Wind, rain, and vacation...

It's mighty wet here in Grand Forks. I feel bad for the farmers; it looks like an insurance year. But don't worry all. The nation will still have food of sorts, because McDonald's will always be producing, um...burgers I think, in their labs...ehr, kitchens. But hopefully our farmers will be able to produce some real food if anyone is still interested. Someday I'd imagine the rain will cease, and we'll all go outside. I'm going outside this weekend if it works out. Flight ops is closed for the fourth, so the Superior Hiking Trail in NE MN is my destination. Mmmm....backpacking after many hours logged in front of that television that makes me lazy. Some nights I think I've heard my expensive backpack groaning from inside my closet. It's embarrassed that I own such a fine piece of equipment and make it sit and wait for adventure for so long. I shall answer it the correct way and head out for some good miles with some good friends on a good trail....hopefully, if the rain will stop. There was a break last weekend and I managed to fit in a short hike and canoe paddle excursion to nearby Lake Itasca State Park in MN. Stuck my feet in the headwaters of the mighty Mississippi, got served by many a mosquito, and had a generally excellent time. Weekends!!

I do miss the posse ride......

There once was a well honored, non-scheduled event that went down quite often here in Grand Forks amongst myself and a few of my close pals. We'd get on our bikes, fresh off the couch, bored of being bored, and go on what we dubbed a "posse ride." Yeah, I had to look up the word posse in my dictionary just to make sure I spelled it right. The point of the rides was simply "somethin' to do." We'd pedal aimlessly through the different areas of town (usually having to turn around a couple times- this town's not big), stop for food or beverage if needed, fixate on riding "that sweet set of stairs", or enjoy a nice gravity race (starting at the very top of a parking garage and rolling down with no peddling allowed- much needed careening fun for the bored cyclist.) Usually there was need to stop and let Edward fix whatever strange item he built as his bike. But it really didn't matter what kind of bike a person rode on these rides, just that we all got out and rolled down some pavement, or dirt, or stairs, or unmanagable Red River Valley mud and water. It was always a good time. However times have changed and most of the posse has moved on to other locations. Such is the way of posses. And it's ok, each members ended up in some cool places out there, as I imagine I'll do sometime relatively soon. But the time I had in Grand Forks with my adventursome friends was great. I hope all of you out there are still riding/climbing/hiking/general ruckusing and getting off the couch.

Don't get too caught up....

This past weekend I was able to make it home to see my parents along with my beautiful lady, Alison, and it was great. There was of course much eating (thanks mom and dad!), cleaning my delapitated old van, road biking in hail, and checking out the coolness of the people of the past in ND at the North Dakota Heritage Center. People were tough out on the prarie before heating and air conditioning and grocery stores. They built mud huts. They shot stuff. They ate/wore the stuff they shot. Cool. I should learn to shoot and eat something someday. The grocery store and Webber grill are so nice to me though. But anyways, the Center not only displays how people got by, but also the underlying principle of people living off each other whatever the external circumstances. People have lived through some crazy stuff, and enjoyed each other's company through it all. We should all remember the important people in our lives and enjoy their company through whatever situations life sets in front of us. You're not going to think of your bills and job and titles and degrees when you're laying on your death bed, you'll be thinking of the people you love. Make sure not to slip into going crazy about all the business you have going on in life- pay attention to the people God's blessed you with and enjoy life! And road bike in some (small) hail, too- it's fun!

General Update

Laziness has obviously taken over me concerning this website. Whoops. The past couple of weeks have been quite full of activity however. Mostly work. Some action. I will have to say that it's nice that the public school year is winding down though. I rather enjoy the summer in it's middle-school kid free-ness. I got hit with a dodgeball upon stepping out of my bus the other day. Kids wouldn't be so bad if you could retaliate. :) Lawyers. :( Not that I would have done anything bad, but a return dodgeball to the head would do wonders in teaching who's boss. :)
Anyway, the summer flight schedule got underway today, and I'm bumbling my way through teaching three new courses. Should be crazy, but I'm happy to get some new experience and get away from teaching brand new student pilots to land. Uggh. I think my back has reached it's stress limits, and I will be happy with my new semi-compentant students.
In other news, outdoor climbing was supposed to have happened this past weekend, but rain showed up and washed that away. I did however make a detour to Alison's home with her to visit her family, and it was just as good as climbing. There is, after all, more to life than the hobbies. :)
With that, I'll consider you generally updated as to my goings-on, and I'll post more sooner than I did this past couple weeks.

Take a lesson from a little dude named Mullet

So I've recently decided that all of us should take a lesson in relaxation from my cat. Yup, my cat. I've determined that he can relax like no one else (granted he doesn't have much going on upstairs). No matter what is going on, Mullet (yes, somehow my former college roommates and I decided on this name, and believe me, it fits this cat) is always quick to chill. As we speak he's upside down on the floor behind me, no doubt dreaming of a buffet where one does not need opposable thumbs to be served. There can be all kinds of craziness going on around this cat- being attacked by Furious George, the house's other feline, or Edward, (roommate, and another form of animal), but Mullet will quickly return to relaxing after the hustle is over. No grudges, no worries. He's got his mind made up to live life happy. He finds a good time in simple things (playing fetch with pop bottle caps and wearing grocery bags.) He's not upset that he's confined to live in somebody's home his whole life. He's not even upset that someone cut off his manhood (well, I guess he's probably just gotten over it.) He loves to follow you around the house, jump in your lap and snif your chin. In contrast, Furious George, mentioned before, has got the opposite take on life. He's always looking out the window, angry, and demanding what he doesn't have. He wants people to give him what he wants, and then leave him alone. We've all got a lot going on to make us crazy or want different situations, but I think Mullet's got some answers for us. Love the simple things in life. Don't spend all your time wishing you could "get out the window", never being happy with what you have. Enjoy being with the people in your life. Take a nap when you need it. And if you really want to, wear a bag on your head, (but I think that might just be a Mullet thing.)

Mullet recently crawled into this grocery bag on his own, slung it around his neck, and proudly went on his own sort of little backpacking trip around the house. (He does this every so often.) 

After his little jaunt with the bag, he decided to plop down with all feet pointed up for some relaxation, although apparently no one brought him the beer he ordered.

Angry dogs a' runnin'

So much wind and a lack of work has caused me to start running on a regular basis. I have free time to ride, but I just haven't been able to get motivated to ride into the invisible force of energy that punches you of your bike known as Red River Valley WIND. Ouch. I think running is equally as painful, but it ends sooner. It's been going ok, despite some lessons I should have been able to skip if I would think ahead. One example is that I've learned in my last few times with the running shoes on that one should not attempt to go fast equipped with three hot dogs topped with Cholula pepper sauce in one's stomach. My attempt on my road bike to ride a century off two McDonalds cheeseburgers (yes, I used to subject my body to such filthy non-food) should have taught me better. Anyway, hopefully there will be a break in the wind at the same time I have a break in my dwindled down schedule, and I can experience the goodness of my Lemond again.

one little stamp...

I almost made a mistake tonight. I have a check to send to the university, and I need a stamp. I thought, I'll just ride over to the P.O. and take care of business. Then I realized, today is none other than April 15th. Poor suckers. I'm staying home, content in having recieved my tax refund months ago. My stamp can wait till tommorow.

Pretty clear to me....

I was reading in my bible this morning, and I went through the first three chapters of the book of Galations. It seems so obvious by reading this and many other sections of the New Testament that faith, not human effort, is how one reaches God. It's so strange to me to see so many people in the world doing all sorts of things by their own means to try to "get to heaven". And I'm talking about people who claim the Bible as their holy book as well, not just other religions. I wonder if they've read it lately, because it seems so clear to me by reading it that faith in Jesus Christ is our connection with God, and not rituals, good works, laws, or other forms of human effort. I guess it shouldn't be that big of a shock though to see people missing this, considering that the Bible calls the Gospel the "narrow path", and few follow it. It's just frustrating how we as people turn so quickly from God's plan to others we've made up ourselves. Take some time to read the Bible; the truth is mapped out very clearly.