UPDATE

Just a few updates for those watching the site.

The pictures from the quarry climb are now finally posted on to the south east climbers website. Feel free to check those out and see some of the picutres that for one reason or another wouldnt load on to the homepage.

Also we will be putting the July Calendar out sometime this week, so keep your eyes and ears open for that to be posted on the website and to be coming to some of you via 'high email'. As always we are always looking for input or suggestions, feel free to contact us at outdoor.adventures@backpacker.com

On a side note, I will be leaving to go climb Mt Baker on July 15th, and will be gone for 2 1/2 weeks, following that I will be going on a short (4-6 month) deployment at which time Merryl will be taking over all of the fun stuff. If you have any questions or what have you, you can still contact her/us at the above listed address.

I was just recently asked to write an article and provide some pictures for the NIOC G's quarterly magazine the 'Navigator'. Hopefully the editor will approve the article and the photos, and you should be seeing it in the upcoming edition.

As always, if you have any photos that you took on a trip, we would love to have some copies. Preferably digital, and we would LOVE to put them on the website if you could send them via email. Please include the name of the subject, the location, and the date if possible.

As always, have a great day and I hope that even though the weather hasn't been the most conducive to being outdoors, that you are like me... drooling over topos and planning the next trip before the first one has ended!!

Be Green, Stay Happy
Nic, Lead Guide Outdoor Adventures.

SC Quarry Climb

We had a great time climbing the new lines at the abandoned South Carolina Quarry. With Merryl, Amber, Tom and myself we succesfully topped out on the two main lines that we could find decent anchor points to. Hopefully the photos work out off of this page, but if you would like copies, or are interested in seeing all 93 of the photos we took that day, then just contact us at outdoor.adventures@backpacker.com

The wall does extend about 150 feet with a maximum height of 50. (ave 35ft) there are at least 3 really good bouldering sections, with one caved out area that almost requires anchoring in due to the incredibly poor landing zone, and lack of ample area for a crash pad or a catcher. (pictured to the right is the side of the caved out bouldering section)


Due to lack of a decent area to belay and good anchorage, we were restriced to the northern section of the quarry, which we named dynamite wall.



((ratings are approximate, and on the yosemite scale))
'Wasp' starts out on the main 'dynamite wall' as an easy 5.8 then at the top, after the 1st small ledge, becomes a 5.10 with the majority of the holds consiting of finger pinches and slopers. There is one decent pocket hold at the top if you shove your left hand in, however after that it's finding the right finger jams that become a problem. Oh and staying away from the wasps nest!! :)

'Lichens Journey' is a much easier 5.8 with a decent set of holds the whole way up. This route is set off of the main dynamite wall closer to the bouldering cave with great ledges.

Due to a complication, more photos will be posted shortly, I apologize for the delay. Until I am able to fix the problem here on blogger, please feel free to check out the photos at the southeast climbers coalition site...
www.seclimbers.org. Check under South Carolina, and other areas to view photos. The photos might not be available on this site till at the soonest June 21st..

also check on www.rockclimbing.com under routes, usa, south carolina, north augusta, quarry. and that's us!! of course this isn't all of the pics, but it can start giving you an idea!

NEW CLIMB!! FIRST ASCENTS!!

If anyone is interested, this is a very rare chance to redpoint/first ascent a new wall that until now is not known to have ever been climbed. Please contact me asap or show up at the North Augusta Boat Ramp Parking Lot, above the water plant on Monday at 8am.

if interested feel free to call at 267-8808 or contact us at outdoor.adventures@backpacker.com


I apologize for the odd stitching of the photos, hopefully they are seamless enough that you can get a rough idea of what the wall will look like.

Parkour

We have been looking to add Parkour in to our scheduling, and I have been getting alot of questions asking me about the basics and what have you.

Parkour responds to a deep-seated need of humans: to move. It's an art that demands the true spirit of a warrior, and offers pure action to its practitioners.Basically, Parkour is a natural method to train the human body to be able to move forward quickly making use of the environment that's around us at any given time. This 'art of displacement' require neither specific structure nor accessory for its practice. The body is the only tool. It's an athleti discipline accessible to all, because it combines all the natural skills of the human body: running jumping, climbing... It's a sport that permits exploration of the potential offered by your body.It's about being able to face the obstacles with which you are presented, whether they be in the natural environment or in the urban environment, in a search for movement that combines effectiveness and control


several sites with vids...
www.parkour.com
my favorite one - Mr. Jumperson The actors features have been doing parkour almost since it's inception in France. This is actual a commercial, see if you can spot for what.

and also http://broadbandsports.com/node/207
type in any search engine the following tags to find more information or movies
freerunning, parkour, urban running,

May 28th Kayaking Trip

Curtis floating in a bed of rare Shoal Lilies

Curtis, Laura and Chuck went down on this gorgeous kayaking trip on May 28th 2006. Curtis sent these pictures in to share with all of you and hopefully they inspire you to come out and join us.

whats wrong with this picture?

A little bit of whitewater in the Shoals

As always, if you are interested in joining us on one of our trips feel free to contact us at outdoor.adventures@backpacker.com

JUNE CALENDAR

Please email outdoor.adventures@backpacker.com for further details.

June 1st & 10th- Kayak the Savannah from Savannah Rapids Pavilion to Downtown Augusta. free, please RSVP
June 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th - Aiken climbing wall 5:30pm cost $5 for drop in
June 3rd National Trails Day Hike and Map Peekaboo trail 6pm
June 4th&21st Hike and Geocache Bartram Trail
June 5th GUIDE MEETING 5PM CYPRUS LODGE BASE MWR
June 7th, 22nd & 26th Hike Mistletoe Cliat Creek
June 8th Kayak Rolling Class 7 pm
June 9th Bouldering Savannah Rapids Pavilion 7 am
June 11th Nature Walk, site TBD
June 11th&24th Kayak the Canal from Savannah Rapids Pavillion down to the Enterprise Mill
June 17th Hike the Peekaboo trail 8 am
June 18th Kayak/camp overnight trip - if interested please RSVP ASAP, exact campsites on the Strom Thurmond Lake will be determind by the members attending. All gear is provided free of charge.
June 19th Kayak Rolling Class 5 pm
June 25th Hike Stevens/Turkey Creek
June 27th-29th Big Trip possible Kayak the Broad River. Anyone available for these dates that is interested in an overnight camping/kayaking/bouldering/hiking or what have you trip. Please contact us ASAP.

ATTENTION CORE GUIDES

ATTENTION TO THE CORE GUIDES
We have the possibility of something really big in the near future and I need everyone to get back to me on whether or not they are available on June 5th at 5pm. Thanks

either call, or use high or low email.. OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

Command Picnic

Our Command Picnic was a blast. Thanks to everyone that helped out. Chuck, Merryl, Allison, Curtis and all of our other helpers.
Here of course are some photos and a quick video clip from the command picnic. Enjoy!!!
Click on the photos to see an enlarged version of them.

The climber in the pink shirt is Dakota, and later on (not shown in video clip) she showed up some of the men on the ground by not being afraid to top out and rappell back down, way to go fearless little girl!! One after my own heart.

Command Picnic

May 19th 11am-2pm
Come out and show your support for the Navy and for Outdoor Adventures at the annual spring command picnic. This year it will be held at Leitner Lake, on the back acres of the fort. We will be hosting a booth with a full set up campsite, first aid booth, kayaks, Leave No Trace, the latest beta for the area, and various other outdoor activities. Stop by and show your support!!! You can easily spot one of the crew this year, all the guides in attendance will be wearing personalized 'kermit the frog' green t-shirts with the word GUIDE on the back. Ask any of us any outdoor questions that you might have, we are more then glad to help.


Driving Directions from base: Take 15th to N. Range Road, hang a right and continue past the abandoned ID and Vehicle Checkpoint (gate 7).
Pass the signs and turnoff for the Controlled Lakes. When you come to a fork in the road at the Range control and Fishermen checkin, go to the right down Gibbson Road. Leitner Lake is about 5 miles down the road on your right.
Click on the Image to the right to see driving instructions

May Calendar

May 4th & 22nd Kayak the Savannah Near Augusta - depending on conditions we will launch at the Savannah Rapids Pavillion, or into the canal and portage over at Riverside Park. Then we will kayak the flat water of the Savannah River to downtown Augusta. We will pull out at the ampitheatre next to Boll Weevils. Conditions prevailing, expect the trip to last about 2-3 hours.

May 6th Pops Concert - Although this is not a 'sport event' this is a free oncert put on by the Augusta Symphony. Starts at 7pm at the Universtiy Healty center on Belair rd near Washington.

May 7th Augusta Canal Cruise and Cookout- see www.augustacanal.com

May 10th Bouldering on Local rock - we will be going to some local outdoor features. Problems will be more horizontal then vertical. This is a great oppurtunity to get back onto the rock or train for harder climbing.

May 11th Mountain Biking at Lick Fork Lake - located in South Carolina about a 45 min drive from where the I-20 crosses the Savannah River. This approx 6 mile course is maintained by SORBA and is pristine. It offers a somewhat challenging singletrack loop up and down hill..

May 13th Kayak the Toccoa and Overnight Camping at Deephole - Deephole campground is located about 45 minutes north of Dahlonega in northern Gerogia and is situated in a bend on the Toccoa River. On average the toccoa is rated a class I-II with 1 class III rapid in the middle. The river meanders through pristine national forest and then past rolling farmlands until the take out, about 12 miles downstream. Please RSVP

May 15th Augusta Canal Night Cruise - see www.augustacanal.com

May 18th Hike and Map of Peekaboo Trail on Reed Creek - a short hike where the trail is still in the process of being established. We need help clearing the trail and mapping it's route.

May 8th, 19th, 30th Hike the Bartram Trail - call for times

May 12th, 17th, 28th Hike the Mistletoe Cliat Creek and Rock Dam trail - call for times

May 21st Inagural Locks Cruise - contact www.augustacanal.com

May 23rd Overnight Camping at Mistletoe State Park - we will hike in to the backcountry site, roughly 4 1/2 miles, Please RSVP

May 26th Mountain Biking near the Canal - recently an Eagle Scout completed his project of establishing a set of mt biking trails off the Augusta Canal Tow path near where the Riverwatch Parkway crosses over the Canal.

Rain in Augusta

For those of you back home you wanted to see what it was like when it rains here in Augusta. This is a good example of a 'sprinkling' and some of what Georgia has to offer. This however is not a full on rainstorm, because there is not a foot of standing water on the high ground. and yes, I do know my eyes look a little creepy in this video clip.

Reed Creek

Reed creek actually passes by my house up near the Lakeside Panthers High school, and the trail that modestly follows it near out house is one of the dogs favorite tromping grounds. We have been trying to figure out a way around the various obstacles, so that maybe we could run the creek at high water (regular level is bottom scraping) from our house down to the Augusta Canal where the creek dumps out at this set of low waterfalls :
The first waterfall is the biggest at roughly an 8 foot tiered drop with the line flowing down river right. This isn't even worth attempting at low water due to the launch and scraping at the top. A quick seal launch can be done from river left above the downed tree. The regular flow pulls hard to the right but there can be enough of a tug to pull you down on top of the tree.

The next rapid is a lot smaller and the best line also follows the v in the rock on river right. At high water the force of the rapid can easily push a kayaker into the soft sand wall on river right. Due to the structure of the wall it has been eroded in several sections creating small caverns that could easily trap a boat. A few good strokes should put you well and clear of this.
This third photo is looking from the top of the last rapid.


Access to this little park and play is very easy.
Directions : Take Evans to Lock Rd. East till it dead ends at the Savannah Rapids Pavillion. After the stop sign take a right into the gravel parking lot and go to the very end. There is the head of a short trail at the edge of the parking lot. Sadly, it is currently marked with a busted up microwave.


You can either follow the short trail to the right and put in off of the 'erosion bank' or you can follow the trail to the left and get on top of the small waterfalls for a look at them yourself.

Dusk in the hidden garden

There is a secret garden along the banks of the Savannah, and it is truely right underneath everyones noses and they dont realize it. We descended the hidden stairwell on a beautiful day following several

days worth of rain. Although we were surrounded by trees, the light mist from the spillway saturated our clothing before we reached the river.

What better way to spend a sunset then with friends dangling their feet in the water and perfect weather.

Bartram Trail

The Bartram Trail extends from Louisiana to North Carolina, and passes through Georgia. Augusta sits smack dab in the middle of a portion of the trail, and thankfully they have restored some of it near the Augusta Canal, and also near the Strom Thurmond Dam.

The hike along the S. Thurmond lake is absolutely beautiful and often times on the weekends I have seen trail joggers/runners and a few mt bikers out there. The trail meanders through the Georgia side of the Dam, on the southern edge of the lake. In several locations you can easily walk down to the lake for a refreshing and secluded dip in the perfect water.

A word of caution, this is also prime hunting grounds for wild turkey and deer, during the hunting season it is imparative that you and your dogs where orange or yellow reflective vests, unless you want a personel Cheney accident to talk about.


Directions :
Take Fury's Ferry (Hwy 28) Into South Carolina. take a left onto Jake Pollard Highway (HWY 221/HWY 150), you will pass over the Dam. About a mile after crossing the Dam look on the right for small parks. Several of these day use parks have access to the Bartram Trail.

Or take Washington Rd ( HWY 47 ) west till you come to Jake Pollard Highway (HWY150) take a left and go roughly 5 miles and look on the left for the same parks.

how many do you burn?

Ok, I admit it.. I am not in the best shape of my life, but who is in this day in age in the great society we live in. So, to determine generally how many calories I spend in a day, I fiddled around on a few sites to find out on average how many calories I would burn doing some of my favorite activities.
Here comes the shocker, I am going to say my weight and my estimated BMI/BF!! On average I am about 165, according to the Navy standards I am 31%, although by other calculations I am roughly 26. My BMI is roughly 25, so that means for 60 minutes of mt biking 857, fencing 605, frisbee, general 302, ultimate frisbee 806, kayaking on flat water 504, rock climbing 1109, sky diving 353, Backpacking with a 35-45lb pack 445.5, whitewater rafting 956.

I would say that would give you a fairly decent look into how each event stacks up and also what sort of preperation certain sports take.

If you are interested in finding out what a generalized calculation for your own standards, type in "activity calorie calculator" into your preferred search engine. my searches took at least 3 pages

A Walk in the Woods

April 16th myself, Tom and the dogs went for a short hike along the trails at Mistletoe State Park. Everytime I go on a hike through these woods it's a completely new expierence, especially now that spring has come and everything is in bloom. We entered a magical world of filtered sunlight and honeysuckle the farther we crept along. The dogs on the other hand, found even more frogs and other creepy crawlies out in the swamps and creeks.

If you look back several posts, you can tell the difference between only a few months.
This was just funny and I thought I should share it.

some of the upcoming events at Mistletoe:
Brain Tanning WorkshopSaturday, Apr 29, 2006 8 AM - 3 PM
Learn firsthand how early Native Americans tanned deer hides to make soft, pliable leather. Bring a lunch and wear old clothing. Call to confirm date. $3 parking. 706-541-0321.
Introduction to Fly FishingSaturday, May 6, 2006 10 AM - 12 PM
Anybody can drop a worm from a pole, but there's a real art to fly fishing! You will learn what you need to get started fly fishing: type of equipment, basic flies and casting techniques. Bring a chair and a fly rod (if you have one.) Register by April 30. $3 parking. 706-541-0321.
Talking TurkeySaturday, May 13, 2006 10 AM - 12 PM
Calling all gobblers who can yelp, purr or cackle! Children and adults will learn to make turkey calls from everyday items. $1 plus $3 parking. 706-541-0321.
Campfire ProgramSaturday, May 13, 2006 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Bring your chair and gather around the campfire for an old-fashioned camp program of songs, skits and stories. $3 parking. 706-541-0321.
RaptorsSaturday, May 20, 2006 7 PM - 8 PM
The Science Center at the University of South Carolina-Aiken will bring a Red-Tailed Hawk and Barred Owl for this fascinating program on raptors. $3 parking. 706-541-0321.
Wilderness Survival TrainingSaturday, May 27, 2006
Session one 11 a.m. - Noon; Session two 7:30 -8:30 p.m. Learn basic first aid, including how to deal with ticks and how to avoid hypothermia. Learn about plants and how to use them, and also learn to make a fire without a match. $3 parking. 706-541-0321.

for the kayakers

How to roll :
Roll index

To Give you a bit of inspiration : Kelsy on the Garburator in British Columbia

Interesting Article : The Sexes vs. Altitude

This is taken from www.bodyresults.com :

Women's Fuel Usage At Altitude Vs. Men
Braum, B., Butterfield, G. E., Mawson, J. T., Muza, S., Dominick, B. S., Rock, P. B., & Moore, L. G. (1997). “Women at altitude: Substrate oxidation during steady-state exercise at sea level and after acclimatization to 4300 meters elevation.” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 29(5), Supplement abstract 784.
This study looked at sixteen women over a period of 12 days who were in either the follicular (pre-ovulation) or luteal (pre-menstrual) phases of their menstrual cycles at sea level and again at Pike’s Peak (14,109’). The ovarian hormones progesterone and estrogen may cause women to acclimatize to high altitude differently than men, and variations in both hormones in the follicular and luteal phases of the cycle may alter the responses. After acclimatization to high altitude, weight-stable men tend to use more carbohydrate as an exercise fuel compared with at sea level. Women, on the other hand, oxidize less carbohydrate and more fat at 14,109’ compared to utilization at sea level. This is one more study that shows consideration of the peculiar female response to exercise and altitude is warranted. Treating women with the identical training and adaptation principles as men is an erroneous coaching strategy.
Take-home message:
Along with the research discussed and summarized in our high-altitude nutrition article at www.bodyresults.com/E2HighAltitudeNutrition.asp, this research seems to point to another reason why women, who naturally have more bodyfat to begin with, may do better at altitude than men. When fueling your own alpine excursions, carefully note what works best for you in terms of macronutrient ratios (carbohydrates-protein-fat) and compare that with the ratios you prefer (for maximal energy) at sea level. If you tend to have trouble at altitude, simply changing your nutrition strategy can provide relief. While a registered dietitian, nutritionist, or male friend might be able to suggest foods that should be good fuel sources, only you will know what works best for you during particular phases of your cycle.

Various interesting movies and sites

This is another really good site for whitewater. The pictures are incredible and they have some great videos on there. Most of the pictures are done by Samantha B. Swing by and check them out!


Add on to that, just for your humour, this may be the new olympic SPORT !!

Savannah River trip April 9th 2006

We took off today, April 9th, FINALLY! We were supposed to go yesterday but unfortunatley we had a minor glitch when a Georgia style monsoon came in. HA weathermen... said it was only a 20% chance of rain.
We put in just below Strom Thurmond Dam on the South Carolina side. (next to the powerplant) Thankfully this time the weatherman said 20% chance of rain... it was clear and beautiful.

A few times we stopped and played musical boats, by the way good job Erns in my little Dagger. After we were about 1/3 of the way into the trip we took a slight detour and headed off down one of the side canals that passes through the golf course near Windmill plantation and pops out just above Fury's Ferry Road. Of course, we sent Chuck with his bowie knife ahead of us to look for alligator tracks :) lol.

We couldn't have asked for better weather or better company. Surrounded by baby turtles (Laura's favorite), yellow bellied slider turtles, snaper turtles, alligator gars, (spelling) great blue herons, white egrets, cormorants, and many many other various birds and fish. We were even graced at the very beginning of the trip with a Bald Eagle sighting near the Strom Thurmond Dam.

Thanks to Chuck Elliot for the kayaks and gear and thanks to everyone that came out, Pam, Brandi, Laura and Curtis. Hopefully you guys had a wonderful time!! **wink wink nudge nudge.

We took out at the Savannah Rapids Pavillion, but if you were to continue on you would either have to portage around this spillway,
or go for it!! ala Jason Benton . The chute that he goes over is located on the South Carolina side on the very far right of this picture. It is marked with a green arrow. As you can see in the movie clip, it's not a bad little chute, but it can be unnerving for someone who hasn't paddled alot to try and go under the log and down the 10ft face. However, it can be worth it on a low-med water day. :)

Mistletoe Rock Dam

The Mistletoe Rock Dam trail is a perfect retreat from the trappings of the 'city'. It is roughly 4 miles from the head of the trail out to the primative campsite at Rock Dam Creek.

Thankfully this trail and the few primative campsites are on the opposite end of the park as the rest of the campsites, so you will not encounter any rv's, plumbing, or noisy neighbors. The site at Rock Dam is rated to take up to 30 tents, (very easily can) and has 3 rock firepits and one picnic bench.

The trail out there meanders through the forest, following 2 streams and crosses over several old fire roads. During the spring and summer months you can find small swamps and drainage ponds teeming with life within several feet of

the trail.

This time of year is especially beautiful with the various wildflowers in bloom, dogwood trees, wisteria, honeysuckle, wild iris, trumpet flower, and many many more. So, if you are prone to allergies, best bring the claritin, cause pollen from the pines and the various flowers coats EVERYTHING.

Lake Olmstead Clean up

As a part of the 'rivers alive' event, we helped clean up Lake Olmstead and the downtown portion of the Augusta Canal. Thanks to everyone that came out and helped, we pulled over 100 full size garbage bags and misc. other items. Now the kids of the area have a safe clean waterway to go and admire and play 'with'. (sorry no swimming).

That's Chuck on the far left with his back to the camera and on the far right is Rebecca and Margret from the Augusta Canal Interpretive Center. The backdrop is the freshly cleaned banks of Lake Olmstead.

Sometimes you have to look in the oddest places for some climable walls in the Southeast. In fact this is one of the old walls the is a part of the locks at the top of the Augusta Canal. It is only 8ft high but it's about 200 feet long and was built with large rocks in the face. eh eh eh!! decent handholds and footholds for people to get to know how their body works when hanging on to the rock. This is usually where I take people that have never had some face time.

Murder Creek Beta

Headed out toward Macon and found these neat little boulders to get the newbies started on. About a month later came back with some friends and crammed and jammed. Also took a little run down Murder Creek itself off the final ledge. Water was a little to low for a decent run however. I think we scared the locals more than anything. Talk about a sceen from 'Deliverance', with the fresh 'swaztikaz' (their spelling) and the single tooth teenager drinking beer... I dont know who looked funnier, us with rock shoes and chalk climbing boulders and sliding down the creek or them?

Rae's Creek Overflow

These are from the Rae's Creek overflow at the Augusta Canal on a heavy flow day. Eventually I plan to seal launch at the top just below the road (about 10 feet from the lip of the first drop) and then this rapid. This is an easy park and play, with a decent pull out for rescue.

Here is a quick movie of Jason Benton running the Overflow
across from this waterfall. You can see the fall in the distance at the end of the shot somewhat hidden by trees.

Outdoor Adventures Canal

January 2006
Well one of the first trips that we did as a group was to kayak down the Augusta Canal. The pics feature 4 of my friends that will hopefully come back out again. Thanks again AWOL for the incredible rate you gave us on that day!!

Wicked ass movie.

Hopefully one day in the future I can join them....

the nature of the beast

I realize that I have not posted in a long time. I have narrowed it down to one of a few reasons;
1. My work involves being on a seperate computer with no internet capabilities, thus when I get home, my computer is the last thing I want to see.
2. All the thoughts I have been pondering in the past, well.... I don't think they are appropriate for such a venue.
3. I am tired of the usual discussions.
Actually that last reason brings me to a very good reason why I will continue to post on here, instead of in my personal journal. It has been pointed out to me on more than ONE occasion, that unlike most of my co-workers.... I am a "liberal". Honestly, the terms they use range from 'hippy' to 'tree-hugger' etc... How ironic, back home they consider me the conservative.

Anyways, some good examples of my differing thought:
With the recent election crowding our news and our lives, inevitably it becomes a source of discussion at work. I never asked my co-workers which candidate they are going to vote for, personally I think voting is a private matter thus explaining anoniminity, but of course with certain comments it is not difficult to ascertain who their vote will be cast for. I have expressed my concern regarding our President's current campaign and the fact that it is highly centered around his religous views. Granted, I am not a religous person, but I have always felt that religion should never play apart in politics. They are muddy enough with out the amibgious nature that is associated with empty beliefs and faiths jumping into the mix.
((the best protestor's sign I ever saw stated in graphic detail in the hands of a young women, "the only Bush I trust is my bush")) Wow, did I open a can of worms with that one. Everyone in my shop jumped on me and said "we will follow him blindy, because he at least has religous values". Okay, okay so I gisted the part about 'following blindly', still thats all it sounded like to me. :)

I am going to get away from politics for a moment.... I can't stand mud slinging... everyone is dirty.

I grew up in the great Pacific Northwest. There is a certain way of life that everyone adheres to, whether they realize it or not. It might seem trival when you live there, but in contrast, now that I live south east.... well lets just say "everything changes". For example; in one weeks time my granparents and myself might produce one grocery sized garbage bag of non-recyclable/reusable/burnable garbage. I tell that people here... "oh my god!!! How do you do that??". I usually proceed with other shocking statements such as "I don't own a tv" or "I listen to NPR" or even better "I do NOT drink starbucks, instead I drink organic-shade-grown-farmer-subsidized coffee". I am such a hippy.... :)
Oh well

Well, I guess this is enough for today. I forewarn anyone who might actually read this, that I will not be doing daily updates.

And thus begins the story....

Well, well, well I must say that I have finally succumbed to the addiction that is online posting. Otherwise known as BLOG..... Anyways, I haven't decided what this is going to be about yet, maybe politics, maybe an ongoing story, maybe my lifes aspirations. Chances are no one will actually read any of this. We will figure this out later....