Duffy on the AT

My handsome husband is a long-distance hiker, when time and pocket money converge. The spring after retiring from the Navy (2007), I drove him to Springer Mountain, Georgia and he headed North on the Appalachian Trail. I helped him publish a trail journal online. Just under 300 miles later, he got off the Trail, came home, and walked Lovely Daughter down the aisle. He even cut his hair.

Money was tight, so he got a job instead of returning to finish the thru-hike, but he grieved for the life he'd had on the Trail. And longed to go back again.

Well, time and finances have changed, as they tend to do. Though still tight, there's enough money now- and a job with some vacation time saved up - for him to hike another section of the Appalachian Trail. In a few short weeks, he'll drive to Damascus, Virginia, park the truck at a hostel, get a shuttle to Erwin, Tennessee and hike for 10 days or so back into Damascus, Virginia for Trail Days.

Last week, I sent a link to his re-started journal to some friends and family and there's an old friend who would like to go with him. They've been firing emails back and forth, with Billy asking questions and Duffy answering - because Billy's never hiked like this before and Duffy's now a seasoned Veteran...in more ways than one!

Duffy also has a way with words and a sense of humour I truly admire. When I read one of the emails he sent to Billy about training for the Trail, I knew I'd be putting it here. Though not an original writing of Duffy's (it's been around the hiking community, with assorted revisions for quite some time), it is infused with his spirit, and I'm copying it here for YOU to read.

March 11, 2009

"...asked about training for the AT, and this was my answer (plagiarized in part from Whiteblaze):

The best way to train for a hike in the mountains is to hike in the mountains. If you don't have any mountains handy, there is another method:

1. Go to your local hardware store and ask for the roughest sand paper they have. Go home and take your shoes and socks off and put the sand paper rough side up on the bottom of your feet and then put your socks and shoes back on. Then pull down your pants and underwear and place a piece of sand paper in your crotch. This is to simulate blisters on your feet and the chaffing you will get. Any left over sandpaper may be used as toilet paper to simulate the leaves that will be available after all your TP gets wet.

2. Food regimen: at any point during training if you get hungry, get your cooking gear out and put it in the tub. Turn shower on COLD and cook ramen noodles under the shower. Repeat for 5 days. On the 6th day go to a restaurant and eat 3 large pizza's at one sitting.

3. Don't take a shower or bath for at least 5 days. But please brush your nasty teeth. (Oral hygene is key.) When the 5 days are up take a bath, not a shower. When you are all done taking a bath and you are feeling clean proceed to drink the water. This will simulate the slimy puddle water you will have to filter when you manage to run dry 10 miles from a spring.

4. At sunset, take your sleeping bag and roll it out on your driveway and lay down for a well deserved rest. Ensure the lawn sprinkler comes on at least once during the night and sprays your sleeping area. If you are planning on sleeping in shelters, bring all the t.v.s and radios you have into your room and turn them up as loud as they will go. Now slide under your bed and have a pleasant sleep on the floor."

Now doesn't that sound like FUN?!?

Welcome to my weekend!

If you happen to be in British Columbia today...there's a Blender Workshop at the British Columbia Fisheries Centre in Vancouver. Here's what I read:

"The Univerisity of British Columbia Fisheries Centre is proud to host the 2nd Blender workshop in Vancouver.

Mike Pan wrote:

We thought the first Blender workshop in Vancouver was fun and thought we'd do it again this year!

Too bad I'm going to miss it. In case you don't click the link - it has NOTHING to do with fish!

Here's something I'd be interested in if I was in that area - the Wye Mountain Daffodil Festival is this weekend, outside Little Rock, Arkansas. They'll also be having Easter Sunrise Services at the Wye Mountain United Methodist Church. Beautiful little church.

And finally, wonder of wonders, I find out LATE that today is Pi Day. I kid you not, that's today - and I forgot to send cards!

I wonder if Hallmark makes "Belated Pi Day" cards...

May be something PACO Enterprises can get in on?

Ick. Just...ick.

PETA continues to show us how BRILLIANT and cutting-edge they are!

I heard about this on the Grandy and Andy show at WMAL out of D.C. this morning.

PETA has thought of a new way to get people to eat tofu, they plan to make it taste like George Clooney.

The animal rights group has been offered the actor's gym towel and wants to use his sweat to create Clooney-flavored tofu, the Washington Post reports.

WaPo link...if you must.

Friday, The Thirteenth (cue spooky music here)

I have a fondness for Friday, March 13. On this day in 1953, my parents met at a dance where my mother was going to college and my father was home on leave from the Air Force. Less than 2 weeks later, he asked her to marry him just before he headed back East. She said yes. He sent her an engagement ring in the mail. They were married on November 7, after having seen each other in person no more than 10 or 12 times.

They had a rocky time of it, but somehow had stayed married for 38 years and pretty much enjoyed their time together by the time Dad died in 1991.

Friday the 13th - just like any other day, it IS what YOU make it. Mine is going to be tired, because I'm up late on Thursdays but fun because the Pixie shows up here in less than an hour. I just can't have a bad day when she's around!

Obama's "faith" serves his politics

Apparently, Obama's "faith" serves his politics, not the reverse.

I'll never understand how you can claim a belief in G-d and claim to believe what the Bible teaches...yet run your life on so much self-will that you believe it's noble to not just legalize abortion, but to do so with the tax money of hardworking Americans AND subsidize research with the body of the aborted baby.

I have clear disagreements with President BarryO about a lot of his policies, but this one just plain makes no sense, if - as he claims - he believes in a G-d of the Bible. His self-justification, the level of his egotism, his bold-faced change in this policy while being smarmy about the ethics just disgust me.

Adult stem cell research has made progress and has brought treatment and relief to many. Now, all the little Mengele's in their research labs will be paid using YOUR tax dollars, searching for a breakthrough in fetal stem cell treatments that have yet to surface, with or without our money. In fact, no progress of any kind has occurred from fetal stem cells. Fetal stem cell research seems to be a total WASTE of OUR money. All those millions...for nothing.

Except, of course, the Glorification of President BarryO.

It's enough to make a decent soul sick, isn't it.

This is NOT a compliment.

The president's confidence in his capacities is undermining confidence in his judgment.

George Will column today doesn't paint a very pleasant picture of the first half of the first hundred days of this Administration. Will has a way with words, many of them longer and more complicated that I can understand, at least at first reading. But these ring true today for me.

Oh dear.

Don't blame me, I voted for the other guy

Good morning to you, it's the beginning of another gorgeous North Florida day. I can hear Colors from the base & it has now OFFICIALLY begun. Going to go get a few groceries, which is such fun when I have the Pixie along. Thanks for stopping by.

Found this link at the Always Informative and Amusing Paco Enterprises -

Jennifer Rubin blogs at PajamasMedia.com:
"The reasons are many for Obama’s increasingly hostile reviews – the cratering economy, the embarrassing nominees and non-vetting, the defections from Democratic ranks on Obama’s spending plans, and the growing unease from center-right pundits who convinced themselves and others that Obama was really a moderate."

And from the Lovely and Talented El Campeador -

Our Vice-Statistician speaks:
Taliban says there are NO MODERATE MEMBERS - whattaya think of that, Joe???

Joe? JOE! Are you listening, Joe?

Smart People are really quite stupid, aren't they?

So, lemme see if I've got this right. Mrs. Rodham Clinton, former First Lady (cough), former Senator (from a State where she didn't live), and former Presidential Candidate, was the BRILLIANT choice of President BarryO to be Secretary of State (the ONLY kind of secretary THIS woman would ever agree to be). And this is the headline on the WaPo editorial describing her first foreign trip --
"Hillary Rodham Clinton undercuts the State Department's own human rights reporting."

Great.

Mrs. "Not-Tammy-Wynette" doesn't seem to see anything at all wrong with her remarks on human rights in nations like Turkey and Egypt. The problem? Quite a few anti-American propagandists and al-Qaeda recruiters in those countries, and this is a boost for them.

The Smartest Woman In The World, when asked about Prime Minister Ergodan's complaint on the State Department's Human Rights Report said, "Well, my reaction was that we put out this report every year, and I fully understand . . . no politician ever likes the press criticizing them." "Overall," she concluded, "we think that Turkey has made tremendous progress in freedom of speech and freedom of religion and human rights, and we're proud of that."

In FACT, in the State Department Report, Turkey and Egypt are regressing on human rights, NOT making progress. Where does she get the balls to LIE like this? Oh, right, I keep forgetting who she's married to - it must just come naturally after so many years.

The last sentence in the article is, I'm afraid, quite telling: "By minimizing those facts, Ms. Clinton is doing a disservice to her own department -- and sending a message to rulers around the world that their abuses won't be taken seriously by this U.S. administration."

She's doing a masterful job of making her boss look like a moron...

Well, THAT didn't make any sense...

UPDATE/CORRECTION: I don't do well at creating intriguing, interesting, amusing headlines. Oh well. I tried to throw that link up while attempting to wrangle the Pixie, a cat, and a husband...Life isn't always easy, but dangit, it sure is fun!

Anyway...I was making the beds and talking with the Pixie and she turned the tv on - it was on FoxNewsChannel. The crawl at the bottom said something to the effect that (I paraphrase and add personal impression here, ok?) BarryO - I'm sorry, PRESIDENT BarryO - was signing another piece of my granddaughter's life away, but that some 'earmarks' are ok, as long as they're for a good purpose. WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!? Here's a "money quote" if I EVER saw one, from the AP article - In a sign of his discomfort with the bill, Obama did not sign it in public.

Headdesk. Gag.

UPDATE: The word I've been searching for all day that I heard and then read was "worthy." My goodness, whatever gave BarryO the idea some earmarks aren't "worthy." There's only NINE THOUSAND of 'em, after all! If you divide them up between all the States, that's a hundred and eighty projects PER STATE!

Government (no longer) By The People

I heard about this yesterday. I don't have time for any pithy, witty comment. I am SO disgusted with Our Elected Officials and their arrogant, elitist, self-serving ways, I could just vomit.

THIS is probably only a small bit of the ways Congress takes advantage of those of us 'back home.' That Pelosi demands unquestioned, never-ending service from our Military doesn't surprise me. She's never exactly been a fan of the Armed Forces...except when they have something she wants, obviously.

Saving Daylight

Official sunrise was 9 or 10 minutes ago, takes it about 12 minutes to show up where I can see it. Ten minutes to 8 in the morning. It's light and I can see well, watching for the sun now over top of Ben's house, MUCH later than last week.

I don't claim to be the smartest knife in the drawer, but what gives with the continuation of Daylight Savings Time? PLEASE, if you know, help me understand?

My experience in life has been that behind everything Uncle Sam does, the #1 Motivator is Money. Money and Power. Who gets money and/or power for this miserable joke?

Pixie will be here shortly, better get another cup of coffee while it's still quiet.

Because he's CALM

Andrea puts it so eloquently - "headdesk."

I know Rich Lowry's column appears in various sources, I read JewishWorldReview.com almost every morning and look forward to his work. This column is dismaying and beautiful at the same time - a few excerpts:

As the financial crisis worsened during the election, BarryO kept his cool. "As John McCain flailed around, Obama stayed steady, and commentators ascribed to him the most extraordinary leadership qualities based merely on his equipoise."

How's the stock market look since the Ascension? "...the stock market has lost roughly 25 percent of its value in the past two months, destroying more than $2.6 trillion of wealth. But at least President Obama is calm."

Is your bank in hock to Uncle Sam? Obama's supernatural calm is undisturbed by the financial mayhem.

Recession, anyone? "As the economy staggers into what seems will be at least the worst recession since World War II, he is proposing $1 trillion in tax increases, including a new broad-based levy on industrial activity. But he'll impose the taxes very calmly."

"Calm is not in itself a leadership quality. Containing your emotions is important (see George Washington and the Duke of Wellington for a couple of history's greatest examples), but calm is no substitute for courage, wisdom or imagination. Calm can just as easily be an indication of arrogance as of nervy self-control, of aloofness as of coolness under fire."

Children tire easily. Puppets don't have the ability to get excited.

UPDATE: That remark of mine about children tiring easily is because it really chapped my butt when BarryO recently made it sound like he was toting that barge and lifting that bale, so he and his needed to leave the White House - several times in the FIRST TWO WEEKS - you know, for a break from all the hectic, time-consuming, exhausting WORK he has to do, studying up on the Constitution and 'playing politics' with Ma Belle in the Lincoln Bedroom.

That's not a President, that's a Pussy-in-Chief.

From JewishWorldReview.com

Mitch Albom is probably best known for his sports writing. I like his style a lot, having read his columns at JewishWorldReview.com for several years now, and I've seen him on The Sports Reporters, too. My husband is a fan of his books - "Tuesdays With Morrie" and "The Five People You Meet In Heaven" are his most famous, but Duffy likes "For One More Day" so much he returns to parts of it every so often to help him through a rough patch.

In case you haven't seen this news where you are, a couple NFL players left Tampa (St. Pete? Clearwater? I don't remember) to go fishing a week ago Saturday and were lost when a storm blew through the Gulf of Mexico and the boat capsized, presumably. This is not a post about right, wrong or indifferent. This is about. . . Life. And how short it can be, and how unexpectedly it can change.

You can find Albom's column about Corey Smith here. Pay attention to that last paragraph.

Weekend ends

This has been one fine weekend, and it isn't just because of the weather - SUNSHINE AND 80! - I don't think. I ALMOST don't want it to end, but I do miss the Pixie and look forward to seeing her tomorrow. Perfect March weather thru Wednesday, a bit cooler on Thursday (73!), then maybe some showers next Saturday. Oh man, THIS is why we live here.

Thursday after work, Handsome Hubby replaced the front screen door. The new one is MUCH more foo-foo than the old board-&-screen-nailed-together - this one is solid vinyl, shiny white, VERY easy to wipe fingerprints off and so much sturdier. Heavier, too, so the Queen may not be able to let herself out anymore, but that's what she keeps me around for anyway, so no great loss.

Friday, My Favorite Husband came home with the idea that we replace the doors on the bathroom, the 2 bedrooms, and hallway/office. Doors were on sale at Home Depot, at a price we couldn't afford to pass up. Yesterday he hung the doors, today he put handles on 2 and the old doorknobs back on 2 and they are BEAUTIFUL!!! Yes, they need to be painted, but what a change it is to see all the doors MATCH!!! As my Pixie puts it, so eloquently - wow!

Obviously, while he did that, my best job was to stay outta the way. So I went for groceries...and then spent all my pay at the Garden Center on base. Garden soil, compost, bug killer (ant & roach) and plants. I LOVE shopping for plants! I dug weeds out of the raised beds and turned soil and added good stuff, then planted a hybrid tomato that's supposed to do well in HOT HUMID climates...like this one. It's called Southern Star, I hope it does well. I also got a Husky Cherry - had that last year, it worked great. I got a cucumber - and didn't notice till I got it home that it's one that can go in a pot, too. So that's where it is, on the other side of the carport. Found a grape tomato and a Japanese cucumber at Lowe's today. Cuke is in the front flower bed, at the base of my trellis (I had morning glories 2 years ago but have managed to kill 'em). Tomato was added to the bed with the other 2 tomatoes.

In the bigger bed I planted 2 purple petunias, 2 deep pink dianthus, and 2 pink impatiens, along with cilantro, thyme and lavender. That bed doesn't get as much sun, so hope this works out ok. I know petunias and dianthus will grow almost anywhere, my neighbors used to both grow impatiens (they're both passed on, they were First Settlers in this housing development back in the 50's) but I never had them before.

I don't think I have to worry much about this news from SwampWoman, because we have sand, not soil, and I'm not sure we have EVER watered, surely not more than 5 or 6 times...Mother Nature takes care of the "lawn" and I water the food plants with whatever liquid is available. Duffy had plans for rain barrels, too, which may get moved closer to the top of the list now.

All in all, a damn nice weekend...especially since I remember that 15 years ago this week I wrecked my motorcycle at Bike Week, spent 4 days in hospital there, then bed rest here while we prepared to move to Bremerton, Washington - and Flagler County kindly mailed me a summons to appear for a DUI. Which I dutifully did, plead No Contest, and proceeded to drink a 6-pack on the way home (I DID have sense enough to find myself a driver THAT day).

Just a bit over 3 years later, I got Sober for good. Lessons Learned.

I think I'll go read s'more Paco or Tim Blair, see what the Twisted Spinster has been up to, and then hit the rack early tonight. Thanks for stopping by, I really appreciate it.

UPDATE: Y'think another reason for my mood MIGHT be the lack of political crap I've had to listen to? I'm gonna need a bigger shovel.