Got off my Ass

This morning my wonderful friend, Jenna, woke me at 5 AM. Of course I couldn't go back to sleep afterwards. And come to think of it, I am not even sure she went to the bathroom because she normally heads over in the neighbors to do her business. She woke up BF at 830 AM after I had just got back to sleep, but he didn't acknowledge her so he is in the doghouse with me all day. I got up again. After 4 bowls of POPS, a raw mouth, and 900 games of Freecell, I decided BF had slept long enough. I finally woke him up with a few smacks to the jaw.

I gave Flapper and G-Baby a call, but Flapper had overbooked and I am sure she had never even told G-Baby about the hike we had planned. After waiting patiently for BF to eat and get ready we finally embarked. We would be hiking in the park today so although Jenna came with us, she wouldn't be allowed to hike with us.

And yes this pissed her off. We let her walk for a little while before we headed up the canyon. She barked forever. Well, as long as we could hear her. I think she finally stopped once she couldn't see us anymore. We could see her head poking out the window. A window that was not lowered the much. She had pulled it down some more in an attempt to get to us. She didn't succeed.

We were searching for a rock art panel that I had been to before except in one stupid push of a button I erased all of my GPS waypoints from my unit one day. After reaching the top of the ridge and relieving ourselves, we started hiking in the direction I thought it was. My waypoint was an arch, but we never did find that arch. We came to another drainage and had to walk up this long incline. When we got to the top, there were some shoeprints. I figured they were looking for the same thing. We followed them for a while and came upon this arch. As BF took photos of the arch, I continued on attempting to get my bearings straight. I finally succeeded (I know which is unbelievable) and yelled for BF to follow his drainage up. And we came upon the Giraffe Panel.

These are two other photos taken at the site up close of the animals. Animal and Animal

I was then satisfied with my find, GPSed the location, and we went towards a drainage. When we reached the drainage, it was not the one I was looking for and by this time, I was getting the need to return to the vehicle and Jenna. What do they call that? Something to do with the mother missing the child sort of thing. Like when mom's drop off the kids at school for the first time and cry about it. Well, I wasn't quite there.

Hiking over slickrock just about makes you need new soles on your shoes each time. In the summer it is twice as bad because the heat radiates into your feet making them burn. We finally started back toward the road and to the car where it appeared she had finally settled down. We found little damage in the vehicle which we were surprised.

We let her run for about two minutes before throwing her back in the vehicle. We then stopped at another place and let her run on a road for a while. Of course her running is like twice the amount we probably walked.

We finished the day off with hamburgers at the Diner and then I finished my day off with a shower and a nap as usual.

Now read Jenna's to get her view on the day.

Days Roll By

Jack chatted with me the other day and said he was feeling under the weather. I think I caught whatever he had through the transmission of the keyboard. On Sunday I felt sick and pounded myself with Vitamin C after Vitamin C. All I really wanted to eat was pringles and OJ, but even that didn't seem to help matters. I am pretty sure I ate an entire box of Popsicles instead. By Monday, I felt better, but my chest was still hurting.

How do I describe my chest? Well besides the size of it, but how it has been feelings. Um, somebody very large is sitting on it, but I am not having trouble breathing. My sternum is cracked down the center, but that isn't the case either. Hell, it just outright hurts like hell, shit, and fuck. (Never really understand statements like: Cold as Hell, etc.) Anywho, it hurts. Hurts to lay down, hurts to sit up, hurts when I think, hurts when I don't. Did you get the point that it hurts?

Well my chest isn't the only thing that hurts. My nose hurts. And this isn't a hurt from blowing it because every time I blow it nothing comes out. Which I wonder why since I can't fing breathe out of it. It feels, and I can pinpoint this feeling; like someone hit me in the face with a tennis racquet. Now, I use tennis racket because I have never been hit in the face with a baseball bat, but Kurt hit me in the face with a tennis racket once. Purely accidentally really. Unlike Robert, who hit me in the face with a tennis ball. He claims that is how we got to be friends. WHATEVER. Well back to the nose part...it hurts. It hurts when I touch it to blow nothing out of it. It hurts when I drink Chai. It hurts when I think about it hurting. Did you get the point that it hurts?

Besides the hurts, life is just rolling by slowly, but I know when the time comes to depart, it will roll too fast. I am just anxious to get over there and see what this next Journey holds for me. I know answers to questions, but there are so many more questions that I have to get answered. And those can't be until I set foot in the place. Until then as usual I wait.

A new blog page: ADog'sLife

The Journey of My Life Continues

In 2001, I bagged the city life and moved into the middle of nowhere Utah. My nearest grocery store was an hour and half away, but most made the three hour trip to Grand Junction once a month for food and every other craving. REI, a mall, Wal-Mart, etc. That was my start with the National Park Service and it was where I finally found my place in society. That first year I spent every weekend searching for some canyon or rock art or just a place where I had not let my feet touch the soil to explore and discover. After the season was over, I returned to the city, but knew my spirit was not where it belonged. I would return to Glen Canyon in 2002 and for a short time in 2003. I knew that the friendships that I had made during those years would be friendships that will last for a long time.

In 2003, I left the recreation area and moved to Arches National Park where I called home for a year and a half. Where I actually still call home. And even as I worked at the park, I found new territory to explore and discover. I found new places to hang off of and dangle by my fingertips near the edge of death. Unlike Bullfrog, I never kissed death quite like I did that year in Halls Creek, however; I had a few close calls. It was here at Arches where I would meet a new group of Parkies and I would eventually meet the BF.

My life has come to an end in Utah for a while even though I call the place home. I know there are many canyons that I have yet to fall into. There is red rock that I have not scrambled across or slid down in the hopes I would stop at the ledge. There are streams, brooks, and cricks I have not walked through for twenty-four hours (23 hours and 58 minutes to be exact) straight so I may lose another toenail and go through hell for over a year. There is rock art that has not been photographed by me. There is red clay that I haven't brought from the ground into the house. There is a lot I have not done in Utah that I know I want to accomplish before the life is sucked from my lungs.

But there is also a lot of the other world that I have not explored. Really, I am leaving Utah because I have accepted another job in another state. And although it will be hard to leave the BF, the dog, and the new Parkie friends, I know at this time in my life it is something that I must do. I leave on February 19th for another journey. Depending on which route I take, I will travel across Utah through some other states and land in California. The job is once again with the park service. This time at Pinnacles National Monument (NewJob). The job entails half law enforcement (or for Hornet's sake 51%). The other half of the job will be monitoring the California condors. I am pretty stoked about it.

All I keep thinking is that I will have so much more to explore and discover. The ocean is only an hour away and I hope to work out my ear problems to scuba dive. And I just keep thinking that Life is A Journey and this is just a small part of my journey. I will keep you posted and make sure you continue to check out my photo site (PhotoSite) for new and exciting photos.

Wish me luck...

Also check out the King (Hershey) and the Prince (Snickers) http://mtnbkaz.photosite.com/KingandPrince/

Pocket Puppy Name

My father has gone with Snickers keeping with the candy theme. I believe Gary won the toss up. I told my dad to go on the site and then check out the comments. When I got here, he was calling him Snickers. So thats what we have. Sorry the photos aren't uploading on that site for some reason. I will post a photo or two of both dogs when I get back.

Off to Pickup Pocket Puppy

I am leaving in about an hour to see PocketPuppy for the first time. I am unsure if my father has named him yet. How I did learn yesterday that he already has a scar on his nose. My dad has another chocolate lab named Hershey. He's a huntin' dog and working dogs wear out a little quicker than lazy house dogs. So little to say Hershey needs some adjusting to the new 8 week old trying to get a piece of the territory. Yesterday during feeding PP thought he would test the waters and try Hershey's food. And Hershey let him know that would not be happening and bit PP on the nose.

I can't even believe I am calling him PP. After calling him Pocket Puppy and Pocket for a week now, I relented and called him PP. AHHHHHHH! Oh well. Nonetheless, I am looking so forward to holding him for about a week. And yes, Hershey will get my first lovin' because he's my dog. Well, I bought him for my father so technically I owned him for a short time. But I gave up saying I owned him when I realized if I owned him I would have to pay the bills for him so my dad owns him now.

So I am heading to Nebraska where the weather is supposed to not peak over 40 degrees the entire time I am there. Today's weather here is rain and it has been raining all night. The other day I checked the weather for Nebraska and it said -5, but felt like -17. I am sure there is a time when cold is just that, cold. Anyway, I will keep myself warm by cuddling with PP and Hershey.

Have a good one.

Waiting on the Future

I stand at the edge of the platform and I wait. I wait for something unbelievable to happen. All I can do is wait because I have no real control of my life. I mean I make choices and such, but things just happen for reasons. I am not sure if there is a higher power that gives direction to my soul. I am not sure if there is a power that lives in the core of the Earth that controls my mischievous side. (Really, I would have to go with the latter more than the former.) But it seems that life is about waiting. Waiting for tomorrow, which if you think about it never really comes. Tomorrows are just todays. Tomorrows never come. Well at least I don't think of them as tomorrows. It is hard to live in the now of today and be mindful of the whole situation when you are waiting.

I am waiting for a call that may or may not come on Tuesday. And even if the call comes, it may not be the answer I want to hear. And then what? I am back to waiting. And waiting sucks! Minutes don't tick by quick enough so Tuesday rolls into my hands. And I am constantly thinking of that phone call. What are they going to tell me?

That phone call is one that might change my future. It may take me away from my comfort zone. It may alter my existence. If the phone call is affirmative then my future is moving in the right direction. If the call if negative then I am back at square one and once again waiting for a glimpse into my future. More than anything I will be back waiting for another phone call. Hoping this one will be more positive.

Four more days of waiting. And if that phone call isn't something I want to hear then I am not going to post about it. But if it is the deciding factor in my life, I will post about my future. Until then, wait with me.

New Puppy Needs Name

My dad is getting a new puppy on the 8th. By the photo hopefully most of you can tell it is a chocolate lab. It is a male. Right now I am calling him Pocket Puppy because of the photograph. Any suggestions are welcome. Click on the Title of this Post New Puppy Needs Name to see a photo.

The New Year Is Here, Isn't It

Yesterday I hit another milestone in my life. An important event, as in a person's career, the history of a nation, or the advancement of knowledge in a field; a turning point. Really, I don't think any of those pertain to me, but it was another year etched into my biological clock. I turned 32 yesterday. Of course that was only 4 minutes ago, but it came and went just like that. Actually, I only celebrate my birthday at 10am because that is when I was born. But nonetheless, my friends picked up Thai food and brought a cake. We watched tv, I had a beer, and that was that. We watched Dateline with Amber and that pissed me off that she is getting a book deal out of the death of somebody. I am torn at the moment whether Scott should rot in prison or be put to death. I think if put to death it should be like she died. Horribly. Anywho...

I didn't really feel that much older yesterday. Hell, I felt older on New Year's Eve because we went to sleep at 1130. Hell, it was midnight somewhere. I read my horoscope yesterday and it fit exactly where my life is at the moment. Sometimes I laugh at how real those things are in the words they babble out.

My life seems like a whirlwind right now. Going in 900 directions and not stopping at anyone in particular. I am dealing with it all. I live one day at a time and one hour at a time and so forth. I am trying to stay mindful of my actions and live healthier this year.

Which is funny. I wonder how many people's new years resolution is to be healthy and lose weight. I raise my hand. But I wouldn't say it is a resolution because as well all know we don't stick to them. A goal may be. Something like that.

I wish everyone a safe and happy new year. May you accomplish your resolution with pride and gusto. Good luck. Welcome to 2005.