Opportunity's Knocking

For Crying Out Loud...Post Something Already!!

2008-12-05T09:44:00.000-08:00

Alright, it has officially been too long to try to explain why we (I) haven't posted anything since Oct. 19th. The burden of job hunting, tending to a sick dog, hiking, running, climbing, and exploring a lot, and generally just forgetting about the importance of connecting with my family and friends...oops, sorry!

Over the past month and a half, Lindsay and I have certainly learned a lot about ourselves. The first thing we learned is that we can't be away from the East Coast for more than 3 or 4 mos. before we start going mad. Thus our decision to come back to our beloved state of VT at the end of this month. Yes, we were planning on skipping out on winter for one year, but the lure of familiarity, the necessity of friends, and my (Chris') wanting to get back to the job and co-workers I love so much facilited a decision to move back sooner than later. This decision, however, is not a direct reflection or measurement of the fun we've had thus far. We've had the opportunity to visit the Oregon Coast, Smith Rock (more times than both of us are willing to share!), farms, hidden lakes, waterfalls, publics markets, concerts, etc, etc.

Our trip back East will, no doubt, be a more expediant one, as we both are trying to get home to start work immediately following the new year. So, barring anything crazy (bigfoot, alien abductions, eruptions of megavolcanoes), we will be leaving on the 25th and arriving back in VT on the 30th. 5 days to drive a lot, visit minimally, and rack up more miles on our car...lovely.

See you back east, and happy travels!

Repudiate, Repudiate, Repudiate!

2008-10-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

How many times did that Monkey, McCain use that word in one sentence during his weak debate with Senator Obama the other night...four or five times?

Anyway, it's been a while since either one of of us posted an update...truth is, nothing really monumental has happened. And that's not necessarily a negative thing, though, getting a job would've been reason enough to post. But alas, I am still waiting in the stale wind of Eugene's negative job market turbine. Really folks, how many jobs must a person apply to before he/she elicits even the slightest response...40, 50 job applications?! I've lowered my standards greatly in search of this elusive jackal called "job", and the fact is, I think employers think I'm joking or something when they receive my resume. In all seriousness, I am willing to shovel shit, or pick up trash, and wear a monkey suit for some corporation (e.g. Starbucks, PetSmart) in exchange for a non-liveable wage. Perhaps it is a joke, perhaps I have deep-seeded desires to see how much diginity and pride I will swallow in order make a buck...ha, the almighty buck. Being over-qualified and non-employable is a real impetus, folks...like having a terminal illness.

In other news, we've begun going to Bikram's Yoga. Hot Yoga...105 degrees of hot, sweaty and slick yoga. I think we're hooked, but I also think we're being duped by the almight yogi.

The weather has taken the initial turn toward what is "regular fall weather" here in Eugene--damp, overcast, chilly, rainy. Kinda reminds us of New England, though we don't feel as at home here.

Mabel has eaten another one of her beds, which has left her with nothing to sleep on again. A gentleman we met the other day at Terwilliger Hot Springs mentioned that our little girl might have some anxiety around attachment. YOU THINK?! She cries like a sheep getting slaughtered anytime we leave, and she sticks to us like glue anytime she thinks we're about to go somewhere.

Time for yoga, more later...

Eugene...finally

2008-09-29T19:50:00.001-07:00

So we're here in Eugene, and all is well, except I haven't found a job...yet. I won't harp a lot about it, but the jobn market out here isn't so good. Substitute teaching will begin soon, but there is some red tape that needs to be handled before I begin.

The new Sacred Heart Hospital that Lindsay is employed at is pretty freakin' phenomenal. It was just built, and from what we heard, $10 million dollars was spent to make this place far surpass anyone's expectations of what a nice facility should look like. The place looks like a ski resort, no joke.

Anyway, before we arrived in Eugene, we spent a nice long week down on the southern Oregon coast soaking up some sun (and a little rain), relaxing on the beach, making S'mores over a campfire, and sleeping under the stars.

Check out the link below for the pictures from that week.

http://picasaweb.google.com/chrisduca34/OregonCoast#

Veggies of Unusual Size

2008-09-15T22:25:00.000-07:00

Had it not been for work, I don't think Lindsay and would have returned today from Oregon. It was that good.

Last Thursday, Lindsay and I piled our usual assortment of gear, clothes, food, and some odds-and-ends into our Subaru and traveled the 5.5 hours down to Bend, Oregon for a few days of climbing with Drew the Cougar Hunter, laughing, R&R, and some good ol' fashion farm work on Jim and Jessi's farm--Big Star Farm.

Minutes after we arrived on Thursday evening, we helped pick veggies for their CSA members. Friday was spent chasing the shade and climbing some amazing trad routes on the backside of Smith Rock. Saturday, we awoke, climbed at Smith again, then headed back to Jim and Jessi's for the 2nd annual Big Star Farm Harvest Party. Adult beverages were swilled, loud noises were made, Gandalf the Grey made an appearance, veggies of unusual size were raffled off, and a dance party ensued as a pretty heavy East Coast contingent was very present. Sunday--recovery from Saturday's activities, plus a short float down the Deschutes River through Bend. And Monday we drove home, packed up the rest of our home-on-wheels, made dinner, then walked Lindsay to work.

News Flash!! "Only 3 days left in Tacoma, then we're off to Eugene, Oregon for another 3 months!!"

Talk about winter destinations has begun...ideas and rumors are afloat about living in a state that has tried numerous times to secede from the union...hmmm...

Check out the cornucopia of pictures from the long weekend by clicking on the link below:
http://picasaweb.google.com/chrisduca34/BigStarFarmHarvestParty2008#

Nurses gone wild!!

2008-09-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

Check out what the paparazzi caught on film while two nurses visited Vancouver, BC last weekend!!

http://picasaweb.google.com/chrisduca34/VancouverBC#

Tacoma Slideshow

2008-09-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

Click the link below for some random pics of some random things I found around Tacoma the other day.

http://picasaweb.google.com/chrisduca34/TacomaWAAndOurApartment#

Good Things to Come

2008-09-08T10:24:00.001-07:00

Just sitting here at the One Heart Cafe in Tacoma, enjoying our last week or so, absorbing what remains to be absorbed of thi town of concrete, pulp mills, and eccentricity. We have mixed emotions about our stay here. Mostly, we are glad to be leaving what has become the very anti-thesis of us. Getting anywhere is a hassle, and our Vermonter attitudes have been majorly compromised and masked. However, we've met a group of people in our little apartment complex that have truly helped this otherworldly transition. They and their dogs have been nothing less than warm and friendly, humorous and sincere. Funny that we've found a small slice of the Vermont we love right here in an apartment living atmosphere.
Lindsay is ready for a change of work venue. In the three months at TG, she hasn't really found anyone (save for one person, I think?) that she can totally relate to. I think the consensus is, there are many people who aren't too friendly in the Tacoma healthcare industry.

Realizing we're moving to a much smaller town with a different progressive slant on things, we're hoping for a better experience. One that offers Lindsay a fresher outlook on nursing, and one that enlivens the travel bugs in our shoes.

Pictures will be posted later today...

Objects In Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear

2008-08-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

Because we've been doing a bit of traveling, and good driving music normally accompanies long trips, I decided to compile a list from our iPod of the top 10 songs played while driving (thanks for the inspiration, LG)

"Maybe Sparrow" Neko Case

"Morse" Nightmares on Wax

"Campus" Vampire Weekend

"Absinthe Party and the Fly Honey Warehouse" Minus the Bear"

"No Sunlight" Death Cab For Cutie

"Another Night" Heavens

"Good People" Jack Johnson
"Fever" Bonobo

"Back in your Head" Tegan and Sara (Thanks, Graham, for gettin' us hooked!)

"Trees" Pulp

Anyway, we've been getting pretty stoked for Lindsay's next assignment in Eugene, OR. If asked why, it's probably because it's nothing like Tacoma. I should do a compare contrast of the two locales, but I'll save that for a later post...one where I'll have more time and have pent up a week or so's worth of sarcasm to spice it up a bit. But for now, we'll simply say that it's going to be nice to see green again, and be amongst (or closer to) some like-minded folks.

Last weekend/week was spent in Bend with our transplant crew of once-upon-a-time East Coasters. The Lord and Jedi were as hospitable as ever, inviting the dingy climbing crew back to their eclectic little farm in Alfalfa for some impromptu gardening, grilling, and hot-tubbin' fun. On our first day there, Mabel jumped the fence and waited for us in their driveway until we got home...she knew she was bad.

We cranked for multiple days at Smith Rock, and the temps ranged from scorched-Earth-hot to jacket and hat weather. We climbed hard, played hard, and then slept pretty hard too. Unfortunately, Lindsay's sleep pattern was a bit warped the first evening there, as she had just gotten off a 3-night, 12 hour/day, work week, and was firing on about 4 hours of sleep. A few adult beverages helped soothe teh loopy beast inside, though.

Now that we're back in Aromaland (aka Tacoma), we are focusing our attention on young Mabel. Today, she is spending her time at the Hound Hangout in town. In about an hour I'll be hearing from them to see if she successfully passed the initial "meet and greet" to gain her access to frequent visits. I have a sneaky suspicion she behaved.

To The East and Back Again!

2008-08-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay, folks, but Lindsay and I haven't been very stationary over the past few weeks.
August 1st we spent some time over in Leavenworth climbing with our friend Emily who was out here for a few days.

The weekend of August 8th, we were back in VT for a great wedding. Our friends, Ted and Kristine, got hitched. The stay was all too brief, and the rain was all to present, but we did get to see a lot of friends which is always a treat. A couple of highlights from the trip: Our connecting flight from Philadelphia to Burlington was overbooked, so we offered up our seats in exchange for 2 free roundtrip tickets anywhere in the contigious US. We also stayed with Auntie Nicole, our great neighbor and dear friend in VT. Pizza at "Good Times", and sandwiches from the "Paisley Hippo" punctuated the eating side of things, and a return flight that was delayed for 3 hours in Philadelphia (again!). The wife became quite grumpy as a result...and I don't blame her one bit. We think that city and airport has it out for us.

This past weekend (August 15th-17th), we spent rafting up the Deschutes River in Oregon with our friends, Shea and Annie and some of folks we had met at their wedding, as well as some couples we had never met prior to this trip. (Link to photos from rafting trip: http://picasaweb.google.com/chrisduca34/RaftingOnTheDeschutesRiverAugust2008 )

Mabel stayed at the Cascade Pet Camp in Hood River for the few days that we were away, and according to her doggie report card (yes, each dog gets a report card upon their departure from camp!), she didn't like her stay one bit (we think she was a little homesick). Prior to her going to camp, she paid a little visit to her private pedicurist, Annie, where she hasd her nails examined and trimmed...a dogs life is quite rough.

The few days we spent on the river, the temperatures reached well into 100 degrees fahrenheit. I believe Saturday's temps topped out a whopping 110 degrees, with a breeze that was so warm it felt like a hair dryer was pointing at you from above. Needless-to-say, much time was spent hanging off the raft, or floating beside it in the river as we were swept down river by the strong current. Our campsite was pretty sweet, and I think had we floated further up the river, we probably wouldn't have found a site as large and as accomodating (an outhouse was there!). We were freaked out a couple of times while camping. First, Shea's sister-in-law spotted 2 black widow spiders in the outhouse, and then Annie decided to follow a deer path down river without telling anyone she was leaving. We thought was abducted, but she was just being curious.

In other news, there are some updates as to our next assignment, but I won't spoil any surprises until we are sure that we'll be there.

We're off in a few hours for a couple of days of rock climbing along the Tieton River in Eastern Washington...we'll post some pictures of that when we get back.

The countdown has begun...we only have 4 weeks left in Tacoma!

Olympic National Forest Slideshow

2008-07-27T17:14:00.000-07:00

Click on the link below for the Olympic National Forest slideshow.

http://picasaweb.google.com/chrisduca34/OlympicNationalForest

"...and sometimes we go hiking."

2008-07-27T16:13:00.000-07:00

We don't only busy ourselves with rock climbing; in fact, sometimes we even seek out hiking as our weekend activity.

Over this past weekend (our weekend actually began on Thursday), Lindsay, Mabes and I drove 2 hours out to the Olympic National Forest for a few days of sunny weather, high altitude, hot springs and hiking. Our first foray into the wilderness of the Olympics found us atop Mount Townsend after 4 hours and 10.5 miles of steady uphillin' it. Graced with 360 degree vistas of Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, Seattle and the Olympics, but bothered by hunger and heat, we hurriedly raced down the loose switchbacks in half the time in search of food.

That night, we camped out in quiet campground about a 5 miles within the National Forest boundary. Mabel was out like a light, but Lindsay and I seemed to be a little restless due to the gravel surface we were sleeping on, the heat Mabel was generating inside the tent, and the residual energy from the days hike.

The following day, we opted for a much shorter hike (5 miles) out an old logging road to the Olympic Hot springs. Before we knew it, our bodies were soaking in a 126 degree sulfur pool perched at the zenith of an old landslide. We ran into some nice folks that gave us the lowdown on the hot springs, fed us smoked gouda and oranges, as well as sharing the beta on the mother of all hot springs located in Death Valley.

Mabel, unfortunately, had to wait in the car for the few hours we were gone, which we feared would turn into a catastrophe. Nothing was eaten or ruined in the car when we got back, though...whew!

On Saturday, we did go rock climbing at a local spot called Amazonia. Covered by the canopy of the thick, old growth forest on the southern side of Mount Washington, this gently over-hanging crag was the perfect choice for a quiet day in the woods. By mid afternoon, we were getting hungry, so we safely sped back to town, got changed, and hit a local Irish pub for some shepherds pie and cornbeef sandwiches.

Check out the slideshow from the Olympics and check for updates this week! Ciao for now.

Granite Playground

2008-07-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

Over the past weekend, Lindsay, Mabel and I took trip up to British Columbia to a small town called Squamish with a big chunk of granite lording over it like big brother. The granite wall is named the Stawamus Chief, and it's the 2nd largest granite monolith in the world (the first being Yosemite's El Capitan). This was our first trip to BC with Mabel, so we weren't sure how the border crossing was going to go with a pet in tow. Everything ended up occuring without a hitch, or kink in the plans. As it turned out, last weekend was the Squamish Mountain Festival, so the little town, that is normally turned on end during peak seasons, was especially busy. Fortunately, we arrived Thursday evening, prior to the hippie masses (we'll get to that in a bit!) arrival.

One thing I continually have to remind myself is that a good nights sleep is few and far between when camping--you take what you can get. Our first night was pretty quiet, aside from the cackling crow that awoke us at the godforesaken hour of 5am! I got up, threw a rock at it, then promptly went back to bed.

That day, we got our first taste of Squamish rock. Our climbing started out at a small and sunny crag right off a nice bike trail. It was aptly named Penny Lane. Nice. We climbed a few routes up there, then moved over to another area and sampled some of the finer and harder crack lines. Our day had dwindled past, we had run out of water, and were getting pretty hungry. We bagged climbing for the day after climbing 7 routes, went back to camp and made fajitas. That evening, we saw the only other car with Vermont plates on it. A couple from Brandon, Vermont had been traveling across the country for the past month and took an Alaskan, then Canadian detour. While Lindsay and I finished off our meal with the requisite S'mores, we imbided in some adult beverages and spoke to the other VTers. They were nice enough, and for about 1/2 hour we shared some laughs and stories about New England and Vermont.

The following day our plan was to get up pretty early, hit the Grand Wall Base Area and bang off a couple of the classic routes we knew would be swarming with people later in the morning. We got there, dispensed with Exasperator Crack and Peasants' Route, then left before we saw anyone.

After deciding to head out for dinner to a local brewery, we returned to our campsite that evening (Saturday to witness what was the beginning of the hippie invasion of Squamish. Our campground was swarming with the smell of campfires (nice), cooking food (even nicer), and the sound of...bongos and guitars (not so nice). Showers then to bed by 9pm, only to be awoken at 3:30am by bongos, guitars, and drunken laughter. What the hell?! Lindsay boiled over, got uo, and marched over to the very receptive drunken partyers, to relay a very polite, but curt message to please cease ansd desist. They did, and subsequently, we slept in later than anticipated the following morning.

Driving home on Sunday lasted longer than expected due to a 50 minute delay at the US border crossing. Lindsay and Mabel napped, I festered.

After thinking it through and talking about it for a while, we decided Mabel had a pretty decent weekend despite all of the hooplah and action at the campground (no growling, barking, or snarling; only one lunge at a bunny that seemed to get a little too close, the unwarranted killing of a small mole at the base of the Grand Wall Saturday morning, and the nipping of a sheepdog's rear end that resulted in Mabel having a mouthful of white sheepdog fur).

***************************************************************************

Now that we are back in Tacoma, we've come to the conclusion that for Lindsay's next assignment (and probably everyone thereafter), she's going to focus more on the quality of the town she choses, and not so much on the quality of the hospital. Sounds a little backwards, but the point of this trip was to enjoy ourselves in places we want to be. More later...

The Most Stressful City

2008-07-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon all. Another glorious day in Washington State. I just got back from a long bike ride, and was thinking about the size of Tacoma. It's a hard place to figure out because it is so spread out, there are so many dang automobiles, and it is so close to Seattle. TO help your mind quantify the size of the city here are some interesting (and not so intersting) facts and comparisons about our current place of residence.

The city of Tacoma, WA isn't as large as you'd think. Spread out over an area roughly 15 miles in diameter, and split nearly down the middle by the South Puget Sound, Tacoma pales in comparison to its neighbor to the north, Seattle. However, what the estimated 196,000 people that live in Tacoma might not know is that their relatively small city is actually the size of at least one Africa country, French Guiana. To further connect Tacoma's population to other things of planetary significance near or at the same number is easy. For example: October of 1918, our nation suffered the deadliest month in its history. Due to the outbreak of Influenza, a record 195,000 people fell victim to the deadly disease. Also, Reno, Nevada, dubbed "The Biggest Little City in America" has a population of 195,000. Another quirky fact about Reno is that during the '20s and '30s, many women escaped to Reno looking for a Reno-vation of their life. Unlike many other states in the nation at during that time, they could get a divorce after the short 6 weeks period it took to gain residency.

New York City is comprised of five burroughs: The Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. According to a 2001 census, the south section of the the Bronx alone has 195,000 people. (Now if that doesn't make Tacoma feel small?!) And finally, because of Tacoma's not so big-not so small population, it suffers from middle child syndrome. Yes. Recently (2004), Tacoma was ranked our nation's most stressful city to live in. Why? Apparently, Tacoma has an extremely high number of suicides, unemployed residents, homeless people, and gloomy days. To boot, John Muhammad, the Washington, D.C. sniper from a few years back (remember him?!) was from here.

And that's all I have to offer your brain today.

"Vancouver! Vancouver! This is it!!"

2008-07-15T15:28:00.000-07:00

Those were the last words spoken by David Johnston right before Mt. St. Helens erupted in May of 1980. The eruption's reverberation was felt as far away as Portland, OR, and the ash, smoke, and soot released from St. Helens darkened the spring sky for the remainder of the day. Thousands of acres of wilderness and miles of rivers were wiped out and smoothed over by mudslides that buried 3-story houses.

This past weekend, Lindsay and I, along with Jim and Jessi from Bend, met in Portland, OR for a weekend of music, hiking, good food, and adult beverages.

Friday saw us witnessing one of the best concerts ever-- The Police. We traveled down to see them play at the Clark County Ampitheater in Ridgefield, WA. Their set was amazing, playing everythingyou'd expect, as well as some more obscure tunes from Ghost in the Machine and Zenyatta Mondatta. We were seated in the general admission section; however, that did not disuade Lindsay from hoppin' the fence and making a bee-line for the rows of seats 100 yards away. For roughly 10 minutes, I was certain that she had been caught and escorted out of the venue, leaving myself, Jim and Jessi wondering about her whereabouts. Luckily, she made, as did the rest of us...yes, the rest of us. If it weren't for the complete stranger standing next to us, egging us on, I think we all would've chickened out. And I'm not going to lie and say a liquid courage didn't help...because it did. (A slideshow of concert pictures is in the making.)

Saturday morning we awoke early and groggy. We camped out about 30 miles from Mt. St. Helens in an RV campground. Surrounded by Winebagos and other large campers, we felt like sardines. Nevertheless, we got a good, albeit short, night of sleep. That morning we ate a greasy breakfast then drove to the National Monument where we did the touron thing for a few hours. We were all pretty tired from the previous night of debauchery, so we kept it pretty low key.

Just a couple of other random updates: Lindsay and I have been rock climbing a lot at this amazing collection of cliffs called Index. Beautiful granite walls with some of the best crack lines we've ever climbed. Mabel's adjustment to big city living has been pretty seemless thanks to the help of the dozen or so dogs that have quickly befriended her, and helped with her doggie socialization. She still suffers from some serious separation anxiety, though. Just last Thursday she showed us just how much she missed us by chewing one of our backseat seatbelts in half! Yes, thanks Mabel for that. (This is a picture of Mabes in the headrest stockade!)

Sammy Hagar...in Leavenworth?

2008-07-07T20:02:00.000-07:00

For 2 days, Lindsay, our good buddy, Drew, and I spent climbing on the outlying hills of Leavenworth, Washington.

We arrived in Leavenworth Saturday morning around 10am. This town sets itself apart fromother Pacific Northwest towns because of its Bavarian theme. Leiderhosen, A Maypole and more Bavarian architecture and home decor than you can shake a stick at. For further effect, many people (I have my suspicions that its the tourists!!) feel the need to dress in traditional Bavarian attire. Strange and embarrassing at the same time. We did see an older woman walk into the Leavenworth Waffle Haus with a long dress, stockings, and what seemed to be a corset on beneath her low-cut blouse. Flattering, I think not.

After getting lost trying to find the Special Spot/Retardant Rock, we eventually found the right pullout along Rt. 2. The approach to the cliffs can be likened to scaling a NJ beach pitched at a 30 degree angle for 35 minutes. Very dusty and hot, treacherous at times, and taxing on the body, mind and soul.

We eventually arrived at a small, but exquisite little cliff with some bolted climbs--our warm-ups for the day. Drew and I led and Lindsay followed a great route called "Gun Rack" , and then Lindsay led a testy 5.8 trad route of which the name is still a mystery, and at which I am still shaking my head because of the loose nature of it. That girl is an animal.

Our main objective for the day, however, was a route called "The Javelin". The route is splashed on the cover of the most recent guidebook for Leavenworth, and when I saw the picture I knew I had to climb it. A strikingly thin flake that requires the climber to layback and undercling up the entire left side of the finger-shaped feature while delicately smearing your feet on the adjecent granite wall. Tricky, pumpy, and mixed bag of gear and bolts, to boot. I had a feeling that I was going to enjoy this line. As sure as a Mabel barking at another dog, we all loved this route. At 70 feet, it was long enough to give us a good pump, but short enough for all of us to be done within a hour of our arrival.

That night we camped off a nameless forest service road near the Snoqualmie River. The water added a nice touch to the otherwise sleepless night we had due to Mabel being a little too pre-occupied with all the outside noises.

I think Lindsay was awake first, but I took over Mabel duty as soon as I realized Mabel had gnawed threw her tether and was running freely around our campsite collecting sticks and hiding them in the woods. I tackled Mabel, brought her under control, then she and I strolled down to the river, stuck our faces in to wake up, then meandered back up to camp. In the matter of a split second after returning to camp, Mabel was off like a flash into the woods chasing a deer. Knowing I was going to have a bear-of-a-time finding her, I let the chase run its course, knowing full-well that Mabel would eventually come back. When she arrived back to camp with her head hung low, she knew she shouldn't have done what she just did.

We planned to leave early on Sunday afternoon, as Lindsay had to work that night. We had a much easier and enjoyable hike up to our destination on Sunday--Clamshell Cave Rock. An assortment of moderate slab/crack lines littered this sunny little crag that sits high atop a hillside overlooking a fork of the river we had just camped along. On our way out, Drew and I ran into a fellow who looked like Sammy Hagar. Bizarre.

Next weekend we're spending with Jim and Jessi (aka Jedi), our farmer friends from Bend, Oregon. We're seeing The Police in concert on Friday night and hiking around Mount Saint Helens on Saturday. Should be a hoot.

Job update: I think Lindsay is liking her job more now, and I am still unemployed (as approved by the wife), but will be substitute teaching beginning the start of the school year.

We have our suspicions...

2008-07-02T22:23:00.000-07:00

...that Mabel is having a good time.

She hasn't stopped smiling since she's been here. A typical day in the life of this pooch is as follows:

Wake up at 6:30 or 7am, stretch, weasel her way into either, or both, of her parents armpits to wake them up. Shamelessly give wet willies. Scratch at door until one, or both, owners can't stand it any more and bring her out. Tug on leash. Sniff yard...a lot. Bark at other dogs (if present), provoking them to play chase. Nip butts of other dogs to provoke a chase, a bark, a retaliation nip, or any response that may make Mabel want to play more. Go in after 30 minutes of playtime, eat, drink, flop over and fall asleep for an hour. Get up and repeat process until it is time for her humans to go to bed.

Marmots on the Mountain

2008-06-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

June 30th. My neice, Christina's, 16th birthday. Happy birthday, crazy lady.

We set out at 12:30 in the afternoon for Mount Rainier. From the windows in our 5th floor apartment, the mountain looked clear and calm.

Our intended route to the national park entrance was the 705 to highway 7 south, a fairly direct path to the southern corridor leading straight to the Nisqually entrance to Washington's largest peak. We arrived at the park entrance after about 1 hour of driving at a modest clip along what seemed to be endless miles of car dealerships and taco huts.

The trip was punctuated by Mabel getting car sick, marmots whistling to the other nearby marmots signaling danger was afoot, and spotting some of the prettiest and surreal vistas of Mount Rainier.

Take a look at the slide show for the rest of the pictures.

1:2

2008-06-27T17:39:00.000-07:00

Lindsay and I are learning that traffic around these parts is enough to make a New Englander go mad. Today, for example, Lindsay and I decided we'd pull a fast one on rush hour traffic, and leave the cliff by 3pm. Surely we'd cruise home in no time flat. Think again, young granola cruncher. We steadily zipped down the Snoqualmie Highway thinking we were in the clear. Whew! We did it! Then BLAM-O!! Everyone and their mother decided it would be a good time to commute. Interstate 5 seemed to be awash with the entire Pacific Northwest commuting populous. I've heard before that the ratio of cars to people around the Seattle metropolitan area is roughly 1 car for every 2 people--Ridiculous!!Having sat in traffic the past few days, I can believe it. Although the traffic was tight and the fumes heavy, we did get some funny sightseeing. A sheepdog wearing Oakley sunglasses sitting in the front seat of a canary yellow H3 Hummer cruised by us, and a road enraged father driving a minivan and waving his hands wildly flew by us at mach 3.

We are certainly enjoying this area, but the traffic feels a bit like NJ...more later (sorry NJ friends and relatives.)

Road Trip--Part Deux

2008-06-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Jackson, Wyoming--Bend, Oregon (12 hours)
At this point, the battery in our digital camera died. We had no back-up cell, so the pictures we took we all mental...sorry folks.

When we started out of Jackson, the weather was clear and crisp. It was 39 degrees Fahrenheit, and snow still filled many of the hillsides abutting the mountain pass. It was slow going, but we managed to get to Idaho well before lunch. Geographically, we weren't in the nicest part of Idaho, but at least the roads were flat, open and fast. I think we averaged 75mph while making our way through the spud state.

Out of Idaho and into eastern Oregon. The road had been lonely for a long while, so when we saw the first bright orange sign that read "Wreck Ahead", we were a little bewildered. All came clear when a little further, we saw a blue SUV that looked like an accordian, then a hundred yards ahead of that, a tractor trailor flipped over on its side, hanging over the guardrail. The metal from the guardrail had been toorn away like the top of a tin can and was now stretched out across two lanes of traffic. We could do nothing but stare and hope that all passengers were safely removed from their vehicles.

Oregon became really boring. In fact, for roughly 200 miles we drove straight through what seemed like a good candidate for the most desolate part of the country. The high mountain plains of Oregon are characterized by dusty prairies, short pines, and long, flat horizons. Occasionally, you'd get a glimpse of the Sisters way off in the distance, but as soon as you'd see them, they'd disappear behind a distant hillside.

***************************************************************************

We arrived in Alfalfa to out friends' home. Alfalfa is this beautiful little pocket of farmland attached to Bend, Oregon. No town center, no zipcode. Maybe 300 people. We loved it.

Mabel was greated by their dogs, Jackson and Lulu. She was instantly put in her place, and then the playful fighting began. Jim and Jessie gave us a tour of their quaint little farm named "Big Star Farm". We were totally impressed and inspired by what all of their hard work had yielded. We met their farm animals, and Lindsay was taken to rather quickly by a young horse, and Mabel also received a reminder of what it was like to be chased by horses.

Our stop there was much needed, and Jim and Jessie were more than hospitable with their accomodations: They always are, that's why we love 'em so much. We had some dinner, a few adult beverages, then we sacked out after trying to watch the moon rise (to no avail, as it was behind the clouds). The next morning we were to drive our final leg into Washington.

Bend, Oregon--Tacoma, Washington (5.5 hours)
The following morning, we awoke, had some eggs, bacon, and toast, said our "good-byes" and were on our way. Out of Bend on highway 99, up to Mount Hood, over the mountain pass, then down into the sprawl of Portland. We eventually found our way out to I-5 North, the final road of our journey. From there, we were in Washington within 2 hours, then on into Tacoma by rush hour.

We quickly learned that city planning in Tacoma was fractured. The streets begin and end with no apparent, thought out schema, leaving us utterly confused. After multiple trips up and down numerous streets named for local volcanoes, we eventually arrived at Bayside Gardens, our new home away from home for the next 3 months. Now, what we didn't realize was that this place is a dog-owners paradise. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a band of no less than 10 dogs. They must've smelled Mabel and probably were curious as to who this new doggie was. She was mortified, and instantly jumped back into the car all the while barking uncontrollably. It didn't take her long, though, to figure out the pecking order of things. Kona and Diesel were the officials of the pack, Lula was the playful one who likes to steal toys, the two French Bulldogs are the two-dog wrecking crew that liked to double-team the larger dogs, and Hanity, our neighbor's black lab, she's a quiet, so Mabel likes to bark into her ear loudly.

Now, only a week into our stay we've met some great folks. I've dubbed this place Melrose Place...drama, a lot of 30 somethings, sunshine, and various characters. The apartment managers are a funny little elderly duo who regularly offer us Cilantro and rhubarb from their miniature window box garden.

Traveling Across the Country--Part 1

2008-06-23T11:17:00.001-07:00

Biddeford, ME--Erie, PA (16 hours)

If driving across the country wasn't enough of a prospect, how about driving east from Vermont to Maine, then turning right around and heading west?! Right-O...that is exactly how Lindsay and I began our journey west.

There isn't much to report about this leg of the journey. Oh, maybe the rain, the dreariness of central New York, and the depressing flatness of Erie, could evoke a few minor explitives and/or disgruntled shrugs, but there really wasn't much. When we reached Erie, we did stay in our one and only hotel for the trips duration--a dog-friendly Best Western that was so overpriced, we swore we were staying in a luxury suite overlooking Central Park. What was kind of funny though was the dog show that was scheduled for the following day in downtown Erie. We woke up to perfectly primped poodles, terriers, and what-have-yous prancing around the side door of the hotel. Mabel's feathers were ruffled.

Erie, PA--Chicago, IL (9.5 hours)
Off we go again. By now, I think we had just about had enough of the mid-Atlantic. We quickly got PA behind us, and in under an hour we were enjoying I-90 through Ohio (rain, and a lot of it!). Lindsay slept most of the way through this and the following state (Indiana--go Hoosiers!!), but woke up in Illinois to a tractor trailor blowing out one of its rear tires. Boring, I'm telling you. Once we hit Chicago, we paid our final astronomically-high toll, and slipped rapidly over the bridge into the city.

Once there, we were warned by our friend of a street fair going on throughout the neighborhood he lived in. To add our already bug-eyed shock of big city gawk, we now had to navigate pedestrians and blocked streets. It ended up not being all that traumatic, in fact, we found our buddy's apartment building in no time and herded Mabel right inside and into the safety of his apartment.

What we thought was going to a tricky little endeavor turned out to be pretty fun. Apparently, downtown Chicago is pretty pet-friendly, so we were able to find a Mexican restaurant with outside seating that also accomodated the young ruffian, Mabel. While there, she nearly ate a miniature poodle, but in all her performance was that of a solid "B" student. Not bad for being thrown to the fire after being in the car for over 20 hours.

Chicago also has beaches. It is on one of the great lakes, but it is still so strange and somewhat surreal like a scene from a Ray Bradbury novel. Prior to this trip our only experience with beaches has been at beach towns where the tallest building abutting the ocean beach was a 3 story motel, NOT a 15 story highrise. Mabel ate sand and water, but we are happy to report there were no sand castles.

Chicago, IL--Sioux Falls, SD (11 hours)
Back on the road. Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, all of these states offer mile after mile of straight and bleak roadways spanning endless asphalt along the I-90 corridor through the northern Midwest. Farm land, vast horizons, large trucks, minivans with children strapped to passenger seats playing video games and watching movies on televisions built into seats. This is middle America, and we wanted to forget about it as soon as we passed through it. I think this is where Lindsay and I started to act a little weird too, and Mabel began to notice something was strange with her parents.

One thing of interest was Castle Rock in Wisconsin. Out of the shrub-covered plains of milk country sprouted these strange pinnacles of soft sandstone. Lindsay and I both thought, "Hell, let's climb these!" But we soon found out that it was nothing more than choss (climber lingo for loss, dangerous, and otherwise unappetizing rock) that appeared to be solid.

It was also around this time that Lindsay began to wear her pajamas...all day long.

We arrived that evening to Sioux Falls, SD to a rally car race across the street from our campground and a barking dog with styrofoam-using, car camping owners to our left. We ate and quickly went to sleep.

The following morning was the first morning that it was truly cold out. Where the hell were our hats and gloves? Didn't know, didn't care, just eager to get motoring. By this time is was June 16th, and we were on schedule. Next stop, Eastern Wyoming...

Sioux Falls, SD--somewhere in Eastern Wyoming (15 hours)
With the windy city behind us, a great portion of the monotonous driving to our east and mountains somewhere to our west, Lindsay and I were revitalized and jazzed to get back on I-90 and push the speedometer back up to 80 mph again. She took the first leg of the driving, getting us to the 1880 Town--a put together old west town using original buildings and original artifacts from that time period. I thought it was going to be a tourist trap, but it wasn't. Replete with the "Dances with Wolves Museum" (a good portion of the movie was filmed on the plains surrounding this town), and original photographs of General Custer, Doc Holiday, and Theodore Roosevelt, I was in educator's heaven.

The walk through the town was quick, but you can see the remainder of our pictures on the slide show at the end.

We then headed for the Badlands, then Custer State Park (the Needles climbing area!!), and Mount Rushmore (overrated, but scenic nonetheless). Both Lindsay and I were shocked that the National Park Service allowed Tourons to hike all over the petrified mud towers in the Badlands. Granted, many of them are very low angle, but quite a few rise to dizzying heights with a fair bit of vertical ground to the summit.

After a quick drive thru of the Badlands, we set our sights on the Needles--a section of Custer State Park that is home to bowling pin-shaped spires of exfoliating granite. We were approached by a young, newly-married couple, asking if we'd seen a Brit named Richard. We thought they were talking about the famed British climber, Richard Heap, but they weren't. Nevertheless, they showed a great 3-pitch route up Aquarium Rock. It was climbed in the 50s at a traditional grade of 5.3--now I think it clocks in closer to 5.6. (The route was not very well protected at all...I think we used a total of 6 or 7 pieces of gear for the route, 2 of which were slung chickenheads. However, I think that was about par for any route in the Needles.)

Eastern Wyoming--Jackson, Wy (15 hours)
I'm not going to speak much about this beautiful part of the country. Instead, I'm going to say a few words, then let the slideshow take you on the leg of this journey.

Bison galore, mating burros, geysers, large predatory beasts, small foraging animals and bumper to bumper traffic. This is what Yellowstone was--Grand and glorious, humbling and humorous, the dichotomy of the natural world and American commercialism.

End of part 1...

A Mile A Minute

2008-06-12T19:39:00.000-07:00

I can only imagine the thoughts going through Lindsay's mind right now. And I can't really imagine many thoughts are going through young Mabel's mind right now either...oh, maybe there are a few things like, "What is that tasty smell", or "Where is mommy?" Perhaps Mabes is even postulating, "When is this dang trip mommy and daddy are talking so much about going to start?...I want to smell some new smells!!"

Well, I can't help but think tonight, like the past few nights, is going to be a restless night. Lindsay's mind is probably moving at a mile a minute, and I can only imagine the borage of ideas, questions and suggestions I'm going to be dealt when I see her tomorrow for the first time in 2 weeks. There is nothing else is this crazy world that is most vital to me than the steady, youthful vigor pouring from Lindsay.

****************************************************************************

The car is packed to the gills. Not much will fit in it...a bike will fit on top, and perhaps a few pairs of running shoes will find their way into the recesses of the car's remaining nooks and crannies, but not much else.

Tomorrow we leave for our first trip across the country together. 7 days in the car, and the weather report is calling for semi-amicable conditions, and luckily NOT the Hammer-of-Thor deluge promised then delivered to us earlier this week. We love Vermont and for the next year it will slip quietly into the role as a place we look back on through the window of our warm minds and contemplate.

Glorified and Bohemian

2008-06-09T18:42:00.001-07:00

The little things are what slow you down the most when packing. Every time I think I am getting closer to the bottom of the pile, there seems to be a few more things here, a couple of trinkets over there...what I would give to be able to snap my fingers and have things instantly in order and boxed neatly in my car ready for departure.

I was thinking late yesterday afternoon about how long a year really isn't. Think about it: So far, Lindsay and I have spent roughly a month cleaning up our home, preparing it for our tenants and our trip. A year is only 12 months...we've spent a 12th of that time preparing ourselves to live a simple life for the next year.

Now that our home is packed up, and Lindsay is finishing up her final shifts in Portland, ME, I am left couch-surfing. As glorified, and bohemian as that sounds, it makes me feel no more than a dirty vagrant. I suspect that feeling will subside the more we move from town to town and city to city.

packaged

2008-06-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

Today, like many other days recently, our world became increasingly more consensed and less spread out. More boxes went into storage, and a few more things were given away or sold. Knowing that over the next 12 months, both of our worldly possessions will be totally packaged and, for the most part, will be within a short reach is a crazy thought. Everything neatly organized. The bare essentials of our kitchen--one Tupperware bin and a cooler; our bedroom--one Tupperware and a bag; Bathroom?--you guessed it, a small plastic bin and couple small shaving kits. Shoes--a ratty old duffle bag.

We will be a compact unit of essentials and resources. As the days clip past, and the snapshots of a new world begin to fill the volumes of our daily ins and outs. sharing little discoveries and the colorful intricacies of a different life will, most assuredly, give us a fresh perspective on life and the way it should be lived.

(I also heard Mabel's been up to no good at her grandmother's house...go figure.)

B.C.

2008-06-01T06:14:00.001-07:00

Mabel has also been an integral component to our packing team. She not only inspected the vaccuum cleaner regularly, but she makes sure we all take advantage of downtime and fill it with play and shenanigans. I don't know what she is doing in this picture, but I guarantee you that she is thinking how pretty she looks. Here are a few pictures documenting the life and mischeivous times of the dog we've dubbed "Bad Choices", or "B.C.":

If you look closely, you can see the miniature pitchfork under her paw...

Mabel wanting so badly to get along with the neighbor's cat...

Can't hide with ears that large!!

Cleaning House

2008-06-01T05:50:00.001-07:00

T-minus 12 days.

If it weren't for the next exciting chapter of our lives waiting less than two weeks away, I think Lindsay and I would be hatin' the hours of cleaning and packing we've jumped into over the past few days. It's been nutso around here. But, as we've found with all big projects, there IS, in fact, a brilliant light at the end of the tunnel.

Our intended route across the country is planned. I-90, which streaks across Illinois, South Dakota, Wyoming into Montana, Idaho, then clear across Washington, is it. We plan on bee-lining it from Maine to Chicago in one long day, possibly taking about 17 hours to drive. Luckily, our good friend, Jim, will have a warm place for us to sleep in. From there, we haven't exactly decided upon our next stop off: Either Devil's Tower in Wyoming or Spearfish Canyon/Custer State Park in South Dakota...you'll her more later about our second leg of the journey.

***************************************************
It is pretty sad bidding a "farewell" to friends. We'll miss everyone for the next year, but we'll also be spending time with other friends we haven't been able to see in quite a while or frequently. Most of all, though, Lindsay and I will be spending time with one another. After a very long 7 months of being in separate places in neighboring states, we'll finally be co-habitating under the same roof again. I woke up this morning and, again, smiled....not because Mabel was weaseling her way onto the bed, or because the sun was shining in our bedroom window, but because Lindsay was lying there, sound alseep next to me.

Case of the Mondays

2008-05-19T18:50:00.001-07:00

I'll try not to jinx our living situation, but luck may finally be on our side. After much work in the trenches, Lindsay has found us a place to live in Tacoma. Bayside Gardens is the name, and it is a mere .5 of a mile away from the hospital where Lindsay is going to be spending her next assignment.

Mabel, in an anxious fit of "where the hell is my daddy?!" ate the foam pads lining the insides of our car's cupholders.

The Albatross

2008-05-18T15:36:00.000-07:00

Thursday night I raced in the Corporate Cup 5K down in Montpelier. Among the 2,000+ runners were some (if not most!) of Vermont's finest road runners. I raced fairly well, coming in at 34th place overall, and feeling pretty spry crossing the finishing line. I remembered why I liked this event so well...though the course is fast, it pales in comparison to the warm cider doughnuts waiting you when you cross the finish line. Top that off with a slug of Gatorade, and you're feeling like a million bucks again.

More of the same shenanigans this weekend from the young Mabes. She is becoming quite the force to be reckoned with. Her fierce bark makes her nobody's first choice for a sidekick, except, of course, for her unconditional owners.

The demons need to be exorcised from her.

I spent some time in the Adirondacks climbing with LG this weekend, as well. Our plan was to climb at a relatively secluded spot so that there'd be no chance Mabel would flip her lid if, god forbid, another climber came around. We struck gold with Spanky's Area and devoured the Sunshine City section of the cliff, sending most of the routes with panache, despite having our rears handed to us on a platter by a couple of the more demanding lines. We also scouted out the Birch Wall and decided to climb the Wall's premier route, "Chocoholic". Oh yes, and it is creamy season once again in New England, therefore, it has become custom to get one after each day of climbing. (For all you mid-Atlantic folks reading this, a creamy is the same thing as soft serve or custard.)

Sunday was dedicated to packing up our house and moving it into storage. We've rented this little 10X15 climate controlled unit a couple towns over from here. It amazes me how much a place like this can cost. I supposed you're paying for peace of mind.

**************************************

Since our last entry a lot has happened. The place we thought we were going to be staying in out in Tacoma fell through, so Lindsay has been on the prowl, recently, for a place that will lease to us for 3 months, as well as accept a German Shepherd. Some discussion has developed around where we should go after the PNW...more about that later.

Our home is beginning to get that vapid look again. Blank walls, empty spots around the house where once a dresser stood or bookshelf leaned. With Lindsay not around regularly, it is hard to sit here after the dust settles from a day of packing. Our little townhouse isn't as cozy anymore, and it is losing its "lived in" smell. Now, boxes and piles fill not the voids, but the waiting line marching out the front door and into the temporary storage space for a year's duration.

The sun shines brightly on the silver streak of asphalt and adventure awaiting our wheels and minds and bodies. The automobile will be packed, the direction will be decided and the albatross of innumerable choices will begin to unfurl its broad wings.

Sandcastles

2008-05-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

There are firsts for everything: first steps, first words, first birthdays, first loves...the list is endless. However, this weekend, young Mabel surprised both Lindsay and I with a first of her own--She pooped sand...yes, beach sand. Let me set the scene for you:

We decided to spend Saturday afternoon at Hill's Beach on the Maine coast. This was to be Mabel's first encounter with the salty ocean, waves, and the beach. Perhaps it was the similarities of how it felt underfoot, or the ease at which she could press her nose into it, but Mabel seemed to think that the beach was snow, her favorite medium for fun. Soooo she commenced to dig, nose poke, flip up into the air, and eat the sand. Why she didn't realize after the first mouthful that this thing she was eating was not snow is beyond human rationale. She just kept shoveling it up and swallowing it down with alarming ferocity.

Then she discovered the foam from the crashing waves. She really didn't understand what that was, so she barked, and bit, and drank the salty sea water until she realized that it made her gag.

Late that evening, Mabel awakened with great urgency and requested to go outside...pronto. Once outside, Mabel made fast work of finding a choice spot to make a doggie deposit. To our surprise this deposit was pure sand. Miniature sandcastles, folks. You know, like the kind children make when a little water is added to the sand? I think we used to call them drizzle castles, or something like that. That was not the last of sandy poops. Over the course of 3 hours, Mabel made several visits to the nearest patch of grass only to find herself leaving more evidence of her embarrassing misjudgment from earlier in the day. A lesson learned.

*********************************************

All poops aside, the rest of the weekend was stellar. Lindsay and I climbed a few days in North Conway, NH at Cathedral and Whitehorse Ledge. Surprisingly, we saw very few people over the course of 2 days at the crag despite the fall-like temps and sunny skies. On our last day we spotted a pretty righteous bumper sticker on a PA climber's car that gave us the feeling these guys were not messin' around. We agreed that people who have bumper stickers like this wear doo-rags and hammer pants.

Oh, we also received $80 in cash for going on a "quick" tour of a local hotel, and we ended up investing in something that we'll hopefully reap benefits from sooner than later.

30 days and counting...

Shepherd Haters

2008-05-06T18:52:00.001-07:00

We're off to Tacoma, Washington this June. To help our friends and family become educated about what has been referred to as the armpit of Washington state, I've compiled a list of little known facts about our new destination:

1. Tacoma--our new destination--is actually referred to as "The City of Destiny"...coincidence, I think not.

2. The first woman to climb Mount Rainer was Faye Fuller, a Tacoma School Teacher. She achieved this goal on August 11, 1890.

3. In 1990, Money Magazine named Tacoma the 4th best place to live in the U.S....what's it been doing for the past 18 years?

4. Bing Crosby was born in Tacoma on May 3, 1903.

5. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge is the 5th largest suspension bridge in the world.

6. Guy Larson, cartoonist of the "The Far Side", is a resident of Tacoma.

7. It's been 10 years since Tacoma has been considered an "All American City".

8. The Tacoma Dome is the largest wood arena in the world!

9. Point Defiance Park is the 2nd largest city park in the nation, second only to Central Park in NYC.

10. Over 200,000 people live within a 5-mile radius of the center of Tacoma. That spells traffic.

We're departing sometime around June 13th, and driving across the country via the northern route, possibly stopping somewhere to climb, but the jury is still out on the verdict. Lindsay has been working frantically setting up a place for us to stay once we're there. Thea's Landing is going to our home away from home while we're in Tacoma. Apparently, this was the only place in all of Tacoma/Seattle that would accept a German Shepherd. I guess the resident of Washington are scared of the wrath of the Shepherd, thus having a strict ordinance against certain breeds. What the eff!?

Waterfront views, we'll be able to see Mt. Rainer from our window, and the interstate is withing a stone's throw from our front door. Squamish is 4 hours away, Bend is 5 hours, and Hood River is about 2.5 to 3 hours. More later...

More later.

The Random Cairn

2008-05-05T17:26:00.000-07:00

Sunday was spent suffering on the eastern side of the 4th Brother in the sleepy John's Brook Valley of Adirondack State Park. My friend, Elizabeth, and my trusty pooch, Mabel, joined me for the day in an attempt to find the elusive Courthouse Cliff. I warned Elizabeth that there was no guarantee that we'd find said crag, or even find the climber's path leading off of the Phelps Trail for that matter, but it didn't seem to bother her in the least.

Before we began, we stopped off at the Mountaineer to buy Mabel some tasty Zuke's treat (shameless plug), and to get some "encouragement" from the local shop employees. The only words of encouragement we received were to make sure we were wearing pants because the stinging nettles were unforgiving, and because the amount of moisture and bushwhacking was going to drive us mad. Thanks guys...

The bushwhack lasted roughly 2 hours, of which the majority was spent either slogging straight up hill following the random cairn, or slipping up wet, mossy slabs. For comparison's sake, though, the first third of the hike is along the Phelps Trail, a meandering yellow blazed trail cut lazily along the forgiving contours of Mt. Marcy's broad skirt.

We thought we'd found the cliff, but ended up just cliffing ourselves, so we reversed our path thinking a much broader loop around the front of the slabs would spell certain success, but all we received was more thick underbrush up our pantlegs, and uneven ground to fall all over.

On our way out, though, we spotted several interesting things. Off in the distance a skunk's tail (at least that is what was postulated) was seen (Luckily, not by Mabel!), as were some large unidentifiable birds, countless piles of scat of varying size and shape, some bulbous fungus,

and a branch shaped like the letter "J".

And moments after I threw in my cards and gave up for the third time, I looked over my left shoulder and spotted the cliff through the trees. The damn thing seemed to be laughing at me from what seemed like less than a 1/2 mile away. The path from there, at least, seemed pretty obvious. Next time...

The weather also took some pity on us. The warm sunlight tickled us from time to time with its reticent tendrils, and we even managed to squeeze in a surprise (read: Dry) rock route at the Jewels and Gems Wall on our way out of Keene Valley.

I figure a day spent hiking around the woods, never finding what you've embarked to find, suffering and cursing through trivial landscapes and around uncertain corners is certainly not a day wasted. In fact, those are the days most often remembered.

May Day

2008-05-01T18:13:00.000-07:00

Let's start off with a fun fact about today: Pilots around the world know the distress call "May day! May day!" But what they may not know is its derivative. French pilots were the first to use this call. They would say: "M'aides! M'aides!", which translates into "Help me! Help me!" in English.

It's been a while since our last post...in fact, it's been almost a month. Our house's innards are getting packed up into boxes, the snow has melted and our flowers are blooming, and Mabel is beginning to realize something is afoot. Lindsay has begun to narrow down where she wants to be for her next assignment, and I was down in Kentucky for a week of climbing with a few dear friends.

Lindsay's job has been rather nutso (can somebody say Compton in Portland, Maine?!) and her job hunt is getting a little batty. The job she really wanted in Bend, Oregon has been filled, so she didn't get that, but 4 other hopeful placements have crested the horizon: Bellingham, Washington; 2 in Seattle, and another in Portland, Oregon. We're keeping our fingers crossed that at least one of these pans out. More later.

The trip to Kentucky was pretty fun, and many awesome things happened, but it was punctuated by the following key events: Getting hit by a drunk driver then initiating a citizens arrest after cutting the girl off before a toll booth outside of D.C., a bluegrass band urging the audience to purchase their CD so they could buy cigarettes for their keeedz, Sarah running a route out 30 feet to the anchors, something exploding, and a truck in the parking lot having its tires stolen.

Saturday is Green-Up Day here in Vermont, so get your green bags and go pick up some trash!

Eating the Urbanites!

2008-04-07T17:36:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a pivotal weekend for the young Mabe-bot. She had much success on the Burlington Waterfront and Church Street, despite great potential for disasterous behavior involving small dogs and a slovenly tourist who asked, "Can I give your German a cookie?" I mean,...who calls a Germans Shepherd a German?!

The 1/2 Marathon Unplugged was also this weekend. A very small dose of fun due, in part, to the 1/2 mile of ice on the bike path and decent food courtesy of Smoke Jack's were the highlights of the race. Road weenies.

Sunday was supposed to be nice, but mean mister winter was cruel to us rock climbers, and laid some clouds, wind and dampness on our day in the Whites. We still managed to climb a fair bit, though.

So far, Hawaii and the Northwest have been put on the docket for our travels. However, Lindsay and I discussed another possible place to visit over the next year--Ashville, NC. She's been pretty keen on that place as of late. Green living, moderate temps and mountains has her psyched. To me, that place seems fairly choice too...beyond the forward thinking people sequestered within the confines of that town (it's below the Mason Dixon Line, folks!), there is abundant granite and a maze trails to keep us busy on our days off. Nevermind the riches of other states abuting it, that place seems like a likely candidate for the fall. More later on that...

Mabel in the big city still has us a little worried, though. Will she eat the urbanites? Will she vandalize the city parks because they're too small? Will she shun other dogs and steal their pull toys? Who knows...

Fleeing From Humans is Not Kosher

2008-04-03T18:50:00.001-07:00

Things are drying up at an alarming rate around these parts, which sounds the alarm for trail running season!! Mabel and I went on our first trail run of the season today. Reports: Way muddy in the sun, a little snowy in the shade, chilly down in the hollow, and semi-treacherous on the decent from the top of the hill in the grotto. Mabel scored double-bad negative points while on said run because of one big reason--fleeing from her human while on a run is not kosher..at all. Before I could catch up with her, she was waiting like a guilty alley cat at the front door of our home.

However, while on her speedy route back to the castle, she managed to successfully run by two hikers without barking or lunging at them...while she earned two very enthusiastic thumbs up for that act of saintliness, she still managed to finish deep in the doldrums. Banished to her kennel for what seemed like an eternity, Mabel had time to ruminate over her sins of puppydom, and quietly make plans to excise the demons lurking deep within her soul.

Mustang Sally

2008-03-30T05:42:00.000-07:00

Mabel received a D- on the puppy meter yesterday for her unwarranted, unprovoked, and embarrassing response to the friendly doggies on Church St. I mean, pulling like a chariot horse in heat and bucking like a bronco does not earn her many human-friendly points, as well as scoring her very low on the doggie safety meter. We've got to work this Satan out of her system.

seasalt

2008-03-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

I have forgotten how much I love the smell of the Maine coast until walking the bay this afternoon with my dear friend Amy, her husband and daughter. I try to remember days like this when I wake up unhappy to be so far away from Chris and Mabel.
Work is FINE, the unit is interesting and of course the first day off orientation I had the most unstable patient. Didn't this happen before somewhere else, and I thought this hospital was going to be "easy"? The 7 bed ICU employs maybe a dozen employees and staffs only 3 nurses a night with no secretary. My orientation consists of 8 hours of hospital paperwork and 2 nights on the unit! Throughout the night I ask myself why I bother to travel, I have no rapport with any of the physicians, never get the hang of the damn computers until at least a month into the assignment, and not to mention having to learn how each hospital does things differently from line placements to medical interventions is a true pain in the ass. Then the paycheck comes and all these worries disappear briefly while I spend each dollar I make.
This Friday I will be heading home to VT, so come visit.

Carry Me

2008-03-24T18:28:00.000-07:00

More months than I'd like to speak of have passed since I've touched real rock. Until this past weekend.

On Saturday I made a very rare (and probably once in a lifetime!) decision to day trip down to the Gunks in southern NY. Mind you, one way is 3 hours 45 minutes...with no traffic and minimal pee breaks. Needless to say, Jake (who is forever psyched even at 5:30 in the morning) kept me awake and amped the whole ride down talking a lot of game about climbing, his bad choices in arena rock bands from the '80s, and some general teenage angst thrown in for good measure. We got there before most locals had arisen for the day, which leaves me--in hindsight--feeling a bit knackered just thinking about what we packed into one day. Barrelling down the NY Thruway, our trip was punctuated by the sweet sight of snow quickly dissipating into nothingness along the shoulder of the road, and the choral swell of spring song birds jubilantly welcoming the longer and warmer days ahead.

We finally found Dave in the parking lot below the dreaded "stairmaster" and managed to dispatch of 6 routes in just a few short hours. Amidst this I heard a man yelp like an injured puppy, (apparently the result of a massive leader fall), and Dave finally ticked a route that had left a very sharp thorn in his side from the previous year. Fast work for a couple of guys who hadn't placed gear in the past couple months.

To boot, on our way out of town, we almost scored a free salmon burrito from some irritated shop employees at a local Mexicali joint in New Paltz, and we were cheered by the local crunchies for bullying our way into a parking spot that was rightfully ours.

Not much to report for Sunday, although, in talking with Lindsay, I realized how much a simple, happy inflection in her voice can carry me all day long...I love that girl.

--C

Creationism vs. Carb-ationism

2008-03-20T19:42:00.000-07:00

Flying Spaghetti Monster or ravenous crustacean?--you be the judge. Were we all spawn from the same bowl of spaghetti?

(A co-worker enlightened me of this crazy movement today while we planned our weekly school lunch menu.)

Alliteration

2008-03-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the first day of Spring, so shouldn't we be seeing signs of warmer weather? Earlier this week, I DID hear some new birds singing their sweet little songs outside my classroom window, but I am still scraping the frost and ice off the windows of my car in the morning.

As of late it just doesn't seem like we can escape this cold and snow. The extended forecast has dealt yet another blow to the collective psyche of our climbing community. If this distasteful weather doesn't disengage soon, the Vermont climbing community may just vanish.

In all honesty, though, March can be a very dark and dismal month. We're lured into believing otherwise, and when the crunchy folks peel off their 4 month-old wool socks to wear their Birks barefoot we're played like fools and old man winter dumps snow and temps that have no business being in March on us.

Skiing and snowboarding has lost its fluffy appeal by now (mashed potato snow is grossly overrated), ice climbing has become a little too dangerous this late in the season, and the trails aren't dry, nor snow-packed enough anymore to run on. Early Spring in New England can certainly be a therapeutic trial in transitional torment.

loose ends

2008-03-16T17:20:00.000-07:00

It's like each fleck of snow frozen to the ground outside my door adheres to stacked days on a numbered calendar growing larger and seeming further and further away--June seems like an eternity from now.

Lindsay and I have begun the tedious process of trip preparation. You know, making lists of essentials we'll tote along indefinitably, tying up loose ends with our home so they don't break down on our tenants, and working vigilantly with our puppy, Mabel, to ensure she's ready to travel. The prospect of travelling, especially one that entails mutliple places over the course of a year is a funny one. It conjures up many emotions. Anxiety and excitement, stress and sadness all well up inside and make us pine for the familiar places we have yet to leave.

This is just an introductory post, but more will come as the day of departure approaches.