Its been a while...
First piece of news: I'm crazy. I'll blame it on peer pressure, but whatever the reason, I'm officially signed up to do a 1/2 Ironman Triathlon (70.3 miles) next fall. The link is http://www.beach2battleship.com/. I've only done one triathlon before, so its a dumb idea. The other triathlon was a dumb idea also. I'd only barely trained for it and it has the reputation of being the toughest international distance triathlon in the Southeast. I think I may have finished last, but I finished nevertheless. I did a little research on training programs for a 1/2 IM and here's the plan I'm going to try and follow: http://www.trinewbies.com/tno_trainingprograms/tno_HIM.asp. Notice near the bottom, I'm supposed to already be swimming 5000+ yards a week, biking 3 times a week (25-30 miles each time) and running 7 miles in an hour comfortably. I think I've got my work set out for me.
2nd piece of news: Rob and I are finally joining a church tomorrow! Also, I've received a wee little bit of income recently due to my new job and some painting sales, so I've been writing tithe checks again and I truly believe God is rewarding me. New opportunities and ideas are trickling in, whether a result of this or not is a mystery. Regardless, I'm usually very down this time of the year because of the icky weather and usually have to force myself to do anything; but this year I think my spirits are a little higher. Hopefully we can keep it up, God and me.
Next piece of news (which makes piece of news #2 look all the more promising): the economy still sucks. I guess this isn't news, because I've been expecting all year that its only going to get worse and we're in for a very long depression, but it is confirmed by the Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates to zilch 2 days ago. I think soon or now is the time for investing in gold. I'd really like to have some. Here are a couple of Peter Schiff resources I'll be referring to often: http://www.europac.net/radioshow.asp and http://www.financialsense.com/fsu/editorials/schiff/archive.html
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
A Walk In The Woods
A couple nights ago I stayed up until 1am finishing the nonfiction travel tale A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson. Here's my summary, if you haven't read the NY Times bestseller yourself: Bryson returns to the US after a long stay in Europe, and decides after realizing there's an extensive trail in his Hanover, NH backyard that he would like to reacquaint himself with America by walking on this trail. He spends a long time researching and planning, to the point that he makes himself comically paranoid about the perils of parasites, lyme disease, snake bites, hypothermia, murder, and mostly, bears. He is relieved to hear that an old friend, Katz, desires to join him. Katz has taken a windy route in life by indebting himself, becoming an alcoholic (although he's reformed at the point of this tale), and generally making stupid decisions. The two depart in early March and struggle all the way to the midpoint of the Great Smoky Mountains, at which point they realize that they've only done a small fraction of the entire length of the Appalachian Trail, and forfeit the goal of thru-hiking the whole thing. They then happily skip all the way up to Shenandoah Valley before breaking for a months-long hiatus. Bryson, apparently a little ashamed to have sort of quit, returns to the trail solo for a while, before meeting with Bryson again to hike Maine. Anecdotes of surviving a blizzard, escaping from an angry, betrayed, redneck husband, and dealing with other funny and not-so-funny strangers, spice up the story and make it a real adventure. Bryson also intersperses factual information about geology, ecology, the National Park Service, murders, bears, salamanders, and even Stonewall Jackson throughout the read. Overall, it was a well-rounded, entertaining and intellectual book.
Personally, I think it was a little over hyped by some fellow hikers I've met, but I still found it worthwhile. For the sake of my parent's states of mind, I did some research on the murders mentioned in A Walk In the Woods and was surprised that 3 or 4 of the 9 cited were hate crimes against lesbians. So I that was reassuring. Also, I really enjoyed how the author was so down-to-earth and real. The fancy hiking equipment, the ambitious itinerary -- none of that really mattered to him. I was a little bothered by his criticism of the South at times, but nevertheless can't disagree with him that there are crazy people living here. Surely he was just having fun and trying to lure readers by focusing on the stranger and dumber people he met down here. I guess I find it natural myself to alienate yankees by making generalizations from the unmannerly ones I've met in my life. Of course, I know a handful of truly nice folks from north of the Mason-Dixon line, too. So it all balances out.
Personally, I think it was a little over hyped by some fellow hikers I've met, but I still found it worthwhile. For the sake of my parent's states of mind, I did some research on the murders mentioned in A Walk In the Woods and was surprised that 3 or 4 of the 9 cited were hate crimes against lesbians. So I that was reassuring. Also, I really enjoyed how the author was so down-to-earth and real. The fancy hiking equipment, the ambitious itinerary -- none of that really mattered to him. I was a little bothered by his criticism of the South at times, but nevertheless can't disagree with him that there are crazy people living here. Surely he was just having fun and trying to lure readers by focusing on the stranger and dumber people he met down here. I guess I find it natural myself to alienate yankees by making generalizations from the unmannerly ones I've met in my life. Of course, I know a handful of truly nice folks from north of the Mason-Dixon line, too. So it all balances out.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Big News --> Change of Plans
Today I got some big exciting news! I got a job! Not just any job, either, but what I think is the perfect job. Well, for me, anyway. It is a part-time position as an assistant librarian at the same private school where my husband teaches. It involves reading books to little kids as well as shelving books and being a general helper, I guess. I'm thrilled. As I still ultimately want to pursue a career as an artist, yet am having to be patient my newness to this prospect and with the waning market, I have been hoping for a job that could be meaningful as well as non-demanding. I think this is it. We'll see when I start on Monday.
The downside, however, is I won't be leaving for Springer Mountain, GA on my birthday. I've learned over the years that as soon as I make up your mind that I AM going to do something, it will almost definitely not happen (examples: going to UGA, being premed...). I guess its just one of those ways that God humbles us. Anyway, its alright and probably for the best anyway, because I am not a fan of chilly weather and late March in north Georgia would probably be just that. Instead of making the entire hike all at once, I'm thinking now that I'll divide it into halves and hike this summer and next summer. That should still be quite an accomplishment and quite fun; I'll miss out on starting with the crowds but will make up for it with comfier temps.
The downside, however, is I won't be leaving for Springer Mountain, GA on my birthday. I've learned over the years that as soon as I make up your mind that I AM going to do something, it will almost definitely not happen (examples: going to UGA, being premed...). I guess its just one of those ways that God humbles us. Anyway, its alright and probably for the best anyway, because I am not a fan of chilly weather and late March in north Georgia would probably be just that. Instead of making the entire hike all at once, I'm thinking now that I'll divide it into halves and hike this summer and next summer. That should still be quite an accomplishment and quite fun; I'll miss out on starting with the crowds but will make up for it with comfier temps.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Hello, Montrail, where have you been my whole life?
On the 2 hiking trips I went on this past summer -- once with friend Kate Davis in southeastern Virginia and then with Robbie in the Smokies for our anniversary -- I noticed my feet weren't faring so well in the Asolo boots an REI salesman seemed to think were perfect for my pods. I had blisters, weakened ankles, and general soreness in my soles. It wouldn't have mattered too much to me if I was only planning on hiking a few days at a time for the rest of my future, but those kinds of ailments sound like bad karma for a 4 1/2 to 5 month long walk. I read recently on AT enthusiast website whiteblaze.net that many thruhikers' feet are forever flattened and stretched out from their walk, and if I'm able to control it, I'll pass on joining of that group. I'd rather change out a pair of hiking boots than entire collection of shoes. So, today I got some Montrails, and I hope I'm not getting ahead of myself in saying I think these will change my life! The narrower hole and stronger support for my ankle, and the arch support I never knew existed... oh my! I think I'll be ordering running shoes from them in the near future. This is so exciting.
My most admirable friends are my greatest fear.
Last night I was catching up with a former high school classmate on facebook and came upon the realization which is in the title of this entry. This particular young woman was a smart and motivated student when we shared AP classes in Columbus, GA. For the past year and a half, she's been working for various campaigns on the left. Because I am a constitutionalist at heart, I was struck by a comment she posted on her profile: "this is so not funny anymore. Can someone please find Gov. Palin a copy of the U.S. Constitution?!" She was referring to Palin's response in the V.P. debate to the question of the responsiblities of the vice president. A constitutionalist would have a simple answer to this simple question and it would come straight out of that document. Sarah Palin's fumbled response did not resemble what our founding fathers wrote. I really like Palin and don't want to hash her, but that isn't the only time she's dissappointed me with her b.s. answers. Conservative writer Kathleen Parker accurately sums up my feelings about her in this article.
Anyway, to the point. I said I really like Palin. Well, I also really like this former classmate of mine, Christina. And I also really like several ladies with whom I had the pleasure of attending college -- Elizabeth, whose passion is educating underpriveleged children; Courtney, a tree-hugging, enlightened Christian; and Leigh, who has a huge heart for Kenya. There are others as well. The problem I see is that these women, who really only have the noblest of intentions, see the government as a place of opportunity. I don't blame them. Many leaders have come before them to set the example for this model: let's ask the government to help. I'm sure I sound looney right now to those of you who believe in that model. Its not that I don't want the world to be a better place, its that I see noble projects become corrupted when we allow our government (especially federal) oversight for these projects. I was intrigued when my younger brother returned from volunteering in D.C. area homeless shelters and could talk endlessly about how much worse the government-run shelters were than those operated by the private sector. Another example, and why I agree with Thomas Woods, Jr. when he said "I would support foreign aid only if I hated the human race," is revealed in this 20/20 episode. But besides the fact that I'm hurt by other humans hurting as a result of failed governement intervention, I'm hurt by the fiscal waste that happens simultaenously. This waste is the reason I consider these admirable people to be some of my greatest enemies. It is a strange duality and awareness I have now, as I cheer with these friends for our alma maters in football season, to have such respect for their causes, and to see at the same time the unraveling of our country through budget deficits and an undermined Constitution.
Anyway, to the point. I said I really like Palin. Well, I also really like this former classmate of mine, Christina. And I also really like several ladies with whom I had the pleasure of attending college -- Elizabeth, whose passion is educating underpriveleged children; Courtney, a tree-hugging, enlightened Christian; and Leigh, who has a huge heart for Kenya. There are others as well. The problem I see is that these women, who really only have the noblest of intentions, see the government as a place of opportunity. I don't blame them. Many leaders have come before them to set the example for this model: let's ask the government to help. I'm sure I sound looney right now to those of you who believe in that model. Its not that I don't want the world to be a better place, its that I see noble projects become corrupted when we allow our government (especially federal) oversight for these projects. I was intrigued when my younger brother returned from volunteering in D.C. area homeless shelters and could talk endlessly about how much worse the government-run shelters were than those operated by the private sector. Another example, and why I agree with Thomas Woods, Jr. when he said "I would support foreign aid only if I hated the human race," is revealed in this 20/20 episode. But besides the fact that I'm hurt by other humans hurting as a result of failed governement intervention, I'm hurt by the fiscal waste that happens simultaenously. This waste is the reason I consider these admirable people to be some of my greatest enemies. It is a strange duality and awareness I have now, as I cheer with these friends for our alma maters in football season, to have such respect for their causes, and to see at the same time the unraveling of our country through budget deficits and an undermined Constitution.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
urgh
This has been a frustrating week so far.
1. Paulson appointed Neel Kashkari, a former big wig for guess who -- Goldman Sachs -- to rule over the bailouts. So we can be sure now that the banks will benefit as much as possible
2. Following that, the Fed offers $30B to AIG.
3. As if we've learned nothing from history, central banks all over the world have lowered interest rates again.
4. Our tile guy made some mistakes in our kitchen and I had to ask him to redo some very laborious work.
5. No names, but 2 pretty respectable people in Franklin this week basically tried to shoot down my aspiration of making painting my career.
Regardless, I am now more than ever grateful that I've chosen to be an artist. An old friend of mine who's a grad student for English has been freaking out about entering the real, broke world with her useless degree. The way I'm looking at it though is this: anyone with or without any kind of degree is having or will have a very tough time finding a job these days. So, if we ain't gonna find jobs that will make us fortunes or even make us survive, we may as well plain enjoy whatever it is we're doing. I think contentedness is probably one of the best tools of survival. I'm at peace with the likelihood that I'll probably never really make a real living by making art, but I will be living contentedly and I still believe that my art will be good for the world and therefore worthwhile. And that's enough.
Side note -- Although some folks in the world are discouraging to me, I just had a very affirming conversation with my mom. We talked 1 1/2 hours on the phone almost exclusively about color. This is not the first time its happened either. And it could have gone on indefinitely, but unfortunately we had other things to do. Darn.
1. Paulson appointed Neel Kashkari, a former big wig for guess who -- Goldman Sachs -- to rule over the bailouts. So we can be sure now that the banks will benefit as much as possible
2. Following that, the Fed offers $30B to AIG.
3. As if we've learned nothing from history, central banks all over the world have lowered interest rates again.
4. Our tile guy made some mistakes in our kitchen and I had to ask him to redo some very laborious work.
5. No names, but 2 pretty respectable people in Franklin this week basically tried to shoot down my aspiration of making painting my career.
Regardless, I am now more than ever grateful that I've chosen to be an artist. An old friend of mine who's a grad student for English has been freaking out about entering the real, broke world with her useless degree. The way I'm looking at it though is this: anyone with or without any kind of degree is having or will have a very tough time finding a job these days. So, if we ain't gonna find jobs that will make us fortunes or even make us survive, we may as well plain enjoy whatever it is we're doing. I think contentedness is probably one of the best tools of survival. I'm at peace with the likelihood that I'll probably never really make a real living by making art, but I will be living contentedly and I still believe that my art will be good for the world and therefore worthwhile. And that's enough.
Side note -- Although some folks in the world are discouraging to me, I just had a very affirming conversation with my mom. We talked 1 1/2 hours on the phone almost exclusively about color. This is not the first time its happened either. And it could have gone on indefinitely, but unfortunately we had other things to do. Darn.
Friday, October 3, 2008
bailout crisis & tarp
2 things:
Its 1:30am the day before Congress will hopefully defeat the bank bailout plan again. I can't sleep because this stuff is just consuming me. We originally were debating this year whether or not a recession was coming. Now its a 2nd great depression. Honestly, I think we could be on the path to another dark ages. I mean, the dark/middle Ages were the result of the great Roman empire collapsing. I don't think it'll happen immediately, but we've been maintaining an empire and now we're indebted to the world and we're going to be on everyone's hate list. So next will be the neverending wars or threats of wars, which is what caused folks to close themselves up in little walled communities back in medieval times. I really don't consider myself a pessimist; I'm just evaluating the facts. So I called it first! Truthfully though, I don't feel educated enough on history to trust my own opinion, so...
Whatever happens, I do believe we're a little overdue for some humbling, and I think we'll be better off for it in the long run.
And speaking of that, I think humility is one of my favorite things about being in nature without all of our fancy modern luxuries. Now, I admit, I think I'm going to cheat when I hop on the trail next spring, because I'm planning to bring a pocket-sized radio and advanced systems for water purification and cooking. I'm also planning to use the grocery store instead of going hunting and fishing. But, to my point, there is still something so wonderful about being out in the woods with a bunch of other people. Nobody sees what car you drive, what house you live in, or any of that stuff. And we realize that those things, which we assume are necessities, are not really missed. There is an ultimate contentedness when you are just yourself among other people just being themselves.
Thing #2:
I got a tarp yesterday! Although I already have an excellent tent, much research has confirmed for me that I will be better off bringing a more minimalist shelter that will weigh less and consume less space. So I hunted around for a reasonably-priced lightweight 1-2 person tarp and came upon a version made by Etowah Outfitters. Yesterday I'm sure I confused all of our neighbors as I tried all sorts of unsucessful configurations, gave up, and screamed a lot at our dog for incessantly stomping around on top of the tarp and knocking it down. Today I tried again and discovered 2 very functional designs. I'm now totally pumped!
Its 1:30am the day before Congress will hopefully defeat the bank bailout plan again. I can't sleep because this stuff is just consuming me. We originally were debating this year whether or not a recession was coming. Now its a 2nd great depression. Honestly, I think we could be on the path to another dark ages. I mean, the dark/middle Ages were the result of the great Roman empire collapsing. I don't think it'll happen immediately, but we've been maintaining an empire and now we're indebted to the world and we're going to be on everyone's hate list. So next will be the neverending wars or threats of wars, which is what caused folks to close themselves up in little walled communities back in medieval times. I really don't consider myself a pessimist; I'm just evaluating the facts. So I called it first! Truthfully though, I don't feel educated enough on history to trust my own opinion, so...
Whatever happens, I do believe we're a little overdue for some humbling, and I think we'll be better off for it in the long run.
And speaking of that, I think humility is one of my favorite things about being in nature without all of our fancy modern luxuries. Now, I admit, I think I'm going to cheat when I hop on the trail next spring, because I'm planning to bring a pocket-sized radio and advanced systems for water purification and cooking. I'm also planning to use the grocery store instead of going hunting and fishing. But, to my point, there is still something so wonderful about being out in the woods with a bunch of other people. Nobody sees what car you drive, what house you live in, or any of that stuff. And we realize that those things, which we assume are necessities, are not really missed. There is an ultimate contentedness when you are just yourself among other people just being themselves.
Thing #2:
I got a tarp yesterday! Although I already have an excellent tent, much research has confirmed for me that I will be better off bringing a more minimalist shelter that will weigh less and consume less space. So I hunted around for a reasonably-priced lightweight 1-2 person tarp and came upon a version made by Etowah Outfitters. Yesterday I'm sure I confused all of our neighbors as I tried all sorts of unsucessful configurations, gave up, and screamed a lot at our dog for incessantly stomping around on top of the tarp and knocking it down. Today I tried again and discovered 2 very functional designs. I'm now totally pumped!
Friday, September 19, 2008
My Motivation and Announcement
Dear Friends, Family, and Other Random Folks,
It has come to my attention that I live life more fully when I am in the middle of something incredibly exciting and challenging. For me, setting up these sort of exciting or challenging activities is real motivation. So this first entry is all about that. And I admit, I consider it pretty exciting to stay in better touch with all of you by means of this blog, and also challenging, perhaps.
But let me provide a few examples of what I'm really trying to say.
While I was a youth, I had college to look forward to -- a place which contained all the secrets of our parents for that incredible time when they'd just departed from their parents and hadn't yet married or had kids. Something had to be great about it because they always reminisced of the place and kept on going back for all the football games. So it was motivating to me, growing up, to think about college, and I thrived (or my grades thrived) because of that.
After I finally got there, a series of many events continued to shape me and give me that great "alive" feeling. Like learning to observe and communicate in a new way from that painting class that I took just for the heck of it. And heck, it turned me into an art major! There was also that time I studied abroad in Vienna, where my ideas about lifestyle and convention were challenged by my observations, and where I also saw and heard some of history's greatest pieces of visual and musical art. It was revolutionary for me! There was also that time when I took one of my biggest risks ever and got married, while still a student! But even smaller events, like my first triathlon kept me extremely motivated, challenged, and simply alive.
Well, this all sounds sort of silly, I know, but I can't get enough.
Nearly 6 months from today, on my 23rd birthday, 3/29/2009 I'm going to tie my laces and embark upon the Appalachian Trail. I will hike all the way from Georgia to Maine, hopefully finishing in time for football season or Labor Day. When I stop in towns along the way, I will post updates on this web page. I plan to go solo, but I do not plan to be alone. One of the things that's so exciting to me is bonding with the many scores of other thru hikers I will meet. I recognize there are many dangers in a trip like this, but I assure you I will be as prepared as possible in the event that anything bad should happen. This is an ambition I've had since I was about 12. I'm now out of college, near the peak of my health, and am not tied down by my career or anything else in my life -- it is an opportune time, and, and I just can't wait! I'm finally doing it! I'm going to be a thru hiker.
It has come to my attention that I live life more fully when I am in the middle of something incredibly exciting and challenging. For me, setting up these sort of exciting or challenging activities is real motivation. So this first entry is all about that. And I admit, I consider it pretty exciting to stay in better touch with all of you by means of this blog, and also challenging, perhaps.
But let me provide a few examples of what I'm really trying to say.
While I was a youth, I had college to look forward to -- a place which contained all the secrets of our parents for that incredible time when they'd just departed from their parents and hadn't yet married or had kids. Something had to be great about it because they always reminisced of the place and kept on going back for all the football games. So it was motivating to me, growing up, to think about college, and I thrived (or my grades thrived) because of that.
After I finally got there, a series of many events continued to shape me and give me that great "alive" feeling. Like learning to observe and communicate in a new way from that painting class that I took just for the heck of it. And heck, it turned me into an art major! There was also that time I studied abroad in Vienna, where my ideas about lifestyle and convention were challenged by my observations, and where I also saw and heard some of history's greatest pieces of visual and musical art. It was revolutionary for me! There was also that time when I took one of my biggest risks ever and got married, while still a student! But even smaller events, like my first triathlon kept me extremely motivated, challenged, and simply alive.
Well, this all sounds sort of silly, I know, but I can't get enough.
Nearly 6 months from today, on my 23rd birthday, 3/29/2009 I'm going to tie my laces and embark upon the Appalachian Trail. I will hike all the way from Georgia to Maine, hopefully finishing in time for football season or Labor Day. When I stop in towns along the way, I will post updates on this web page. I plan to go solo, but I do not plan to be alone. One of the things that's so exciting to me is bonding with the many scores of other thru hikers I will meet. I recognize there are many dangers in a trip like this, but I assure you I will be as prepared as possible in the event that anything bad should happen. This is an ambition I've had since I was about 12. I'm now out of college, near the peak of my health, and am not tied down by my career or anything else in my life -- it is an opportune time, and, and I just can't wait! I'm finally doing it! I'm going to be a thru hiker.
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