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outdoors

Camping / Jess’ Birthday 9/5-7

Who: YOU!!!
What: Camping and Jess’ Birthday Gathering
When: September 5th through 7th (Jess’ party will be on the 6th)
Where: Lake Ray Roberts Campground (Entrance Fee: $5/day or $60 parks pass/car, $12/camp site)
Why: Why the hell not?!

We’ll be camping at Lake Ray Roberts the weekend of September 5th. We’ll hold a birthday BBQ shindig for Jess at the park around 1pm or so on that Saturday. If you’re camping, you’re already there! If you’d like to join us, please let me know before August 25th.

This is a state park so public consumption of alcohol is not allowed. You can get away with it if you’re careful and considerate. Yes, this sucks for some. If you know of a better place to camp near the metroplex that can also host a group of non-campers for a birthday party then let me know ASAP.

a day of moments and thoughts

I know that most of you didn’t like the auto-twitter posting that appeared on my site. In truth, I don’t really care for it on other sites either, unless I don’t follow that person in Twitter and so long as they have more than just nothing but Twitter posts for months on end.

At the same time, while a lot of what is written there is an ongoing conversation with people you may or may not care about, a lot of important stuff is said too, since the platform is so readily available throughout the day. So I’m going to try something new. Once a day, week, month, year, whatever works out in the end, I’m going to collect the important bits and use them as jumping off points for more thought and clarification.

Please, let me know what you think of this. As I’ve said many times before, while I write these words for me, if you’re not reading them they are pointless. Let me know if you like these all in one big post like this, or if I should spread them out into tinier posts throughout the day, or if I should just not do it at all.


#We have been Wiifitted. Wee! Or rather, Wii!

It started out as a silly idea. I thought the WiiFit was an absurd idea for a “game” and at the same time, an absurd way to “work out”. In my mind, it didn’t fit either role very well. In practice, I was 100% right. However, it does have it’s own sense of charm. It takes all of the instruction, timing, counting and tracking out of exercise. While it doesn’t make certain you are doing the exercises correctly, it at least tries to make sure you stay balanced while you do them. That plus everything else, and it’s about 50% as good as a personal trainer that comes to your house whenever you want her to. And cheaper too.

I particularly like the strength exercises, the yoga practice, and the step aerobics. But, like others, # I find myself wishing the step aerobics were more varied. There are only two “courses” after which comes “free step” which is quite boring. A couple of people think that there will eventually be a Wii Step Aerobics game that will capitalize on this wish of mine. They’re probably right. So release the damn thing already.

#I’m VERY sick to my stomach. Too much coffee, not enough food. Email me distractions for the next few hours until I can get lunch. Please!

As I get older I’m starting to realize that food can affect me quite a bit more than it used to. Too much of one thing or not enough of another and it can really throw me off. However, I haven’t quite figured out what’s good and what’s bad, what can be tolerated and what should be avoided at all costs.

Yesterday I had 6 “cups” (per the lines on my coffee pot) of coffee in the morning. By 10am I was spinning like crazy and very sick to my stomach. At almost 1pm I got something heavy to eat. Within an hour I felt 75% better. It wasn’t until a had a little down time and another meal that I felt 100%. But, by the end of the day, I felt okay enough to get on the Wii Fit again.

A special thanks to those who sent distractions. I find that, for many of my ailments, keeping me from thinking about them is the easiest way to get around them.

#Time to build up my harem. Apps are being accepted! Especially if you like stairwells. Maybe this is a good time to use Craigslist. :)

This is a case of “ha ha only serious“. It’s clearly a joke. I don’t have a harem and therefore, don’t have a harem to build up. At the same time, the group of friends and special people that I share physical closeness with is dwindling for various reasons. I certainly don’t require a large group by any means, but, those that remain are largely unavailable. Physical closeness is one of those things that I crave and yet, at the same time, can be absolutely petrified of. It’s a need I don’t fully understand and yet feel very strongly about. It’s comforting. It’s safe. It’s sexy. It’s silly. It’s warm. It’s freeing. And, sometimes, it’s dangerous. All good things.

So, while I don’t actually have a harem, if physical closeness is something your situation allows and something you desire, then, please, really, “applications are being accepted! Especially if you like stairwells.”

Should I use CraigsList for such a purpose. Probably not. I’m better at being close with friends than I am with strangers. But, at the same time, it seems to be well suited to finding such new friends.

#wanted list: friends: skype, stumble; wishes; harem members; photo: subjects, partners; dreams; dinner friends; progress; peace.

This doesn’t require too much explanation, really. It’s a list of things that I currently desire. Not matieral things. Emotional things. Mental things.

Skype Friends. Check out Skype. It’s the best cross-platform Video/Audio Chatting application I can find. You don’t have to have a camera or a headset to enjoy it either. Sure, it’s more fun if you do, but not required.

Stumble Friends. Check out StumbleUpon. It’s a way of browsing new, interesting websites, as well as sharing new websites that you like with your friends. It’s very easy to use and quite addictive. I’m looking for people to share their interests with me, for people interested in sharing my interests, and hopeful that people will Favorite my photographs so that others will be introduced to them through the world of Stumble.

Harem Members. See above.

Photo Subjects. It’s been ages since I’ve done a portrait session. My studio has been torn down, which makes this harder. But that doesn’t reduce my desire to create and to use the human body as a subject and muse. If you’re interested in being photographed, I’d love to hear from you. I’m specifically looking for people who have free time on weekends to go out to interesting places and be photographed in nature. Additionally, I’m looking for someone who would like to be photographed in the rain. I’d like to set up all the details and logistics so that the next time it’s raining, all it’ll take is a quick phone call and we’ll both be ready to go.

Photo Partners. This is similar to the above, except instead of being in front of my camera, you have your own to stand behind, or, at least, enjoy walking around in various places and stopping for lots of photos. It can get fairly boring to be out alone all the time. I’m looking for someone to share these times with. Someone to lean on for encouragement, to share the waiting with, and to get excited with.

Dinner Friends. See my post from yesterday — you’re invited to dinner — for more information.

Wishes. Dreams. Progress. Peace. These are all self-explanitory.

Summer Camp

bathing baby (#2)This is Celeste being bathed in a wash bucket at my In-Law’s Summer Camp in Northern Ontario. I love this photograph for more reasons than I can possibly list.

The concept of a “Summer Camp” to those that don’t live in the North is probably quite foreign. In fact, if it conjures any image at all, it’s more than likely of a group camp affiliated with a church or scouting organization that younger children attend for a few weeks each summer. In a way, it is kind of like that, only, usually on a smaller scale and much more close knit.

When I grew up, my Grandmother had (and still has) a Summer Camp in Vermont. Even after staying with her at Camp for entire summers, I still didn’t really understand what it meant or why anyone would put forth the money and trouble. This year it’s starting to make more sense. It’s not a place, or a season, or certain people. Sure, these things all get included in the end. But, above all that, it’s a way of life, a set of values, and a shared bond between family and friends. And that’s where I’ve spent my past two weeks.

Of course every Camp is different. My In-Laws Camp tends to be quiet, laid back, and relaxed and happens to be equipped with most of the luxuries of home. Other Camps are really just houses on the lake and set in the woods. Others have no running water, save for the complicated array of tubes and water barrels you’ve designed, a kitchen that’s just a basin and a stove under an awning, and more out houses than bedrooms.

Regardless of what a camp is like, if it’s something that is loved and cherished, then being there will be an experience all of it’s own. Maybe a Summer Camp we’ll have one day. Either, one of our own, or one to share part in with others. Some place to bring my own children up with those same values and shared bonds.

camping this weekend

Jess and I are thinking about going camping this weekend. Somewhere close to home as a sort of trial run for camping with the baby. It’s supposed to get down as low as 40F or maybe even 35F so some of you can just stop reading now.

We’re looking at one of the following parks in order of highest probability: Ray Roberts, Eisenhower, Cooper Lake, Lake Mineral Wells. These have been chosen because they are within a 2 hour drive and offer hiking trails as well as drive-up camp sites. Chime in if you happen to like one of these parks more than the others.

We will arrive sometime Saturday morning and leave by 11am on Sunday. Depending on what my parents decide for their own weekend plans we will either then go have an easter dinner with them or we’ll be moving a fish and then watching Jesus suck the blood out of perfectly healthy people. Or, if camping was absolutely terrible with the baby, we may just go home and collapse and never leave the house again. I can only make promises regarding Saturday morning.

Let me know if you’re interested and I’ll keep you posted with the details.