Maine sunset

I'm back!

I know it's a been awhile since my last real post.  To be honest I have been a little down lately.  Traveling solo is a great and rewarding experience but it's also not easy.  Add to the inherent difficulties being siCk makes it even tougher, especially mentally. The last 5 days or so I have been really weak and achy in my joints.  Yesterday being my lowest point both psychologically and physically.  The unknown is great but also not knowing where you will be sleeping every night is hard.  The hunt for a place to stay and for optimal activities can be mentally exhausting.  Being homeless is not easy.  There are no breaks.  

The exciting newness of what I am doing has worn off.  It's more real now.  This is my life.  Homeless and alone.  Reality has finally set in.  Luckily I expected this.  I knew it wasn't going to be easy.  I will of course continue on but that unshakeable childish giddiness I had for the first leg is gone.  What I feel now is more real, more raw, more solemn.  I realize now that this is not just something to be enjoyed but something to endure.  It is Something to overcome.

I have a wonderful family back home and I miss them.  It's hard at times knowing I could be with them.  I could be making their day.  I could be giving them happiness with just with my presence but instead I just abandoned them.  I left those who I love and those who love me the most.  What I am doing is not just awesome sight seeing and adventures it is also extremely selfish.  It's hardest when I think about my grandpa and I often do.  The lakes, the fishing, the trees of New England all remind me of when I was a kid and would go up to Idaho to see him during the summer.  I wish I could be with him now.  I sometimes wish I had stayed home and spent all my time with him.  Me and my grandpa just living the retired life together :).  I want him here.  I want to be in that canoe again just him and me, floating down a mountain river like we have so many times.  Never having to assure each other that we are enjoying the trip, or say something is beautiful, because we both know that we see the world through the same eyes.  I miss him, I miss that better part of me.  The me that doesn't have to explain or justify myself.  When I am with him I can finally let go.  I know that I am with someone who knows what I know and sees what I see.

I have seen 4 new states since my last post and have been to Boston.  I'll tell those tales someday but for now I needed to vent.  I needed to let someone know that it's not all sunshine and rainbows out here.  That it's hard.  That it's a challenge.  I am not whining, however.  I embrace the adventures maturation and am excited for what this next stage will bring.  Its going to be more real, more rewarding and yes it will be hard.  But We do things because they are hard.  Because doing hard things brings growth and defines life from the ease that is death and staleness.  

I now know that i have to go harder.  I need to accomplish more and bigger things.  I am hungrier now, I simply am no longer satisfied with what i have been doing.  I need to make sure that I make this worth the sacrifice each day.  Make sure that this is worth my families void I left behind. Leave no doubt that each day is worth it.  It will be hard but as always I will not go quietly into the night.








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Test

I have sent two heavy post from my phone and they disappeared. Extremely frustrating. So this is a Ted

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Google Maps only lets you go to O so I will be starting a new map after this one

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Storm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byeGlizifvA&feature=plcp

Mistakes were made

I messed up. I am sometimes an idiot and think I can get myself out of ANY situation. Because of this I don't plan very much, hell today I didn't hardly plan at all. I guess some sick underlying part of me likes the challenge of having to adapt to an unideal situation and inhibits my ability to even plan if I want too. Did I mention sometimes I'm a complete idiot?

Today I just went where the road took me. The road gods took me to Nucomb, NY where I had some nice conversations with some locals about where I could bike in to camp. They were extremely helpful and told me Santanoni was the only place around but it was a good 5 mile bike ride in and they said the lake was beautiful... No one mentioned the weather.

It was looking a little stormy and afternoon showers had been the norm. Besides this I loaded up and headed out on the trail. Right when I headed out a girl comes out of no where behind me and says it looks like its going to storm. "Yip" I said, "but if it's anything like the last few days it'll blow over and I should beat it in too set up camp."  Apparently at some point I decided I was a damn meteorologist!

I made it to the lake in no time.  It was a smooth closed logging road and I ate it up even with about 35 pounds of gear on. I looked over the lake and immediately thought, "Holy shit!" It looked like a massive grey wall was covering half of the lake. This was no afternoon shower. Temperature dropped 20 degrees in about 20 seconds... I immediately knew shelter was priority one. I ran to the nearest camp site and hurriedly started setting up the tent. I got the tent up and got one clip of the rainfly on when me and the tent went flying. Somehow the tent caught one of the cogs on my bike and took my bike about 5 feet before settling.... I ran over to the tent and unhooked the poles so it would lay flat and flipped it over. That's when tree one went down about 20 feet away. I quickly realized I had to get down and get down now. I raced over to my pack an shoved it under a wooden bridge I had crossed to try and keep it and me dry. The wind was so hard and fast that the waves of the lake and the spray of the water began to threaten to drown me under the bridge. I couldn't stay here. I had to make a run for it. So I ran along the lake until I found some large rocks. Staying dry was impossible but I needed something to protect me from falling trees. And they were coming down... I'm not talking about hearing trees groan or go down in the distance. I am talking about seeing them go down next to me. The scariest were the ones that broke midway up and shattered like some asshole kid had stuck dynamite in a woodpecker hole. Shrapnel became a real concern. Tree burst like in band of brothers I thought and kinda smiled that little smile you do when you know your fucked but you can't help but love the rush. This lasted anywhere from 5 minutes to 30 but it didn't matter this was the longest storm of my life.

It let up enough for me to vacate my foxhole and take inventory. Somehow I had lost nothing. Only thing that saved my tent was that the ring caught the cog otherwise it would be midway up a tree. My pack was wet but could have been wetter. Trees were down all over around my bike but none landed on it. I immediately got naked and and set up my tent taking advantage of the break in wind... I was in all cotton and cotton kills. Surprisingly flipping my tent worked and most of the inside was dry. It started to rain harder so I gathered everything into the freshly set up tent. Everything was moist but my sleeping bag, pad, and change of clothes were just slightly damp. Luckily my change of clothes were wool and nylon. Wool keeps most of its insulating properties even when wet. Thanks land maggots I owe you. When I got in the tent I shook myself off the best I could in the vestibule and changed into my other set of clothes. The rain let up for a little while and I went outside.

It was decision time. Wait it out and see if it clears like a good boy scout or leave your gear take only what you need and make the quick 5 mile bike ride out without gear? Then came back the rain, this time with much more lightening in the distance... Wind had swirled. It was coming back... I didn't know how much time I had but I couldn't move my camp and there were excellent candidates for more tree fall all around. I picked up the bike and decided to take my chances... Without the gear I figured I could make it out in twice the time or even better. The lightning came in hard after about 500 yards of riding but the wind wasn't crazy. That's not to say it wasn't windy.

My smooth logger trail I had come in on had become a nightmare. Downed trees every hundred or so yards had me getting off at a running pace hucking the bike, jumping the tree and hopping back on. The lightning was everywhere and I was racing lightning for what I felt was my life. I went the fastest I ever have on a bike. It was wet and unstable but I couldn't be caught in another wind storm...

I made it to a little cabin/historical relic and am held up here. Have been for a couple hours. The storm came back but this time with an impossible amount of rain and lightning. Never seen anything like it. Less wind though. Giving me some hope I'll have a tent tomorrow when I go back in for my stuff...

I have nothing to sleep in or change into so tonight could be a tough one if this storm doesn't let me out. But I finally know I will be ok.

Looking back now I remember how the girl was out of breath when she talked to me... I remember she said its GOING TO STORM. I NOW realize this wasn't a conversation about the weather but that she had ran up the hill to warn me. I now know, why she looked so confused. I now know that I am a dumbass.

But what a ride it is ;)

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Just a little update on this story the weather let up and I was able to make it to my car.  I went to a little diner in town and asked if there were any cabins in town.  They said they didn't think there were but they offered me a place in their camping trailer nearby.  I gladly took there offer...  This trailer was disgusting she said she hadn't had a chance to clean it since they bought it and it showed.  It was pretty gross and I will spare the details.  I didn't sleep worth a damn but I was dry.  Next morning I went into the diner and basically walked into an impromptu town meeting about the storm.  I guess a couple buildings were destroyed in the area.  Everyone knew who I was and had a good time joking around about me biking off in the middle of a storm like a jackass.  

Map! It worked this time!!!

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Brown Brewing Company Albany New York

Piseco Lake

Tupper

This weekend was a tough one.  I gotta a lil drunk a couple nights and one day a lil meant a lot.  Night one was at a little bar in Piseco called the Oxbow.  It is pretty much like any other bar in a tiny semi-tourist town.  I kept myself together pretty well that night.  The next night I was at a logger festival in Tupper, New York.  I felt obligated to drink heavily in such an environment.  Part of my blend in with the locals survival strategy, but I feel I passed the locals up around 9 pm eastern time.  I cannot tell you how much I have not missed hangovers or making a fool of myself.  Bryan and I had rolled into the logger festival after having played 18 excellent holes of golf and where feeling pretty impressive already.  Then it was obviously time for some peppermint schnaps at the festival.  When you can't brush drink schnaps, its what 4/5 dentist recommend.  Fast forward past the fuzzier parts of the night and I was going for a late night jog by myself to the Trails End bar.  I never go quietly into the night.  All is well that ends well and I woke up feeling like a zombie, but I woke up where I was supposed to.  To prevent a few comments from my Mom, Grandma, and Aunt.  No driving was done during any of this.  We put some miles on our feet like responsible somewhat adults.  I apparently have learned from Mike and become a drunk jogger.  Though, my jogs are maybe a mile.  His are cross-county marathons.  Sunday, morning was rough.  But, I powered through and some water, swimming, coffee, and breakfast had me feeling human again.

Bryan's friend Austin whose cabin we were staying at in Tupper Lake, girlfriend's parents had invited us out to go boating with them.  <--Just try and figure out who was the subject in that botched sentence?  They may have been one of the coolest parents I have ever met.  They weren't all over you but they were still nice and cordial.  Everyone was adults and was treated accordingly.  They drove us around the lake and we did some wake boarding.  I haven't wake boarded in 5 years and had only been one time.  I did pretty good if I must say so myself.  Which I will.  Didn't jump the wake or throw any tantrums or anything but I was turning and crossing the wake like it was my job.  I am pretty easily satisfied when it comes to water sports.  Water is not my home.  After that we did some cliff jumping and everyone pretty much destroyed their sinuses in one jump and I cut my foot right where the strap of my sandal rubs.  Could have went without the cliffs. 

 Austin, Megan, and her parents really made the trip up to Tupper worthwhile.  Could have done without the heavy drinking ha but I am slowly learning that it doesn't do it for me.  Austin is a pretty cool guy and witty banter was the norm of the weekend.  I will never live down a couple happenings of this weekend, but they are good for a laugh and that is what counts right?  I could stay here forever, but I think I have gotten the most out of my time at Bryan's parents and the surrounding area and it is time to move on.  One small problem is that so far I have been just looking at the map and picking out green spots 5-6 hours away and going to those.  Well the northeast is all one big green spot so picking out the next destination is a little harder.  Cool part is that I should be able to do some good backpacking to lakes in this region.  I do need to buy bear-spray though.  The country has been extremely dry and the berries will likely not ripen this year so there will literally be thousands of starving bears and they are already starting to cause problems.  I didn't take a single picture in Tupper and for that I apologize.  Any comments on places to go are welcome :)

Good Luck Lake

Murphy's Law States anything that can go wrong will go wrong.  Inevitably when you come to a fork in a trail or in this case a river you take the wrong fork.  It's science.  We were heading up to good luck lake when we came to an unexpected fork in the river.  We went with the biggest option.  It was the wrong option.  When we ran across the highway again after about two miles (the mere fact that the river was supposed to be a short 1/2 mile kayak ride was not enough for us to turn around) we luckily ran into a long stretch of impassably low river, and turned around.  Worst part about turning around was we were going to have to do this terrible portage.  A tree had fallen over the river and the only way around was to go through the hole the upended tree left in the river.  Getting in and out of the kayaks in that section of river was pretty damn difficult to say the least.  We had to plop out in deep water onto the slickest mud ever.  Then drag the kayaks through about a narrow passage with said mud about two feet deep.  Between the teamwork, getting covered in mud, slipping all over the place, and our unique kayak re-entry strategies, we had some good material.  I wish I had the video rolling.

Eventually we made it to the lake and it was definitely worth the trouble.   After a trip around the lake we found the perfect camp site complete with pre-gathered firewood.  We quickly set up camp and headed back out to do some fishing.  We caught quite a few fish after figuring out where the fish were and what they wanted.  We caught sunfish, yellow perch, and pickerel.  Mostly pickerel.  So far on this trip I have caught: long-eared sunfish, redear sunfish, ozark bass, smallmouth bass,  largemouth bass, black crappie, mooneye, white drum, channel catfish, yellow perch, brown trout, rainbow trout, cut-throat trout, white bass, bluegill, and pickerel.  I think that is all the species, but I could have missed a few.  Pickerel are a pike and they have some wicked teeth.  My hands are like swiss cheese and the bigger ones cut the line with their teeth nearly every time you hook one.  That night we were able to catch three legal sized fish (over 15inches) and cook them in foil over the fire.  Pickerel are pretty tasty.  A little bit bony for inexperienced fish eaters but the meat is firm and light.  Because of the very light flavor, I definitely prefer trout but these are certainly edible.

The next morning I woke up around 5 o'clock and threw out a line.  First cast I caught a nice pickerel but he was hooked nicely in the lip so I let him go.  We caught a lot more fish that morning and it was surreal kayaking around the lake in heavy morning mist.  I caught about a 23 inch pickerel and he cut me pretty good, so I killed him for lunch.  We didn't have any foil but we started a fire and I gathered up some rocks to cook him on.  He was delicious, such a primitive and effective way to prepare fish.  After lunch we loaded up and headed back to the boat launch.

Right now we are thinking about doing some golf...  Not sure if life gets any better, but I will make it my job to try and improve :)

Good Luck Lake Cooking fish right in the fire…

 

Piseco Lake

This place still amazes me.  In the morning we went golfing because the "local" course (45 minutes away) had a deal that was too good to pass up.  It was great to get back out golfing, and hats of to be people who play well with borrowed clubs, I am not one of them.  Regardless of how bad I played it was a great course and definitely different then out west. When we got back I kind of passed out for the next two hours after doing some much needed laundry.  When I woke up we headed out on the Kayak's to go up falls stream.  This place is still hard to get used to, big natural lake, surrounded by thick green forest, and hardly anyone around.  The kayaks were a great way to explore the small shallow stream and I can now add another fish species to the list, Northern Pike.  Nothing huge, the biggest was probably sixteen inches but I caught about ten of them so that was nice.  It is always cool to see or catch a new species.  After that it was hot tub time.  Nothing like coming out of a cool lake onto a sandy beach and stepping right into a hot tub surrounded by trees.  Tough life.

Tomorrow we will be kayaking up to and the camping at Good Luck Lake, I am excited to see what else New York has in store.  I will take some pictures tomorrow to try and show you how beautiful this place is.  Wore my first long sleeved shirt on the entire trip today.  I cannot tell you how good it felt to be a little chilly after traveling through the hot, humid south.  Gotta get to sleep but if you ever get the chance to see New York just cruise past the city,  Adirondacks is where its at.
 

Travels So far

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Morgan,+UT&daddr=Moab,+UT+to:40.00671,-105.27361+to:Denver,+CO+to:39.34367,-105.25602+to:39.24196,-105.26582+to:John+Martin+Reservoir+State+Park,+Hasty,+CO+to:36.64664,-96.30974+to:Owasso,+OK+to:35.80456,-93.43181+to:36.0261,-93.26979+to:35.98091,-93.04512+to:36.056,-92.85835+to:Buffalo+Point+Recreation,+Yellville,+AR+to:Birmingham,+AL+to:Jacksonville,+NC+to:34.66759,-77.06336+to:34.69755,-76.79413+to:Washington,+DC+to:Albany,+NY&hl=en&ll=35.755428,-93.834229&spn=5.446144,12.568359&sll=39.332173,-105.305328&sspn=0.64901,1.571045&geocode=FRgpcgIdM_JX-SldukDWiVJShzG9Oq-STIHqpg%3BFQSVTAId8WZ4-SmNLbia5eFHhzEtxNXxerEyCw%3BFTZ0YgId9qa5-SmrnIOlNuxrhzG_GT_0h4hL7A%3BFd9YXgIdcg---SnPFx8jqoBrhzHWNoon-PSOEQ%3BFTZWWAIdrOu5-SmVUxsz7mhrhzELVKAaRm3NPg%3BFejIVgIdZMW5-SmZ1paYV0JrhzGQDsYj-xUj8A%3BFZP4RAIdN9Db-SFGdKExHOvv1ymxqRH5FNsNhzFGdKExHOvv1w%3BFfAuLwIdFG5C-ikzlAiamjG3hzHimPLrUP3hBw%3BFeNtKQIdiF9J-imDaY0S_O-2hzGwkksb8e6ooQ%3BFZBVIgId_ldu-ikxhLAGZB_MhzEaf5SBVp5CCw%3BFfS2JQId4tBw-ikXTaO0uZrOhzHfqJPorCgf0w%3BFW4GJQIdgD50-imjNnwJMXzOhzHhKHC9cYv2kw%3BFcArJgIdEhh3-ikVgpo8AG7OhzH4WAEs21sTNw%3BFW2QJgId_FF7-iEvCPbqDdvv1ynjraK23xrOhzEvCPbqDdvv1w%3BFRV8_wEdxn_T-inTv4VY3xGJiDHOVLrqCXRQJQ%3BFQROEgIdH4Ji-ykjZnRyHAWpiTFBLwU_6yGPUA%3BFUb8EAIdQBto-ykhkBjYG_uoiTEuVIEyh0-02A%3BFU5xEQId7jZs-ymzy7rz7pKoiTH3Qh3EqCOwVg%3BFQh-UQIdsoRo-ylb5PZa3sa3iTEqXYjUIkVSwg%3BFaPTigIduJGa-ylL-0_MNAreiTHEKOegEmOh4Q&mra=dvme&mrsp=4&sz=10&via=2,4,5,7,9,10,11,12,16,17&t=m&z=7

Albany

So it's time for me to move on from Albany, New York.  My time in Albany has been a little weird.  Albany is kinda sleepy and sad.  No offense Albanians (Also, no offense to my friend Bryan who thinks its annoying when I call Albany, Albania).  While in Albany I have had some good brews, seen sesame street streets, crack babies, and Gotham City type buildings.  All in all its been pretty good, but it is not where I long to be.  Discussions with my friend MacKay could probably never get old, for me at least, we couldn't be more different, and still agree and debate any better.  MacKay is a good debater , sound thinker and completely different.  It's nice. Regardless, tomorrow I will be leaving for something wilder and a little more adventurous.  I miss fishing for my food and not knowing where I was going to be sleeping for the night.  I rode a MTB trail in Albany and although it was a nice break from the city it was not on par or even close to what I have been spoiled with on this journey.  To find the good stuff I had to go on the "Closed trails"  I hate doing that but when it is such a fast growing biologically diverse forest like the ones out in the east I couldn't really see the harm.  I am excited to get back out in what is becoming more and more obvious "my element."  I have so many stories to tell, but I have gotten behind.  Hopefully I will catch up sometime and be able to give you all the accounts instead of just summaries.  The devil and hilarity of what I have seen and done is in the details. My last goodnight from Albany! 

Check out this "dude" ha gotta get out of Albany

Smithsonian

Baltimore

Homo erectus

DC and New York

Every time I visit a monument or a landmark I end up disappointed...  I guess I am just not that into seeing something just for the sake of seeing it.  Even though DC is monument central I left very impressed.  I had kind of low expectations and they were greatly exceeded.  The buildings and monuments are so beautifully built and MASSIVE.  It's majestic and the history resonates.  The Museum of Natural History was my must see while I was in town.  It was amazing!  I am a bit of a science nerd, and I am sure I was annoying my friend while I was explaining random facts about all the exhibits to him.  It was a dream, Dinosaurs Anthropology, etc...  So awesome!  Always something new to learn no matter how much you know.  Could have spent a year there!  Air and Space was cool as well.  Never enough time.  I will definitely return.  Fun facts about DC there are tons of young people, very few hipsters, and most people were pretty fit (minus the tourist).  The lack of hipsters was refreshing after spending so much time in Salt Lake, and there were tons of cyclist just wearing whatever clothes and any bikes they wanted.  Turns out you don't have to ride a fixie to kick it in DC.  Lots of pretty rich people too.

While in the Natural History Museum my friend Bryan called me and said, "Hey! You should make it to Albany tonight to hang out!"  So I  leave wonderful DC and make the terrible 7 hr drive.  Only to find my wonderful friend MacKay there all alone.  Haha by the way tolls suck.  30 dollars later I am in Albany.  All the cash i had.  I feel like its such a Monopoly.  Also, Siri tried to get me shot in Baltimore by sending me on a wild goose chase for gas in the ghetto.  So creepy filling up a fiesta with 5 homeless people intently watching.  New Jersey is also terrible, the most expensive and massive parking lot to drive through.  It is actually funny how quickly the world gets better once you cross the Jersey border.

My first day in Albany has been a little weird.  But, I am excited to be done with any sort of deadline.  Its funny how stressful such a small obligation has been.  We always find something to be stressed about no matter how minor.  But now that I am here in New York, I am truly free.  No obligations whatsoever.  It is a new beginning on an already great adventure!

Playing Catch Up...

Sooo I just realized that all I have done lately is a couple beer reviews, some short stories, and a pep talk for the American people.  I have completely forgotten to keep ya'll up to date.  Last you guys know I was nearly killed at an all black bar and had a run in with some crazy racoons.  Well that was almost 5 days ago.  The day after the bar incident in Birmingham, I mostly just hung around the resort apartment of the friend's I was staying at.  I wrote the accounts you read and did a little work out in the resort gym...  Nothing worthy of this trip.  I am a little embarrassed about that day.

The next day was my Birthday and I woke up bright and early and in spite of the rain I went out to Oak Mountain State Park and did a 20 mile bike ride.  I am glad I did.  The trail was amazing.  Fun jumps, awesome rock gardens, and had a little bit of everything including excellent scenery.  There really was something for everyone. There was windy single track with some roots and little jumps for riders like me up to huge 4-5 drops and high narrow bridges for experts.  The blood rock section definitely gave me something to aspire to.  I tried it all and crashed decent a couple times.  Shows that you are pushing yourself if you get a little bloodied.  It was hot and humid and I have never sweated like that in my life.  Seriously, I have been drier under water.  After a shower to dry me up, my friend was nice enough to buy me a Thai dinner for my birthday.  It was amazing and just what I wanted.  Spicy rice noodles.  Don't know why I was craving them but I definitely was. It was a great Birthday and thanks to all those who sent their wishes.

Old homestead along the Oak Mountain trail

After that it was on the road again.  I can't really describe how much I love heading out on a new adventure.  There is so much hope and the unknown makes you feel younger and completely renewed.  Each bend in the road is a new discovery, something I have never seen before awaits.  No matter how minor they are new none the less. New sights and first get rarer with each second of your life so I cherish them.  I ended up driving almost all day and made it to my cousins in Jacksonville, NC by 12:30.  I was damn tired and went right to bed on the air mattress he had ready.  The next morning I was met with the fourth and we decided to take his little canoe out fishing.  We caught a lot of fish but only one decent sized one for eating.  So in order to make a grill out of it we went fishing at Wal-Mart.  We were met with great success.  We went fishing one more time with no luck and later set about grilling our dinner.  We  grilled corn on the cob, fresh bass, and some Wal-Mart salmon, with some bacon wrapped Jalapeno poppers for desert.  It was delicious.  Some day I will share my fish cooking secrets, but not today ;)
After the meal and two very hot weather fishing trips we were gassed and called it a night.

On the 5th we fished some more.  I had probably the largest fish of my life on my line, for about two seconds.  He hit so close to the canoe though I was still able to see him, he was an 8-10 pound largemouth.  The one that got away.  I caught tons of small-medium bass and crappie after that but having that close encounter of the monster fish kind dulled their luster.  That night I saw the most fireflies I have on this trip.  Thousands of them were flashing rapidly in the tall grasses next to the pond we were fishing.  With their lights reflecting off the water it was amazing.

After our late night fishing trip we went out to a local bar and I tried a couple new brews (see beer review section) and the bar tender oddly enough had lived in Idaho Falls for two years...  She was cute so I was super shy and awkward about talking about it...  Embarrassingly so.  All for the better I guess as later I noticed the ring.  After I noticed the ring my tongue untied itself and I was able to produce words and almost carry on a conversation.  Some day...

The next day it was on the road again.  As some of you may know I was supposed to be in upstate New York by the fourth... Ummm.  But the following weekend is pretty good too right??  I was bound and determined to make it to DC early in the day, see all I wanted to see and head out first thing Saturday.  Nothing was going to stop me...  What's that a exit for the beach?  What was I saying?

The beach of North Carolina is amazing.  I spent a good couple hours on the emerald isle, playing in the surf with all the other kids and picking up a bit more of a tan.  First time I had been to the Atlantic proper and it did not disappoint.  Then I went to a seafood restaurant for lunch.  Lunch/Dinner for one is something I have gotten pretty used to.  It started in Idaho Falls and by now I am pretty comfortable.  What I wasn't comfortable with was another cute waitress making conversation...  Also, she was sneaky and stood pretty close...  I damn near tipped over in my chair when she asked me how my snapper was...  I was intently observing the seabirds feed and she snuck right up on me. "Good, thanks!" That is really all I said for everything, was good, thanks.  I am pretty sure I said it when it didn't make sense a few times.  "What brings you to North Carolina?" Me, "Good, thanks!" smile then look away super fast. Ha I do that stuff all the time and there is no recovery once its said.  Too be fair there are times I can talk to cute girls, most of those times involve etOH, but for some reason waitresses and brief encounters like that are the hardest for me.  It's just so awkward.  I know they are acting flirty for a tip, and its not like I am going to go all original and be that guy who hits on the waitress for a date or number.  You flirt back your the creepy guy who was trying to hit on them...  You be captain awkward, well your captain awkward and well that's awkward.  I am going for sweet smooth don't care thing and I can seldom (meaning never) find it.  After the check I finally engage in conversation just for some practice at this...  Ha once I break that barrier I always kind of black out.  So after, "How do you like living in North Carolina?" I don't really remember much of what I said....  I think it usually involves a lot of talk about me, mostly because its familiar and I don't have to think, if I don't have to think hopefully I can enunciate well enough to be understood, and if I keep talking there won't be that god awful awkward silence.  I do remember asking some questions, so that must be at least a little better then my normal rambling nervousness.  One thing that I know is that I fidget A LOT and talk really fast.  By the end of it all I come back to my senses in time to hear her say she is very glad I stopped in and good luck on my trip.  Why I told you all this, I don't know.  But now you have some insight into the terror that comes with talking to new girls.  Ha the best is when I am mid-normal conversation with a girl and then realize I am interested in her.  The panic is almost tangible. 

Anyway after my day at the beach I made it all the way to Washington DC and am about to say goodnight.  So that pretty much catches you all up.  No proof-reading on this one so please don't judge and I am sure there is lots I forgot. But anyway GOODNIGHT!

PS If you love the color green the Carolina's are for you!               

July 4, 2012

Today I am in North Carolina. 2,200 miles from home, where I started this journey 2.5 weeks ago. Along the way I have been treated with so much kindness and generosity. I have enjoyed mountain biking slick rock, pine, deciduous, and desert mountain trails. I've caught fish in everything from cold mountain streams to warm swampy lakes.  I have shared long conversations with complete strangers. I have traveled at my will, been given food and shelter from friends, and granted safe passage from state to state and town to town.

America is more than politics. We all to often forget that. America is a friendly wave from a neighbor, directions from a stranger, and the freedom to do the very thing I am doing at this moment. Sitting on a river bank soaking a worm. Because I want to. Because I can.

America is our mountains, our rivers, our forest, our coast and everything in between.  America is the people who lifted a burning car off of a stranger, the people who selflessly volunteer their time to help others, and the men and women who protect it.  America is you and me. We may not all agree on politics, but let us all agree that being an American is more than that. America is about taking care of our wild places.  America is about caring for each other and the world.

We all define this country.  Everyday we can make it great or bring it shame.  Let's make it the best it can be, by being the best we can be.   Who is in office after all is only a small part. America will always be more than that.  America is you, the American.

Alabama (mom and grandma you may not want to read this)

Rolled into Alabama tired...  I have a friend in Birmingham and she was generous enough to have dinner, air mattress, and towel for a shower ready when I got there.  Somehow she talked me into going to meet her boss in a bar/club for what was supposed to be really quick... I had caught my second wind and thought what the hell "when in Rome, right?" I didn't have a collared shirt for the "dress code" so she bought me one at Wal-Mart and we took off to meet her boss...  We roll into this place and I quickly notice that everyone going in is black.  That's when she "remembers" that this is a black bar/club.  I'm a little bit furious at this point.  I know that Birmingham, Alabama is not one of the most racially tense places, so its all good!  Oh.. Wait.  It is the most racially tense place in the nation.  Always mix that up.  Anyway, it is too late to back out now.  Life Points I say to myself, I am going to get so many damn life points for this.  If it doesn't kill me that is.  I would have felt more comfortable if she said, "Oh, by the way there are two Grizzly bears in this bar, I at least have bear awareness training."

With an un-wipeable sheepish grin I roll into this place after getting a good pat-down from security.  Security was about a 6'6, 285 giant of a man.  He looked at me like this boy is straight crazy.  He shouldn't of patted me down.  Out if fairness he should have slipped a knife into my pocket just to give me a fighting chance.  I walk past the door looking around anxiously...  Yip, I am the only white man in this place.  There were almost 400 people in this club, and there was me, white and going hard for my city.  I'd like to say that I was stoic and just acted normal...  But, I would be a dirty liar.  I was beyond uncomfortable.  I was unwelcome, and one of these things is not like the others.

We went over to the "VIP" section that her boss was at and said our hellos.  Her boss says to me, "Hey! Look, you are the only white man in here!"  You don't think I know this?  I scanned every face in this bar within the first 5 seconds just hoping someone else dared do what I was doing. No one else was this dumb unfortunately.  It only took a few minutes for me to realize that I was just standing there rigid in a wave of people moving to the music...  I was that one seahorse not swaying with the seaweeds and if I kept it up I was going to get my ass ate...  So, I knew I needed to loosen up.  What I needed was a drink.  But, not too much of a drink.  I had to keep my wits but not be too tense.  Here I was needing to do a very difficult calculation taking into account altitude, body weight, tolerance, concentration of the beverage, and I hadn't brought my Ti-89 or equipment to do a titration on my drink to find out the exact concentration...  I was going to have to guesstimate and guesstimate well.

I went to up to the bar and a man of about my height in a black tank top gets right into my face breaths in deep and goes wide eyed then walks away...  Yip, I am going to die.  I go up to the bar and order the safest thing, a bottle of bud light.  Not only is it of a known alcohol concentration it is also made of glass and could be used as a weapon if need be.  I repeat this 4 times at intervals as needed to sway with the seaweeds.  Then I have to pee...  Oh sweet Jesus, not now!  But, it was time and I had to man up.  So I left the safety of the VIP ropes and head out across the dance floor.  Accompanied by my friend and her boss for safety.  Seriously never thought I would need a girl for protection, but here it was my only chance.  We make it too the bathroom safely and it is somehow, someway empty so I pee faster then anyone has peed before and may have even chipped some porcelain.  I wash my hands and head out alone to swim across the open ocean that is the dance floor.  Once again I make it just fine.  Everyone, is actually pretty nice and surprised to see my face when I work through the crowd.  Maybe I am afraid for no reason I think?  I get back to the group.  Am I safe?  Maybe this wasn't scary at all?  I look over and see my friend from the bar in the black tank top staring me down, along with about 8 other friends looking disapprovingly.  Nope, back to reality I still might die.  Sway with the weeds I say to myself, just sway...

The DJ on stage keeps asking, "Where my nigga's at!?"  All I can think is they must need to turn those stage lights down this dude obviously can't see.  My friend after what seems like an eternity turns to me and says, "Are you ready to go?" No words will ever sound so sweet in my life.  I was born ready to gtfoutta this place!  I would love to say that my time in this bar blew away all the racial stereo-types.  But the DJ calling out for girls to shave there you know whats, a song dedicated to locked up homies, and hearing the N word about 15,000 times didn't help much.  I made it out unharmed though and for that I am very thankful.

I am very aware that this post may come off extremely racist.  But, its not the skin color that had me afraid.  Skin has never hurt anyone. Well, redheads who are in the sun too long may disagree.  It is the broken culture that had me afraid.  The me first, get rich or die trying, women as bitches, and violence first culture that is all to prevalent that had me nervous.  I was afraid because I had good reason to be.  You, show me a white man who says he would have felt comfortable in that situation, I will show you damn a liar.             

LIFEPOINTS: 1,000,000

Arkansas 2

Ok, so I was going to break down my time in Arkansas with some short stories but that is just going to have to wait...  In summary though I spent a night watching fireflies and ogling at different species of fish and bugs.  It was like I had become a kid again.  Amazing.  The next night I had a run in with some aggressive raccoons.  Shit got real.  I do realize that I was in a national park and the animals are protected.  But when you try to get into my car, bite my tent, surround me, and get within five feet of me and hiss, politics go right out the window.  This boy does not negotiate with terrorist and these furry bastards were using terrorism.  That's when humanity fights back.  Let's just say that I restored their fear of man...  It was me or them and even though I was unarmed, outnumbered, and at times outwitted by those clever buggers, I won the night.  There were casualties, KIAs, blood, sweat, and little baby raccoon tears.  If you feel bad for these little bastards all I can say is you weren't there, you don't know the shit I've seen.