Livin' the High Life...

    Well, it was another dull week filled with rain and cold weather except for Wednesday and Thursday, which was a spring teaser with its sunshine and warm weather.  Saturday was another dreary day but exciting with our engagement photos.  Yes!  Nothing more awkward then being told to act natural when you are molded into a pose in the middle of Newark so a guy can take pictures of you while people walk by and stare at you.  On top of that it was cold and windy.  Hope the photographer  can edit my awkward expressions off my face and replace it with a better one.
    Although wasn’t much going on this week, I did receive my sponsorship contract from Miller High Life. That’s right kids I am officially sponsored by Miller High Life.  Leave it to the “Champaign of beers” to sponsor someone like me.  No, no, I don’t get free beer(damn it), but I do get a check for one dollar and an official sponsorship.  It was as easy as becoming an internet minister, just go online and sign up. A few weeks later they send you a contract stating that you will live the high life, use common sense, and don’t embarrass other high lifers.  Let me just read(or type) some of the high life rules I must abide by per my contract;

1. 1.Do not embarrass fellow high lifers with non-highlife wardrobe choices.  Examples: footwear designed for weight loss, green denim anything, button-down shirts with detachable hoods.
2. 2.Never participate in a fishing trip where people are paid to reel the fish in for you.  That’s not fishing that’s poling. Never pole. (my favorite)
3. 3.Camp. But not in a luxury RV.  That’s not camping.  And that’s not living the high life.

 These are just a few but my favorites and I agree with them. It also urges me to convert others to the high life, so go to the website millerhighlife.com  and get your sponsorship and start living the high life.
    Other then a few photos I’m going to post, that is it for this week, (don’t want to bore you like last week).  So whether your high life is being at the park taking pictures, sitting on the patio drinking a cold one, being with loved ones, or camping in the woods don’t forget to live your high life to the fullest.

my sponsorship contract.

beer...plus...

match in make shift candle holder while sitting on the patio drinking beer equals living the high life.

“Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”                -Mark Twain

It's a long story...

    I am really excited to tell you about my weekend, so bare with me and I’ll explain the week in a few short sentences so I can talk about the weekend.
    Read a book, it was boring.   “Roads” by Larry McMurtry, is a book about him driving some American highways and he writes about what he sees.  I thought I would like it since I recently found out I like travel writings. It wasn’t for me.  Didn’t ride my bicycle everyday due to work, rain, and a cold.  That was the week.
    Ok, now the weekend. Well it started on Friday, I was going climbing after work with my fiancée, I was feeling better from my cold, but when we got there it was closed due to a climbing competition.  Didn’t bother me too much. So we then went to get fish tacos. We went to a tiny authentic Mexican restaurant called La Casita. While waiting for forty minutes I noticed the occupancy sign said “80,” there was clearly more then 80 people there but that was a good sign, means the food is good and it was. Well, the fajitas we had were,  the fish taco, only ok.  The fajita was a trio of fish, shrimp, and scallops on top of a bed of peppers, onions, and tomatoes, tortilla shells and all the fixens to top it off.  She drank a strawberry margarita, which was tasty, and I stuck to water due to mountain biking trip the next day. After dinner, we watched a movie and I was early to bed with a good weather report for the next day.
    6:45 am came quick, but was good because I hardly slept anyway.  Packed up the car and put the bike on top, a few stops for gas, cash and some travel snacks, and I was on the road.  Now, I realize I didn’t get into the book about a guy driving a highway and then writing about it, but I have to tell you about some thing I saw on the way because I was amazed by  it. It’s only a few sentences not a whole book.  So the morning had a fog that  you couldn’t see but maybe a half mile. That may seem like quite a bit of distance but not when your on a flat, straight road, and I was. 70 westbound is a straight shot to Indianapolis with just a handful of tiny hills and slight turns for 140 plus miles. West of Dayton I passed a group of more than fifty motorcycles. I thought to myself, “that’s cool, must be a clubs first ride of the year.”  Less then a mile a few more bikes.  Then a few more.  Then out of the fog another huge group and they kept coming after that. One or two bikes here, a few there, a big group, a small group. It was never ending. There were Harleys, Hondas, Suzuki’s, all brands.  Single riders, couples, men, women, old, young.  They road cruisers, crotch rockets, touring bikes, trikes, side cars, bobbers, choppers, there was even an enduro bike(on/off road bike). I even saw a group of twenty riders with the same bike, uniform , and helmets, I assumed they were a group of cops. It was AMAZING!  I wondered all day yesterday and today what they were riding for and were they were going or coming from so early in the morning.  So, obviously, when I got home I jumped on the internet to find out( after a shower, dinner, and frozen yogurt).  Apparently, there was two internal support beams from one of the trade center buildings from the 9/11 attacks traveling from Richmond, Indiana to Indianapolis, and the respectful riders were their escorts. That’s right, riders from all over came to escort the twin 22 foot beams to their final resting place, erected as a memorial in Indianapolis.  I didn’t see the trucks or the beams( wish I could have) because they were still in Richmond waiting for there army of  riders.
When I read that I was even more amazed.  So a few minutes on You Tube and here they are;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HH4SKSEymc
    After passing through Indianapolis it started to rain.  Ugh, can’t mountain bike in the rain. So for the last hour plus I watched the windshield wipers slap back and forth.  Arriving at Kickapoo State Park (named after the Kickapoo Indians) a few minutes after eleven, the rain had stopped and  I met up with Nick. We walked down the trail a little, or should I say swam down the trail, and realized it was way to wet to ride.  We checked the weather again, thanks to the Iphone of his, and it looked grim. Rain until 11am then thunderstorms until 5pm and cloudy until Sunday.  In less then 12 hours the weather went from partly cloudy to rain all day.  Damn you mid-west weather.  So we walked back to the cars and decided we could at least do a little hiking while we were here. So we headed into town grabbed a pair of Payless special hiking shoes  called Rugged Outbacks, a few tacos at the bell, and headed back.  When we walked out of Taco Bell, the sun was beaming down hard and the temp was climbing.  We went back hiked a couple of miles in the warm sunshine then headed to camp.
    Moving on.   We went to dinner at a gem of a place called the Little Nugget.  Great food and cheap, but lacks in a sense that, for lack of not having the right words to describe it, a shit-hole place. While feasting on some  delicious frisco melts, we politely asked for some silverware from a young employee that simply replied, “What kind?”  Uhhh… We were stumped. Not sure if that was a trick question or she was toying with our minds, we just sat there and stared at her with a dumbfounded look on our face for what felt like hours.  Finally, after the long seconds of blank staring she went and got us silverware.  A fork and knife to be specific, in case you were wondering what kind.
    The rest of the evening was filled with crystal clear skies, bright stars,a good campfire, and a 12 pack of Bud Light.  After breakfast this morning,  we  added a couple more miles to our hiking shoes under more clear skies before heading home. And that brings us to now, again, after a shower, dinner, frozen yogurt, and a little research on the computer.
    Wow that was a lot to tell. don’t worry I won’t be upset if you had to take breaks during my story, I did. This week I don’t have a challenge,  I have to clean up the yard and patio, which if you saw my yard and patio would look like a challenge.  So that’s it for now, until next week, if you knew that you couldn’t fail, what would you attempt?  Think about it.

Art and Fish Tacos

    It has been a busy week.  Painting, drawing, taking pictures, eating healthy, working out, practical jokes from Denmark, and what have I learned?  Well, I am no Michelangelo or Margaret Burkwhite that’s for sure. But I did the best that I can.
    First, lets talk about photography and who I admire as a photographer. Who else then Ansel Adams.  A pioneer in the photography field taking famous pictures of the west.  Mostly spending time in the national parks such as Yosemite  and the Grand Tetons taking pictures of mountain scenes that are as aw inspiring as being there in person and seeing the massive giants themselves.  He also took pictures of southwest Indians and some pictures for research done by scientist.  His work is different from anyone else of that era not just because he hiked to remote locations carrying heavy camera equipment  and sat for hours waiting to get that one amazing shot but because he developed a zone system as a way to determine proper exposure and contrast of the final print.  Of course the reason I like him isn’t just because his pictures are of mountains or because he is an environmentalist( at least he was before he died in 1984) but also because he had a beard and looked like a mountain man.
    Painting. Well since I was inspired by a photographer of mountains why not be inspired by someone who painted them. I looked towards none other then the afro wearing, beard having, happy little tree painting Bob Ross.   His inspiration came from the mountains of Alaska which he got to look at plenty when he was stationed there in the air force.  Yes that’s right he was service man.  Just like his neighbor on PBS, Mr. Rogers, who also spent time with the armed forces.   Bob actually quit the AF when he realized he made more money selling his paintings than being in the AF.  He used a quick technique called wet-on-wet oil technique which allowed him to keep painting without having to wait for anything to dry.  Sadly the gentle man died in 1995 from lymphoma.
    Then there is drawing. I didn’t necessarily find someone who drew mountains or nature scenes to inspire me although I very could have, no I chose to simply take some advice and start with a sharpie and white piece of paper. Thanks again Fleegan.  But I did however stick to a nature theme.
    So without further a due, here is what I did this week;



My drawings.

Not sure where this idea came from just a doodle. Only non-nature art I did.

 

Just a nature design with the bear prints, rain drops, feathers, flower and stars.

Definitely no Bob Ross but a first time attempt at painting.  Yes it is a lone mountain in the woods.

Well I didn’t have mountains to take photos of  but I did have a lot of birds and squirrels.
        With the photos and even the drawings I was able to simply put them on the computer and tweak them so that they look even better.  Adams and Ross however, didn’t have this capability or even needed it to make there art so detailed and incredible.
    Lastly my challenge or should I say challenges for next week.  First one is going to more of a long term challenge.  Fish tacos.  I am setting my sights on finding the best fish tacos in Columbus because my dear fiance needs some good fish tacos. So if you have a suggestion or idea where to go let me know. Along with finding fish tacos I’ll keep up with healthy eating and working out.  I’m heading to Kickapoo State Park(there really is a place called Kickapoo) on Saturday to mountain bike, so my workout plan is to ride everyday this week.  Also, I’m gong to read a book. Yep, you got it, I’m going to read a book. A whole book. Not a twenty page kids book but a real book. I’ll let you know how it goes.  So until next week, take care and have a happy little day.


“True photograph need not be explained, nor can it be contained in words.”

                                    -Ansel Adams

April Fools

            April Fools! Did you know that this isn’t an American only celebration? As a matter of fact, it is a world wide celebration and started over 500 years ago maybe even before that, depending on which origin you believe.  There are quite a few different stories on how this started. One is some Europeans would celebrate New Years the whole last week of March and through April 1, while others celebrated in January. So, the people with the January parties made fun of the ones in March/April, and so came April Fools.  There is a ton more and you can read all of them on Wikipedia if you want along with some practical jokes people have played over the years.

            Now, if you decide to take a little journey into Wiki-land and learn a little more about today’s celebration history you will see this picture;

I found this picture quite amusing for many reasons.  This photo was taken in Denmark, officially Kingdom of Denmark, one of the least corrupt countries in the world second to New Zealand, and also has the highest level of income equality.  Looking at this photo with  the main focus being the cleverly placed subway car which appears to be coming up through the ground with some street tiles tossed around. Very well done. But you can’t help but be distracted by the kid in the one piece snow suit(no snow on the ground) with a look on his face that says he’s already pissed that his mom dressed him like this and drug him out into public and then made him stand in front of this thing for a photo.  Now given these two objects in this photo are quite comical, I find my focus wasn’t drawn neither to the kid nor the subway car but to the wonderful American handprint that is labeled with a Burger King and KFC sign in the background.  Ahh, there’s nothing like seeing a Little America in every country. I bet to make it up, to the pissed off youth in the picture, the mom bought him a happy meal with a Junior Whopper and fries.  And the whole way home, in his snow suit, he played with the crappy toy he got and forgot all about the embarrassment his mom bestowed on him that day.  I wonder if that kid was ever curious enough to look up April Fools and was suddenly and sadly reminded of the traumatizing day.  I hope so.

To Fleegan...

             To Fleegan, my other big sister, thanks for the pro advice on art, I need it.  Also you inspired me. Well actually your web page(http://fleegan.com/) inspired me to post some pics of my own. So these first set of photos are for you.

New Jersey bear and yes it is crazy how quite they are when they walk.

 Turtle i met during a mountain bike trip in Illinois.

Elk crossing in Kentucky. A bit of info; elk was hunted to extinction on the east coast by the beginning of the 1900 and then reintroduced in Kentucky in 1995 and now there is a thriving population of over 5,000.

 Old dirt road. Not much more i can say about that.

Battlefield in Gettysburg.

 Alabama monument in Gettysburg.

 National Cemetery in Gettysburg.

 Cubs win. Cubs win.

Downtown Chi-town.

Chicago looking north from the top of Sears Tower. 

Piatt Castle in Bellefontaine, Ohio(pronounced bell-fountain).


Again thank you Fleegan for being awesome.

A Standard life

    I have finally come to the end of my standard life. After eating 2-3 servings of dairy, 2-4 of fruits, 3-5 of veggies, 6-11 of wheats and grains, 5.5 ounces of meat/proteins, 7 tablespoons of oils, 64 ounces of water, 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep, and 30-90 minutes of physical activity a day, I feel well standardized. The hardest part about this week wasn’t getting it all done but getting a schedule so I wasn’t downing all this in one meal.  I have to admit I did cheat a little on Thursday and Friday. Thursday I didn’t get my full 30 minutes of physical activity in.  After dinner  I was thirsty for something other than water, so to quote a man from the past, “I don’t need water. I have water up the ass, I need a beer.”  So I indulged myself to cold, filtered drink of hops and barley. Actually I had four. Friday I didn’t get all my foods ate,  I fell short on veggies. Other than those two days after getting a schedule down it was easier then I expected. 64 ounces of water seems like quite a bit  but when you space it out over a 15 to 16.5 hour day(accounting for the 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep) it really isn’t that much especially with the exercise I was getting.  The sleep was the hardest thing to control.  I may have missed it by a few minutes here and there.  All in all I was eating well balanced meals, getting enough exercise, drinking plenty of water, and getting enough sleep.   To my surprise I felt great and I may try to continue my standardized schedule.
         Along with keeping up my current daily routine of standardization I’m going with some artsy challenges drawing, painting, maybe some photography.  Each day I’ll do a little research maybe pick a famous artist learn a little and attempt to dabble in some art.  With opening day around the corner I'll leave you with this, “Cubs win, Cubs win.”

“It was a woman who drove me to drink.  And you know,  I never even thanked her."                                                                                                                           -WC Fields

Yoga and St. Patties

    Yoga week is over.  So, doing yoga everyday was relaxing and stretching.  Now there are different types of yoga. Like for instance, did you know there is a fighting form of yoga? With the many forms and with multiple facilities offering a wide range of classes I had my choices. However, I chose to simply do it in the comfort of my own home.  I simply stuck to a Wal-mart special DVD.  It was a body sculpting, fat burning, muscle stretching thirty minutes. Yes you can get a full body work out from yoga.  I did all the motions from baby cobra to warrior one to downward facing dog and back to my heart center. At the beginning, the instructor tells you to take a deep breath then asks you if that was your first deep breath of the day. Most days it was and it felt good. I can honestly say afterwards I felt good, stretched, and a little more fit.
    Moving on to St. Patties Day. A wonderful holiday that gives people an excuse to go out drink beer, get drunk and kiss or fight someone. But, did you know that we as Americans have really distorted the holiday.  Now, the Irish do celebrate the patron saint of Ireland but not so extensively. At least not so much in the past but are starting to embrace the monetary value of the tourist that flock to the Emerald Isle in search of a traditional celebration. Saint Patrick himself was actually from England. He was kidnapped and held captive in Ireland when he was sixteen. Six years later he escaped and went back to England where he joined the church. After becoming a saint, he did return to Ireland to share his religious beliefs.  His robes weren’t green either, they were blue.  Now I can’t say that it was Americans or Irish Americans that started the transformation to make money on the holiday but it happened and every college kid from coast to coast is extremely happy they did. So, next year when you decide to put on your green shirt with the phrase “kiss me, I’m Irish” or your plastic green hat, why not throw in a little tradition with a little blue. When your sipping  the green beer at your local watering hole, give a toast, a salute, or a little prayer to St Patrick himself and thank him for being a brave soul and returning to Ireland.
    This week I plan on living a standard life. You may ask yourself, “what does he mean?” Well, a standard life per National Institute of Health means I must follow the food pyramid based on a 2,000 calorie diet, get seven and a half to nine hours of sleep, 64 ounces of water, and do thirty to ninety minutes of exercise.   This should be fun.
    Oh and my challenge from last week. How I measure to the average man. Well I did 34 push ups and 32 sit ups in one minute. it’s a little harder then I though it would be. I struggled and took some breaks in between but I got the push ups and fell a little short of the sit ups. Since I have to do 30 to 90 minutes of exercise this week, I will revaluate myself at the end of the week.
    Keeping with the spirit of getting my body and my mind is shape I’ve been researching some “brain exercises.”  reading helps and listening to piano music apparently.  Along with trying to read a little each day, I’ve been attempting to play a game on the Xbox called Brain Challenge. Hope it helps.
    So for now I’m off to live my standard life. Go fourth and conquer, but don’t forget to flush.

“All that I am, or hope to be,  I owe to my angel mother.”
                        -Abraham Lincoln