Happy Holidays

Santa is watching you! Best be on your perfect behavior.

So things here at Facing the Tempest have been slow due to the move. Life tends to throw curve balls, but that is what keeps things interesting. Expect many updates coming soon. Yes, the Wisconsin/Chicago trip review will be coming very soon. I know, I know. My procrastination is rather off putting, but that will happen soon. I also have an article being written. I wont' elaborate due to not wanting to give away any of the goods. Trust me, it will be an enjoyable read.

In the mean time, have a happy holiday. Go and do something amazing with your family and friends (sometimes one in the same). See you in the new year. Hopefully just before the new year, actually.

The holidays

Many of the holidays I celebrate are over shadowed, unrecognized, or were integrated into mainstream society. Note the Judeo Christian faith assimilated many holidays they do not understand. However, that is not my point. My point is simply to point out that these festivals and celebrations of cycle and life should be shared with family and friends. So from the bottom of my green little heart I wish you all a, I know it is late, Thanksgiving. We shall ignore the fact that the holiday is based off of murder and gluttony and focus on the positive aspects. Enjoy your weekend. I will update soon with details of my trip. My plane leaves tomorrow afternoon.

 

Back on the road

I generally rather take my trips by land or sea, but tomorrow morning i take to the air. This really does make sense in this case. Time and versatility. Plus, I get to have a lovely adventure through Chicago to meet my best mate. Neither of us have seen the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) so this should be fun. Hopefully I can pick up a good record in town as well. Last time I was in Chi-town I saw Danzig's first Legacy show. Didn't really get to sight see; just the venue and the highway. I won't be sad to not brave the highways. I have my camera charged and ready for the taking of pictures. I will be staying by Milwaukee for the whole week and doing all those lovely things my best mate and I do. His wife and I haven't gotten to really bond yet, so this will be a super good time. Hopefully next run i'll be out in my own rig. I don't like not having any pointy objects on me. The airline is anal retentive about liquids and pointy objects. All in all this is going to be a bang up of a trip. As of right now I leave in 10 hours.

Catch you on the next update.

Travel Tips: Staying clean on the road

I'm sure at this point people are getting worried. I mean two updates in a week? Well...what can i say, I have more time on my hands. I'm thankful for that. Good changes in my life. Not saying this will be the easiest path, but I feel happier about it by the day. However, let me get to the point of this blog. Oh yes. This will be a new series of posts. Random tips about traveling that I've learned. I'm sure some people know these, but this will give some good reference. Today is all about baby wipes. That's right. Baby wipes. These are a terribly wasteful way of staying clean. If i could find a reusable (and i haven't looked into this yet) way of doing the same thing it would be much nicer.

So you ask, "Why do I need baby wipes?" Let me tell you a story. After five days on the road with a band of stinky Celts (Lunarium - Celtic Folk Metal - now defunct) in a bus with no A/C the one thing other than a cool gallon of water one wants is a shower. With no shower in sight the next best thing are baby wipes. These are one of the more universal cleaning tools on the planet. Hygienic enough for little children so they will take good care of your smelly grown up parts. They take good care of cleaning human bodies, dishes, flat surfaces for whatever reason, and random messes that your traveling mates make after a night of debauchery. Just about anyone in any sort of traveling job or hobby that only allows for infrequent showering will tell you the miracle of baby wipes.

This is such a simple thing. One would not think of this as a large problem. However, after 3 days of doing your thing and your balls are sticking to your leg (or if you are female and you feel like you have balls sticking to your leg) those precious wipes are heaven. If you get a hold of the big value pack in the plastic clam shell just transfer them to a zip lock bag of some kind and stuff that in your travel pack or motorhome. You will thank me later.

Tell me what you think. Give me stories about your baby wipe experiences. If you have any suggestions about a reusable option.

Amazing ideas...

Starting in December I'll begin the undertaking of the motorhome project. I've decide to use the 1970 Ford F100 that my Uncle gave me and turn this into a motorhome. At some point (probably the 1980's) he upgrade the suspension to 3/4 ton. That helps me a ton. During the winter time I'll be doing a full tear down and refit of the motor. That's the start. It has one of the more stable old Ford engines, the 302. Rebuilding that puppy shouldn't take too long, though I am going to be putting hardened valve seats in it. Yes, it is of the era where a vehicle needed lead in the gas to lube up the valve seats. It is an easy fix. Part of the reason the truck will get a full motorhome makeover is that the bed is shot. I really don't feel like fixing it and this will be much cheaper than buying a whole new rig. Besides when i build the next project...it will be a yacht...

Anyway, the outcome of the rig will have that streamlined Airstream vibe. I love the flat aluminum that gives it a WWII bomber look. Though, the front portion of the motorhome is going to have portholes just like the boat I want to build. Hey, i'm a land locked guy looking to take my pirate adventures on the road. I'll get to the oceans soon enough. This will get me traveling and hopefully give me a home while working out and around the country. The interior, at this point in the plan, will be all wood. Of course, weight is a big factor, but I'm fairly sure i can do what I want with it. So as i proceed there will be updates here. Video and pictures will be taken...Lots of that.

Thanks for reading.

Take what you can and take what you like.

It is back to the grind. Not that I am all that happy with my situation. Though, speaking of being happy. If one is not happy with where they are, change the situation. That is what i'm doing. I know that all sounds fairly vague. Trust me that the cat is scratching at the strings to be let out of the bag. People need to trust their gut feelings rather than take a magic pill to take away the pain. That is no way to live life. A wise man (who is actually younger than I) once said something to me that rings true to this moment. "The happiest man on the planet is also the dumbest. He just doesn't realize how bad his, and the worlds, situation really is. I wish I were stupid some days." Oh, how that statement reverberates in my soul most days. However, when i get to the point that I twitch when certain things happen, things must change. I have initiated that change. Never let things that affect your senses fester. Good health means more than just taking care of ones body. The mind is just as important. Solid mental health is just as important as not eating toxic waste and getting some exercise. Some days I wish I were born at the turn of the 1900's...then i realize how great proper medicine can be these days. It is a give and take. Really I think "Carpe Diem" fits well with what i'm saying. We live day to day and being miserable all the while is pointless. Take the leap, just as I have, into the unknown and make the change.

I leave you with this bit of thought provoking prose and a poem from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow about life.

A Psalm of Life 

 Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,— act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o’erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Internship - First week.

Date: 5/27/13

For the first time in my life I have ventured into the south for more than a week. I am a week into my internship at Carl Sandburg Home National Park located in Flat Rock, North Carolina. This park is located in the southwestern NC; only a 20 minute drive from South Carolina. The Sandburg farm is geographically a 264 acre plot of eastern Appalachian foothill. Extremely pretty with some very unique flora. I’ll get to that in a relatively short amount of time, as that I am here studying forest conservation.

However, let me run a few items past the complaint department. I love traveling. Cultural differences are one of the various aspects that make travel so interesting and enjoyable. Finding people of different walks of life with new and exciting ideas are inspiration to me. The American South, though, doesn’t vibe with me. Look, I’m a northerner thick and thin. The way people in the north are raised is a mixture of many things. And it comes out to we are fast moving and, in most cases, high strung. Yes, we may not realize how high strung we are until we travel, but we are. This is something I’ve noticed in the South. People are very laid back. Far to laid back. The Western United States can be extremely laid back as well, but the big difference is that the South harbors some of the most aggressive people in this country. It’s is a weird atmosphere. What compounds this even more is the unrelenting friendliness. In most cases I suspect it may be fake friendliness, but EVERYONE says hi. For someone from the Northern lands this much constant friendliness is tiring. The blunt way to put it is that New England and the Eastern North are full of assholes. That doesn’t mean we can’t make pleasant conversation, no. What it does imply is that we do not and will not say hello to EVERYONE you pass one the street. I still can’t fathom doing this for the rest of my life. By the end of the summer I’m going to be flipping people off just because I’m sick of talking to people. Deliver me to the snowy lands of my Northern forests.

One can be sure that I will have many more complaints before the next 9 weeks are over with, but for now I will move on to what I have been up to…and my assessment of the “great” Carl Sandburg’s Home. To make this more interesting I will describe my week before my review of this author’s home.

DAY 1)

I rolled in on Monday the 20^th of May around 1:30 PM after a 7 and half hour drive. I was tired but alert enough to get myself settled. After parking I wandered my way to the second building that is the headquarters of the National park staff. Jerri, the parks supervisor, met me and squared me away. She got me a key to the green farmhouse that I am currently writing from and rode with me to show me around. The meeting we had was rather short. She told me when to be at work in the morning and some basic logistical data. Most of the information that I need will be from Irene, the biologist who hired me, when she gets back after this week. First week here and the woman I am supposed to be learning off is out of town. No big deal. It gives me a week to learn the park. Knowing ones surroundings is extremely important. After unloading my Jeep, which drove the whole way like a champ, I walked around a bit and read some. Two days before leaving I obtained the newest Dan Brown novel, Inferno. I grew up with the man who did most of the research for the Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons. 8 or so years ago he urged me to read Dan Brown. I finally gave in and I am ever so happy about that. Dan Brown is a great read. For something is a step up from a trash fiction read I would suggest him. Anyway, I met my roomie, Sierra. We chatted and then I crashed. I work 7 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. Sleep came around 10 P.M. I was ever so tired and just passed out.

Day 2) – Tuesday 21st

This was my first day of work (obviously). Up at 6 A.M. and a short walk to the maintenance bay to meet Ernesto, my boss’s assistant. Staying in the park is rather nice. I pretty much only have to drive when I need groceries or need the library…and both of those are rather close to the park. So my orientation was easy stuff. Ernesto showed me around the park. We gardened a bit. Mostly pulling weeds. I was briefed on some of the main invasive species that are in the park (ie: Autumn Olive, Japanese Honeysuckle, and various others that are slipping my mind). One plant that I’m learning to hate is poison ivy. I know what you are thinking: Don’t you hate that already? You know…it’s not a problem back home in Ohio. However, this park has the worst case of poison ivy I’ve ever seen. Seriously, my run in with the stuff on Thursday will show that.

Anyway, back to the action. While gardening many of the volunteers joined us. Though, I’m starting to think they were doing more harm than helping. The morning went by in a flash. The afternoon was full of watering the gardens and fixing the watering system (which consists of a sprinkler wedged into a PVC pipe). I spent most of my day trying to remember names and learning the geography.

After work I hung with the girls (Sara and Sierra) for the evening. A trip to Sara’s and then the grocery rounded out the night.

Day 3) – Wednesday 22^nd

Today I got quickly certified on the Gator. Geeeeeeee, like I haven’t driven one of these before. The government loves their paperwork. I don’t think I ever want to work for the government full time. State parks for me if I end up finding work with them. Who knows what the future holds. So I watched my John Deere video about the gator and took it out. I have become the driver at the moment. So on this day we had no volunteers, as they only come around on Tuesday’s and Thursdays, Ernesto and I make ourselves useful by spraying herbicide on poison ivy, yanking an invasive lily on top of the mountain, and various other small tasks such as this. Have I mentioned that the south is far too laid back? We have been shooting from the hip most of the week. To the point that I barely remember Wednesday. I know I checked my email in the office and yanked some invasive species on a trip to Glassy Top Mountain.  That was pretty much Wednesday. After work I had my nose in a book all night. Yes, the same Dan Brown book.

Day 4) – Thursday 23^rd

The volunteers were back this day…and it was eventful. The whole morning was dedicated to one task: transplanting Milkweed. If you are thinking that this involves Monarch butterflies, you are correct. To set the scene we have a goat barn (Ms. Sandburg was a world renowned goat breeder) and behind that barn is a field that is contracted out to a farmer for production of hay. To the left of the goats grazing field is a small pasture that has an outbuilding and isn’t used for anything in particular. The task was to transplant Milkweed that would be destroyed in the hay harvest, to the unused pasture. The operation took nearly 3 hours and countless trips in the gator across the tourist area of the goat barn. Over the course of that 3 hour time span we moved maybe 120 plants. I do hope they survive. I would hate to see all of that work go down the tubes.  I suppose we shall see by the middle of week 2.

The afternoon was semi uneventful, we just some basic watering and weeding. I ran into some last minute paperwork that needed to get finished quickly and that ate the day. After work it was more time for reading. Can we tell that I make friends with quickness? Didn’t think so.

Day 5) – Friday 24^th

With a three day weekend looming I was anxious for the day’s work to end. As I went into the office the first thing I asked Ernesto was what we are doing today. My insane self pointed out the day before that some of the trees were starting to get English ivy climbing up the trunks. This concerned me. This park has a full sized old growth American Chestnut and several American Elm trees. If one can’t grasp the importance of this statement…let me spell this out. American Chestnut tree was nearly wiped out by a blight. American Elm tree is just not all that common. My lack of knowledge on this tree may be missing a blight type incident in its past as well. So the fact that I was seeing English Ivy, which grows up anything it can, growing up the trunks of these trees concerned me. Also, the park has a large abundance of Eastern/Carolina Hemlock. I’m sure if you are in the know you will wonder if the trees are suffering from the Wooly Adeljid. Well, these trees have been treated and are mostly healthy. A few have the blight, but are getting treatment. That is exciting. Healthy trees are a fantastic thing. I wish we could have saved more American Chestnut trees.

THE WEEKEND!!!

Day 6) – Saturday 25^th

Today was an exploratory day, but not before I got a good run in. And a good run it was. For an hour and fifteen minutes I galloped around the village of Flat Rock. In retrospect I probably should have not run on the sides of some of the roads. It may or may not have been dangerous. I survived and that is what matters. After that adventure I cleaned myself up and ventured into Hendersonville to find the library. I needed to check my email. On route to adventure I found an Autozone. Remembering that I was in need of some Seafoam for my trooper of a Jeep I made a pit stop. Not only did I find the solvent that I needed, but I found directions to the library. The destination was only but a few blocks away. After exiting the automotive store I found my turn and also that a town festival was in the process of happening. It turns out the 25^th and 26^th had a Garden Jubilee scheduled. My luck! I wanted to explore this town and this was going to make it much more interesting. However, the priority of email came first.

The library was a nice large house of knowledge. Not much traffic surrounding the building. I do love smaller towns for this. As a side note, it would seem that Flat Rock and subsequently Hendersonville are one of the largest retirement communities in the country. The area is full of wealthy old folks. No wonder everything is so pricey here. Thankfully, the library is free. I sat down for several hours and spent some time online. The more time I spend away from the internet the quicker I can get things, such as email and youtube checking, done in a hurry.

After leaving the library, I stashed my lap top and ventured to the Garden Jubilee. The fest was sponsored by Lowes. I’m not really into gardening much. I’m sure my Mum and Aunt would enjoy this far more than I did. That being said, I did find a few points of interest. But, mostly I spent time rummaging through antique and general stores of Hendersonville. And speaking of my Mum and Aunt, I talked to both while trotting around the town.

Eventually, my legs began to tire and hunger set into my stomach. I walked back to my faithful steed and headed home, but not without a stop at The Fresh Market. This is a wonderful, if not expensive, natural foods store. I was quite pleased with finding it and will be going there more. They have all of the items that should be in a normal grocery, you know…whole foods without chemicals. I won’t get back on my soap box. Promise.

The last stop was the park and dinner. Eating was quickly done and I spent the remainder of this evening with my face buried in a book. I fear this summer is going to speed by. I am not looking forward to my last year of graduate school. Not one bit. I would like to just work on my own projects. Make some money. Not have to worry about being tested or doing huge projects that I could care less about. All in due time. What doesn’t kill you…

Day 7) – 26^th

This was a highly uneventful day. I got up and did some calisthenics, got a shower, and shoved my nose in a book a majority of the day. The Dan Brown novel would be done by Monday.

Day 8) – 27^th

Today is Memorial Day. The park is having a music fest from 10 A.M. until 4 P.M. and I have the day off. Unfortunately, there are enough old people that it appears the cast of Night of the Living Dead heard a call for free brains in the park. The music was eclectic and good. The Celtic fiddle player, Jaime Lavel, would have been more enjoyable if I wouldn’t have been harassed by an ex-party junkie from New Jersey most of the set. I kept going back to the house and reading. What can I say…I’m a sucker for a good book. The Dan Brown novel was finished today. Next up comes Charles de Lint’s Moonheart.

And that was the first week…ish. It was enjoyable. Nine more to go and a project on Granitic rock formations. Not my cup of tea, but I only have to do a presentation on them. I’m starting to think I just need jobs that keep me traveling. A traveling blogger would be fantastic. That way in my down time I can just woodwork and scale model. Oh well, food for thought. More on this North Carolina venture next week.

Art is life.

Part of this blog is dedicated to my hobby, modeling. Living simply (in a Motorhome or otherwise) doesn't mean giving up ones hobby. Whatever full timing rig i end up with will have to have a work bench in it for my model hobby. It's the simple things in life that keep us going. Art is as important, in my opinion, as saving the environment. We must create beauty as much we help to sustain and improve our environment.

As i prepare for summer and get through exams I will be working on the Lief Ericson star ship. This is an AMT kit from the 1960's that was recently reissued in 2011 ( i believe). It will be lit as it comes with 9 volt powered engine lights. This should be rather exciting. I also have purchased, from Paul at Paragrafix.biz, the photoetch upgrade kid. Paul does amazing work and offers a good range of upgrade kits for all of your science fiction needs. 

Speaking of science fiction. Another kit that I have I have a special project in mind for. Now, as whatever fulltiming rig I finally settle on there will be a remodel. I'm just that particular about my living arrangements. I'm sure much wood will be placed in the interior, but one thing I have wanted to do is upgrade lighting. 

The Lindburg Area 51 UFO space ship will be turned into a 12V LED lamp. Mostly I'm going to run a brass tube through the middle and wire in some strip lighting at the bottom. However, that will have to be done next year when I have more time.  I think this will make a wonderful lamp. I haven't even thought about the nuts and bolts of the project. That will come next year, and it will be loads of fun!

So hopefully I will be starting the Lief Ericson next week. There will be updates and maybe a good video or two about that. I may do a nice unboxing if I find the time.

Enjoy~

"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." ~ Aristotle

Landlocked...again

I'm back to working on my thesis (ie: procrastination)...or really just my literature review. It's just a big research paper that is not interesting. Last month I spent time in 9 different states. If I take out Ohio in that equation I had a blast. Some of the company wasn't the best, but that will happen with any trip. Once this semester is over I'll be working in North Carolina. I'm extremely excited about this. I'll be one step closer to what I want in life. One step closer to proper freedom. If graduate school has taught me anything, it is that much of the info that college forces down your throat is useless. I'm not here to be a PHD. You couldn't pay me to do that type of degree. I refuse. I know I'll benefit from my maters degree. That is the only reason I'm putting up with being in college any longer. The world/life doesn't wait while you spend decades in school. I'm a firm advocate of education, but enough is enough. I suppose the last month of traveling has me a bit down now that I'm shackled to working on projects that I don't care about other than to get a grade. I suppose I am just more hands on than anything. Working on papers and meaningless research is uninteresting and unproductive. There are many areas of research that are extremely important. However, they aren't in my field and I don't want to be involved. What I want is to be out in the field. The front lines of environmental action. Back out on the road attempting not to have a HUGE eco-footprint.

I'm babbling. For the sake of boring everyone this will be short. I do need to actually work on my paper. I have a goal of draft one to be done by the end of the week. Not entirely sure that will happen.

I went rig hunting on the 30th with my Mum. I believe we both decided on a class C motorhome. I love my Jeep and want to keep it, and it won't really pull anything I can fully live in. Most fifth wheels will involve a HEAVY truck investment and are a bit to luxurious for my taste. So a class C with a slide out will be what i'm looking for. Once I get my hands on that the modifications will start. I'm fairly certain I can't leave anything original.

"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like." -- Lao Tzu

Heating...finding new things.

No matter what rig i end up choosing there are some fundamentals that I will be in need of. One is heat. I love wood stoves, but didn't think that would be much of an option....until I found this.

Kimberly Stoves...huh...built for small spaces. This looks amazing and right up my alley!

Facing the Tempest: Ramblin' and On and On

Facing the Tempest: Ramblin' and On and On: Talk about a busy month. In 9 days I traversed the southern half of the eastern seaboard and a couple of northern states...9 states in all. ...

Ramblin' and On and On

Talk about a busy month. In 9 days I traversed the southern half of the eastern seaboard and a couple of northern states...9 states in all. Unfortunately I didn't have the luxury of one state a day. Well thems the breaks when you have appointments. I can now say that I am officially certified as a Wilderness first aider. That is fairly exciting. I find it of great need to be prepared for things. What things? Anything really. I'm not a preper in the traditional sense. Most of those yahoos are just waiting for "the great revolution" or "the end times". I'll tell you, those scenario's will not play out like you think they will. I'm fairly certain of that. However, with climate change also comes, as most of you have seen, completely insane weather. Being prepared for some form of natural disaster is slightly more relevant than waiting for some half asserted revolution. Come on, look at this population...most of these fat lazy bastards are couch potato revolutionaries. They will take part in anything as long as they don't miss the new episode of CSI. Fucking pathetic. I digress, I like to be prepared. I found on these trips that I am in sore need of a good camp stove. I've been putting this off for FAR to long. I don't really do much multi-day back country camping. So when I do camp it tends to be in a more convenient location to just use a good cooking fire. So, in short, less gear to carry. However, with all the insane traveling I am starting to get into, and with my very specialized diet and dislike of going to restaurants, a cooking stove is on top of my list to buy.  I find it handy to be able to cook my cup of veggies or steam some rice in my own time. It's the little things that make traveling more fun. The more one travels the more one gets a good travel kit together.

On top of getting my WFA certification I nailed an internship in North Carolina at the Carl Sandburg Home National Park. This stokes my souls fires. You see, I'm one of those crazy artist types that also an idealist. I want the work I do to mean something. That's one reason I am an environmentalist. Part of my inspiration for my music and other art is the natural world. This is the same for many people in many professions. I put my effort, professionally, into helping the environment, saving it from the uneducated and immoral louts of the world. I suppose having strong ideals about the world plays into wanting to live small. It's a blessing and a curse having such a wide eyed view of the world. One foot in front of the other. I am getting where I want to be professionally, spiritually, emotionally, and any other ally that you can think of in small strides. A person should not be afraid to see whats around the next corner.

I know many people who are timid to traveling or even moving. Some are uncomfortably attached to their families. To me that is rather unhealthy. Other folks don't like to get taken out of their comfort zone. I find that comfort zone hampers personal growth. I don't necessarily enjoy the feeling, but embrace it. Stepping into the unknown helps me to grow into that mighty oak i yearn to become. New experiences is like a hit of protein powder before a solid work out.

I've rambled enough in a fairly non-focused way. I'm going to be productive away from the internet.


Be strong.
Be steady.
Be true.

*Brought to you by Rollins Band - Blues Jam*

Fuel the fires within..

This is a subject I will not talk about very often, but it's on my mind as i sit here and watch the Vegan Black Metal Chef. I've had a very weird eating history. I was a fat kid. I was in that first real wave of obese U.S. citizens that came up in the 80's and 90's. My situation was not a biological problem. My environment shaped my body. I spent much time outdoors, and you'd think that I would get plenty of exercise by that fact alone. I ran around so much it was unreal. However, due to my Mum trying to raise me Vegetarian and everyone else giving me food I became a human garbage disposal. I was lucky enough to be a budding picky eater. It wasn't as evident in my youth as it is now, but I never got a taste for Soda Pop (thankfully). I never got a taste for some of the nastier things. I did have a nasty fast food habit. My body is responsive more than some to the things i put into it. At my peak I weighed in at over 300 pounds...probably well over. I was miserable. It took a ton of bad health habits and poor food to send me over the edge my first year in college and I got sick. That sickness put me down for a couple of years. During that time I began to read, and due to my lack of ability to eat much I began to watch the food network like a mad man (I haven't watched television in nearly 7 years).

I'm a late bloomer, but at this point my mind really began to open. I've never been dumb. Though, for a long time I was a very "learn by mistake" person. As my consciousness expanded I began to learn things about myself. I changed my diet and I got on the mend. I haven't eaten beef since I was 19. That was the first big decision I made. The process of knowing oneself is a life long journey. In the area I grew up in, making the choice to not eat cow is HUGE. Maybe not to my Mum, but to everyone else it is. That was the first of the big decisions I've made. Maybe one day i'll talk about my faith choices...that one still gets to the yokels. Anyway, as my diet changed to what I wanted it to be I felt better. My Mum honestly believes that cooking is bad for a person. I don't believe that. I do think most people cook in a very unhealthy manner. Just walk into any given city in the United States and the obesity rate will completely blow your mind. I know it blows my mind. Going out to eat (assuming you can find a place that doesn't serve FDA approved toxic waste) is rather horrifying. Serving portions are blowing away HUGE in the middle of this country. I've found from my travels that coastal areas tend to give a bit less food per meal (with higher prices...go figure).

So...i've picked up a few things about health over the years and made choices. I'm gluten free, beef free, milk free (I still eat cheese and yogurt). I'm not vegetarian or vegan. I eat chicken and fish, but i'm VERY picky about where my meat comes from. I don't want antibiotics and steroids pumped into my meat. Not good for the animal and not good for me. The largest choice was going gluten free. There are extenuating circumstances behind that choice, but it's a choir. A labor of love, if you will. It makes me feel great. I work out for the same reason...it makes me feel good.

I don't understand people who eat trash. People who put drinks into their system that can DEGREASE AN ENGINE. My body matters to me. I don't want to be on 23432 different medicines when i'm 50 because I ate 12 pounds of salt a year on top of mounds of buttered bacon. My body is a temple. My body is like any other bio system. If you put toxic waste into the natural cycle it will eventually stop that system. I've witnessed to many people in my family or associated with my family (family = biological and friend based) not care that much about their health. It's just down right sad and scary. So in a sense i've become a picky eater because I only want high quality fuel for my body. I enjoy staying healthy. I can't lie and say i don't get worried that i'll get fat again. Anyone who has lost over 160 pounds will tell you that they never want to go back. I am such a different person in some respects. In others i'm just more enhanced.

What we put into our bodies is purely our choice. If you fill your body with junk, what does that say about who you are? Do you eat fast food daily because "I don't have time for anything else". There is no excuse...none. My health comes first. One of the basic natural traits is personal safety. Eating properly, whatever that is for you, is just as important as breathing clean air or sleeping enough.

I think you get the point.

Stoking the Fires!

There are moments in life where the present situation is unenjoyable, but is needed to get down the road where you want to be. Always try to find the silver lining. It's like taking that pungent medicine that tastes so foul. It may taste like a rotting shoe. In the end it helps, but it isn't something that you want to do again. That's the way I feel about grad school. There is something to be said about to much schooling. I've just about hit that point. To much book work. To little real world. I'd say they couldn't pay me to stay in academia...but they kinda are paying me for the next 17 months (to my luck).

I try and live in the moment. Take in life as it comes at me. Enjoy the rays and cherish every morsel. I've said it before, and it bares repeating, but people plan to much to die in this country. Good to have a backup plan, but not good to live for retirement. So not to get stuck in the repeating record again. Just saying to enjoy whats in front of you and try new things as they come.

Which is a nice intersection into my next thought. Becoming mature and "growing up" is fine and dandy. It's something that should naturally come with experience, age, and consequently wisdom. Our society, that being in the United States, just LOVES to squash childlike tendency and imagination. To dream nearly makes someone weird. Those who do keep their dreams and spread their wonder across the land are considered "weird" or "nonconformists". I raise my cup to those who do what they want. Keeping that childhood dreaming going is rather easy for some and next to impossible for others. I've never lost it. I find amazement in most things. Nature. People. Which are part of nature. The key is to find that which inspires the imagination. Stokes the fire of curiosity. And curiosity is the one thing that I've never had a deficiency of.

In my childhood, past the age of 3 or so, I never traveled. My Mother is practically scared of her own shadow. She did take me hiking quite a bit. That could be one reason that the forest is one of my happy spots. A zen type of atmosphere, if you will. I dreamed of traveling off into the sunset and exploring anything and everything. I love to explore. To poke around and find what there is to find. To get my fingers into the soil. To climb the tree and see what is across the horizon.

I've never lost that will do explore. Less of a will and more of a deep seeded need. Thankfully, I have the skill to describe my thoughts and experiences through words. I suppose my youth has led me down the road of wanting to live a more nomadic life style. In this day and age we have many options on how to go about this. I'd always wanted to just live anywhere and everywhere, but i do remember the moment, some years ago, when i discovered the wonderful world of the motorhome. It was like some grand epiphany. I was rooting around in my Aunt's book collection (she has one of the most extensive garden book collection i've ever seen) and found a gem called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rolling-Homes-Handmade-Houses-Wheels/dp/089104129X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361648284&sr=8-1&keywords=rolling+homes">"Rolling Homes" by Jane Lidz</a>. You want to talk about an obsession made real. I can flip through this book for hours on end. It may have been on of the first books on the subject. This was literary coal for my internal fires. Books do this to me, but this one in particular was very high BTU. You know, if you look back at your life (any one of you reading) you can find defining moments. This book became a defining moment. I wanted to live in one of these rolling homes. Most motorhomes are full of prefab floppy poor quality material. Weight is an issue for gas and tire reasons, but that doesn't mean you can't make it "home". I've always loved cruising yachts for that reason. The woodwork is more homey. One can do this to a motorhome if you know how. In some case people don't care. Just look through "Rolling Homes" and tell me there isn't a personal touch in every one of those.

My brain gets thinking about how exactly I want to handle my "Rolling Home". Do I want an RV, travel trailer, or tiny home on a railer (trust me these are distinct).

or

or

Home is where you lay your pillow and find comfort. I hope to find a place one day that I can dock and find comfort.

Nature

O Nature! I do not aspire
To be the highest in thy choir, -
To be a meteor in thy sky,
Or comet that may range on high;
Only a zephyr that may blow
Among the reeds by the river low;
Give me thy most privy place
Where to run my airy race.

In some withdrawn, unpublic mead
Let me sigh upon a reed,
Or in the woods, with leafy din,
Whisper the still evening in:
Some still work give me to do, -
Only - be it near to you!

For I'd rather be thy child
And pupil, in the forest wild,
Than be the king of men elsewhere,
And most sovereign slave of care;
To have one moment of thy dawn,
Than share the city's year forlorn.

"Henry David Thoreau"

“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.”
― Frances Hodgson Burnett

Nothing but pure pipe!

One thing that has perplexed me for as long as I can remember are people who live life with no goals. I believe one shouldn't look to far down the road, but having a few long term goals will give one a direction. The Baby Boomer generation has planted this idea that retirement is a good idea and strives for it. I don't feel that "retirement" is an option...for one that same generation has screwed us who are younger out of proper retirement anyway. But why do I really care think about having fun when i'm sixty...striving for a truck load of money...working myself half retarded...spending my good years in a cubicle (if you choose that route) or a factory floor (of one kind or another) is so pointless. Right now I have myself anchored to my graduate school for the next 17 months. I will follow through with this. Not following through with a plan is worse than just wondering what it would have been like. Besides, this is testing my metal to see if I can do this. It is a goal and I will finish one way or another. Does it make me happy? I don't think so. Sometimes what you think will make you happy doesn't at all. Sedentary life does not make me happy. Nope... But back to goals. Having the goal to save up for your twilight years seems so damned pointless to me. When your dead, that's it. I'm not saying not give yourself a little room for contingency plans in the light of something crazy happening, but just living to save up to die. Dude...your doing it wrong.

A goal should augment your life. Direction can be important. I feel it motivates the soul/essence in important ways. Goals invigorate the imagination. Goals give forward motion in expanding the mind. Goals keep the body young and active. The last thing a person needs is to just slap down in front of the boob tube and degenerate in front of reality T.V. for the next 40 years. 100 years ago a person would be horse whipped by family members if they ended up so lazy. Some of the greatest tools of the modern age are also some of the most exploitable for terrible reasons. Television and the Internet are two of them. Both can be fantastic learning tools or mind deadening distractions from the real world. Connecting with nature is a goal unto itself. In some cases it's a reconnection. I feel that most of society has lots any form of connection with nature. This is such a shame.

Another aspect of goals is the fear of failing. I know this one all to well. I'm shy. I'm full of fear. I've been told that i'm arrogant. That is not the case. When I am scared my mind tries to bolster itself. Buttressing itself with bravado. This is my nature and I try and overcome it. My mind flies with dragons and fairies (I have a fantastic imagination). So why shouldn't my physical form attempt to flap it's proverbial wings and soar into the great blue sky? Fear? Failure? The concept of fear has held my will down for so long. I will not hear of it anymore. The willpower it took to move out of state to graduate school was profound. A first step toward greater goals. If a person wants to do something...simply do it. I know, I know. I should take my own advice. Trust me, I am trying. Some folks have the luxury of not being shy or scared. This is one thing that makes life so interesting. Everyone is as different as a snow flake during a blizzard. I would have it no other way. Plunging into the world head first is one of those terrifying, yet exhilarating, acts that I feel everyone should achieve. I'm not talking about going out of your home and to the nearest 7-11. No, i'm talking about visiting a new city, or state, or country. Talk to people, see what there is to see. Do not be afraid of failing. If you are on vacation in another place try something new. Even if it doesn't work out the way you would have thought you have at least tried.

Trying new things is the spice of life. I know, a very over used term, but true. Doing the same thing day in and day out will leave a bland taste to life. Set a goal, try it, and if you don't like it at least you can say that you did it and it wasn't for you. Granted there are some things you just know you don't want and don't want to try. That's fine. But don't' back down from the things you do want to do. And if something presents itself why not give it a whirl? What have you got to lose?

From personal experience, I spent far to much of my life being tied down to fear. Dreaming of the cool things I wanted to do, but would probably not because "I couldn't". Couldn't has been erased from my dictionary. I can do anything that I want. I can't put my finger on the moment that my mind locked into living things under my terms. It may have been when my grandmother finally passed away (a pivotal point in my life...a blog for another day). It may have been during the two years of job hunting for a "real job" that showed me how much I don't want a life ruled by another persons sanctions. It could have been a spiritual upheaval and renaissance of sorts. Or all of that smashed into one ball of epiphany. Whatever it was my goals have been drastically changed. Constants in my life are moving like around and disappearing. New things are coming into being.

Change. Goals will change as a person changes. I feel sorry for individuals that do not change. Personal and spiritual (i'm not Christian...just spiritual in general - whatever the persuasion) growth is just as important as about anything one can think of. Let those goals morph as you morph. Follow the path and if you see something neat then head for that.

I think that is enough introspection for today. Enjoy the last days of winter. The spring is just around the corner.

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”
― Ernest Hemingway

“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.”
― Albert Einstein

“If you were born without wings, do nothing to prevent them from growing.”
― Coco Chanel

“Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars, but remember to keep your feet on the ground.”
― Theodore Roosevelt

High Tech | Low Life

A way of life, to be sure. What the phrase "High Tech, Low Life" really translates into is simplicity. One gains inspiration from the darnedest places. In this case it is just how I grew up. How my friends grew up with me. Not everyone has the same ethos, but a little of it has seeped into us all. In my case, home wasn't the most conducive habitat for a well adjusted individual. I will spare the gory details for now. I ended up either living with my friends and using my car as a giant foot locker. I never really ran away from home, but for a good many years I pretty much only slept at my parents house...and at times not even that. These were the days before reasonably priced cell phones (think of the big bricks) and lap tops...Hell most of that time if your computer had 128 megs of RAM you were in the butter zone. So i lived out of a back pack and my trunk most of the time. It wasn't until after high school that i started buying stuff. I'm still not a fan of mp3's, though...a different rant for a different day. I have a pretty big CD and record collection. There are ways of condensing this. But i'm digressing...again.

Inspiration is a big key to anything one does in life. Artists, scientists, gamers, knitters, athletes, and about any body doing anything one can think of are in need of inspiration. If society, as it keeps trying, has crushed your inspiration and imagination then give a brother a call...you need help. For me I find inspiration from music, books, and the people that i know. If the title of this blog isn't pointed enough, I'm a big William Gibson fan. I find so much inspiration from cyberpunk literature in general. This goes back to how I grew up and what my friends and I were into for most of our lives. Even now when talking to my oldest friends I see everything from personal to political ideologies that have a ring of cyberpunk philosophy pop through. Maybe i've spent to much time thinking about this subject. Maybe i'll write a blog some day about cyberpunk philosophy. Who knows? Not me...i just put fingers to keys and words end up on the screen. Another big inspiration is music. I've gone to shows, danced, played in bands, and collected. I suppose part of my life decisions come down to the touring life style. At this point i loathe hanging out in bars 3 plus days a week. I don't drink and hate the smell of cigarette smoke (for those far few places that allow smoking inside anymore). I don't mind it now and again to see a band. I always had more fun either on stage playing (big duh!) or traveling with my friends. We were never bogged down with junk. We had the gear we needed and the basics to survive. Now days i can think of a plethora of things that would have made life more comfortable, but you know what they say about hindsight. It's a simple and fun life. If only we made more money than none. That would have been the tits!

Another biggies in my life is nature. I just don't understand how a person can not interact with the natural world. The forests, oceans, skies, caves, deserts...they are all so beautiful. The feeling of wind blowing across your cheek on a spring day. Cool and damp, but warmed by the sun. I once worked at a call center for a hot second. While there i met a guy who had been so cooped up in the urban world that he had never been in close proximity to a cow. Let me say that again. HE HAD NEVER SEEN A COW. I'm sure there are urban settings that are foreign to me. For sure. But to have never seen a bloody cow in the United States...in a city with a nick name like "Cowtown" (Columbus, Ohio) is just insane. In this world one of the back bone portions of simplicity is nature. In nearly all places there are free parks to visit. Nature preserves. Wildlife preserves. Protected monuments. Rivers and lakes for canoeing. The list can go on. Part of the high tech/low life ethos is to live in the world and take part. For me this involves working with nature, but it can also mean just taking your kids or dog to the park more often. It really comes down to your caring about your life.

Our past makes us who we are. It should never lead you around on a leash, but it should put the future in perspective.

Until Next time...

“We see in order to move; we move in order to see.”
― William Gibson

Salutations and good evening.

I've always been terrible at beginnings. A point and place with no real baring, at least in my case. This venture may be a bit different as the ideas I will present here I have been dwelling upon for some time. Sure, there are folks out and about that are one up on me and living a stripped down life style. Better late than never. At the present moments in my life, and for the last several years, I have come to not enjoy buying needless items. Material objects are nice, but hinging ones life upon belongings is no way to live. I have close family who are eyeball deep in "stuff". You can call this what it is. Pack ratting. I've had to deal with this and to be honest was headed down a similar path.

...then one day after trying to clean through a family owned house that was stuffed full I came to the conclusion that I wanted nothing to do with this type of life. Keep in mind that I do have hobbies. I want to keep at my hobbies. This is factoring into the way I am approaching all this. Over the last several years since that time cleaning that house I have gotten more and more critical about the things i purchase. Does it have more than one purpose? How large is it? Do I really need it? Frankly, most people should have these thoughts when purchasing anything. Now granted if one has a house the weight issue may not be a factors, but you get my point. There are just some things that a person doesn't need. Or for that matter a person doesn't need 3 or 4 of. I do not understand houses that have more than 1 TV. Cable is pure garbage, but i do enjoy cinema. That being said, I don't want a television in every room where I am living. My mother has a TV in nearly every room in her house. It just baffles me. So whenever i buy something these days I really scrutinize over it.

So when I got the idea to live in a camper of some kind I really got serious about doing some research. I had to decide if it was right for me. I originally had the idea of living in a boat. A sailing rig. This has a few problems for me. I enjoy working. My profession is in forest resource management, conservation, and environmental studies. Living in a boat limits my income potential. Until someone invents forests on the open ocean I'll stick with land based full timing. I had this idea some years ago, maybe seven. I love the look of a sail boat. Though, that is for later thought. So, once i decided on camper living I started researching. I am currently still researching. You see I am not procrastinating by any means. I am currently in graduate school. This is a good and bad thing. Good that I have time to search out all the nooks and crannies of this life style.

There is another aspect to my decision that I'm sure every post college student can get behind...Student Loans. If there is one thing I hate it is debt. The generations before mine were so greedy. They had a multi-bed room and bath house and needed a boat, 6 cars, and a vacation cabin while only making 50,000 a year. On top of that they hadn't even paid off their house yet, but lumped all those other items up on credit cards and loans. Yes, i know that is an extreme example, but come on...everyone knows someone who has far to much stuff that they can't pay for. I'm all for hobbies, but sometimes it gets ridiculous. Maybe i'm just thrifty by nature. I have friends who will by those "toys" from people at a cheap price and set them the way they want them. But now I'm digressing. Where was I? Student Loans? Yes. I don't know many college students who aren't eyeball deep in loan debt. I am one of them. The banks have it rigged so most people will pay back 3 times the amount you actually owe because of insane interest rates. Without getting to political, this whole loan jazz, important as education is, can be seen as a racket. I value my education, but I will not be held down for the good years of my life by a mountain of debt. So this choice to live lightly will hopefully help me pay things off with a bit more speed.

As you can see I've thought about this in depth and I have many reasons why I want to live this way. I enjoy traveling as well, but that's more of a perk of the life. However, with 18 months left in graduate school I have some time to go before I can push through with my plans. Thankfully, I have a supportive mother who is also letting me store some of the things I either won't be able to fit in the rig i choose or just don't want to get rid of. Not everyone has that particular option, but I do and will be utilizing this. One day, not any time soon, I wouldn't mind having a log cabin and doing a homesteading type of thing. That will be some time down the road. The great thing about life is that there are so many options. I've never seen eye to eye with the average 'Merican life style. To each their own, I suppose. If we all thought alike than life would be boring.

I think I have rambled on enough for the moment. This is just the beginning of a long journey to find balance. Until I find a rig to sink my teeth into I will be posting my thoughts on certain subjects here. I'm also a modeler, miniature gamer, and role player...yes...I have some nerdy hobbies...so I will most likely post some photos of that stuff here.

I hope you join me for this wild ride that I've assigned myself. It should be fun and educational.

Now i search for my star. To guide myself into the storm front.

~~ Gabriel

| Oh, no, it is an ever fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken.
It is the star to every wandering bark
Whose worth's unknown although his height be taken. |

__ Shakespeare __ Sonnet 116