My morning office ritual – I leave the lights off usually, preferring the natural light. I walk in and love opening the blinds a little fast because when they gently crash on the wall, the sound reminds me of a breaking wave. For brief moments, I like to pretend that I just washed ashore and today is my first day in a new world. There is much to do and I’d better get to it.
As I peak out from my little desk in the corner office, the light is easy on my eyes. The windows face North and it’s shady most of the day. The shade protects a few rows of cars in the parking lot that wraps the office building. Sometimes, I lift the curtains from the dimly lit room and think that a show is about to begin out in the parking lot. And, occasionally, an actor walks onto the stage. Someone walks onto the scene, to check their fancy cars for fresh scratches or to sneak a quick smoke between smoking breaks. They’re usually wearing a scowl or a general look of dissatisfaction and I pity them and, at the same time, worry about the possibility that these scenes are foreshadowing my own corporate future. This fear, I also find inspiring; a scowling, chain smoking, Beemer driving, dissatisfied memento morti and reason to strive to thrive in life and work.
Beyond the parking lot theatre is a busy street and highway overpass, and after. There is a steady, fluid coming and going of cars all day long and I think it a river. The flow, and notion of moving forward, I find comforting. My office mate is on vacation, and others are conveniently out “sick,” for the holiday weekend. I’m having a peaceful and productive Friday. The lack of chatter gives my imagination some much needed breathing room. It’s the little things, the smallest of things, and the day-dreams they inspire that make a hard day’s work worth it. You have to seek them out in the tiniest cracks and crannies sometimes, but they are always there.
Hello friends, family and followers! Here are several ways to keep up with the Alaska Trek. Follow our photo stream and Spot GPS crumbs on our adventure. Plenty of writing and photos to follow when we’re back in town but here’s how to view our progress.
Our Spot GPS shared page
You can view our GPS progress and see what we’re up to at http://www.lastofthechivalrous.com/alaska-2010/
If for some reason that link does not work you may also view our GPS updates here.
Mobile Photo Stream Map
http://www.lastofthechivalrous.com/photo/mobile-uploads/
I will also be taking many photos with my iPhone and an array of cameras and uploading anywhere with reception.If for some reason that link does not work you may also view the photo map updates here.
I love history, sailing, and finding things on the web that people have forgotten. Below is a gallery of pages from the Bluejackets’ Manual circa 1943. Finding this website was like finding buried treasure as web Archeologist. It looks like it was designed in 90′s, an original web masterpiece, like cave art to us now. http://usselectra.org/bjm/bjmnn.html
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Death is a forbidden subject at most tables. Most people ignore and neglect even thinking of death and then when it comes for them or the people they love, they lose it. In fact, it is to the point where crazy reactions and psychological meltdowns are expected, encouraged and permitted. Death is one of the few certainties of life and that little piece of knowledge can be put to good use in terms of deciding the type of life we choose to lead in the present.
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I was not a scout growing up and am making up for it now. I have a tendency to learn how to do things and then forget them if I don’t use them. I am also a visual learner and will get lost in diagrams if given enough time to wander. Thank the maker for the invention of youtube. I was able to watch some videos and practice with some paracord. Now I am prepped and ready to lay siege to castles, set trip wires, and tie innocent peasants civilians to trees. Or help get a truck out of the mud, lash down gear, and other activities that require less testosterone.
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A friend sent this to me, and after the weeks of coverage, in case you missed any news recently, here’s what you need to know.
Sometimes I feel that I don’t drink as often as I ought to for a man my age, but then it could just be a wicked case of the Fridays talking. I’m sure I’ll find many occasions to make it up somewhere down the road.
I am re-reading Becoming Enlightened by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and want to take time to reflect on each lesson in the book. I love Buddhist literature because of its logic and simple truths are undeniable and inescapable compared to other moral or religious doctrines. I find purpose, meaning and that personal motivation to work hard each day to take advantage this gift of mind and body. Here are my notes and reflections on a lesson focused on the rarity and value of a human life and going about virtuous deeds.
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Today I got a call from REI, they lost my new mountain bike tire and wouldn’t be able to get a replacement in for a week. I explained to the REI bike-master employee, that I use my bike to commute downtown and had planned a few rides with friends this week. He mentioned that they have a better one in stock and that because it was their error, they’d cover the difference in cost. This was one of those serendipitous draws from the Community Chest deck.
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I’m a huge Burn Notice fan and created ebooks containing the plot summaries and voice over narration for every season. It makes for an awesome summer read. Here’s a sneak peak at Volume One of every voice over tip from the hit TV Show Burn Notice. I put this together in my spare time and triple checked every word from each episode. You can see the first few episodes for free and purchase a downloadable PDF version for $3.00. That’s a great read for less than a fancy cup of coffee or even a used book.You can share it with your friends and family without restriction. I will be adding every season including the fourth season soon.
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After watching a Man Vs. Wild marathon, I noticed in his later seasons, one thing he always relies on is his para-cord. I’ve seen some para-cord bracelets on the web and thought it would be an awesome/ man-crafting experience and a cool thing to do with my girlfriend as we prep for a Denali backpacking trip. She is far craftier than I, and quickly outdid me by making herself a belt using this technique.
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In preparation for an adventure, one should always create a movie playlist. This is a list of my top picks for adventures about survival, the wilderness, Alaska, big foot, and having a gung-ho, adventurous and imaginative outlook towards life.
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Dear Monday, today, you were the pebbles on the runway that kept me from taking off. I’m sorry but I’m moving on. Tuesday and I have real chemistry, big plans and great expectations. Tuesday is not like you. Tuesday has an entire life ahead and doesn’t rudely interrupt my weekends. Tuesday is fun to say, like humming a favorite tune. I’m sorry Monday but there other days in the week with much more to offer.
Goodbye,
Nicholas
This is the second part of my series, Fitnees Training: All the Difference of 30 Miles. In week 3, I have added to my 30 mile routine. My fitness classes are over, adding pressure to find adequate workouts. Consuming at least a gallon of water a day is vital to the routine. Skimp on water one day, and you’ll pay for it the next.
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We recently finished our first time backpacking around Lake Natoma, as training for our Denali trip. Our goal is to make it twice around the lake in one day with full backpacking gear before our 26 mile backpacking adventure in Alaska. We completed one lap as our first trial run and discovered the many issues and considerations we’ll have to workout with our gear, our feet and mindset. Our first time around, we started late and forgot sunblock and our skin paid the price. Doubling up on socks wouldn’t be a bad idea either. Hopefully, the first time around was the worst time around. It served as a reminder to pack light.
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I like to be aware of the possibilities, the dangers, and then decide to face a challenge anyway. There is a bravery in facing the unknown, but if you are unaware of the danger, you are aloof, stupid, not brave. Traveling to Alaska will be perilous and fraught with danger. We might get eaten by bears, lose our luggage, get mugged, drown in a river, be attacked by a moose, a pack of wolves, or perhaps be mauled a disgruntled wolverine. I get upset with my “Adventurous” friends who do not prepare by considering these possibilities simply because to do so invokes fear. Avoiding these thoughts is somewhat cowardly. To cultivate bravery requires thinking about the worst case scenario fears and deciding how you plan to face them. Bravery isn’t for everyone, and many fools claim it but few live it.
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I’ve always had a great desire to travel the world with a beautiful and intelligent woman, and my girlfriend has had a deep desire and dream to go to Alaska for years. So to kill two birds with one stone, the two of us are going on an Alaskan adventure.
Like most people, when it comes to distinguishing between bear types, I was pretty confused about the difference between brown bears and Grizzlies. It is easy to get confused due to the fact that brown and black bears can have brown or black fur. So I did a little digging to clear this up for everyone.
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I’m a fairly active guy but lately I felt like I’ve been spending too much time at the desk and building quite the beer belly without the luxury of drinking beer. I’m fairly active and run and lift weights in between boot camp fitness and pilates classes but in the past, I’ve been in far better shape. My girlfriend works at a hospital and wears a pedometer while running around at work. Every day she logs in about 5.5-6.5 miles at an insane walking pace (you practically have to jog to keep up with her walking pace) and I wanted to simply increase my physical output and log the results.
One week I decided I was going to make a change to my routine and add 30 miles of running, walking or swimming. I wanted to see the difference an added 30 miles would make in my weight and self image, without changing my diet (at first), trying some crazy concoction or anything else. I eat fairly well, no fast food or soda but I am not by any means a purist. I drink about a gallon or more of water each day and workout regularly, doing pilates and boot camp fitness twice a week. I hope to do this without the assistance of caffeine or other legal or illegal stimulants (joking) at all. My initial weigh in was 188 lbs strong- ooh rah!
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