, I really thought USA was going to win.  After playing a terrible first half, we finally got our act together and started to play some soccer.  That dream came tumbling down with Ghana's score in the first few mintues of overtime.  A heart-wrenching game.

Throughout the World Cup coverage they keep pushing the idea that Soccer is becoming popular in the US, and that team USA's success is sparking a new wave of fandom.

Google Trends sheds some interesting light on the situation.  Here we see the frequency of seraches and news articles for "soccer" in the United States:

And here "World Cup":

In both cases, we have very similar searching frequencies to the 2006 World Cup.  In fact, generic soccer searches are significantly below that of 2006.  Both cases, however, show significant increases in news reports.  While I really would love to see soccer become a popular sport, the claims seem to be inaccurate based on generic google searches, and are likely just an attempt by the media giants to capatlize on soccer.  Or maybe the sport was already popular just not covered by the media, and media coverage is what they deem as "popular"?

What do you think, is there a resurgence of soccer in the United States?

Personally, a couple good beers and a thrilling soccer game with some friends is about as good as it gets.  It's graceful and action packed.  It's based upon a refreshing dose of team work and communication.  The entire game flows continuously without commercials or breaks; each second of the game is important.  It may just be personal bias from having played the sport myself, but it remains one of my favorite sports to watch.  And I'm excited about tomorrow's England Vs Germany game.

Celebration of the Ordinary

I realize most of my posts on this blog are from extravagant trips and very little from my daily life. We often seem to think that it is our vacations, our experiences far away from home, that are the most meaningful. Look through anyone's photo album and you're likely to see pictures of every vacation they've taken, but very little of their daily life.

While we seem to celebrate the extraordinary, it's the mundane, simple things in life that are truly special. They define who we are as a person and how we transform the world.

As an Agnostic, I base my moral guidance on the simple conclusion that one should live their life in such a way that it is exactly as they wish to be eternally remembered. That through their actions the world is transformed to exactly what they want it to be. Every action we take, every second we exist, we transform the universe into something it couldn't have been without us. Are you being remembered exactly as you wish to be?

My last two weeks at work have primarily consisted of helping two new members on my team start off on solid footing. The learning curve for the project I work on is very extreme, and it will take 6 months before they become productive members of the team. Training and social introductions are amongst my main responsibilities these past two weeks, and I've spent a considerable amount of extra time preparing for it. I like to think that I've made their first two weeks as painless as possible and that I've set them up with everything they need to succeed.

After work, I go to the gym for an hour with a co-worker. After all, I have a several day Appalachian trail hike this fall I need to prepare for. Futurama and Mythbusters frequent the television for the first hour when I arrive home, followed with a snack, and typically some more computer work. The occasional computer game finds it's way into the mix, although I haven't played much since the Starcraft II Beta ended. I usually finish the night on the computer, exploring new realms and personal projects, such as the one mentioned in the previous post: here. That's my day in a nutshell, and I'm proud of the way it usually plays out. Surely there's room for improvement, but I'm only human.

Las Vegas

I've always been a little impulsive.  Life is uncertain, eat desert first I always say.  With that said, watching the remaining Tool tickets sell out in California drove me to a quick, crazed decision: That a Las Vegas trip was in order.  I've always wanted to go to Vegas, and after searching around, found a great deal that my wife and I couldn't pass up.  We're staying in premium pyramid rooms!

In addition to the Tool concert, we'll be seeing a Cirque Du Soleil show(complementary tickets from our hotel for booking 3+ nights), and hopefully visiting the Hoover Dam.  If you have any more suggestions for things to do, please leave a comment!

So the itinerary for the summer is filling up with an impulsive trip to Las Vegas in July in addition to Carrowinds and Chevelle in Charlotte.  A definite trip to Floyd and Roanoke in August, a week long hike on the Appalachian trail in early September, a Cruise in late September, and a Muse concert and Richmond trip in early October.  After 3 years of minimal travel, pretty much just a trip to Cancun with Lauren's parents, we have something planned every month.   It's nice to treat ourselves.

Passionately Curious

Einstein once said: "I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious."

These past few nights I have been plagued by an overwhelming desire to write code. It started as finishing up some code I've been working on for work. As the night's hours faded away, my thoughts strayed and imagination took over as it so often does. I started a new project (see randomprojectsandcode.blogspot.com). Excitement and anticipation take over after an idea takes shape, and I can't help but continue forging ahead with it. It is these times that I know I'm doing the right thing, that programming is where I'm meant to be. That I too am passionately curious.

Back to normal

We settled back into our daily routines after returning to Lebanon. The only difference is we seem to have a new inhabitant on our couch.

Jennifer has been staying with us since we returned from Minneapolis. Drawing on her accounting experience at Swan Leasing and her IT internship last year with Thrivent, we were able to get her an interview with CGI. I’m happy to announce she was offered a position.

I had all sorts of activities planned these last two weeks: Frisbee golf to try out my new disks I got in Minnesota, a hike at the local state park, and a motorcycle ride with friends from work. Alas, it has rained, neigh down-poured, every single day since we returned. Despite the disagreeable weather, I have added an hour long workout to my daily regiment, and hope to keep up with it.

A few more trips were planned, a Chevelle concert and Carrowinds trip to Charlotte NC, a cruise this fall in the Caribbean, and a trip to see high school friends in Roanoke. I also have been toying with the idea of seeing a Tool concert. I’m worried they’re close to their last tour, and I haven’t seen them play since high school. Unfortunately the only venues that aren’t sold out at the moment are in San Diego and Las Vegas.

Stay tuned for more adventures!

Home Sweet Home

We return home to an excited cat, very tall grass, and luckily two living trees from our Anniversary. 

Special thanks to my Aunt and Uncle for making this trip possible.  We all had a great time!  Hopefully those we visited will visit us someday and let us repay the favor.

Marina's Graduation

We finished our trip with my sister Marina's graduation in Floyd. We shared lefse I made with Anne and had a bbq afterward.

Jennifer came back with us to Lebanon. Jennifer is staying for the week, and we're hoping CGI will interview her for a functional position, similar to what she did last summer.