Perforated what?

We had a river-boat cruise the other night. Our owner sponsored it so we got to go party and eat for a few hours. Apparently I've been allowing my personality to come out as of late because a few of the guys have mentioned that they are corrupting me. Not allowing credit where credit is not due, I have been quick to correct them that I do not act like myself if people are finding any excuse to harass me. Because this was my rookie year, they were riding me a lot and just nit-picking eveything, but now that the season is coming to a close, they are loosening up. Since they've loosened up I feel like I am able to be myself and do/say smartass things. I made a really smartass comment the other day and somebody said that I was catching the asshole-itus. I told him that I always was a smartass except in positions without authority. Anyways back to the fun stuff, we got kicked out of the Mellow Mushroom in Chattanooga after the cruise because apparently 2 random dudes felt like they could beat up 20 athletic raft guides. Ha!!! I ended up getting thrown into a table trying to restrain one of our guys. Noone was hurt and the cops came. It was an exciting night.

I have a perforated ear drum. The doc gave me some antibiotics for it and i have a check up tomorrow. Apparently my river manager doesn't know what perforated means because i had emailed him telling him that and he called me and was surprised when i mentioned that the hole in my ear drum might take a few days to heal. He's not dumb, just not an english person.

I met this exceedingly attractive river guide the other day from another company. She and I were in an eddy and we started chit-chatting. My logic may be flawed, but if a girl can look cute in a PFD, Helmet, and guide shorts, she's got to be hot in regular clothes! Anywho, I'm going to try and find her at the huge party this weekend. They'll be showing the carnage video of all the mess-ups on the river at this company called Adventures Unlimited. Perhaps we'll be able to meet and actually have a conversation that ends with myself getting her phone number. We shall see...

That's about it. Got one more busy week of full-time rafting. The river shuts on during the week after this coming monday and it'll only run on the weekends through the end of October. It has been an awesome season.

Alaska and working

So I went on my trip to Alaska. It was amazing! I saw several things that brought me back to my days as a biology major and I just couldn't get enough. The ecosystem there is totally different than anything I've ever seen. In one area there is a thick conifer forest, and in another nothing but taiga and tundra. We saw several creatures, critters, and buggers which kept us entertained, except for the mosquitoes! We saw Mt. mckinley, the highest peak in north america. There were a few down sides to the trip: 1. we didn't do nearly as much hiking or backpacking as I thought we would due to rain and cold 2. there were a few incidents that just left me with a bad taste in my mouth about a certain individual. All in all it was a good trip and a few of us plan on going back next year.

I have spent some time thinking about it and I emailed my first sergeant today about getting mobilized for 6 months if I can. I figure it's the best way to work and make money since I've been promoted a few times. It would be work filled with practicing and performing and hopefully in the off-time I'd be able to climb/kayak (once I get one)/hike/backpack and just generally chill out and save money for more travels. It seems like a sweet deal so keep your fingers crossed for me. Nothing too unique and interesting; just a summer update. I'll be driving back up to the river thursday morning and have a moderate work week ahead of me.

I never thought I'd say this but I am looking forward to the end of the river season. It's been a lot of fun but I don't really make a lot of money, which translates to my not being able to travel and do fun trips. So here's to a fun first season but to better money in the next few months.

On an unrelated note: An acquaintance of mine from the climbing wall at UAB died last week. His name was David and he was an ER surgical resident. He was always a nice guy to me and a great climber.

Summer Fun and Future Travels

So i've been up on the river for most of the summer and I've had a few chances to get away, some planned some not. So far I've had 12 customers fall out of the boat throughout the season, which is not too bad. 6 of them were from one "dump truck" where everyone in the boat including myself fell out because i very ineptly guided the raft into the wrong part of the rapid. No one has been seriously hurt from it so hakunamatata. I don't think anyone knows but my grandma on my dad's side of the family died last month. It was very sudden and unexpected but at least she didn't suffer long. Love you grandma; i think of you every day on the river :-)

I have learned a lot about myself and about others my age on the river. I have been verbally praised about my convictions and been verbally harassed by drunk raft guides about my unwillingness to sleep around or just "fool around". Yea, excuse me for not cheapening something that should be more than just a first name and a hangover in the morning. I see a lot of these raft guides wanting someone to care about them, although a few seem only to want this transient life style where they are not accountable to someone of the opposite gender. I see many of them initiating relationships with members of the opposite sex by having sex with them. It might just be me but this doesn't sound like the miracle cocktail for a successful relationship. I think a lot of them have been relating with the opposite gender like this for so long that they wouldn't even know how to just have a friend and not sleep with them at some point. What started this is an experience at the bar the other night. I was the designated driver for the evening and one of my friends from birmingham was up hanging out and we hugged and said hello and she went and danced to the tune the band was playing. One of the guys told me that she totally wanted me, to which i responded that we were just friends and it was going to stay that way. Apparently when your inebriated you feel as if you have stumbled upon superb arguing skills because he proceeded to tell me that i don't have to have sex with someone to fool around with them, and that if i didn't want to fool around i must like little boys. Ha! i didn't hold it against him because 1) he was drinking and 2) i'm sure he's never really been exposed to someone so confident in themselves and their independence that they didn't feel the need to have someone there to fill some kind of void (im really not trying to sound egotistical on that point). Well, anywho, maybe next season my behavior will rub off on some of these guys and they'll realize that the only way to find someone and have a relationship with someone is to talk and hang out, at least for a while before you sleep with them.

I've had a lot of time to think while i've been up there and it has been so therapeutic. I've spent a lot of time these last few months thinking about something my aunt told me, she said "if you aren't ready to settle down, then it won't work out if you do find the right person". It's so simple but the more I've thought about it, the more she's right. I would only be having half the fun up there that i would normally be if i was worried about some kind of lady friend somewhere. I would have to call and talk, and sometimes when i get off the river, i just want to hang out with my fellow raft guides and have a beer, no talking involved. I've realized that over the course of the next year or two there is a lot of traveling that i want to do and having someone in my life would be counterproductive to that. It's amazing how something can bother you and just keep you thinking until someone says something simple and obvious and it knocks you out of a trance. Anywho, I started playing with travel ideas tonight. Here they are:

3.5 weeks in australia
3 weeks in northwest USA
3 weeks in southwest USA
Hiking in Europe
Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike
(Climbing trips spread throughout these travels)

With a little bit of optimism, a wee bit of inherited logistical dexterity, and a small slice of catholicism on the side, I'll be able to make most of these happen. Here's hoping!