Past Due

Since my last post at the end of April, good god it has been that long, my writing has suffered dramatically. Not to mention my faithful readers who visit my blog daily to see wtf this wildman is doing with his life, you know who you are. Enough of me being an overly dramatic schoolgirl about it. The only thing to be done now is more writing.

This afternoon I went out with this chick I met a few weeks back. We went to two of the cider mills around the Fenton area, both of which had big events this Sunday as it's the closing of nice weather soon. When I picked her up she had on this boutique dress resembling a lost hippie's carpet shawl. Her bag, which she referred to as a purse, might actually have been made from a dead possum. It also could have fit about three sickly children in there. Things went rather well for the first few hours with the exchange of all the first date credentials - last relationship, favorite things, interview style, silly laughs, etc. The topic of my good friend who used to bang her sister was brought up and hearing her hate on my buddy was more than enough to dismay any like previously there. She viciously hated on the man without him there to fend off the fire, although some of it was quite hilarious. Fact - her sister was slam banged by my buddy back in highschool. Who cares?! She occupies her time doing odd jobs from waitressing to hosting to working in eye care centers. Did I mention she is not an outdoor fan, doesn't take risks, has no direction, only like filet mignon when it comes to steaks, and only buys the most expensive boutique dresses? O yeah she was quick to tell me these things. After a while I stopped listening and fantasized about her and I in a naked pillow fight. She had these deep blue eyes, very redeeming quality though sadly not enough. Mission has turned to command and conquer to save my good friends name. Might be hard but I'm up for the challenge.

More Posts Like this? More detail? Raunchy?

Feedback appreciated.

International Space Station

This link shows the progress over time of the International Space Station coming together.

Check it yo:

http://i.usatoday.net/tech/graphics/iss_timeline/flash.htm

Incidentals

Lately I have been hearing a rather routine question from friends and family - "What the hell have you been doing out there?" To tell you the truth, the answer to that particular question is a lot of some things and little of others. Since my employment contract at Big Sky ended the 13th of April the main thing I have been doing is fly fishing. There is nothing better than being out on the water in search of a gill having monster lurking behind a rock just waiting to be fooled by the perfect cast and reeled in for a memorable photo before being released back into its habitat. There is something utterly tranquil and settling about being outside, surrounded by beautiful mountains, with good friends, and trying to master the art of fly fishing. I call it an art because everyone has their own variation of cast, mastery of float, genius of fly selection, basically boiling down to there being no one way to skin the fly fishing cat. 

Elsewise, I have been putting together and helping out with the project list at The BoneDance Ranch, also known as Peitz Land in Hall, Montana. Last weekend we built a fence around the camp ground portion, put together the military mash style tent Uncle Dave recently purchased, analyzed the "stock" (as the motto at the Bone is "in stock"), and put together a list for whence we return to civilization. I'm happy to say that from this Thursday on I will be spending the next month and a half at The BoneDance Ranch adding little things here and there to make it more complete, as well as, adding to my repertoire of handyman skills.  

Incidentally

A lot has been clouding my mind lately. Things to do with what next, where next, do I really want what I am interviewing for, why would I leave this place, what would have happened had I chosen something completely different, etc etc so on. Most of the things have no bearing whatsoever nor do they have simple answers. I envy the people who are content with mediocrity and doing the same over again just to slide by the wayside. 

What happened to the passion? 

Specialize? 

Manageable

The season has been over since Sunday the 12th yet it has been snowing here everyday since then, almost tempting management to reconsider. Granted, that would never happen but I wouldn't mind poaching a little before it all melts away. Again, that will never happen as I am just over two weeks past fracturing my left fibula. Well don't you leave me high and dry or anything. Being that I am one to push the envelope on the capabilities of my body, this was bound to happen. However, for next year I do need to purchase some backcountry heel-releasing bindings to better navigate the unknown, if you will. Snow shoeing up into Beehive Basin wasn't the best idea, exhausting and a good workout nonetheless, but not efficient means of transport. 

While sitting with my roommates watching the greatest tv series every produced, Planet Earth, I received a phone call from my buddy the HR director. He wasn't happy I will not be attending the Costa Rica trip and wanted to extend his sincerity about the issue only to then inform me that my previous boss put in for his two weeks leaving me the #1 for the position. Interesting turn of events indeed. I knew he was leaving at some point but not this soon to go back to the East Coast. Mulling the decision over last night segwayed into an email this morning from the HR recruiter at CNA informing me that a position in their Chicago office has opened up and they want me in for an interview fairly soon. 

Hmm.... I have heard these things happen in threes. Discussion with the boss lady tomorrow to talk further about the accounting role at Big Sky.

Upside - working with all my friends, great people, continue skiing, hunting, fishing at will, and would be able to stay in Montana.

Downside - working most weekends, absent for holidays again, and no telling where the tourism industry is headed. 

Season's Over and It's Dumping

The ski season ended on April 12th and so did my employment contract with Boyne. Of course after the season ended, myself and friends decided on getting entirely too debauched. This started at Yeti Dogs, the best hot dog you will ever eat, so they could empty their outstanding kegs of PBR which we had no qualms about. This was accompanied by the ski school finding a way to extend the pond skim in the plaza with about 3 inches of standing water and an endless takeoff ramp. Some fared well, others not so much. I then went over to my friend Cole's place for an end of season pow-wow, synopsis, and debrief. After this we met everyone down at the Halfmoon, only the best bar I have ever set foot in and believe me I have set foot in two or three over the years. 

The party at the Halfmoon lasted a good six hours, felt like 2. A shot-ski was taken out and that was the beginning of the end, people were bringing out the most ridiculous shot combinations that 4 people had to take down in unison. The shot ski can either make or break you and the three other people on your team. Great fun. 

After careful consideration and thinking long-term, I have cancelled my trip down to Costa Rica. This sucks due to my broken leg and the great group of people I would be going down there with, people I may not see again anytime in the near future. That being said I need this leg to heal as fast as possible so that it doesn't hinder fishing season nor effect movement later on in life. On thing I don't mess around with is my health, may be selfish to my friends who are still going on the trip but I need to lookout for #1. The pain is still there, more soreness and muscle burning than anything else but more than enough to keep me off of a surfboard. 

Plan: go down to Uncle Dave's in Manhattan for a while then head up to The Bone for the month of May. Anyone who wants to come hangout and fish is more than welcome. 

Tata for now. 

Too Quick

The end of the ski season came entirely too fast, even with being on the disabled list the past two weeks. We had cold and warm spells both in the past month giving everyone false pretenses of spring being here or not. The groundhog saw his shadow didn't he? Big Sky locals will tell you differently as we had the best skiing this March, powder days just about 4 times a week. Never in my life have I experienced a feeling quite like sailing through feet upon feet of powder with not a care in the world. It truly is magical hearing to whooosshh, fluff, and whiiisssppp of pulling about a G on deathly steep terrain. After those powder days concluded everyone can be found at their favorite watering hole telling stories of just how they shred the gnar on that particular day - who hit the Couloir, hiked A - Z's, hucked a phat cliff, you get the picture. Personally I enjoy telling stories to people who slept in on those days because without them the mountain would be much more crowded.
As this season comes to a close my options are fairly limited, with much uncertainty as to where I will be residing in the next few months. On one hand, I am always welcome back here in Big Sky working for the resort as I have made quite an impression on the management here. On the other hand, I have a great opportunity back in Michigan working for my father. Not everyone has the chance to spend that amount of time with the man who brought them into this crazy planet, let alone learn from him on a day to day basis. I feel like he is the most knowledgable and worldly individual I know who has not left the Northen Hemisphere. Very knowledgable and experienced in most things I too am interested in, especially on how to keep a company running in a failing American industry.
Leg permitting I will be on my way to do some surfing and travel in Costa Rica, Panama as well if I have time. Come Monday morning if I am not able to walk with a minimal amount of pain and discomfort, the trip is off. I see this as being fairly reasonable since both the doctors assured me I would be able to surf in a few weeks, 2-3 from the accident. Upon returning from Costa Rica I will be living at The Bone, the Peitz Ranch out here in Hall, Montana. Projects range from tiling a bathroom to building a 100yard gun sight range and of course fishing the area streams whenever I can. Also, Brando is coming out for a week in Mid-May to slay some fish and hang at the ranch. This is going to be an awesome month and a half, then clarity shall reign in.

Stay tuned.

Busted

Yes, if you are wondering what the hell I have been doing the last few weeks aside from not posting on my favorite posting site, I broke my leg. Unfortunately it was no extravagant accident. It happened last Monday in the bowl at Big Sky. A coworker of mine and I were bombing Challenger runs, cliffs, then moved over into the bowl where we conquered the Elevator Shaft - lookers left of the bowl on the far end of the Turkey Traverse where the steepness of the terrain is judged by the size of your balls. The Elevator shaft is 40ft of rocks on both sides that has to be pointed(straitlined) the entire way down, of which was mastered before my buddy Jules had to go back to work. After that I met up with my roommate Gray to explore lookers right side of the bowl, which I had not ventured toward since coming through the LRT chute toward the triple. We get to the first knoll on lookers right about 1/4 up into the bowl and I start my charge. Can;t even begin to tell you how fast I was going, Gray says, "fast as a speeding bullet in Nam." I easily clear the rock knoll by a good 25-30ft before floating back into some gnar powder, not realizing exactly how close the cattrack is at that point. My train of thought was to huck the cattrack with a nice cross 3 but before I realize anything a 3ft drop followed closely by a sudden incline in the side of the track throws my weight first forward then all the way back. Suddenly, I cannot regain control and brace for a soft landing in thigh deep powder. Doing a reverse superman, feet first, into the snow grabs the tails of my skis and snaps my left leg fibula in a 3/4 fracture. 

Bump, slam, fuck.

A Moonlight ski patrol makes his way over to see if I am ok while I grind my teeth in agony and unbuckle the left boot to allow swelling to ensue. He radios in and soon enough I am surrounded by Gray and two other ski patrolers bargaining with me to take a toboggan down to the medical clinic. Those of you who know me will agree that if there isn't something terribly wrong or I am unconscious, there is no way in hell I am using assistance of any kind. Well, let me tell you what, after walking 20ft and trying to put one of my skis on, the pain was unbearable enough to merit the use of aid. Sure enough the xrays confirmed my premonitions of a fracture right at the top of my boot. Shit. 

After going to two doctors, one at Big Sky who is an allergist by training - I know, and the other who is a US Ski Team doctor, they both concluded the same thing. I will be able to walk in two to three weeks and hopefully surf in a week down in Costa Rica, if I'm lucky that is. My vitamin regimen currently consists of - vitamin K, krill oil, cod liver oil, a multi vitamin, l-lysine, vitamin D, bone structure, and cilli minerals in hopes of all these things being able to repair a fracture in less than two weeks - no I'm not high either, just hopeful. If all goes well in this next week, I will proceed to Costa, if not - I bought travel insurance. 

Less news, more news

As my avid readers are most likely wondering what the hell I have been getting into lately out here in mountainous Western Montana, I'll have to give a bit of a rundown. 

Certain texts have been removed due to disapproval of readership.

The business practices I will take away from here deal with guest service. Working for Boyne you receive daily emails with Boyne Basics, which are daily reminders of how to be a better employee, host, and representative of Boyne. Things like - thank every guest, deliver individual service, use a person's first name, and so on, things that help one to be a better person. I feel like these are daily goals, giving people a focus everyday. Granted, some of these are common sense and others slightly retarded but most of them are fairly accurate in regard to how guests should be treated.

Afghani Conflict - Another News Analysis

Listening to the press conference held by President Barack this morning gave me a bit more respect for the man in regards to what he wants to accomplish in Afghanistan. Obama has already ordered the deployment of 17,000 troops and 4,000 more trainers to the Afghan Land to rid it of terrorists, specifically the Taliban, and rebuild the infrastructure as well. Those of you who are fimiliar with the initial Afghan conflict where the US secretly helped the Afghanis defeat the Soviets, per Charlie Wilson, knows that we pulled out pre-emptively - a little premature ejac if you will. Before completely pulling out back in the 80's we should have setup a government, schools, roads, otherwise known as a complete rebuilding to avoid the peril Afghanistan faces present day. We could've solved most problems we are facing if we only went the extra mile to finish the job.

Starting all over again, we have to use our strongest terrorist task forces (Terminex - Marshall esp.) to rid Afghanistan of the Taliban and other terrorist groups (termites, cockroaches, beatles, and other pests) then move on to helping the Afghani people regain control of their own country. Effin A man. Sounds very intensive not to mention costly, over $1.5B every year for the next 5 years proposed. Let's try to avoid the mistakes we are making and have made in Iraq to move the Afghani people forward, while Terminexing the shit out of all terrorist groups who wish hate on the American Dream.

Cartels

Thoughts, thoughts, thoughts, what to do, what has been done, where to go next? The comment made by Hillary saying the US is responsible for the current drug war goings on in Mexico. In part this is true as we are the largest consumer of illegal drugs, cocaine especially. But then again where does a majority of the cocaine come from? Not mexico. May come through Mexico but not from there due to lack of resources to grow and manufacture the illicit white devil. The marijuana coming out of Mexico, from sources of mine who have consumed it, is complete garbage. So Hillary, instead of pointing out the obvious fact of Americans being a large center of demand for illegal drugs why don't you propose some sort of cease demand. Slow the demand, in turn the supply will slow to a halt driving the cartels into other ventures of exploitation. Come on Hillary didn't you learn this while puppeting Bill?

Completely Mad

Has the world, or shall I say for the moment, The Americas, gone completely mad? Taking a look at the statement from Bernie this morning on exactly how easy it was for him to conduct the largest Ponzi Scheme in history, what the eff are these people doing? Bernie started his scheme in the early 1990's during a somewhat recession giving downtrodden people hope in uncertain times by forging profits and buys, as well as, moving money around from bank to bank. The man was a prominent member of the Jewish and financial communities before he started the scheme. Once he forged profits, Bernie became even more popular under the ever so comfortable umbrella of bullshit. What was he thinking to enact something of this caliber? $50B could not be hidden anywhere, let alone miniscule bank transfers from country to country. The man should have fleed after ten years of doing the scheme, but no greed had to win in the case of old Bernie. Now it's time to face the music and with life in prison Bernie will have the remainder of his existence to think about everyone he royally fucked.
We also have a shit storm in-brew down on the North side of Central America, better known as Mexico. Seems to me that the foundation of the Mexican Government is heavily rooted in corruption, has been and will be for quite some time if an entirely clean office is installed. Yeah right, let's be real. The drug/cartel wars are getting out of hand with numerous cops and civilians being killed daily. Should the US respond? Absolutely not. This is a Mexican issue and we should not get involved. The only thing we can do to help is increase drug awareness and prevention methods here on American soil. Decrease demand and the supply, ie cartels, will decrease in power as well. Simple economics really.

Profound

The TP Lodge
The thing I love most about living, excuse me, driving in Montana is that the place just screams open intox. Until a few years ago Montana was one of the only states left where you could actually have an open container in your vehicle, yes that means the passengers not the driver. Although he had to be not as half cocked as the rest of the car, able to function enough at least. There is just something about Montana, a feeling right when you get into your car saying, "open a beer you idiot." If the state also allows one to carry a gun in their car that has to be visible to other patrons, ie a gun rack on the rear window of the car. Along with the Win 300 in the back window of the all American GMC one also needs to have a beer in the cup holder. (I am not championing drunk driving, simply relaying the feeling of this humble state.)

I went to Grand Targhee in Alta, Wyoming earlier in the week with my buddy AJ. Let me give you a little background on AJ. The man grew up in rural Georgia, wears something that resembles an American Flag at least three times a week, bleeds red white and blue, points the Khular on a regular basis, has the southern country slang speak flowing when he speaks, and most importantly, is a genuine sonofabitch. We wake up at the ass crack of dawn on Monday morning and begin the 4 hour drive down into Wyoming. This journey could not have taken place on a better driving day, being a blue bird and 35. Perfect driving weather. Granted, the ski day ended up being around 50, sticky, and cat tracked to death for the time we meandered down to the flat lands of Sacajeweia. After skiing we checked into our hotel, let me tell you a bit about this place. We stayed at the Teton TP Lodge, an old rasta hippy commune style bunk house. When calling just one day earlier to make a reservation, they lack internet or any technology whatsoever, the guy told me, "I'm not going to write down a reservation cuz I don't want to but heres what I want you to do. Write this down man. I want you to come in here and say give me a deal man and I will give you a deal man." This of course spurred hysterical laughter and misbelief simultaneously. The place had a cone shape, like a TP, and inside was a fairly good size space with a sunken couch surrounding a fireplace in the center leading up to a smoke stack some 30ft high. The basement held the bunks, some 15 bunks in one room and smaller individual rooms on the outskirts of the fireplace. It was easily apparent how much of a 70's and 80's party spot this had been until the owner became ill to have his burnout son run the place. All in all one has to get drunk enough to fall asleep and stay asleep until ski time arises in the am. Would I stay there again? Hell yes.

After leaving Targhee on the second day of skiing we made a loop back down to the TP in order to retrieve forgotten items following a long day of snow blading, which is not only for gapers by the way. If you want a real leg burn, snowblades are the ticket. Aj and I pull into the TP parking lot, run inside to grab the items left behind, come back outside to the gorgeous 50 degree weather, crack a beer, and are met with the upmost hospitality by a retired NYC Brooklyn cop. Dan Tanner started the conversation saying we needed to have some beef jerky firesticks with our beers, of which he proceeded to give us all he had left, great guy. He then told us how the TP used to include all meals, a lift ticket, and all the booze one could drink in a sitting before one of the owners became sick. Since then the owners sons have been running the infamous TP to no avail. For 20 bucks a night what can you expect? Dan told us the previous owners welcomed everyone but never made any serious money, just spread the hospitality of the west. God that is how America used to be, welcoming to the fullest extent.

Agenda

"Montana has the kind of mountains I would create if mountains were on my agenda."

- John Steinbeck (from adventures with Charlie)

People of Earth

People of Earth need to be inspired in this time of need and uncertainty. Do we really the inspiration of some old dried up wench named Nancy who jumps out of her seat faster than a jackolope to praise the massive spending of her party? Yeah, no. The woman literally leapt from her seat after Obama mentioned cutting the deficit not weeks after she spearheaded the enormous amounts of spending. Hypocrite? Absolutely. Let's say you have a shit-ton of credit card debt, oo around 60k usd. Why don't we go ahead and spend another 135k to get rid of the original debt and not allow any investing of that money to take place. Personally, I enjoyed the email sent from my brother explaining the TARP in picture form showing a crane truck pulling a car out of the water, falling in. Another larger crane pulling that crane out, falling in. Yet, another larger crane pulling the two previous cranes out, inevitably falling in. Is anyone else worried about the government not only expanding its power but also experimenting with the economy. "If this doesn't work then we'll try something else." Sounds promising.

The president and his party have to think deeply about how to regain the trust of the American People. Being a fan of the late Pres Bush on some issues and against on others, as a freethinking individual....(are any of us?), I can say that he did hurt the trust of the average American. Obama's congress needs to reach back out to the people and see exactly what they need, not what they want. More people should be more like Rick Santelli, how funny was that little rant? 

Something else of note I thought was particularly entertaining was the recent layoffs of 12k some odd people from Microsoft Corp. These people were "overpaid" their severance packages. The company gave them too much severance due to a computer glitch at the time of payout. How completely ironic. This makes me wonder if anyone who was laid off had a hand in this debacle, remember what happened at Innitech? Milton ring a bell? 

Rendition

Driving down the mountain yesterday to meet some friends for an after work beer I did a once over about my current state. It was kind of like doing a diagnostic report on a car, plug in some good tunes and do an evaluation. I then threw on Deadmau5's Not Exactly to begin. After a few minutes of deep thought I came to a conclusion I had never been completely faced with before, that being entirely stress free. It was certainly a wonderful diagnostic conclusion, in turn bringing a massive grin for the remainder of the trip down the mountain. 

Went out in Bozeman with a friend from work, to meet her friends out for Tapas and a few drinks afterward. Being that it was my first time out in the city just north of Big Sky, it was nice to go somewhere without knowing everyone in all the places already or having to see a birdless crowd the entire evening. Her friends were all good-ole Southern girls, with innocence written all over them,  the group enjoyed escapades for the better part of the night. After closing the place down we made our way over to a friends house, luckily I ceased drinking a few hours before leaving as one of Montana's finest followed us a good portion of the trip home. Assuredly, I was able to drive back into Big Sky that night as I also had to work in less than 5 hours. Not more than 1/2 mile down the road I dodge the first two deer only to smack into a third who decided it might be a good idea to stop in front of a car. Wrong. The deer bounced off the car in the direction it came from and began a loud, almost screaming, noise wretched to the ears. We stepped out of the car t assess damage, as well as, take the deer out of its misery which was performed using my CRKT. Keep the blood on the blade son - Gangs of New york ref. 

This was particularly scarring for my friend, as it was her vehicle, she had never seen a deer murdered at such close range, and she too had to work in a few hours as well. i was just upset she wouldn't allow me to take the deer with us, wasting the animals fresh meat out of season. Bummer.  

Questing

Worst case scenario of being caught in the lifeless realm of mediocrity rewarded by my current employer. The manager position I applied for has been cut from the budget permanently, making a crossroads come into play - do I stay or do I go now? 

Out of Bounds

Can't say exactly how many times I have come across an "Area Closed" or "Out of Bounds" sign that looks like the fluffiest powder one could ever float on top of. Conscience always says, "just duck the rope bud, no one is watching. Look at how nice that powder looks, just go damnit!" The worst that can happen is losing my pass for a week for the first offense, in part because we are apparently supposed to be setting an example for the guests. Aren't we also supposed to be checking closed areas to make sure they are safe for guests as well? Similar to guinea pigs, yes. On the other hand it is closer to a guinea pig trying something like a Belgian white for the first time - new, exciting, and complete fulfillment afterward, wanting to do it several more times following.

Cross the line, duck the rope, brace for speed, and don't hold back.

Anxious, don't phase me.

A few articles I read over the past few days, as well as, the latest book I started reading today were all completely different yet interrelated in the same stroke. The book - Helter Skelter - written about the Manson Murders is absolutely the most fucked up, grotesque, insane, and everything else in the realm of unnatural I can come up with. Why I thought, "o hey Jeff can I borrow that? Might be an interesting glimpse into what a true "god on earth" does when the apocalypse hits." Or something rather close to that train of thought, now thinking a pass might be in the cards very soon. One of the referred to articles I read today talked about a guy who faked his death in 1989 only to be pulled over this week with a license plate light out and taken into police custody over suspicion. Did they hit the jackpot with this insanely hideous forrest creature or was he living in silence bothering only the lonesome gnome army under his employment? The dude, yes reference to the Dude himself, is probably someone who writes checks for half and half being all of $.69. 

The second article was from The First 48, a collection of mini-thrillers or snippets of true-crime stories consuming 10 minutes each. A computer nerd from Oakland marries a Russian mail-order bride who ends up romancing(riiiggghhhhttt..) with his best friend before he kills her. He then buries her body, not to be found until he sets in place a lower sentence for his knowledge of the body's location. Granted. The balls on this guy, able to receive a lower sentence if he locates his ex-wife's dufflebagged body. Lesson learned: think before you order anything more significant than a penguin from mail-order. Dealing with people is a bit tricky due to the hidden agenda those dirty pirates have whilst placing themselves in a catalogue.  

Photos, Yes!

Yes, this is the majestic scenery I have the great pleasure of waking up to and living in every single day living out here in God's country. Be jealous, very jealous. Not the type of jealousy over a girlfriend in eighth grade but the type that will turn someone into a Swimfan of sort, peeking through windows and extreme stalking that leads to being over obsessed wanting to live my life with a cape made out of my recently lotioned skin(thanks Buffalo Bill). From the Lone Peak one can see the Tetons in Wyoming, the uber-exclusive Yellowstone Club, Moonlight Basin, Beehive Basin, The Sphinx, Ville of Big Sky, and a shit ton further. The naked eye can see fo miles and mile, hundreds if I were to venture a guess. Enjoy. 

Goat Detained

(Detained Goat)

This is the best article I have ever come across in my short history of reading news online. While reading this article I was laughing so hysterically that I literally fell out of my chair, prompting looks from various co-workers. The article being referenced talks about a group of "hoodlums" in Lagos, Nigeria who were caught in the act of stealing a car when the local police were patroling the area. The police said, "we pursued them however, one of them got away and the other turned into a goat." The goat is currently sitting in custody. Apparently belief in witchcraft is fairly widespread in Africa, especially the most populis country of Nigeria.

After telling Tim about this article he immediately suggested that I become a police officer in Lagos following a stint in the Peace Corps. Yeah Tim, let me get right on that.

(Suspected Goat)

Figured So

As some of you may well know, by that I mean the people I talk to on a regular basis - friends famill etc, I have been networking like a lemming with the people at Big Sky. Especially so the HR Director and I have become good friend since we are undoutably from the same area(Detroitish) and share most political and social views meaning we can relate on most popular issues. the most recent issue being the Obama order to shut down Guantanamo Bay in Cuba - my logic being that these individuals could or could not be terrorists in the first place, they are being held in a foreign country so the normal laws of imprisonment are not in place, and they can be tortured to no end for no apparent reason other than being "suspected" terrorists - no solid evidence. This issue still being debated on the chairlift of course. 

Anyway, the point I am trying to make is that he has the ins and outs of what is actually happening in the terribly managed resort we are both a part of at the present time. The positions that have been offered to me and others I have applied for may r may not exist bugdgetwise in the next quarter. Experience I really want and has very transferrable skills onto other things in the food and beverage industry may or may not be available to me. All this means is that I need to keep my options open but to be told one thing, assume another, and be told a completely different story from both previous is astronomically difficult. Not only due to the fact of having a position in this volatile economy but the uncertainty of both. F*c*. Really? Hmm. I like my odds here and have to make moves either way, another organization or another location. Why plan a base if fire is constant?  

Articles and Relevance?

Browsing through the news on Reuters and Google News today, after finishing my work for the morning of course, I came across two pieces of news that have been talked about and popular over the past few days. The first being the story about the two men in China who were poisoning little children, crib midgets mostly, with a substance in their milk. Six of these babies died while injuring over 300,00 more, with the Chinese Government keeping the total count a secret due to the communist thing over there. The intention of the two men was to pass their milk on protein tests by using melamine, which produces a false positive for protein on said tests. Well now, the Chinese Government is sentencing these two men to death. What did they do one might ask? They tried to cheat the system and lower their input costs to eventually make a larger profit. Do these two deserve to be put to death? Maybe. I say maybe due to the fact of this was not done to intentionally mass kill children but to save money and increase profit. On the other hand, shouldn't they suffer more than just being put to death, maybe something along the lines of extreme humiliation first? This is quite a commercial crime. Then again there have been numerous ingredients put in products before that are known to be harmful eventually leading to the death of children. Anyone remember the lead paint?
The second article on Reuters I found this morning, that was somewhat in the wrong not looking at the overall economic picture is an article regarding "Green" home improvements. Green technology being a money saver in our economic situation. Mainly, this article is missing the facts about just how much it costs initially to purchase these Green products that will save money, wait for it, over a period of some odd ten years or so. These technologies will save people money after the outrageous initial cost puts a massive hole in their wallets. People do not have the readies lying around at present to sink into these green technologies. No, I don't have the actual facts and figures in front of me at this moment and will not speculate as to a number but they are not cheap. Of all groups, the UN said this. Enjoy your new solar panels guys.

Home

The thought was to start out this vary post with the definition of home or something similar to that, but I couldn't think of anything more juvenile and cliche than doing that. Obviously the saying goes something like home is where the heart is or where you most feel comfortable. Well, in my case, home is Big Sky at the moment. I have made great friends here, am kicking ass that gets recognized at work, have been offered other positions, am enjoying the laid back Montana lifestyle, have a great group of friends with similar views/opinions, and absolutely love being surrounded by terrain on all sides. Driving to work every morning with a view of the very majestic Lone Peak brings a smile to my Midwestern face every time. 

Home might be here, it might be somewhere different. For the time being, I am loving my current situation. Some might even say - the ideal situation. Have to admit that being rejected from the first of four positions I have recently applied to in NYC gave me a bit of relief. Shortly afterward the recruiter emailed to give her support and reassurance of there being three other positions she applied me to, one of which being the one she specifically talked to the hiring manager. Great.... If its not broke, don't fix it. 

Truly Fascinating

Being that today is my day off, the plan was to do a little of this a little of that but generally speaking not too much of anything. The only definite here is going fishing this afternoon on the Gallatin, flowing ever so graciously across the street waiting for the patient fisherman to come harvest its residents. Dry flys only of course. So, I started my day off with some cottage cheese covered on Franks accompanied by a banana, just a few days before expiration. After breakfast I then decided to catch up on my daily readings of The Intellectual Devotional, great learned readings for everyday consumption. Upon completion of this I cruised around Netflix for something interesting to watch before getting a haircut. This interesting thing then became - Man on Wire, the documentary of Philip Petit, French wire walker. 

Philip discovered his fascination with heights and climbing everything from trees to the sides of buildings at a very young age. His parents and teachers sent him to numerous psychologists to determine the basis of the issue, being that there was no issue. (Always has to be an issue, as parents are concerned.) Philip later discovered the wire, which later led to the much sought after fame of being "the" premiere wire walker in the world. He and his crew of friends traveled the world finding places to string a cable, walk and perform aerobatic maneuvers, then of course getting arrested by the local authorities for trespassing or some other bullshit charge they could pin on the Frenchmen. The entire documentary leads up to his walking between the late Twin Towers, on top of the world if you will. 

I enjoyed every second of Man on Wire and highly recommend it to you viewers out there. Philip ended the documentary talking about the purpose of living life on the edge. He says life is meant to be lived on the edge, to push the limits of where we can go and what we can do or else everything would be routine and we would all become complacent. The man pushes the limits of authority, defies gravity, balance, and everything we know about fear. Ask yourself one question everyday, this is from Steve Jobs, that question is "am I living the life I want to live and if I died today, would I be happy?" If you answer no one morning, make a change. 

Gone fishing.

Stick it to the man

I consider myself to be a very positive outgoing individual and would hope, I say hope by the way, that I bring cheer to the people I associate with. My job at the resort is fairly easy, the people I work with are fun and satisified, I have made great friends out here in Big Sky thus far, and am enjoying life in general. Well, on the opposite side of that whole shpeal, I let someone get to me today and to be quite honest it is pathetic. Let me give you a backstory first. This guy Jules, who happens to be the accounting supervisor from the East Coast is the typical East Coast "I know all and am better than you" type of person. He constantly belittles other employees, is in a perpetual state of negativity (yes thats not a word I know), is rude to guests, makes off color comments to people - mainly drug references, habitually exaggerates almost everything, and a sleu of other things not worth mentioning, bringing me to the point being - the guy sucks. I mean sucks like a Dyson or Stanley Steamer or 5 dollar pirate.

Putting up with all the bickering and constant "Philly" bullshit over the last two months has found its breaking point. Juvenile as it may be to call names, I really feel like unleashing a shit-ton of snide remarks. However, I will refrain from being a child and stop, venting was much needed. This might have happened due to taking off a week from yoga, bad idea. At least there I can get stretched out, unleash the inner beast through meditation, and enjoy the company of so many beautiful women who attend the class. Yoga is a goldmine for relaxation, peace of mind, alignment, and learning more about your inner self/how much pain you are capable of withstanding. Do it.

Lull in Postings

Other than working at 5am, having friends Pat and Moe come out to visit, skiing, reading, and trying to keep in touch with other friends and family, I have not been writing on  my blog very often. Lull in postings if you will and there is a corresponding theory to go along with the sudden lull. I call it - "Opening the fridge without having made a decision." I have always been one who knows exactly what I want from said appliance and get slightly irritated when others open the fridge just to gaze. What are you doing? Close the door, make a decision, and then go hug a tree. Maybe even name yourself Whisper after hugging that tree, just remember to take showers frequently and don't stop any trees from becoming hot tubs with "fly hunnies" in them. Back on the original point, being that I have opened the fridge(blog) without posting, making me feel extremely hypocritical in doing so. Also, the recent downgrade by Google Analytics has brought further guilt. Posts will have a sudden uptick in the next coming weeks. Thanks for reading this garbage. 

Forces at Work

There are always a few forces working against what is being worked for. Being fortuitous, working harder, or a combination of the two will end up being the only things that lead to perseverance. I remember working toward a national swim cut during my junior year of high school and contracting walking pneumonia a week before the Zones Meet that depleted me of all my energy and even more crucial, my ability to breathe. Being a sprinter, lung capacity has to be at a maximum for replenishing muscles and reducing drag by not breathing. At the time I couldn't understand why this was happening. I had taken all the proper precautions, eaten well no junk food, and prepared myself accordingly through hard work in practice and a focused taper to swim the sub 23 seconds fast in order to qualify for nationals. I specifically remember thinking, "what have I done to deserve such disappointment, agony, and embarrassment?" Granted, this was nowhere near the end of the world but at the time I felt two feet tall. 

A few friends of mine are coming out to visit me in the Big Sky State for some skiing, snowmobiling, yurt adventures, and other shinanigans Montana has to offer. Pat, Moe and Lily were all scheduled to come out on Saturday to stay for a week before returning to reality in the big cities of New York and Chicago. This evening, after leaving yoga completely satisfied and relaxed mind you, I received a disturbing voicemail from Lily with a distressed voice telling me to call when I had time. Immediately I knew something was terribly wrong and she was canceling. Our short conversation informed me of doctors orders to not travel and she might be back under the knife for a second time this Christmas break. After realizing that we both had nothing further to say, myself being in shock at the news of another procedure and Lily having to deliver both parts, as well as, have to live in the pain/inconvenience of yet another surgery, we said goodbye. 

I can say with the upmost confidence that we have a great time together when life allows us to meet and share an awkward family gathering, a brother and good friend being completely shitfaced, a quarrel between two brothers, a most pleasant Eva interruption, brush with the law(almost the law actually), or however which way the cookie crumbles. I can also say that there is also always a force working against our friendship. Always something. 

What do these occurrences mean in the bigger picture? Larger scheme, if you will. All I can think of here is some menial petty line like - life gives you lemons, make lemonade or my favorite of - if you fall off the horse, get back on. Well I'm glad to say that neither of these two apply here and any other one liner evades my thinking at this moment. (Rejoice you fools.) All I can do now is pray things workout with the next procedure. Pray. Think positive and good will come of all boomerangs thrown into you soccer game. 

3 Doors Down might have said it best in Away From The Sun, "I've got to make this life make sense." Lemons. 

Photos

This is Montana.

New Year, More of the Same

Let's take a look back on this past year for a few minutes and reflect on the choices we made. On second thought that would be an entire waste of time, that we could be used more effectively looking forward. Foresight is something my grandfather was and father is quite good at, must have been a generation skip....damn. I'll look into it.

I love hearing the term - New Years Resolution. Although this year in particular there has been a drastic decrease in the amount of resolutions I have heard. That might have something to do with the change of pace out here in the Big Sky State or people finally realizing those grandiose promises last a mere few weeks. My all-time favorite resolutions have to do with getting back into shape. Being a frequent gym goer, you tend to recognize the frequent other people who are regularly in the gym. Come January there is a slew of "outsiders" who clearly don't belong, will crowd the equipment for weeks doing as little as possible, then vanish into thin air leaving the regulars their coveted space once again. 

My dealings with the resolution crowd consist of having numerous friends make obviously ridiculous claims to be fulfilled within the next year only to fail miserably a few weeks (maybe) later. Personally, I have fooled around with a few over the years only to find out they never work. I have found those types of promises to be more effective if made by you and told to no one else, therefore if imminent failure is the conclusion only one person knows. But if you succeed, by God I hope you do, internal happiness trumps all others. 

Self improvement. Personal growth and development. 

Make a New Years Resolution to be a better person. Yes, this may sound cliche, difficult for some, and impossible for those of you who, like me, are perfect, try it anyway. 

Happy 2009.