collected nothingness

the end of an era?

2009-02-13T10:55:00.002-07:00

I'm seriously debating shutting down this blog. I find that I don't do anything with it, but I somehow feel it hanging over my head. I check it every couple of days, to see if someone comments and is looking for more, but I feel like my readership has all found me on other social networking sites and that this format is redundant. If anyone has other thoughts about this, please feel free to speak up and I will take your words under advisement. If no one objects, I will probably be shutting down this experiment at the end of February unless I can find a new usefulness for this page. Take care and much love.

as usual

2009-01-17T03:28:00.002-07:00

I talk a good game, but then the follow through is a little lacking. Or a lot lacking. Don't judge me.

So I just finished my first course here at Kansas State University and I think it went all right. I currently have an A, but the final project grades aren't posted yet. I did get an award for best presentation, so that has to count for something. I actually started the spring semester today and am a little mystified by my classes. I have two 500-level classes in sociology which look like they'll be interesting and not too terribly filled with busy work. The opposite seems to be true regarding my two entry level classes, one in english and the other in women's studies. Both seem just filled with bullshit busy work with little educational value whatsoever and seem like they will be mind alteringly boring. A bad combination all around. But at least I'm getting close to my degree, hopefully by next May.

In other news, I've started working out again and have thought long and hard about restarting my Weight Watchers diet. Haven't actually started again, but at least I've thought about it. Who knows, maybe in the next week or so I'll even give it another go. All part of my plan to get back down to 200 pounds in time for my tenth wedding anniversary this June. Pretty scary, it's been ten years already! That and Sy and I are even looking at starting a family. Holy crap! It's almost like I'm an adult or something, when did that happen?

New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-03T00:25:00.000-07:00

I hate hospitals!

2008-12-23T08:56:00.003-07:00

So I'm trying to be better about updating this page. Not really sure if anybody still reads it, but I'll stick with it

I am a jelly donut!

2008-12-12T00:40:00.002-07:00

Wow.....almost two months of ignoring this site. Not good, not good at all. I apologize to anyone who might occasionally check this site to keep up with my world. I have let you down and I'll endeavor to do better in the future. Again, my bad, now let's move on.

Where to begin? Two months is a long time to recap. Let's see...Well, I'm living in Manhattan, KS with my lovely wife and have never been happier. Manhattan has surprised me with how nice the scenery is here, for being in the midwest. Plenty of rolling hills and ravines and bluffs, with trees everywhere. It's not a bad place to be spending the next couple of years, so I take back most bad things I said about KS.

I'm currently enrolled at Kansas State University in their Criminology department for Spring 2009, but I'll be taking a winter intercession course as well. It's in the social construction of serial murderers. I am jacked about it and have already started doing all the reading I can to start the class a little bit ahead since it's only about three weeks long. In the spring I'll be taking about fifteen credits and am kind of nervous about being a full time student since I haven't really been one since high school, and even that is debatable.

I also just found out that I was hired by the Kansas State University Police department as a student dispatcher. It's only sixteen guaranteed hours a week on the weekend evenings, but it works out perfectly with my school schedule and I should make just about enough to pay for my classes. I spoke with my academic advisor the other day and it looks like I'll be able to walk in Spring of 2010 as long as things go according to plan. I'll still have an internship to finish after the graduation ceremonies, but still, pretty exciting! It looks like I might finally get to finish that degree I've been working on for so very long.

On the home front, Sytil is loving her job with the university and it keeps her pretty busy. We are doing wonderful and are even thinking about starting a family soon. No one panic, nothing has been set in stone, but it looks like I might become a father one of these days down the road. Still a scary prospect, but if we're ever going to do this thing we should probably start sooner rather than later. I think that's all I know from this end. I love all of you very much and I hope that you'll forgive me for letting time get away from me there for awhile. I promise to do better and just as a reminder, I do have a myspace page that I'm really good about checking. www.myspace.com/ntymnky

Bummer

2008-10-06T08:34:00.001-06:00

So duck hunting season opened on Saturday, and I went out with a buddy to the same place we went opening day last year. Last year we shot a ton of ducks and had a great time. This year we each only shot one duck and really didn't see that many more due to all the other hunters in the area. So we went out on Sunday and didn't even see any ducks we could shoot. Kind of disappointing, but that's hunting for you, nothing's a sure thing.

On Friday, I went up to scout out the area we were going to hunt and took my boat out for it's final test run before the hunting season. It still works perfectly and I saw some cool sights, like the biggest beaver I've ever seen, (huh, huh) It was a great time until the sun started to set. I was still quite a ways away from my truck and before I made it back, all the light was gone. Pretty scary and I don't mind admitting that I was a little spooked/freaked out before I finally made it back. Luckily, I did have a flashlight with me and I was able to take a heading from some lights on the mountain, but still, things got a little scary for a bit. Note to self, pay more attention to the amount of daylight before taking the boat out, even if it is on a pond/lake.

Anykerways, I hope all is well in your worlds and I hope to hear all about them when you get a chance. Also, I will be posting new boat pictures now that it's all tarted up.

K

As promised

2008-09-28T11:43:00.002-06:00

Have you ever......

2008-09-28T11:42:00.000-06:00

heard a song from back in the day and have it immediately take you to a memory so vivid, you remember what you were feeling when you heard it, sometimes can even smell the odors that were around you.
I've really been going back through a lot of my old cd's from high school and listening to the music that was so important to me then. It's amazing how powerful some of that was, how certain songs just touched you to the core and totally spoke to what you were feeling.
Does music ever have the same impact it did then? Could you ever be so hurt as when you were a teenager, or so happy?

Melancholy thoughts I know, but still important I think. I hope all of you are well, and if you get a chance let me know your thoughts.

K

IT WORKS!!!!!

2008-09-20T14:35:00.000-06:00

So I took my boat out for it's first test run on Wednesday, and the damn thing worked perfectly. It was awesome! I was probably giggling like a little girl the whole time, but I was just so happy! My first boat and it works better than I thought it would. I promise to post pictures as soon as I find the cable for my camera.

Aside from that, I've just been working and occasionally finding time to fly fish and even went out grouse hunting. I didn't get any, but still, it's nice just to be out in the woods. I'm trying not to count down the days until I have to leave here, but I'm down to my last sixteen days of work! I hope all is well in your worlds and I'll talk to all of you later.

Pork Steeple

2008-09-07T10:52:00.001-06:00

Ever fought in a church?
not that I remember, it's been awhile since I've been in one

When was the last time someone said you were hot?
I doubt anyone ever has called me hot

When did you last lie with a straight face?
when's the last time I spoke to someone

What is the most money you have spent on a gift?
I'm not really sure

Ever taken pics you regret?
I think some might hurt my political career, but I can live with it

Would you rather live in the country, city, or suburbs?
country

Last time you were truly in love?
this very moment

Do you think all guys think with their little head?
at certain times, sure

Ever take money from a stranger?
nope

Who is on your mind right now?
my wife, God I miss her

Do you think piercings are sexy?
whatever

Who did you last curse at?
probably a friend, can't remember

Do you donate blood?
nope, I hate needles

Are you religious?
I'm curious about religions, does that count?

Where did you graduate from?
Rockridge

Do you like your job?
parts of it

What is you're heritage?
Irish/Belgian

What is you're favorite kind of music?
alternative

Are you healthy or do you have medical problems?
aside from multiple back issues, I'd say I'm pretty healthy

What was the last Youtube video you watched?
currently watching Metallica's new video, it Rocks!!!

Do you have any ridiculous fears?
being a bad husband/father

What is the most disgusting thing you have ever seen on the internet?
I'm not really sure

What should you be doing right now?
working

What is your favorite thing to spend money on?
my wife

Do you regret doing anything over the last week?
nope, the week before though, I regret hurting one of my oldest friends

If you could have any type superpower what would it be?
invulnerability (it sure would make working in my shop easier)

Who will be the next president of the United States?
if there is a God, Barack Obama

What was the last thing you purchased?
dinner stuff at Safeway

What are your current goals?
survive the next six weeks at work and then get down to KS to my wife

Ever see the 2 girls 1 cup video?
um, no, though from Jylli's reaction, not sure I want to

What so far is the single best moment of your life?
marrying my wife

Do you watch the olympics?
a bit, more winter than summer

What do you do to try and help the environment?
I recycle, pick up trash when I see it while hiking/hunting/fishing

What is your most favorite meal in the world?
Bacon Cheeseburger with onion rings and ranch with a cold one

What do you think of guys that wear pink shirts?
I own a couple of pink shirts, so I think we're badass

What is your favorite breed of dog?
I like Visla, but it's hard to go wrong with a Labrador

Is there a celebrity that you dont understand why they're famous?
most of them (so true Jylli)

Do you dislike any celebrities?
they're not human enough to dislike

What do you think of dating someone you meet on the internet?
apparently it works for some people, my wife says I can't though

Do you return purchases back to the store often?
not very often

Is there any TV shows you wish were still on the air?
Junkyard Wars!

What is your favorite smell?
fresh spring rain and apple candles (good call Jylli)

How do you feel about the cost of college tuition?
I think it's nuts and I work for a university

In the last year have you learned or improved on any skills?
my boatbuilding has improved

Are there "friends" in your life that you wish werent in your life?
nope

Is there any accent that you find sexy?
Scottish

Do you prefer yellow or white gold?
neither really, I'm kind of a silver guy

Do you know what your birth flower is?
not a clue

Would others say you are open minded?
I'd like to think so

Do you honestly consider yourself a good friend?
I try my absoulte best to be

Are you looking forward to anything that is happening in the next 24 hours?
the Bears/Colts game tonight, watching it with some friends

Have you ever set up friends and they ended up together long term?
nope

If you could have any person in the room with you right now who would it be?
my wife, but I think it'd be awkward since I'm at work

What were you doing right before you started this?
watching cartoons

Vulcanize the whoopee stick in the ham wallet

2008-08-17T13:36:00.002-06:00

I think I've been labeling these titles as metaphors, when we all know that they're euphemisms. Silly Kevin, maybe that's why you barely passed AP English, that or you just didn't care.

I've been severely slacking on updating my blogs, and I apologize, but I was on vacation for almost a month and once I got back I just hadn't had a chance to get caught up. I'm sorry, and I'll try harder in the future.

So.....where to begin? I suppose the place to begin is the place my last posting left off and to fill in everything since then. So my last post ended with the trailer reserved and Sytil's party just ending. Sytil went to a conference up in Edmonton Canada and while she was gone, my buddy Dave came to town. I took him fly fishing, hiking, and camping down in Yellowstone and Grand Teton. We had a blast and at the end of the week he helped me load up the moving trailer.

After he left, Sy and I loaded the car onto a trailer on the back of my truck and towed it to Iowa where we met up with our families and had a couple of days with them. Then my mom and I headed back to MT while Sy and her parents went down to KS to unload the trailer and get her moved into our new apartment. My mom and I went out to Glacier for a few days and had a great time while she was in town.

Once she left, I started back at work and have started to move into a smaller apartment on campus. I have my boat about 2/3 of the way finished and I'm hoping to finish it up in the next couple of days and I promise to post pictures of it once it's done.

Retrofit the pudding hatch, with the boink swatter

2008-07-12T15:45:00.000-06:00

I so love metaphors, the more ridiculous the better.

So things around here have been pretty crazy. Sytil sucessfully defended her thesis on Monday and we had a great party that night. Much beer was drank, meat was cooked, and cigars were smoked with bourbon chasers. All in all a great day with a better night.

I've been working on my boat a bit, trying to get it done before I have to pack up my shop and move. I've also been attempting to finish the x-mas presents that I started back in December, right around the time I cut myself with my table saw. Coincidence? I only wish,but they seem to be going together nicely and I'm hoping to finish both the presents and my boat this week and I promise to post pictures of both upon completion.

On the moving front, things are looking good. We've reserved a trailer with a moving company that's going to save us about $1500, which is awesome! I'm looking forward to taking almost a month off here starting next week, so I'll be relatively incommunicado for awhile, but I'll try to vaguely stay in touch. Take care and I'll talk to you soon.

Powerdrill the yippee bog, with the dude piston

2008-07-06T16:52:00.000-06:00

Ah metaphors, they crack my shit up! My past couple of weeks have been just crazy out here. We installed a new computer system at work,which really went quite well, but it's always tough to set up an entirely new way of doing things. The best part that came out of this install was that I got a quasi-job offer from the company rep that was helping us implement the new system. We'll have to see how that goes, but it could be fun.

My wife defends her dissertation tomorrow and while she's completely ready for it, it's still a little nerve-wracking and I'll be glad when it's over. Her thesis was over 440 pages long and set a new departmental record for longest thesis by more than thirty pages! Pretty crazy. We've got a big party planned for tomorrow night and then I've got the next few days off to recover. There's so much more to talk about, but right now I don't have the time. Take care.

I done been tagged

2008-07-05T14:00:00.002-06:00

A quick note: This little thing came across my myspace page so I filled it out, but I thought it was impressive enough to post here. I think that I was fairly honest and I hope to hear your thoughts on it.

Here's how it works: Once you have been tagged you have to write a blog with 20 weird, random things, facts, habits, or goals about yourself. At the end choose 10 or more people to be tagged, listing their names and why you chose them. Don't forget to leave them a comment (tag, you're it) to read your blog. You can't tag the person who tagged you. Since you can't tag me back, let me know when you've posted your blog so I can see your answers.

1. Like Dave, I used to write poetry in high school. Some if it was actually published, but I read it now, and wonder, was my life really that awful.

2. I do regret parts of my past, but only because of the way my actions hurt others. I was a terrible person for awhile, and hurt many of those closest to me. Thankfully, I've been forgiven by my friends and have hopefully grown up.

3. I taught vacation bible school at my church for a summer. (Blows your mind doesn't it?)

4. I was in chorus for six years, but I haven't sang since high school. I know my wife wishes I'd sing again, she misses it, but I don't even know if I can anymore.

5. I've been married for over nine years, and every once in awhile, I still find myself being amazed by that. I married way out of my league and I worry that some day, she'll figure that out.

6. I'm not sure why, but I cry a lot at movies, not even sure why. Maybe I'm just too sensitive, which I know is hard to believe, but there it is.

7. I know it sounds crazy, but I really do like to work, as far as physical labor. There's something pure about it. Maybe that's why I like working wth Habitat for Humanity, hard work and helping people at the same time.

8. I'm always amazed at how wonderful my friends are. I'm so lucky to have all of you in my life and I'll never be able to repay all of you for being there for me.

9. I love motorcycles, but I doubt I'll ever own one. I know I'd end up crashing one and killing myself, and I really don't need that in my life.

10. My greatest fear is that I'll end up in a wheelchair or somehow disabled. Maybe it's from recovering from three back surgeries, but I can't stand the thought of being handicapped.

11. I never used to be, but now I'm actually scared of my power tools. It makes it a little harder to build things if you're afraid of cutting off fingers. I realize that it's a healthy thing, not wanting to lose parts, but I hope at least a little of the trepidation wears off once the scars heal.

12. I'm scared that I'll be an awful father. I think that's why I'm so afraid to have kids.

13. I worked at Maurice's back in the day, and I was excellent at picking out women's clothing. I've actually bought most of my wife's clothes and help her pick out outfits whenever I can.

14. I hate brushing my teeth. I do it very rarely and it drives my wife crazy.

15. I still don't know what I want to be if I grow up.

16. I really, really, really don't want to leave MT. I love it here and I'm scared I'll never get to move back here once I leave.

17. I believe in Bigfoot. He's out there, you'll see.

18. I worry that I'm too old to ever have a story that has the phrase "knee deep in pudding" anywhere in it, and it makes me kind of sad.

19. I think I would actually kill someone to get tickets to see the Bears play the Packers at Lambeau in December. It has to be cold and snowing, with seats on the fifty yard line, right on the rail. I'd even settle for seeing them play at Soldier Field, but really, Lambeau is where it's at.

20. I'd love nothing more than for my wife to get a job at Notre Dame, if for no other reason, that I'd get to hang out on that campus. I know it's greedy, but there it is.

Now for the 10 people that I am tagging and why-

1. Shawn- because Chloe's going to make him do it anyway. (amen Dave)

2. Shannon- because I don't know as much about her as I thought. (again, good call Dave)

3. Sarah- because I'm interested in her random thoughts and I don't know anything about her. If she's dating Dave I should probably get to know her.

4. Star Joe- because I haven't talked to the kid in ages, and I wonder where he's at in life.

5. Cindy- because she is one of my friends that have fallen by the wayside, and because I'd love to see what's going on in her head these days

6. Karlie- because I haven't really been there for her and I want to know more about her.

7. Amanda- mainly because we've known each other forever, but have let time/space get in the way of our friendship

8. Stacy- if only because she's had a rough go of things and I'm curious where her head's at now

9. Will- I'm curious about the "rock star" life he leads and to see if things are turning out the way he hoped they would back in the day

10. Laura- again, someone who fell be the wayside and has managed to find me and I'm curious about her world

the life of Kevin

2008-06-22T08:15:00.000-06:00

Things around here are going really well, Sytil finished her dissertation yesterday and it's almost 450 pages long! That's almost three times longer than normal, but she's done so much research that she needed to get it all out there. Right now we're kind of in a holding pattern. We don't want to pack up too much of the house now, but are also worried about letting time run away from us. We celebrated our 9th anniversary on Thursday and wondered where the time has gone, but decided that they've been mostly good years so far and are looking forward to many more together. We'll see, I always tease her and tell her I'm going to trade her in for a younger model, but it's all in good fun. I think that's all I know from out here and I hope things are all right in your end of the world.

Skiing in June

2008-06-20T09:38:00.001-06:00

I thought that you guys might get a kick out of this. On the front page of today's paper there's an article about the skiing that people are doing still. Bridger Bowl, the resort just outside of town, recorded 397 inches of snow by April 13th this year! Mid-May they were still recording 88 inches of snow on the mountain and last week, there was still over 33 inches! They're predicting there will still be enough to ski on into August! Pretty crazy. Just thought that some of you might get a better picture of MT with that little tidbit.

The Junkie needs his fix

2008-06-15T09:12:00.001-06:00

I'm really going to miss it here when I leave. The quiet, the mountains, the rivers, the people, it's a good place to be and Manhattan, KS will have to be pretty damn impressive to keep up. I was reading an article online about the flooding in Cedar Rapids, where most of my family now lives, and it reminded me of things I missed about the Midwest. People pulling together as a community to help each other, knowing that if they needed help, others would be there for them. I remember filling sandbags in Andalusia in '93, walking the dikes, handing out food, the amazing turnout of people from all over to help. Their houses were safe up on top of the hill, but their friends and neighbors were threatened so there they were. We were definitely blessed to grow up in a place that had that sense of community and togetherness and I want to make sure that wherever I end up, my kids, when I have them, will have that same sense of belonging and community.

The rivers here are starting to slowly go down, but it'll probably be a couple of weeks unitl they are really fishable, and I'm really freaking out. I'm like some kind of addict, jonesing for my next fix. It doesn't help that I just read an article about fly fishing alpine lakes. The author had an interesting take on fishing and I'll close with a quote from the article.

"Fishing is one of the outdoor activities that can actually foster epiphanies-those rare moments of lucidity where one catches a glimpse of totality, its meaning, and one's place within it. 'Yes. I see it. I feel it,' you announce to everyone, and to no one. It's as if you're wired into the universe, feeling its pulse, flowing through its veins in an uninterrupted stream of energy. And then, like a passing memory or a mild bout of melancholy, it slips away, leaving only a vague and indescribable feeling, and a hope for its return. So you keep fishing, and you wait.

"

a survey of a different color

2008-06-14T10:52:00.000-06:00

1. How do you define "love"?
the emotion I feel toward my family and friends

2. What's one thing in your life you could never sacrifice?
my marriage

3. Do you believe that good always wins in the end?
unfortunately no, but that doesn't mean that good should ever give up

4. What is the perfect moment?
the one where you're surrounded by family and friends

5. If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
the vast discrepanies in wealth/resources

6. What's something you're passionate about?
helping people/community

7. What does "being vunerable" mean to you? Does that ever describe you?
not being closed off emotionally, it perfectly describes me

8. What are you afraid of?
not being a good man/husband/father

9. What's something you should be afraid of, but aren't?
terrorism, if it happens, it happens

10. What's the best sound in the world?
my wife telling me she loves me

11. Could you take a life to save somebody you love?
without question

12. Is there anyone you would die for?
my friends and my family

13. What do you daydream about?
the outdoors, fishing, hunting

14. If you could do anything and make a career out of it, what would it be?
helping people, I love working with Habitat for Humanity

15. Why do looks matter?
basic laws of attraction

16. What do you want people to say about you at your funeral?
that I was a good man/husband/father/friend

17. What's your best quality?
my desire to help others

18. What's your worst attribute?
my lack of motivation

19. What's the worst pain you've ever experienced?
cutting myself with a table saw

20. Are you making a difference in the world?
I'm sure trying hard

and then this one time......

2008-06-08T09:47:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure where I'm going with that, but there it is anyway. I hope that all of you are doing well and that the weather is behaving better there than here. It actually snowed the other day for a couple of minutes. It's acutally snowing on the mountains here right now, an it's June! Pretty crazy stuff, but in MT it truly can snow any month of the year here, and it has. I've even seen 4th of July fireworks in a snowstorm. All I can say is they were pretty amazing.

Past the crappy weather, not much happening out this way. Just kind of in a holding pattern, waiting for things to really get going in another couple of weeks. I put in my vacation request and will be taking the last two weeks of July and the first week or so of August off. I'm really looking forward to the time off and getting up to Glacier and maybe even down to Yellowstone a couple of times. My buddy Dave is coming out for a week, then I move Sy to KS, and the last week of my vacation my mom will be out for a visit. I'm no seeing too much relaxation occurring on my time off, but at least I won't be at work. Take care friends and we'll talk to you later.

Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo

2008-06-01T11:57:00.000-06:00

Another Bloodhound Gang song. I rediscovered my love of this band recently, cursed youtube.

Things are going pretty well in my world right now. Sy and I got approved for a sweet apartment in KS, with two pools and a 24 hour fitness center for the residents. I also got hooked up with a furnished apartment here for after Sy moves down there. Her thesis is coming along ahead of schedule and things are looking good from here.

I got to do something fun on my days off. My neighbor paid me to tear a deck off the back of her house in preparation for a new one going on. It went well and I even got a new sawz-all out of the deal, so I was jacked.
New power tools rock!

Besides that, I've been sick as a dog the past few days. Just some sort of weird stomach thing, but irritating nontheless. Starting to feel a little human, but it turns out I lost about seven pounds and I'm hoping to keep those off. I started weight lifting and running again, which always sucks, but I'm hoping with the jumpstart of weight loss, I can stay on the wagon a little better and make it down to my goal of 200. We'll see. Hope to hear from all of you when you get a chance.

Change we can believe in!

2008-05-24T08:57:00.001-06:00

Barack Obama had a rally in Bozeman on Monday, and I was there! It was pretty amazing with over 7500 people in attendance. It was hell for law enforcement so I had a busy day at the office, but hearing him speak was worth it. I'm told that it's the first time that presidential candidates have campaigned in MT for a long time. Usually, by the time that MT would have it's primaries, June 3rd, everything had already been decided. We're actually the last primary in the nation, so it's nice to matter for once. Bill Clinton is actually coming to campus today to speak, but they're expecting a much smaller turnout for him. I'd go but someone has to hold down the fort here.

In other news, I managed to get out and play a round of golf, and while the course had some flooding from the spring runoff, it really didn't affect things too much unless you hit it out of bounds. Beyond that, nothing much new to report, Sy is working frantically on her thesis and I'm just trying to support her as best I can.

Where's my head at?

2008-05-18T12:02:00.001-06:00

I don’t know what’s going on in my head right now, but I’m just sitting here at work listening to Staind songs and crying. Don’t really know why, things in my world are actually going very well. My finger’s almost back to normal, the wife’s thesis is coming along faster than I thought it would, and our relationship is going wonderfully. Maybe it’s just the stress of everything happening at once, maybe I’m just tired. Who knows? I’m just glad I’m in the office alone so I can pull myself together without any questions.

Don’t really know why I told all of you about that, so just go ahead and ignore it and we’ll move on. You know, I’m just going to get back to this later. A fresh start and all that.

Big news!

2008-05-09T10:42:00.001-06:00

Disclaimer:
I decided to set things up so I post my blog entries here(myspace) and on my regular blog www.collectednothingness.blogspot.com so that my friends who don't have myspace accounts don't get shorted, but you aren't forced to go to another site to keep up with my world.

So the big news in my world is that my wife accepted a job at Kansas State University doing post-doctoral research in physics education. She's really excited about it and will be doing something she really enjoys, just a shame it has to be in Kansas. The job starts around August 1st, but I'll probably be in Bozeman until at least mid-September, if not later. I guess this is my way of letting all of you know that if you want to see MT on the cheap, time is running out.

In more personal news, last Wednesday I tried to put a router blade through my right middle finger. I managed to miss the bones and while the finger is still the same length as when I started, it is missing a little flesh out of the middle. It's healing fast and soon it'll be back to normal, but I wouldn't recommend any of you trying it any time soon. For those of you keeping track, that's one table saw through the end of my left index finger in December and the router blade through my right middle finger in April. Let's see if I can't have better luck in my future, or my wife will replace all my tools with Bob the Builder stuff.

It's the waiting....

2008-04-26T09:55:00.002-06:00

that's driving me crazy. I know that we won't hear whether my wife got the job at K State for another couple of weeks, but I'm finding it hard to be patient. I really think it's just the idea of being here in limbo that drives me crazy. It's really hard to make any future plans when you don't know where you might be for that future.

I'm loving the myspace page I made, mostly because it's allowed me to connect with a few people that seemed to have fallen off the face of the earth. It's pretty cool to catch up with them and to see where life has taken them.

I had a good time on Thursday helping out with the Special Olympics. They had put out a call looking for law enforcement people to hand out ribbons and help with the events, so I got a chance to do that. I highly recommend doing it if you get the chance, if for no other reason, because it means so much to the athletes. The joy and pride that I saw on their faces is something beautiful to behold and I'm glad that I was there to witness it. I'm looking forward to doing it again in some capacity, but never as a competitor.

Past that, really haven't been up to a whole lot. Cleaned out my shop a bit and have been getting ready to work on a couple projects hanging over my head. Thinking that I should probably get back in the gym before I gain more weight back, but am still below 240, so doing okay. Take care and I'll catch you guys later.

Quickie

2008-04-19T12:23:00.002-06:00

Think fast survey
Finish the sentence...

1. My ex is..
completely insane.

2. I am listening to..
the Venture Brothers intro music

3. Maybe I should..
get off my ass and do something productive

4. I love..
my wife.

5. My best friend(s)...
are super cool

6. I don't understand...
most of my wife's research.

7. I lost....
my sunglasses.

8. People say...
lots of stupid shit

10. Love is...
the only thing that keeps me sane.

11. Somewhere someone is...
taking a crap

12. I will always...
be there for my friends.

13. Forever seems...
incomprehensible.

14. I never want to...
disappoint.

15. I want..
a decent job

16. When I wake up in the morning...
I try to ignore the alarm.

17. I get annoyed when...
projects don't come together like they're supposed to.

18. Parties...
there's only so muh time to go to all of them.

19. My pet is...
somewhere in my future.

20. Kisses are best when...
they're not expected.

21. Today I...
watched cartoons at work until after noon.

22. Tomorrow I will...
maybe get some real work done.

Have you kissed anyone over 16?
does it occur to the people making these surveys that there might be people over the age of 12 filling them out?!?!?!

How is your day going?
moo

Who was the last person you talked to on AIM?
don't use it

Last words you spoke?
I love you (to my wife)

Have you ever kissed anyone who's name started with an M?
Megan, Marietta, I'm sure there's more

How do you feel about gay marriage?
marry whoever makes you happy

Can you play guitar hero?
never tried

Do you prefer warm or cold weather?
meh

Do you "play" outside?
what am i, 4?

What do you currently hear right now?
the police scanner, Venture Brothers cartoon, Long, Black American Car on the radio

What do you think your best friends are doing right now?
working, bicycling, fly fishing

How old do you think you will be when you finally have kids?
my early thirties, 32 ish

Where is your number one person on your friends list?
slacking off after work

Do you feel like dancing?
no

How much money do you have on you?
none

Do you speak another language other than English?
maybe

What made you happy today?
waking up to my wife holding me

What did you do today?
woke up, came to work, filled out survey and watched cartoons

Who is the first person you think of when someone asks you who you like?
I don't get the question

Who was the last friend in your house?
Jack

Is there someone you want to fight?
the system

What color shirt were you wearing when your last kiss took place?
orange, white, and tan plaid

What is the closest black thing to you?
my shirt, my people?

What are you thinking about right now?
I'm hungry

What were you doing an hour ago?
watching cartoons and looking at fly fishing gear online

What does your last message in your inbox say?
that would require me to look, and i don't feel like it

Where were you friday night?
at home, waiting for my wife's flight to get in

Do you wear your seatbelt in the car?
yep

Has anyone ever mistaken you for someone else?
yes, but I don't know who they think I am

What's something you really want right now, be honest?
to be happy

What's the closest diamond-covered object?
probably some sorority girl's cell phone somewhere on campus

Sometimes, do you wish you were someone else?
not really

What is the weather like today?
it's supposed to snow, a lot

Have you ever had braces?
yep

Who are you currently frustrated with?
my department for not hurrying up with the raise they promised

What color looks best on you?
any color except bright orange

Do you make wishes at 11:11?
of course

Is it spring yet?

2008-04-19T09:52:00.003-06:00

So we're expecting up to eight inches of snow in the next 36 hours and the high tomorrow is only 28 degrees. It's really irritating at this point, but it guarantees that the fire season should be pretty short, if we have one, and keeps the rivers nice and high so that the fishing will be great this year. I'm trying to stay positive about it, but I'm really wanting it to be green and not white outside.

So my wife flew down to Kansas State this week and interviewed for a post-doctoral position. We'll have to see how that went and if we're going to be Midwest bound. I know that some of you would like that, as we'd be closer to you, but you'll lose your ability to come to MT and get a guided tour of the mountains. It's kind of sad that we've been out here almost nine years and, aside from family, no one has made it out this way. We'd love to see all of you and would like to share our beautiful state with you, but our time is probably getting short, so get your reservations in soon.

I managed to get out fishing on Wednesday and while I didn't run into another moose, I did see an otter fishing and when he left the river he had a fish in his mouth. Pretty cool. I even caught about six or seven trout, which were my first for the year. It was fun and I'm pretty close to staying on track for my resolution to fish at least fifty days this year. Sy tells me that there are even trout streams near the campus in KS, so if we move, I wouldn't have to give up fly fishing.

She's gonna eat me!!!

2008-04-13T11:22:00.002-06:00

Well, I doubt that she'd eat me, as she's a herbivore, but the moose I stumbled on sure scared the shit out of me. I should probably start at the beginning. I was fly fishing Wednesday on the Gallatin River, just outside of Gallatin Gateway, and I heard something in the brush next to the river. I looked over and not fifteen yards from me is this huge moose, just looking at me. I was extremely surprised to see a moose as I thought it'd be a deer or something, but there it was. It ws probably just as surprised to see me and we just stood there for a couple of minutes staring at each other. I decided that I should probably create some space between us as moose do not particulary like people, so I crossed the river and just sat on the bank watching her for awhile. I eventually got back to fishing, but kept a close eye on what she was up to, to make sure she didn't decide to cross the river too.

Aside from that, nothing much new has been happening in my world. My wife is heading down to Manhattan, KS on Wednesday to interview for a job at Kansas State, so we're hoping for good news on that front. I know many of you in IL/IA would love for us to move closer, but I really didn't want to move back to the Midwest. This job would only be a one or two year post, so we wouldn't have to stay there forever, but even two years away from the mountains will be hard.

On the fitness front, I didn't manage to break below 235 last week, and I doubt that I'll hit it this week. I haven't been able to work out because I messed up my knee shooting hoops and am kind of waiting for that to stop hurting before I get back into it. I did go to a doctor last week and got a complete physical and had him check out my knee. He doesn't think I did anything too terrible to it and was able to give me some good news as well. I had my cholesterol checked as well as some other blood tests and it turns out that my cholesterol is really good an that I'm in pretty good shape overall. I just need to work on my fitness some more and drop the rest of my weight and I'll be golden. Wish me luck and I hope all is well in your worlds.

The most brutal coffee commercial ever!

2008-04-12T08:21:00.002-06:00

Lyrics

Duncan Hills Jingle

Do you folks like coffee?
Real coffee
From the Hills
Of Colombia

The Duncan Hills will wake you
From a thousand deaths
A cup of blackened blood
(Die, die)
You're dying for a cup

Guatemala blend
Ethiopian
French vanilla roast
(Die, die)
You're dying for a cup

Prepare for ultimate flavor
You're gonna get some now
And scream for your cream

Duncan Hills
Duncan Hills
Duncan Hills

BusinessTime indeed

2008-04-12T08:11:00.001-06:00

New Year's resolutions revisited

2008-04-06T10:29:00.003-06:00

I decided to start a new post so that the last was a stand-alone and it hopefully won't get lost in the updates.

So it's April and I thought that I'd check in on my resolutions and see where I'm at so far and to set a new time-table as needed. (the resolutions in italics, the excuses in regular)

1. Get down to 200 pounds by my anniversary (6/19/08). Well, I'm at just over 236 right now, which means that I'd have to lose just over three pounds a week from here on out. I don't think that I can hit that, but I'm thinking that I can definitely get below 220. I'll keep you posted on that as always, if for no other reason it keeps me accountable.

2. Finish the x-mas presents for my friends by the end of January. In my defense, I was scared to go into my shop for a long time after my run-in with the table saw and I still haven't spent too much time in there, partly due to fear, but also because it's been freezing cold and I don't have a heated shop. Not really an excuse, but there it is. I do need to get back on track with those or I'll be able to give them as presents for next year which wouldn't be good.

3. Finish my boat by May 1st. Now this one may still be possible, but I should probably finish the x-mas presents first.

4. Try to fly fish at least one a week for the whole year (or at least fifty times). Well, I've been out four times already this year and am looking forward to the summer when I can really get after it, so I think that this one is still on track.

5. Pass the police physical test by July 1st. (not neccessarily for employment) I think that I'm doing all right with this one, need to run more, but the yoga is helping with my core strength and I think that I'll be ready by this date, maybe once it gets nice out I'll run a test physical and post my results.

6. Put two months salary in savings by June 1st. I'm looking good on this one and I'm hoping to hit this number right on schedule.

7. Do everything in my power to help my wife graduate in May. Now this is an interesting one. My wife will not be graduating in May, more like July, but I wonder if I've accomplished what I set out to do on this one. It's so hard to gauge if I'm helping my wife or not. How do I help? Do I push her harder? Do I try to get her to relax more? Threaten her labmates? Bribe her committee? I really have no idea, but I worry that I'm not helping and can't figure out what I should be doing. They really need to write a book about this to help the spouses out on this. Maybe that's what I'll do, write an instruction manual for the spouses of graduate degree seeking students. Brilliant!

8. Throw the best graduation party ever for my wife (May 10th). As we've discussed, graduation has been pushed back a little bit, but the party will still be ridiculous whenever it happens and I promise to post an invite here for all of you.

So it looks like I haven't really hit all any of my goals really, but I'm still working on them which is more than most people can say by this time of year. Hope that you're still hitting your resolutions and if you've given up, start over now, no need to wait 'til next year.

An amazing speech

2008-04-06T10:23:00.002-06:00

I just had the opportunity of watching one of the best, most motivational, heart-wrenching speeches I've ever seen. It was much like an Obama speech in that it moved me and inspired me, but it was in many ways more powerful. Keep in mind that the video is about eighty minutes long, so watch it when you have time to, but make the time and make sure that it's the only thing going on, even if it means locking yourself in a closet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

I'm not going to get all morbid or maudlin, but I wanted to tell all of you how much of an effect you have had on my life. I'm so very lucky to have friends like you and I want you to know that you have made me the person I am today, so really, it's all your fault.

Another brick in the wall

2008-04-05T14:29:00.003-06:00

A hearty congrats go out to Big Mike and wife on their announcement of an upcoming baby! Traitor. Just one more in a long line of friends starting families. I know it's that time in our lives guys, but seriously, I'm scared as hell about starting a family and all of you that are doing it are just putting more pressure on me to get started. The wife will be finishing grad school in the next couple of months and once we figure out where we're going, I think that a baby will be on the way. I'm really okay with starting a family, just scared. Scared of being a bad dad, of screwing up someone else's life, of being too selfish to give up my current life for the next one. I see some of my great friends and how amazing they are as parents and worry that I won't be able to step up to that level. Maybe I'm just scared of "growing up" and I just need to put on my big boy pants and stop whining.

Anyway, I haven't really been up to too much out here, mainly because it keeps snowing! It's supposed to snow basically all next week, and while it's good for the rivers and forests, it's starting to get a little old. I'd like to start golfing and to do a bit more fly fishing without freezing my butt off. On a positive note, I lost four pounds from last week and I'm now within a pound or so of 235. I haven't weighed this little in quite some time, maybe eight years, so I'm pretty jacked about that and am hoping to get down to 220 by my anniversary. Not much more to say now, but I might post more tomorrow.

If you're going to ride my ass.......

2008-03-29T07:29:00.005-06:00

at least pull my hair. This is a bumper sticker on the back of a girl's truck here on campus. It's so funny, seeing this really sexual sticker on the back of this big truck with MT plates. Somehow the truck makes it funnier to me, almost because you expect a guy to get out of it, I guess.

I haven't really been up to too much.I took the week off from working for Habitat forHumanity because my back was so screwed up I could barely tie my shoes. I'm just not smart enough to stop when I start hurting. I have to try to work through it and end up hurting myself more. I'm feeling much better after a few days rest and an hour long massage by a professional. I'm going to go back to the site on Wednesday, but I'm going to try to take it a little easier and see if I can do it without hurting myself again.

I'm planning on getting back into the gym now and see if, since I've given myself a couple of weeks off, I can get back into the groove of things. I'm still slowly losing weight and I'm almost down to 235, only 35 pounds more to go! We'll see how the layoff will affect my runs.

My friend D is trying to convince me that I need a MySpace page. Now granted, most of my friends have one, so I'd be able to keep in touch with them, but I feel that it'd just be one more thing for me to ignore, like email. That's the whole reason I started this blog, so I could update everyone on my world without telling the same story ten times. I'll have to look into it a little closer, but maybe if I just had a page with a link to this blog, I could probably handle that. Let me know if any of you have any thoughts about it and I'll talk to you soon.

Crazy Pickle Mustache Man

2008-03-16T07:18:00.002-06:00

So, I did take off early on Monday and went fly fishing for a couple of hours. I had a good time, the weather was gorgeous, but I didn't catch anything. That's all right, but eventually I'd like to get back into catching fish, instead of just casting for a couple of hours. I've been tying flies in preparation for the summer months and am looking forward to when it stays light longer so that I can go after work for a couple of hours. Just for the record, I have a couple of extra rods and reels, and enough flies to outfit a small guide service, so feel free to come out and give it a try. This summer, I can practically guarantee that I'll put you into fish and you can get a temporary fishing license out here pretty cheap.

I went back and worked on the Habitat for Humanity site on Wednesday. We were laying the sheeting for the floor and I had a pretty good time. The only bad thing was that I fell really hard about twenty minutes after getting on the site. I was helping move sheeting from the trailer onto the foundation when I got tangled in some plastic and went down. I hurt the hell out of my knee, but was able to get up and work all day. I got home though and couldn't move my head because my neck and shoulders were so messed up. A hot shower didn't help and I couldn't get out of bed the next morning. I felt bad about it because I planned on working on the site the next day, but I couldn't move. My wife rubbed my neck and shoulders with IcyHot for the next two nights and I feel much better, with only some slight stiffness, but I was pretty bad for awhile.

Past that, I haven't been up to much. Just wasting my days at the job and spending time with the wife, which has been nice. I think that we really need to take a couple of days and just escape to somewhere, but I'm so short-handed at work I can't take any vacation time and she's so close to done with her PhD, she'll not go anywhere until it's finished. I really need to win the lottery. Anyway, I hope all is well in your worlds and I hope to hear from you soon.

Random thoughts

2008-03-10T10:04:00.003-06:00

Few things in this world are probably better than the Rockridge bonfires of our youth. Hayrack rides, ridiculously large fires that probably could be seen from space, burnt on the outside, cold on the inside hotdogs, flaming marshmallows of death, hooded sweatshirts full of hay the next morning, knowing that everyone at the fire has known you since before you were you. God I miss that. October, 2006

I wrote this in response to a post on a good friend's blog. I was bored this weekend, so I started reading her blog from the beginning and found some amazing posts by her, absolute poetry. I also read all the comments and found this one. The thing is, I can still see all of this in my mind, still smell the smoke and see the people that helped raised and sustain me. I don't know why this jumped out at me like it did, but there it is anyway.

Other thoughts:

As much as my wife and I talk, I still wish she had a blog I could go to, to learn about her thoughts, dreams, etc. I just think when writing things down, you're better able to just live in that moment with complete honesty, not worrying about anybody/anything.

For that matter, I wish I did a better job of living in the moment when posting. Might make what I say mean more, without the filters.

Come to think of it, all of you need a blog, even if you never give out the address to anyone. If for no other reason than to pour your heart and mind out in front of you and see what's going on in there. (I suppose a journal would work just as well, I just type a lot faster than I write and am better able to keep up with my brain.)

Moo.

I'd like nothing better than to take the rest of the day off and fly fish. It's sunny and supposed to be 55 degrees here. The mountains are still covered in snow and it's just too pretty of a day to be working. (or at least stuck in the office)

I love all of you and I wish you were here so that we could spend the day together, enjoying the scenery and the opportunity to hook each other out on the river.

I'm sooo bored!

2008-03-09T14:27:00.002-06:00

I think my computer just told me we've hit the end of the internet. It's a freakin' gorgeous day outside, and here I sit, trying to not to start making up calls for my lone officer to go out on. Every once in awhile you have to do that, or they get complacent. I was seriously thinking about trying to send out emails to everyone in my contact list, but decided I didn't have it in me right now, and with nothing really going on in my world, it would mostly be a list of questions about your worlds and the happenings in them. So instead, I'll just randomly ramble on about things that are going through my head. No, I won't, that might start to get really weird and I have a feeling that it will start to come around on itself and in the end I'll actually say nothing, kind of like this post.

The unfortunate truth about polling

2008-03-09T10:09:00.002-06:00

Habitat for Humanity

2008-03-08T12:32:00.003-07:00

On Wednesday and Thursday this past week, I got to work on a jobsite for Habitat for Humanity. They're currently building a duplex in Bozeman with plans for another two in the same block. While I was there, we installed almost all of the floor joists for both halves and started laying down the sheeting for the first floor. It was really a good time and I learned quite a bit from the guys working there. I'm planning on going back this coming week and for as long as they'll have me. I think it will be pretty cool to have a hand in giving a family a home, plus I'm sure that I'll keep picking up little tips about various aspects of the project and be able to carry it over to all of the building that I do. If any of you have a chance, give it a try, if only for a day. You might find that helping on a project like this can be really rewarding.

I haven't been up to much else. Still working out and trying to get the last of the weight off. I actually gained two pounds this past week to put me back on the wrong side of 240, but I expect to lose that and more back this week. We'll see, but until then take care.

Things are looking up!

2008-03-01T11:50:00.002-07:00

I did it! I finally broke out of the 240's! I weighed in at WW on Tuesday at 239.0, which is the lightest I've been in a very long time. I'm hoping to keep up the weight loss as I've lost almost six pounds in the last three weeks. Apparently all of the yoga and working out are starting to make a difference.

In other news, I'm not sure why the server ate my picture, but I'll dig up another and replace it. It wasn't a great picture of me, just a recent one. If nothing else, I'll have Sy shoot a new picture of me and we'll post that one.

Sy and I went to an artist reception at a gallery downtown. It was for an artist whose work I've been admiring for awhile, and it was pretty cool to get a chance to talk with her about her work. We bought a print of one of my favorite works and had a nice evening out. It was nice to hobnob with the "beautiful people" and pretend to be yuppies for the night. Aside from that, not much else new around here.

Looking good!

2008-02-25T16:12:00.003-07:00

What a great day!

2008-02-24T14:15:00.003-07:00

I'm even at work, but having a great day. I've been playing email tag with a couple of friends in IL and it's been wonderful to start a dialogue with them. It's interesting because somewhere in the mess, we all were working on kind of the same issue without really realizing it initially. Their insight, as always, has been incredibly valuable and also has allowed me to gain a very special perspective on certain issues that were hanging over me. Good times. These friends are two of the nearest and dearest to my heart and I'm so happy that they're still in my world. Eventually they'll have to make the pilgrimage out to the land of Big Sky, though one already has, about ten years ago. I promise that this time there will be much less weirdness and much more adventure. They better hurry though, my time here is getting shorter and shorter as the wife progresses in her quest for the elusive PhD. Take care.

How the race plays out

2008-02-24T09:39:00.000-07:00

Holy crap!

2008-02-23T09:58:00.002-07:00

I was checking a couple of things out on my blog and it's been three years to the day since I started this little experiment. It's weird that something that I wasn't sure I wanted to do, turned out to be the best way to keep in touch with me, or at least with what's going on in my world. I'm so bad at keeping up with emails, but I've somehow managed to keep up with this. Hopefully I'll continue to stick with this blog for another few years and more importantly keep in touch with all of you.

How I've been feeling lately

2008-02-23T09:37:00.002-07:00

The thing is, this is an almost three year old picture I found that a buddy sent me. It kind of sums up how things have been going lately. I'll have to find a current picture of myself to catch all of you up on my current look.

I'm not exactly sure....

2008-02-22T10:49:00.002-07:00

what's going on with my head lately. I tried last week to write a post about Valentine's Day, and I started about three of them without ever really feeling like I was saying anything. Weird. Anyway, Valentine's was good and we move on.

I haven't been sleeping well recently, which is irritating, and it's really affecting my moods. I've been working out alot, which usually helps, but I've just been really moody/bitchy the last couple of days. I even went out fly fishing on Wednesday for about four hours and that didn't help. Weird. The weather has been gorgeous the last week or so, sunny/clear and mid-forties. Not sure what's going on.

I've been having weird dreams, which I've been remembering, which is really unusual for me. One dream was so vivid it kept me up for a couple of hours and really freaked me out. Maybe this is why I never remember my dreams. I actually had two dreams that night and the second one was almost like a flashback of all the times I treated a wonderful friend of mine poorly. I'm lucky that I don't have the internet at my house or else she'd have gotten a really rambling, incoherent email about how sorry I am for....... basically everything. I'm not even sure if she still reads the blog, but if she does, well, I hope she knows. On second thought, I might end up sending an email, just in case.

Yoga is hard.

2008-02-10T14:22:00.000-07:00

So I started taking a yoga class this past week and I had forgotten how hard it was. I went a couple of times about two years ago and liked it, but had a hard time fitting it into my schedule, but I'm going to try and stick to it this time. I really think that this will help me with my fitness goals and adds a little something to my program. Before I was just lifting and running, but with yoga thrown in there, I'm definitely getting a full body work out. Past that, I really haven't been doing too much. I'm hoping to be below 240 this week when I weigh in and am planning to spend a nice night at home with my wife on Valentine's, so nothing too much planned for this week either. I hope all of you are well and I hope to hear from you soon.

Super Bowl!!!

2008-02-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

The best and worst day of the year for NFL fans. The best day because it's the biggest game of the year, but the worst because it is the last game for six months. It feels so good while watching the game, but then when it's over, you realize that that was it until August. Few things can fill this void. March Madness helps and sometimes the NBA finals are good, but golf and NASCAR just can't fill the void. Baseball doesn't even come into the conversation because unless you're actually at the game, it's way too boring.

I guess luckily for me, I live in MT and in the spring and summer I have the whole outdoors to keep me occupied. Unfortunately, I gave up downhill skiing a couple of years ago, and haven't taken up cross country skiing to replace it yet. Maybe that's what I need do to fill the hole. I have a pair of snowshoes, so I should probably get those out as well and see the mountains a little closer this winter. Get a new perspective on where I live. I hope that all of you have a good Super Sunday and vote for Obama on Super Tuesday! Take care.

A series of nows

2008-01-27T10:12:00.000-07:00

My friend M put it best when she recently described her blog as a series of nows. I agree with this idea and it makes it a whole lot easier to keep upp with posting if I keep in mind that I don't have to recap my past weeks or even days, but just post about what's currently going on in my head. On that note.....

Barack Obama won SC!!! I'm so jacked about that, I can't even begin to describe it. I truly despise Hillary Clinton and her quest for the presidency which seems predicated on saying whatever it takes to get ahead. It's not just that Obama won, but that he won by such a huge margin. Let's hope that Super Tuesday goes the same way and that Hillary drops out of the race.

What else? I got back in the saddle and started doing some woodworking the other day. I just built a new drawer for my boss's grandson, but it felt good to get back in there and I think it helped calm some of my nervousness about cutting myself again. The drawer turned out perfectly and I'm currently contracted to build a replacement drawer for my neighbor and I still have the x-mas presents to finish. We mustn't forget the big project, my boat, waiting in the wings to be finished. Plenty to do.

On the work-out/weight loss front, things have been going well. I upped my bench to 135, which isn't a lot, but is more than I've ever lifted as a working weight. I think I'd max out at around 175-180, but I haven't tried it in awhile. My runs are still coming around slowly, but I'm sticking with it and am hoping to see some gains in the next month or so. I'm hoping to get back to below 240 this week and will be jacked if that occurs, but if not, well, it 's a process. Take care my friends and I'll talk to you soon.

I need a vacation

2008-01-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

Things have been pretty crazy in my world lately, but I don't feel like writing about it yet, but I did want to post something, so I found one of those questionnaires about yourself that a friend had sent me, so I thought I'd fill that out and update you later:

1. What time did you get up this morning? about 7:30
2. Diamonds or pearls? Montana sapphires
3. What is your favorite TV show? Biggest Loser, Amazing Race (the only two shows I watch)
4. What do you usually have for breakfast? Diet Mt Dew or Diet Pepsi
5. Favorite cuisine? Midwest (comfort food at its finest, cheese, potatoes, and meat)
6. What is your middle name? Danger (actually Michael)
7. What food do you dislike? anything good for me
8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Aenima by Tool
9. What kind of car do you drive? 1995 Dodge Dakota Extended Cab or a 1999 Honda Civic
10. Favorite sandwich? Subway's Feast (trying to eat healthier)
11. What characteristic do you despise? in others, dishonesty in myself, laziness
12. Favorite item of clothing? my tan suit, makes me feel important when I put it on
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? New Zealand
14. What color is your bathroom? institutional white
15. Favorite brand of clothing? Carhart (I'm a guy in MT)
16. Where would you retire to? West Glacier MT
17. What was your most recent memorable birthday? my 30th, mellow time with good friends and football
18. Favorite sport to watch? NFL followed closely by college football
19. Furthest place you are sending this? wherever my blog servers are
20. Favorite saying? I love you (to my wife) AlabamaCrab Dangle to the world at large
21. When is your birthday? Veteran's Day
22. Are you a morning or night person? Night
23. What is your shoe size? 12
24. Pets? my wife has 2 cats
25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? I lost six pounds last week!!!
26. What did you want to be when you were little? a paleontologist or aerospace engineer
27. How are you today? a little sore and a little tired
28. What is your favorite candy? Afternoon Delight (we'll see who gets this)
29. What is your favorite flower? the Lavonda rose (lavender rose that smells like oranges)
30. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? May 10th (Sy's graduation)
31. What church do you attend? N/A
32. What is your full name? Kevin Danger Murphy
33. What are you listening to right now? the Moose 95.1
34. What was the last thing you ate? General Tso's chicken last night
35. Do you wish on stars? just the falling ones
36. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Neon Pink, it's a stupid question, so it gets a stupid answer
37. How is the weather right now? 35 and cloudy
38. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Bozeman Police officer
39. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Indeed. Mad props to M
40. Favorite soft drink? Mountain Dew
41. Favorite restaurant? Old Chicago, huge beer selection and great pizza
42. Hair color? light brown, what's left
43. Siblings? 2 sisters and a brother
44. Favorite day of the year? Thanksgiving (football and feasting)
45. What was your favorite toy as a child? Legos
46. Summer or winter? winter
47. Hugs or kisses? yes
48. Chocolate or vanilla? neither
49. Do you want your friends to email you back? yes, for the love of God yes!
50. When was the last time you cried? many of you may not know this, but I'm like an old woman, I cry all the damn time, this made me cry this morning
http://www.youtube.com/v/ervaMPt4Ha0&autoplay=1

51. What is under your bed? probably a cat or two and pictures that aren't hung up
52. Who is the friend you have had the longest? Shawn
53. What did you do last night? watched football and ate Chinese take-out, rested from the day
54. Favorite smell? the smell of the mountains after a rain
55. What are you afraid of? not being the man others think I am or could be, being a bad father
56. Plain, buttered, or salted popcorn? The last two, because what's one without the other
57. How many keys are on your key ring? seven
58. How many years at your current job? six and a half (too many)
59. Favorite day of the week? Sunday, that's when the NFL is on
60. How many towns have you lived in? 5
61. Do you make friends easily? yes, but keeping them is sometimes hard
62. How many people will you be sending this to? however many read my blog

Juno

2008-01-05T14:50:00.000-07:00

Normally I don't pimp my blog out to advertise anything, but I went to a movie with my wife last night and it was wonderful. I highly recommend that you go out and see Juno. I really think that it is one of the better movies I've seen in quite some time.

I was going to go duck hunting on Thursday morning, but when I got out to where I wanted to hunt, I fell in the river. I went home and changed and decided that I'd go fly fishing instead. I was out for a couple of hours, but didn't catch anything. I had a good time anyway and I'm glad I started off the year right.

With the start of the new year, I'm hoping to get back in the swing of working out and eating right. I was doing so well for awhile, but I've had a couple of setbacks, and I need to get back to the program. I hope all of you had a good holiday season and that the new year treats you right.

New Year's resolutions

2007-12-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

Looking back at my prior end of the year posts, I don't see that I've ever posted a resolution's list. We'll have to do something about that this year. I read somewhere that when making resolutions you should always put some sort of time restraint or end date with them, so we'll try it this year.

1. Get down to 200 pounds by my anniversary (6/19/08).
2. Finish the X-mas presents for my friends by the end of January.
3. Finish my boat by May 1st.
4. Try to fly fish at least once a week for the whole year (or at least 50 times).
5. Pass the police physical test by July 1st. (not necessarily for employment)
6. Put two months salary in savings by June 1st.
7. Do everything in my power to help my wife graduate in May.
8. Throw the best graduation party ever for my wife (May 10th).

I'm sure that there are some things that I am forgetting, so hopefully you guys will remind me, and feel free to post your resolutions here. Maybe together we can make them happen. Hope that 2007 was a good year for all of you and that 2008 will be better.

Hot Banana Glory

2007-12-29T08:32:00.000-07:00

This phrase has recently made it's way into my vocabulary. It's actually the title of a recipe I found in a WW cookbook I gave my wife for X-mas, but I decided it sounded just ambiguous enough to really mess with people's heads. Just think about your initial reaction, and then have fun with it.

I got the stitches out of my finger on Wednesday, but the doctor says it'll probably be about a month before it gets back to normal. He said it might be as long as two months before everything looks normal again. Good times, but at least I didn't actually lose anything.

I hope that all of you had a great x-mas and that Santa brought you everything that you wanted. I got a new table saw, and while it wasn't necessarily my table saw's fault, I definitely think it had something to do with my accident. I also picked up some new fly fishing waders and am looking to this spring when I can use them.

I'm working on a New Year's resolution's list, but I'll post that later. Thanks to all of you who posted comments. It really helps me stay on top of this if I know that people other than me are reading this.

Table saw, Emergency room, and Late X-mas Presents

2007-12-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

What are three things that Kevin hates?

I'll let you think on that for a sec..... In case you haven't figured it out, I recently cut myself with my table saw while making x-mas presents for my friends. I still have all of my fingers, and they're even all the same length, with the assistance of stitches. I just cut my left index finger on the tip, but it took most of my fingernail off. It hurt like hell, the best way I could describe it is it felt like I lit my finger on fire and then pounded it with a hammer over and over and over again until I wanted to puke/pass out but couldn't do either. I don't really recommend trying it, mainly because I was lucky enough not to lose anything but some pride. Good times.

I'll be giving my friends a color copy of the blueprints of what I was building with a promise that they'll get their presents soon. I feel bad that they won't be getting their presents on X-mas, but I'm sure that they'll understand.

Needless to say, I haven't been working out but when I weighed in at WW this week, I hadn't gained any weight. I'll take it, but I'd like to get back on track and start losing weight again. I'd like to get down to 200 in time for my wife's graduation in May.

I hope that all of you have a great holiday season and that you avoid power tools until after you open your presents. I love you all and I miss you so very much.

Trogdor the Burninator

2007-12-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry, but I've been watching a lot of StrongBad Emails. They're pretty funny and extremely quotable in the right company.

Anykerways, I've been doing a whole lot of nothing recently. I still haven't finished the X-mas presents that I've been making and it's getting pretty close to that time of year. Maybe I should get on that.

I weighed in on Friday morning and they told me that I had gained four pounds in the last two weeks. I really didn't need to hear that, but I've been to three or four X-mas parties recently, so I shouldn't have been surprised. On a good note, I've been a good boy and have been going to the gym again and my runs are coming together nicely. My weightlifting is going well also and I'm hoping to start seeing some results from that soon. Hope all of the holiday insanity hasn't driven you all mad and I'll catch you later.

Happy Birthday KT!

2007-12-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday KT! I hope you have a good one and get some time for just you and your hubby.

On the work front, I've been having a bad week. On Monday, I had a student die from diabetic complications and on Tuesday, I had a student commit suicide. Luckily, I had Wednesday and Thursday off. I think that if I went three for three, I'd have had to take some time off. Good times working for "the man".

I've been working on X-mas presents for my friends in my shop and I hope that they like them, After the holidays, I'll post a picture of one of what I'm making. I haven't been doing a lot of hunting recently, but I'm hoping to make some more time for it here in the next couple of weeks. I hope all of you are well and I'll write again soon.

A little too close to home....

2007-11-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

The Great White Hunter

2007-11-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

My ass. I really need to get better at this whole hunting thing. I went out with a buddy on Wednesday to hunt just about anything that we could find. In the morning we set up our decoys in a small open area of water on a pond and proceeded to see nothing. We got tired of freezing our asses off so we hiked around looking for pheasants and possibly a deer for me. Well, my buddy managed to get two pheasants and chased some does toward me, but nothing I could shoot. We ended up packing all of our gear up and headed to another area to hunt. Right when we got there, my buddy spotted a pair of deer hiding on an island. There was a nice looking white-tail buck and a doe, so we got out and started stalking them. My buddy decided to push through the island and chase them out, while I went around and got into shooting range. The buck ran out just where it was supposed to, and I took three shots at him. He didn't fall down, but it turned out that I had hit him. Apparently I didn't hit him cleanly because he ran for about two miles, swam the river five times and escaped into private land. With the way he moved, I think he'll be fine, but I still feel awful about a wounded animal running around. All around not a very good day, but it was nice to be out in the woods.

Thanksgiving was fun and Sy cooked her heart out. Dinner was excellent and we had a great time. We had a lot of friends over and it was the way the holiday should be celebrated. I hope that all of you had a good holiday and didn't eat too much.

Idle hands always.....

2007-11-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

go for the genitals. Something to think about.

Anykerways, things have been going good around here.I had a great birthday and was lucky enough to have a group of friends over that night to watch football and eat a ton of food. It was really fun and the game was amazing. Good food, great friends, and a ton of beer, everything a birthday should have.

The really crazy thing was that I managed to lose over three pounds depsite my birthday party and I finally got below 240 for the first time in a long time. I'm pretty excited about that and have almost reached my halfway goal of 35 pounds. I'm hoping to make it there before December, but we'll have to see how that goes with Thanksgiving in the way.

I've been doing some hunting, but haven't shot anything recently. I'm going to try to go shoot a deer or two on Tuesday morning and an elk on Wednesday. We'll have to see how it goes. Big game season ends on Sunday, but I have to work Friday through Monday, the next couple of days will be my only chance. I haven't ever shot anything bigger than a duck and have unfilled big game tags from the last few years, but I'd like to break the trend. Anyways, I hope that you have a great Thanksgiving.

I can't believe it.....

2007-11-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

I'll be thirty tomorrow! You won't be able to trust me anymore. I have no idea when this officially happened, but apparently I'm an adult. Who knew?

Anykerways, nothing much happening around here. I went duck hunting on Tuesday and shot four. I really should have had more, but apparently I still need to work on my shooting a little bit. It was fun just to be out there and I saw some pretty amazing stuff like a huge Great Horned Owl and about five hundred geese. I went elk/deer hunting on Thursday and hiked about six or seven miles, but didn't see any animals. The view from some of the ridges I was walking on were pretty amazing though. The sunset on the snow covered mountains was especially cool. I haven't worked on my boat much, but I'm hoping to get back to it maybe this week.

I managed to lose a pound and a half this week and I've been sticking to my workouts, so I'm hoping to continue this trend. I'm hoping that this week I finally manage to break thirty pounds lost. Wish me luck and I'll post more as it occurs.

Just a few words.....

2007-11-03T10:10:00.000-06:00

For starters, to my friend M, I'm glad everything's all right in your world. I felt weird after I got off the phone with you and I think it's because of the stalker vibe I was giving off. I swear that was not my intent, I just was worried about you since you've been in communicado for so long. You're one of the last friends that I have from that era of my life and I'd hate to let that fall by the wayside.

In other, less creepy news, I've restarted my boat project. I was very close to having all the framing done when one of the stringers exploded while I was bending it. Apparently there's a very good reason the plans call for half inch wide stringers versus the almost one inch wide that I was using. While I'm not happy that this happened, it does give me a chance to start over with a better knowledge of how things will go together and some ideas on how to improve my construction. Luckily, the break happened now versus out on the water somewhere and I'm only out about 20 hours of work and $25 worth of lumber.

On the fitness front, I've been being a good boy and working out again. I've even had some successes. I've managed to get my run time down to a 10 minute mile. While I still need to get down to a 12 minute mile and a half, this is still the fastest/farthest I've run in a very long time. Like I say, small successes, but I hope that they will add up to greater success down the road. We'll see if anything changes weight wise when I go to my meeting tomorrow, but I'm hopeful that I can finally break this plateau I've been holding steady on. I hope all is well in your world's and maybe let me know what's going on in them sometime.

How big is a cubit?

2007-10-21T08:28:00.000-06:00

And with that biblical reference we're off and running. In case you haven't guessed by now, I've started building a boat. It's a small one, without any space for animals even, but I'm having a great time building it. It's a twelve foot long kayak and I'm hoping to have it done in time to do some duck hunting out of it this year. As I get more done, I'll be taking pictures and I'll post them on my blog with updates. I'm still trying to decide whether I want to fiberglass the bottom or not, but I'm leaning toward it if only to protect the bottom better in the rivers around here. It will add a little bit of weight, but a lot of strength, so I think the trade-off will be worth it.

I went duck hunting on Wednesday, but didn't see any. I did see a pair of moose while I was out there and also a ton of deer. As far as the weight loss thing goes, I've really been holding steady at about 242, which means that I need to get back in the gym and back on the wagon as far as WW goes. Otherwise, I'll never hit my goal of 225 by Xmas. Take care and Hope all is well in your worlds.

I want one!

2007-10-14T08:05:00.000-06:00

So the Engineering Department here at MSU has built a race car to compete against other universities in a yearly contest at Fontana Speedway in California. This is actually the second car that the team has built, and they just received a big sponsorship from Kawasaki for three full motorcycles and three new engines. Now they'll have plenty of gear to keep building new and improved race cars. The reason that I bring this up, aside from the fact that it's cool and I want one, is that yesterday they were allowing the general public/sponsors come out and drive the car. As my department has been instrumental in getting them racing space (parking lots and parking cones) they invited anyone from the department to come down and try it out. I didn't have to be asked twice, so after work yesterday I took this little number out for a couple of laps. It was soooo cool. It was ridiculously fast and so very overpowered. It was honestly the fastest/most fun driving experience I've ever had. The funny thing is that I never really opened it up and went after the track like I would have liked to because I didn't want to hurt the car and because I wasn't sure of it's capabilities. Apparently, after watching the actual team race it, I could've have done just about anything I wanted without hurting the car, but it's not mine, so I didn't want to take any chances.

I've been out duck hunting a couple of more times, but I've only shot one duck. I've seen a ton of deer and even a cow moose a couple of times, so that's been cool and just being out there when the sun's coming up and everything is peaceful and quiet is pretty amazing. I'd take pictures, but they really don't show what I'm seeing. Anyway, I have to get back to whatever it is that I'm doing here, so take care.

Welcome to this world!

2007-10-13T16:30:00.000-06:00

My sister KT had her second child yesterday! Miles Alexander Koopman is 9 pounds and 20 3/4 inches long. Sounds like he's going to be a big boy. I'm so very proud of my sister and happy for her growing family. MAK, as he will be known from now on, welcome to this world and know that you are loved.

Good times with family

2007-10-06T14:02:00.000-06:00

So, I've been having a good time with my father-in-law in town. We ventured down to a couple of mining ghost towns on Thursday and kicked around. I'd never been, so it was kind of cool to explore a new place with Sy and her dad. We've been eating a lot of really good food and have just been spending some nice time together. I'm kind of bummed that he's leaving today, but life goes on. I really haven't been up to too much else. I went duck hunting Wednesday morning, but didn't have any success. If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.

Opening Day

2007-10-01T07:29:00.000-06:00

So opening day for duck season was Saturday, and my buddy Sam and I were out there. I managed to trade with a coworker to get the day off. I crawled out of bed at 4am to get dressed and loaded up and went to Belgrade to pick up Sam and his two hunting dogs. We drove North to a beautiful lake and set up our decoys in the sloughs/ponds just below it and got ready to start the day. I should mention the fact that it was pouring rain and really windy and the projected high was only 42 degrees. Perfect duck hunting weather.

As it got to be shooting light, we had about a dozen teal land in our decoys, but the dogs were so excited to start the day they ran out to retrieve them before we'd even got a chance to shoot at them. Once we got the dogs back into the blind, the day started for real. There were ducks everywhere! It was amazing! Sam shot one cinnamon teal that literally bounced off the water and landed on my boots! I told him if he kept that up we wouldn't need the dogs anymore. All in all it was a great day. I ended up with 5 ducks and Sam had 5 ducks and a goose.

Past that, I really haven't been up to much. I'm holding steady with my weight, but I've kind of gotten away from the program a little. I really need to renew my commitment to WW, and get back on the wagon. Sy's dad is in town for the week and I'm looking forward to my days off so that I can spend time with them. Take care.

Trick no good

2007-09-23T08:50:00.000-06:00

Well, I said that I'd hopefully do better about updating this page, but then I didn't. Yeah me. Let's see, what have I been up to?

As you can imagine, I snuck in a little fly fishing when I could and have been getting ready for hunting season. I've been out grouse hunting a couple of times without success, but managed to get a partridge the one time I went out for them. On Friday, I went to the shooting range with a friend, and we sighted in our rifles for big game season. We had a good time but my shoulder is still pretty tender. This coming Saturday starts duck hunting season, and I managed to trade-off that day so we're going to go out and try to get some ducks. We're hoping the weather is terrible, rain or snow or both, because it's not really duck hunting if it's not.

On the home front, things are going well. I recently have been on a woodworking kick and have built a pretty cool sliding drawer for my truck and a beautiful bird feeder. I'll try to shoot some pictures and post them later. Sy and I are getting ready for a visit from her dad who'll be here in just over a week. I think it will be a good time and am looking forward to spending some time with him.

Last, but certainly not least, I finally hit my 10% weight loss goal!!! I was so happy to get there, but now begins the real work of trying to get to my 20% weight loss goal. I should clarify the percentages here. When I say ten percent weight loss, I mean that I've lost over ten percent of my starting body weight of 270. I'm currently hovering at just above 240 now, and I'm hoping to eventually get to around 200. I'm trying to keep things in perspective by going at five pound increments, but I really am looking forward to getting below 225. Sy said that she'd take me shopping for new clothes when I reach that goal, but I worry that I'll need clothes before then. I can almost pull off my jeans now without unbottoning them and will have to buy new belts soon as I'm on the last hole of all of my current ones. Fortunately, these are good problems to have. I also feel fortunate to have so much support from my friends, and have heard from you that at least four of you have joined WW at least in part to my success, so I thank you for giving me another reason to stick with it. Love to you all.

It's been awhile....

2007-09-02T09:32:00.000-06:00

Well my friends, work has been completely insane. I've worked over thirty hours of overtime in just the past few weeks. I'll definitely take the money, but I'll be happy when things get back to normal. I like my days off a little too much to give them up.

Speaking of days off, I had Wednesday off somehow and took advantage of it by going fly-fishing down in Ennis, MT on the Madison River. I had the greatest day of fishing I have ever had! I managed to catch over thirty fish on a little over six hours! I also caught my biggest trout ever which was a gorgeous rainbow trout over 24 inches long and probably weighed over three pounds. It was huge! It took me over ten minutes to get it into my net after I hooked it. It was amazing and I felt really proud since all of the fish I caught were on flies that I had tied. But the fishing gods required a sacrifice and to start my day I broke my fly rod on a snag. Now I don't have super-expensive equipment for a reason, but my wife had bought this rod for me and it was the first fly rod I owned, so I was really upset about it and still am. I decided to run back into Ennis, which is about an hour from Bozeman, to see if I could find a decently priced replacement rod. I managed to find a really sharp looking rod for around $50 so I bought that and got back to the river. Well, apparently the fishing gods were not satisfied and on my last cast of the day, I broke the tip off of my brand new rod! I was so upset that I couldn't decide wether to puke or cry about it, so I did neither and just hiked back to the car and called it a day. It was still one of the greatest days of fishing ever.

As far as the whole weight loss thing goes, I've been holding steady at just under 245 for a couple of weeks, but I really just need to get back with the program a little better. I'm so very close to losing ten percent of my body weight. This past week I was within a half of a pound of achieving that goal, so hopefully this will be the week. We'll see. Anykerways, I've got to get back to doing whatever it is that I do around here and I'll write again soon.

It just keeps coming off...

2007-08-12T10:55:00.000-06:00

I've lost another 1.6 pounds and have now made it under 245 for the first time in a long time. I really don't feel any different, but I'm happy that the number keeps getting smaller. I'm starting to get back into my workout routine, so I think that that's helping. I'm hoping to have my new workout partner start up with me soon, so that will help motivate me and keep me coming back.

I managed to sneak in some fly fishing on my days off and I caught a ton of fish, so that was fun. I had gorgeous weather and got to see a lot of wildlife and even saw a trio of otters playing in the river on Thursday. They were, at most, twenty feet away and it was pretty amazing to be that close to them in the wild. Not much else going on around here, but work is about to get really crazy so I'm not sure how much I'm going to be able to blog over the next month. Take care and I'll see what I can do.

Another 2.6 pounds down

2007-07-31T19:58:00.001-06:00

I'm now down to 246.4 and still going down. I weighed in today and was pretty stoked about the results. Especially since I haven't been tracking my points or anything while I've been on vacation. I definitely plan to start once I get home again just to keep up the progress and to stick to the program.

Tomorrow is my last day here in the Midwest and it has been a nice trip. I'm not sure as I would call it a vacation as I've been pretty busy helping everybody around here. I've installed three ceiling fans in my Mom's new apartment and built her a really cool piece of furniture. I'll post pictures of it and everybody when I get home and have a little more time. I've helped Sy's dad trimming trees and getting that stuff hauled away and helped (marginally) with designing a kick-bike for my niece from France (pictures of both to follow).

It's been nice to see all of the families but I will definitely structure my vacation a little differently next time. I think that next time we are here we will send out an itenerary about a month in advance and give everyone two weeks to protest/make changes and then after that it is an unbreakable schedule. I think this would really help with some of the struggles that seem to occur between the families about who's spending time where and such. I think that this struggle is the only real blight on coming home and while I hope that this will be the last trip with these issues, I'm sure to continue hearing about it for quite some time from pretty much everyone.

Well guys, wish me luck on the trip home and I probably won't be posting much for another week or so as I've still got a week off once I get home. Take care and know that I'm thinking of all of you.

Wow, I'm not very good at this

2007-07-25T09:09:00.000-06:00

So I really did intend to update this blog during my trip home and let it serve as kind of an itenerary for what I'd be up to while I was here, but so far I have filed miserably. No real reason why except I kind of forgot and I haven't made the time to do it.

Anyways, I'm going to the QC this afternoon and will be visiting some friends. I'll be back to Cedar Rapids tonight and while I currently don't have any plans to get back down there, I can always change my mind/plans. On Sunday, my niece is being baptized and Sy and I are going to be named godparents, and after that I believe it will be a family gathering on my side. Past that, no real plans, but I'm still planning on heading back to the Land of the Big Sky around August 1st.

As an aside, I weighed in while I was here over at WW and they said I lost another 3.4 pounds and I'm now almost two pounds under 250. Go me! I hope to hear from some of you while I'm here and if not, take care.

Albert Lea

2007-07-17T22:48:00.001-06:00

Just and FYI for those of you who were wondering how the trip was going and where we ended up. We left Bozeman around 6:30 in the morning and pretty much drove straight through until we got to Albert Lea MN. It's currently a little before midnight and we only have a few hours of driving left for tomorrow so that is nice. I'm seriously contemplating shooting my truck, but I haven't decided which reason I'm killing it for yet. It currently is doing a neat trick where it gets really close to overheating pretty much the entire time its in the sun or doing over 75 MPH. It's really upsetting since I know that the thermostat is good (replaced it last year) and the water pump is working (replaced it last spring). The part that is severely pissing me off is we added some fluids to it around mid-day thinking maybe it was a little low on coolant/fluids, but all that inspired the damn thing to do was leak fluid from a seam near the top of the radiator. I'm not really sure what's going on at this point and I'm way too tired to think about it now. It was really freaking hot all across the Midwest and with the truck running hot, we weren't able to use the AC at all. Super lame! Luckily, we only have a couple of hours of driving tomorrow, so we'll get a decent start on the day and get to Cedar Rapids before it gets too hot. Hope to hear from all of you soon and we'll try to see as many of you in the area as we can.

Stupid trains!

2007-07-13T11:50:00.001-06:00

Damn thing went right off the tracks. I managed to somehow gain .6 pounds last week, not a large amount or anything, but frustrating. I was doing so well, but I'll still stick to the program and hopefully I'll see better results this week.

I took my buddy's step-daughters fishing on Thursday and while they didn't do too much fishing, I managed to catch 25 fish in just under two and a half hours. It was pretty amazing! You have to keep in mind that in the time span I was helping the girls untangle their lines and everything else. It was fun and I'm kind of sad that we won't be able to do it for a couple of weeks while I'm gone.

Sy and I are getting ready for the trip to IA on Tuesday. We'll be in the area for about two weeks and I think that the best way to get ahold of me is through this website. I'll be checking it as well as my email, but since I haven't joined the technological age and got a cell phone, this will pretty much be the only way. I hope to see some of you while I'm home.

That ole train keeps a'rollin.....

2007-07-08T09:02:00.000-06:00

Another 1.6 pounds down! I'm really worried that at some point I'm going to have a week where I don't lose, or even gain, weight and I lose my momentum. I know it's only a matter of time before a setback occurs, but still I worry about how I'll handle it. I'm getting so close to one of my goals, to lose twenty pounds, that I worry that after I achieve that, I'll lose sight of my longer term goals. Eventually I want to get down to 200 even, but I guess that I need to focus on smaller, short term goals while keeping that end in sight. I know that I can do it, but I guess I just need a little more faith in myself and in my support network.

I'm really lucky in that a couple that I know have just joined WW due to my success with the program and their own desire to lose weight. Maybe I'm feeling the pressure of being an inspiration and that I don't want to let them down. Luckily, I think the husband and I are going to start going to the gym together again and I really think that this will help both of us keep up with the program. We're both in about the same shape, so that helps and I think that between us, there's enough motivation to go around.

I had a nice 4th of July. Sy and I went hiking with some friends back to a beautiful lake in the Hyalite area south of town in the morning. We went over to a party in the afternoon at another couple's house and hung out and ate a lot. We set off fireworks after dark and then watched the city display. It was nice. I only managed to sneak in a couple of hours of fly fishing one day this past week and I got skunked, but it was nice to just be out on the river. Aside from that, life just keeps plugging along. Hope all is well with all of you.

Goodbye another 2.2 pounds....

2007-06-30T15:24:00.000-06:00

By God, it really looks like I'm going to do it this time! I'm so very happy that I've finally found something that I can stick to that is really showing results. I still haven't been getting to the gym, which is really sad, but I've still managed to take off the pounds. I've lost 16.6 pounds in only six weeks! While I'm not setting any records, I am doing it and I'll never get this big again. Only ten more pounds and I'll have lost just over ten percent of my weight!

In other news, I've been doing some more fly fishing and having a blast with that. I caught a gorgeous brown trout the other day on a fly that I tied and developed, so I was really happy with that. The fish was actually longer than the net I had, but luckily they bend. He destroyed the fly, but I have many more and am looking to get back out there and catch some more.

The wife tells me that her research is going well, so I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that everything holds together until at least she's done with it. I'm still hoping for an October finish, but we'll see. I hope all is well with all of you and I hope to hear from you.

Another .4 pound down

2007-06-24T09:16:00.000-06:00

I had a great time this week and I still managed to keep losing weight. Life is good! The wife and I celebrated our eighth anniversary on Tuesday, and we spent it just relaxing and spending time together. We went down to the Quake Lake National Forest Area and had a picnic and hiked around. Then I got a chance to do a little fly fishing and we saw four mountain goats drinking just across the river from me. It was pretty cool and I even managed to catch a really nice rainbow trout.

On Wednesday, I took my buddy's step-daughters fishing at a local pond and we caught quite twenty fish between the three of us, so that was fun. On Thursday, I went fly fishing with a different buddy on the Gallatin, and managed to catch five trout, including a tiny brown trout. I managed to break one of my fly rods, so I was a little upset, but I did find a brand new inner tube stuck on a log in the river, so it almost offset the loss of the rod. We then went to the grand opening of the Sportsman's Warehouse. It's freaking amazing! I went back later in the day with the wife and met up with another couple. He and I were having a blast, but the wive's didn't seem as excited. Something about our paychecks being directly deposited to the store probably had something to do with it. I managed to get out of there with only a new fly fishing vest, but I've been needing one for awhile, so I didn't feel too bad. I'll definitely be spending more time there though, and certainly more money.

Past all of that, haven't been up to too much, but that's about all I could fit into my days off. I hope all of you are having a great summer.

Only 1.2 pounds....

2007-06-16T08:09:00.000-06:00

...but it still is coming off. I haven't been working out as much as I should be, so I know that I can keep losing the weight. I just have to stick to the program and start exercising more and I'll reach my goals.

I've been flyfishing a little, but past that not much going on around here. I'm going to be celebrating my 8th anniversary on Tuesday and I think we're going to go visit Quake Lake and that area of MT. Maybe just have a nice picnic lunch and do some hiking, nice and low key, but hopefully it will be nice. I'll tell you all about it later.

Another five pounds!

2007-06-09T14:26:00.000-06:00

Another good week for me. I dropped five pounds and started working out again. This morning I had my best run ever, which isn't really impressive, but it's all starting to come together for me. I'm hoping that at my next weigh-in I'm below 250, which I think is achievable. We'll see.

I also managed to sneak in a night of fly fishing and I managed to catch a couple of fish. I caught a really nice sized rainbow trout and a smaller brown trout. It was so beautiful on the river and just a perfect night for fishing. I went with my buddy S, and he managed to hook a few himself and then we went out for beer and pizza. An all around great night, and I was able to stay within my points from WW.

Past that, not much else going on. Went to the art gallery walk last night with some friends and had a nice dinner with them, but otherwise, just plugging along.

Eight pounds in a week!!!

2007-06-02T11:01:00.000-06:00

Weight Watchers rules! While I know that this rate of loss won't continue forever, it's a freakin' great start and really encourages me to continue with the program. I'm hoping to have lost about 30-35 pounds by the end of the summer. We'll see if that's attainable, but its a goal to look forward to and it splits my total weight loss goal in half. I'm hoping for 200 pounds by 2008, which isn't completely unreachable, but it will take some work. As soon as I can shake this cold that I've picked up I'll be back in the gym and on my way.

I think I've mentioned this before, but it's worth saying again. I will be back in the Midwest in late July for a week or two. I'll be spending quite a bit of my time in the Cedar Rapids area, but I do plan to get to the QC for at least a little bit. If anyone's interested in getting together, let me know and we'll see if we can't work something out. Back to the grind, but I'll post more later.

Fatty gets a clue!

2007-05-26T09:48:00.001-06:00

Well, as much as I've tried to avoid it, I've finally broken down and did what I should have done years ago. I've joined Weight Watchers and turned over my weight loss to their capable hands. Since I started working out seriously again in February, I've gained fifteen pounds, and while I'm certain that some of that is muscle gained, I know that not all of it is. My clothes are fitting better, which is nice, but I needed to do more. I went to a WW meeting on Tuesday and decided that I really needed to get serious about losing weight before something bad happens. So I joined up and had my first weigh in......270 pounds!!!I've never been that heavy before, and more importantly, never will be again. I was absolutely stunned and I'm still a little shocked, but again, the only place that number is going is down. My end goal is 200 pounds, but right now my goal is just to stick to the program and see where it takes me.

This in no way implies that I'm not going to keep up with workouts. The other day, I was able to do three set of bench press at 135, and it only keeps going up. I'm really hoping that I'll meet my bench weight and my actual weight somewhere around 200 and keep the bench going up as the weight falls off. We'll see, and if nothing else, both are admirable goals. Plus, losing weight while gaining strength only helps me in my quest to get into good enough shape to test for a law enforcement position.

I don't think that I'll be testing anytime soon, and I probably won't test here in MT, unless Sy gets a great job offer here. I think I'll just wait until we get to the next place life takes us to jump off of that bridge. Aside from my big news, nothing else is really going on in my life. I've snuck out and played a few rounds of golf already this year and have been on the river fly fishing a couple of times but nothing terribly exciting. I hope all of you are well and I hope to hear from you soon. Wish me luck.

Ha, ha, ha!

2007-05-18T13:56:00.001-06:00

The struggle continues.....

2007-05-06T07:21:00.000-06:00

I really have no idea why this is so hard to keep up with. Maybe I just need to take some of the pressure off and make this more of a bi-weekly update schedule while allowing myself to post if something cool happens. But really, does this blog really needs rules? I'll think on it.

Anyway, I've been being a good boy about working out, and while I need to get in another day or two of cardio a week, I'm doing so much better than I ever have in the past. The weightlifting is going great and I'm really seeing some gains in most of my exercises. I'm not getting huge or anything right now, but I'm really developing some more upper body strength and definition in the shoulders and chest. Now if I could just make the belly disappear, we'd be set. I actually gained ten pounds since I started working out, but I've managed to shave offf about five of that. I'm still weighing in around 255, but I'm feeling better about myself and as it starts to get to be warmer and the days longer, I'm expecting the weight to really start falling off. My wife is really helping me with the healthy eating and I need to just continue what I'm doing.

I wanted to make the announcement that I will be in the midwest from around July 19th to August 1stish. I don't really want to give solid dates, because I don't want to be tied down by them. We'll be spending a good portion of the vacation in the Cedar Rapids area, but we'll try to get to the QC to see some of you and we'll see what we can do as it gets closer.

Aside from the summer vacation, I haven't been up to a whole lot. I went golfing in Livingston last week and it was gorgeous out. There was just the perfect breeze and barely a cloud in the sky. I didn't play altogether bad, but it wasn't my best round. I'm really playing fairly well for this time of year and am hoping to improve as the season continues. I haven't been fly fishing in awhile because of the run off conditions on the rivers, but I'm looking forward to getting back to that soon as well. Basically, I've just been living life and staying out of trouble as best I can. Take care.

T-ShirtHell.com Rules!

2007-04-15T08:11:00.000-06:00

Hopefully I'm not......

2007-04-08T08:27:00.000-06:00

the only one that gets this cartoon. I can't be that old, can I? I just love the juxtaposition of Hillary as the Orwellian Big Brother with Obama as the rebel voice of reason. too bad it seems like that's how it's going to play out. I will never vote for Hillary Clinton! Hear me now and hear me clearly. It's not because she's a woman, it's because she will say anything to get into power and is a completely amoral political opportunist. At least with Obama and Edwards I feel that they believe in what they are saying and will take steps to see those things happen. I have a feeling that the Democratic ticket will be Edwards for Prez with Obama as Vice. That's just how I see it, but if it reverses, that would be all right as well.

Now that I'm done ranting about politics, I should probably keep you up to date on everything else that is going on in my world. In a nutshell, not a whole damn lot of anything. I haven't been as diligent about working out as I have been, so I'm going to nip that in the butt. I'm never going to get there unless I pull myself kicking and screaming across the line. I'd really like to be in shape by the time I come home in July/August. Basically, I'd like to be like those Bowflex commercials where they say, "I'm 30 years old and I'm in the best shape of my life." Well, here's to dreaming and then making them come true.

Band Names

2007-04-02T15:28:00.000-06:00

So we were talking about band names here at the office and managed to make up a few good ones and found a few interesting ones online. Here's the test, which are which? Let me know in the comments section:

Alabama Thunderpussy
Inspired Dooky
Oedipus and the Mama's Boys
Naugahyde Windpipe
My Johnson is Ten Inches Long
Everyone Gets Laid
The Alabama Crab Dangle
Mott the Hoople
Southern Culture on the Skids

Good luck,

Making pancakes

2007-03-31T12:21:00.000-06:00

I promise that this won't become a habit or anything, but I read this email, and while still not sure on my stance on God yet, I thought that there was much truth to this message and wanted to get it out to all of you. Just a little reminder of how I really feel about all of you and how important you are to me. Take care guys and I love you.

Making Pancakes

Six year-old Brandon decided one Saturday morning to fix his parents pancakes. He found a big bowl and spoon, pulled a chair to the counter, opened the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister, spilling it on the floor. He scooped some of the flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in most of a cup of milk and added some sugar, leaving a floury trail on the floor which by now had a few tracks left by his kitten. Brandon was covered with flour and getting frustrated. He wanted this to be something very good for Mom and Dad, but it was getting very bad. He didn't know what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or on the stove and he didn't know how the stove worked!. Suddenly he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached to push her away, knocking the egg carton to the floor. Frantically he tried to clean up this monumental mess but slipped on the eggs, getting his pajamas white and sticky. And just then he saw Dad standing at the door. Big crocodile tears welled up in Brandon 's eyes. All he'd wanted to do was something good, but he'd made a terrible mess. He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a spanking. But his father just watched him. Then, walking through the mess, he picked up his crying son, hugged him and loved him, getting his own pajamas white and sticky in the process! That's how God deals with us.. We try to do something good in life, but it turns into a mess. Our marriage gets all sticky or we insult a friend, or we can't stand our job, or our health goes sour. Sometimes we just stand there in tears because we can't think of anything else to do. That's when God picks us up and loves us and forgives us, even though some of our mess gets all over Him. But just because we might mess up, we can't stop trying to "make pancakes" for God or for others. Sooner or later we'll get it right, and then they'll be glad we tried... I was thinking. and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed, friendships that need rekindling or three words needing to be said, sometimes, "I love you" can heal & bless! Remind every one of your friends that you love them.. Even if you think they don't love back, you would be amazed at what those three little words, a smile, and a reminder like this can do. Just in case I haven't told you lately... I LOVE YA!!! Please pass some of this love on to others.... suppose one morning you were called to God; do all your friends and family know you love them? ... And never stop "making pancakes."

I really needed to make......

2007-03-31T08:51:00.000-06:00

one of my New Year's resolutions to update my blog more. I haven't really been up to anything too terrible exciting. I've been fly fishing a couple of times, bu now that the snowpack is melting, the rivers are blown out, so I'll have to wait 'til they clear up again. I managed to sneak in some golf before the weather got cold again, and played my best season beginning round ever.

I've also been being pretty good about the whole working out thing. I've managed to up my bench press weight by 40 pounds in the past six weeks and while I know that this won't continue forever, I'm pretty stoked to see how much longer I can continue this growth before I plateau. My ultimate goal is to be able to bench press my weight, but I'm hoping that as I get fitter, my weight will go down and I'll meet somewhere in the middle, probably around 200. Right now I'm maxing out at around 150-155, so I've got a ways to go, but it feels great to be getting back into shape. I've just got to be real careful about my back. The other day, I pushed myself too hard and I ended up straining my back pretty good and had a tough time walking once I cooled down. I'm pretty strong everywhere else, but I really need to be careful or you guys will have to wheel me to the gym.

My biggest roadblock to true weight loss and fitness is my insatiable love for fast food. I can give up dessert and even soda, but I love greasy food. The pairing of bacon, cheese, and burger should rank right up there with the theory of relativity as one of man's greatest inventions. I swear, I need to start going to a hypnotist or something to kill these cravings. I need rehab, I'm like a crack addict when it comes to fast food. While I doubt if I'll ever start giving out sexual favors for fries, we mustn't rule it out completely. Is there some sort of twelve step program to help with this kind of thing? A patch? Maybe I need some sort of intervention.

An epiphany!

2007-03-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

I know that to many of you this will sound really stupid and you'll think I'm a moron for not completely knowing this earlier, but it is really hard to lose weight without a change in diet. I've been working out, and that's been going well, but I haven't really been seeing any loss in weight. I was reading an article on the 'net and it stated that without proper diet, fitness alone will not help a person to lose weight. Again, I know that many of you already knew this, and I at least knew this a little bit, but until yesterday, I never really made the link/decision that I really needed to take a hard look at what I eat as well as how often I work out. I've tried eating better and not working out and I've tried working out without watching what I eat, but now I just need to put it all together and hopefully see some real progress.

Not much else is happening in my world, though My friend's house I've been working on is looking like a showplace and his appraisal went better than he even hoped it would. We've still got a lot of work to do, but I fear that we're going to make it so nice that he won't want to sell it when we're done. I think this next week we're going to tear down the rest of the 70's era paneling in the basement and put up nice new walls and light fixtures. Then, all I'll need to do is wire up the shop and we'll be done, unless we decide to put in carpet.

I'm glad that......

2007-02-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

updating my blog wasn't one of my New Year's resolutions. I've been pretty good about the rest of them though. Oh, that's right, I haven't really put out my list of resolutions yet. We should probably begin there.

1. Leave my work at work and not think about it when I leave.
I've decided that I'm not paid enough to worry about my job when I'm not there and nothing that I do can change this place anyway. I'm hoping that I'm not too much longer at this place and that I'll move on to bigger and better things soon, which leads to #2.

2. Get myself back into the shape that I desire.
I know that there's not necessarily a direct link between my getting into shape and a new job appearing, but at least I'll be ready when the opportunity presents itself. To this end, I've started lifting weights with a couple of friends twice a week, and I'm hoping to start some cardio work on at least three other days. I've tried to drink less beer (not sure how successful I've been) and to eat healthier and to really keep in mind what I'm eating. I haven't seen too much change yet, but it's still early in the year, and I've been sleeping a lot better since starting to work out again. The weird part is that once I'm in the gym, I have a great time, it's just remembering that when I'm getting up to go that I think is the problem.

3. Clear out all of the clutter in my house.
Now this is an admirable goal, but to our credit, the wife and I have been doing a great job with this resolution. We've filled a couple of garbage cans with random stuff that has somehow made it's way into our lives and have also filled probably a half dozen boxes of items for the Salvation Army. We haven't even made it to the main repository of stuff which is the basement yet. It's amazing how much stuff just accumulates after awhile. We've made some investment into more storage and shelving for the stuff that we're keeping so that if nothing else we're a little more organized. It's been kind of a fun project and the returns have been great just in the aspect of having more space and less crap.

4. Finish the projects I've started at my friend's house.
Now I know that this doesn't directly benefit me, but think of the carmic implications. We have almost completely finished the bathroom that he started last spring break and all the shop needs is some outlets and lighting installed and it will be completed as well. Then all we have to do is put up a small section of wall and then the paneling and the new office/bedroom will be done. Who knows where we'll go after that, maybe putting in some carpet and then off to the landscaping come spring. We'll probably get everything finished just in time for him to sell, but think of how much we'll have raised the resale value!

5. Spend more time with my wife/Appreciate my wife more.
I think that I do all right along these lines, but it never hurts to try harder. Our clean up project started with helping my wife organize all of her sewing/quilting supplies. She was so happy with the result that we decided not to waste the good feeling and to start on the rest of the house. I'm not sure what exactly we're going to do for Valentine's Day, but I think it will be pretty low key and relaxing. I think I just need to remember to not take my wife for granted and to keep her up on the pedestal.

Aside from all of that I haven't really been up to much aside from avoing Colt's fans. That was a tough game to watch, but the Bears apparently didn't want it badly enough. Two weeks ago I attended a week long Internal Tech. Support Specialist class, and I'm almost complete certified now. Just have to retake two tests on Wednesday, so wish me luck on that. I'm hoping that once I gain this certification I'll see some sort of monetary gain, but I'm not holding my breath on that one. I think that the only way I'm going to get a raise around here is to blackmail them with a job offer from another job, but I have a feeling they'd rather let me go than give me the money. I'm sorry about the long delay between posts, but hopefully the political cartoons amused you as much as they did me. Love to you all.

Speak it Cheney!

2007-01-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

cue the maniacal laughter!!!!

2007-01-26T13:44:00.000-07:00

Bears win! Bears win!

2007-01-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

Cue the maniacal laughter and happy dancing! All is well with the world. Start the "shuffling". Someone get me some damn tickets! Good things all around! Just think, soon I'll be able to tell Dolphins fans that not only did Dan Marino never win a Superbowl, but Rex Grossman did! More maniacal laughter.

Do I even have to say anything?

2006-12-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

Have a great holiday season!

2006-12-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

Well my friends, this will probably be my last post for 2006, as I'm heading for the Midwest on Wednesday. We'll be in the area for two weeks and are hoping to make contact with as many of you as possible. There is one hitch in this plan though. We're flying home this time and will have very limited access to a vehicle, so for the most part we'll be in Cedar Rapids for the entire trip. So if you'd like to see us, you'll have to come to us this time. Sy's family would love company, as long as they are forewarned , and we'd love to see as many of you as possible, but if you can't make it, we'll understand. I think the best way to get ahold of me is by email at ntymnky@hotmail.com but I will be checking this blog as well.

I'm sorry I haven't got the workshop pictures up yet, but I started some work on the chopsaw table and made a mess of the shop and I wanted you to see it it pristine condition. I haven't forgotten to take them though, and I'm certain many pictures of me will be taken over our trip, so after carefully Photshopping it, maybe it will make it's way to the blog. Take care all of you and have a great x-mas and a safe new year!

Holy cow!

2006-12-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

Two posts in less than a week. We'll have to see if I can keep the momentum going. Let's see, well, I've finished the carpentry aspect of the woodshop I'm building and am about to start the electrician component so wish me luck. We're going to be mounting flourescent lights and also I'll be wiring a lot of new wall sockets so that we have plenty of power to the shop. I've also got to go down and take some digital photos so that I can show all of you what we've accomplished so far. I wish that I had taken some before pictures, but it's way beyond that now.

Not much else has been going on in my world. I've started thinking about what to pack for our trip home and am finishing up some x-mas shopping. I've also started to work out again, spurred on by the wager that my mom and I made. We're going to see who can lose more weight and more inches off of our middles before April 1. It's not really a fair contest, because my mom has so little weight to lose compared to me, but I think she's trying to help motivate me to get back in the gym. I've also received an invitation from a friend to come and lift weights with him twice a week in the mornings, so I'm hopeful that I'll be able to make some progress. Wish me luck and we'll see if I can't keep up better with the blog.

My next project?

2006-12-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

I was telling you about building a woodshop in my friend's basement, and while my motive are relatively pure, there is a small benefit to me. You see, I have been offered almost completely unrestricted access to this amazing place to work on any projects that I desire. While for some of you this might not seem like a big deal, it is wonderful news to me as my woodshop doesn't have heat. As much as I like my tools to freeze to my skin, I thought it would be a change to build something in the winter without the fear of hypothermia. I've found some pretty amazing projects online such as a new kitchen table, or even some decorative end tables, but I'm looking for something a little more functional, but also something that will be fun to build and use. That's why I'm seriously contemplating building the boat pictured above. It's a fairly simple design and dates back to the early 1800's. You usually see this type of boat in the bayous of Louisiana and other Cajun enclaves, but it's used for duck hunting all over because its very stable and lightweight. I thought it would be fun to flyfish out of and to just paddle around in some of the beautiful lakes and rivers we have around here. Obviously it's not a white water boat, but there are some calm stretches of the rivers that would be neat to see from the water. Oh, by the way, the type of boat is a pirogue (peee-rogue). The only thing that's holding up my nautical ambitions is my lovely wife who tells me that I don't need a boat. While it may be true that I don't need a boat, I really think that I want one and I'd love the chance to build my own. So, I need your help in lobbying the wife for my next project.

I'm just going to pretend.......

2006-12-02T16:03:00.000-07:00

that I've been updating this blog ritualistically and that this is merely a entry to catch those of you up that don't read everyday. So, life is good. Still madly in love with my love and am so very thankful for all of the wonderful people that I have in my life. I've been a little busy with this and that, but you all knew that already.

Hunting. I did go a few times to try and shoot an elk or deer. And let me tell you, there are a couple of deer that should be thanking their stars that I'm not very good at this hunting thing yet, because I had some great chances to shoot deer, but I talked myself out of the shot. As for elk, apparently that repellant that my wife put in my boots is incredibly effective, though the last time out, I did see a momma moose with her calf, so at least the day wasn't a complete waste. It's amazing how much unused animal tags taste like......failure.....when you make them into a soup. I haven't really been doing any duck hunting, but now that big game season is over, I might have to start going out again.

So my friend that I built the pirate ship for was thinking of putting a wood shop in his basement, so of course I volunteered to help and I've been having a blast doing it. You'll be happy to hear that I haven't even painted anything black, though everything that I've built in that shop will survive a nuclear blast, so at least it has that going for it. I think that in the next week or so I'll be doing all the electrical work, so wish me luck on that. After the shop is wired, I'll help him finish an office that we're renovating and I think I'll be finished. You never know though, I'm sure we could find something else to do with his house.

I'm looking forward to coming home for Christmas and hope to see all of you there. We'll be in town on the twentieth and we won't be leaving until the fourth of January, so I don't want to hear any excuses. We're flying into Cedar Rapids and we won't really have access to a car, so you'll have to come to us, but I think I'm worth it. Take care my friends, and try not to spend too much on my x-mas gift.

I wish that this.....

2006-11-10T14:02:00.000-07:00

whole not updating my blog thing was some sort of passive agressive issue, but sadly, I'm just a lazy bitch. More importantly, I've so very much to tell all of you about. For starters, isn't little Natalie just the cutest thing. I'm so very proud of you Special K and I love you very much.

As for the pirate ship, well, where to begin? My friend in the picture received a Jolly Roger flag from his lovely wife last winter as a gift. In the spring, we tore down his flag pole as it was dangerous and falling down, but his wife was sad that he now didn't have anything to fly his flag from. I told him that I would build him a pirate ship to properly display his flag from and things naturally progressed from there. It seems to be a failing of mine that I can't build small, nor apparently without using a lot of black paint. This ship measures over 20 feet from stem to bow to stern and over 18 feet from the base to the tip of the flag pole. The cannons look like they're firing due to the orange flashing Halloween lights I installed and the ship looks amazing at night. My friend said that every boy under 13 came back at least a couple of times on Halloween to check it out and tell how cool it was, so it's probably a good thing he's not a pedophile. I've currently undertaken the task of helping him build a wood shop in his basement and have been having a blast with that.

For Halloween, we didn't really do anything, but the 4th the Physics department had a big party and so the ship was dissassembled and transported to the venue and set up near the pond, and at night it looked like it was floating, pretty cool with the moon and everything. I went as a Republican Congressman, going so far as to shave off my five year old goatee, and my lovely wife went as my page. We had a good time, but the party shut itself down really early. (I'll see if I can find some pictures to post.)

I took the last weekend off from work and did some hunting but didn't shoot anything. I also found some time to clean out my shop and to bring some order to my basement. I also just relaxed and took some time for myself, which was nice.

As far as my fitness goals and job aspirations, well...... mabe that's really why I haven't written in awhile. I wasn't ready physically to test for the position that I desired, which led me into a hellacious funk where I pretty much hated the whole world and most importantly, me. I've really got to find something to motivate me and make me stick to my quest for personal betterment because I've been pretty terrible about it on my own. You'd think that improving my lot in life, both physically and financially would be enough motivation on it's own, but apparently that's not good enough for me. Any advice that you, my wonderful friends could throw my way would be appreciated and I hope that you all got out to vote and that everything is well in your worlds.

Autumnal reminiscing

2006-10-08T08:54:00.000-06:00

Few things in this world are probably better than the bonfires of our youth. Hayrack rides, ridiculously large fires that probably could be seen from space, burnt on the outside, cold on the inside hotdogs, flaming marshmallows of death, hooded sweatshirts full of hay the next morning, knowing that everyone at the fire has known you since before you were you.

Remember the Rockridge games? Sitting with the band, the smell of burning leaves in the air, the taste of the pork chop sandwiches, the whole community there for every game, even those without kids in school anymore. Remember homecoming? The parade, the sound of the band coming toward you, the ancient rivalry with whoever we were playing that year, Wipeout at halftime, the anticipation of the dance, getting all dressed up and going out to dinner or maybe just to someone's house, pictures at the dance, sneaking kisses when the chaperones weren't looking, the sad goodbye when the night's over, so full of longing that it would never end, falling asleep remembering how wonderful it all was. God I miss that.

Snow in September

2006-09-16T08:24:00.000-06:00

Crazy, crazy MT weather. On Tuesday, I went fly fishing with a buddy and it was about 85 degrees. Beautiful sunny skies and the smoke had cleared off enough to see the mountains. Today it's snowing on the mountains and trying to snow down in the valleys. This is great news to the people fighting forest fires just east of the Gallatin Valley where I live and it's cool to look at, but it seems to be a little bit of overkill for snow this early in the year. There was a notice that just went out stating that the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park is closed. This is the only road that goes through the park and gets to an elevation of over 6000 feet is the pass over the mountains.

Nothing much else going on, though I am going to a conference this week for evidence management in Missoula. It should be an interesting conference and I'm going with my assistant chief, so maybe I can convince her to get me that raise I've been angling for. We'll have to see. The only other thing I've been doing is working out like a mad man trying to whip myself into shape in time for the physical testing coming up in November. Wish me luck.

Coincidence?

2006-09-04T11:47:00.000-06:00

Just a little something to think about. I forgot to tell all of you that I'll be applying for a Gallatin County Deputy position fairly soon. The physical testing will be around the first of November and I hope that I'll be ready. If I get the job, my income will double and that's never a bad thing and it will allow me the opportunity to actually help people. Wish me luck and we'll see how things turn out.