My heart surgery- July 5-July 12

On July 5th, I woke up late thinking I had a lazy day. I got a phone call from St. Vincent's hospital in Portland about 10am. They asked me if I could come in to visit my surgeon and get some tests done before my surgery on Thursday. I was a little shocked and told them I could be there in about an hour and a half. I then called my folks, who thought my surgery would be the next Monday, to update them. They made arrangements to leave early Wednesday morning to get to Portland.
I drove to Portland and met my surgeon-Harkness Storm Floten. He goes by Storm. He is a tall gentlemen with an air of confidence about him and a slight southern accent. I immediately was comfortable, but could tell that his speech was memorized and the script is not deviated from. There was also a PA in the room that asked me more questions. I thought I might leave, but then they gave me a map of the facility and 6 other tasks to take care of. I went down to the radiology department for an x-ray and then was sent to Pre-op for some information session. I then was sent to the Operating center for blood work, and more information of dos and don'ts as well as what to expect from recovery. As I was in the hospital, McMinnville called and asked if I couldn't come down and get some blood work done for my angiogram the next morning. I told them that I would be there by 5. I left St. Vincents about 3:30, and hadn't eaten all day. I was a little in shock from all the information that I wasn't ready for. I drove to the hospital in McMinnville and was told they can take the blood test results from Portland. They gave me instructions on how to prep for the angiogram. Basically, they took a tube full of radioactive dye, stick it into a main artery by my groin, and push it up to my heart and inject the dye. Then a machine reads the dye and shows a complete structure of my veins and arteries. Oh, the fun!

I then called some friends and was able to go out to a local pub to eat and have distracting conversations.

The next morning, my friend Pam drove me to the hospital around 7am. They shaved my groin area and gave me an IV drip. I remember them smoothly covering me with blankets and ripping off my gown as I was going under. It was quite the talent. I then remember them telling me that it would be warm as they injected it and I certainly felt that. I also remember them pulling out the tube. I then had to lay flat for 4 hours as my artery healed and they made sure my incision was safe. I was released but not allowed to drive that day. I was taken back home, and packed a small day pack. I was to drive to Portland to meet my parents and stay at my friend Talia's parents house for the night before my surgery.

My friend Ryan came over and helped me pack and move around, my right leg was sore and I was limping. I needed my car in Portland so Pam had to pick up another friend and Joe drove me in my car to P-town. We arrived at the house almost the exact same time as my parents. The house was a huge home with a pool, hot tub, a theater room and other amenities. I still was hobbling, but Mom, Pam and Joe went through the house enjoying the novelty. Talia came by and we took her out to dinner. My friend Daniel joined us as well. Great friends, family and laughter was present to celebrate my last day without a mechanical valve.

The next morning I went to the hospital with Mom and Dad and was taken into a room quickly. I changed into my gown, was shaved from my neck to my toes, but only the inside of my legs. I then had to shower with super antibiotic soap. I came back, took a pill and the anesthesiologist came in. I don't remember anything else. Mom has since told me that they put in my IV's and Mom and Dad walked me to the OR door. We squeezed hands and shared "I love you"s before I passed through the door. I of course remember nothing of about the next 36 hours, save a few painful moments. My heart was put on bypass for about 2 hours as they operated and I was then again pumping my own blood. Immediately after the surgery, my young heart was challenging the new valve.


I was told that it was normal, but my ventricle was trying to beat independently of the rest of my heart. It was used to such efficiency.

I was in the Cardiac Rehab Unit (CRU) until Saturday afternoon. I had two tubes from my abdomen, as thick as my thumb, draining fluid and a catheder. I had an IV in my left arm, one in my right hand, and a tube in the right side of my throat that connect very near my heart. They were able to administer drugs through that tube. I also had tubes in my heart and for a while, they thought that it was creating the problem with my heart, but when they took the tubes out, I was still having some electrical problems. I don't remember much. I remember the dark room, the sound of the waterbath bubbling with the tubes attached. I remember trying to eat my first few meals, and I remember a couple of the nurses. I also remember having a morphine button that I would push when I would wake up, and then I assume I would just go back to sleep.

I finally got all of the tubes pulled. I remember the pain of all the tubes being removed. Very interesting feeling of them pulling so many long items out of your body. I then was put in a holding room before making my way up to the recovery room. My friend Neil visited as I was in the holding room. You would have to ask him what we talked about but I do know he gave me a dinosaur balloon!

I was in room 601 West side from Saturday afternoon until Tuesday Afternoon. I remember my nurses making me feel comfortable, my great visitors, and my parents being there everyday. I don't remember much else. Oh, I guess there was pain too. Upon release, my parents knew that I was not able to take of myself. I was invited a month earlier to go to a house out in the country to recover. A family of a former student had a extra "apartment" in their garage. It had a large living room with tv, couches and recliner.

It had a bathroom and a bedroom as well. The family was amazing. They let me have as many visitors as I wanted. They took care of my pills, made sure I was walking and showed me love for a week. I stayed with them from July 12-July 20th. I don't think I will ever be able to pay back the Schwartz family. Thank you.


Here is the scar 3 weeks after surgery. Check out how high I can raise those arms!?

Gabe and John's Wedding- West side of the State

The party left the farm on Wednesday and drove toward Whitefish/Kalispell. Each car going took supplies as well as friends who flew in. My ride consisted of great conversation and radio karaoke to the best of our abilities. I dropped off my riders and met with my extended family at my brother Scott's house. There was a celebration of milestone birthdays, anniversaries, and engagements. We then were treated to a fabulous dinner in Jamaican style chicken and goat. It was great.

That evening, it was decided that there would be a bachelorette party and a make-shift bachelor party. Most of the family and friends were staying at the Haymoon Lodge and resort. Both groups found themselves in Whitefish eventually, dancing to bar music and sharing stories over drinks. I found myself staying out with my cousins and sibling as the last car. We shared more stories and it was great just to be together as family. We got in late, but were ready to attack the tasks facing us in the day ahead.

We woke up Thursday and tents were delivered to be set up. There were flowers to be arranged and tables and chairs put in place for the rehearsal dinner. I was also assigned the task of practicing music for the service. My sister-in-law Kirsten, did an amazing job arranging and organizing music. We practiced for multiple hours, and it was fun playing with others for a change. In the mid-afternoon, we held the rehearsal just in the resort under the tents, and were able to move through it with limited interuptions.

Afterwards there was some fribee, croquet, and bocce ball that was played before the food arrived for the dinner. We were treated to great tex-mex and home brew provided by my father and brother. After the dinner, my sister and her groom asked if I would M.C. the toasts and stories/speeches. I happily agreed. I was able to tell stories, hand the mic over to others and even auctioned off a hat from Two Dot in the middle where the proceeds went to the happy couple. I was complimented on my auctioneering skills, although I don't know if I had ever done an auction before.

As we wrapped up the festivities, people found their way to the hot tubs, firepit and a few still tried to eek out the ends of croquet with the waning sunlight. Eventually the hot tub was cleared out, and the fire was put down as we knew we had another night of festivities after the wedding.


The day of the wedding, everyone was treated to a fabulous pancake breakfast provided by John's grandparents. All the visitors were invited to attend, and upon clean up, all the visitors helped set up for the reception. The tables and chairs from the night before were brought out of the pavillion and placed under tents. The table cloths were put out with a little help from an MIT grad engineer, who was able to teach a few a folding pattern that allowed for the white to not drag on the ground. The napkins needed to be folded and the party favors set out. A group of us found that our skill was more needed in moving picnic tables from around the resort.
Once that was finished, everyone went to their own ways and prepared for the wedding. I drove to the wedding with my parents and the bride and groom. We got into the park, and I always feel a sense of belonging at Glacier. I knew that I would only be there a short time, but wanted to soak up as much of the mountain air as I could.

We parked and prepared the amphitheater for the service as my sister and John had their photos taken. I was able to run through the music one last time and then the crowd came. John had written most of the service and it was great. Most people laughed and cried, and you can't ask much more from a wedding. Afterwards, some people chose to take a dip in the ice fed lake, and others skipped rocks and took a slow drive back to the resort.

We stopped to take a few photos and were able to make it back in time for the food to be delivered. The dinner was great. A veggie lasagna was the highlight for me, but I remember all the food was great. For dessert, my cousin who is a pastry chef, made 18 pies. Three types: rosemary infused honey apple, raspberry peach and mixed berry. They were amazing!



The reception also had a live bluegrass band. My family loves string music and the dance floor was well used by the end of the night. I loved it. I tried to dust off all of my jitterbug (western style) moves that I could come-up with from high school days, and was able to dance with the girls from the east coast effectively.

As the music was ending, some of the guests brought out sparklers and lit them on the dance floor. After some panicked screaming and quickly shuffling the party outdoors, we were able to have all of the crowd with at least one sparkler greet the bride and groom. It was awesome.

After the dancing ended, it was another night of hot tubs and fires. Everyone had a great time and the festive spirit died hard. The latest to bed were around 4:30am and we had to check out of the resort by 10:00am the next morning.
The next morning most people went to the park for a hike. I drove friends to the airport and took care of some loose ends for the wedding. I was able to return to the resort and eat dinner with most of my mother's siblings. It was a great time to chat about the future with them. I then went back to the resort, play a board game, said my goodbyes and headed for my brother's house. I left at noon the next day after saying goodbye to my immediate family and drove back to Oregon. This would be the extent of my travels this summer as I had to get back to prepare for a different type of big adventure.

The picture below is one of my favorites. It is of most of my aunts on my mother's side of the family. I feel like the smiles tell a lot about how the weekend went.

Summer 2011 -Gabe and John's gathering- Farm style

I flew in from LA late on the 22 and decided to take off for Montana the next day. I did laundry in the morning and was out of the door by 11:00am. I drove my Honda with the hopes of getting to the farm in a straight shot. I enjoyed the drive through the gorge, but when I hit Spokane, I hit rush hour and construction. It took me an hour to get through the city. I stopped in Coeur 'd Alene for some Thai food and kept driving. I decided at the Montana border, that I probably didn't want to get home at 2am, so I called my cousin and was able to stay on Nate's couch. It was nice to catch up with him, as I hadn't seen him for 2 summers, and it was a brief visit then.
I woke up early the next morning, said farewell to the cuz, and then took off for the farm. I was greeted by Dad, John and Gabe. We talked for a little while and then tried to get some work done. I grabbed a weed eater to help beautify the yard. That afternoon, we drove to my uncle's farm and met up with some aunts and uncles and a few cousins. We walked out to the reservoir which was full due to the spring rains, and left the yard after a short visit.
The next day, my cousin Dylan came over and John, Gabe, Dylan and I mowed and beautified the entire yard.

That day, more family came by for visiting and laughter.
John and I on Saturday were on a mission to go to Great Falls to pick up pants for me, 3 friends from the airport, get me a haircut and get some printing done. We were able to pick up the pants for $4 at a thrift store quickly and we were sure something else would go wrong, for how right that turned out. The next task was trying to find a barber open in Great falls on a Saturday. We searched with my phone and drove by 5 places that were all closed. Finally we found one near a grocery store that was open. John was able to do some grocery shopping as I got my hair cut by a surly old man who swore about his granddaughter and schools. Very interesting. We were set up nicely to go pick up the friends from the airport(from Baltimore and Atlanta), and were able to take them to the sip and dip, dinner at McKenzie River Pizza and a view of the Great Falls flowing full force before we took off for the Fort Benton celebration.
We pulled into Fort Benton and found Gabe quickly. I had friends from high school there and was able to meet up with many old friends. It was nice to spend some time with a crowd and watch fireworks.

The next day was my sister's reception in our yard. We had a beautiful day, but the wind was a dampener of spirits. There were about 100 relatives and towns people that came out for a potluck, visiting and games. The hit was cross-country croquet, with hills and trees laid out as obstacles. My father showed John and Gabe the table that he was making for their new home and we had a great family photo, complete with cousins from the Czech republic.

The next day, we took tables and chairs back to town and toured Geraldine with the East coast guests. We then made our way out to my uncle's farm for a tour of the prairie. We took two truck loads of family and guests to seashell hill, our reservoir, teepee rings, and the Missouri River Breaks. A group of 7 of us went on a hike in the breaks. We were able to see many prairie flowers, a rattlesnake, sandstone (with active erosion) and almost stepped on a grouse.
We returned to the yard for a barbeque and more merriment. On the ride home, I saw something I had never experienced in all the 18 years I had lived in the country. As we drove, 9 owls took off from the side of road and flew in front of us. I had seen only 2 or 3 ever, and not on the same road on the same night. It was quite the experience. That night a few of us went out late and watched the sky. We were able to see many satellites (including a bright one I think was the ISS) and each of us saw at least one meteor.

On Tuesday, we took two truckloads (13 people) to climb the mountain in our backyard, Square Butte. The hike has no trail, and climbs about 1 mile fairly steeply.
We all made it to the top and made it down, though some of us were short of water on the return. We were able to see one mountain goat on the top.

We met the rest of our family at the Square Butte Country Club. We returned home in time for a thunder show and some wind, as we went to expel some gun cartridges at old bottles. Some of the people from Baltimore had no experience with guns and were able to shoot a few different rifles. The storm missed us and was able to give us a wicked backdrop for the evening. We packed up that evening for Glacier and we left the next morning.

Summer 2011 - LA

My summer began early as I took some time off of work and left June 17 for LA. I arrived via airplane and took the bus into Hollywood. I was picked up by my buddy John and was taken to his work to meet his co-workers, and eat some of his delicious catered lunch. I was able to regain some energy and play on some ipads. John drove me to his house and I met up with some old college friends and was able to take a shower. John had a standup show at the Improv. We all attended and watched 7 comics. John did well and held his own against some professionals. The next day, we took it easy at the house and then John took me to the theatre to see Green Lantern in 3D. I enjoyed it. John also had another standup show in east LA that night. We drove out, all got uncomfortably full at Red Robin and went to the show. For a "Bar Show" I guess it was a good show. The comediens were terrible, but they weren't paid. John was in the top two for the night easy. His set was good. We went back to the house and relaxed again for the evening.
On Sunday, we went out for breakfast, and then John and I took two French girls, who are interns at his office, to thier first baseball game.

I had never been to Dodger stadium and was excited for a Father's day baseball game. I was able to see Tony Gwynn and Tom Gordan throw out the first pitches. The game was uneventful and the 7th inning stretch confused our guests greatly. We got to see a homerun in the 8th for the only run of the game and then we drove the girls back to Hollywood. Sunday night, we went to the planetarium and were able to see a great show about the history of astronomy and what we are still learning.
Monday John took the day off work, and we went to Disneyland for 12 hours. It was great. We did califonia Adventure and Disneyland. Highlights included the world of color and the new Startours. The startours was the best 3D I have ever seen. Crazy good.
Tuesday, John went back to work, but I was able to walk to the La Brea Tar pits from his house.
I spent 3 hours walking around and chatting with people. My friend Amber from highschool picked me up and drove me to Venice beach to walk around. We hadn't seen each other for 9 years and it was great to catch up. She also took me to her house to meet her dog and see her awesome backyard. Amber then drove me to Hollywood, where I met with another high school firend, Sara for happy hour drinks. John joined us, as well as a few of her friends and we spent the night out in hollywood.
Wednesday was my last day. I had john drop me off at Hollywood so I could walk around and then would walk up to his work for him to drive me to hte airport. Hollywood is dissapointing. There are the stars in the sidewalk and there was the Chinese theatre, but there wasn't much else to look at. I felt like it was the midwest version of Hollywood, kind of a trailer park 'merica type attraction. I wish it was a little more glamorous. I then started walking toward John's work and found that the sidewalk ran out most of the way there. I found myself walking along the slope of desert brush trying to avoid the "interstate" traffic to my left. As I walked off the off ramp, I was sweaty, dusty, and felt disgusting. I walked to John's work and everyone was curious what happened to me. I looked like I was rolled in dust after I was sprayed by a hose.
I was able to stay for lunch, and was able to change my shirt before John drove me back to the airport. It was a fast trip, but I saw everything I wanted to!

Spring Break #1.

Spring Break started Friday afternoon. After a cold, wet baseball practice, I watched some of the varsity baseball game. I then returned to my messy apartment for the goal of cleaning and doing laundry enough that I could leave for a week. I continued the cleaning into Saturday morning and got ready for my vacation. I then went to Portland for a wedding and had a great time with friends. The food was fantastic and the venue was perfect size for the party and the occasion. After the wedding, I met up with my friend Daniel from college and spent a few more hours in Portland before crashing on his couch. The next day, we went to breakfast at Buffalo Gap (awesome) and took a walk in Tryon park in Portland with Dan's dog. Dan then did drove me to the airport for a late flight.
I got to the airport and just as I entered I realized that my flight was going to be delayed. My ride had already driven away so I went through security and found a place to watch basketball and get a bite to eat. I eventually found a place to sit with my laptop and watch a movie on Netflix. We boarded 2 hours late and then were stuck on the tarmac for another half hour before we took off for San Francisco.

I landed right around 10 pm and boarded the Bart to make it downtown. My friend James gave me all the info to find his place, and I made it to his neck of the city right around midnight. He walked out and met me a few blocks from his place and walked me in. He lives on a floating house. It is basically what it sounds like. It is not so much a boat, as it is just a house that floats. We stayed up talking and catching up into the wee hours of the morning. I finally fell asleep in the underwater room at about 2:30 am. James and his partner Susmita each had work on Monday so I was to meet the city on my own.

I walked out of his place and found that At&t park is right out of his door. I walked around the walk at McCovey Cove and down the Embarcadero. I had beautiful sunshine, and even with a slight sea breeze, I felt truly on vacation. I made it down about 3.5 miles to the Alcatraz tour dock and gathered information. I then decided to purchase a Citypass for $69 that included tickets for the aquarium, Academy of science, Museum of Modern Art, Legion of Honor, as well as free public transportation. I scheduled a tour of Alcatraz for 10:30 the following morning and took off for the aquarium located in Fishermans Wharf. It was a very concise tour of the Western coast but some pretty neat tanks that you walk through.

I then started walking down the street, looking for food and a better view of the Golden gate bridge. As I kept walking, I decided that I would end with a walk across the bridge. I was hungry, as I only had a banana and a peice of toast earlier in the day. I finally arrived at the Chrissy fields, part of teh goldent Gate Park system,adn enjoyed the green spaces. I walked further and was inticed by signs taht offeren food at a warming hut .5 miles away from the bridge. I finally made it to the hut and ate a nice salad with some water and a coffee. I then was refreshed and able to walk across the bridge. I recommend the walk. It was neat to see the ocean and had amazing views of the city. I then was able to hop a bus to get back to the north beach area to meet up with my buddy James. I changed busses and made it to happy hour at a bar called Kennedys. It was a great small pub with reasonably priced beer and a killer bartender. Attached, is an Indian restaurant. my friend James, who is Irish, and his girlfriend, who is Indian, claim the bar/restaurant were invented for them. It was great.

We then continued down the street and found the bar Vesuvio. It was a nice small bar with lots of photos of San Francisco, and a big emphasis on Jack Kerouac. We enjoyed another drink and then hailed a taxi back to the floating house. We cracked open the Trivial Pursuit and made it through the game with lots of laughter and stories. We played a quick bananagrams and then went to bed.

The next day, I woke up late, and ate another small breakfast. I enjoyed a quiet morning and then took off for Alcatraz. As I left the house, I was greeted by sunshine for a second day and enjoyed a nice walk by the water. I jumped on the Muni to make my trip a little faster and made it to the alcatraz dock a half hour before my departure. People watching was great. We finally boarded the boat and made it to the island.

I really enjoyed my time on the island. I was met by rain and it set the tone for a depressive Shawshank redemption type environment for a tour of the rock. I spent much of my next 2 hours in the cellhouse and took an audio tour.

The other parts of the island were mostly off limits for bird nesting, but I was able to snap some photos and watch some videos. I made it back to the city adn decided I will try adn see the legion of honor. I needed lunch as it was 2:15 and I had not eaten that day. I found a small cafe and enjoyed a quiet lunch.

I studied the map of the buses and realized there was no direct route to the legion. I took a historic cable car, walked around china town, switched buses, and found myself near the legion around 4:45. The museum closed at 5:15 so I basically ran through the rooms of the gallery and found the Rodin sculpture room the best. In the basement, the artifacts from Egyptian and Roman empires were very cool as well.

As the museum closed I realized that I was on the same side of the city as Haight/Ashbury. I decided to make my way down there. Teh ride by the Golden Gate park was nice, and the ride along haight justified my skeptisim that it had become a corporate area. I exited the bus after I thought I had missed the intersection and realized I was directly under the street signs. I took my photos and then ducked into a crepe shop to escape the rain. I bought my only souveniers of the trip in teh form of 4 buttons from a small shop.

I then tried to figure out what was the one landmark my generation would love to see. The key to pop culture in the 90's...DANNY TANNER'S HOUSE!

I made my way to Alamo park and was able to snap a photo of the Full house facade before the rain chased me back into the buses. I made my way back to the floating house for dinner and braved the rain. I scared one man who thought I was following him, and after he changed sides of the street, I did as well. I was not intentionally trying to frighten him, but I figured telling him that would only freak him out. I made it back in time to enjoy a fabulous pasta dinner at the house. My feet began to hurt, so I iced them and took some pain killers. Perhaps the 10mile walk in bad shoes the day before helped in causing me the discomfort. James, Susmita and I enjoyed listening to music and chatting about life and our generation again that night. James introduced me to an HBO series called Bored to death which I truly did enjoy.

Wednesday, I started with a run along the Embarcadero. I was not sure how my feet would fair with the rough shape they were in the night before. I left the house at 9:00 and got back at 10:00am. I ran through the shower to get to the ballpark for a 10:30 tour. I made it, barely, and was still recovering when we started walking around the stadium. Our tour guide was awesome, an old man who remembered watching Willie Mays, with great knowledge of the game. He was like a kid as his eyes lit up talking baseball with other fans. it was mostly a tour of luxury suites and pressboxes, but the highlite was certainly the Giants dugout. Very fun.

I then made it on the N Muni out to the California Academy of the Sciences. I alloted 2 hours for the musuem so I could return to downtown and see MOMA. The musuem was great about Africa, Madagascar and the Gallapagos. It also did a great job of exploring the rainforest and the ocean. I enjoyed it greatly. The strangest realization, was that all of the good looking women were pushing strollers and talking to toddlers. I realized they were not teachers but mothers. I was attracted to new mothers more than anyone! I AM OLDER! Can it be? College girls are too young and late 20 early 30 somethings were all mothers! oh man.

I then took the Muni back downtown to catch the Musuem of Modern art but was thwarted in my effort becuase it was not open only on Wednesdays. I toured the giftshop and looked through the books to get a sense of what I was missing. I then found a bar around the corner for a happy hour and rested my weary feet.

I met up with James as he got off of work and went shopping for groceries and dessert. We invited my aunt and uncle from Santa Clara for dinner, and Susmita graciously offered to make Indian food. it was amazing. We then played board games and laughed the night away. I then parted ways with James and Susmita and rode iwth my aunt and uncle to their home.

January 2011

I started the year in the state of Illinois surrounded by my family. All of my siblings, their spousal units, nephew and my cousins, aunt, uncle, grandmother, and friends. We had a great celebration. The next day, I met some extended family and was able to add to my family tree as well as put some faces to the names that had been floating around in my mind. As I traveled home, I thought of what a rich vacation I had been having.
My students and I finished our semester strong. The failure rate was lower than in years past, and I felt like we had a good energy flowing. Best story of the month, Friday night of MLK weekend, stayed out late, was invited out Saturday but crashed early, but Sunday was the kicker. I was called by my buddy in Portland and agreed to meet him. I had driven less than 10 miles when I saw a car on the side of the road with flashers going. As I saw it, I thought, "I hope I don't do whatever that car did." As I thought that, however, I felt the car ram the passenger side front tire into a giant pot hole and then slowly deflate. I pulled over. I was blessed in the fact that the torrential downpour of the previous three days had ended and I was able to look at stars. I also had a tarp in my trunk to lay on as not to get muddy. As I wrapped up changing the tire, a policeman came by to check on me. He told me I was the third car that night to flatten a tire. I drove 2 miles to the next town turned around and drove back toward home. I decided not to continue to Portland with a donut. As I passed near the pothole, 7 other cars had their flashers on and were pulled over. ODOT came and patched it that night. As I returned to mac, I hit another pothole and felt the donut lose air. I was able to coast into a parking lot at the edge of town and walked home. The next morning a buddy helped me haul my tire to Les Schwaub and I was able to change the tire back to a full size, fully inflated tire. As I finished and threw everything in my trunk, I also put my keys in the trunk. I then got a ride back to my apartment searched for the super, called the office in Salem and was able to be keyed into my place to get my spare key to the car.
I was the girls basketball announcer at the high school this season and had fun doing that. I also joined an adult choir and practiced with them once a week. It was a great release. On January 31, I joined a gym to try and get into shape.

Christmas 2010

I am writing this mostly as a journal entry for myself but if anyone cares to take a look into the world of my holiday travels you are more than welcome to read along. I exited the school on the 17th of December at about 4 o' clock. I had submitted my grades for the last grading period and then was out to celebrate the holidays. I hung out with friends Friday night and made it back to my apartment in time to enjoy holiday movies and drink warm tea and eat the end of my cookies.



Saturday morning I woke up early and drove to my friends house to go for a hike. They live in the coast range and as I turned the corner to get near their house, the snow began to fall and it was a beautiful start to my morning. My car tires were spinning out on the road, but I made it to their house safely. We took off hiking in the beautiful falling snow and walked through the woods. We saw many animal tracks and spent the morning in a winter wonderland.



I then returned to my apartment and cleaned it from top to bottom. Saturday night I wathced more holiday movies in anticipation of my travelling to see family the next day.



Woke up Sunday and I went out for breakfast. Just me, a cup of coffee, a news paper and a great amount of food. My friend came to pick me up around 1 and drove me to Portland. We walked around downtown for a while, entered Powell's books, walked through the lobby of the Hilton and played "Is this a good idea." She then dropped me off a the train station and I was only there for about one hour before the full trail left from the station.



I sat in my chair and started my book for the vacation. After Vancouver I went to the Lounge car, charged my phone and read more. As we steadily passed through the gorge and into Eastern Washington, I steadily turned page after page of my book and made great headway. I took out my laptop and played some solitare when my eyes needed a rest from the page turning. I stepped out of the train in Spokane, went through the station among sleeping passengers, luggage, and empty shops. I found a restaurant open that served pancakes and hashbrowns. Three dollars later, I ate my food back on the platform in 0 degree weather before reboarding and watching Youtube clips on my cellphone. I did fall asleep after we started moving but only for a few hours. I was awakened with a stiff back and cold shoulders. I moved back to the lounge car and proceeded to finish my book amidst intermitten sleeping periods.



I arrived in Whitefish around 8:30 am and was greeted by my brother in weather teetering around zero. He drove me to his work and then I proceeded to his house where his wife and son awaited my arrival. This is the first time I had met my nephew. At 7.5 weeks old, he spends much of his time in Mom's arms, getting carried up steps, getting moved through the air and also being fed.....every 2 hours. I enjoyed my time conversing with my sister-in-law and spending time around the baby.



Through the next few days we stayed at their house, with a tree, a fire and family. It was beautiful. We did go to dinner at a neighbors house and had a great time shopping for out upcoming road trip.

We then took off for the farm where I grew up. We made it in the late afternoon and were greeted by my parents as well as my Mother's sisters family. We ate a feast, and then retired near the fire for conversation.

The next day we went to my uncle's farm and skated on the reservoir. We had to spend about an hour pushing away the 5 inches of powdery snow, trying to make enough room to skate around. We hit around hockey pucks and rediscovered how to skate on frozen water. We had a blast. I then stayed over with my cousin to play pinochle with family before dinner. After dinner we played a group game of taboo with lots of cookies and laughter.

On Christmas Eve, we woke up and celebrated by opening our presents. We all then ate a great brunch and played games througout the afternoon. We then went to an evening church service and I was able to see some of my old friends. Although breif, it was great to meet a new baby, hug old teachers, and check in on family friends.

We then stayed up late playing games.

Xmas day. I woke up and helped cook a great breakfast, then proceeded to go x-country skiing through our yard(s). It had warmed up to around 40, and I was in a long sleeve tee shirt and did not use gloves. It was a beautifully sunny experience and made me long for more sunshine and winter sports in Oregon. As I returned to the house, my cousin and mother were beginning to build a snowman. They had great snow for it and used lots of accessories. There was some unsure participants when we brought up the idea of innertubing behind the pickup, a snowy tradition, but luckily most everyone decided to go. We had too much fun getting sprayed in the face going 25 miles an hour behind a pickup and rolling off giggling into snowbanks.

We got back in time for a delicious duck dinner. We all stuffed our bellys and played games and enjoyed each others company as the evening came and turned to night. We watched a few X-mas movies and everyone slowly dispersed packing for the next travel phase of the break. I am leaving for the Chicago area in the morning. I will be driving with my parents, sister in law and nephew. Aunts, Uncles and Cousins were all returning home and I am just recently the last one up. I have filled my winter cup but cannot wait to see my other siblings and aunts, uncles as well as my only living grandparent. We are gathering for New Years and it should be a great ending to my year. Merry Christmas and Peace to you all.

The Rogue

From the Wallowas, I was home for one night before taking off for a 5 day trip on the Rogue river. A group of 10 of us with 3 gear boats and a paddle raft departed Almeda campground near Grants Pass. On the first day we were treated to Osprey and Eagles as well as Turkey vultures as we got on our way. We floated through the first few miles and got out to spot Rainie Falls. Two boats took the middle shoot which was of slightly more difficulty. The paddle raft and our other boat took the fish ladder. We went a few more miles to Whiskey Creek and pulled off for the night.

We had a great night with delicious food and appetizers and lots of fun with cards and conversation. We decided to leave fairly early the next morning and moved along the river. A perfect day led us to Battle Bar and we pulled off the river for a delicious Mixican night. Margaritas, Fajitas and chips and dip were the treats of the night, as well as an impromptu dance party in a shelter just up the trail from our camp. We stayed at the camp for one day. We all slept in and then decided to cross the river and hike to Zane Grey's Cabin. We then hiked back to the boats, grabbed lifevests, and headed up river about a mile and a half. 7 of us decided to jump in the river and float back down to the boats. It was great.
That night after a delicious chili, we relaxed playing cards and watched a bear across the river catch a fish.

We took off early the next day with the goal of putting lots of water under our oars and reaching Tate creek. As we began, we spooked a black bear from the edge of the river and watched it rush up through the bush. We then scared another, and another, ...and just when we thought we wouldn't see any more, a Mom and two cubs slowly made their way away from the water and into our view. We stopped at the ranch near Mariel and then moved on to Blossom Bar. It was flawless. All of us made it through like champions and then floated the rest of the way to camp. At camp, the males walked up the trail to a waterfall/natural water slide and each took our turn feeling the cold rush of the water. When we returned we preformed one of the most importatnt tasks ever, cheap beer taste off. The winners: Tecate and Pabst. I thought I loved Coors, now I know that I should be drinking Pabst. We again played cards until the light went away.

The next morning we awoke to the sound of a bear eacting blackberries on the opposite side of the river. As we watched, a cooler came floating down the river. It had been preceded by a few peices of debris that we were not able to identify. We jumped in our partially deflated paddle raft and gave chase. We were able to recover the cooler and brought it back to our beach. A dam had breached up river and the river level rose. We were lucky enough to be warned by boaters the night before, but a camp was not so lucky.

We then packed and took it easy on the way out. It was a great trip on the river with no hiccups. The group was close, the food and drinks were incredible and the water treated us right. It was a very laid back crew and trip.

We saw river otters, 5 bald eagles, 12 bears (3 cubs), deer, osprey and turkey vultures. There were also numerous jumping fish. We were also treated to meteors every night. I saw at least 5 each night. It was incredible seeing the sky with nothing to pollute it. We even had a new moon to boot. I forgot how full of stars the night sky is. The entire sky has light in it, and the milky way is an absolute full band of light that fills the middle of the sky. I slept in my sleeping bag everynight without shelter and was as content as any 5 nights of my summer.

Last day in the Wollawas

I woke up at 7 and boiled some water for tea and warm powdered goats milk. I ate my breakfast and packed up camp. I filled my camel back and two Nalgenes and was on the trail by 8.
I decided to hike down West Lostine river, and that meant that I would need to climb up over a pass. I made it to the ridge at 8:40 and was down to the other side by 9:15. I walked along the bank of Miniam lake and was impressed by the size and beauty. I passed a few hikers that all made mention that I had made it an early start. The silence of the trees and the singing of the birds entertained me for most of my journey. As I approached the end of the lake, a couple that had just finished bathing were dressing and caught slightly off guard by me, the silent single hiker. I would not have noticed except that they audibly reacted to me. They were fully clothed, but just barely.

I then decided that I wanted to hike at a pretty fast clip, just to see how fast I could hike. I moved my sleeping pad to a more strategic location on my pack and started moving. I made it to copper creek trail and saw a family there at 10:33 and was at my car by 11:25. I was alone in the parking lot and actually found a beer in my trunk that I had forgot about. The best part is that it had stayed cold from the chill of the night before and not having direct sunlight on it. A COLD BEER! I changed clothes and snacked a bit as I cleaned my car. A few forest service workers came along and asked me about my trip. It was nice to have a conversation. I drove into Joseph to wait for my friend to come out of the wilderness.

I walked around downtown and looked at the little shops. I then drove over by Wollawa lake and found a public park/swimming area. At the park there were many families, sunbathers, a woman playing her guitar softly on a picnic blanket, and a group of high school kids swimming with inflated innertubes. I soaked my feet for a good thirty minutes and then went back to town. I then sat outside the bowling alley and watched a movie on my laptop as I borrowed their wi-fi network in the shade of their building. I then found a small bakery and ate a cookie and found that they had live music in the evening.

I went back and forth between town, the lake, Chief Joseph's grave, and snoozing for most of the afternoon. As the sun began to go down, I decided to go to the lake and enjoy it at dusk. I played my guitar in the stillness and had one audience member. An old man took a folding chair into the water and listened to me as he drank a beer.

I then went back to town and listened to the live music from 8-10. At ten I drove by where I picked up the book and my friend Talia was there. They were finishing up a bbq. I was given a plate of food and I shared with all present my dino bones and other rocks from my travels. As I went to leave, they invited me to stay in the bunkhouse. It was nice to have a mattress for the first time in over 25 days. I hung out with the forest service workers and it was like being amongst my brethren. I wish I could have spent more time there.

I woke up early and started by drive back home. I stopped in Portland to visit my friends and have food. I finally got home at around 6 pm for the first time since June 28. What a great vacation.

Backcountry Poetry

Morning Hike

Watching the sun paint the peaks in sunlight on an early morning hike. Trying not to be in teh direct beams yourself. It acts as almost a spotlight, illuminating the beauty of the moment. Finally it pours upon you, but it is okay, the amazing show is over and now that the house lights are up, you see you are among flowers , surrounded by trees and amid beautiful rocks.

Backpacking thoughts

There is a time while backpacking that the listlessness and the excited nervous enegy is over. you pack feels like an infinite weight, sweat is everywhere letting you know of any cut, scratch , welt, and abrasion, stinging its hello.
At that moment you wonder if you packed two Christmas hams or any other food you could magically eat and make the pack light again. no dice. Would you trade that moment? Not I.

Mosquitoes

The meadows in a glaciated valley are so quiet and so pure. The green is what suburbanites dream their lawn will look like, but they will never achieve it. The squeaking of ground squirrels lets you know you are not alone, even though you have not seen a human for a few hours. All at once you realize you have sat down and removed your pack to rest. you sit and drink in the surroundings. you sit on a rock and lean your pack against it. Maybe if you eat, the load will lessen. flies and mosquitoes buzz around you not biting, but checking you out. Two or three finally bite to keep you awake and you are up and on your way.

Eagle Cap Day 2

8-3-10

I woke up at 7:00 to an alarm but stayed in the tent until 8pm. I at a breakfast of granola and powdered goats milk. I consolidated my bag, filled water, and was on the trail by 8:37. As I approached the ridge, there was a group of high school kids with one advisor sliding in a snow field. I hike past them and watched them hike up and slide down a few times as I took breaks on the steep slope. Once I hit the ridge at 9:15, I figured it would be easy sailing. It was gorgeous. I had a great view of the valley I hiked the day before and I was able to see all glacial features that I cover in my classroom. I really wished at that moment that some of my students were there to see. I hit the summit at 10:00. I stayed on top, and read my book, ate some snacks and watched some birds until 11. I then took a long break on the ridge looking south. As I continued down, I then found another group coming up the trail. They asked me a few questions and it turned out they were a high school group and they had me do a quick geologic interp for the group. It was nice.

I made it home by noon nad then I tried to get some sun and do a crossword puzzle. I finished my book as well. After I had overheated I crawled into my tent and slept until 3 then I decided to explore the meadow at upper lake. I walked to a waterfall and then layed in a bit of grass in the meadow. I looked around and found that there were shooting stars everywhere. The flowers are one of my favorites. I then put my feet in the lake and looked at the clouds. I hadn't played "what does that cloud look like" in a long time, but I really enjoyed it.

At 4:00 I went back to camp and took another nap. I slept until 7. I woke up and ate dinner. I had aquired two neighbors and one chose my same grove of trees. I watched the sky turn colors and just enjoyed being in the backcountry. I then stowed my pack and almost lit a fire to pass the time, but instead decided to write some poetic thoughts. I then went into my tent and slowly fell asleep.

Eagle Cap Wilderness Day 1

On August 1st, I drove from Boise to Joseph and arrived around 4pm. I found the hurricane trailhead, suggested to me by my friend who was the ranger and also found a campground nearby. I debated hiking in, but I had no map. I decided to wait until 8 am and visit the ranger station and then hike into the mountains. I went back to Joseph and tried to find Wi-fi. I found it outside the bowling alley. Why the lanes have it, I wasn't sure. Just as I was ready to leave, I decided to call my friend one more time. She answered and told me that she had just returned from the wilderness. We met up in Joseph for a drink and dinner. After catching up, she told me that she would recommend a different trail. She said that if I hiked up the hurricane creek trail early for about 3 miles, there are great sites, and then I can drive to the Two pan trailhead and hike into the lakes Basin.
She told me to follow her back to her place and grab a map and book. We went to a local grocery and I bought two disposable film cameras. She led me to the Forest Service bunkhouse and told me that when I get out of the wilderness, I can come back and drop off the book.
I drove to the hurricane campground and then set up my tent and pack by headlamp.

I woke up at 6 and got to the trailhead by 6:50. For whatever reason I felt like running. I ran the first mile of the trail and then any uphill section after that. I made it to Slick Rock by 7:42 and then back by 8:35.

I drove through Enterprise on my way to Two pan trailhead, and got duct tape and jolly ranchers. The road construction slowed me down, but I started walking by 11:20 and stopped at 12:00 for lunch. I made it to Lakes Basin by 2:50 and realized I had forgot ropes. I finally set my pack down at 3:00. I set up at upper lakes and watched a group swim in a waterfall as I snacked on trailmix and jerky.

I took a nap from 4-6 then walked around Upper and Mirror Lake. I chose well. Mirror Lake was like a city. There were tents every 10 feet, and i had a grove of trees at upper lake to myself.

I finally cooked dinner at 7:15, but made too much. I had been laughing about fires in the backcountry, but actually made a fire to burn my leftovers. It helped with the mosquitos as well. I read my book and then went to bed at 9:00.

Last day and trip to Boise.

There was a group of people going to a seperate dig site and camping out for the weekend, so there were some early morning goodbyes and then decided it was too muddy to hit the hill. Three of us walked around the gift shop adn picked out some posters, and found out that they were sold out except for the display. I bought them to put in my classroom. We did get up the hill for afew hour in the morning. I had the three of us work on trying to pedestal a few bones so that could get field certified intermediate, but a staff memeber came up and told us to work on something else. It is not the end of the world. We spent the last hour doing paperwork and mapping on the hill and I showed my co-workers how to take some readings.

At lunch I said goodbye to a couple others that were leaving for Denver, and then went back to the hill. In the afternoon, we finished our paperwork, and tried to take out some of the bones that had been photographed and mapped. I destroyed two of them that had been exposed to the weather. We were able to glue most of them back together, and I am happy that my co-workers were patient with me.
We wrapped up on the hill and then I went and broke the bank in the gift shop. My classroom will be fun next year.

I went back to my campsite and packed up my gear, but left my sleeping bag in my tent. I then drove into town and played cards, showered and ate at the intern house. I stayed up fairly late, and then woke up early Saturday.
I drove 4 hours to Jackson and had lunch with a friend from college. I chatted for a few hours and then headed to Boise. I was angered again at the lack of camera. There were moose and deer on the road as well as gorgeous views of the Tetons. The amazing sunset near the end of my drive made me happy as well.
Currently I am in my buddy John's house and doing a load of laundry before leaving tomorrow for Joseph, OR for a 3 day backpacking trip in the Wollawa and Eagle Cap Wilderness.

Thursday

On Wednesday, the water cooler we put in the back of the SUV leaked. I had my camera on teh floor of the back of the vehicle. For the morning, my camera was not doing well. In the dry, hot environment, by the afternoon it was working a little better, and was working perfectly in the evening. I took some photos of the moon over my tent, and then ran out of battery power. I tried to charge my re-chargable batteries, and put them back in, but the camera did not work. I also took a co-workers batteries and put them in the camera, and it still didn't work. I am pissed.

Thursday morning it rained so the roads were impassable. Our boss told us he had a project that needed done for a while. We were to dust all of the exhibits that are behind glass. The first 1/2 of the museum tour is a walk through time. It starts at the Pre-cambrian and goes to the Triassic. There were a couple dozen cabinets that had fossils in them and glass shelves that needed dusted. We got to hold all of the fossils that most can't and took some fun photos. I didn't because my camera broke! Luckily I have friends that will share. The afternoon we went up to WBS and tried to continue to pedestal.

After work, my friends decided that we should go to dinner. Some of them were leaving Friday and it would be our last night together. We all went to Butch's place in kirby and all six of us ate a buffaloe burger with cheese. It was delicious. We stayed chatting at the table until they closed. I then went back to the intern house and watched a video.

I asked my boss about getting an intermediate field certificate, but he said it would only happen if he watched me plaster something. Right now, there is nothing ready. We shall see. I did get basic certification today. At least I won't walk away empty handed.

Day 14

Today, five of us went to WBS to try and pedestal and remove some bones that were in the quarry. Each of us took a seperate place and dug. I broke a bone into 7 different peices that were smaller than my hand, so I had a puzzle to put together early in the day. As I dug, I continued to find small fragment after small fragment and stopped my digging in case they were related. I literally could pick up two rocks and one of them had a frag. As I fought the bones, my coworkers found teeth of Sauropods and Therapods. After lunch we came back up and asked our boss to come and take a look. He told me that half of my pieces weren't that big of a deal and I could keep them, but a few looked like bones to keep. I labeled many and was not able to remove any, but I cleaned up my side of the quarry very well. Tonight I am going to a fellow volunteers house for dinner and conversation. I am excited about it. Tomorrow is my second to last day, and I may get certified in the field. Tomorrow evening we are going to barbeque together and then paint some signs late at night. Friday may be a shortened day and a few people are taking it off. I can't believe that I only have 2 days left. I love this work.

You can see how far you are moving each day. It sometimes is hard to see how far you have made a dent in the big picture, but it is satisfying to know that you are making progress toward your goal everyday. I enjoy the work and could see me getting into this work in the future. I have loved the workers here and appreciate every opportunity given me here at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center.