Oh, I love this track!

I've been trying to write this entry all week but my efforts have been dashed every time. So I guess I'll give it one last go, the ole college try.

A bunch of us went camping last weekend because that's what the burfday boy wanted to do. It was hot, hot, hot, but tons of fun all the same. I promise we didn't make him cook for us...he wanted to, and it was goo-red. Regular & wheat pancakes, eggs, bacon, and fresh coffee...of course with only one skillet it took about 3 hours and we had to eat in shifts...ah, the joys of "roughin' it"...

We went hiking in the Gee Creek Wilderness and had I known what was unfolding before my eyes, I would've documented much better. A few yards into the hike we came across the word "HI" spelled out with rocks stuck in some mud. No big deal, right? Well, a few yards down the trail we stumbled (literally) on the word "I'M" next. And a few yards more? The word "CAPT." followed by "JACK" a little further. Ok, I thought, Capt. Jack wuz here, and had some extra time on his hands, whatever, I just want to enjoy the hike. But it wasn't over. A few more yards down the trail was the word "NAVY" followed by "VET" then "FIRST" and next came "MATE"...now all of these were spread out enough that when you came to another word, you couldn't see the one preceding it or the one following it. We then finally reached "SOUND OFF" right as we were getting to a point where the trail opened up quite a bit. In the clearing someone had made camp, and quite an elaborate one at that. Not only were there tents, a tarp shelter, and fire pit, it was also decorated with flags and banners. There was even a Mardi Gras banner. Really? Really.

We continued on our way and passed other hikers heading back out. One particular man in the a group we passed was quite talkative and stopped to chat with us a bit. He had the Brawny Man/Grizzly Adams look only with a longer and scragglier beard. We finally went on our way and he hurried to catch up with the others he was with.

We stopped to swim in a simply lovely spot and to enjoy the gorgeous day. After hiking a ways further, we decided to head back. Well who should we meet on the trail but Grizzly Adams. We found out that this was the infamous Capt. Jack and he wasn't part of the group of hikers we saw him with originally (which would explain their look of annoyance) but he is actually living at the aforementioned elaborate campsite. Come to find out, he had escorted that group back to their vehicles, stopped by his site to pick up his tripod and camera, then headed up to find us so we could take some photos of him jumping off a cliff into the water. So we did as he wished and then he proceeded to escort us on our way as well, talking the whole time. Well, the long and short of it is this...he was in the Navy for years, worked for Greyhound Bus Lines, is in the middle of a million dollar lawsuit with them, and is hiding out in the wilderness of the Cherokee National Forest until the lawsuit is settled so that his car doesn't get repossessed. His logic being, they can't repo it if they can't find it. Really? Really. I can't make this stuff up folks. I wish I had the time and energy to give you all of the funny strange and funny haha details but it's probably one of those you had to be there cases anyway.

Unrelated but worth mentioning...just heard Al Green - "Let's Stay Together" and The Doobie Brothers - "Black Water"...and it doesn't get much better than that for a Friday! Get out there this weekend and have you some fun!

So this is what a friend sent me to wish me a happy birthday today! Oh well, I thought it was pretty funny...

That's fighter pilot speak for "watch your back" or "cover your ass"...I had a good ol father/daughter talk with my dad the other day. I personally think he looks for places to practice his Navy jargon, so as to not loose touch. But those are good memories for him and I like him sharing those with me. We didn't reach a conclusion to my problem, but I walked away feeling much better. There actually isn't a conclusion to my problem...it's just one of those things that will have to work itself out. Time is the only healer...those are the worst. But enough about that...let's talk about yesterday.

Around the first of the year, the President of the company I work for decided to have lunch with all of the departments separately throughout this year to get to know everyone better. I rolled my eyes at first, but actually many good things are coming out of these little lunches. Well yesterday was our day, my department and the one that works closely with us. We had to introduce ourselves, tell how long we've been with the company, what depts. we've worked in, and what we do for fun blah, blah, blah. Considering my high aptitude to say something stupid and my chronic foot in mouth condition, surprisingly, my little oration went off without a hitch. But that's not actually what I want to discuss...let's chat about Mary.

Mary is fairly quiet and reserved and a sweet sweet lady, a little older than my mom but not quite my grandmother's age (I know that gives you absolutely nothing to base anything on but it's a good point of reference for me) in the sister department. She started by saying her description would be short and sweet, gave all of the appropriate info, and then ended by saying that she spends her spare time being active in the protect the seals campaign. That sparked Mr. President's interest so he started asking questions and stated that he didn't realize there was a problem. That lead Mary to look at him very matter-of-factly and say, "Well they bludgeon them to death and skin them alive." HEL-LOH. Talk about bringing the mood down. Needless to say, he moved on to the next person.

Now don't get me wrong, I think that's awesome...the fact that Mary didn't give the standard "I golf" "I spend time with my family" "I'm active in my church" answers that everyone else was giving and that she's really passionate about something. I did some poking around and after what I've read, she's spurred me on to writing some emails concerning these inhumane acts as well. But in the middle of lunch with the Prez? Whoa.

Oh well, whatever. I'm off to watch my six and send hate mail to Red Lobster.

Song on the radio last night: "I'll be the rain fallin' on your fire escape..." I don't really get it.

Song on the radio this morning: "Whenever I'm alone with you, You make me feel like I am home again..." I really get it.

Music is so relatable yet so personal all at the same time. I love to hear something that expresses what I had trouble putting into words and at the same time I feel like an intruder reading someone's personal journal. Many times that actually is the case, only the writer is leaving it open. And leaving the interpretation open as well I suppose. Maybe the rain/fire escape really doesn't mean anything so I actually do get it...and home again is really way over my head and I totally don't get it at all.

Ugh. I need to quit trying to get deep and get back to where I belong...doggy paddling. I guess what I'm trying to say is that music is human. Just as lovable, hatable, volatile, raw, flashy, and everything inbetween. Which is cool.

Now on an unrelated "note"...I suddenly want me some bruschetta.

I was looking forward to 5:30 pm all day yesterday. I was going back to my favorite class at the Y. Muscle Conditioning. Great class and let's face it, I'm not gonna do enough exercises and reps on my own so this is perfection for me. Plus, the instructor kicks ass. Seriously. She's intimately involved with the ancient art of Tae Kwon Do. So I'm talking literally and figuratively. And with a bunch of adverbs.

Anyway, I was about 5 minutes late so the class was already warming up. As I walked up I could see thru the obligatory glass door and walls that Ms. Kickass was in absentia. Bummer #1. I recognized the chick leading the class as regular attendee in the past so I went ahead and found a spot, hopeful that I'd still get a good workout.

When we neared the end of the warmup, I started hearing phrases like right basic, left basic, transition to knee-up. Now I don't know if those phrases mean anything particular to you but to me they meant step aerobics. I hate step aerobics. Bummer #2.

As I surveyed the room, I noticed the demographic leaned more toward female products of the baby boomers and the numbers were way low compared to the muscle conditioning class. This gave me a sense of validity because I believe the conception of step class was simultaneous with the roll out of Reebok Pumps. That's got marketing ploy written all over it, folks. The shoes have long since faded out, step aerobics should just bite the bullet and follow suit. Are we all in agreement?

Did I mention that I hate step aerobics? Because I do. Especially since the great step induced embarrassment of 2002 (maybe on another day, if I get the courage to share).

As I went through the motions of around the world, diagonal, and A-step, I started wondering where my class had gone. How long had my "brief" hiatus been? Surely not more than 2 weeks? I thought I was going crazy. We finally started doing squats and lunges and I never thought I'd be so happy to switch to those exercises but I was absolutely ecstatic.

Then on to abs, WHOO-HOO! I ran over and grabbed my mat like it was a Krispy Kreme and the HOT light was on. We started out with what I learned in yoga is called plank pose. You know...the one where you are on your elbows and toes until your whole body starts shaking uncontrollably. And I was even happy to be doing that! We continued on and I was doing crunches like they were going out of style trying to achieve my own personal endorphin high. At some point though I turned and noticed the instructor. She was in the middle of leading the cooldown...while staring at me. Not doing cooldown. Doing crunches. Heh.

I looked at the clock and it was only 6:20, we still had 10 more minutes. Why was she telling us about tomorrow's class and who is scheduled to teach Saturday? Why did she just tell us to wipe our mats off before putting them away? Class was over. Bummer #3.

On the way out I grabbed a schedule and apparently the class change and time change have to do with the new summer schedule. Bummer #4. They should email those things out. My class has been moved to 4:15 pm. Bummer #5. From those of us that work 8 to 5, thanks guys. Looks like I'm gonna have to pick up the 6:00 am one...yeah right, don't hold your breath. Maybe I'll give the Aquajog class that my high school English/journalism teacher tries to get me to try every time she sees me in the locker room a chance. Then again, maybe not.

No, I did not drink myself into oblivion, or maybe I did...

It's on the sash therefore, it must be so.

Movie narrations. Some are good, some are bad, and some are just horrible.....i.e.:

Horrible:

Alfie - Still not sure on my complete opinion of the flick but I didn't like the narration interruptions at. all.

Bad:

The Princess Bride - great, great movie but Columbo and Kevin Arnold? Meh.

Good:

Snatch - great movie and J. Statham does a great job portraying Turkish's point of view. Besides, not many people are named after plane crashes...