File this under " I hate your guts, Jason" - (I)
It is official, I am staying here in ACE for yet another month. I've got it good here - a job with a purpose & great people.
Although I miss those back home in Ohio, Michigan, and Canada, I cannot come home. My decision to stay has been rewarded with the opportunity to be a crew supervisor and even get REAL PAID. The money is not the issue but it is a nice bonus if I do decide I want to be paid.
There was a solid attempt today to go to the Grand Canyon, hike 10 miles to the bottom, camp there, and then go home the next day. All of that was cancelled when we failed to obtain the necessary hiking permits. It's somewhat a buzzkill because I was so "into" going and actually doing a hike for fun. We can go tomorrow and have some sweet accomodations but I'm not going, for the Grand Canyon had it's chance and now I'm doing laundry, picking up 2 rolls of film, searching for a cheap winter coat from Goodwill, and ending my evening with a free wine tasting + FREE tacos @ Charley's.
Conny and I made a sweet-ass dinner tonight at the house: Lemon-Spinach
Cous Cous with Bruchetta made using asiago cheese bread. HEAVENLY. Top that all off with a coffee from Long Day's Cafe and it is the perfect evening, or beginning of.
As I speak of being a supervisor, my first mission is to the White Mountains on Tuesday. I'll be "co-supervising" with a Canadian named Lindsay. Apparently the Wht. Mts. get super cold at night, like, below freezing. Send warm blankets, hold the smallpox.
I almost stopped at a roadside Navajo stand to buy Keith a "smelly old blanket that a Navajo wove."
I owe emails and/or phonecalls* to:
Kristin Dawn Izherian (phone&email)
Angelina Tina Udicki (ditto)
Keith A.W. Freund (phone)
Thadeus Badeus Metzger (phone)
Ralph Martin Fisher (email)
Mark from England O'Ransom (email)
* -
to help speed up the process of communication, email me but calling me won't.
"BUST-ED" (Mikio & I: Excaliber, Las Vegas)
photo: Soren of Denmark
For those not in the know, here's Mark Spitz
Back from Zion
It was a great time there and I've already told a few of you what transpired while I was there.
Highlights:
Near death for a Korean volunteer involving a tractor, a riverbank, and rocks.
A 5000 acre "controlled blaze" that blackened (or browned) the horizon
Campfires nearly every night
Royal treatment from the Zion Park Service employees
I have developed 8 rolls of film so far. I think I have 3 or 4 more that need developing. Two Fridays ago, a group of us went to Sedona for some cliff jumping into the ice-cold Oak Creek. My buddy, Matt (see picture from older post) took our photos as the rest of us took the "leap of faith" - a 30 foot cliff into 7 feet of water. We jumped it twice and on my first attempt my exact words were "oh shit!". Hypothermia was setting in after the second jump. I'm just glad I'm not paralyzed and have the picture to prove it. Note: I was jumping with a Mark Spitz-like mustache, hence, I was bulletproof.
I should have only three days left here in Flagstaff but it keeps calling me to stay and I just might be doing exactly that. I think one more month wouldn't be so bad. Ohio doesn't need me to pay taxes and I'd rather be making productive use of my time than be unemployed and unschooled. I know a lot of you want me back in the Midwest ASAP. I'll just be
gone 'til November like the mediocre Wyclef Jean song.
When I get a good night's rest I'll let you know.
After putting in 2 months of service here, I can finally enjoy the perks. One of the perks is requesting favors regarding project personnel. I was able to trade 2 people from my Zion project (rookies) and build a Championship week team consisting of 6 veterans and 3 rookies. I did manage to piss one Swedish girl off by my actions but I told her, "sorry, that's the way it goes."
No More:
hot, late nights
wine
early wake-ups
2004
tortillas
Today's "FUN" was cleaning the house for 3 hours, being rewarded with free ice cream in the future, eating practically nothing all day, eating too much for dinner, spending more money than Ana Udicki.
Waking up on a porch swing, freezing cold at 2am might be cool in some cultures, just not mine.
NEW MEXICO! ACE WAS IN YOUR FACE!
Last night Gavin's Gang got back from the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico. Spending 6 days in complete isolation with no running water or facilities is a real test of character. We all passed. We all liked what we did
*. I haven't shaved in almost 2 weeks. I will shave this weekend though. About New Mexico:
~ all the "rogue" wolves of Arizona get captured and dumped in NM
~ ranks near the bottom in education and the top in teen pregnancy
~ it is not "new" nor is it "mexico"
I learned all this from Silver City native and US Forest Service self-titled "wage whore," Phil.
I have 5 days off now so tell me how to spend it. I do know alcohol
** is probably involved. Sorry no pictures to post right now. WAIT. Thanks for the letter, Kristin.
* - rebuilding a trail through
Burnt Canyon
** - Boone's Farm (the blue one, Keith)
Fact: we estimate that we hiked approximately 40 miles over 6 days. Do the math.
