I am laying in bed (my own) after a long 5k mile cave diving road trip. I am tired tonight after driving back from Florida.
The trip itself was pretty awesome. I saw a lot that I had never seen and taught a really attentive student the rudiments of proper diving.
My potential expedition looks to be heating up again, so I am pretty psyched about that.
I am super happy to be back in Colorado. I love the caves of North Florida, but the heat and humidity can be pretty draining after a few days.
Tomorrow, I have to pretend to care a lot about satellites and image processing. Oh well, next trip coming soon.
The trip itself was pretty awesome. I saw a lot that I had never seen and taught a really attentive student the rudiments of proper diving.
My potential expedition looks to be heating up again, so I am pretty psyched about that.
I am super happy to be back in Colorado. I love the caves of North Florida, but the heat and humidity can be pretty draining after a few days.
Tomorrow, I have to pretend to care a lot about satellites and image processing. Oh well, next trip coming soon.
I made an elaborate (for us) breakfast this morning, one component of which was grits. For those who do not know what this is, it's course ground hominy( a larger relative of corn) kernel. Boil it, add butter and cheese and you have a mildly unhealthy, but tasty in a southern way, breakfast component.
There's nothing particularly special about my making grits, eggs, etc... I regularly produce breakfast for Shari and our son on Sundays, it's a tradition when I am not on walkabout.
The thing that made this particular breakfast noteworthy for me is I noticed our package of traditional grits getting a bit low. I asked Shari how long we had had it and she told me she did not know, but that my mother had purchased them for us and that we had another package in the freezer.
Grits and jewelry are the material things I still have of my mother.
My memories, as long as I can keep them are the other thing I have.
My father seems ok, recovered from our loss and his medical issues which mostly stemmed from taking care of mom for several years. I will see him in April as part of a major road trip.
There's nothing particularly special about my making grits, eggs, etc... I regularly produce breakfast for Shari and our son on Sundays, it's a tradition when I am not on walkabout.
The thing that made this particular breakfast noteworthy for me is I noticed our package of traditional grits getting a bit low. I asked Shari how long we had had it and she told me she did not know, but that my mother had purchased them for us and that we had another package in the freezer.
Grits and jewelry are the material things I still have of my mother.
My memories, as long as I can keep them are the other thing I have.
My father seems ok, recovered from our loss and his medical issues which mostly stemmed from taking care of mom for several years. I will see him in April as part of a major road trip.
Snowing like crazy this morning. I think french toast for breakfast and some Mexican hot cocoa. I'll need to get cooking in a bit to make this happen.
I am working my butt off at the moment to be able to not work at all later in the year. This is really how I want to continue going for the foreseeable future. Work half a year and travel/explore the rest. Making the money is not too hard, but having the discipline to not spend much of it on... well... stuff, that's the tricky bit. We are all better at it since deciding to go this way, but have to keep after it.
Well time to heat the griddle, get the cocoa started, get the eggs and bread out and get cooking.
Man with the snow out there, it might be worth a half day pass to ski at Eldora.
I am working my butt off at the moment to be able to not work at all later in the year. This is really how I want to continue going for the foreseeable future. Work half a year and travel/explore the rest. Making the money is not too hard, but having the discipline to not spend much of it on... well... stuff, that's the tricky bit. We are all better at it since deciding to go this way, but have to keep after it.
Well time to heat the griddle, get the cocoa started, get the eggs and bread out and get cooking.
Man with the snow out there, it might be worth a half day pass to ski at Eldora.
New gig is good, working on image processing and mapping stuff, right up my twisted mathematical alley.
I am really trying to figure out how I can work for 6 months then hit the road for 6 more to FL, Mexico, Belize and the Bahamas. I might just be able to pull it off and my younger son would be psyched to be home schooled. I can work a little while on the road, and teach and guide, so it might all just be practical, have to keep counting the shekels.
I am really trying to figure out how I can work for 6 months then hit the road for 6 more to FL, Mexico, Belize and the Bahamas. I might just be able to pull it off and my younger son would be psyched to be home schooled. I can work a little while on the road, and teach and guide, so it might all just be practical, have to keep counting the shekels.
Dustings of snow, icy cold breezes and skies transitioning from blue to grey and back again. It's definitely mid-winter here.
It's a hot cocoa, popcorn and movie night.
I've been sorting through my mom's large collection of jewelry, but can't really get rid of any of it, it's just not possible yet. It may never be. It's been 18 months she's been gone, and just a little over a month since the reminder of her birthday.
Late next week I am back on the road, diving/teaching, but first I will start a new gig on Monday. New gig is for six months and if I am lucky, I will not have to work the rest of the year after, we'll see.
It's a hot cocoa, popcorn and movie night.
I've been sorting through my mom's large collection of jewelry, but can't really get rid of any of it, it's just not possible yet. It may never be. It's been 18 months she's been gone, and just a little over a month since the reminder of her birthday.
Late next week I am back on the road, diving/teaching, but first I will start a new gig on Monday. New gig is for six months and if I am lucky, I will not have to work the rest of the year after, we'll see.
K' nuff of that last downer post.
I've got some fun (for me) projects on and am psyched that we are getting some snow. I can't wait to go ride in a weekend or two.
My son has done amazingly well with his soap-making business at:
http://www.aidanwatson.com
He is getting tons of orders and has to work his a@@ off to keep up.
I did just get back from Florida and some fun cave diving. I caught the flu towards the end of the trip and the drive back was a bit of a slog as a result, but it was worthwhile. I never get tired of the water underground.
I've got some fun (for me) projects on and am psyched that we are getting some snow. I can't wait to go ride in a weekend or two.
My son has done amazingly well with his soap-making business at:
http://www.aidanwatson.com
He is getting tons of orders and has to work his a@@ off to keep up.
I did just get back from Florida and some fun cave diving. I caught the flu towards the end of the trip and the drive back was a bit of a slog as a result, but it was worthwhile. I never get tired of the water underground.
Is it the low-light depression or is it that 26 people, mostly kids, got killed yesterday and my dog died today. I can't really tell anymore.
Tomorrow, Thanksgiving with 4 generations of us, man I am on the back half of that now also. Saturday I leave for a few weeks to do the 'tour de cave' in Florida. Most of my gear is ready to go and I am jonesing for the road.
Just finished a project in alternative energy for a client. I got to visit NREL - National Renewable Energy Lab several times during the project and there is a hope of an extension.
My dad will come out from Florida for Thanksgiving, then I head to FL for several weeks to cave dive. I am looking forward to it.
This will be my first full winter out of the mountains. I am still torn about moving down, but overall it's cheaper and easier on the vehicles. I like the cheaper part, I can work less. I am seeking complete bum status, getting there slowly.
My dad will come out from Florida for Thanksgiving, then I head to FL for several weeks to cave dive. I am looking forward to it.
This will be my first full winter out of the mountains. I am still torn about moving down, but overall it's cheaper and easier on the vehicles. I like the cheaper part, I can work less. I am seeking complete bum status, getting there slowly.
Well the real job thing did not last long. I resigned after two months, it was really too crampy for my lifestyle. Perhaps I am too cynical now, the whole 'our company is really going to make a difference' spiel and the 25gazillion stock options don't do anything for me anymore. I've brushed the dust off my feet and countered with a 5000 mile road trip to Florida with 22 cave dives a seminar/workshop on cave exploration and a visit with my dad.
I am now back to my regular consulting gig, getting ready for another road trip in November.
Rawk
I am now back to my regular consulting gig, getting ready for another road trip in November.
Rawk
