Turning 29

Homesickness

2009-06-01T07:58:00.002-04:00

I´ve got it bad. I´m in Spain, spent the weekend in San Sebastian, arguably one of the most beautiful places in the world. Certainly with some of the best food. (Pintxos - there are no words to describe them) Still just want to spend one weekend at home in my bed.
I have one instructor who seems to think that the best way to spend our time here in Spain is doing homework. Hooray! I think I might actually have more homework for that class than any other summer class I´ve taken. I´m at the point where I pretty much am not going to worry about it.
Should have brought my camera cable. I´ll try to get to a shop to upload my photos to disks soon and post them up.

I'm leaving on a jet plane...

2009-05-08T11:58:00.005-04:00

In about 8 hours I'll be taxing off the runway at MCO for over three months in Europe. I'll be flying straight into London, where I'll be staying with a nice man I met on the internet (haha). He's been kind enough to not only allow me to sleep under his roof - I even have my own personal tourguide for the weekend.

Wednesday morning I fly from London to Madrid, Spain, where I'll be meeting up with my study abroad group. We'll be spending 2 nights in Madrid before we leave for Toledo and then we'll be in Santander until June 22. It's a language-intensive course, and I'm hoping it'll really help me with my future studies in Spanish.

The 23rd I fly from Madrid to Paris to meet my best friend from high school. We'll be spending five nights in Paris, then we'll head to Munich, with hopefully at least one night in Strausburg or on the Alsacian wine route. 17km walking through vineyards, going from town to town; eating, drinking, walking. Does it get any better than that?

We'll be spending some time in Southern Germany looking at castles and just generally being tourists. Our plans aren't really definite on anything except for our five nights in Paris. It's going to be great.

I need to check in on the 3rd of July in Mannheim for my second course - a medieval and early modern history course focusing on the Holy Roman empire. I'll also be doing an independent study. Because I'm considering a minor in Religion, I'm planning on doing some research on Christianity and the work ethic - determining how medieval religion informed social expectations of labor. We'll see what's available there. That's a slightly broad topic, so it'll be more focused eventually.

At the end of the Mannheim program I booked my flight out an extra 4 days. I'll be spending that time in Prague - a city I've wanted to visit for a long time. I'm not going to make it to Greece at all, which is a country that I've wanted to go to for a long time, but I'll do it with my sister. Funny story - I was talking to one of the instructors for the Mannheim course and telling her that we wouldn't be making it to Italy. She said in absolute seriousness, "Oh, that's ok. You're going to go back." I love it.

Did I mention that I'll be turning 30? Strangely enough, it doesn't bother me a bit.

When I die...

2009-04-01T00:37:00.003-04:00

Bury me in Library West.

I went to look for sources for a paper and found not a couple, not a few, but literally dozens of books - printed on paper - dealing with the specific issues I want to discuss!

Maybe I'm already dead and in my own personal heaven.

Final decision on my Summer studies will be made this Saturday. I'll post more details when I know for sure. I will believe it's real when I can buy the ticket. Even then, I think I probably won't really believe it until my plane touches down.

2009-01-15T20:36:00.001-05:00

Well, a fire drill is one way to meet your neighbors.

2009-01-04T23:38:00.003-05:00

So today was fun... Learned a very valuable lesson about dorm rooms.

We arrived at about 5:30, just as it was getting dark. I only had a duffel of clothes, a clothes basket with my bedsheets & toiletries, the fridge (got a slightly bigger one because it has a REAL freezer) my printer, and a box of miscellany: a lamp, power cords, etc. The school's only an hour and a half away: barely too far to commute daily, but close enough that I'll be able to come home every weekend. So just the basics came with me - just what I need to survive Monday through Friday.

Thinking ourselves smart, we decide to take the fridge up first - get the worst out of the way, you know.

My room's on the fourth floor. Nice, huh? I need exercise anyway, and being on the top floor means no neighbors upstairs to wake me up. I can be the annoying upstairs neighbor. Plus, I have my own room. I'd stay in a closet on the roof for a little privacy.

Just as I reached the top of the third flight of stairs, another student ran up. She was kind enough to open the door for me, so of course I took advantage of her kindness and asked her if she knew where my room was. She led me through a complicated series of narrow hallways, through locked doors, past stairs, and around corners. The building looks absolutely nothing like the drawing online. Lucky me, it turns out that the kind but unfortunate soul who showed me my room happens to be my next door neighbor. Convenient, no?

I nearly missed my door (ok, I did walk past my room - my neighbor had to call me back as I blithely humped past with my basket), turned the key in the lock in anticipation, and was struck simultaneously by three observations.

One: Wow, what a small room.

Two: Ew, it kind of smells bad. Ick.

Three: Whose stuff is this on the (probably smelly) bed?!?!?

My next immediate thought was of Ray pulling my fridge up the stairs. I dropped my basket in the room and ran back the way I came. Oops, not the way I came. The other way. This hallway doesn't look familiar - let's try this door. Ok, that's right, but this stair is not right. I burst open the door at the top of the correct flight of stairs to see Ray just about to embark on the second half of the last flight of stairs. Damn.

They've probably put me in someone else's room - I mean, who else gets their first room their first semester at UF? Thoughts of sharing a temporary triple with a couple of teenagers in a building on the other side of campus appear into my brain and start to settle in. Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please do not make us (Ray) have to take that fridge back downstairs. Where am I going to sleep? What if they don't have a room for me?

I walk over to the area office and explain what I found in the room it looks like someone's stuff from last semester. There's a wisely compact fridge left open to defrost - I remember reading that's part of the winter break prep you're supposed to do in a dorm. They look at the roster and say that my name's on the list and that it's not my fault. I know it's not my fault, just please don't tell me we (Ray) have to bring the fridge back down. They assure me it's my room, but I'm thinking that if someone was there last semester, chances are it's going to be their room this semester too, right? The staff assures me that it's my room, but I'm unconvinced.

I'm told to go ahead and move in, so we put (hey! I helped lift it over the bed post!) the fridge in the 8 x 10 room. It takes up half the available floorspace. Not to be fooled, because I'm sure they're going to tell me that they have me in the wrong room any minute now, I wait downstairs until they can tell me what's going on. It's bad enough that we (Ray) is going to have to bring the fridge down all those stairs.

As I walk in, one of the two staffers gets up and avoids eye contact while backing slowly away from the counter. The other is looking down at the desk. Shit.

She looks up when the door opens and smiles as I walk in. I look behind me. No, she's definitely smiling at me. It's all straightened out. The previous resident was hired as an RA in another dorm for this semester, and was supposed to have her stuff out by noon. As of now, she's AWOL, but should have her things out shortly.

Finally assured that it is, in fact, my room, we unpack my bicycle, duffel, and box of miscellany from the van for the trek up the stairs again. We were smart, though, the last time and came down the stairs immediately around the corner from my room. No maze to travel this time.

There's nothing to be done about the size, but the windows open so we aired it out before we left. At 10:30 I received a call from my hall RA - the interloper has removed her belongings and I can "finish" moving in.

My sister assures me that all dorm rooms smell funny, but I'm sure it's nothing that a bucket of pine sol and an industrial bottle of febreze can't fix.

What's the proper response to this?

2008-12-18T12:58:00.002-05:00

I just checked my housing assignment online. I got MY OWN ROOM! I wasn't even expecting that as a possibility, because they processed my application as a freshman and freshmen don't have the option of a single room. Maybe they figured that an old person like me needs her space. Or maybe they just guessed that I snore like a 300 lb man. Smart move on their part.

It's also on the top floor, in a better location than the halls that I requested, AND it has AC, so I don't have to bring in a portable unit and take up space.

Climbing three flights of stairs will be great exercise.

The only down side is that it's almost $500 more per semester than the halls I requested - but $500 is more than reasonable in exchange for my own room.

Should I go and sacrifice a goat or calf to the UF housing gods?

Here's the plan... part 2

2008-12-17T23:13:00.003-05:00

So it turns out that I must (according to the UF advisors) graduate after four fall and spring semesters. No slacking off and graduating after spring 2011. Know what could be fun? Thru-hiking the AT in the spring and Summer of 2011. I've decided I'm going to find someone to come with me. Maybe at the school backpacking club.

Go Gators!

2008-11-19T13:46:00.005-05:00

I was right. Last Monday, I went to an orientation session at UF. I wasn't entirely sure what the purpose of the mandatory day-long event would entail, but I was sure that at some point there would be a brainwashing session, then we new students would dye our hair blue and orange. Other signs of assimilation would manifest later.

Basically, they showed us how to access our online support pages, talked about activities and their prelaw programs. At one point the adviser informed us that UF is apparently the number one "feeder school" to US law schools. Great. So I'll be ever-so-efficiently run through the UF mill in order to graduate with a BA and become one of the overwhelmingly many UF majors applying to law school. Add that to the allusion (intentional or not) to their students as either cattle or feeder fish, and I feel just spectacular about the individual nature of education at UF!

At one point we went to speak with our departmental advisers about registering for classes. I'm now enrolled in "Blake, Newton and Disney: Re-thinking the Myth of Cultural Paradigms" and "Feminist Theories." Exciting. Two separate people who I asked about the instructor on the first class described him as "brilliant." I'm really looking forward to both of my English classes.

During the security section, we were treated to a presentation by the UFL police chief. No one was tazered.

Untitled

2008-10-09T17:05:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure if there's anything more endearing than a 20 lb cat softly launching herself at your legs.

Current Events

2008-10-02T14:36:00.002-04:00

It's easy to become cynical about politics and policy in the United States. Occasionally, I'm encouraged by something that I read or hear about. Until his support of the proposed bailout plan, Barack Obama's campaign represented to me a return to rational representation in Washington.
The amendments to the proposal have been the equivalent of sweetening sewage - the original product was not a good basis for a solution. The best thing to do is just start over with a plan that will work for the overall good.

Something positive has come out of the Senate's vote last night. My senator, Bill Nelson (D) of Florida, was one of the 25 who voted against the proposal. Here's what he had to say:

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson's speech on the bailout vote

October 2, 2008

Mr. NELSON of Florida. Madam President, the things that have been added to this bill such as the FDIC provisions as well as the energy tax extenders and other tax extenders that I have already voted in favor of, certainly I support them, but the underlying bill rewards the banks and leaves the little person with the short end of the stick, and that is not right. This plan rewards the investment banks that ran us into the ground and it hardly does anything to help the homeowners who are facing foreclosure.

If, under this bill, the financial institutions participate in the Treasury's program, they should accept reasonable limits on executive compensation, but under the bill they don't. The limits on executive compensation are left to the Treasury Secretary's discretion. Some CEOs who caused this crisis in the first place will benefit from this bailout and will also walk away with golden parachutes. That is not right. This creates a moral hazard the U.S. Government will undertake.

This bill sends a message to Wall Street that if they play fast and loose in the name of short-term profits, the Government will actually make up for their losses. And the bill does very little to help individual homeowners. Until we stabilize the housing market, which is the underlying ability to restructure the economy from this crisis--until we stabilize the housing market, and until we stem the record number of foreclosures, our market simply is not going to improve. While this bill authorizes the Treasury to develop and carry out a plan, it does not require financial institutions participating in the program to modify or refinance any loan. It only requires the Treasury to encourage loan modifications. Voluntary refinancing efforts will not solve our foreclosure crisis. We should mandate these efforts. We should start by requiring Fannie and Freddie to refinance the mortgages they hold on their books.

Furthermore, I think this bill should do more to investigate the business practices of major credit rating agencies. They fostered the enormous growth of the mortgage-backed securities. They gave securities, mainly consisting of subprime mortgages, the gold standard or the triple A rating. That rating gave investors the confidence that they were making safe investments. Without that triple A rating, insurance companies and pension funds and other investors would not have bought those products.

So I am calling for an investigation to probe the business practices of those agencies. Investors relied on and trusted those credit ratings, and the public deserves to know how these rating agencies concluded that such risky investments could receive such high credit ratings.

I could say a lot about this, but let me just say that the bottom line is, ultimately, this bill forces taxpayers to bail out investment banks that caused the crisis in the first place, and it does nothing to address the real problem, which is home foreclosures and a resuscitation of the housing market. Until we stop the record level of foreclosures, this crisis is going to continue to worsen, whether we pass this bill or not.

For these reasons, I oppose this bill. I think Congress can do better, and I think Congress can come up with a better, more targeted solution to this complex crisis.

It saddens me that I would oppose so many of my colleagues who have offered very cogent reasons. It is true we have to do something, but this particular legislation is not the right solution.

I yield the floor.

Good job, Bill. It's good to know that you really are reasonable and trying to find real solutions to this mess we're in. I'm really pleased to know that we have real representation.

A couple of letters

2008-09-24T12:28:00.002-04:00

I faxed these letters to my rep & senators today. Bill Nelson got a little compliment, Ginny Brown-Waite got a reminder that she wastes ample time trying to impress us with her "support of veterans," and Mel "sellout" Martinez got nothing special because, let's be realistic, he doesn't care what I think anyway.

Senator Bill Nelson

United States Senate
716 Senate Hart Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-5274
Fax: 202-228-2183

Dear Mr. Nelson,

This letter is in regard to the proposed $700,000,000,000 financial market bailout currently being debated. I, as your constituent, urge you to vote against any variation of this proposal.

I have, to date, been pleased with your work in the Senate on my behalf. Please analyze this issue; I’m sure that you will agree this proposal is dangerous and unnecessary.

Case-by-case determination needs to be made on any future financial market issues. This proposal gives too much power and money to one individual and circumvents the American system of checks and balances.

Again, please vote against this multi-billion-dollar bailout.

Sincerely,

Stefanie

Here's Ginny Brown-Worthless's

Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite

414 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-1002

Fax: 202-226-6559

Dear Ms. Brown-Waite,

This letter is in regard to the proposed $700,000,000,000 financial market bailout currently being debated. I, as your constituent, urge you to vote against any variation of this proposal.

Ms. Brown-Waite, our household receives correspondence from your office on a regular basis. This correspondence is generally claiming that you support veterans. Show us that you support citizens by voting against this proposal.

Again, please vote against this multi-billion-dollar bailout.

Sincerely,

Stefanie

Mel Martinez just got the basic without a special middle paragraph. I did, however, give him a good, stern warning that I will not support or vote for any representative that supports this bailout.

Whoopee!

2008-09-22T18:32:00.002-04:00

Congratulations!! Your application to the University of Florida for the 2009 Spring term has been approved!

Official notification will arrive by mail, including important orientation and immunization information.

We look forward to seeing you on campus soon, and welcome to the Gator Nation!

Now just to find my immunization records. Eek.

An Original

2008-09-22T01:02:00.001-04:00

By me. I retain all rights, etc... But if it makes you laugh, feel free to repeat it. Unless you get paid for it, then you have to pay me.

Question: Why do Volkswagens retain their value so well?

Answer: Because even the old ones have so many new parts!

Inertia

2008-09-19T13:02:00.004-04:00

It got me. I'm still at home; I've been sleeping in, reading, playing, and generally acting like I'm on vacation. Here's a little story about my trip for your enjoyment.

Winston and I started walking on Wednesday, in the middle of the afternoon. Not the best time to be making a 1500 foot ascent on your first day hiking, but we made it to the side trail to the water much earlier than I'd expected. There was a campground there, as well, that had been mentioned in my trailbook. I had planned to stay there for the night, but after events that transpired to stopped me from going down to the water, in addition to the healthy colony of bugs living there, I decided to keep going.

The book says that the blue blazed trail to the left leads 1/10 of a mile down the side of the ridge to a spring at an old homestead. What it fails to mention is that the trail is nearly vertical and infested with bees. Have I mentioned that I'm allergic to bees? Well, I was allergic to bee stings when I was a kid. I haven't been stung since I was 12 or so, and I'm really not so curious as to allow myself to be stung in order to find out for certain.

I walked to the edge of the ridge and looked down. There were enormous downed trees over the skinny trail spilling down the ridge. I couldn't see much. I certainly couldn't see an old farmstead or any other trace of water. (I should mention that I have since then developed a more accurate perception of how long 1/10th of a mile is.) I didn't know yet that I wouldn't see another soul on the trail until the next day and that it would be fine to leave my pack unguarded by the trail. The logistics of how to get down the trail (with Winston? without Winston? with the whole pack or without it?) It looked like the trail hadn't been used in years. I couldn't even be sure that there would be water where it was supposed to be, even if I did go down there. So I decided that I would just keep going. It was only about 8 miles to the next water source, and I started out with 5, how much could I need?

Allow me to stop here for a moment and tell you what I should have done. And what, had I known then what I know now, I would have done. I would have just taken off my pack and left it a little ways down the trail, taken out my Camelback (which incidentally hooks onto a shirt really well if you need to carry it without a backpack) and gone down the trail and gotten water. I learned that you don't pass up an opportunity for water, period.

So I made a bad decision. I decided to head on. We turned around and went back to the trail. I observed that the holes that I had seen in the ground before had bees flying around them. Bees? Ok, now I'm definitely not camping here. I didn't want to camp anywhere there was that much evidence of human visitation anyway. There may be bears.

Did I mention the bees in the holes? Well, I observed the bees on the way back, and made a note to avoid them. Winston decided that he would treat the holes as hurdles. One, wheeee! Two, whee - Winston, where are you going? Oh, shit. Ruuuuuuuun! I ran to a less-infested area and sat on a log. Off with the backpack, check on Winston, and check the map to make sure that I'm making the right decision.

Winston kept biting at his front leg and his tail. I grabbed his leg and saw a bee with its stinger stuck in his fur. I swatted it away, and it surprisingly just flew away. It was buzzing angrily. I mean it. I could tell, it was angry.

Now that I've convinced myself that I've made the right decision, (note for posterity - it was the wrong decision.) I loaded up and kept walking. Winston is no longer happily skipping along with head and tail held high. (height is relative here) He's now trying to bite his tail and simultaneously walk with his curly tail straightened out and held between his legs.

About another mile to the TN/VA border where we set up camp. (By the way, this is where I learned that I had a little over a cup of water left. Stupid.)

I attached Winston to a tree. I did a thorough check to be sure he hadn't been stung anywhere else and wasn't having any sort of a reaction. Turns out he had been stung somewhere else. Somewhere that even in his surgically altered condition would still probably be extremely painful. Otherwise, he was fine. As I set up the tent, Winston sat there and tried to kill any buzzing thing that came within reach. I don't know what I would have done had he caught one. It was also fun calming him down in the tent. Every time a bug buzzed by the tent, he'd jump up and try to attack through the tent fabric.

By the time I'd gone to sleep, he'd settled down. He didn't jump quite has much when he heard a buzzing. Then the damn cicadas started and we couldn't hear anything else at all.

He did wake me up a couple times in the night.

I'm pretty sure I heard something buzzing outside the tent.

Next weekend!

2008-09-08T13:11:00.002-04:00

I'm going back to the Watauga dam area Friday for another week for more backpacking and/or hiking. Hopefully there will be more southbound thru-hikers so I'll at least have people to say "hi" to. I'd really like a hiking buddy - so if you're reading this and you're thinking that you'd really like to take a hike, let me know.

Who needs work, anyway?

Things that worked - really well

2008-09-08T13:05:00.003-04:00

Every thing that I used that I took with me worked well. The Steri-pen is so cool - it worked great and was easy and quick. My tent is easy to set up, roomy, and well-ventilated.

One of the best pieces of equipment that I had was my backpack, though. When it was on my back, it didn't even feel like it weighed anything at all. The only way I knew there was extra weight on my back is because I could feel it on my feet.

My MSR pocket rocket stove boils water so fast, if I felt like cooking something, I was eating in less than 10 minutes, including letting the food sit. It was so easy!

I'm so glad that I took the hiking poles. The cork grips were especially good because they didn't get sticky or sweaty.

I may do a more thorough write-up later, but that's it for now. I was really, really pleased with how well everything worked. I was able to just enjoy the trek, which was awesome.

A short(er) adventure

2008-09-08T12:54:00.003-04:00

You may be wondering what I'm doing here.

Turns out that I can get homesick.

The trail was beautiful, weather was good, and Winston and I both had no problem with the hiking, although there's a chance that he never wants to be in the car ever again.

Wednesday and Thursday we went from Damascus, Virginia to Shady Valley, TN. I planned to stay in Shady valley for a few days to get rid of stuff in my pack that I didn't need, and check how Winston and I were doing. In that space, I saw one pair of hikers. No one else. Wednesday night I was already lonely. I didn't expect to have any problem hiking alone, but then, I had expected to see a few other people every day.

I had gotten really low on water Wednesday, so I was up at 4:30 and on the trail at 5:30. We made it the six miles to the shelter at 10:00, and ran into a pair of hikers a mile before that. They offered me a ride to Shady Valley if I reached their truck at the trailhead before them, but they must have passed me while I was getting water, because it wasn't there when I got there.

Since I was early getting to Shady Valley, I called and Sara came and picked me up with my car. She offered to let me spend another night at her house before doing the camping I had planned to. I immediately took her up on the offer: I couldn't pass up a warm shower and soft bed. Sara was a big help - I'm so glad that I had a local contact. I can't even say how much I appreciate everything she did.

Friday I went over to Damascus and replaced the first aid kit that fell off my pack on Thursday, as well as a 1.8 liter Platypus reservoir - I didn't want to get as low on water ever again. I also got some electrolyte tabs and a smaller fuel tank. I was still tossing around what to do next. I considered just heading straight home, but I was really enjoying myself, and the area was beautiful. Physically, I was feeling better than I had in months. Even with overdoing it Thursday, I felt good. If I'd still been on the trail, I would have had no problem continuing the hike. I went to the Shady Valley Campground and found... a field. No picnic tables, no trees, no shade of any sort. They do have a really nice restroom and shower facility, as well as some cute cabins. I spoke with the guy who built the restrooms; he told me the plans for the campground, and pointed down the steep hill and said that there were tent sites "down there." I'm sure it'll be nice when they get everything finished.

I left after I realized that there was no place to sit to make and eat dinner, and my sister helped me find another campground nearby. I'd driven by the TVA Watauga dam campground earlier that day when I went through Hampton - turns out they have hot showers too! I stayed up late reading a book and slept lightly; Winston "woofed" every time another camper spoke or something rustled in the woods.

Saturday, I explored the dam area. It's really beautiful, and definitely a place I'll want to return.

The real adventure started Saturday night. I was playing cards with a couple - let's call them Debra and Bob - a few sites away from mine when they started cleaning up their food. They were leaving out a lot of food that I would have put away ("The mustard's not open - that's ok, right?"). Eek. I explained that I don't leave any food out, period. They were finishing up putting things in their vehicle, and Winston and I were sitting at the picnic table.

Winston started barking.

The other dogs started barking.

I tried to quiet Winston, but he was pulling on the leash harder than usual, and then I noticed that all of the dogs were barking in the same direction - not at each other. I heard a hissing, so, thinking it was a raccoon, I stepped back from the table and looked for something furry. Then I heard a growl. Amazing how when one hears something like that can reduce the just about any vocabulary to four-letter words. I heard another hiss, and Debra walked up and asked me what was going on. I explained that I wasn't sure, but whatever it was, it wasn't good. One of the guys from another campsite came up with their spotlight and flashed it around the trees. I had just offered my raccoon theory when the beam lighted on a bear. In a tree. Less than 15 steps from where I'd been sitting. It was supposedly a baby bear, which meant Mama wasn't far off. It was a big baby.

You know how you're supposed to act if you see a bear? Stay calm, back slowly away, don't yell, pick up kids so they don't run screaming, and vacate the area and leave the bear alone so that it'll feel safe enough to leave.

There had been one child in the campground all weekend - now there were dozens of kids running, screaming, across the campground toward the vehicles. All of the adult (using the term loosely here) men ran over to where the bear was spotted and were talking loudly and shining the light on it, and the women were chasing after the kids yelling at them to calm down. If you guessed that wasn't effective, you'd be right.

If not for the bear in the tree, it would have been pretty funny.

The campground host came back over and made sure it left. He assured everyone that the bear wouldn't return, but I knew I'd have a hard time sleeping regardless, so I spent the night in my car. The reason the bear had come into the campground was because Debra had left a bowl full of dog food out next to the picnic table - about 10 feet from where I'd been sitting when the bear came to investigate.

I was still feeling homesick when I got up the next day, so I packed everything up to head home. I checked in with my campsite neighbors before I left. The bears had showed up again the night before and ate a cooler. Who leaves a cooler out when a bear had just visited the night before? That sort of thing is why I slept better when I was camped on the top of the mountain by myself than in the campground.

See ya!

2008-09-01T20:49:00.003-04:00

I leave for my backpacking trip tomorrow morning! Tonight I'm packaging my food, Winston's food, packing my bag, doing a little laundry, other last minute stuff, and most importantly, making trail mix.

A photo for your enjoyment, as well as the recipe.

This recipe makes two BIG bags.
You'll need
(2) Mixed nuts cans, less than 50% peanuts. 16 oz each
(1) large bag of M&Ms - your choice flavor/filling.
(1) box of raisins

Put it in a bag and shake it up.

New semi-final packing list

2008-08-06T23:28:00.010-04:00

With pictures!

Clothes:

Long underwear top (STP)
Long underwear pants (STP)
2 shorts (STP)
2 shirts (STP)
3 undies (STP)
two sports bras (STP)
3 socks (STP)

Noticing a trend? (STP)

Outerwear:

Mountain Hardware Gore-tex jacket
(Travel Country - In store)
Marmot Precip Pants
(Gander mountain - store)
Polar buff
Black Diamond Fleece zip-neck (STP)
Mountain Hardware Fastpack cap (STP)

Food prep:
Orikaso fold-flat bowl (STP)
Ursack S29 - I got the last one!
Odor-proof bag
Big MSR isopro canister
Titanium Spork (Backcountry Edge)

MSR Pocket Rocket Stove set (REI)
I got a fantastic deal on this set - after an additional 20% discount, the total for this set came to about $37 - including the titanium pot. I was so thrilled to get this.

I'm not sure how many, if any, of the little plastic containers I'm going to bring. My Granite Gear stuff sacks came in them, and they're food grade. I might bring the big one for reconstituting Winston's food.

Miscellaneous/safety:
Compass (I don't know where I got this - I've had it for years)
(2) 100 lb 'biners (Northern Tool)
mosquito net (REI)
Map, guidebook, plastic bag
waterproof journal (Backcountry Edge)
headlamp (Backcountry Edge)
whistle
ace bandage
first aid kit (homemade)
Steri-Pen

Toiletries/other:
trowel (Backcountry Edge)
sunscreen
lip balm
toilet paper/tissues
comb
tooth brush/toothpaste
Dr. Bronners
insect repellent
packtowel (Backcountry Edge)

I'm considering whittling this down a little bit - maybe bring a tiny(er) container of soap. It's mainly for doing laundry, but I don't know if that's really going to happen on the trail.

Gear:
Backpack - Deuter Aircontact 55+10 Zero (Backcountry Edge)
Deuter's Zero line is a different take on lightweight backpacking. This pack has fully adjustable straps - something I really wanted with my short torso. This one weighed in at 3,1 (mfr spec 3,3), and it can carry up to 45 lbs - much, much more than the standard light pack. Plus it has a fully adjustable, padded belt, a hydration bladder sleeve, a non-detachable top, one part-mesh pocket on the outside, as well as bottle holsters. The only additional thing I would have wanted would be a sleeping bag compartment, but I knew I couldn't have that and get an otherwise no-frills bag, so I'm really, really happy with this one.
Tent - Golite Den 2 (STP)
This is a really cool, single-wall, lightweight tent. We'll see after this trip how it works, but the theory behind it is interesting. I'll go into all that when I know if it works. Including a discount (I kept ordering from STP, so I kept getting discounts -very cool), this tent came to $85. Even it it only lasts this trip, I'll get my money's worth.
Komperdell poles - well, if you read the last post, you'll already know about these

Not pictured:
A borrowed 3 pound synthetic sleeping bag - thanks Dante!
Shown in the top photo is my 3 liter Camelbak - full it weighs 6 lbs, 4 oz.

This pack - including the Thermarest, full Camelbak, and 3 lbs of food is just 30 lbs, 5 oz!
Right on target. It will weigh more because I'll carry more food, plus Winston's water and food, but I'm pretty thrilled with the weight. It'll probably come in at less than 35-38 lbs.
It took a couple of tries to get it packed - I had to keep moving things around. The sleeping bag has to go in the bottom, but I have enough room for everything, and just a tiny bit to spare. I thought I'd have tons of room with this pack, but it turned out to be just enough.

About the vendors I bought my gear and clothes from... First off, it's been a while, so most of this stuff had to be bought or borrowed. I even had to get new outdoor clothing. Most of my activities for the last few years have been walking and bicycling, so most of my clothes had cotton in them. For clothes, my number one choice was Sierra Trading Post. As long as you're not in a hurry, no matter what you're looking for, they'll eventually have it, and cheap. I also lucked out on the tent, even though I wasn't planning on buying a new one. The Golite weighs less than half of my existing tent, so it was really hard to resist it.

For gear, my first choice is Backcountry Edge. Their motto is "Awesome Gear, Amazing Service," and they mean it. They've been great about getting Winston's backpack fitted. Their selection isn't the widest, but what they carry is excellent quality, and their prices are great. I got the classic Steri-pen for $64.96 minus an additional 12% for signing up with them online. I found them when shopping for my backpack, and I'm now a customer for life. They're a small company, so it'll be interesting to see where growth takes them. Regardless - I definitely recommend them.

For a local place to look at stuff (and buy) I liked Travel Country in Altamonte Springs. I ended up getting a few things there, mostly little stuff, like a mesh bag and some Granite Gear stuff sacks. They have a good selection - if you want almost anything, they have it. Their prices are mostly retail, but I bought a jacket in the store that I found on their website, and it came in at 60% off. The best thing about this store is the staff. They are really enthusiastic, helpful, and knowledgeable. You'll be asked at least a dozen times if you need help, by at least four people, but they mean it. They'll run up to the stock room 15 times for you and really, genuinely, be happy to. (Don't ask me how I know this...)

So now I just need to order my food and Winston's food. For Winston, I'm looking at various high-performance and dehydrated foods for a high energy-weight ratio.

Other thoughts:
I may yet get a SPOT.
I'm not sure if I should bring some sort of water-carrier bucket for Winston, dishes, whatever.
Also - I'm bringing a camera - not sure about a tripod.

Winston's list to follow when I get his pack fitted - if I get it fitted. The XXsmall was too small.

Fun with Instructions!

2008-08-06T23:09:00.003-04:00

The last of my gear was delivered today - an inexpensive non-cotton hat, two pairs of running shorts (mens - why can't manufacturers make women's clothes fit right?), and my trekking poles!

At first I wasn't planning on bringing poles. I never used them before except when snowshoeing. Then I talked to my mom and she said she thought they'd be worth it. Then we talked about stream crossings, and I imagined doing them without poles, and then with. I ordered the poles right away.

Fortunately, Sierra Trading Post had quite a few sets to choose from. The first pair I chose sold out when I was shopping for shorts. The second pair were cheaper, plus I had a 15% off coupon from my last purchase, so I got a pair of $90 Komperdell trekking poles for $46.00.

First I read the directions and the miscellaneous reading material that came with them. Between the grammar missteps and typos, it made for entertaining reading. Then, I put one of the baskets on. It was a little tough. Before I locked it on, I considered that maybe I shouldn't put it on, because I may not be able to get it back off. Ah, well - caution is for sissies. On we go. Then I tried to take it back off. No go.

I waited until Ray got home, and when he couldn't get them off, I started to get a little worried.

I read the directions. Here's where it was funny. This is a direct copy of the text.
Easy-Change Basket System
With the exclusive Vario Basket System you can easily change between summer and winter basket and adapt them to different conditions with just a short twist. By turning to the left take off the basket from its fixation, change summer- or winter basket and fix the new basket by turning to the right.

I tried, but no matter how many times I turned in circles, I had no luck.

I called Sierra Trading Post to ask for help, and sometime in the course of the conversation we figured out that they actually are summer baskets. So... they can stay on. It's easier to take the tips on and off than the baskets. If I ever decide to use these in the winter, I'll need new tips.

Packing list

2008-07-24T13:51:00.004-04:00

Here's my packing list so far - some of these weights are approximate. I may post my total pack weight once I'm packed. I've intentionally inflated some of these numbers so that I keep the total weight in line.
All weights except the total are ounces. 30 lbs is about my goal, so if my estimates here are right, I should be in good shape
Also - some of these items will only be in the listed quantity during the first (longest) leg of the trip. I may ship some stuff home if it's not needed.

Packing List


Gear
Shoes/Boots
Sleeping Bag	49
Sleeping pad	48
tent	57
Backpack	48
compass	2
map & guide	13.4
sunglasses
watch (cheap-ish)
head lamp	2.75
whistle
pocketknife	2
Headnet (mosquitoes)	2

Outerwear
rain jacket	13.6
Rain pants	8
warm hat	2.7
polarfleece	6
liner gloves	4

Clothes
Shorts/capris (2)	8
sleeveless tops (2)	8
Long sleeve top	4
Socks (3)	8.4
Underwear (4)	9
sports bras (3)	16.8
Long und. Bottoms	8.6
bandana	2
long und. top	6


Kitchen
stove & pot	8
spoon	1
bowl	3
fuel	12.6
Steri-pen	4
Iodine tablets	2
food	48
snacks	20
bear bag (ursack)
Odor proof bags	6
Water bottle (platypus)
3L Hydration system (platypus)	4
lighter	2

First Aid kit	14
mesh bag
tweezers
safety pins
antibiotic ointment
antiseptic towelettes
Wound Closure Strips
Moleskin
Duct tape
bandaids
Ace
Bandanna
Naproxen
Antihistamine
Emergency Blanket
Safety matches
Lighter

Toiletry bag	14


Miscellaneous
plastic trash bag	2
camera	10
book for entertainment	8
journal & pens	8


Total	30.99

Winston’s list
backpack
water bowl
food bowl
food
leash

Breakfast will be oatmeal with dried fruit. Lunch will be one long snacky meal stretched out all day.
I plan to order in bulk from Mary Jane's Farm, as well as some foods like tuna, salmon, and chicken in pouches from the grocery store for dinner.

My dog is so good-natured!

2008-07-24T11:32:00.008-04:00

Winston's pack for our backpacking trip came today.

Before I tell you about it, let me tell you a little bit about Winston. He was a rescue that I adopted three years ago from the national Lhasa Apso rescue. He was wandering the streets, with matted, filthy hair and a face that only a mother could love when a local ASPCA found him. Although he was supposed to have had all medical issues cleared up before he came home with me, he had roundworm and hookworm, and was a pretty sick puppy for a while. Technically, he's a Lhasa/Shih Tzu mix, but he probably has more breeds in him than that. My vet and the rescue estimated that he was somewhere between one and two years old. I suspect that he was closer to two.

I had a Lhasa in high school, and she was a sweet, obedient (except for housetraining issues), mild-mannered dog. I used to take her hiking with me, and I could just let her off leash, and she'd never go further than 4 feet from me.

It took me a long time to decide to get another Lhasa, because I thought I might be comparing another Lhasa unfavorably to Silva. After a lot of research, though, I realized there was a reason she was such a good dog. Lhasas are smart, independent dogs. They are small, but without the insane energy levels of a terrier, so they're fairly low-maintenance as far as wear and tear on the house, but they're not wimpy animals. That's why Silva was such a great hiking companion. Even though she was only 12 pounds, she had stamina. Their generally independent natures make them great for someone who wants a companion that can live without constant attention.

I discovered quickly that Winston had to be crated at ALL TIMES when not supervised. He will eat anything, and I mean, anything. Within the first week of bringing him home, I left him in the bathroom with a baby gate to keep him contained. He got out and ate the metal weather strip off the metal back door trying to get out. My roommate came home to a disaster. There was trash everywhere, and Winston was freaking out. I worked 10 minutes from home, so I made it a point to go home at lunchtime, bring him into the office, or take him to the groomer during long days.
Winston's way of checking things out is to try to eat them. I've taken rocks out of his mouth that he was crunching away on. His terrible teeth fit the name Winston, but I could have called him Hoover.
He also has aggression issues. He's fine most of the time, but it takes constant awareness to keep him behaving. One treat from the FedEx driver and he's a punk for a few hours. Ray and I are on the same page, and we both work to keep him in line, but he pushes the limits any chance he gets.
If he's off leash, he'll take off to whereabouts unknown. We had to run an electric fence around our existing fence because he kept getting out, and we couldn't figure out how. One of our neighbors returned him one day, put him in the back yard, and then watched him climb our 4 foot fence like a ladder. Fortunately, we seem to have that cleared up. Now that I'm home most of the time, he sticks around.

Despite his flaws, he is a perfect dog. He has a great sense of adventure. He loves to go anywhere. He likes hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and playing fetch. The dog park in Orlando we used to go to had a big lake, and he'd try to out-swim the Golden Retrievers.

So when I decided to take this trip, I decided that even though he'll pose some challenges, such as a need for constant leashing, Winston will be the perfect backpacking companion.
I found dehydrated food from the Only Natural Pet store. It'll be light but high-energy, so he can carry it himself.
There are few packs that come in Winston-size, but I found the Ruffwear Approach II pack on sale at Backcountry Edge. At 18 pounds, he's right in between xsmall and xxsmall. I guessed that the xsmall was the right size, but it's a little big.
I'd never tried putting a pack on him before, but he was great with a doggie life jacket, and I didn't have any worries about this.

I filled two platypus bottles partially with water, then the rest of the way with air, and put one in each side. He acted so excited to put on the pack, and when he saw the leash, he went a little nuts. We went for a stroll around the front yard - the backpack is a little too big, but I took a few photos of my poor, long-suffering puppy before sending it back. He was almost ok with this one, except that the bags hang down really far on the sides, and stick out kind of far. The harness is completely at its smallest settings, so he'll be better off with the xxsmall. I can't wait for it to get here!

So here's the plan...

2008-07-23T19:02:00.002-04:00

Since putting it in writing makes it so, here it is.

I'm having a quarter-life crisis. In a moment of temporary to permanent insanity, I decided that I need to go for an extended backpacking trip. Here's the catch: it's been years since I've been backpacking. At first I thought I'd do the entire Appalachian Trail, to hell with reality. Then I realized that hey, maybe I should not try winter backpacking again until I've gotten back into the swing of things. So, after some research, I've decided that I'm going to spend the month of September hiking South from Damascus, Va on the AT along the TN/NC border. We'll see how far I'll get.

There. Now it's for real.