So this is Christmas..
Bought gift cards and Christmas card for the extended family, it felt good to be able to Uncle Gary. The Post office has lost the package I sent to my sister in N.C. Hopefully the dog sled bring it to her house will make it this week. UGH.
Spent Christmas afternoon with my good friend Dan and his extended family. Food was good and the sprites were bright. ( no booze ). Then later in the afternoon drove to Fort Collins and had Christmas diner with my daughter Lindsay and her husband Alex and my ex wife Judi. It was a nice visit, food was good and the conversation light. Lydia is in Maine visiting her sisters there. I hope that the winter weather does not interfere with her travels.
While I am not a believer, Christmas does invoke a feeling of hope. That in this time of great darkness and cold that the promise of rebirth, hope of a better world could feel real. If we could stop and reflect on the wonder of life and offer a gift of help to each other what a wonderful world this would be.
The thur-hike,
Well the last week was very productive! Start work on turning the house in to a rental, two bathrooms gutted. Strange how time moves both slowly and rapidly at the same time!! Two more weeks and this house should be ready for rent.
The gym work was going great, started the twice daily work out Monday then. I banged my leg into a tailer tongue Tuesday. Just think baseball bat to the shin. Looked like a softball had been shoved under my skin. Limped till Friday and made to the gym Friday morning and Saturday night. Getting hurt is not part of the plan! I will be back in the Gym Monday morning, to much work to do.
A.T. Hiker waiting for Spring
Monday, December 27, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
This week getting real about the AT/
It is strange how fast time starts to move once a goal is decide on. This last week has been such a week.
To do the trail I have to down size and cut my expensive ( my burn rate) to the bone. I have a house that cost 95% of my retirement. This liability has to be turned into an asset. The market is weak in Cheyenne so selling is not really an option between now and March. The tight fistted bankers have drive the rental market to a 1% vacancy rate!! The good new is that I should have no problem renting my house this spring.
Had a contractor in to the house this week to eye ball what needs to be done to sell/rent the house. Not as bad as I thought it would be.
To reduce my burn rate I have had to get rid of some cars. 7 vehicles is way too many for one person. Cars are like stray puppies, always finding a stray in my driveway needing to be saved. Well the 1963 and 1964 Rambler Classics have been sold and the 1989 volvo was given to my daughter. Two more to sell and the vehicle problem will be solved. Anyone want a 1975 MGB or a 1978 F150??
More later
To do the trail I have to down size and cut my expensive ( my burn rate) to the bone. I have a house that cost 95% of my retirement. This liability has to be turned into an asset. The market is weak in Cheyenne so selling is not really an option between now and March. The tight fistted bankers have drive the rental market to a 1% vacancy rate!! The good new is that I should have no problem renting my house this spring.
Had a contractor in to the house this week to eye ball what needs to be done to sell/rent the house. Not as bad as I thought it would be.
To reduce my burn rate I have had to get rid of some cars. 7 vehicles is way too many for one person. Cars are like stray puppies, always finding a stray in my driveway needing to be saved. Well the 1963 and 1964 Rambler Classics have been sold and the 1989 volvo was given to my daughter. Two more to sell and the vehicle problem will be solved. Anyone want a 1975 MGB or a 1978 F150??
More later
Sunday, December 12, 2010
A Goal to get out of bed for. A.T.
For the last 7 years I have been looking for a reason to get out of bed each morning. Some reason to make me want to push myself. During a short visit to Florida for Thanksgiving last month I had an epiphany,
I was 12 years old in 1976 when my family took a trip from Forest Mississippi to Washington DC for the bicentennial. Never mind we went in spring before celebration was ready. One of the lasting memories of that trip was hearing about Thru-hikers walking from Georgia to Maine on the Appalachian Trail. I knew that hiking to Maine would sure beat riding back to Mississippi in the backseat of our 1966 Ford LTD choking, on Dad's tobacco smoke. Being 12 in 1976, I rode back to Mississippi on the laying on luggage tray above the back seat. Seat belt? what? we don't need on stinking seat belts.
Well almost 35 years later hiking the A.T. seems a heck of a lot better than spending another year in Cheyenne. I need something bigger than myself to get out of bed in the morning. The A.T. is a mission, totally voluntary, difficult, with success not assured by any means. Only by one's wits, will power, strength and favorable weather can success be had. The A.T, is my reason to go to the gym, eat right, manage money better and study. Basically the things I should be doing any way.
I was born in Atlanta GA March 18 1964, March 18 2011 I plan on being at Springer Mt GA to start the next journey of my life. It will be hard, cold, wet, hot, steamy, mostly up hill for 2175 miles. I would rather take on this challenge than spend another day here in Cheyenne Wy wondering what to do with the rest of my life.
With apologies to a young man from Massachusetts...
I choose to go to Katahdin in this next year, not because it is easy, but it is hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of my energies and skills, because that challenge is one that I am willing to accept, an am unwilling to postpone, and one which I intend to win.
GR
Hike the Appalachian Trial.
I was 12 years old in 1976 when my family took a trip from Forest Mississippi to Washington DC for the bicentennial. Never mind we went in spring before celebration was ready. One of the lasting memories of that trip was hearing about Thru-hikers walking from Georgia to Maine on the Appalachian Trail. I knew that hiking to Maine would sure beat riding back to Mississippi in the backseat of our 1966 Ford LTD choking, on Dad's tobacco smoke. Being 12 in 1976, I rode back to Mississippi on the laying on luggage tray above the back seat. Seat belt? what? we don't need on stinking seat belts.
Well almost 35 years later hiking the A.T. seems a heck of a lot better than spending another year in Cheyenne. I need something bigger than myself to get out of bed in the morning. The A.T. is a mission, totally voluntary, difficult, with success not assured by any means. Only by one's wits, will power, strength and favorable weather can success be had. The A.T, is my reason to go to the gym, eat right, manage money better and study. Basically the things I should be doing any way.
I was born in Atlanta GA March 18 1964, March 18 2011 I plan on being at Springer Mt GA to start the next journey of my life. It will be hard, cold, wet, hot, steamy, mostly up hill for 2175 miles. I would rather take on this challenge than spend another day here in Cheyenne Wy wondering what to do with the rest of my life.
With apologies to a young man from Massachusetts...
I choose to go to Katahdin in this next year, not because it is easy, but it is hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of my energies and skills, because that challenge is one that I am willing to accept, an am unwilling to postpone, and one which I intend to win.
GR
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