Archive for

As if I didn’t know this already

I needed to take a test to see how high I scored. According to the site:

8% scored higher (more nerdy), and

92% scored lower (less nerdy).

What does this mean? Your nerdiness is:

Nerd King. Apply for a professorship at MIT now!!!.

October 2003: Porcupine Mountains

I love the upper peninsula of Michigan and I love camping.

I was having your typical burnout year in 2003 like many people in I.T. [Information Technology] and I needed a vacation. I wanted to go back to the UP [Upper Peninsula] and see the Porcupine Mountains from a camper’s view rather then a day hiker’s view. I have wanted to go solo camping for some time as well; I also wanted to give winter camping a shot. So I did it all in one trip.

I made my plans and I bought the gear I didn’t have. I bought a “super pack” and rain gear…it had enough space for a 10 day trip or longer if you know how to pack seriously. Ceramic water filter system, stove, pots and food. When it was all said and done my pack weighed between 55 and 60 lbs. I was going for 5 days, solo through the park in it’s off season. No cell phone and few walkie-talkies work in the heavily wooded area. I was kindly informed that rangers would not be patrolling the area…so I had better leave some information with someone at home. So I explained to my parents where I was going and my probable route through the park. I let them know I would call them on my way home on the last day; but there was a catch. See, the park is about 12 hours away from my home and even further from my parents home. There was no cell service within a 2 hour drive from the park and even then it was spotty…I would have to wait until I had about 8 hours left in my drive before I could call home. To make my parents more nervous I let them know that even if I did not call by the said time; they would not be able to send someone out to find me until the next day; the ranger office was closed on the weekend. Nothing could make matters much worse then the fact that in the morning the rangers would look, but it would not be a “search and rescue” until the following day as the 24 hour rule would come into play. My parents were so pleased that I was taking this trip. :)

The drive up was long and tiring. I slept in the car just a few miles into the UP; pulled over in a KOA campground. The picture below was the sunrise over Lake Superior that greeted me. I would only see the sunshine one other day on my trip…as it started raining a few hours after that picture and only stopped when the rain turned to snow.

I hiked in and made camp…went through my routine and hiked to the main climax of the tip: Lake of The Clouds. In all the pictures I have seen of the lake, I have never seen the phenomenon that gives the lake its name; this day I saw it. The elevation of the trail you can hike in on is around 1400 to 1700 feet above sea level -I should mention that you have to hike up 30 degree slopes at some points to reach that height. While I hiked up the fog rolled in and before I knew it I was walking in a cloud. Within a few hundred feet the cloud cover broke and I could see it…The Lake of the Clouds.

With my trusty mini-tripod and advantex camera I was good for a photo op!

I hiked to the other side of the mountains (yes they are foot hills to many of you, but they were mountains to me!), down the 1700 foot cliff and to a campsite on the other side of the lake.

The third day was great weather and I had extra time to enjoy a few of the natural waterfalls and cascades throughout the park. There are over 200 different sets and some hare harder to find then others. This one was unnamed, but again it was a perfect place for a photo op of yours truly.

That night the cold rolled in. Temperatures were just about 30 degrees Fahrenheit every night; except the last night they hovered just above 25. I only made a fire once as almost all wood was soaked, frozen or a combination of both. I slept with my pants rolled up at the bottom of my bag and my wet socks on my hands. Why? Maintain heat and specifically to dry my clothes. I slept like a baby every night.

I awoke with a scare the last night: I thought I heard a bear. You see the Porkies have many black bear in the park and on my way to the campsite I had seen very fresh bear tracks; they were going to the opposite direction. That night I was careful not to spill my food nor cook with the lid off the pot for too long. I ate, and cleaned my cooking supplies far from camp and I hung my food and gear on a bear pole far from the site. I even took the liberty of cleaning out the fire pit at the site near me as it has some trash in it. -Pause- What is a bear pole? Well picture a flag pole with a hook on top. The idea is that you put your food and things that smell yummy in a bag and hang it on the hook at the top of the pole so the bears don’t smell it and if they do: they can’t get into it.

I heard the crinkle of plastic and then I remembered the half burned Cheetos bag in the fire pit I left thinking it wasn’t worth the hassle of tossing. As the sound of something artificial was dragged across the ground the wind picked up and I could still hear branches falling and drops of water falling on the tent. An occasional scraping noise would follow; I suspected it was small branches falling on the tent. Eventually I could not take it anymore…I could hear the bear pole clanging: there was a bear.

Now I don’t carry a side arm [gun] when I go camping, I just bring a four inch navy seal knife that I call “my last resort”. You really only have one option in a vicious bear attack when playing dead isn’t working: fight. With a knife you have only one option: go for something vital, otherwise you will just piss off the bear even more. So I quietly donned my head lamp…tightening the straps to make sure it would withstand a good smack. I grabbed my knife and rested it on my chest; then I waited and listened.

Well I feel stupid. Why? What happened to the suspense!?!? Well the noise I heard was ice and snow. It started snowing, sleeting and at the end there was a lot of freezing rain. You name it, it was sliding off the trees. The artificial noise was the ice getting heavy and sliding off the back of the rain fly on my tent. Let’s just say that my imagination can REALLY run wild at times!

Overall the trip was great and when I left I felt like I had been gone for two weeks. I saw 5 people total that trip and I didn’t mind one bit. Would I do it again? Yes, in a heartbeat.

BB King and Bobby Blue Bland

I thought I was just going to hear some blues from the legendary BB King; but it turned out I was going to get a lesson in history along the way.

I have been to the Fox Theater only once before and when I walked in the place was already dark. It was not until I walked into the lobby I realized that I missed out on the atmosphere of the monolith theater.

The Fox Theater in Detroit is historic, artistic and a monument in time to many entertainers that graced its stage. Opening night was on September 21, 1928…the show: “The Evolution of Transportation”, a production based on the chronicles of Detroit from Native Americans on to present day [1928]. “The Temple of Amusement” as some called it, really is just that. Every corner of the building is decorated in ornate carvings, stucco, marble and sculpture that in any other environment would be tacky and overdone.

Themes running from Indian to Asian are mixed in almost seamlessly within the walls; a feeling of wonder crosses my mind as the cultures swirled together on the walls mix with the different cultured people wondering the halls. The lobby while huge, becomes a sea of people. Some dressed to the nines, while others are casual. The patterns of dark marble mix with the fur of a woman’s coat. The sandstone and limestone color on the stairs make a mans head disappear as his wool hat becomes artistic camouflage as he walks up to the private party on the balcony. Feet disappear from view as we climb the winding staircase to the upper balcony, but the sound of shoes on black granite reminds us they are still there with every click and clack sounding like the cogs and chain of a rollercoaster being pulled to the top of the first hill.

As we sat in our seats I was reminded of the difference in the definition of personal space across the twentieth century…seats were quite cozy with seats next to you. As the awkwardness of sitting on the lap of a stranger reminded me still of riding in a rollercoaster in the odd seat -you know when everyone has a partner but you, or there is an odd number in the group in front of you so you have to ride with your life strapped to a chair with a stranger? You almost have to strike up a conversation just to ease the moment before the car tumbles down the hill and you scream in excitement.

Before I know it, the lights dimmed and the curtains came up…our decent into the night had begun! As the band began to play I was curious who “Bobby Blue Band” (note: “Band” here is not a typo) was; maybe a local Motown group? After a few minutes of playing a bit of a jam session the lead trumpet player announced that the legendary “Bobby Blue” was about to grace the stage. Feeling a little ignorant, I thought “I didn’t know ‘BB’ stood for ‘Bobby Blue’ in ‘BB King'” still confused and thinking that “Bobby Bleu Band” must be the backup back for BB King…I saw a man being helped out onto the stage. Recalling that BB King is now 79 I thought this makes sense to me, but where is Lucille? Within a few moments I was sucked into the music and daydreaming about life, dancing, playing an instrument myself. I felt something odd about the moment as I knew this was not BB King playing, but I knew that this man also deserved some respect in the same quantity.

Bobby Bleu Bland [correct]; born in 1930 and was inducted into the Blues Foundations Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. Also in 1992 he was presented with the Rhythm and Blues Foundation’s Pioneer Award. He has played with BB King since the 40’s and 50’s…his voice and his entertainment power were amazing and touching. The difference between today’s musicians and entertainers of the past is just that: entertainers! Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, BB King, Bobby Blue Bland and many others…they know how to entertain on top of perform.

A few minutes of intermission and the King of Blues came out. The story of BB King and Lucille can be found online at various places. The experience of hearing BB King and Lucille live is one I will not forget. At times they were one in the same…the voice the music…the rhythm and the blues. While in the majestic Fox Theater I wondered what similarities the Apollo has with the inside of the Fox. I wondered was it was like to be someone that could say they were at this or that venue to see some performer for their fist major show. As the music thundered I wondered how many people have seen this man play over the years…how many sets of ears he made ring with the strings of his guitar and the charm of his voice.

When the show was over we filled out in somber awe of the music we heard…coming down the stairs as if the final decent of the ride was here and we were coming to the exit. I watched a little girl skip down the stairs with a smile on her face and a giggle with every hop. My friend asked he if she liked the show and with a big grin she looked up and said “YES!!” …she couldn’t have been older then four.

Seeing a legend play live is one thing; seeing two is another. Saturday night was a great ride through time and the soundtrack for the ride was pretty good too.

Skydiving Summer 02

One of the great many pictures of that day…needless to say I had the time of my life. In fact I paid to go a second time and I wouldn’t mind finding some extra cash to become licensed.

The amazing adventures of bd

“Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.”

– Carl Sandburg

With my lameness

What the hell is wrong with me? I have tried so many times to figure out Hello/Picasa/BloggerBot and I cannot get it to work.

Connections are not blocked by the firewall…if I just type something I can get a post…great so it connects! Whenever I select a picture, even a small one -be it jpg or gif- it will not load to the page. I just get the “BloggerBot: Uploading Image (this may take a few seconds)…”

WTF?!?

I thought I was the only lazy one

So yesterday at the office I go into the bathroom –it doesn’t matter why I was in the bathroom– and when I go to wash my hands I see something so annoying, but not annoying enough to be funny: empty hand soap container.

So what? Well I work for a small company and our office might as well look like a house in the projects, but the point is that our bathrooms look just like home bathrooms. We have the typical dial or soft soap hand pumps. Now I cannot tell you how many times I have had to refill the pump in the men’s bathroom on my side of the building. I let it go for weeks before to see if anyone would fill it…then I caved and filled it. See we keep the industrial size refill container under the sink…in the SAME DAMN BATHROOM!

To make matters worse, my suspicions of soap fraud were confirmed. What the hell am I talking about? Well you know how you go to a cheap hole-in-the-wall bar or a ghetto club and they water down the liquor or worse…water down the beer? Well the soap container has had what appears to be water in it before. Yesterday I confirmed it!! Some mofo put about 4oz of water in the soap pump! Who the hell is so damn lazy that they will actually remove the top and put the bottle under the faucet, but they won’t move their hand an additional 12 inches to grab the bottle with more soap!?!?!?!

I am left to empty the soap pump, then push the pump 10 times to get all the water out because it feels like slimy water when it’s mixed with a little soap and it comes out…just gross.

The final thought I had as I walked out of the bathroom was: what is more annoying?

a) that someone thought watered down soap was acceptable

-or-

b) that someone thought the company was in such bad shape we couldn’t afford soap so we have to water it down for a cost savings

…and then I went back to work