First Ski of 09

So we went skiing on Christmas day. It was around 0 degrees but nice and clear. The skiing was rough as there wasn't a trail yet. I told Sharon that it was as bad as dragging out that elk. Which, by the way, is very tasty. We saw a bald eagle, some turkeys and of all things a wayward roadrunner. I have no idea what he/she was doing up at 9000' in two feet of snow. Maybe he was a snowrunner? Skiing the next day was better as the trail was broken. Still cold again though. We'll be heading up again for New Years and more skiing. I think I'll fire up the wood fired hot tub too. Later.

Elk Hunt

So the elk hunt was a big success in that we finally got one. My back held out, and my heart too even though it took us four hours to drag this thing to the Highlander. How many people go hunting in a Toyota Highlander? We actually had an Elk go over a cliff into a ravine rather than become food for us. Now it is food for the wolves and coyotes. Next hunt is the Handgun javelina coming in February. Sharon and I are even still married after making her get up at 4:30 every morning and go hunt in the freezing wind and snow. She is even considering going again next year. Who would have ever thunk it. HA

Back

So I am back to my old backpack although I lightened the load substantially. Deer hunting went well and I only carried the backpack for one day as I wasn't getting into my stuff in it. Didn't get a deer though. Next is Elk hunting on Dec 11. Sharon and I are both hunting and I dread dragging two elk out of the forest. Then in February it will be handgun javelina hunting. So there you have it. Also have a pistol shoot this weekend and quail hunting. Talk at you later.

Experiment Failed

So the new backpack thing totally failed. It translated all the weight to my hips and legs like it was supposed to but then they hurt like hell. So the remedy is to lighten the load on my old backpack which I probably should have done to begin with. My back is doing well right now. We just went to La Jolla last weekend and had a great time as usual. This weekend we are going to Show Low to fine tune Sharon's rifle as deer season is fast approaching. In addition we both have elk season in December. Never a dull moment at our household. Here is a pic of Sharon and a Bonito she caught.

Rambling

So where was I? Shutdown is over and life is somewhat back to normal. At least as normal as it gets in my world. I have to wonder what is up with all this texting stuff. Do we really need to be in each others back pocket so much? It's the same thing with Facebook. That is just one big texting machine except you can post pictures and other neat stuff. What was wrong with e-mail? Is it because you would have to put so many people on your CC list. Maybe I'm just too old. Heck I don't even have cable and I'm still doing dial up from home cuz I get it free through work. Do you suppose it's my New England up bringing? My daughter wants me to get texting and I considered it but there is no way. I want to hear her voice not get little pieces of gossip or whatever all day long. So I saw a dead badger on the side of the road the other day and stopped and brought it home. I'm thinking that I can make a badger claw necklace for my Grandson once it decomposes enough and maybe paint the skull. It'll probably take over a year but I can be patient. Something is already ripping open its stomach and having a snack. Starting to putrify too. So I went to an orthopedist for my back and I have a bulging disc at L4 and L5 which is pushing against my spinal cord and causing my issues. My regular Doctor has me on Gabapentin for this and it is working wonders. I am supposed to go to physical therapy but when you work 50 miles out of town it is a bit difficult to get a convenient appointment. So I told the physical therapy people to forget it that I couldn't afford to take off that much time from work and that I would just do it myself at home. HA I've done it once. But I have started rowing again at work during lunch and after looking it up on the net I have changed how I do it. So far so good. Isn't the internet wonderful? How did we ever survive without it? I also bought a new backpack which I hope to try out this weekend. After all deer and elk season is coming. I think the trees may be changing too so hopefully I'll be able to publish some pictures.

Vacations Over

Actually it has been over for awhile but work has been way too busy to think of anything else but work and keeping my sardine can together. We ended up driving 8,000 miles and going through 17 states and Canada and visiting 6 National parks or Memorials. We drove straight through to New York in 43 hours. We spent two and a half weeks in New York plus took Melissa and Hunter to Gettysburg during that time. Then we went to Michigan for a graduation party. We were there for four days and then we were off to Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands and Yellowstone and Bryce and Zion. Then it was home and back to the real world. Most states were pretty clean except around the major cities. I guess that no one wants to get out on a freeway with rushing cars going by to pick up trash. But I can say that every state we drove through was doing road construction. So maybe the stimulus stuff is working in that area. Eventually I'll get some pictures posted. Talk at you later.

One More Wakeup

One more wakeup and spend three hours at work and then we are on our way to upstate New York. I am so ready for this vacation. Work has been so busy this past year that for the first time in thirteen years I think I am feeling stressed. Oh for the good old days. I can't wait to see everyone and just plain old relax at the lake. Talk at everyone later when I get back in July!

Almost Time

Well vacation is almost here. My back is no longer an issue as I refuse to let it be one. X-Rays showed degenerative disc disease and bone spurs. After all I am 55. The MRI showed that maybe I have a pinched nerve. So what's that all about. So I've decided that I'll say to hell with it and forget about the pain and move on. So far it's working but every once in awhile I have to tell myself it REALLY DOESN'T hurt.
My wedding anniversary is coming up. 29 years. If you look up Saint in the dictionary you'll see a picture of my wife. She really is a saint for putting up with me all these years. Work still refuses to slow down but maybe that is good. I just sent a couple of bones to Katie for her Seattle trip. I hope the guys keep her good company. Time to get chop chopping. Why do people still litter? I'm going to be on the lookout during this roadtrip. I just don't understand. Maybe we need to bring back the commercials with the crying Indian.

Busy

How does life get to be so busy? It seems to get even busier the older you get. Work has been crazy lately and now there is graduation time here in Arizona. My niece graduated last night and all of a sudden it hit me how old she had gotten. When did this occur? Next she is going to go to Northern Arizona University to be an elementary school teacher even though I tried to talk her out of it.
Soon we will be going back to New York on vacation. We are going to drive as we have to go to Michigan for a graduation there. I'm a little worried about the drive as I'm not as young as I used to be, of course it'll be one continuous drive. Can't wait to see who I can back there. I don't know if I'll get to see everyone I want to as it'll be a busy time with my daughter and grandson and my family. Anyway, I can't wait! I need a vacation!!!

How Long???

So how long or how old do you want to be before you die and do you think you have a choice. Having grown up with a wild bunch of guys(Roberto), I figured I might make it to 26. Lo and behold that came and went ages ago. Now I'm hoping that I live to be at least as old as my Mom and Dad who are 77. This will give me time to be with my Grandson and my daughter with whom I have many years to make up for, for not having been in their lives. My wife wants to live to be 100 as long as she is still able bodied. I happen to believe that a person's days are numbered from birth. That when your time is up, it is up. That you have no control over it. Look at the guy in Texas this past weekend who was riding home on his motorcycle in a windstorm with his helmet on and an exit sign flew through the air and killed him. Now was his number up or what? Anyway, I guess only time will tell but just in case I'm wrong I'm drinking lots of green tea and exercising and taking lots of heart medicine, as in red wine. Here are some pictures of a palo verde tree and some cactii in bloom. Notice no lawn to mow! That's what I like, a low maintenance yard. Of course I just say that I am really with the Green movement. HA

Remiss

Sorry but I have been remiss in my blogging of late. First I had a problem with a generator at work. It didn't want to work. Still working on that. Ha!! Then yesterday I had to go for my colonoscopy. Piece of cake. I've had a few cuz my dad had colon cancer a number of years back. What crappy genes I have. Cancer and heart disease. My thought on this is that if you live long enough you 're gonna get something to die of.
I am kind of scatter brained right now. Must be the drugs from the colonoscopy! Again HA!! Where was I? Choices. We all have the right to choose. To choose who we marry. To choose what we eat. To choose how to live our life. To choose to have a gun or not. Life is nothing but decisions or choices, however how you want to put it. Either the glass is half full or half empty. Is it going to be one of THOSE days or is it a day that didn't start out like I had imagined but I'm sure it is going to get better. Things don't happen in threes. Oh I've had two bad things happen to me today, I only have to get through one more. Come on, you can at least choose to have good things happen to you. Why do you want to wait for the third bad thing? Make your choice. Choose to smile. Choose to be happy. Pass it around!

Hunting

Just found out that Sharon and I both got drawn for elk hunting this coming December. Man am I ever excited. However, Sharon is a little nervous about this as it will be the first time that she has ever hunted. She's worried about getting buck fever. I'm more worried about having to drag two dead elk out of the forest. The last one I shot took me over five hours to drag out. And it was only a mile from the road. I am wondering if we got drawn because Sharon is a first time female hunter. That is OK with me though. If that is what it takes to get drawn to hunt she'll have to put in for everything with me. In June we'll be putting in for deer and javalina.

YUCK Factor

So what is your yuck factor and how many do you have? You know what I mean. What makes you say yuck? My wife has lots of yuck factors and this is what started this. The other night I was cooking fish on the grill and I realized that my brush was worn out so I went and I got the wire brush that I use on the bones that I paint. Now you have to understand that some of the bones that I acquire aren't all pearly white when I get them. Some may have various pieces of flesh or dried skin and other things hanging on them. So before I can paint them I have to wire brush them or sometimes use a wood chisel to scrape things off. So while we were eating that delicious marinated Ahi Ahi from Trader Joe's I happened to mention to Sharon that I needed a new grill brush as I had to use my bone brush to clean the grill before I cooked the fish. YUCK ,of course, came out of her mouth. So I got thinking about it and realized that I can't think of any YUCK factors of my own. Sharon yucks blood, vomit, and dirty diapers amongst other things. So what makes you YUCK?

What Do You Do?

It is almost the weekend. What do you do on your weekends? My typical weekend starts by driving four hours to our little house in Northern Arizona. When I get up there on Friday night by 9:30 pm I will buy the local paper and sit and catch up on local events till I get sleepy but this is after I grind beans for coffee for the next morning.
Saturday morning we will drink coffee on the porch and watch the birds at the bird feeder. Then it will be off to the swap meet where you can buy most anything except small children. Things like guns & knives, goats, chickens, dogs and what have you. Last weekend I bought a GIRO bicycle helmet for a $1 and a knife and a case for my Gerber tool. I looked at a bunch of guns but I resisted the urge to buy. Then we might go to the county gravel pit to dig petrified wood. Remember I said that I have collections and rocks are one of them. Then we may go shopping as it is more fun to shop up there than it is to shop in Tucson where the traffic is abysmal. Then it's back home to relax with some reading. Sometimes instead of shopping it is off to do a hike or wander in the woods looking at stuff or looking for a new walking stick to carve. Aspen makes wonderful walking sticks.
Sunday morning it's back on the porch for coffee. Sharon will usually do some school work on Sunday so I will either go fishing in our creek in my kayack or else I'll do any chores that may need doing around the house. It is kind of a pain having two properties as you have double the upkeep but our Show Low house, "baby Hughes" is its name, is our way to keep our sanity from living in a sardine can in the desert. Do you name your stuff too. Like cars & blankets etc?
Anyway, if we aren't running up to baby Hughes we are usually off to La Jolla or down to Mexico for scuba diving. That's also why I have to do my chores around the sardine can during the week after work cuz after all weekends are meant for adventures!

Why???

Have you ever noticed that the older you get time seems to go by faster? When you were a kid, days, especially during the summer, seemed to last forever. Now, boom, gone in a flash. Look at it. We are already into the third month of 2009. How did I get to be 55? When the heck did I get so old? I've already been at this job for 13 years which is a record for me. This summer Sharon and I will be married for 29 years and it seems like only yesterday that we were in college. Time definitely seems to go faster as you get older. Is it that we get so wrapped up in work and taking care of the house and stuff like that? I don't know. It is probably one of those vagaries of nature. I know that I have been trying to get some bones done so that I can send them to New Hampshire so Jen's friend can have some and it seems like I am always short on time. I'll try to get them done tonight so I can mail them this weekend, if I can find the time! HA

Manpurse and Collections

So I'll admit it. I have a manpurse. Other people would call it a backpack but it really is a purse. It holds all my stuff. Things I might need in my everyday life. Binoculars, camera, first aid kit, knives,
a gun, flashlight, gerber tool, eyeglass cleaner, ibuprofin,wallet,cell phone,insect repellent, sun screen,tooth brush, toilet paper, and of course, my eyeglasses. There are other things in there too. Sometimes I have to go through it to remember what I have. Things like petrified wood, squished pennies and my two buddas! Oh yes and my old gold crown. Definitely essential stuff! Maybe that's why the dang thing weighs so much. But you gotta have it.
So do you collect things. I do but not to the point of obsession. I have a pretty fair collection of PEZs. I also have a bunch of knives. Plus I have a bunch of canes and walking sticks. I also have about 500 old albums that I started putting on CDs but it's a lot of work. I don't quite know why I have collected this stuff but once again I'm going to blame it on those genes of mine. The one thing I don't have in my house is a junk drawer but I'll bet you do cuz everyone has one. Usually they're in the kitchen. Actually I have a junk shelf out in my shed but at least it's not in the house. I'll bet you even have some old batteries in your junk drawer don't you. HA

Signs & Manifestations

So I miss my mother in law and the other night while in my cups I got all teary and emotional. As my wife was hugging me I suddenly saw one of my sharpening steels start to swing from it's hook. At this point my wife and I both agreed that this was a sign from mom saying that she was OK. Now you have to understand this sharpening steel probably weighs around 2-3 pounds and hangs from a cup hook over my counter. There are actually two of them hanging near one another and the other one wasn't moving one iota. We were also standing about three feet away. It was actually very comforting to know that mom is in a place where she is OK.
The weird thing is that this has happened with this same steel before but in California. We lived in a house that was a tad bit haunted. The old owner had died there and strange things sometimes occurred. Like that steel all of a sudden moving or knocks on the door when no one was there or things disappearing and then later, maybe months later, reappearing.
Maybe I have inherited some of this from my mother. My mother has seen ghosts and had premonitions all her life. When she was a little girl her Aunt Mag used to sit on the end of her bed and call her name. The only problem was that Aunt Mag was dead. Then in Millbury, Massachusetts when we lived on Maple St. we had such things happen like flying tea cups, exploding fish tanks and The Man In The Red Shirt. When we moved to West St. in Fort Plain,NY the man in the red shirt came too. My dad also experienced some of this stuff so maybe my mother was a conduit. I don't know. I always told her that I would love to see a ghost but she said it is very scary and unsettling. I'd still like to try it out though. So there you have it. Now you know why I am like I am. It's those danged genes again.
By the way, I think people in California are so happy and out doorsy cuz they have all this amazing foliage around them all the time, along with the ocean and sunshine. At least it's like this in the La Jolla area. Here's a pic from our weekend there.

California Bound

So the funeral is over but not the tears. I realized one thing from this funeral. You're never really gone from peoples lives. There are always stories to tell and pictures to look at. You live on and on and on. It's comforting to know this. If you really want to understand what bad shape this country is in then take a trip to Detroit or go online and read the Detroit paper. Especially the houses for sale. My sister in law had at least six houses on her street that were foreclosed and vacant. Reading the paper I realized that I could buy a house for $1000. For three thousand I could get a three bedroom and two bath. There was one listed for around $60000 that was a 6 bedroom and 4 1/2 bath. It is very depressing back there. We're in bad shape as a country.
Tomorrow we're heading to California. Actually, we're going to La Jolla which is the real rich section of San Diego. We stay at a Travel Lodge and walk on the beach and go to the aquarium and hot tub and enjoy the people. Of course we'll hit the thrift stores too. We once saw a woman pull in to one in a Rolls Royce and then bitch at them because they didn't give her the senior discount! HA I guess that's how she got the Rolls. I like California, 8 lanes of traffic and everyone going way fast! My kind of driving. But there is also something about the people. Everyone seems to be out walking or jogging and smiling. Is it the weather or is it a combination of that along with having the ocean there too. Why is the ocean so calming?

What Happens?

So what happens to you when you die? My mother in law died yesterday in her sleep. What a wonderful way to go. Lately old age had caught up with her and her quality of life was lacking. Here was a woman who had only recently gone to a hospital for the first time in her life. She even had her babies at home. I will miss her terribly but I'm glad that she isn't suffering anymore. She was truely a blessing of a person. I believe that her essence is now with her husband and two sons. We are bringing her to Detroit today so I'll be out of touch for awhile. I hope that when I go, to what ever happens to you when you die, that someone feels a loss for me as I feel such a loss that she is gone. God rest, Mom.

Valentines & Birthdays

My wife and I have been married 29 years this summer. Over all that time we have developed our own little quirky traditions. Like on Valentine's day. We do0n't do anything. Nada, zero,zip! Oh my,you say, how cold and insensitive. Au coutriare! Long ago we decided that valentines day was nothing more than a gimic that someone thought of to part you and your hard earned money! You know if you love someone so why send them flowers that get marked up right around that day. Bunch of crooks! Christmas, we do a little differently. If there is something we want for the house like a new stereo or TV then that is when we buy it. Other than that,nada. However, when it comes to a birthday, now that is another story. Think about it. On that day the world was changed because of your presence. Also, it continues to change as long as you are alive and maybe even after you are gone. So we have birthday week. For the seven days leading up to your birthday you get to choose some presents morning and night. They always aren't big things or expensive. Sometimes it is a favorite candy or CD. Sometimes it is some very expensive jewelry! But the whole point is to make that week YOUR week with presents everyday. So do the Valentines thing if you will but I'm waiting for birthday week to become the next best latest craze! Now it's time to go to work. On my birthday no less! HA

Recycling & a wood fired hottub

So I want to know. Do you recycle and why? I recycle my beer cans and that is it. Does anybody really care about recycling. I just do it because my garbage company supplies me with this cute little container that I can throw them in and then I can keep score as to how many times I miss. Other than that I use paper plates and paper towels and plastic bags like they are going out of style. I am in this world for the convenience. If someone really wants me to recycle then they can put a price on my beer cans and bottles like lots of states back East do. Out here in the wild West where mining and logging are king we really don't care about those things as we rape and pillage the earth. You don't want me to use plastic then quit making it. Same goes for paper towels and plates.
One thing I do though is to have a wood fired hot tub. There is nothing better than cooking up a tub with wood and then lounging around with an adult beverage. When you're done drain it or let the local cattle come over for a drink. Nothing like low maintenance to soothe the soul.

Nature vs. Nurture and the Superbowl

So how do you think you got the way you are today. Was it all nurture( the way you were raised and your life's experiences) or was it nature( your inherited genes) or was it a combination of the two. I happen to find this quite fascinating lately as I get to know my 35 year old daughter. It absolutely astounds me to find so many of my traits in her when I didn't have anything to do with her upbringing. She is smart and beautiful and moody and so many other aspects of who I am. That part was of course all nature. If there are any things that she does that I don't like I blame her mother for the way she raised her. Probably not fair but then again life isn't necessarily fair. I can see lots of nature stuff in me. Like I get my fondness for alcohol from my mother's Irish side and I inherited some of her artistic bent. I got my grandmother's laugh from my father's side and my poor memory. Things like my work ethic and my making my bed I got beaten into me from childhood.
Which brings me to the Superbowl. I watched it and it was good but that was probably the only game I watched all year. Are people nurtured into being sports fans by their parents or is there a gene for that. Maybe a couch potato gene? I wonder about the players. Were they nurtured to be athletes or was it in their genes. Maybe they just saw an easy way to get rich and decided to play football cuz they were huge. I really don't know but I do wonder. Thank God it doesn't keep me up at night!

Are we alone and is God really made of Dark Matter?

So here it is. I believe in aliens. Over time there have been way too many strange observations and occurrences that have happened on this earth. Yes I really liked X-Files and was crushed when they took it off the air. How can we be so smug to think that we are the only species in this huge universe? Our knowledge of things is so finite and limited to our current theories. Our theories keep changing as time goes on and now there is a theory that the stuff out there in the universe that is either dark matter or dark energy ( I forget which) is really God. Could that be? I don't see why not. Time will surely tell. Of course it doesn't matter to me either way as I still say my morning prayers to God and ask for his forgiveness and intervention to keep me from screwing up.

Why are we here?

So in my ponderings and musings I have finally come to a big question. Why am I here? What is my purpose? All my life I just kind of went with the flow of wherever life took me. Then one day, when I became a half century old, I started wondering why I was on this earth. Is there some special thing that is in store for each one of us? Is each one of us here on this earth for a special reason. I know I'm here because my Mom and Pop are good catholics and followed the church dogma of be fruitful and multiply. But is there something more to it all. Are we put here by a supreme being with a specific destiny in store for us? Are we here to destroy the earth as a race? I absolutely don't know. I know that my daughter and grandson are a big part of my life and I wonder if that is why I was put here. To be a part of their life. I wonder.

Dictionaries & Thrift Stores

Dictionaries are wonderful things. I still have the one given to me by Marion Schultz for my high school graduation. I primarily use a dictionary to make sure that I am using a word correctly. Like I used untoward in an e-mail reply going to a bunch of astronomers. I didn't want to look like an idiot so I used my dictionary to double check myself. The dictionary of course is a multifunctional tool. Like if you go into the back it has other stuff like abbreviation, arbitrary signs and symbols, my signs & symbols usually involve a finger, proofreader's marks, biographical names, a pronouncing gazetteer, common English given names and even more. My name means "who is like God". Fits me perfectly. But I do have a problem with the dictionary. What if you don't know how to spell the word. You can spend a lot of time looking for a word you don't know how to spell. So was the dictionary designed to help you spell words or know their meaning? And what's with all the other stuff in there? My favorite dictionary is an old two volume job that I got for a couple of bucks in a thrift store. I have been going to thrift stores since a buddy of mine introduced them to me back when I was in the army around 1977. I figure thrift stores have saved me about a gazillion dollars( is that how to spell it?). My wife has more clothes and shoes than Imelda Marcos and I would say that 99% came from thrift stores. I wear Hawaiian shirts. They all come from thrift stores for about $3 each. I love getting a bargain. It's my frugal Irish side. We go to one in Green Valley called the White Elephant. We call it the dead people store. It is full stuff that is donated by old peoples kids that come to clean out their house when their parents have died. Man I'll tell you those old people really buy quality stuff. I wonder what will happen to my stuff when I die? God know's I have lots of stuff.

Gravity

So it's New Years eve and my wonderful wife and I are driving our usual 4 hour drive to Show Low so that we don't have to stay in Tucson in our sardine can and so that we can go cross country skiing, which Roberto otherwise known as Wart introduced us to. On this drive you have to go through this treacherous canyon called the Salt River Canyon. It is bad because of the many rocks that fall down the side of the mountain(because of gravity) and end up in the road where unsuspecting motorists hit them often and blow out their tires. So here we are coming out of the canyon and after I had just passed a car and was going around a corner I had to lower my headlights as a truck was coming the other way. Low and behold right there was a rock that looked like it was the size of a basketball which I promptly ran over with both left side wheels. Sharon screamed as the impact was so loud and she thought the truck had hit us. I am thinking at this point that we will probably be sleeping by the side of the road as my tires are probably both toast. But low and behold we are still going. I pulled over into the first turnout and got out and they were both still round with no sound of escaping air. The front rim was pretty flat in one area though and at low speeds the tire bounced pretty good. So my Irish luck was with me and we proceeded to Show Low in a timely manner especially after I got up to 65 or 70 mph and the tire smoothed out. So gravity got me. So what is gravity anyway? If you ever wipe out an aluminum rim there are places that will fix them for $100 which is pretty good considering that they are $400 new. So I really want to know, what is gravity? The dictionary doesn't explain it well. Also I wonder, where does the ocean water go at low tide? And why do we have bald eagles that come here to Arizona for the winter? They must be true "Snowbirds." I think they are all vagaries of nature.

Global Warming

So I'm wondering, the whole country seems to be getting whacked this year with a colder and nastier winter than usual. Of course here in Arizona we are warmer than usual. In the 70s all week. So what happened to global warming? To be continued.... My ride is here to go get my repaired wheel rims from hitting a rock. Gravity got me. Whatever that is!

Isn't it amazing how you have to go through so many hoops of the web just to ba able to post on someones blog?