I feel like with working out, some semblance of a normal life might actually be returning.
I want to go back to the mountains.
I have never had a connection with life such as I have always had with going off the trail, heading in whatever direction into a thick patch of trees and hiking on. Up until the time I got divorced, I can say that I took numerous excursions to the mountains - with friends or without. If without, with a dog or dogs.
I lost all of my camping equipment in that fire and I haven't replaced any of it.
I've got to start getting out of this big city and get out into the wilderness again. I'm going to have to get a small tent, a camp stove, a large cooler, at least one canteen and some other camping gear. It's hard to imagine the stuff I lost in that fire in terms of camping equipment. I had all kinds of stuff. Just for the tent alone? I had a 12 man tent, a 10 man tent, an 8 man tent and a couple of 2 man tents. I had air mattresses, several sleeping bags, battery operated lamps, all of it. I had 3 camp stoves, one of them white gas the other 2 were propane gas. Propane and gas lanterns. It's a long list.
It's hard to believe, looking back, that I have gotten so far away from that life I used to know and love. The greatest connection, though, up there in that wilderness, standing on the top of a huge mountain range that I had just spent half a day getting up to the top of - was always my connection with God. This isn't something, for me, that can be exchanged for something else. I spent my life camping - my first camping trip, according to my mother, was in her womb. I believe it, too, there are pictures that show her pregnant, sitting next to a tent on a grassy field next to some trees.
I don't really have the money to go out and buy all this stuff - some of the stuff you really have to have if you are going somewhere where there is nothing but trees and nature. So, maybe a day trip. Leave early, 2 hour drive, 6 hours of hiking, return home. Meaning, my son will have to give up my newer car for any such expedition, cause there is no way I am driving that old thing out of town. That old car is good for in-town and in-town only. I mean, maybe it would make it up there and back without a hitch, who knows, not worth finding out the hard way if it breaks down.
I want to do at least a day trip soon. I will take my Catahoula with me - no way I'm taking 400 pounds of dogs on the first trip - she is very agile, has endless energy and will love it. Actually, I want to go next weekend. I could even go tomorrow, but that would interfere with my son's getting to school unless I were to get up at the same time he's going to school, take him to school and then head on out. Umm, I'll have to think about that. I don't really care if it interferes with his using my car - as long as I get him to school he is only out of it one day.
I don't want to go off into tangents on this one, I'm done with this entry.
6 comments:
Ahh you can find camping gear along the way. The lighter you travel the more fun you will have. The key to working out is to stay consistent. Just go 3-5 times a week and do it every week whatever the exercise and in 3-6 months you will really see the benefits...
Cheers,
Bobby
Thanks Bobby, I just want to get out of town at least once a month now that I am going this direction with it, even if it's just a day trip.
ben
Tuesday
Didn't work yesterday and got caught up in several things so - forgot to even write an entry.
One thing I got caught up in was the truck - work semi that is. My manager calls and tells me, late afternoon, that he had called the repair shop who informed him they couldn't fix the AC and couldn't do the DOT inspection because the trailer had a flat tire.
Excuse me? What kind of repair facility can't fix AC systems? They guaranteed us that they could!! And what nitwit working for a huge facility would come back and say because there is a flat tire the inspection can't be done? CALL A FREAKING TIRE COMPANY TO COME OUT AND FIX THE TIRE, THEN FINISH THE FREAKING INSPECTION.
Oh my gosh!!! I couldn't believe this nonsense I was hearing on the phone.
So, after all was said and done - and I made phone calls to the sales rep that handles our account - they call in a tire truck, fix the tire and complete the inspection. They cannot, however, fix the AC. I wasn't too happy about this guy's claim that they could, indeed, fix it and then find out they don't have the electronic equipment to figure out what's wrong with it. 2 days down, I informed him, for nothing? He did a 2-step, not a very fancy one, either. In other words, don't take responsibility for your own words, what a way to deal with customers.
So now - the AC still doesn't work and I have to go over there, get the truck and drive it all day long in what will start to get to be heated conditions, going up into the 90's later this week.
Well, anyway, I came into work this morning, got on my email and found that that tax company had finished the documents and it is ready to print. What a load of paperwork!! This isn't a 2 page EZ, this is 10 pages of whatever! Well, I will be sending that in - tomorrow probably, I have other things I have to get done today after work. Plus I still have to go get the proof of the fire from downtown.
The sticking point on this return is the claims for the destroyed contents of the house. If the IRS wants me to PROVE that I had a couch, a guitar, this that and the other thing, then this is going to get dicey. I have no such proof. Do you have proof of everything that is in your house? I guess I ought to think about taking pics of everything in my current house and uploading it online to HAVE such proof for insurance or tax information, if it ever came to that again.
So, 2 jets collide at an airport. That's crazy. Just taxiing they have an accident? My real interest is this news blip about the new 747 - what a behometh that thing is!! I have always been in love with that airplane ever since I was a little boy and getting my first ride on one between Pittsburgh and Phoenix. That thing was huge - and it was maybe 20% full on that flight. The only bummer was that I was sick - REALLY sick - that was when I also found out I am allergic to Pennicillin. Hives all over my body, 2 weeks of deathly ill nauseau and throwing up and all that fun stuff : ) such wonder memories, lol.
Ummm, time's up for today.
G'day.
ben
Believe it was actually an Airbus 380. fin
Hey Fin - yes it was an Airbus, but I was jumping around in my entry, as I pretty much do. I was looking at the pics of the new 747-8, the biggest thing out there, apparently, in terms of a freight carrying aircraft that can land at medium sized fields. I want to fly in one of those things!!! I wouldn't mind taking a trip in an Airbus 380, either!
ben
Wednesday
I'm starting to think about getting ready to go to bed last night when the cellphone rings. I hear this voice on the other end of the phone and immediately recognize it, notwithstanding the fact I haven't heard it in over 2 years.
Albert, my buddy from Little League days. We used to coach teams together, had our boys in the program and all the other stuff I did in that organization. Without going into an hour and a half of conversation of details, it was nice to hear from an old friend. I didn't have his telephone number and he apparently lost mine. He was at Albertson's yesterday - where my son works - went up to him and my son didn't recognize him!
Lol. I thought that amazing because we spent a LOT of time at ballfields together. But then recognition sparked: coach!
Okay, well anyway.
Quoted from a White House official: ""The president will advocate a balanced approach to controlling out of control deficits and restoring fiscal responsibility while protecting the investments we need to grow our economy, create jobs, and win the future,".
Since WHEN is Obama concerned with spending cuts? Or "fiscal responsibility"? PLEASE spare me. The ONLY reason he has jumped on that particular bandwagon is because he was on the LOSING side of the proposition!! More people, apparently, want out-of-control spending eliminated than don't!! So suddenly he is concerned about a situation that up until now, he didn't give a rat's @$$ about. Spend, spend, spend, his motto and the likes of him.
We are expected to live within our means - if we cannot - then we lose things, like houses and cars. I have no idea why the federal government and the ilk that run it think that that organization should be run any differently.
And let's can this talk of a democracy. We are a REPUBLIC, NOT a democracy. If you don't know the difference, look it up, there are definitions for it all over the web. There are important distinctions that make this - or should make this - a republic, not a democracy.
Just wanted to throw that out there.
I was reading the mortgage documents 2 days ago and it said: "Must be returned not later than April 15th". Yikes!! I thought I had until the end of the month to get that back in! I got to the bank yesterday to get a notary on all the paperwork, had to have 2 witnesses meaning - it isn't going to get sent out until this afternoon. Thank goodness for Federal Express! It's already prepaid, it will be sitting in their office tomorrow, fully a day in advance of the 15th.
Speaking of the 15th, tax day. Well, I guess they moved it up to the 18th. I'm getting mine postmarked by the 15th, I don't care, sounds like a nightmarish bad joke by the IRS: "Fooled ya, you were supposed to have it in by the 15th!" GONNNNNNNNNNG!!! You lose!!
I guess they wouldn't REALLY do that, but I don't trust that portion of the government as far as I can throw it - and considering I can't throw it anywhere, that tells you how much trust I have in it and the people that run it.
The paperwork is done, I still have to go to downtown Phoenix and get the proof that I actually did have a house fire. Today or tomorrow, either one, I'll get that piece of paper and that will be the end of it, send that stuff into the state and feds and then - let whatever trouble they want to start about it - begin!! I KNOW they aren't just going to let this pass by them, this is potentially audit material, couldn't care less, bring it on. I'm not going to get railroaded over by the IRS, not if I can help it.
Regardless, the work day almost here - not much to do, but there are some pickups that allegedly have to be done today.
G'day.
ben
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