The Cup is Half Full

Bills and loans will take your homes but sloths will never hurt you.

PCT Dreaming

As April approaches, a few hundred thru-hikers will be finishing their final preparations for a 2,650 mile hike from Mexico to Canada along the Pacific Crest Trail.  They will average 20 miles a day for 4-5 months.  Everyday’s morning mission: walk north.  In order to do so, many will quit their jobs.  A few will be enjoying retirement.  Some will have struggled to save money despite having planned for years.  Others will have spontaneously dropped out of school.  Loved ones will be left behind.  Flimsy relationships will end.  Homes and yards will be neglected.  Cell phone contracts will be dropped.

These thru-hikers will be well aware of the challenges: unrelenting physical pain and discomfort, loneliness and boredom.  Their backpacks will be practically empty - weighing less than 20 lbs.  They will have daily, borderline erotic beverage fantasies.  Their bodies will harden like wet concrete.  They will adopt trail names like Lost, Grey Beard, Ricola, Warner Springs, and Llama.  They will hitch into resupply towns like Vikings - raping and pillaging motel showers, pizza parlors, and liquor stores. 

They will arrive in Canada by October.  No trophies or news stations will be there to greet them - only a dimly lit dive bar that takes their picture and sticks it on a wall.  The bartender gives them a beer - on the house.  They lean back on padded stools and zone out over taxidermy. They mentally retrace their journey - through deserts and over mountains, through rain, snow, sunburns, bugs, bears, snakes, and sores.  California, Oregon, Washington.  The bar is warm.  Their beer is cold.  Their walk is finally over. 

PCT 2011, how I long to join you.  GOOD LUCK

A Few Thoughts on Writing

I’m not a huge fan of explanation marks.  Who wants to be shouted at while they sit down to quietly read? Life is loud enough.  I’d rather use bold or italic if I can help it.  Curb your enthusiasm, please.

I enjoy editing - cutting out the fat.  Less is more.  Sometimes complete sentences seem unnecessarily wordy.  And I don’t mind starting sentences with And or But. 

I’m never quite sure what to do with commas.  I basically use them to slow the reader down whenever I feel it’s necessary to do so.  I’ve decided to commit to apostrophes (I’ve over I have.  It’s over it is) – in an effort to stay consistent and “cut out the fat.”  Efficient or lazy?

I don’t mind getting a little corny.  One must dig through granite to get to gold (or blast into it with water cannons and TNT and filter the rubble through sluice boxes and to hell with the farms below).  Too corny? 

I pay closer attention to my own writing than anyone else ever will.  My goal is to amuse myself.  I like that writing allows me to wrap up memories and thoughts into pretty little packages - my own personal file cabinet.  I attach pictures and titles for quick reference.

The more I write, the more I enjoy reading.  The only thing stopping me from reading is a recently acquired anxiety over silence.  I’m working on it.  I’m about 200 pages deep into Wicked.  Expect future references to epic quests, Kansas, revenge, witches, and misunderstood characters…I am easily influenced.

Aleutian Geese: Reality Check

Earlier this month, 30,000 Aleutian geese arrived in Humboldt County. The marsh serves as a nice rest stop during their yearly migration from their winter home in the San Joaquin River Delta to their summer nesting grounds on the Aleutian Islands in the north Pacific. They are huge. And aggressive.

I love my Arcata marsh runs. I do not allow weather, hippies, dog poop, or sickness to interfere. Or water fowl. Yesterday, I was challenged by two different Aleutian geese while I tried to pass them. They held their ground, stared me down, puffed up their chest and literally challenged me to pass. I ran off the trail to avoid the confrontation. Today, an Aleutian goose crossed the line. As I ran by the giant goose went for me - not from the side but diagonally and face first. I out juked it and ran away. I punked out.

After the incident, I stood by to watch others pass, hoping to witness another attack. I noticed something interesting: the geese have no fear of humans but they are terrified of their dogs. Dogs are one leash away from a wild goose chase, and these Aleutian geese know it. Humans on the other hand - harmless. Does that give them the right to bully dogless humans? No. I think they should be scared and distrustful of humans. Keep a safe distance and stop harassing kind people who are just trying to enjoy a run.

Warning: The next time one of you takes a lunge at me, I'm going to put you in your place. No side stepping, no unreasonable fear of you. Aleutian Goose, prepare for a reality check. Lunge at me again and I'm punching you out.

Safe in a Storm

Dry in my tent.  Body is spent.

Muscles ache.  Barely awake.

Bag is warm.  Safe in a storm.

Sentence is blurry.  Sleep in a hurry.

Book drops.  Wind stops.  

Eyelids retire.  Thoughts expire.

Little Wampires

Little wampiers wander around town. They arise from their caskets while Others lay down. They dart by windows while disguised as bats and dance with the alley’s cats and rats. By morning they’ve vanished, like a dream.

Dear reader, little wampires aren’t as mean as they seem and only hide from the sun so they won’t be seen. Why are little wampires so shy you wonder? Why won’t they play until Others slumber?

They wait for the freedom of night’s empty playgrounds. They wait for a break from that screeching sound of Other’s daily merry-go-rounds. Do you ever feel tempted to ignore today, to ignore obligations and shove Others away?

Why dear reader, don’t be ashamed if you do but be mindful of that little wampire in you.

10 Lessons from the MAC

#1)  Kids are resilient creatures

#2)  The welfare system needs to be rethought

#3)  Gratitude is the most reliable key to happiness

#4)  Great social workers are incredibly underpaid

#5)  A loving family is priceless

#6)  Great single parents are impressive people

#7)  It is never too late to change your life's direction

#8)  Don't use Meth

#9)  Character is one's behavior when no one's looking

#10)  Wonderful co-workers are golden