July 26, 2007

The biggest step

I suspect that many of you have already heard, but to make it official, I shall tell you all about my engagement to Colleen. :)
First off, I had to pick up the ring that morning and the only way I could think of escaping from Colleen for a few moments was to say I got a call from work to go in and fill out a time sheet. Once I had the ring I had to make sure that this was a total surprise, (by the 20 or so "Oh My GAWD!"s that Colleen let out, I think I accomplished that objective) but without a backpack for the hike we were going on I had nowhere to really hide the ring. The logical spot? -Colleen's backpack! She unknowingly carried it with her the whole hike up ;) We hiked up to a small alpine lake near South Sister in the Oregon Cascades and enjoyed a nice swim in the roasting heat first off. We managed to borrow my roommates dog for the afternoon so that was also a good source of entertainment. After the swim we were having a really mushy conversation and she gave me the perfect segue so I decided to go for it, did the whole kneely thing and proposed!
Man, I thought there would be a several day/week grace period before wedding talk started up, but damn! She was right at it within 5 minutes! Look out for next spring as a possible date... Whoa, I am engaged. Weird, I dont feel different... yet I somehow know that I am, well We are.
I also suggest reading Colleens Blog to get the real details because she will give much more in depthe info I am sure.

July 18, 2007

The pictures (finally)

South Sister (and my current desktop image)

The Fam.

Darrell surfing on the Deschutes.
Deschutes River antics.
yes, thats 5 people in a 2 man IK
I hiked the right side ridge for a solo evening jaunt (no one else wanted to go with me) and had a wonderfully introspective time. The view was incredible from the top too.

A rap into a cave near Arnold Ice Cave.

Fireworks on Pilot Butte (note the fires on the side)

Giardia! Learn about it.

Visits

My mom and little bro came out to visit this weekend and we had quite the interesting time. We went to the public houses of the local breweries (which I am ashamed to say, I still haden't done to that point) and got entertained by a huge street fair in downtown for saturday evening. Oh, yea, and the afternoon before I watched the Cascade Cycle Classic downtown leg and watched the front runners all pile up right at my feet during the last few laps. Broken bikes and blood everywhere! Ok, tangent over, back to the family. So then I convinced my mom and Fritz to go up South Sister with me (see, I told you I couldn't take rest days) on Sunday. Got everything all ready the night before, parked, handed out water bottles, food, and started up. At 8500 feet, they both realized that, oops, they forgot their water bottles! I had 2 liters and they had one liter that I had put in their pack the night before. I handed the bottles to my mom at the car and she promptly put them back into the car. Genius! Luckily for them, I brought iodine tablets so we were able to finish the climb, but I bitched at them to no end for being so dense.
Work update; In about 4+ miles myself and one other guy cut out 140+ lodgepole from the trail. Now this might not be that incredible, seeing as we did about the same thing in 6 miles of trail with a chainsaw several weeks ago. But the 140 we did this week was all cut with a 3 ft. crosscut and 16 in. hand saw. I have several days in the running for "hardest day of work ever," but I think this one might take the cake. Our boss expected that to take 3 days. We did 3 days work in one 11 hour day. I have started taking 6-10 200mg Ibuprofen per day on the trail though. I am filling out an inury report form tomorrow regarding my foot. Something in the big toe tendon feels like it is bathed in IcyHot. Not so good.
Random other news; last week I forgot to mention that on the PCT I met a throughhiker who knew Greta! He said they hiked early on in California. Sometimes those "shot in the dark" questions do work out. I think when Greta comes through here, I will have to meet up with her and hike a bit of the trail.
Some of you may know who Michael Reardon was. He died in Ireland yesterday while soloing some sea cliffs. Unfortunately though, he did not die soloing, rather he got taken by a rogue wave while at the base of a climb he had just finished. RIP Reardon.

July 12, 2007

must recoup

I think this weekend needs to be spent relaxing. My body is starting to give out. Yesterday was the hardest day I have had to endure in a really long time. we hiked 7 miles in 95 degree temps in open lodgepole forest clearing trail of downed logs. I stopped counting cut logs after 150 and we had 140+ to go by the time we had to stop and hike out. My feet hurt most, but everything hurts really. There is no easy way to carry a chainsaw for 7 miles, trust me, I tried every orientation I could.
Everyone at work thinks I am crazy for continuing to recreate after work (there is still 4.5 hrs of daylight left to play in after work!). I haven't really taken a weekend to slow down yet and it is starting to catch up with me. My days off have been filled with hiking, climbing and boating and I just cant take it anymore. This weekend I am devoting myself to drinking and movies. Yea, screw Ariel and Rachel's detox thing, I am swilling grog until I cant stand on a slackline anymore. (See that! I cant just let myself sit on a couch and drink! I have to be doing something!) It is hard work being an Ian.

July 06, 2007

The best place to get a haircut

I got a haircut today that was unlike any other. No there was no balloon animal man, but there was beer. I have been in need of a haircut for the last 2 weeks or so. I found 3 different places in downtown, but they all had hours that conflicted with my work and or recreation schedule. I finally made it in today and apparently I picked the correct one of three. I walk in and first notice that they obviously only give guys haircuts. There is "guy" stuff on all the walls and not a single shampoo bottle in sight. Then I get told to write my name on the whiteboard and pick a beer from the list! Yea! Lemme tell ya, I didnt mind waiting a half hour one bit with a Cascade Lakes 20" Brown in one hand and a Calvin and Hobbes in the other. I noticed shortly that the 3 barbers pretty much know everyone who came in and people were happy to sit and wait 45 minutes before getting a cut. The conversation was different to, instead of lounge music with awkward conversation here and there, there was heckling. The barbers and customers were talking shit to each other! When my name was called, the two main topics of conversation were Smith Rock and fishing. They had a poster of Karate Crack on the wall even! I found the single best shop in Bend. They even vacumed my head and neck (after a single bladed razor shave) to make sure the hair bits wouldn't fall down my shirt. WOW. Bend: I am impressed.

I got the Job!

I am so pleased with myself right now. I got off the phone with my future boss and he informed me that I am officially in with UAP. GPS, ArcMap, more hiking, and computer work is in the cards. Greg Cox (heh, my boss is named Cox) also said I will be kinda like a salesman for the herbicides the company sells as well but that will come later after I have worked there for a while. He said he is still pushing paper around so it might be a few weeks before I start but I AM IN!

I guess what I will be doing initially is being a field guy for the upcoming projects UAP is undertaking and then (assuming they havent fired me) I am transitioned into learning the bigger business. Basically the company is a 5-10 person operation that in years past has just sold herbicides and filled spraying contracts. They are now trying to corner a new market of Federal contracts in wildland rehabilitation(post fire rehab specifically). This entails spraying for invasives and then replanting with natives. Things in the near future: New work truck (20% of total mileage can be personal use), a new laptop, lots of frequent flier miles, full benefits, 401 k (company matches 60+%), $37,000+ salary, and I can work from home when not on the road. So pretty much this is when I let out a loud "FUCK YEA!" The only real bummer is that I am gone a lot. most of the travel is during the summer months but averaged out over the year he said he is away from home about 3 days a week. I havent told anyone here about it yet (I am sure FS is going to be pist) but I guess I can tell the roommates here now about it. I am so excited!

For the 4thmy roommates and I had some folks over and got really shitty wasted. They are all quite beligerent drunks. We then went onto the roof to watch the annual "Burning of the Butte". This is a tradition where the fireworks display is of of pilot butte and inevitably it catches fire somewhere nearby. Apparently this year I was witness to one of the larger fires in recent history. within 2 minutes of the show starting, 3 fires were burning. one at the base torched off some junipers really fast and creeped into someones backyard before it was under control. Then a small one torched off and spread throughout the show to the majority of the hillside we could see. it would die down and then flare up really spectacularly and seemed to flare almost intentionally with the grand finale. High quality entertainment. I love the 4th not only for fireworks but also for the photos. I got some really wonderful long exposures but cant post them on this computer.

July 02, 2007

Facebook

I havent had interweb at home and thus havent been able to check email very frequently these last few weeks. This has given me a lot of free time to spend doing other things like living. Facebook occupied a lot of time on the interweb in the past but the times I have been able to check email (usually at work) I havent been able to check facebook at all because it is blocked at work. I am at the library now and checked Facebook and low and behold, there was a new group on there devoted entirely to me! Is creating a facebook group the new way to really express profound love to someone? Maybe I'll create a Colleen Pallari facebook group to show her how much I love her. Well, I guess I wont because she isnt even on there, but if she was, I would. wait, no I wouldn't because that would just be weird. Unfortunately, her potential facebook following could never be as big as mine.

Man, I am getting lonely out here. I just got a quick email from her today, first contact since she left. Boohoo, poor me. But you know me, I'll make it. I'll go climbing, that will make me feel better. Yea.