Badger's Den

Checkpoint
4:03 p.m. - 2007-11-19

The concert last night was a smashing success. I was happy that for the first time I had plenty of room around me and didn't have to jostle elbows.

Now I'm getting prepared for Vegas with Eugene. YEA!!!

We fly out first thing Wednesday am.

Lethargy & Nagging
9:08 a.m. - 2007-11-07

Why do I feel guilty about spending an evening just watching TV? It's not like I do it a lot, in fact it's pretty rare. Yes there's a lot to do around the manse, but there always will be.

More troubling is the lethargy that I feel and the extra pounds that persist in being permanent additions. But things are getting done. The main floor is presentable for book club next week (tho don't look in the front bedroom). I bought a new roof and gutters Monday. Got a couple loads of laundry done and cleaned the rug and floor in the living room last night.

So even though I'm not getting to the gym like I keep nagging myself to do, I am being productive.

And the state is fixing the road in front of my house including a new driveway end, flagstone retaining wall and wider sidewalk.

So bit by bit the house gains apeal.

Of course this weekend I'm heading to Wisconsin to visit my guy, even tho I'm ruining plans for her dinner/lunch to celebrate Nancy and Colton's birthdays. And I've already screwed up Thanksgiving with our plans to fly to Las Vegas.

bottom line is that Eugene trumps Mom and she doesn't like it.

In Washington State a cow fell off a 200 foot cliff and landed on the hood of a minivan. Talk about something totally unexpected dropping in.

4 Days With Eugene
8:38 a.m. - 2007-10-23

Eugene came down for a long weekend. He arrived Thursday night and left Monday afternoon. We had a relaxing weekend with bowling, hiking, watching football, having Tim and JB over for a cookout, going to JB's for a cookout and attending one of Jon & Neil's big house parties.

Mostly we spent time bonding, cooking meals together, talking and just being with each other. The weather was great with two days of sun and warmth.

We spent time on the patio late one night and considered our relationship, our future and how it looks a lot like it does now and how we're okay with that.

Now we're looking forward to our Thanksgiving trip to Las Vegas next month.

Days of Summer Still
3:38 p.m. - 2007-10-08

We're baking the leaves off the trees. With 90 degree temps all weekend, I noticed while driving around that all the trees are still green or bare. Very odd for October.

I did get out for a hike Sunday morning but even at 9am I was miserable. I did spend time with Nancy on Saturday and with JB Friday night. I helped Andy move some stuff to his apartment Saturday.

I'm trying to find my motivation for work and chores but it's not there. I was pissed because my anniversary picture was not in the company newspaper which is so typical for my I shouldn't have been surprised.

I just finished reading The Scarlet Letter for book club tonight. It was better than I expected and is a good examination of life as an outcast of an injust society.

I also finished reading Into the Wild about Chris McCandless, the 26yo who hiked into Alaska and was found dead 4 months earlier. It was a great examination of someone who chooses to live appart from society. What was amazing were all the people he touched in his life. He had an amazing power to build relationships with people.

In process is Walden and Al Gore's Assault on Reason. Al's book, while superficially is a diatribe on the neo-conservatist Bush administration, it's a good explanation on how reason can be trumped by fear and that faith is a refuge for frightened people.

The other theme of Al's book is how television has adversely affected the exchange of ideas and that reading is at the very essence of Democracy. We must inform ourselves and listent to the ideas of all to make reasoned choices. My mom commented that I have a lot of books and wondered if I read them all. I was surprised that after all these years she would have to ask me that.

My Eastern Vacation
12:25 p.m. - 2007-10-01

Back to work after my vacation out East. It was a mostly relaxing time of exploring the countryside of Northern Pennsylvania and New York State.

I spent the first weekend (9/21-9/23) in Wisconsin with Eugene. We met in Fond du Lac and Mike come up from Madison on Saturday. Here is Eugene trying to make mike laugh for the camera. Quite the challenge.

We went to the small farmers market, explored Kettle Morraine State Park where Mike was mostly car sick though Eugene was fine. Then we met up with Bob and his roommate Bob in Sheboygan for a cookout before heading back to Fondy to catch the Badger's football game at the motel.

Sunday we had breakfast and watched the Packers before I headed home.

Then Monday afternoon I set out in earnest for the East. I made it to Akron, OH where I was planning to spend the night when just before I got to the motel, the battery light came on and the headlights were getting dim. I corssed my fingers and hoped I had enough juice to make it the last mile to the motel.

The next day, my car was in the garage having the alternator replaced. And while it cost me most of a day and I spend a lovely afternoon in Akron, I consider myself fortunate that it didn't happen in the wilderness.

Tuesday about 5pm I was on the road again wondering where I could go in the next few hours. Pittsburgh. So I drove some winding roads in Ohio making my way across the Ohio River on Rt 22 and into the city.

One of the great views I've seen is coming out of the Ft Pitt tunnel with downtown Pittburgh appearing huge before your eyes. I checking into my motel on the east side of the city and grabbed dinner at a 50's style diner.

I was going to head back downtown but road construction on two routes I chose forced me to give up and go to bed. I was to find that where ever I was, I couldn't go more than a few dozen miles between construction sites.

So I visited Penn State, Scranton PA (thanks to a torrential downpour that diverted my route), the Poconos, Delaware Water Gap, Bushkill and Dingmans Falls before crossing into New York State.

Here is Buskill Falls which included a 70 foot climb down and up a canyon.

Once across the Hudson River, I crossed into Connecticut and followed the Housatonic River (below) to Great Barrington, MA.

I debated heading on into Boston but decided a day at home was more important so I heade back west. On the way I spent time in the charming town of Hudson, NY with tons of victorian homes like the one here.

The Catskill Mountains were the prettiest. The leaves were jsut starting to change. Since my plans were spontaneous, I determined my time was best spent visiting Watkins Glen, NY which I am glad I did. Situated on the foot of Seneca Lake, it is a picturesque place. Arriving at sunset, I got the following picture.

Saturday I passed through the Allegheny Mountains of western PA and scooted towards home across Ohio mananging to pass through Akron without stopping. 14.5 hours on the road (with some stops for a short hike and sightseeing) I pulled into the driveway of home sweet home.

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