Tag: camping

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Vital Statistics

Aches & pains: ankles, back muscles, possible tongue thrush

Current reading: Little Heathens by Mildred Armstrong Kalish

Recent listening: Infected Mushroom, Foreigner, Primus, Greg Kihn, Massive Attack, Thievery Corp., Weird Al (new album!), Radiohead, Motown, Portishead, Canned Heat, Red Hot Chili Peppers

Recent viewing: Leverage (season 3 & 4), Frontline, The Planets, Pulp Fiction, Stan Lee’s Superhumans, The Story of the Blues, Super 8

Recent playing: DropZap, Words with Friends, Mondo Solitaire

Recently accomplished: Both children advanced to next grade level, camping/biking in Idaho, acquired fireworks of questionable legality, paid bills, Roundup for weedy areas, weed and feed for lawn, mowing

Imperative To Do: Light fireworks, back to work, clean garage, clean gutters, new shelves for stereo, bark dust, doctor appointments

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Blowing through the jasmine in my mind

With only two weeks of summer remaining it’s high time I updated you about what’s been happening in the Ring household.

For the second year Troop 820 (Thomas’ Boy Scout troop) held an unofficial “family camp” in June. If you recall, last year we went to Idaho for three days of biking. This year we drove to La Pine, OR, where we camped in the “high desert” at 4100 feet. I was huffing and puffing there for two days before I realized that the altitude was the problem. During a bike ride to the shower I figured out that deep breaths counteract the lack of oxygen. Once I knew that, I no longer dreaded getting off my ass and walking to the next campsite. While we were there, the boys enjoyed a long bike ride and floating down the Deschutes River. It wasn’t really that warm but I think the altitude made it feel warm.
Continue reading “Blowing through the jasmine in my mind”

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Deep inside we’re all the same

Thomas left for Camp Baldwin on Sunday and will be gone for a week with Troop 820. Tina and Graham just got back last week from three days at Gilbert Ranch with his den in Pack 4. Tina blogged extensively about the latter starting here. While she was there, she twisted her ankle again but I think it’s been healing pretty well since.

I hurt my back while at our neighbor’s BBQ over the weekend and spend all day Sunday laying flat on my back hoping for the best. It no longer hurt to stand up on Monday morning but it still feels a little “tight” at times. I have to be careful not to strain it any further. As I’ve mentioned before I heal much more slowly since I turned forty.

Continue reading “Deep inside we’re all the same”

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Vital Statistics

Bike odometer: 2472
Van odometer: 152961
Weight lost (in pounds): 0
Aches & pains: left shin (bumped into a fire pit)
Current reading: The Book of Totally Useless Information by Don Voorhees, My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk
Recent listening: Raising Sand by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, In Rainbows by Radiohead, News from Lake Wobegon, Science Friday, Fresh Air
Recent viewing: Countdown, My Life on the D List, How I Met Your Mother, WALL•E
Recent playing: Chain Factor, Rock Band (Wii)
Recently accomplished: cat boxes, bought clothes for business trip, paid bills, packed for two day business trip, haircut, bought new shoes for first time in 10 years, pulled dandelions
Imperative To Do: Sell G4, get rid of junk (couch, vacuum cleaner, mower), buy trailer for van, activate new Tivo, oil change for van, weeds, clean garage, mow lawn, moss, new muxtape, upload pictures

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Leaves were falling, just like embers

I’m sitting beneath the picnic shelter at the Wolf Lodge Campground in the beautiful Idaho panhandle near Lake Coeur d’Alene. Today it’s just me and the dog watching over the camp as everyone else in our party cavorts at the Silverwood Theme Park and Boulder Beach Water Park. I didn’t bring a laptop with me but the dog’s owners brought several so I bummed one for the day. The dog is completely deaf and not a good conversationalist so I will amuse myself with some blogging, assuming this HP laptop doesn’t drive me crazy first (windows keep popping up every minute and it chooses to ignore many of the letters I type).

Continue reading “Leaves were falling, just like embers”

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Waking stream of consciousness

Spent yesterday and most of today camping with the Boy Scouts.
No electricity and I didn’t bring the CPAP.
Noted rustling in the bushes as I drifted off in my tent alone last night.
Woke up in terror sometime later after imagining that I had seen a vicious animal outside my tent and didn’t calm down for a few minutes. I hope I didn’t scream.
During my usual R.E.M. time, I awoke continuously from obstructive apnea. It went on for hours.
Woke up with a headache and a sore throat.
Slept in the van after the boys went trail riding.
Still feel like hell.
Hope to sleep better tonight.
Soon.

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Vital Statistics

Hours of sleep last night: 8
Hours billed last week: 0
Cobs of corn eaten: 12 (approximate)
Aches & pains: none
Current reading:: Metal Cowboy by Joe Kurmaskie
Recent weather: hot, cold, wet, dry (no lightning or thunder)
Recently accomplished: picked and shucked corn, skeet shooting, swimming at Lake Hendricks, water park supervision, visited with various relatives, camping, shopping at Cabella’s
Upcoming To Do: return rental car, shopping at Mall of America, airplane to Portland, drive home from Seattle