Mount F***ing Herman

I was breathing hard.

We'd been scaling the boulder-field for what seemed like hours, slipping and grappling our way to the top. Already we'd hiked around 2 miles at the base of the mountain, and now, even though this hike was only three-quarters what we did down there, I felt like dying. My hip hurt, I was sweaty, and the lack of oxygen was screwing with my brain, making my say intelligent things like; "What?! 1/10th of a mile?!! It was 3/10ths of a mile 10 minutes ago!!!! I thought we were supposed to be getting closer to this thing!

Yes indeed, my reputation as a geographer was getting shakier every minute I spent gasping at the dry alpine air. And for what?! What would make me do such a stunt on an other-wise beautiful Sunday?

For a geocache. For those of you who are out of the loop a geocache is like a treasure-hunt, with a GPS. You plug in the coordinates of the cache, (usually a small ammo-box) and go find it. Miles turn to feet, and soon you must get out of your car to find the elusive, often buried, sometimes stashed amongst rocks, cache. You sign the log book, take out a small trinket such as an eraser, magnet, or PEZ dispenser and replace the trinket with one of your own. (for more info www.geocaching.com)

That's what I, and six other people were after that day. Already we had 3 caches under our belts and we would pursue 6 others before the day was done, but this was by far the toughest.

We made it to the top, where a cold wind greeted us. This was Mount Herman, it was the nearest mountain to the town below, and overlooked the whole valley floor. Although no easy feat to hike to the top, it was also an accessible mountain by car, you could drive the dirt road easily in a car, though the hike itself left much to be desired in the 'easy' category. The cache itself was a small green bucket full of all kinds of treasure. We signed the logbook, left a cell-phone charm and took a toy jeep; and then turned around and headed back down. There was a storm rolling in and we got what we came for.

Later on, after dinner and on our 8th cache of the day, my husband wanted us to traverse a field at a brisk run to beat the other group to find the cache. His friend and I gaped at him, weary and incredulous that he would even ask us to think about anything other than a slow meandering walk at this time of day (and I may add, a margarita down).

Greg was serious.

So were we.

Finally his friend staggered over on shaky legs and dramatically pointed his finger in his face. "You listen to me," he rasped. "I just climbed up Mount F***ING Herman today," now he stabbed his finger towards the tall mass of rock looming on the mountain range, "and there will be NO RUNNING!"

I couldn't have said it better myself. A toast to Mount F***ing Herman and a damn fine day.

Lack of things to do

So now that the school semester is over and I'm officially graduated, I've found something interesting going on; I'm going nuts for the lack of activities. Having had a packed schedule now for 5 years or more, I find that to have time to do all sorts of things like scrapbook, and go hiking, and take fitness classes, etc. . . I now have no desire to do any of them. I was a much more efficient person when I was busy than I am now! I think my poor husband is hoping I'll find a career soon, for he is now my 'activities coordinator', and subjected to my crazy ideas that keep me entertained.

Luckily my reading hasn't suffered, I am mowing through books like crazy, but my blogging hasn't quite taken off like I expected. Perhaps I'll make this my own 'homework' assignment. To keep up with blogging and continueing to chronicle my life. Lacking in activities though it is. :)

Carbon Credits - The New Coal?

So, being in an environmental studies program (at least for the next day, then I graduate!) we talk about all sorts of things environmental. Some of it is rather mundane, such as conserving energy (which most of us have learned), to rather interesting ones such as carbon credits.

Carbon credits are a newer system for controlling air pollution. There are only a set amount of credits for every business in the whole world, and every business was originally alloted a certain number of credits which allow them to emit carbon up to the credits that they own (so relate it to a gift certificate, and you can only spend what you have on the card. Same deal). However, if you're an environmentally concious business, such as New Belguim Brewery, then you may not need all those carbon credits and can sell them. Carbon credits are traded much like shares on a stock market, and there will never be any more carbon credits than there are right now. As there are more businesses every year, you can see how their value is going up.

How effective will this be in controllling pollution worldwide? I have no idea, because if I were a large corporate company set out on making money; I simply wouldn't play the game. But. . .it's an interesting gift idea that was on my wish list. Should you have someone on your gift list that you may not particularly love, buy them a carbon credit and stuff it in their stocking. You're helping the environment, and it's a coal by-product. Too clever by half!

The oddness of Brussel Sprouts

Today I write about a strange subject for such a season. Brussel sprouts.

It was my original intention to have a vibrant vegetable container garden spilling forth from the third floor of my apartment, but apartment and gardening is a tricky combo, especially with vegetables. While my flowers thrived, my vegetables were less than thrilled with this strange existence, and one by one they gave up the ghost. All except for three little brussel sprouts, who, like all the other vegetables were raised from seeds, given the same loving care as the cucumbers, the peas, and the tomatoes. I was curious about brussel sprouts, not opposed to eating them, and had heard that they were a strange plant to grow in appearance and habit. I had hoped that by growing them perhaps some of the mystery would be revealed, but alas, I am more enamored and confused by them now than I ever was previously!

Upon first inspection, aside from their unwillingness to die like their other vegetable cousins, these sprouts were like many others I had seen, and I gave them their own pot. Throughout the summer, I watered and fertilized them with my other plants, expecting to see the one stalk that would show me that brussles were on their way for my dining pleasure. All summer long those three little plants thrived, alert and spunky when my petunias were drooping from the heat, crisp and cheerful when the rest of the plants were being nipped by frost in the fall. But once they each reached a certain height, there was no more growth to be seen. New leaves came and went, but the height remained the same and no signs of any brussels. Fall came and went and killed all of my flowers, so I took all the pots in, but the brussel family was still cheerfully alive, so I left that pot out on the balcony, thinking in a few more weeks it would be dead.

A few more weeks came and went and with the impending snows I was sure the brussels would be killed. My assumptions were proved wrong however as after each snowstorm, the little plants bounced back. Last week we had a severe cold snap that sent our temperatures plummeting into the negatives. This, surely would kill my brussels. Any yet though they drooped a bit at that last weapon of nature, this week they are perking up again, the only green thing to be see (Aside from Christmas Trees) for quite a ways!

So I thought I'd take a picture of my three brave stalks to share with you all, for while I still have yet to see any sign of edible vegetables, I've admired their tenacity and will to live!

I'll have to agree with people on brussel sprouts, they are a most strange little plant. :)

Back and Better than Ever

Hi All,

Well it's been nearly a year since my last post. With my senior year of school and such, I backed way off anything that didn't involve homework in my spare time. My apologies to all, but the good news is that I graduate this Saturday (the 17th) and now have the time to get back into doing this. So, I'll be reconnecting with those that used to comment and beginning to get some new stories lined up about what's been happening these past few months. Thanks for being patient, I look forward to reading all your blogs again!

~Christa

It's all about perspective. . .

CIDER

Last night, I walked quite a few blocks of downtown Denver in a blinding snowstorm to get to the bus-station. Upon arriving, my hair was frozen in strange directions and I was soaked. My fingers numb and mascara running. The bus heater was barely on, and so I continued to freeze for another 20 minutes as we drove back up the freeway.

That said - it was probably one of the prettiest things I’d ever seen in my life. The snow blew down the vast corridors of buildings, changing stop lights into fuzzy representations of colors, and falling back up into the sky on crazy air currents. One of the reasons that I was so wet and cold is because I was walking incredibly slowly, trying to watch it all even as snowflakes lashed at my eyes. Before the storm hit, I was talking to a man and he was wondering if it was better to take his break outside in the cold or inside where he works. I told him; “Outside. Even though it’s cold and overcast, it is an extraordinary day. This summer, when it is scorching hot and everyone is complaining about how they can’t keep cool, you can go back to this day and remember what it was like to be so cold that your nose lost feeling.”

I really think that people have forgotten that everything – comfortable and uncomfortable – is an experience to be embraced. Just as a snowy night in downtown may not be the perfect 70 degrees to walk in; it’s still an experience having its own ethereal beauty. When you’re too caught up with how cold you are and how strange you must look with hair frozen at right angles to your head . . . you lose sight of what’s really going on. Nature’s Snowstorm Spectacular.

Technology

Last night in class we delved into the netherworld of UNIX. From my short history with that program, I’ve decided I can live a full and happy life if I never come into contact with it again.

A DOS-like command program, the server froze time and time again, as each of us attempted to create a simple text site that stated “Welcome”. I was sent into a demented help manual that didn’t let me out and then created a whole list of files that I couldn’t delete and couldn’t get out of. My friend, Chad created a site that said:

Welcome to my website
Welcome to my website
Welcome to my website
Welcome to my website
Welcome to my website
Welcome to my website

Even though he didn’t type it that many times, that’s how it came out. As he stated “I wanted people to feel really, really welcome”. Another friend became stuck in the text editor and was unable to publish or leave that file. We were in the inner workings of hell with no escape. Even the instructor resorted to faith as he said “You have to believe it will work! What the *&!% did that do?”

We ended up having to cut off the server just to exit the program, and we ended up leaving class about 15 minutes late due to this pleasant technology trip. Grumpy, tired, and sick of typing commands, I thought to myself as I walked to catch my bus home: “What about this technology is making my life easier?!”