Behind the mask

Some thoughts....

2007-10-01T19:46:00.000-07:00

It's funny that this time when there are basball jobs open, I'm not looking for them. Maybe a good paying has something to do with it.

That there is something wrong with the fact that gallon of milk cost just as much or more than a six pack of beer.
That you shouldn't pass up a chance to exchange contact info when you meet somebody cool on a flight. Instead of letting the opportunity pass

That the fall and playoff baseball is the best time of the year.

It's almost time to pull out the snowboard and get some wax on the board and shred some gnar.

It's almost time for a new computer.

A new post

2007-09-18T20:22:00.000-07:00

I'm finnally getting to around to making a new post after quite a while of no activity on my part. My excuses are lame and pathetic. So now that I have internet at my home, I have no reason to not at least update this blog on a semi regular basis. So now I'm just need to get around to posting more often. Will see what happens next.

Figuring out what exactly I'm doing in West Yellowstone, MT

2007-06-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

After nearly a month and a half of hanging out in the west, I finally have landed a job with Sweetheat bakery delvering bread for the summer. Which is pretty sweet so far, but it does take plenty of work to take care of all the stops in town. Besides the job, being back in the town and the park has been sorta of deja vu . As I am wondering what exactly I'm doing here again and why has it been so easy to make it back here. From finding a place to live 20 minutes after showing up in town to other things. It does make you wonder at times. And with the onsault of the summer tourist season just begining, it should be pretty busy to say the least.

Chilling in K-Falls

2007-05-11T00:18:00.000-07:00

It's time for an update, After escaping Mammoth, I took off and headed to the other side of the sierras by driving down and around California, instead of a four hour trip it was six hours south and then north, in all reality I only traveled about 75 miles west from Mammoth. Where I hung out with some friends in Reedley, Ca which is a farm town about half hour south of Fresno. While there I hung out and got the grand tour of Reedley, it didn't take long even though there's 25,000 or people in the town. During my time there I started on my ballpark tour and the first part has been good. Four ballpark in only five days, I've hit four ballparks, Fresno, Visalia, Sacramento and Stockton. It was pretty cool to say the least. I will have to have say Fresno is rapidly becoming one of my favorite ballparks, it's a cool downtown stadium that I like. Plus I know some of the staffers so that always makes it fun to catch up what people have been up too that you have worked with. Now a few a thoughts about the other ballparks. Visalia has one of the oldest ballparks in the nation which is about to start a major renovation after the season. It's no where near one of the greatest ballparks in the nation, but it's kinda of classic of what you think a of a small town minor league ballpark is. Now for the others. Sacramento is one the top ballparks in the minors, it has the atmosphere of a major league ballpark in a minor league park. Which is a major accomplishment plus add in a top notch staff and you got one of the top operations in the minors and it shows. It's a great park and one that should be one the list of places to visit.
Now for last park. Stockto's Banner Island Ballpark might be one of the best built ballparks ever designed. It's a 4,000 seat wrap around ballpark with no bad views from anywhere in the ballpark. You can walk around the park all game and never miss a pitch and I mean anywhere, from behind homeplate to the right field catwalk, there is no bad seat at all. If you get a chance get to this park. It's one of the best, many ways even better than Sacramento's which is saying a lot. So get to this one if you are a minor league afficandio like I am in.
Now that I finished off my ballpark tour for the moment, I then headed up to Klamath Falls Oregon where I have been hanging out with my brother in-law and sister, enjoying some good beer and taking care of Elvis the dog and doing some weeding. Exciting all around. I've also been persuing some job leads which nothing has broke yet. But I know something will soon. For I will be back working at ballpark before I know it. Till then I'm planning my next ballpark trip. We'll see where it will be.

I've escaped!

2007-05-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

Well after being in one place for roughly the last two years or so, 'm finnally getting out of Mammoth for good. (Or at least the summer) I haven't quite figured out what I am doing next. Y
ellowstone is a definite possibility, or maybe something else different. Who knows what exactly I will be doing this summer. But it will be something cool, in a very cool place. Before I know it, something will fall into place. Tell then I'm starting this years search for the best ballpark, beer and pizza for the year. First stop is Visaila.

Real Questions asked at National Parks.

2007-04-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

REAL QUESTIONS ASKED AT NATIONAL PARKS

- Everglades National Park:
Are the alligators real?
Are the baby alligators for sale?
Where are all the rides?
What time does the two o'clock bus leave?

- Mesa Verde National Park:
Did people build this, or did Indians?
Why did they build the ruins so close to the road?
Do you know of any undiscovered ruins?
What did they worship in the kivas--their own made-up religion?
Why did the Indians decide to live in Colorado?

- Carlsbad Caverns National Park:
How much of the cave is underground?
So what's in the unexplored part of the cave?
Does it ever rain in here?
How many Ping-Pong balls would it take to fill this up?
So what is this--just a hole in the ground?

- Yosemite National Park:
Where are the cages for the animals?
What time of year do you turn on Yosemite Falls?
What happened to the other half of Half Dome?
Can I get my picture taken with the carving of President Clinton?

- Denali National Park:
What time do you feed the bears?
What's so wonderful about Wonder Lake?
Can you show me where yeti lives?
How often do you mow the tundra?
How much does Mount McKinley weigh?

- Yellowstone National Park:
Does Old Faithful erupt at night?
How do you turn it on?
When does the guy who turns it on get to sleep?

I have a plan(sorta of)

2007-04-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

Since my job at Mammoth Mountain is done on Saturday for the season.I am going to be an employed bum. I have plan of some sorts figured out. Hang out for the rest of the month in Mammoth get some riding time in and tie up some lose ends before I take off for my next destination. Which is...before I get to that, when I take off I'm going to other side of sierras and catch several baseball games in cites that start with S or at least have a S. In thier name. In California and then when I'm done I'm going to head up to Klamath Falls, Ore to hang out with my sister and brother-in law for a bit, until I take off for my next destination West Yellowstone, MT. Yeap, I'm going to be living and working around the park for the summer. It's going to be cool. Never mind the fact that I haven't found a place to live yet and a job, which i have no worries about in that town. Besides I'm not some stoner wanderer, so that will be no problem. Now if only other things were that easy.

How to get to Paris

2007-04-13T00:30:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen this yet, enjoy.

--Go to Google.com

--Click on Maps.

--Click on get Directions.

--From New York,New York

--To Paris,France.

--And read line # 23.

I've got the book.

2007-04-09T20:17:00.000-07:00

Now that I have the book. It's time to start planning the first baseball game of the season. With the Directory I can plan in earnest my first baseball game of the season. Which I have several possibilities of. Right now I think the first few games are going to be in Northern Califorina. I think there will be several games with cities that start with S. Citie's like Stockton, Sacramento, San Jose??, and few others cities that don't start with S. It's going to be fun to hang out the ballpark for a few days on my way out of Mammoth to my next destination. Where ever that maybe.

Beverage

2007-04-01T22:03:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or is wrong to to want to have a frakkin beer just to make it through church? Maybe it's a sign that it's time to be someplace else.

Wanderlust

2007-03-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

After being in Mammoth for two years or so, It is time to move on. It's strange last may was first time in years I wasn't heading off to some new place and adventure. It was weird to be staying in place for a while . All in all it worked out pretty good even if my summer turned out in ways that I never could have expected. Now with another May coming up, I'm getting the itch to move on. I have no idea of where yet. But I do know it will likely involve mountains somehow. I'm just looking forward to getting out of mammoth and to the next adventure. But before I take off there are things to figure out, which I know they will take care of themselves, in ways that I have no idea of how they will play out. Till I move on. Opening day beckons

In case if you didn't know...

2007-03-25T22:06:00.000-07:00

In case if you didn't know it's only one week from the greatest day of the year! Opening day of the baseball season.

Things to do...

2007-03-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

Things I want to do or see happen this year or sometime in the near future

See lot’s of baseball games this summer…We’ll see what the final number is. Over under is 10 for the season.

Write and get published somewhere…

Get back to working in baseball, this is going to happen, the question is when and where. For I will be at the baseball winter meetings in Nashville, if nothing else fails.

See one of my favorite people come to Christ , what this will take and when this will happen and what’s going to happen in between only God knows. It’s been an interesting journey so far.

See Dream Theater in concert. I’ve been close to seeing them a few times, but something always comes up. I am going to see them in concert.

Figure out what I’m going to do next, the rest of things I want to do will fall into place after that.

Frustrated

2007-03-22T16:40:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been pretty frustrated on many levels, work, girls, church and a few other things. Some ways the last couple of months I have felt that nothing I've done is making a difference what so ever. Especailly on the job front, as I'm hardly getting enough hours to get by and I'm not being challenged what so ever. I'm so ready to do something different, but I'm just trying to figure it out and nothing much has been happening, so just another level of frustration to say the least. It is something I've been thinking about a lot. And the realization of much of the causes of all this frustration is to cotton candy theolgy. What's that? Well it's simple it a bunch of preaching, teaching that just touches the surfaces of issues and what's going in the text. And works on focusing on how it feels to you. Maybe it's a big complaint of the charsmatic movement theology that I've been living with the last couple of years. It's taken me a while to fully realize how much I haven't been growing and been feed by the church I've been going too for a while. While the culture may be nice, but it doesn't do much for growth. And that is root of all my other frustrations . So I've started to go to another church and look for other outlets for growth. It's a process, but one that I'm just starting to figure out so that whatever happens next I'm ready for.

The real map of the USA

2007-03-07T23:57:00.001-08:00

baseball and waiting

2007-03-05T18:26:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt like you know what you want to do, but yet you are so far away. It's frustrating. For myself I want to be back working around the ballpark this summer and of right now. It's not likely to be happening this summer. As the job I appiled for with the Stockton ports baseball club was outsourced to a food company. I'm okay with it, because obiviously it's not the right timing to get back in the game. But it doesn't mean it's frustrating to say the least.
I guess frustrating is a good mood to describe my mood latley. For i've been frustated in this thing called a realationship and friendship. For I'm just waiting for something to happen along with this guy called Jesus but it feels like, nothing is going to break along this front. Which ties into the whole relationship thing, which has been leaving me quite frustrated. Some how I've got the feeling that a lot the second of part will take care of it's self when the first part is figured out. Though it doesn't mean it's easy by any means and of course it is frustrating. Till things break in some fashion, I'll just keep waiting for the first game of the year.

Baseball and sanity.

2007-03-02T21:49:00.000-08:00

With the opening of spring training the countdown to opening day of baseball season is really upon us. For me the year really begins in April when baseball season begins and summer truly doesn't begin for me until I have gotten to the first baseball game of the year. When I think about baseball and how it relates to my life and how important it is too me. And the fact I live in a ski town where if it doen't revolve around the mountain it doesn't matter. At times I feel like nobody gets it. There is more to life than snowboarding. I could go on about this topic but that's another post. The same could easily be said for baseball, but this my sanity damn it. And that's what I'm writing about. How baseball is keeping me sane. Wheather it be in relationships, life circumstances and other events. Like day eight of eleven of a Habitat for Humanity trip.
This has got to be one of the best escapes that I've ever had. After eight long days of spending every waking moment with each other, it was time for break before somebody got killed and on this trip to Mississipi one of the people that we had met. Had season tickets for the Mississippi State baseball team along with all the other major sports there too. And it didn't take long to arrange a trip up there. And after an enjoyable day at the ballpark, some awesome BBQ.(they truly know how to do BBQ in the south. ) and picking up some amazing baked goods to take back to the rest the group. That game was much need dose of sanity in the middle of a Habitat trip. And it really helped keep the sanity when on our last flight home we landed at the air force base in my home town and had to be escorted back to home by the air force. It was a crazy way to end the trip let me tell you.
And then's there the matter of relationships and baseball. And times for me baseball has been an escape, refuge and some of the only things that make sense to me when I'm trying to figure out relationships and girls. Most of the time I just stick with baseball for it's a whole lot less confusing and it's something that I can understand and it doesn't let me down or reject me like people will.
Especially lately, where my relationship have been frustrating, confusing, bewildering and to the point of wondering if anything I have done matters. And really the wonderment of what is it going to take to her to come to christ. Sometimes when I think about it, can I just head to a baseball game to help figure it out, at least give me a little piece of sanity and grace.
And for this summer I hope to get way more than four games this. I hoping at least 70 plus games this year. Because that means I'll be back working in the game. For I recently appiled for the Stockon, Ca Ports Director of Food and Beverage position and I so want to be back in game combing my passion for food and baseball. That's what I want to do for the summer. And for the relationship stuff at the moment I think I'll stick with baseball. Sometimes it's easier that way.

Sickness and other plans

2007-02-19T22:26:00.000-08:00

You know being sick is no fun. After a couple days of putzing around after June closed , I came down with a nasty chest cold and was knocked out of commission for what was at least a good week. Too put it bluntly it sucked. I wanted to do other things and think about doing cool things in the future. But instead I had no energy to do much of anything. But now after a trip to the doctor, I'm doing much better, but still not quite over it. After two weeks after June closed, I'm finally back working and feeling better. Now I can start to think of cool things to do in the future, like maybe go to spring training for a few days. And figure out what do for the summer and beyond. There's a lot to figure out, relationships, jobs, places to go and what's next all under the auspice of what will be God's will in all these areas and more. But I'm looking forward to seeing what's in store wherever it may be.

Comics are cool!

2007-02-07T16:03:00.000-08:00

In Bishop, CA I've have just found something a really cool. A shop that carries comics!!! It's taken a long time but finally I've found some civilization and sanity in the middle of this ski town I live in. Now we just need to something about a baseball team and I'm all set.

Closing

2007-02-04T22:29:00.000-08:00

It has been a surreal week cleaning up the kitchen at June Mtn. Instead of the hustle and bustle of a midseason week at June, it was really quite and depressing. It is one thing to clean up an operation at the end of busy and successful season, it is another to clean up and shut down in what should be the middle of the season. Especally a season that didn't really feel like it got started. Well that's life in the seasonal business, some years you get the record snowfalls and the next you get none. I think it might be time to find a job that isn't dependent on the snow or just a season. And since June is closed. I'm out of a job at the moment. Hopefully it dumps soon, so I can get some hours and not be an unemployed bum. I'm okay with being a bum in October, but not Feburary. It's time to be working. So Pray for snow!

June Mtn is closed.

2007-01-30T19:38:00.000-08:00

Well with very little snow this season. June mountain is now closed for the season. Which is something is pretty crazy. Well what does that mean for me? Well since there is no snow, it means there is very little work anywhere Mammoth. So I don't have a job right now, i think i'm going to file for unemployment and hang out and see if we get any snow soon. Because as much as I am ready to do something different. I feel like it's not time to leave yet. For I got stuff going on that I would feel like it would be a mistake to leave right now. And as much as I want to give up and get frustated by her at times, i feel like I can't give up for something amazing will be happening in her life sooner or later. Tell then sometimes I just need to remember that this thing is long term and even if the short term has some ups and downs.

The crud is no fun!

2007-01-25T19:10:00.000-08:00

Once again, It's January and I find myself dealing with another round the crud. What's that? It's a really nasty virus, that gives you a nice chest cold, plenty of hacking and very little energy. Since it's a virus there's no drug or medicine you can take to help make you better. So the only thing you can do is suffer through it and just deal with it. Even though it's no fun. It's no fun dealing a cough for three weeks or so, while all the time you want it to be over. Wanting to just to be able to enjoy yourself and have the energy to have fun. myself, I just it be over so that I can think of other things without having all my thoughts shrouded in a fog. At least I don't have to work tomorrow so that's good. Hopefully I'll have enough energy to do something fun.

A night in a hotel room.

2007-01-23T13:59:00.000-08:00

I was in the process of writing a post about saying good-bye to Abby, which would have tried to put words into the process of saying goodbye with all the thoughts, feelings and emotions that accompany it. Then a few days later while I was in the middle of it, I get a phone call.
"Where are you at?"
"Nebraska."
"Nebraska !?!?!. What are you doing there?"

It turns out that instead of making it to Eugene, Oregon as planned she was heading home to Ohio for no particular reason other than it was home. During the course of the conversation, I asked her, "What are you going to back to Ohio for? And who are you going back for? Yourself or others? And is that what you really want."

It turns out that she didn't really want to go back to Ohio; instead she just needed a few days away from Mammoth. So now she's headed back to Mammoth, back at her Old job at June Man. and she will be able to figure out what's next in a safe and healthy environment. And I think by the time June Mtn closes in April, things will be a lot clearer.

And what do I make all of this. From throwing her goodbye party to talking her back to Mammoth, I’m still trying to make sense of it. And I'm just amazed to think that I help change her direction dramatically and helped prevent what was looking like a really bad decision to go home for all the wrong reasons. Now that she is going to be back for the rest of the season, I think there is going to be some amazing and awesome things happen to her in the next couple of months. I know there was a reason that she stopped at that hotel room in Nebraska and also a reason why she's coming back to Mammoth. It's no accident that either one happened. I'm just amazed that it's always when you don't think anything is going on, is when the major stuff is really happening. So till next time, I've got some cooking to do.

We have heat!

2007-01-14T17:31:00.000-08:00

Mammoth has been undergoing quite a cold snap in the last few days. So bad that many houses pipes have frozen up. Keeping the plumbers around town very busy. Though our pipes didn't our heating unit did, so it created for a couple of really cold nights, till we got it thawed out today and now we have heat and that's a good thing. So tonight will be much warmer in the house..
And now if I can only shake this nasty cold I've got, things will be much better, but it's feeling like the crud once again and it takes three weeks to get over it. I've had it every season that I've been here and it sucks. I just to be done with it. I just want to enjoy my days with out hacking through them. And I really want to be feeling much better for Abby's going away party on Tuesday which I'm hosting along with an old roommate of hers. It's going to be a lot of fun, but also there will be a lot of emotions that night and the next day and beyond. Maybe I'll get around to saying some of the things I've been thinking aloud to her. We will see....
And in a real crazy story. The Mammoth Lighthouse chuch which I'm apart of has been selected by the 700 club as one of thier "church of the week" So that's some really cool news, even if that show pisses you off from time to time. I have no idea of when the segement will air but I will keep you posted.

June is finnally open!

2007-01-05T22:27:00.000-08:00

Well it was only a few weeks behind but with the last storm, we finally managed to get June Mtn on Friday the 5th. open!!! It was a good day to say the least. Now we just need some more snow and all will be good. It is a welcome change to have full time work again and not just be hanging out, waiting for snow. In many ways the ski bussiness is like farming. Without water there will be no crops and with out snow thier will not be a season. And as anybody knows who has spent anytime around the farm. It's not just getting rain, it's when you get it and how much you get at once. For a massive downpour doesn't do much for a farmer. Especially when it's two months before the next rainfall. It's kinda of works for skiing the same way. Get a storm on a holiday weekend and it's pretty much killed the weekend. But get that same storm a few days before on slower midweek days, it's going to be a crazy weekend. And with no snow thier are no skiers.
No skiers equal no work and money. So in the end it's all about timing and learning to live with the good seasons and the bad. Till the next storm. GO BUCKEYES!

87 days!

2007-01-04T16:44:00.000-08:00

There's only 87 days left until opening day of the baseball season!

The white album

2007-01-03T12:37:00.000-08:00

One of the things about living with a bunch of snowboarders is that they pretty much live, breath and eat snowboarding. If they are not on the hill practing their rodeo 720's they are watching snowboarding video's at night. And I mean a lot of them. I think they have watched the WHITE Album starring shaun"the flying tomoato" white and a few others everysingle day for a like a month. Now I can take a snowboarding video now and then. But when they are watching the same video for the fifth day in a row. It's time to do something different. Because there's so much more to do than watch the same video over and over. Like baseball.

As we are waiting for snow...

2007-01-02T23:20:00.000-08:00

Since it hasn't snowed enough in over in June to open, it hasn't been been much fun waiting around for snow. Hopefully with the storm that is in the way we will get enough snow to be able to open and have a real season. But the meantime with June Mtn not being it has allowed me to a bunch of time of do other things, like work a pretty good news party at the Yoddler were I worked this summer. It was a good time and I was glad I was getting paid to work it and not having to pay to get in. Also this period of not working very much allowed me to go up too Klamath Falls for christmas which ended up being way cool to be able to be with most of my family. Except for my little sister who is trekking around europe on her christmas break from her study abroad program. How's this for places to spend Christmas and New years? Rome and Paris. Not too bad.
And with this time of waiting for snow, it's allowed me a lot of time to think of what's next. As much as I like the seasonal world and the people that are apart of it. It's one that you have to pick up and go every five to six months, which is cool for a while going to new places and meeting new people from all over the world. But after a while it gets old. And it's sometimes it's nice to call a place home for a while. I guess I'm just ready to move on from Mammoth Lakes and the ski culture. It's been a good time but it's time to do something different. The question will it be in a few weeks or after June closes in April, either way I feel the window to do something different is now open. What and where are questions that are wide open. I am looking forward to the figuring out the answers. And the fact that one of my favorite people in the world is deciding to leave in a couple of weeks to move to Oregon, throws an entire plehtora of feelings, issues and thoughts in the mix. Even though she's leaving, I have a feeling that's there's still several more chapters to be written between us. Till then,

Pray for snow!

Across the country and back

2006-12-16T12:31:00.000-08:00

Okay in the last post all the lines should have been in red. Not sure what's up with the code, but I'm not worrying about it. Now since my last post I've been up to a lot.
I was in Sarasota Fl last weekend for a cousin's wedding. It was pretty cool, the cermony was in a old masion on the waterfront. It was quite an amazing place to have a wedding at. It was great to see almost all of my relatives at once. Since this was my first time in Fl, I can easily understand why so many people decide to retire down there, how can you complain about 80 degree temps in Dec?* (Now the heat, humidty and hurricanes that's a different story.) And while I would have no problem visiting again. I don't think I'll be moving there anytime soon. Because there's no mountains. And how can you do any hiking and climbing with mountians? Though spring training would be very cool to be at.
We have been waiting for some snow and we getting some right now and hopefully it's enough to get June open on Monday. We'll see.

A dedicated reader

2006-12-10T19:55:00.000-08:00

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Book Snob
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Literate Good Citizen
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

Lingo

2006-11-27T15:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, this post has to do with lingo. But not snowboarding lingo. It's some christian lingo i've picked up from some of my roommates and people I'm hang out with

Here's the phrase "Let's get drunk in the spirit!"

Is that a scary phrase or what. There not talking about drinking beer. To them it means people are getting wasted by laughing uncontrollably and falling down . I've also heard it used in relation to talking about theology. Which is extremely scary to me.

To me everytime I hear this phrase getting used, I keep looking around for a good tall cold glass of beer. For sometimes beer is the only way to keep your sanity. For when you talking about theolgy you do need some beer. After all many hymns were melodies from drinking songs. I think there was a good reason for that.

The Eeyore birthday cake

2006-11-14T22:59:00.000-08:00

After the disaster of a meal that I had on Saturday night, I had to do something to bring back the notion that there is good food out there. And on Sunday there was the perfect opportunity to do so. You see on Sunday it was my friend Abby's birthday and after some scheming and planning with her roommate we settled on an awesome plan. You see Abby has had a very limited culinary palate and we decided to expand it dramatically and also to treat her and spoil her just a bit we ended up taking her to Skadies one of the top fine dinning restaurants in Mammoth, where we dinned on foie gras, roasted lamb shank, snapper, and excellently prepared chicken and topped off with some excellent wine. And finished off with some excellent chocolate dessert. It was an amazing meal with plenty of good conversation. But after that meal the best was yet to come. You see I had made her an Eeyore birthday cake and when we were heading back to their place it was time to present it. And when she saw it, the realization of that the cake was Eeyore was priceless and amazing to see the look on her face. For me making it and presenting the cake to her was worth so much more than anything I could have bought for her. So without further ado here's Eeyore.

Bad Cooking

2006-11-12T22:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I may have had one of the worst meals that I've ever had. One of my roommates decided to cook some chicken, rice and potatos for dinner for all of us in my house. Now normally most people screw up one dish here or there, but not all three. Where to start of the horror story of this meal. First off let's hit the chicken. When I saw it heading to the oven it looked fine, it was seasoned and sitting in a bed of pasta and water. However when it was pulled out it was when the horror was realized. The was blood in the pasta. You see he forgot to pull out the gizzards from the cavity of the chicken. It was not a pretty site let me tell you. And then in tasting the chicken it was underdone, so it wasn't very good at all even after putting it back in the oven. And then was the rice and the potatos, both of which ended up being undercooked. The rice ended up being crunchy because thier wasn't enough water in the rice cooker. As for the potatos they ended up being lumpy, needless to say the meal wasn't very good at all. I gave up trying to salvage the meal and ended up going to subway and had a very enjoyable sandwhich.
Now for tonights meal was an all together different level. Which I will be telling in soon in Eeyore's birthday cake.

First chair of the season.

2006-11-10T16:06:00.000-08:00

With the snowmaking cabilities at Mammoth Mtn, we were the first resort to open in North America with one run of man made snow. It is pretty cool to see the mtn turn from brown to white. Even though opening day is very cool at a ski area and full of excitement to get the first chair, to me it can't compare to the opening day of baseball season. There's something magical about the baseball season. To me the baseball season opener is unlike anything else in the world. It's only five months away.

Now the most interesting part of opening day, was while I was working it was the people. It felt like I was helping the same kid 500 hundred times. They almost looked and dressed the same. A beany held on my thier googles covers thier long strangly hair, puffy jacket holding thier ipods blasting rock and rap music. Snowpants hanging of thier butts with thier cuffs frayed at the bottoms. That was the typical dress for most of them or some minor variation of it. And I can't forget to mention that all of this gear is made by burton, dc shoes or one of the many other snowboarding companies out there. Can you say product branding?

It was surreal at times. Because it was tough to tell the different kids apart. So you the kid with grey and red pants? Not the kid with grey and white pants right...You still not getting a discount on your food.

As for me I want to get few more hikes in before it snows and I pull out my snowboarding gear for the season.

More observations about ND.

2006-11-02T11:02:00.002-08:00

Food: Where are the spices?, now there's nothing wrong with a meatloaf and potatos dinner or a casserole, or other norwegian dishes that have very little spices in them. But after tasting what, just some salt and pepper can do to them, it's an eye opener. Please use them and all other types of seasonings will do you and the dishes much good. In fact spices, seasonings and flavoring are amazing things to use, please, please use them. And it's okay to make things hot, a little sweat when you eat is a good thing.

Hot food: I mean spicy, does anybody besides transplanted mexicans and southerners that are now living in ND know what hot food truly is? And no Taco Bell doesn't count.

What is about the vast wide open and empty prairies that is appealing, awe-inspiring, epic, boring, mind numbing, depressing all at the same time. And what can I say, I've missed it, but I'm ready to get back to the mountians :) Both are awesome in thier own way.

A prairie sunset is unlike much else in the world.

You can find good beer in Minot, you have just got to know where to look, and no PBR is not a good beer.

Since when did Legends change thier name to the Chicago Club?

And what is a city truly saying at night.

Just a few obseravations

Observations about Minot.

2006-10-28T23:13:00.000-07:00

Since I've been home in Minot for a week or so, I've been reminded about many things about Minot that I like and don't like.

Here's a few observations about this town that I've noticed this time around.

Not much has changed, or a better quesiton is does Minot really change at all?

It's quiet, sometimes errily so. But then again there's a lot going on underneath the surface, you just need to know where to look and where to ask questions. There's some interresting stuff going on.

There's nothing quite like looking out at the city lights of Minot and just wondering and dreaming.

There is something magical about a train whistle (But not so much if you are right next to tracks)

A few new buildings and stores here and there, but not enough to change the fabric of the town.

The airport needs to expand the luggage belt dramaticaly.

Lcm is still the same and that's a good thing. Where else can we have discussion about about Cocks, sex ed, beavers, monkees at a church group all while laughing about the topics and about oursleves and why can't more people and churches have discussion like this. It would do a lot of good if they did.

Just a few thoughts.

What to do on a powder day.

2006-10-16T23:42:00.000-07:00

With winter just around the corner. :( I got asked this question when I was in Oregon recently.

What do you do on a powder day?

Any good ski bum knows the answer to this question.

Well it's simple. There's only one thing to do on a pow day.

Get up early,

Make first chair.

Strap in.
Then Drop in.
And then float through the powder.

There's nothing like a powder day. And if you do get one stay out of the park until the powder's tracked out.

Ready to depart.

2006-10-14T23:33:00.000-07:00

In just a few more days, i'll be heading off to ND for a much welcome break before we get dumped on for the winter season. I can't wait to get out of here and back to the wide open spaces of the prairies of ND. Even though almost all the people I hung out during my second half of my college career are now scattered all over the country, I do intend to catch up with those who are still around the state. It will be good to see them and get to catch up with them about what we have been up too since the last time we have seen each other.
Also while I'm back I plan to get some good beer drinking and theology in. And also catch up with my gaming buddies and see what's been going on thier lives and the games that we play. Time to roll some dice and get adventuring.

But before I head out to ND, I've got some cool things going on before I catch my flight. Some more fall hiking in the eastern sierras with some excellent company:)
Finalizing some stuff before I head out. Then while I'm reno, I meeting up with one my best friends Chef Dan where we will tear it up in Reno and catch a Queensryche concert on tuesday. It's going to be a blast. To say the least.

Soon I'll be leaving on a jet airplane.

All over the place...

2006-10-10T20:05:00.001-07:00

With the first snowfall of the year in Mammoth, it's just a ulgy reminder that winter will soon be upon us. Which isn't a totallt bad thing as I will be back working, but I've been enjoying the fall and trying not to think about winter.

Well what I have been up too? since I have been laid off.

Well hanging out around Mammoth being a bum.

Went up to Klamath Falls, Or to visit my sister and brother-in-law. While up there we went to Crater Lake and had a picnic with one of my cousins and her husband. It is pretty cool to see crater lake at night under a moonlit sky.

Also, while I was up there I got too hang out with Elvis(the dog) and watch almost all of the divison series in baseball. It was way cool. And since the Cincinnati Reds haven't seen the playoffs in over 10 years, I'm going to pick the tigers to win it all over the cardinals. It' should be a good series.

Now that I'm back from Oregon, I knocked out a sixteen mile hike on monday, to Purple Lake(It's not that purple) in the lakes basin. :) It was pretty cool. Now I'm just killing time before I head home in a week, for a couple of weeks. I can't wait to get back, to some gaming, beer and theology and other things I can only in ND, and Lutefisk is no where on my agenda.

Firewood.

2006-09-29T17:55:00.000-07:00

With enjoyable days of fall rapidly dwindling, it’s time to think about getting firewood for the winter. For the house I’m living at it will take about five to six chords of firewood to get through the winter. While gathering it’s amazing to realize how many times you pick up the same piece of wood to get it to the fire.

I’ll give you an example of.how many times you pick it.

1. Moving the tree to cut the round.
2. Cutting the round and moving it to the truck.
3. Throwing Round into the splitting pile.
4. Moving Round to be spilt.
5. Throwing the spilt wood into another pile.
6. Throwing the spilt wood into the back of the truck.
7. Moving the truck to an area closer to the house to be thrown into another pile to be stacked.
8. Stacking the spilt wood.
9. Moving wood into the house to be burned.
10. And finally putting the wood into the fireplace.

So to get one piece of fire wood into the place you have to pick it up at least ten times. It’s a pretty long process, but we have around two more cords of wood to go before we are done. I can’t wait for it be over.

Got the plane ticket!

2006-09-27T22:16:00.001-07:00

It’s cool to have my computer back. Now it's time to get back to the really important things like...like...I know. Like writing, yeah that's it. You mean not playing video games and other virtuous endeavors of time wasting? Darn all right. I guess I should be doing something productive with my computer these days.

Yeah, it's been pretty frustrating thee last few days and it really doesn't have much to do with girls. Though that's something for an entirely different discussion.

But for last few days, I’ve been trying to book a plane ticket home and having no luck. I tried almost every travel site known to man, plus many of the airlines websites. I even made a couple of phone calls to airlines themselves and still no luck. Why I am having such a difficulty? Booking a simple plane ticket?

Well you see, I've been trying to book a ticket from Reno, NV to Minot ND and spend as little as money as possible and it's not an easy thing to do. Because to get between the two cities, you have to use at least two airlines and finding a ticket with out costing a fortune is a challenge. Well I finally did it and even avoided some really strange routings, like going from Reno to Vegas then to Omaha, over to Atlanta then to Minneapolis and finally to Minot. A logical routing I do say so myself.

After many searches, I ended up just buying a ticket to Salt Lake City, then using a frequent flyer ticket to get to Minot and now it's all taken care of. So I will be home from the 18th of October to November 3rd. I can't wait for some beer and theology.

Got the plane ticket!

2006-09-27T22:16:00.000-07:00

Finnally got my computer back!

2006-09-26T11:54:00.000-07:00

Well it took a while, I finally got my computer back and for the most part it seems to working fine for now. I'll have to keep an eye and see how it goes.

Well in other things, I'm currently an unemployed bum until the ski resorts opens back up in November. Till then. I need something to keep my bank account up.

Because I'm trying to get home in October with out spending tons of money.

And then's the wanderlust kicking in and the urge to get back into baseball again is there. We'll see where that ends up.

Till then I it's off to get more wood for the house I'm living here in Mammoth. It's amazing how many times you pick up the same piece of wood before you get it to the fireplace.

Ulgy computer problems!

2006-09-05T16:39:00.000-07:00

It's no fun to deal with a computer that is on the fritz. Lately my ibook has been crashing for no apparent reason after a just few minutes. It's no fun let me tell you. but now after a long call with the apple tech line. I'm all set up for repair through apple. And now all i have to wait and see what happens. For it's annoying to say the least.

Comings and Goings

2006-08-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

As the predictions for the first snowfall are being made here in Mammoth, it's time think about comings and goings. Before we know it the winter season will be in full swing and we will find out who's coming back and who has moved on to different places in thier lives. And with Mammoth being a international community it is a truly intresting to see where people have ended up. And for my self I still figuring out where I should be, should I stay or should I go. And if I go where I will end up? I don't know yet, but I'm pretty sure if I do stay I'll be moving on after June closes if not before then. And then there's also the news of one of my favorite people in Mammoth is going to be moving on in a few months, where she will be going, is still to be determined yet. My thoughts on this matter, just wait for, I'm not ready to say goodbye quite yet. We will see what happens. Then on the coming to Mammoth front, I just heard that one of my residents from my Healy Hieghts Housing project is coming to Mammoth for the winter, which is way cool. It's going to be intresting winter to say the least.

And then there's sometimes

2006-08-16T19:06:00.001-07:00

When you start asking about bunch of questions, sometimes you get answers and sometimes you don't. So instead of a long rambling post here are a few questions and thoughts I've been thinking about during this summer.

Why I am still in Mammoth? and not moving half way across the country again?

What countries would I have to visit to find all the missing tuberware containers from my house?

Summer is too short around here.

Why does your plans never seem to work out, unless they are God's plans. And even then they never make much sense until the season passes.

Why I haven't gotten back to working in baseball?

For that matter, what whould happen if I devoted a couple of months to nothing but writing? or at least just a few hours everyday.

Where is going to be my next destination and when will it happen?

Why do relationships with girls make no sense at times?

And how did I end falling for a girl that's not a christian, but is totally cool?

And why is waiting so tough to do at times?

Is there any other reason than to live than for christ?

These are a few a question and thoughts I've had over the summer.

And here's one that in some ways answers a few of them.

By waiting you will see my grace and glory shine thought the land.

If that's the case then I'll wait for the miracle to unfold. It will be awesome to see it happen.

Number 5

2006-08-05T21:54:00.000-07:00

You Are 5: The Investigator

You're independent - and a logical analytical thinker.

You love learning and ideas... and know things no one else does.

Bored by small talk, you refuse to participate in boring conversations.

You are open minded. A visionary. You understand the world and may change it.

What Number Are You?

Cooking implements

2006-07-31T20:09:00.000-07:00

In my house I have finnally taken care of a moral outrage when it comes my kitchen. What's that you may ask? The lack of quality knives. I have plenty of knives around this house. But none of them are very good. And in fact they really sucked, they're cheap, hadn't been sharpened in ages and didn't cut worth a damn. It made using them really frustrating to use. I finally had enough and got a top of the line bread knife and it is a beauty to use. But that only addressed one defenicy. Having a bread knife is a good start, but if your chef's knife isn't any good, you can only go so far in the kitchen before giving up and calling for takeout. So when I was up in Oregon, I took care of the problem of awful knives. But getting a decent set of knives that should hold up for a while considering the abuse they will take at the house with all the people that come and go at my place. They won't be my personal set of knives which I'm saving up for a set of Heinkels or Wusthof's, but they will do. It is so nice to cut things with a sharp knife. It makes a world of difference.

All in All my kitchen is pretty well stocked but it was lacking some basic cooking supplies.
Then's the tuberware mystery. I have a whole bunch of lids that have no bowls for them. Where those bowls went is a mystery. On that I think to solve it I would have to travel to at least three countries and two contients. It would be adventure and a story worth telling.
But in the mean time, I also picked up a new set of tuberware and it's cool to have a place store your left overs.

And then I can't say how cool it is to have a pair a tongs. It's way cool, to pull things out without schorching your hands.
And last but not least, is finding some bargin cookies cutters. they rock now I just need to make a few batches of cookies.

It's cool to have some decent cooking supplies. And when it comes to cooking it's always more fun to cook for other people than just for yourself.

Ballparks and Journeys

2006-07-28T17:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm up to three ballparks this season since my trip to go visit my sister and brother in-law in Klamath Falls Oregon and some other friends in the state in the middle of the month. Which kinda of explains my lack of blogging. Nah, not really. I don't have much of an excuse. All I know is that I'm torn, while I love being in the mountains, Especially after the winter we had here. But at the same time I miss being around the ballpark everyday. And boy it is tough since jobs are starting to open up in the baseball industry and a few of them have intriguied me already. All these things seem to be under the question of Why are you here? and where are you going? These two questions I've been struggling with for most of summer.(Which got started very late around here) Maybe it's the fact I want something more, for some of the thinking and reasons that lead me to stay here in Mammoth for the summer, have ended up being totally different that what has happened this summer. After getting seveal reports about happenings in Denali this summer, I'm glad I'm not up there again. And who would have thought that I would be part of a church thats reorganiziing to a model where teams are leading and doing the visioning, instead of just a few people who provide the vision and leadership like many churches. What can I say the Lighthouse is not your father's church.
Which is just one of many things that have been going on. And even in the relationship front. Which there hasn't been much going on. And when I think about it, I keep coming back to a thought that I have had about it. "Is to keep watching and waiting and you will see my glory shine." Which when you think about it a really awesome promise. Except the toughest thing to do is just wait to see it come to pass.
And I think that's part of what I want more of. To see God's glory just shine. In my life and in others. Even if I have no idea of how it should look like at times, or where I'm headed to next. Weather it's in Mammoth for another winter season or at a ballpark somewhere. I've been realizing that it's in the quiet that God really does the moving and just to listen, you'll might just be surprised about what's going on.

Dancing Patty Monkey

2006-07-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

The Dancing Paty Monkey dance has been the rage of the Lighthouse community since we saw it when the church in the basement folks came and visted us over the july fourth. Scroll down and go to the second video in the movies section and watch and enjoy. It's so awesome. It's begging for a sequel.

Garage weddings, thousand year old eggs and other questions

2006-07-11T21:56:00.000-07:00

With the coming and going of the fourth and the end of the ski season here in Mammoth it's seems to really be summer here finally. Well what have I been up too? Well lot's of things, let's see. My birthday which was pretty quiet then There was the wedding of one of my roommates which we ended up having most of the recepition in the garage! to avoid the rain at the time of cermony It was lot's of fun. Thankfully it stopped raining so that the dancing could commence. Where we had a lots of fun dancing, which the highlight of the night was the Dancing Patty Monkey dance which we learned from the Church in basement folks from Fresno Ca who....
Paid us a visit for couple of days around the fourth. It was pretty cool since they didn't bother to let us know that they were going to stay at our place until they walked in the door. Which was pretty shocking considering that three of the four were girls. My Roomate was very shocked because he was there when they walked in.(I live in one of the guys houses where co-habitation isn't really allowed) I was off housesitting when they arrived and when I got i back, i was like cool. Could someplease tell us when we get guests. So while they here it was a blast. I tried a thousand year old egg, watched a lot of cool movies that they had made. They are pretty intresting let me tell you. We are looking to return the favor by crashing at one of the Church in the basement girls houses some time in August, to catch a baseball game and maybe an Audio Adrenline/veggie tales Concert at the same time :)

So I've had a fairly busy last week or so, next up is a few more days of work then off to Klamath Falls, Ore to go visit my sister and brother in law :)

Then with all the cool things, there's always a few questions I've thinking about, what am I still doing in Mammoth Lakes? Especially when baseball jobs are starting to open up. And what about this relationship thing that I have no idea about at the moment. The there is the underlying truth of God that he is there in all the cool and not so cool things that are going on and the questions that are being asked.
The questions that we don't ask often enough is are we listening?
And the more I think about, I just need to seek after God whereever it may lead. And for everyhthing else(even relationships) I think I stick with baseball, at times for me it just makes sense in a insane world.

And if you ever get to try a thousand year old egg. Go for it. It's good.

Rain is so much better than snow

2006-06-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

Well, we are finnally getting some rain here in Mammoth and it's funny. Considering the amount of snow that we get during the winter, we hardly get any rain during the summer. And just about everybody that's survived the winter here is happy to take the rain. Because with rain you don't have to do anything with it. Unlike snow. Which I'm tired of. Which so are a lot of people, even though we can still ski. Which is totally amazing on June 28th. But we cant' complain the snowpack is way above average, baseball season is full swing though the closet games are long ways away. And the town is quiet.
Which is nice for a change.

What not to do with wedding cakes

2006-06-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I ended up working a wedding, which went off with out a problem. Except for one. The wedding cake. To the average person they would not noticed anything wrong with it. But to the eyes of trained chef, the cake was an abomination. Any good pastry chef would have thrown this cake out the window and made the bridge and groom a new cake out of pure princple and moral obligation.

Here's just a few offenses of this cake.

1. Dry, (what didn't they forget how much moisture it takes at high altitude
2. ONE inch of marospain(SP) frosting. (There should never be more than a silver of it around the real frosting on the cake. See a hostess cupcake for an example of how thick it should be.
3. The So-called frosting was baked on top of the carboard holding the layers. Instead of around the cardboard.
4. The one inch of smuckers? strawberry jam in the middle of the cake.
What's wrong this?
Two things
A)Using Strawberry jam as a filing. (instead of a strawberry reduction sauce)
B)One inch of it, it should just be a slim layer at the most 1/8th of inch thick.

And then's the brillant decision by somebody in the wedding party/catering department to keep the cake out for most of the day. Which resulted it in falling apart when cut.

But the wedding party didnt' complain so that was a good thing.

So if you every need a wedding cake made, keep these things in mind.

1. Hire a true professional that knows what they are doing. Sometimes the price is more than worth it.
2. Don't let the catering reps tell the chefs what to do in the kitchen. They have earned the title of chef for a reason. Let them work and handle the food. It will turn out amazing.

Just some observation from a food guy.

Finnally some good theology

2006-06-07T23:07:00.001-07:00

After the DaVanci code's rampart run of bad theology and facts(despite a good story) and the christian response to it.(I'm not sure which one's worse) Finally it's time for some good theology and that means superheros and who else can fit the bill? Superman. In this link The story covers a recent book by Stephan Skelton titled "The Gospel according to the World's Greatest Superhero" and in it he details all the parrells in the Superman story to the Gospels.
It's about time for something this good to be out. Can't wait for Superman returns on June 28!

Not perplexed!

2006-06-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

I'm not perplexed anymore about velvetta cheese and fish hooks anymore. After a few discussions with a few fisherman , I found out that velvetta cheese is used as bait for catching fish. With this being said, it does make sense to have the velvetta cheese and fishing gear next to each other.

Sci-fi is for me.

2006-06-01T00:24:00.000-07:00

You Should Be a Science Fiction Writer

Your ideas are very strange, and people often wonder what planet you're from.
And while you may have some problems being "normal," you'll have no problems writing sci-fi.
Whether it's epic films, important novels, or vivid comics...
Your own little universe could leave an important mark on the world!

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

Cheese and Fish Hooks????

2006-05-27T23:47:00.001-07:00

Today I stopped in at Vons grocery store in Mammoth and was totally perplexed about how these two items ended up next to each other. First was the fishing gear section nothing abnormal about that. But what is right next to it was Velvetta Cheese followed by the chips and cookie section. What is out of place here?

Yeap Velvetta Cheese is stocked next to fish hooks and lures. Odd I have to say especially when's there a whole section devoted to cheese a few asles away, what type of person would go into to a grocery store and think hey I need some cheese for my crackers and walk out with fish hooks instead? I don't know, but i have never thought of buying these two items together. But I guess at Vons they somehow think there will be lots of impluse buying by fisherman picking up that Velvetta cheese that didn't know they needed to catch that monster trout they've been after all year. Yeah that's it....Anybody that has a guess why they are together feel free to leave a comment.

Books and writing.

2006-05-18T15:12:00.000-07:00

Maybe all the books I have and read have something to do with taking so many English classes throughout college and high school. What I am kidding they did. With out them I wouldn't have been a defacto English major. In fact if wasn't for books and gaming I would have had a very tough time making it through those years. For with out the ability to book up a good book and take the time to enjoy the journey to far away places and places down the street, where good guys were able to take down the bad guys, get the girl and go fight the battles that needed to be fought. Or just explore the journey to different time periods where different eras, ideas and notions were explored. And no matter what was happening in real life there is always a book that takes you to another place and time. In fact I don't have a problem reading almost any book, but most of my books that I have are about baseball, many sci-fi and fantasy books that point me along the way, some history, many classics and some Christian books and novels. (Though I avoid many of those books because well simply put they suck, but they are a few good ones out there) and I can't forget about comic books. Don't diss them, some of the stories are better than any other books out there.

Of course there are definitely some bad ones out there like any other genre. Those usually end up in the quarter bins. In the last several years, I also read many books about writing and several screenplays to help my writing along. There's nothing better than reading a screenplay and figuring out what is working and not working in the play, while not having to listen to hours of lectures about writing. Instead of talking about being a writer just write damn it!

Any way, here's a few a books that have made an impact on me.

Nueuromancer by William Gibson, The ultimate cyberpunk novel that described the Internet before it exploded into real life. This book with it's all it denseness painted a world for me that I wanted to be jacked into and not this world.

The Hardy boys: The teenage detectives were some of the first books I read by myself when I was eight or so. They were so cool that what boy wouldn't want to go off and become a gumshoe detective and read the series

Stolen Season: A Journey through a baseball's and America’s minor leagues. This book is one my favorite baseball books of all time. Written by then LA times writer David Lamb, Lamb sets out and spends the 1989 season traveling in a Winnebago all around the country checking out cities and baseball stadiums across the country. Throughout his journey he does it right unlike a few other books that chronicle fans journey to 30 different parks in 30 days. He stops and meanders throughout the us, staying a week or more at some places and others just a day or two. In doing so he gives a glimpse into America that few ever get.
This book might have something to do with wanderlust and search for the best minor league park.

I could easily list many more but these are just a few.

For some things I am in the wrong town for...

2006-05-15T22:34:00.000-07:00

With the snow rapidly melting here in Mammoth Lakes, CA everyday you see something different that you had no idea that it was there before because it was buried beneath several feet of snow during the winter. It is amazing to see the town come alive and finnally see signs of spring and hints of summer around. With busy part of the ski season over, the town is pretty quiet and that is a good thing. After a crazy winter it is nice to have the town back from the million people from LA that don't know how to drive in snow.
But it means a whole different things for me. Ever since June Mtn closed and I made the decision to stick around here for summer I can't help but look at the map and plan trips to ballparks and go hiking all over the place. Right now it's tough I didn't quite realize how much I miss picking up and heading off to a new place every five to six months. But for once I staying put for now. In fact the question that I've been thinking about alot recently is "Why are you here? and where are you going?

Am I still in Mammoth because of a relationship that's nothing much going with, or is there something much more going on that I'm still around for that I don't know about yet. And for the where are you going part, And since I've stopped at a Lancaster Jethawks game on my way back from a week in NY. I know what I want to do and that I want to get back into game(that's baseball) and get paid to be around the ballpark everyday.
But those jobs won't open up until the fall. Tell then I'm just hanging out seeing what's instore and planning the next baseball game. And then's the job I just appiled for in Butte MT which would have nothing to do with baseball. It's going to intresting to say the least.

Dummy Races

2006-04-14T22:42:00.000-07:00

With the end of June's Mtn season upon us. It's time for one the great traditions of ending a season and that's the dummy races. Dummy Races are pretty much what they sound like. Make a dummy, put it on skis and then send down the hill and then watch it try to make it over the jump and then enjoy the crash. Here's a picture of what landing zone looks like. After a few crashes and burns.

632 inches and counting

2006-04-05T22:02:00.000-07:00

Well with the lastest storm that dumped 75 inches on Mammoth in the last couple of days. We have broken the all time record for snowfall in a season at 632 inches! and counting. To describe how much snow is around without any pictures is an near impossible task. I'll take some pictures and post them so you can see what they are like. And with our 22 foot base we will riding to fourth of July for sure. And with this much snow around it's hard to believe it's spring, oh well there should be some more storms on their way maybe we wil get to 700 inches this year that would insane, the seasons already epic.

Opening day

2006-04-04T22:34:00.000-07:00

The 2006 baseball season has began.

For me it is always one of the best days of the year for no matter what may be going on in my life or the world. It is good to know that there is still hope in the world. For when I am at the park it is all good. I can forget about things like relationships, girls, outside problems, what I am doing next, work and all that fun stuff and just focus on one of the greatest things on earth and that is being at a ballpark. Where as a fan and I can block out all of those things and just enjoy the moment of being there For there is nothing like it in the world. If you understand what they joy of being at the ballpark is there nothing else than can measure up. Some may think baseball is boring game, but it is anything but. There is more going on in game of baseball then a hundred football games. Huh? You saying what? That's right there is more going on in a game of baseball because unlike football or basketball where all of the action is front of you. Baseball's action is subtle if you not paying attention you may never notice the second baseman move two steps to his right to cover a left handed pull hitter and then be in postion to make a great play. You might never be aware of it, that movement and thousands of others that may never get noticed are just one of many reasons why baseball is so great.
The only problem this year is for me like most years is that I am not at a ballpark on opening day. This year I should be able top last years total of just three ballgames. As there are quite a few teams throughout California. It's going to be good to check them out. For I am still on my quest to find the best pizza, beer, and ballpark in America.

So Take me out to the ballgame!

Comings and goings

2006-03-30T22:58:00.000-08:00

With it being the end of March, it's hard to think spring in Mammoth. Where during the month we have gotten over 130 inches of snow! and we still have another day to go with yet another storm rolling through. Good gosh will it ever stop?? Maybe by june. At least it means we got some epic powder days this month and there's not much else like riding powder. :) With spring coming it means the season is ending and with that people are coming and going. Some leave in the middle of the night never to be seen again, others leave with a going away party that ends up lasting a week. And others leave with great sadness as they have truly been your friends for the season. In my apt complex we have had several leave already and we have gotten a few new ones from VA for the rest the season. And we lost one from my place and it has been a big loss, as we are realzing how much cleaning this roomate did. Our place is for the most part in pretty good shape considering there is six guys living in it. And it is way better than a lot of other units throughout employee housing. But still when you think about cleaning and are planning on doing it sometime soon, but you can't because it has already been done. You don't realize how much he did, until you have to do it yourself. So it's one absence that we have already felt around the place.
It's strange for once I'm the one staying around and not leaving and I think that is a good thing for me. As I have been all over the country in the last two years. It's going to be good to see a summer once that I will get to play again unlike the last two years where I have worked alot. And it will also allow me a chance to just grow and spread my wings for my next adventure. What ever that will be. And it will also give me a chance to continue to develop and explore the friendship/relationship that I have with Abby(No my decision to stay in Mammoth for the summer was not based on her, though I will not deny it was a factor.) As intresting as it is. If I was going back to Alaska and I would be leaving in a couple of weeks I would feel as there would be much unfinished bussiness between us. As I am still waiting to see her come to christ and that has been hard just watching and doing my best to stay silent at times. For I can see how much God has a plan has for her and she has no idea about it yet. So it's going to be good to see what the summer is going to be like, for there will be plenty of hiking and camping in store. Tell later it's ride some pow!

This is way cool.

2006-03-23T21:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, this person has way too much time on his hands. But what he did is way cool. An aircraft carrier made of lego's is pretty amazing. And he didn't stop there adding destroyer to boot. Wow! is all i can say.

A tasty new blog

2006-03-22T17:17:00.000-08:00

Now that my sister and brother in law have a blog it's been added to my links.

Also in very important news.

It's just 10 days until the opening day of baseball season!

More later

Staying put.

2006-03-19T22:14:00.000-08:00

Since I'm staying put in Mammoth Lakes for the summer I'm now faced with figuring out some things. Like where to live, since my job with June Mtn is ending in just under a month and the housing that goes is ending. Which means I need to find a new place to live in Mammoth which is looking like it will take care of it's self as I there is looking like there will be openings in some of the housing for guys house through the lighthouse. Which will be cool cheaper rent then what I am paying now and place to call home and in mammoth that is a good thing.

And for what I'll will be doing this summer, I have no idea yet, there's always the resturant world which I wouldn't mind getting back into, if it was the right resturant and right chef to work under where I could take my cooking skills to the next level.
That's just one option the others I have no idea of right now. Because I never now what the next job will entail. Because when I went up to Alaska last summer I had no idea I would end up running a employee housing community. It's strange how things work like that.

Soon I will be talking about all the cool things that you can do over the summer.

The four key questions.

2006-03-13T21:38:00.000-08:00

In my favorite tv show of all time Babylon 5. there where four questions that defined the series and the answers that the characters gave to the questions defined who they where and affected the events of that show dramatically. It's fun to ask them of you self.

They are

Who are you?
What do you want?
Where are you going?
Why are you here?

Intresting questions.

One question that I can I answer for the moment. Is where are you going?

And for the first time in a couple of years it is the same place where I am at now. That's right it's looking like I'm going to be spending the summer the same place as I've spent the winter and that's in Mammoth Lakes. It's going to be weird to not be going across the country for once. But it will be cool to see summer come to place I've only seen in the winter. As for my job and where I'll be living for the summer that remains to be seen. I know those will take care of it's self. And besides staying in one place allows you to get involved in the community and work and devolp some relationships that are easier to work on in person than when you are thousands of miles away.
And just because I'm staying in one place longer than five months doesn't mean I'm settling down one bit. I'm just staying put for now and besides the worlds is wide open and we see where I'm off to next. The journey's just begining.

Gumbo!

2006-03-03T21:29:00.000-08:00

One of the worst things that you can do in a church is to volunteer for something, some group, project, committie, dinner or anything else that is going on. Because before you know it you will become involved in it full time and if you are not really careful you will end up leading the event or outreach. While wondering how did I get involved in that.

Well on Tuesday night I made that mistake, because I volunteered to cook the lighthouse outreach dinner for 120 people. What insanity came over me?? Well a few did. Let's start with the first, nothing was planned, nobody was in charge. So when you say what's going on with the dinner. You quickly become the cook for the night.
The second reason is it was fat tuesday. And what food better celebrates fat tuesday and madris gras??? Gumbo.
And the third and most important reason I wanted to eat some Gumbo and that settled the menu. And besides Gumbo is a great party food. And what better excuse to have Gumbo than Madris Gras!

And when you get a chance to introduce Gumbo, to aussies, kiwis, norwegians, peruivians, chillieans and couple of other countries it's a great night.

So after a day of shopping, chopping, dicing, simmering and baking. It all came together. The menu was supplmented with corn bread and some cheese bread followed with some cookies. All topped off with a pie eating contest. It was good. So good in fact there was no Gumbo left at the end of the night!

So in all it was great night.

And the word is....

2006-02-22T13:51:00.000-08:00

And the word for the day is...en·er·vate

meaning

1 To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality of: “the luxury which enervates and destroys nations” (Henry David Thoreau)

Which sums up how I've been feeling for over the last month, where I've been fighting a really nasty chest cold that still won't go away. It really hasn't been much fun at all. Very little riding, not doing anything and just moping around during my time away from work, where I'm taking it easy after going what seems like a million miles an hour the last few weeks.

So I really haven't felt like doing much of anything productive. Which explains my lack of blogging for once. And I haven't realized how much being sick has truly affected me. I haven't finalized what I am doing yet for the summer and that isn't a totally bad thing. For maybe I'm suppossed to stay put for a while. For if I do stay i can get involved in doing some really cool things through the lighthouse Working on some movies they are doing and other cool projects they are starting. And it would also be cool if i would stay for it might allow me to figure out what's going with some relationships of mine. For it is a bit easier to work on relationships when you are in the same place longer than five months at a time.
But then again there's places I've never been before and too pass up the opportunity to visit them while getting paid is something that is tough to turn down.

So it's to seek and wait and see what happens.

The best thing about the superbowl is...

2006-02-05T18:31:00.000-08:00

Since the superbowl is upon us. I am thinking what the best part of the game is. And it's simple it has nothing to do with the game. It's the realization that there is still hope in this world. Why? because the baseball season is just around the corner in fact pitchers and catchers report in only nine days to spring training! At this time of the year it doesn't get better than this and it truly gets better once games are played. Even the darkest days of winter there's still hope. As long as there's baseball.

Where are we going?

2006-01-30T22:41:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that I've been back in Mammoth for two months. When I was home in the fall I was so ready to get back here it wasn't even funny. Being a bum in ND will do that to you. Though I can't complain about having a two month vaction, ahh the benefits of the seasonal lifestyle.
Now that I am back here and settled into the daily routine part of me doesn't want to leave and part of me is ready to seek out my next great adventure. Alaska again??
What does that say about me? Maybe it says a lot about my family vactions where we went all over the country to look at out of the way rockpits that only a geologist would be intrested in. Trust me I ended up in some places that I still wouldn't be able find today. But I did get instilled with the ability to look at a place on a map and think I haven't been there, so let's go check it out on a moments notice. Which is kinda of how I've been wandering in my post college carreer. Where I am now checking out all these cool places and getting paid to live thier while people spend thousands of dollars to come visit these places.
And I still trying to figure out what type of church has enough money to splurge on a ski trip for 80 some people while staying in 200 to 400 per night rooms plus all the other costs for a ski trip. Is it just me but is it just a bit hard to comprend?(Not the ski trip, but the money spent on it I'm curious to ask the question to that youth group, what are you doing to change the life of the poor? It should be a fascinating answer.

Anyway now that January is at a close it's time once again to figure out where to spend the summer and beyond. And the cool thing about the seasonal life is to remember to enjoy the time you have at he place you are at.

So as I begin to seriously explore where I am going next, I am learning that my next adventure will be deeply rooted in my destiny and identiy in Christ and that will lead to some intresting places even if I have no idea what they are right now and who knows I might even get published sometime.

And then's the matter of Abby. Somedays I have no idea of what to think or what to do. And other days it's simple just hang out and enjoy the time together we have. But when those days of having no idea what to do. I keep coming back to the really the only thing that matters in my life and that's my relationship with Jesus Christ. Because of that I can't give up on her, as hard as it to watch and wait sometimes. I know that a miracle will take place in her life. Till then I'll do my best to keep waiting and show her how much God loves her. For a encounter with God might what it takes with her. So keep praying for Abby, her life is going to change I just know it.
When is the question.

Just looking for the next story to write. Now to find out what these crazy characters are up too.

Another UFO sighting.

2006-01-20T22:14:00.000-08:00

Here's the rest of the play enjoy. :)

ELLEN brings the beer to Bart and holds up. When she sees Cornell.
ELLEN
Here you go. Daisy the Desert Rose will be up in a minute...Oh Boy! Here we go again.
BART
Does this guy have a job?
ELLEN
He comes into my bar every week spouting off his latest UFO theory, quoteing shakespheare. And working on his spectalizer. And all he ever orders is a coke with a shot of cherry in it.
BART
That drink calls for an ass whooping.
As Bart starts to get up. Daisy pulls him to the table.
DAISY
You’ll do no such thing Bart James Reynolds, now take a look at this.
Daisy hands him a photograph. Bart looks at it for a second.
BART
They look like some street lights.
CORNELL
These are no street lights, they are the lights of UFO seen by me, my sister and my cousin. On the Texas Pan Handle in August of 1982.
DAISY
Really?
BART
Does this guy have a day job?
ELLEN
He’s a college professor. Cornell, do you have anything new this week?
CORNELL
Thanks for reminding me. Can you two help me out.My spectalizer is not working and I need of parts before we can go UFO hunting tonight at....
DAISY
Actually, we can. We got this piece of trash that we are getting rid of very soon. You can have it.
BART
DAISY! I’m not going to give that up.
Daisy just looks at him. He knows he’s not going to win this agrument. But he’s not going down with out a fight.
CORNELL
Good, I’ll take it. Keeping the spectalizer running takes tremoudous resources.
BART
I’m not giving this up!
DAISY
Yes your are.
Cornell starts to search through all of his bags.
BART
What he is doing?
ELLEN
Uh..oh..I think he’s looking for the map.
BART
The map?
ELLEN
Yeah, when the spectalizer isn’t working he studies his map with all of the UFO occurrences in a three hundred mile radius.
CORNELL
There it is! I found it!
He pulls out a giant map and spreads it all over a table.
CORNELL
Daisy, do you and Bart want to come with me tonight and check out the lights that were reported by house springs?
DAISY
We would love to, Bart do you want to?
BART
Umm sure...What’s going on?
DAISY
Were going UFO hunting at house springs.
BART
Hold on, we’re doing what?
DAISY
Going UFO hunting at House Springs.
BART
No were not. You can look for all the UFO’s tonight tell your heart is content. But I’m not going.
DAISY
(Slighty seductively)
Bart.
CORNELL
Thanks for reminding me, there is something I need to check.
Cornell pulls out a suped cell phone with plenty of bells and whistle and proceeds to check his messages.
BART
Daisy, they is no way in hell that I’m going ufo hunting with that wacko.
DAISY
You know for once we could do something I want to. Instead doing what you want to everynight.
BART
What’s wrong with the usual?
DAISY
You mean, while you’ll sit around, drink beer and watch some game. While I do ALL the house work. While your mind is on one thing. Fucking me!
BART
What’s wrong with fucking?
DAISY
Nothing, but you’ll have much better success of getting me in bed if we’d actually did something something exciting for a change.
ELLEN
She does have a point.
CORNELL
Is it not strange that desire should outlive peformance.
ELLEN
(Giving him the look)
You’ll keep twelfth knight out of this.
Cornell goes back to his backpack.
BART
Daisy, we do stuff that you want to do all the time.
DAISY
Yeah like once every blue moon, when we go to my mothers.
CORNELL
The next blue moon will happen in 2048.
BART
Don’t bring up that visit to your mothers again.
DAISY
It was Christmas. You know the day the savior of the world was born. If we didn’t go home we’d be crucified.
BART
It’s my fault for this, It’s my fault for that. Is it ever not my fault?
ELLEN
TIME OUT! I Don’t know what’s worse, Cornell quoteing shakespheare with his half baked theories or a bunch of so called adults acting like bunch of immature second graders.

ELLEN
I don’t care what grade you are. Listen up here’s my deal take it or leave it.
BART
What’s the deal?
ELLEN
Good so you actually listen. Which is something you two need to do a lot more of. Now Bart go ask Cornell about the spectalizer.
BART
Do i have...
ELLEN
Yes.
Bart sulks over to Cornell and hesisites while both Ellen and Daisy give him the evil eye.
BART
Cornell, what does specatalizer do?
CORNELL
I’m so glad you asked. The specatlalizer is on the greatest innventions ever. It has 585 different functions and capilites to detect the presense of aliens.
BART
Uhh okay. What does that mean in english?
CORNELL
It picks all types of radio and tv waves. Including classifed secret goverment broadcasts. But it’s broke right now.
BART
Can it pick up Nascar races?
CORNELL
And much more. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
BART
Really, I might be able to help. What’s wrong with it?
CORNELL
I haven’t been able to get anything to come out of it for a while.
BART
I see what I can do.
Bart and Cornell start to work on the Spectalizer and quickly become engrossed in it.
ELLEN
Works every time. Just get him going on the machine and the nights over.
DAISY
You’ll really like him don’t you?
ELLEN
(Smiles)
Yes I do. But don’t tell anybody else.
DAISY
I promise I won’t.
ELLEN
You two have only been married for about a year? Right?
DAISY
Yeah, how did you know?
ELLEN
Two reasons. I’m a bartender and I am women.
DAISY
Gotcha.
ELLEN
This marriage thing is not everything you thought it would be?
DAISY
Yeah for the six months lately it was great. And now it’s pulling teeth.
ELLEN
When was the last time you had a good talk?
Daisy doesn’t say anything as she tries to remember.
ELLEN
That’s what I thought. How long since you have had a date with him?
DAISY
About eight months.
ELLEN
Way too long.You need to have a date night at least a week. I think I got perfect thing to start you off. I can get you tickets for Chicago for tomorrow night and dinner for both of you at Cornardo’s.
DAISY
You not serious?

ELLEN
Yes I am.
DAISY
Sweet. Do you know how hard it is to get in that place.
ELLEN
I do. The excutive chef owes me big time. And besides this is the least I can do for sending you with Cornell tonight.
DAISY
It won’t be any problem. It’ll be fun.
ELLEN
Well see what you say afterwards. Bart!
No answer, because they are engrossed in the specatlizer.

ELLEN
BART!
Bart looks up and turns to the bar.
ELLEN
Come over here.
Bart puts down his tools and moves towards the bar.
ELLEN
I got a deal for you.
BART
Okay what is it.
ELLEN
I’ll let Daisy explain.
DAISY
What are a plans tomorrow?
BART
Nothing...maybe watching a game.
DAISY
Wrong. We got plans.
BART
What type of plans?
DAISY
Dinner plans. Tomorrow we are going to dinning at Cornardo’s and then we are going see Chicago and have a wail of a time... And oh yeah...we’re going ufo hunting with Cornell tonight.
BART
That’s crazy! How did this happen??
DAISY
(smiles)
I have connections.
BART
There is no way I’m going to hang out with some wacko and then go to some boring play. I don’t care if it’s Hamlet or not.

CORNELL
How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a nuaghty world.

DAISY
Do you want to get laid tonight?
BART
Hell Yeah!
DAISY
Good. You’ll be giving that trash to cornell to help him with his spectalizer.
BART
That piece of art work won’t help the spectalizer. It needs some serious work on it.
DAISY
Good then you can help Cornell with it.
CORNELL
If you are going to get rid of trash. I’ll take it.
They ignore him.
DAISY
Either you give it to him, or that so called piece art will be going in the trash as soon we get home. Or if you don’t like that option you can spend the next couple of nights alone one the couch. Or you can come with your wife and enjoy her company for a couple of nights on the town with nothing holding us back from making passionate love tonight. It’s your choice Bart.
BART
DAISY MARIE BERCHTOLD!
CORNELL
It works!!! It works!!!
BART
What did you do?
CORNELL
The twelfth gear shift ratio lever was out of an alignment. I slammed it back in. Now we head to House springs.
BART
Where’s house springs?
ELLEN
About two hours away.
BART
Your not serious.
DAISY
Yes. This is going to be a night to remember.
BART
In more ways than one.
CORNELL
Tracking UFO’s is a dangerous bussiness. With this baby we have the upper hand on all of those wanta be, second rate, weekend UFO chasers that don’t know how to figure out the differance between swamp gas and street lights.
ELLEN
Cornell are you going somewhere tonight?
CORNELL
To House springs. Are you coming with me tonight Ellen?
ELLEN
No thanks, I’ll have to...I need to do some bookwork tonight. But Dasiy and Bart would love to go with you.
BART
No We’re...
DAISY
Just gathering our stuff so we can come with you tonight. Right Bart?
BART
Yes Dear.
CORNELL
Good, with your help I might actually be able to get undeiable proof that UFO’s exist.
DAISY
What happens if we don’t find anything tonight?
CORNELL
We go out tomorrow. Ellen are you going to come with me tomorrow?
ELLEN
I got to check the schedule in the next couple of days.
CORNELL
Okay, I’ll be back to check in. Bart and Daisy are you coming tomorrow.
BART
We are going to see Chicago tomorrow.
CORNELL
A mighty fine choice. You will not be dissapointed in Chicago. Though it’s not the same as Hamlet. Now it’s settled. Tonight with the spectalizer we will get proof that UFO’s exist!

Cornell starts to make adjustments and pushes some buttons on the spectalizer.
BART
What have you gotten us into?
DAISY
Something very fun tonight.
BART
Daisy...
ELLEN
Bart for the sake of your marriage. Go with her.
BART
It’s no fair. Double teaming.
CORNELL
Ahh! It’s working. We can go know. Are you ready?
DAISY
Just about, we need a minute.
CORNELL
Good.
Cornell picks up all his stuff run out the door.
BART
All right I’ll go, but I’m not giving up that statue.
DAISY
BART JAMES REYOLNDS!
Daisy gives him the look.
BART
Okay, I’ll give it to Cornell.
DAISY
Good, I’m glad you can see it my way. Because I’m looking forward to unleashing the tiger of Eupradies tonight.
BART
I can’t wait.
CORNELL
Are you guys coming?
DAISY
Yes, let’s go.
BART
Yes, dear.
Bart and Daisy start walking out the bar.
CORNELL
Good. Ellen I’ll be back next week to tell you everything that happened.
ELLEN
Oh boy!
They leave the bar.
The END.

Curtains fall

Black out.

To rule the world....

2006-01-19T19:18:00.000-08:00

Your Social Dysfunction:
Paranoid

You show pervasive and unwarranted suspiciousness, and mistrust of others. You are overly sensitive and prone to jealousy.

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

Please note that we aren't, nor do we claim to be, psychologists. This quiz is for fun and entertainment only. Try not to freak out about your results.

Just another friday night ufo sighting.

2006-01-13T22:59:00.000-08:00

Because I need a break from serious matters Here is the first couple of pages of a ten minute play that I wrote a few years ago. Enjoy. I'll get around to posting the rest sooner or later.

JUST ANOTHER FRIDAY NIGHT UFO SIGHTING
Setting: Jakes’ bar. An Artist bar with paintings and sculptures that line the walls.

At rise: ELLEN the bartender is fixing a couple of drinks for the couple at the bar.
Before they can say anything. Cornell rushes in and drops several cameras, recording devices and other things on the bar.
CORNELL
HOWDY FOLKS! Glad you could make it. Tonight is a very big night. I have on good authority that the UFO that flew over the U.S.S. JFK in 1971 is making a return visit within the next couple of days and I intended to photograph it. But first I need a couple parts to get the spectalizer working. Can you help me out?
DAISY
(under her breath. Ellen is the only who hears it.)
I got this statue of beer cans you can have.
BART
(To ELLEN)
Who’s the wacko?
Cornell hears this and pulls out a business card and hands it to Daisy.
ELLEN
Cornell Williams. He comes in every friday night talking about the latest UFO Sighting.
DAISY
(reading the card)
Cornell Williams, UFO and paranormal investigator.
CORNELL
That’s me, and who do I have the fine pleasure of meeting tonight.
Daisy hands the business card to Bart who throws it on the bar.
BART
Bart Reynolds and this is my wife Daisy.
Cornell shakes Bart’s hand and then turns to Daisy and kisses her hand.
CORNELL
I ne’er was struck before that hour. With love so sudden and so sweet. Her face it bloomed like a sweet flower. And stole my heart away complete.
DAISY
My face turned pale, a deadly pale. My legs refused to walk away,
And when she looked what could I ail
My life and all seemed turned to clay.
(Pause)
DAISY
First Love, by John Clare.
CORNELL
Bravo! Bravo! Bart, your wife is a fine women of character, beauty and intelligence. It’s not very often that people recognize Shakespeare let along John Clare these days.
BART
What just happened?
ELLEN
Just humor him, the sooner we can get rid of him the better.
CORNELL
You can indulge me in the pleasure of your company next saturday on a date.
ELLEN
Not until you get proof that aliens actually exist Cornell. Now what can I get you two to drink?
BART
I’ll take a bud, and she’ll take bourbon on the rocks
DAISY
Not on your life! Bart you know you could ask me what I want for once..
BART
Daisy, That’s what you always order.
DAISY
Have you ever thought that I would might like something different for a change.
BART
We’ll...
ELLEN
Okay, Daisy I got a drink for you how about a Desert Rose Freeze.
DAISY
What’s that?
ELLEN
It’s tequila rose, McCormick Irish cream, grenadine and ice purried in a blender then topped off with a strawberry.
DAISY
I’ll take it.

ELLEN nods and starts to prepare the drinks.
BART
You just going to order what she says?
DAISY
Bart at least she has taste.... And don’t even get me started on that hideous thing your brought home the other night.
BART
For your information, that thing is a high quality art piece dedeciated to the Intimadtior Dale Earnhardt.
DAISY
I don’t care who it’s dedicated to or even if the Pope blessed it himself, An orphous of bear cans is not art, It’s trash.
BART
Trash I’ll tell you what trash is. Trash is that horrible poster that you put up in our room.
DAISY
Van Gogh is not trash.

A slight revision

2006-01-08T23:49:00.000-08:00

Due to some editorial advice, I've pulled the photo of Abby for the time being.

So coming soon Girls, Guys sex and mammoth. If it doesn't get abducted by ufo's before then.

What ten feet of snow looks like

2006-01-02T20:46:00.000-08:00

Being from ND you get used to the snow and the cold. Though you don't always enjoy it. However being in Mammoth my defination of what's a lot of snow was blown to pieces last year and once again this year, Today in one massive storm that lasted from six pm on new years day to about 8pm today. We've have gotten ten feet of snow in a day. It was insane to say the least. I'll post the exact total tomorrow when the results are compiled. All this snow means one thing an epic powder day tomorrow. :)

Girls!

2005-12-29T17:11:00.000-08:00

Is there any thing simple when it comes to the female sex? Now you may be wondering what brought this topic up for discussion? Normally it’s a topic that I do my best to avoid because it can easily lead to much trouble for me and it’s something I don’t talk about very often and try my best to not dwell on.

Any ways before I continue to dwell on my story I should give you a break down of what exactly brought this post about. We’ll ever since I’ve gotten back to Mammoth, I’ve been hanging out with my friend Abby quite a bit. And during that time I’ve pretty much have fallen for her. (Hey it can happen to the best of us.) I don’t know how it happened but it did. I had been giving her enough hints about how I felt and on Christmas day, she called me out on them and I ended up telling her that I like her and cared about her.
Now it would have only been simple if she had yes. But instead she gave one of the most horrifying lines guys can hear. “Can we just be friends?” Which is never fun to hear. But after a few days of thinking and praying about the situation maybe that’s the best thing for now. For there are a couple things that make this a complicated situation, one she’s a girl and not a Christian. Which opens up a whole mess of complicated situations. I know all about the verses that talk about the believer and unbeliever shall not be unequally yoked, and right now a dating relationship may not be the best thing for us. In fact I’m ready to sacrifice thoughts of serious relationship with Abby right now to keep our friendship intact and more importantly see her come to know Christ as her personal savior.

It’s a tough and complicated situation right now. With Abby not having an idea of what it means to have a personal relationship with God and because of that, nothing may happen until something breaks in her heart. And for me it’s tough, I have feelings for her and with all the other relationships stuff thrown in and my burden to see her life changed by God it is not simple . It’s not been an easy couple of days, as I have been doing my best to leave her alone and give both of us some time to figure things out.

And the fact that both of us work on the same mountain and we see each other everyday means that it will not be very healthy for us to be walking on egg shells for the rest of the season. So before long a good talk about expectations and other things is going to be needed and welcomed.

So All I know is that I need to just to wait on the Lord and see what happens for I know that sooner or latter I’m going to be telling her about the relationship I have with the lord and that she too can have the same thing I do. When that day happens it will be awesome. For I am burdened for her and I know a miracle will take place in her life. When that happens only God knows. Till then I try my best to just wait.

Christmas Carolling

2005-12-22T16:47:00.000-08:00

Last night I had the enjoyable pleasure of going around Mammoth Lakes singing christmas carolls and handing out plates of cookies to unspecting and grateful residents around time. It was so much fun to see the faces of the people as we gave them thier cookies and sang joy to world. And venturing into employee housing was very much as we were singing we got invitived to a couple of parties and could have easily picked up a six pack of beer or two. It was much fun to say the least. It's going to be intresting to see the results of the baskets over time.

Finnally some pow!

2005-12-18T17:30:00.000-08:00

After over two weeks of blue bird weather. We have gotten, just in time for the christmas break a much needed dump today. So far it's been over a foot of snow and counting. There's nothing like a powder day let me tell you. And there's even better news in the forecast later in the week. Five feet! Yeap! if we get that at once it will be awesome. And if it's only two to three feet. That's not bad at all.

So it's time to get some pow!

What I've learned about witnessing.....

2005-12-16T22:40:00.000-08:00

During my time with the Yellowstone Christian Innovators, Lutheran Campus ministries at Minot State University and other experiences before and after becoming a christian . I have learned much about witnessing and what to do and not to do.

Among the most important lessons are

1. Listen
2. Don’t judge
3. Shut up
4. Listen
5. Hang out with them
6. Don’t judge
7. Don’t try to out proselytize Mormon missionaries, it can’t be done. Instead build relationships with them.
8. Listen
9. Always invite non Christians to your events,
10. Never condone them when you hear their stories of wild parties and questionable hook-ups.
11. Listen
12. Don’t judge.
13. And don’t forget to listen.

A few things not to do.

1. Don’t quote bible verses when people are engaged in sinful behaviors. People for some reason shut you out.

2. Don’t gossip.
3. And don’t do everything that you been saying not to do. It seems to quickly affect you credibility.

Naturally I could easily give you a lot more things of what to and not to do but they big lessons I’ve learned are this. Build Relationships and give voice to those that have none. If you do that you are really fulfilling the great commission in ways that truly are life changing.

If more people are focused on those two things instead of worrying about petty minor difference like how they baptize people. (Dunking or sprinkling) The world could be a much different place.

For I know when I am doing things right. Questions about God, religion, faith and other spiritual matters come up naturally, never forced. And the conversations are deep and meanful, and once in a while somebody gets it and comes to know god on a personal basis. And when that happens it is truly awesome.

Just some thoughts.

Today I tried something new for the first time.

2005-12-15T19:25:00.000-08:00

Okay this won't be a very heavy post like yesterdays. Which is a good thing. Though the only update I have is that Dustin went back home today and will be getting help, which is a good thing.

Now for the fun stuff.

Today I actually drove a stick shift for pretty the first time in my life. This experience happened as a result of an off hand comment I made to my friend Abby as we were heading back from June Mountain after riding today. The next thing I knew we were turned around and headed back to the parking lot of June Mountain where I got my first taste of using a stick shift. I only stalled out twice and had a few bad gearshifts. Which considering it was my first time driving a stick is pretty good. So next time its time to see what I can do on hills. :)

It was fun to say the least, and considering the fact that somebody is gracious enough let you borrow their car to give you a crash lesson in driving a stick shift is pretty cool. So that's the news of the day. Hopefully I'll get around to posting some pictures soon.

Mushroom trips and other fun stuff.

2005-12-14T22:39:00.000-08:00

I was thinking about posting some really off the wall personal ads today, but life has a way of interrupting things, so maybe in a few days.

Any way here's what has happened.

Last night, after I dropped my friend Abby off at her place after the employee dinner about six thirty, I went home and just bummed around for the rest of the night. Yet for some reason I felt a really heavy burden for her and really felt off kilter for the rest of the night and most of today.

It wasn't till dinner I found out why.

Last night a fellow co-worker of mine at June Mountain, Dustin a 18 year old rental shop employee was getting ready to leave for home the next day. But before night could turn into to day. The craziness began. It wasn't a night full of drunken behavior that often accompies the last night of an seasonal employee's season. Instead it was something much more serious then having a few too many beers.

What happened will be a night that almost everybody involved will remember for a very long time. It seemed that the night was going on rather uneventfully until somebody noticed that they hadn't seen Dustin in a while. When they went and looked for him they found him, but not in good shape. Bleeding, cuts and abrasions all over the place is how they found him. A phone call to 911 quickly followed and the next thing they knew they were at the hospital's emergency waiting room waiting to see if he would make it out of his mushroom induced state.
In those long tense moments Abby, Rachel, Billy (Dustin’s) boss, and two of Dustin roommates sat in shock taking in fact that the young friend could end up dying before the night was over. Each one realizing that it could have easily been one of them in the Emergency Room instead of the waiting room. (Even though they weren’t doing any drugs that night or would ever) During the time they sat in the waiting room each one faced questions of their own morality and questions about God, justice, fairness and life and a really big one if I was to die today do I know where I would go?

Questions most young people don't think about until times like this.

For most of them the questions they asked themselves that night will not be answered for a while, for a night when a buddy almost died it will take time for the shock to pass and the true healing to begin. But only if they realize that they only way the peace that so many people are looking for is through Jesus Christ and not the drugs and the drinking that can be so prevalent in seasonal workers.

It was a sobering day among the June Mountain Staff and the people that sat and waited for Dustin to pull out. I wish I would have been at the hospital, but it was not meant to be. So instead my roll is going to be to listen to them, talk with them and share Christ love with them and not judge them at all and tell them Jesus died for them and that he loves despite everything that they do and have done, even the druggies, the lost, wanderers and seasonal workers.

All I know is that God is going to use this night to turn their lives upside down and open their hearts to his love.

So my friends just pray for Dustin's healing because he's out of the hospital and now home heading for rehab. And for my friends Abby, Rachael, Billy and others who waited in ER waiting room to come to know Jesus Christ as their personal savior.

It's going to be an interesting next several days to say the least.

I let you know what develops for I have a heavy burden for Abby and the rest of the June Mountain employees. Because I know big life changing things that only come from God will happen this season at June Mountain.

So more updates as they become available.

The Brazilian Invasion has begun.

2005-12-10T19:32:00.000-08:00

Well it looks like this year that Mammoth Mountain has done some recruiting in South America and we are just starting to see the results of that recruiting effort here. In the last couple of days we have gotten the last roommate to fill up my place. And he is from Brazil. This gives my place that is full of Americans a perspective that can't be found until you hang out with people from different countries. For dinner the Brazilian and three of his brazilian friends are cooking up a great meal of pasta and hot dogs. I can't say too much other than it's almost two star fare for bachelors, which these guys are. And in case anybody is wondering my place is easily in the top ten percent for meals prepared by the residents at home in employee housing. Even with a couple of people not doing any cooking. It's interesting to say the least. Consider the biggest problem is finding space the refrigerator and figuring who is going to replace the olive oil and cumin that we use here. It's much more fun the drama filled place one of my friends is around. She is surrounded by a bunch of 20 year-old boys who brings a whole bunch of problems with it and when you throw some alcohol in the mixture it can get very crazy to say the least. I think I’ll take battle olive oil, over 20 year- old boy toy drama any day.

Where's Seattle on the list?

2005-12-05T20:55:00.000-08:00

American Cities That Best Fit You:

65% New York City

60% Boston

60% Philadelphia

60% Washington, DC

55% Chicago

Which American Cities Best Fit You?

This lists feels pretty right about me. For I would love to get back to DC and being in Philly would be pretty cool. Now where's seattle?

Where to get snowboard gear.

2005-12-04T22:21:00.001-08:00

This is a answer to Steph's question. And despite her recent eiltest nonsense that has come from her direction. I'm going to go a head and answer the question.

A good to place to look for snowboard gear is in the rental shops and ask if they have any equipment from previous years for sale. They are usually very happy to get rid of it a really good price and you should be able to get some good stuff that slighty used but will be in good shape. Also make friends with people that work on the mountian they might get you discounts on gear.

You need a few things to get started.

Board
Boots
Bindings
goggles/sunglasses
snowpants
coat with perferably a powder skirt
wrist guards(because when you start out you will be falling alot.)
and a face mask,(because you never now what the conditions will be.)

And you thought getting into snowboarding was going to be easy on the wallet.

And I would recommed for the first time you go, to rent the gear. Because there is so much equipment out there I can't even tell you were to start looking. And till you been riding for a while you don't know what you like or don't like. So until you have been down the slopes a few times rent don't buy. And if you get on the mountain several times this season. Buy! You save a lot of money in the long run. Even it's a chunk of change to get all the gear. It will be worth it.

FIrst days

2005-12-02T22:29:00.000-08:00

After six days and 1700 miles I made it to Mammoth Lakes safe and sound. With stops in Big Sky, West Yellowstone, MT and Reno, NV and a few places in between. I have some pictures from the trip that I will be putting up shortly when I get them.

Now that I am back in Mammoth Lakes, I will say that my first day back was a good day of catching up and seeing who’s around and what happened during the summer. In short all I can say among the people I knew the summer was a season of weddings. I believe there was something like four weddings and couple of other engagements thrown in. During the summer it is Needless to say it was busy at the alter. Now it’s all about the snow.

Which brings me to reflecting about the first day in employee housing. Last year my first day in employee housing was quite an eye opener.

25 empty beer cans, including four in the bath room.

The beginnings of a raging party.

One of the guys hooking up with his girlfriend that night, who were so into each other they forget the fact that was now somebody else now staying in the same room with him.

And that doesn’t count the overflowing trashcans.

Needless to say, the next day I moved out of there the next to a much better place and to roommates from around the world.

This year.

A clean living space.

A bunch of books about the vegan diet and lifestyle on the kitchen counter.

Now I’m living with the RA for the building, who is also one of the bus drivers for the mountain.

And for the other two roommates that have arrived so far. One is working at June Mtn with me and the other is a bus driver I knew from last year and Denali.

It’s a small world.

It’s been a good start, now it’s time to see what shape June Mtn. is in.

Heading west....

2005-11-25T21:26:00.000-08:00

Well, after two months at home the time has finnally come to take off and leave the wide open prairies of ND behind and head to the mountains of Mammoth Lakes, CA for another season of riding, snow, interesting roomates from all over the world, and the intresting people that only inhabit a ski resort or other seasonal jobs. It's going to be interesting to say the least. And how can I forget the amazing place that is the Lighthouse Church in mammoth. It has a community that most churches would love to have. An active young adult community that truly is in love with the lord. It's pretty cool to say the least. And how can you go wrong when in the same building there's also a pizza place, and the ice cream shop! It doesn't get too much better than that. I can't wait to get out there. But first off to MT.

Ready to get to Montana

2005-11-22T12:42:00.002-08:00

It's hard to believe that it's been over two years since I've been in Montana. and in just a few days I will be back out there once again. While this time I will only be stopping there for a few days on my way out to Mammoth Lakes, Ca for the winter . It still will be good to get back to the mountians and see some of my former Yelowstone Christian innovators chronies and get to hang out and do some riding at Big Sky, which will be way cool. Because it's time for some snow.

Did they film it in IMAX?

2005-11-19T22:15:00.000-08:00

Check out the link for First Descent the story of the snowboarding revolution, a movie about some of the top snowboard riders on a trip to Alaska. It's looks cool, insane and since I'm itching for some powder. This fits the bill. And my only other question is did they film it in Imax because that would be narly.

In case anybody's wonderng

2005-11-17T20:55:00.000-08:00

In case anyone's wondering,

There's only 140 days left until opening day of the 2006 baseball season.

I am right brained.

2005-11-16T12:43:00.000-08:00

In what comes as no surprise to me or anyone that I know. This test shows that I am right brianed. Take the test and see what side of the brain you are. And remember left handers are the the only people in the right mind.

Brain Lateralization Test Results

Right Brain (64%) The right hemisphere is the visual, figurative, artistic, and intuitive side of the brain.
Left Brain (46%) The left hemisphere is the logical, articulate, assertive, and practical side of the brain

Are You Right or Left Brained?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Writing cover letters is no fun.

2005-11-15T22:15:00.000-08:00

You know what. Writing a cover letter to apply for jobs is not much fun. First you need to find the job, then dust off the resume and write a cover letter that tries to match the job and your experiences and work that you have done. All the while trying to kiss up and beg the Human Resource manager to hire me, hire me.

But you can't say any of that or be that obvious in your cover letter because your carefully crafted resume will be thrown right into the slush pile. Instead you must carefully craft a letter that diplomatically touts your skills and experiences all the while masking the fact you are kissing the ass of the HR manager. Even if you are, you can't do obviously. Because you got to learn how to do it by invoking three different codes, translating the latest conspiracy theory and then come up with a cover story that will get you by the bull shit detectors of the HR manager. It's lots of fun and once you get your letter all done, then it's time to revise, edit and let other people look at it and make further revisions. And once you are done you have the fun of doing it all over again. Why? Editing is so much fun. And one of these days it will be might be sent out. And don’t forget to always thank the person that is reading it. It just might help

Having a printer is cool.

2005-11-14T20:38:00.000-08:00

In starting to prepare for when I head out to Mammoth in just a couple of weeks. I finnally have got around to hooking up my printer and it's cool to be able to print again. Not that it hasn't been too much of a hardship by not having one. But it cool to have one once again. Now I can get around to do all this printing of stories, papers, writing and job stuff that I haven't done very much of lately with the full attention of sending them off to get more rejection letters ... Well at least's that the plan. Now to get back Warcraft III

Three more weeks

2005-11-08T21:07:00.000-08:00

It's just over a month away until June Mtn opens and for myself I'll be heading out it a little over three weeks to another season of pow! Rides on the slowest moving chairs ever Chair 1, good times, friends fun and a whole bunch of crazyness living in employee housing. Hopefully my roomates will be decent and pretty cool and not some crazy weridos that you can easily end in employee housing. While I've enjoyed being back home in Minot, ND. I'm ready to head west and get back to the mountian. And the pictures is the view that I get every day from the chalet. It gets even better at the top of the mountian. Ready for some pow!

It's fun to play tourist

2005-11-02T09:26:00.000-08:00

Last summer when I was interning with the Potomac Cannons now Nationals baseball club. I didn't have much of a chance to do to fun things in DC, because during the season you pretty much are living at the ballpark from April to Sept and when you are not there you are trying to get all the sleep you can to catch up with what you didn't get during the last homestand. This I have a had a chance to do things like go into town and catch some of the Muesuems and let me tell you it's lots of fun meandering around DC with no plan and nobody to pull you in fifty million directions like many summer vactions and tour groups do. (And don't get me started on why i will never go on a guided week long tour with a bunch of other people) Especially in the fall when the most of the crowds are gone and the weather is just awesome not like when it's 95 with 100% humidty as the summers in Virgina and DC are often like. So it's been good, though I'm realizing that I'm glad I don't have make this commute everyday driving around dc. It can get pretty crazy let me tell you. Next up, off to Philly for a grudge match in Ultimate Warzone. (One of the games I play)

Off to Washington DC

2005-10-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I'm off to Washington Dc. for a week to catch up with friends, former staffers, a host family and get to check on what has not changed with my old ballpark the Pfitz. While out there I am going to get a chance to do all the fun things I didn't get to while I was out there last summer. Like go to all the muesums in town. It's going to be lot's of fun. Who knows what will come up. And in packing for this trip it's way easier to pack for a week than moving every six months

Stuff

2005-10-26T13:53:00.001-07:00

One of the bad things about being a writer, English major, reader is that you tend acquire a lot of books and I won’t even begin to mention the games that I have. All that stuff is great and all, but once you start traveling around you realize how much of the stuff you don’t even use anymore and don’t need to carry around. But everytime you try to get rid of the stuff you keep on finding more and more reasons to keep it. And if you’re are not paying attention you somehow end up with more books. As much as you try to stop your self it’s a hard habit to break. So I just keep them around because you never know when you may end up reading them again. So when you travel you end up taking just a few of the books that mean the most to you, your clothes for four season because you never know what climate you me be in next. And the gear for your next destination together and try to stuff into two or three suitcases all trying to keep them under 50 pounds to make the airlines happy. Then board your flight for your next adventure. Knowing one of these days you’ll me moving into a place for good.

The Little things

2005-10-20T14:24:00.000-07:00

The Little Things.

I’ve been home in North Dakota now for a little over two weeks, and during that time in addition to being a bum by not working and enjoying every second of it. In fact I haven’t had any desire to go back to my former job at Pizza Hut. And that is truly a good thing. Besides I’ll be pretty busy during the winter in Mammoth so it’s a good trade off. But I’m starting to go a little stir crazy but a trip back to DC to check out what’s going on with my old team and host family. It’s going to be a blast. But now that I have been home I’ve realized things I’ve missed about living in civilization and not in Denali National Park in Alaska and few things I've miss about denali

Here’s just a few things I’ve missed during a summer in a national park.

Getting up in the middle of the night and not having to get dressed and walk a quarter of a mile to use the bathroom.

Opening up the refrigerator and deciding what to eat for dinner at 10 at night,

Going to the store on whim, instead of planning two weeks in advance.

Perkins’s Runs.

Living in the same place that you work.

Drinking beer with people whose goal isn’t to get drunk and start fires. (Long story) instead it's to discuss beer and theology.

Being miles away from a ballpark.

Having a discussion about cows “when asked what have you been up too?”

Gaming.

These a few things I’ve missed about civilization

And now for some things I’ve missed about living in a national park.

Living in the same place you work.

Having conversations with people from three different states during lunch.

Talking to people from two eastern European countries during dinner, and having three lanagues used fluenty

Walking 100 yards and being in the middle of nowhere.
Starting a hike at 11:00 pm at night and not worrying about it getting dark at all.

The Midnight sun baseball game.

Being in a place that most never will get to in their lifetime.

Getting paid to work in a national park.

Never having to explain to people why you work in seasonal jobs, because everybody else is doing the same thing you are.

Are just a few things I’ve thought about.

Leaving

2005-09-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

After nearly five months of living, playing, laughing and crying together in Denali, its time to leave the place that we have called home. It’s strange all summer long you look at the calendar all season long and realize that you still have months left till you can go home all the while watching people come and go and at times wishing that you were able to join them, But when you are thinking that way, you keep finding reasons to stay and realize that as crazy as it is. You’re glad to still be up there. For when they are back in school and back in the hometowns looking around at all the people they are around. They keep thinking back to the amazing cast of characters that populate a national park for the summer. From the ones that last a few memorable days to the ones from around the world. And the ones that will become life long friends that years after a summer in the midnight sun you’ll still be talking to and remembering the crazy times you had that summer in the land of the midnight sun. Meanwhile you’re still up there.
Before you know it’s your turn to leave and go home, you shut down the building for one last time, deep clean it and pack away all the equipment for the winter to be pulled out once again in the spring. Then you gather your stuff and try to cram all the camping gear that your picked up over the summer into two suitcases and then board a bus or one of the last trains and head down to Anchorage for your flight home and back to the outside to see what’s going on with all the people that left behind that can never understand what’s it’s like to live in national park unless they have done it themselves. And why there’s nothing like it.

Where to next?

2005-09-14T00:17:00.000-07:00

Before I will know it I will be hoping on a bus and heading south to Anchorage. Only In Alaska does you south to get to Anchorage. Before I head home there will be stops to see family and friends and then home where I have some much needed downtime before I head off to my next job which right now is scheduled to be back at Mammoth Mtn. for another winter. Which will be way cool being able to spend another winter in Mammoth and hang out with the all cool people at the Lighthouse once again. In last five years or so I lived in and worked in more places and states then most people will get too in a decade or more. Yellowstone (MT) Okay so it’s located in Wyoming big deal. Its MT folks, North Dakota, Virginia, Alaska, California are most of the places I worked and lived in. Each one is different and unique from the small town of Minot, ND to the big city of the DC suburbs to the wild and crazy wildlife of both and Yellowstone and Denali national parks. Where sometimes the employees are wilder than any wildlife, and the ski resort in California at Mammoth Mountain. Which the only difference between employees that work in ski resort and national parks are that at national parks they spend their time drinking and hiking and at ski resorts they spend their time drinking and skiing. It’s the same type of employee’s just different locations. With that being said, where to next? And I don’t mean what seasonal job; I’m talking about a long-term answer to the career question. You mean settle down in one place and stay for a while? Nah that’s not me. Okay I’m not going to be answering the question for a long time I feel, And that’s okay because life’s a journey and a open road and there’s so many places that I haven’t checked out yet. Overseas is one area I haven’t hit yet. So well see where I end up next. All I know is that end up where exactly where I am supposed to be when I am supposed to be. The only question is where will it be next? Just waiting to find out.