Snowboarding Mt Baker

Dan and I pose behind my snowboard



Amber and I look as tough as we can

The crew

Amber and Dan were nice enough to invite me to snowboard/ski with a group of their friends from Minneapolis. I met them at Mt Baker midway through the first day of the weekend. 11 inches of fresh snowfall for day 2! Made for some soft falls.

irony of a foolhardy statement

I often like to joke about the last two years of my life. Mainly because the majority of people in America view how I have chosen to spend my time as uncharacteristic, risky, and nearing foolhardiness (at least in the long-term security end of things). Not once or twice, but often people have asked me how I survive, what my future plans are and when am I going to get a real job. The joking comes into play here. My usual retorte to the last question concerning "the real job" goes something like this, "I guess I'll get a real job when my car starts to break down". In fact, I remember telling my parents this over the holidays.

Sometimes irony has a way of creeping up behind you and smacking you on the back of your head. At least it does to me. The car retorte was bound to eventually play out in America's favor. And it didn't take long to surface. As I was making my way back to Colorado in the beginning of January, Calli (who so kindly had been watching Jimmy for me) in few words let me know that Jimmy was in the shop to the tune of $750. Ouch. If that was the end of the repairs I might not have felt the heavy hand of irony, but alas a series of major and minor repairs were in store.

Without going into the mechanical details of Jimmy's issues, I have been rushed into thinking of real jobs. But the question in my mind is, "What is a real job"? Questions have always intrigued me. Like...when do you become an adult? Is it when you graduate from college? Or when you get your first real job (whatever that means)? Or is it when you own your first home? Or maybe it is when you get married. If the latter is true, then I may get to be a kid for a long time. Not a bad deal.

Back to the question of the day. What is a real job? Care to share?

Wheat or Sheep?

Three more converts to the Settlers of Catan!

Klaus Teuber and the Mayfair games company should be paying me to market this fine game.

Westward Ho

Nothing quite like taking to the road again. Winter driving can be a bit intimidating, but I've safely made my way from Colorado Springs to Bozeman (750 miles). I'm sitting out a few days to rest and wait out the snow before making a move to conquer the mountain passes between western Washington and here.

Visiting a Familiar Place

I don't know what it is about familiar places. They are so fun to share with others. While Lana and I visited friends and gathered up the rest of my earthly belongings in North Carolina we had a few precious moments to visit Crowders Mountain, one of my favorite local hikes. It was good to be reminded of the distinctive smells of the deciduous forest, to feel the cold wind whip through the trees, and to see the raptors soaring on the updrafts.

I have had lots of memories on Crowders Mountain, and hiking the trail brought all of those hidden moments back to the present.

• first intro to Crowders was on a first date
• hiking up and down and back up with a loaded pack to train for the Appalachian Trail
• running, jumping, slipping, sliding through a thunderstorm trying to get off of the mountain as lightning struck all around
• running into Dr. Winkler, superintendent of my school system
• hiking with one of my students who presumptuously asked if she could go hiking with me in front of the entire class
• nearly being sited a ticket for staying on the mountain past sunset

And now I can add one more: Hiking Crowders with Lana, my sister who for years has admittedly "hated the outdoors". But on our way down I hear her say, "You know, I do like doing outdoor activities. I'll never plan them, of course, but if someone else initiates them, I'd go along."

Wow! That is a breakthrough! Go Lana!

A Trip to Breckenridge

My first successful snowboarding experience began on Sunday at Breckenridge, Colorado. Ricci, my friend from IWU, super passionate about snowboarding, graciously volunteered to spend a few days teaching me the basics of the sport. She's been so excited about our trip that over the past month she's had my board waxed and edged, and even taken it out one weekend to test it out. I guess it passed the test, because it was sitting by the door when I walked in on Saturday.

Ricci took a week vacation to snowboard at Breckenridge with some friends, and was adamant that I tag-a-long for a few days. I accepted the offer with out much of a thought and was graced with a place to stay and personalized snowboarding lessons for free.

Sunday, Ricci spent most of the day teaching me the basics, then cutting down the slope a ways, stopping, and looking up to where I was so ungracefully making my way down at a snail's speed. I took some tumbles, but managed to avoid people and trees, which was an answer to prayer. By day two I was making my way down the slopes on my own, turning (though every so slowly), but managing to appear somewhat like a snowboarder.

Ricci and I worked out a deal upon my departure from Breckenridge. For all of her help and use of her buddy pass, I gave her my new bindings, and to encourage me to continue boarding, she gave me her old bindings and boots. I feel blessed to have a friend who would slow down and take the time to patiently teach me a skill of snowboarding, when I know she would've rather been carving her way down the slopes at break-neck speed. Thank you Ricci!

Twisting Temperatures

I left Chicago yesterday at 6:00pm, it was 17 degrees. I arrived in Denver at 8:00pm and I walked out of the airport to discover a balmy 43 degrees. What in the world is that about?

Christmas Past

Everyone but Dad in this shot. We are looking forward to Christmas feast.

Weeks have passed. Not sure where the time went. In fact it feels like father time has been playing an evil joke on me. A few blinks of the ole eyelid and here I am a few days from hitting the road again.

Christmas was more like a marathon than anything else. Christmas in NC, Christmas on the 25th, and Christmas last Saturday with the fam. I've been devouring heavenly food and drink since arriving here a month ago. I will be returning to the West about 10 pounds heavier. Ouch. I've started to develop a trend where I eat my heart out when I'm visiting at home, because I'm not going to see food like that for another year. So I tell myself..."eat all you want, you'll work it off later". It's worked the last few years, lets hope it continues to 'work out'.

Enjoying the Dora Scavenger Hunt book. That Dora, she's crazy!

Mom and Katie spent an afternoon making gingerbread men.

Mariocart found its way into our post-Christmas celebration.

The last month has been a whirlwind of travels, I've been on the move since November 16th. And finally after weeks of flying, driving, and incidently riding zebras, I've made it home to Rochester, IN. Home is one of the only places I've found where I can just sit and relax.

It wasn't always like that. Four kids, three cats, two gerbils, two parents, and one dog. Schedules and lists ruled our lives, to create a sort of controlled chaos, of which we all survived and are better for it, I'm sure.

What I've been up to since my last attempt at posting on this blog:

• traveled over 3500 miles by airplane


• read three books


• went to a hockey game


• played 18 holes of golf


• observed and identified many of Florida's estuary birds


• slept on a Murphy bed (that's right folks, it comes out of the wall)


• attended a cooking class


• finished my Christmas shopping

Along the estuary on the J.N. "Ding" Darling Nature Preserve.

I've been keeping busy visiting various family members around the country. Most recently I was fortunate enough to spend some time in South Florida visiting my grandparents and my Aunt Connie. They graciously and energetically entertained me for five days.

Grandpa and I on the Murphy bed. As many different types of beds that I've slept on this year, it only seemed right and complete to add this to the list.

My new place of residence for the next night or two is with my cousins Alaina and Andrew and their two boys. I'm back in the midwest, the place of my birth. The snow is bright, the air is cold, and it finally feels like Christmas!

Patrick and Calvin practicing the art of stocking shelves.