Weeks of Adventure

It has been difficult to post lately due to both computer and time issues. I need to take a day to clean up my hard-drive, but who wants to do that when it's warm and sunny outside? I wanted to post a blog about our Sloan Creek picnic and adventure up FR 49, but the blog was blah without the pictures my computer just couldn't upload.

My sister came to visit us from Maryland a week ago, and I kicked her butt on the Boulder Creek hike, and spent a day on the Pilchuck River with our mom and step-dad. But once again, the computer wouldn't cooperate when it came time to upload the pictures. In fact, today is the first day this week I've had to sit down and start my day slowly. The kids were in the SnoCo Parks Totally Tech camp last week, but the north Everett shuttle was canceled, so we've been driving to McCollum Park in Mill Creek every day this week. They made some cool animated movies and wrote a couple of video games (along with swimming and kayaking).

On Wednesday, we drove up Segelsen Ridge behind us (behind Mt. Higgins), determined to find Higgins Creek. On our way up, I spotted a wild fire on the Southeast ridge of Mt. Higgins and called it in. We've had 4 lightning storms in the last week, and on Thursday had 11 fires in the Darrington area. The fires on Higgins and Jumbo are out, but Gold Mountain and Whitehorse Ridge are still burning, and I'm not sure where the other fires are located.

We found really large fossils at a shale slide on Segelsen Ridge that day, and stopped within a mile of the crystal site we were headed for. The Hermit didn't trust my map skills and didn't want to go down the Forest Road I told him to turn on, so we ended up picking through some dry creekbeds and finding some sparkly sandstone rocks. When we got home, I showed him my map and compared it to his gemstone map, and he was really bummed he didn't listen to me.

So today, I have to go back up the scary road and this time go all the way to Higgins Creek. Actually there are some spectacular views of the river valley and the surrounding peaks, including Whitehorse, and the road is only scary on Segelsen Pass, but scary it is! I have no problem with heights when I'm walking or biking, but on a horse or in a car, it really freaks me out. Lake Cavanaugh Road has nothing on these cliffs. I felt like I was on the Highway of Death in Peru, okay maybe not that bad, but let's just say I had some anxiety issues.

So I'm going to attempt to upload a few pictures for you, and we'll see how it goes:

Mt. Higgins fire 7/29/09

Top of Round Mountain taken from Segelsen Ridge

View of Whitehorse from Segelsen Ridge

What do you know? It worked! I will post pics of the rest of our adventures later.

Restless Life Goes On

I cannot believe how tired I am today. Lately, it seems that work is wiping me out. Nothing too drastic has changed at work, but everyone else seems to have stuff going on, and I've been left by myself several times in the last weeks to run the show. Ten years ago, that was no problem, but now, my knee and my back are screaming for me to take it easy. It's to the point now where I can't keep up with my housework, because I'm recovering from work. I feel too young to feel like this, but I don't even feel like exercising anymore, because I'm absolutely wiped out. Hmmm...what's up with that?!

I did finally finish my urban garden on Sunday, which gives me encouragement for the future career. I will load pictures later, when everything grows a little larger. Due to a mapping error by our house builder, we have to move the old garden to another part of the yard, so it doesn't affect our drain field anymore (I know, gross). But before I can do that, the Hermit needs to remove about 10 stumps, and that won't happen until next February, as long as there's not feet of snow like this past winter. We were planning on moving it this year, but Mamma Nature had other plans, so I had to improvise.

I've got several large pots going, a couple of planters, and 3 beefsteak tomatoes in their own pots. Of course, there's not peas or corn this year, but all of the fruits that we planted 6 years ago, have finally grown large enough for big harvests, so to me, that makes up for a lack of a plot. I've been having a great time making jam and syrup from my strawberries, gorged on tons of cherries, just harvested some raspberries for ?? this week, and in a few weeks we'll have thousands of blueberries. The blueberries will be our largest harvest this year, but I think I will still miss my corn and sunflowers. Pictures soon, I promise.

Jesus Says Pollute? Really?!

Once upon a time, a young Italian navigator was forced to go to the Inquisition Queen and King in Spain for funding to prove the Earth was round, because he was ostracized from Italy by the Catholic Church. Does this story sound familiar? Since I start my Junior Year in September, and I am down to zero reading material, I've decided to really concentrate on reading Climate Change and Green Engineering articles and studies. Boring, I know, but it must be done.

What do these two things have to do with eachother? Well, I am saddened by the comments on some of these online articles from "Christians" who have been convinced that Climate Change is nothing but a ploy to give liberals money. Despite 99.9% of all scientists and science studies showing that Climate Change is natural, but being exponentially increased by human activities, they call it "junk science." They proudly boast at how they purposely waste fuel, paper and other resources and they actually think it's funny.

The church seems to have cyclic activities in Science - healthily promoting it some centuries, and lying and killing to dispose of it in others. Some of the greatest Biologic findings were from monks like Mendel, and healthcare and sanitization were spurred into modernization from church organizations like the Red Cross. But, I'm afraid we are stuck in an era of church hindering Science once again.

The modern church preaches against condoms and birth control, and yet we have an AIDS epidemic and famines in over-populated third world nations where the churches control information through their missionaries. As things warm up and dry up, these famines will become worse, and increase in size. The Pacific front of WWII was basically fought over oil, and some say the Middle East wars were too. What will humans resort to when fighting over water?

Are these "Christians" really that selfish that they are willing to risk the quality of life of their children and grandchildren, so they don't have to change a thing? Perhaps they are just ignorant to the facts. I guarantee that if Jesus was on Earth today he would not be saying, "pump the oil at all costs and drive, drive, drive. Rape the Earth and pillage the rest of the resources while you're at it, and reclassify the toxic waste as toxic fill so you can pollute as much as you want." Really, is that what people think Jesus would do, or would he be appalled by the way humans have treated the only Earth they have?

I'm not sure what happens to us after we die, but I'm sure that I don't want to leave a toxic planet for future generations. I have found some churches that are preaching climate change, but they are few and far between, and they certainly are not standing up to their bully-pulpit brethren. Nor are they getting the publicity they deserve. One only has to look to the ice cores taken from the poles to see how the atmosphere changes the climate - what have you pumped into it today?

Nasty Boys

I had the best dream last night. With all the celebrity deaths last week, being nostalgic is understandable, but even my iPod seems to be in nostalgia mode. I washed my car Saturday to the tunes of Bon Jovi, GNR, Bob Marley and Eric Clapton. Not one modern song played, it was wierd, but cool.

Anyway, I was a kid again, in my parents old house in Maryland. Since someone was watching something lame on the only t.v. I was up in my room rocking out to Janet Jackson's Nasty Boys. Then, somehow I knew my BFF Joi was there to pick me up, so I went downstairs and we went to the beach with an unknown driver. After swimming and boogie boarding, we went up to buy an ice cream bar from the Good Humor guy. When we got our ice cream the guy gave us piles of mini Hershey bars, too, and when we opened the wrappers, there was even more candy wrapped up with the ice cream. Then I woke up - is that an awesome dream or what?! If I were to analyze it, I'd say it's time to call Joi and say whaddup.

I mentioned that I washed my car on Saturday, but I also detailed it. The hubby was in the doghouse after canceling our date, because he didn't feel like going into town, and I didn't feel like laying around the house with him. So I had some long island ice teas with the neighbor gals, and after playing Desperate Housewives for a while, I got off my pity party and made the Hybrid shine inside and out. So we decided that from here on out, the hubby will now be known as the Hermit. In fact, all the guys in the neighborhood got a name that day, but I think the Hermit fits so well, I'm keeping it. Ha ha - shouldn't act that old before you're 40!

Sadness and Quiet

Wow, I actually feel like I'm in mourning. My favorite Angel and Michael Jackson passed away on the same day! I know many of my friends in PNW aren't as sad about Michael Jackson, but where I grew up, he was just part of our lives.

I remember double dutching on the playground at Beaver Run to the Thriller album, and talking my mom into buying Bad for several of my black friends who couldn't afford it at North Salisbury. I even remember dancing to Off the Wall with my big sister at her first place when I was really little, and watching re-runs of the Jackson 5 cartoon. He became easy to laugh at when he was older, but I think his life story is so sad.

Farrah's story actually hits harder home to me, though. It didn't really bother me when my grandpa got a colonostomy, I thought it was something that happened to old people. Then I got really sick in 2003. I couldn't keep much food down, and I lost 17 pounds in 3 weeks. They ended up removing a good-sized polyp from my colon that was pre-cancerous, and I realized it could happen to anyone.

I was lucky my body reacted, Farrah had no symptoms, and her cancer was found at a routine screening. I had a hard time watching recent clips of her, because she was so beautiful and healthy, and was wasting away from colorectal cancer. You have no idea how painful your colon can become until it happens. I'm glad she's not in pain anymore.

Since I've been back in the "real world" of working full time, I've found my downtime quite boring. It was fine when it was sunny, I could go for a hike or run, but it's been typical PNW rainy lately here in the mountains. I have been able to get into a reality show on the History Channel that's based on Stanley's expedition to find Dr. Livingstone in Africa. It's called Expedition Africa: Out of the Wild, and it's on every Sunday evening.

I couldn't decide what to read in my free time this summer, but the show has inspired me to read some expedition journals. I realize that Stanley wasn't the nicest guy, beating his porters into carrying equipment with full-blown malaria, but after reading Howard Zinn, many great men have lost morality ground in my book. I've read Darwin a few times, but his journals lack excitement as he was more into taking detailed notes, after all, he was on to something.

So I'm going to read some expedition journals, and some adventure books recommended by one of my nieces. She's got great taste in music and literature, and I know she won't recommend a lame kids' book like Harry Snothead, I mean Potter. I do believe a trip to the library is in order tomorrow. We have an empty nest until Sunday, so I might as well enjoy the peace and quiet before the drums start up again. The youngest asked for money for his birthday, and bought a drumset. Here comes my trumpet karma.

Getting on Track

After a reality check of working full time in the pharmacy again, I was able to catch up on just about everything on my day off yesterday. I've been frustrated the last few weeks, trying to find an internship with one of the federal/state/county ecology agencies only to find out all of these new green collar jobs that Obama said the stimulus would create are not out there.

I'm also pretty upset that they are trying to put together a half-ass public healthcare plan written by the insurance company lobbyists. What we really need in this country is insurance reform - what other line of business can take your money (and a lot of money it is) for a just-in-case scenario, make a profit, trade on the stock market, and then refuse to pay-out when you need a claim paid? It's legalized theft is what it is, and the government it creating another cash cow for them.

But back to the job hunt... I cracked down on myself last night, after catching up on the dishes, laundry, vacuuming, etc. I took my employment resume and tweaked it into a student resume, so I could flaunt my newly acquired skills. Then I had an epiphony... what if the private sector has reacted faster than the public sector in applying for stimulus money, and do they have jobs available? Bingo!

I'm making a stop at Office Max this weekend to buy some thick, professional resume paper, and then swinging by the post office to buy a sheet of stamps. My resume will be scattered across King, Snohomish and Whatcom counties, and hopefully something will come of it. I've usually had great luck at the job hunt, mostly because I think I am more sure of myself than I should be, and my resumes always come across, crisp, clean and to the point. But hey, isn't finding a job nothing more than selling yourself?

It would be great if I could find something full time with benefits, but I'm not getting my hopes up. I've got no problem working in the pharmacy for as long as I need to, even if they don't want to treat me with respect. When your scheduler tells you that you can't have your mother-in-law's 60th birthday off because (and I quote word-for-word), "it's a Friday and she just needs to understand that people have to work on Fridays," you really begin to wonder where your own personal loyalties lie.

And yet, the same people get that three day weekend off, and I'm left being the weekend serf once again, despite all the weekends I've worked, and nights I've closed. So much for a "family oriented" company - guess I made friends with the wrong people. I've always said that you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar, but sweet things turn sour over time if you don't take care of them.

Unwinding

Last night and today feel very strange to me. I finished up my final in Physical Geography and turned in my final Engineering project (the windmill got a perfect score thank-you-very-much), and I think I'm very close to a 4.0. So now I have an Associates Degree in Environmental Science, and I feel like I'm tightly wedged half way between a crevice. It's weird, I have nothing to read, and didn't know what to do with myself last night after the laundry was folded.

Really, I know I should be more proud and excited, but with the economy in the toilet, there are few internships in the field this summer, and I feel held back by working so much in the pharmacy. Agencies don't want to hire me, because I can't commit to a regular schedule with the pharmacy schedule being different every week. I'm crossing my fingers for Universal Health Care soon, and will decide what path to take from there.

In other news, Snohomish County is planning a Sustainability Fair, and I'm hoping to get involved in that soon. I have a friend that works for the city of Everett, and I'm trying to get my foot back in the door. It was so tempting not to apply for a SnoCo Park Ranger Assistant job this summer, but we need benefits, and that job is seasonal. Hopefully something will pan out soon - it usually does.

Enjoy another day in the sun in PNW - day 22 without rain! I heard a rumor of El Nino, which would mean drought up here :( I feel guilty watering the strawberries, but they will be tiny if we don't get rain soon. I think we'll get a first harvest in about 10 days! Yummy!