Westward Ho

2005-07-28T10:36:00.001-06:00

Campsite.

2005-07-28T10:36:00.000-06:00

Our campsite and view for this week. Mosquito Lake on Union Pass in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming.

2005-07-15T12:48:00.000-06:00

Catch of the day...Sherman the Shark

Field Season in Full Swing

2005-07-14T15:13:00.000-06:00

The time has come. (Makes you think of that Midnight Oil song, doesn't it?) We are leaving the doldrums of office life behind and heading into the great outdoors. This is the time of year when my life gets busy. We start our intensive stream sampling next week, which means we'll be out every week, from Monday through Thursday, in some of the most remote areas of the state, performing stream assessments.

Last week and early this week, we were lucky enough to be out on a boat, sampling reservoirs in central Wyoming. There's just something about sitting on a boat in the shining sun, even if you are doing work. What a way to spend the day. It got pretty hot the couple days we were out, but we made sure to fall over the side of the boat into the fairly cool water every now and then. As an added bonus, we found an abandoned inflatable shark that had washed up into a cove. We retrieved it, named it Sherman, and positioned it as our new mascot on the boat.

We start our streamwork off with a bang next week, going deep into the rugged foothills south of Lander. Excellent moose, deer, antelope, eagle, hawk and rattlesnake habitat. Should be some sweet camping too. Man, I love my job.

Vietnam - Lander Style

2005-07-05T16:00:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a great July 4th weekend. Melissa and I went up to Cody, Wyoming, where she has family. We played some games, watched the tourists, went to the rodeo and sat through the parade in the blazing Wyoming heat. Sunday, I got to play the relatively new Meeteetse golf course. Beautiful 9-hole course about 30 miles from cody. Absolutely kicked my arse. One of the toughest courses I have ever played.

We had decided to come back to Lander on the afternoon/evening of the 4th, mainly because I had to work today and am going out in the field for the rest of the week. I had been told by coworkers to steer clear of Lander on the 4th if at all possible. Their reasoning...Lander bans fireworks within city limits for the entire year except on the 4th, and people make up for it by blowing the lid off the town for an entire day. Knowing how much fun our family has had in the past with fireworks, I thought my coworkers were exagerating. Oh, how naive I was.

We got back to Lander around 6:00 last night to a steady thumping of loud firecrackers, including many from our across the street neighbor kid, who we actually like. He's a good kid, except when he's around explosives. After an hour of listening to non-stop explosions from every corner of the town, we wondered how long people could enjoy setting off firework after firework. The answer finally became clear around 11:30 that night. It was a continuous powder keg from the minute we got to Lander (and who knows how long prior to that) until almost midnight, when the fireworks ban went back into effect. Thank God I was never in Vietnam. Last night would have sent my mind back into the trenches, waiting for the North Vietnamese army to blast its way into my little apartment.

Tagged

2005-06-30T14:32:00.000-06:00

Ok, so my stepbrother Paul tagged me. His website is www.thesunkeepsrising.blogspot.com. Check out his answers to the questions he was "tagged" with after you take a look into my personal life.

1. What were three of the stupidest things you have done in your life?
A. Took a job out in the D.C. area that paid just enough to cover the high cost of rent and left very little for groceries, etc. Although this was a stupid thing to do, it was a major learning experience and eye opener.
B. Got in a fight with the parents about a girl, leading to my dropping out of college after my freshman year, only to straighten things out just in time to start back up again in the fall.
C. Overspent for a used pickup truck that ended up costing me wayyyyy more than if I had just bought new to begin with (thanks to an unfathomable number of repair issues).

2. At the current moment, who has the most influence in your life?
Without a doubt, it's Melissa, my girlfriend/fiancee. I am extremely lucky to have found someone so wonderful (and tolerant of my weird antics). We are everything to each other, and I'm very happy to have her.

3. If you were given a time machine that functioned, and you were allowed to only pick up to five people to dine with, who would you pick?
John Candy (one of the funniest actors ever), Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, Mickey Mantle, and William Wallace (portrayed in Braveheart by Mel Gibson)

4. If you had three wishes that were not supernatural, what would they be?
A. For my family and friends to live long, healthy lives and die peacefully in their sleep.
B. For my family and friends to all live within a 3-4 hour drive, so we could see each other often.
C. For my family and friends to never have to worry about money.

5. Someone is visiting your hometown/place where you live at the moment. Name two things you regret your city not having, and two things people should avoid.
I regret Lander not having a local airport. To get here, you have to fly to Riverton (30 minutes away), Casper (two hours fifteen minutes), Salt Lake (4 hours), or Denver (5 and a half hours). I also regret Lander not having an outdoor swimming pool or recreation center. Avoid driving to Yellowstone from here between June 1 and September 15. More RV's than you can shake a stick at. Also avoid the B&B Lounge. I've heard it's kind of a rough place. Go to the Lander Bar instead. Excellent microbrews, great setting.

6. Name one event that has changed your life.
I would have to say my parents getting a divorce. Divorce is always a life altering event, no matter what the circumstances.

7. Tag 5 people.
Since the only bloggers I know are through my stepbrother Paul's website, see his site for other tagees.

Whew!

2005-06-23T15:05:00.000-06:00

Well folks, I'm back. I can definitely tell it's summer, because there's no slowing down. The vacation was a great success. When we got to Denver for Melissa's brother's wedding, it was raining like crazy. It rained basically up until about an hour before the wedding. Good timing. I was an usher in the wedding, and I got to wear a tophat and cane. When I first heard that I would be donning such attire, I was somewhat skeptical, yet intrigued. Let me just say this about how it looked...cool as the underside of the pillow. That shit was hot! I saved the tophat and cane and will use it again in the future.

After a fun-filled weekend with Melissa's family, which was not so fun-filled for Melissa, who had some bad chicken at the reception, we hit the road for Aberdeen, South Dakota, where my dad lives. Eleven hours later, we met up with my dad, brother, his girlfriend, and my nephew. Almost the entire drive, we had storms in our rear view mirror. We barely outraced them to Aberdeen, and a half hour after we arrived, we were greeted with a series of tornados, 100-mph straight-line winds, and severe thunderstorms. We were happy not to have been on the road during that rager of a storm. South Dakota was fun, with much mini golf played, games played, and go carts raced. My nephew wore me out, so I was happy to get back to work.

On our way back from SoDak, Melissa dropped me off at the Tensleep Preserve, a Nature Conservancy property near Tensleep, Wyoming that consisted of some of the most beautiful mountain foothills that I've ever seen. It was a great place to do streamwork, and we got a lot of that done, as well as some hiking, golfing, and lounging amongst the Ponderosa Pine.

So the vacation went well, but I was happy to get home. The top is finally down on the Jeep, now that it is truly summer in Wyoming. Life is good. But as long as I can come home to Lander and be with my gal, life will always be good.

A Large Snake and Another Vacation

2005-06-02T10:15:00.000-06:00

First and foremost, I saw the largest snake that I have ever seen in the wild yesterday. We were touring some past and future stream improvement pr0jects near Lander. While we were standing on the banks of the Popo Agie River about 3 miles from Lander, a guy in our group looked over to his right and jumped a few feet in the air. Slithering toward our group was a very large bull snake, about 2-3 inches in diameter and 5-6 feet in length. Bull snakes are generally harmless, but their size makes them quite formidable. The snake, who seemed neither pissed nor scared, cruised up to within about 3 feet of our group, then disappeared down into a little crevice. A little scary at first (because bull snakes look eerily similar to the rattlesnakes in this area), but quite impressive.

So I'm signing off for another couple of weeks. We leave tonight for Denver for Melissa's brother's wedding, then off to South Dakota to see my pop, bro, and nephew, then to Tensleep, Wyoming for a week of work training. I sure hope the plant in my apartment doesn't get too pissed at me for lack of water. Although, it is one of those stubborn plants that won't die, no matter what torture it endures. Anywho, I hope everyone has a good couple of weeks. I shall return with stories, but hopefully no more snakes for awhile.

A Successful Weekend

2005-05-31T11:37:00.000-06:00

First and foremost, Star Wars-Revenge of the Sith. Absolutely loved it. It wrapped up the Star Wars series wonderfully and answered a lot of questions. Great light saber battle scenes. Anakin wasn't whiny anymore, but was a bad ass. Obi-wan is just the shiznit. Very high praise for Episode III.

On to another successful part of the weekend...my golf game. I shot the best score of my life, a 93. To you excellent golfers out there, yes, I've still got a long way to go to become a scratch golfer. But considering a couple years ago I was averaging about 105-110 over 18 holes, I'm pretty flippin' excited about my 93. And in actuality, out of about 7 or 8 rounds this year, I've only shot over 100 once. So I'm finally on my way to becoming half-way decent. But I do still have a long ways to go to become anywhere close to good. As an addendum to my good score, I also chipped in from about 10 yards off the green, over a ridge onto the downhill sloping green, straight into the cup. Sweetest shot of my life.

The final success of the weekend came Sunday morning. Melissa and I started the daunting task of clearing the massive amount of weeds from her yard. About 20 minutes after we started, it started raining, effectively ending the yard work saga for the Memorial weekend. "Damn honey, guess that yard work will have to be put off again." Unfortunately, the rain, which continued through most of yesterday, put a damper (no pun intended) on my hiking plans. Can't win 'em all.

Catching Up and Moving On

2005-05-25T11:00:00.000-06:00

Yes, I know. It's been a little while since I wrote. But get used to it! This is definitely my busy time of year between vacations and starting field season. Speaking of vacations, Melissa and I got back from St. Louis last Friday. We had a fun trip, despite some inner ear issues for Melissa and somebody mistakingly taking her luggage when we got there. But we packed a lot of activity in while we were there. And let me just say, you can never go on the Budweiser brewery tour too often. You all know what I'm talking about, free beer at the end of the tour! A trip to St. Louis is also not complete without seeing the Arch. On the way back home, our flight from Denver to Casper, Wyoming was weight restricted, so they offered us each a free round-trip ticket if we would catch the next flight, only an hour and fifteen minutes later. Of course, we said hell yeah! They gave us meal vouchers, and we were only at the airport for another hour fifteen. Who wouldn't do that? It didn't take us long to figure out how we were going to use our free tickets. Vegas baby! So we're heading to Sin City in November after field season is done. Don't worry though. We won't get hitched while we're down there. We'll save that for next Memorial weekend.

This 3-day Memorial weekend should be pretty low key for us. I have yet to see Star Wars Episode III, so that is definitely on the docket for Friday night. It's also been a few weeks since I've been on the golf course, so that will be taken care of Saturday. The rest of the weekend will be spent getting ready for our next vacation.

Next vacation you are saying??? Yes, I am a vacation hog. I seldom have vacation hours built up because I use them so frequently. Thank god for comp time. Melissa's brother is getting married in Denver a week from Saturday. After a few days in Denver with the future in-laws, it's off to South Dakota to see my dad, brother and nephew. On the way back from that trip, Melissa has to drop me off at a training event for work in the Big Horn Mountains of northern Wyoming. Yes folks, it will be a busy few weeks, and you will hear very little from me. But fear not, I will return with a vengeance, hopefully with many stories from my many days on the road. I just hope I don't get trucker butt.

Vacation is Nigh

2005-05-13T16:25:00.000-06:00

Well folks, Melissa and I are off to St. Louis tomorrow to visit the parents, brother, and nephew. It should be fun. We'll do all the touristy St. Louis stuff (that I've already done a dozen times, but always enjoy) because Melissa has never been there. St. Louis is a fun city, but it is a city, and to me that means visit, not live. I prefer the rural, small town life, so a week in the big city is plenty.

Speaking of the rural life, I spent the majority of this week at the University of Colorado Mountain Research Station, about 25 miles into the mountains west of Boulder. Stunning beauty up there. We had a workshop on sampling algae in streams. Pretty interesting, and a wonderful place to have it. Although we did get nailed with some pretty heavy snow on Wednesday. But what do you expect at 10,000 feet in elevation?

Ok folks. Time to sign off for another week. I am officially on vacation!

A Tragic Accident

2005-05-05T08:45:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, after work, I drove up to the canyon about 7 miles south of Lander to go for a nice little after-work hike. On my way back towards town, near the mouth of the canyon, I was slowed by the presence of about 6-7 emergency vehicles in a pullout by a rock face. It was apparent that something bad had happened, but I didn't see any wrecked vehicles, and there were a bunch of people milling around, so it was difficult to tell.

This morning when I got to work, I found out what happened. My boss/coworker (I'll call him "T") was in the canyon last night rock climbing with a good friend of his (I'll call him "A"). Lander, and specifically Sinks Canyon, has some of the best rock climbing in the U.S., or so I've been told by the many rock climbers I've met in the area. As "T" and "A" were climbing last night, a guy they were climbing with decided to check on his friend (I'll call the friend "J"). Apparently, "J" is a very experienced climber who worked for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) here in Lander. "J" was off by himself, either climbing or repairing one of the climb routes farther down in the canyon from the rest of the climbers. When "J's" friend went to check on him, he found "J" lying at the bottom of the cliff in a crumpled mess. "A" is an EMT with NOLS, so he and "T" were the first ones on the scene to try to revive him. "T" told me this morning that he knew right when they saw him that it was a futile effort. He had fallen to his death. To make it worse, "A", the EMT who tried to revive him, was a very close friend of "J", and got the task of telling "J's" family about the accident later last night.

"T", who is a very good climber himself, is understandably shaken up this morning and said he was haunted all night by the images from the accident. This is definitely a tragic accident that will likely hit the climbing community of Lander hard.

The Evolution of My Career

2005-04-26T15:29:00.000-06:00

I love my job, a lot. Many people have commented that they would love to have my job and ask how I got to this point. Let's just say, it was not an easy road. Let's review, but first, let's take a look at what I do now. I am an Environmental Analyst. I work for the state of Wyoming in their environmental department, specifically the watershed program. Basically, I and my boss/coworker are charged with monitoring the streams in the western part of the state to determine what kind of condition they are in and if they are in need of restoration. We spend approximately June through October out in the field, analyzing approximately 30-40 stream sites during that time period. During a typical analysis, we collect water samples, collect aquatic bug samples, measure the discharge of the stream, determine the classification of the stream by measuring width, depth, floodplain area and gradient, perform an in-depth study of the surrounding habitat, and determine the quality of the fish habitat. This amounts to a lot of time being out in the great outdoors, many times in beautiful locations. It also means we get to camp and hike a lot. The months that we are inside, we study the results of our analyses and write up reports on the quality of the streams we assessed.

As an environmentalist and an avid outdoor lover, this is truly my dream job. But as I mentioned, it was not an easy road to get to this point. Let's start way back in college, when I was pursuing my degree in Zoology/Wildlife Management. I spent the summers working for a landscaping firm out in the scorching heat and humidity of St. Louis. It was heavy manual labor in extreme heat. However, I learned a lot from that job. (1) How to beautifully landscape a yard. (2) I am more of a cold weather person. And (3) I better keep my ass in college and get a degree so I don't wind up doing this for life.

The next step in my career came while I was attending graduate school at Southern Illinois U. in Edwardsville, Illinois. While going to school, I worked part time at my mom's retail kitchen store. Working there only proved the value of a college education. Working retail is something everyone should have to do, but only for a short while. I wouldn't wish a retail career on anyone.

After getting my master's degree in Environmental Science, I got my first "real" job with a civil engineering company out in Waldorf, Maryland. Hired as their Environmental Planner, I was tasked with helping get the necessary environmental permits for new construction projects. Although I learned a lot about development and business, I had to often compromise my principals to try and get new developments approved. I quickly realized that I was going the wrong way down the environmental path. Not to mention that I could barely afford to pay my rent in the expensive Washington D.C. suburb.

After working in Maryland for 8 months, I went out in search of greener pastures and found them in Springfield, Illinois. I was hired on at an environmental consulting company as an Environmental Specialist. I immediately began working on two large wetland projects related to expanding landfills. It was interesting work and more in line with my background. However, when the wetland projects began to dwindle down, I was refocused into project management and landfill construction work. Although this was also interesting, it was moving in another direction away from my main interests. I also began to put in long hours and stressful weeks, where a two day weekend often turned into a 1.5 day weekend that didn't give me enough time to wind down before cranking it back up. The work and stress started piling up to a point where I knew I had an important decision to make. Become a full-time workaholic or abandon ship.

Since I had left Wyoming approximately 6 years earlier to start grad school, I had missed it like no other. I missed the mountains, wide open spaces, my friends, and the simple, slow paced life. When the stress of my consulting job was at its peak, I decided to look back west, back to the state that I love. I filed a general application with the state of Wyoming, not knowing what environmental jobs were open or available. Then, a few months later, after coming home from another hot, dirty, tiring landfill monitoring trip, I saw the light blinking on my answering machine. I played the message three times before it sank in. An interview. With the state of Wyoming, Lander field office. Doing stream assessment work. I knew then and there that I would put forth my best interview and land that job. Two months later, I had the Uhaul packed and headed west towards Wyoming.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

2005-04-20T07:58:00.000-06:00

Springtime in Lander. This is the Lander webcam from about two minutes ago.

Five Songs That Make Me Wanna Boogie

2005-04-14T13:17:00.000-06:00

I can't dance. I am the prototypical white boy with no rhythm. Sure, I can pound out a sweet drum solo on my table. But when it comes time to bustin' a move, count me out. That is, until I'm in the privacy of my own home. There are five songs in particular that when I hear them, I spontaneously cut a rug. Not sure why. There's just something about these songs that really makes me want to strut my stuff (by myself with the shades closed). They are:

1.) Jungle Love - Steve Miller Band

2.) Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison

3.) Beast of Burden - The Rolling Stones

4.) Freeze Frame - J. Geils Band

5.) Only the Good Die Young - Billy Joel

Feel free to comment on what songs make you do the crazy shuffle.

House Hunting

2005-04-11T15:22:00.000-06:00

I have finally grown up (as much as I'm willing to admit anyway). I'm engaged to be married, and I'm looking for my first house. Does this mean I have to start wearing suspenders and pointing out which parts of my body are achin'? I hope not. Anyway, the house hunting is going pain-stakingly slow. Officially, I've been hunting for about 9 months now. I've looked at about 5-6 houses, and been impressed by few. Lander is a small town (pop. 6857), so the pickings are somewhat slim. It is also located at the base of a beautiful mountain range (see previous post). Therefore, it is a nice place to live, especially for the wealthy and retired. Thus, up go the house prices. No, it's still nothing like what you big city folk have to deal with. I've been down that road and don't care to again. But for Wyoming, it's high priced.

So, nine months ago, I entered house hunting with the vigorous energy of a can of Jolt cola. Although I am still anxious to get into my first home, I'm at about the level of a diet Shasta now. I know my dream starter home will pop up one of these days. But I guess I'm going to have to sift through the rubble first. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

2005-04-06T08:29:00.000-06:00

Hiking trail near Lander, about 10 miles from my apartment.

Stream List

2005-04-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

The following words are the words my coworker and I long to hear from our program supervisor every March/April: "Here is your stream list for this field season." The list basically tells us where we will be spending our summer and fall, and after 6-7 months of being cooped up in the office, we're ready to hit the great outdoors. We quickly scan the list, like kids fumbling through the stack of presents first thing on Christmas morning. The first thing we look at is to see which of the streams we will be working that are located in the mountains, and thus, provide excellent camping. This is sometimes followed by, "Oh shit, we better bring the bear spray on that stream." No, not all the streams we sample are glorious mountain streams (about 30-40% of them are). We have our share of low-land streams in the Wyoming sagebrush basins. But even these streams have interesting stories to tell.

We received our stream list this past Wednesday. We will be spending A LOT of time in the beautiful Wyoming Range this year. I promise to post pictures.

The Upslope Snow Effect

2005-03-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

Lander, elevation 5,300 feet, sits right at the base of a mountain range. We get a fair amount of snow coming off the high elevation mountains in our backyard. However, we get our largest snowstorms from upslope snows. This is when we get storms from the south or east, coming from the lower elevations and slamming into the mountains that protect us to the west. As a storm rises in elevation (as they do if they're coming into Lander from the east), they build big, nasty clouds that release their anger on the first thing they hit. It is not uncommon for us to get 15-20 inches in one day from these upslope snowstorms. I have been told that back in April, 1999, four years before my time here in Lander, the town got hit with 56 inches of snow over 3 days! I've seen pictures. Holy schnikes, that's a lot of snow.

We are currently experiencing an upslope snow. There's about 5-6 inches right now, but it's supposed to peter out by noon. It's one of those storms where you have to shake the deep snow off your coat after walking from the parking lot to the building. Bring it on!

Popping the big Q

2005-03-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is official folks. I popped the big question to Melissa this past weekend, and she said yes. We are officially engaged. I led her on an Easter egg hunt with clues inside each egg directing her to the next egg. I was waiting with the final egg up in Sinks Canyon at the trailhead of our favorite hiking trail. I led her down to an isolated spot by the beautiful PoPo Agie River. The last egg had the proposal written on the clue. So ladies, I'm officially off the market! Thanks to everyone who have already offered their congrats. We really appreciate it.

Fuddy Duddy? I Think Not.

2005-03-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

I live in an apartment complex. Fortunately, it's a one-level, and my apartment is on the end. So I really only have to deal with one neighbor. That neighbor just so happens to be one of the most annoying neighbors I have ever had in my life. She's about 21-22 years old, single, seemingly unemployed because she rarely leaves the apartment, and very much into playing loud hip-hop music with mind-numbing bass. Very little gets me more worked up than someone invading my space by blasting that idiotic loud thump of rap music.

It's pretty safe to say that we don't get along too well. She probably likes me even a little less this morning. I called the cops on her for the second time in 2 months last night. She apparently doesn't understand that some people actually get up and go to work in the mornings. I was woken out of a peaceful sleep at about 1:00am to hear a loud party going on next door. This is the fourth she has had in the past two months. The last two have been on Saturdays, so I've let it slide. But the first one and last night's were on a Thursday night. Yeah, I know, last night was St. Patty's day. But that doesn't give her the right to keep me up in the middle of a worknight.

Sure, I may be 30 now and turning into a fuddy duddy when it comes to parties and loud music. But dammit, I need my sleep so I can function at work. I can't wait to buy a house.

2005-03-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

Me and Melissa, taken last October at her cousin's wedding.

Riddle

2005-03-11T14:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, time for a riddle. See who can figure it out first. I will post a riddle or puzzle from time to time because it's good brain-food.

My life can be measured in hours;
I serve by being devoured.
Thin, I am quick; fat, I am slow.
Wind is my foe.
What am I?

The Film Critic in Me

2005-03-07T08:42:00.000-07:00

Melissa and I saw an absolutely incredible movie this weekend...Million Dollar Baby. At first, I didn't really have an interest in seeing it. The title certainly didn't jump out at me, saying "See me, I'm great!" Even winning a chunk of the Academy Awards didn't necessarily persuade me. What did persuade me was my mom. She sees a lot of movies, so she knows crappy ones from good ones. She also has a similar taste in movies as me. When she told me this was one of the best movies she had ever seen, I knew I had to go. I still didn't know what to expect, other than Clint Eastwood training Hillary Swank to box, which is pretty much all the previews show. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised. This was a movie I didn't want to end. It was suspensful, thought-provoking, inspiring, well-acted, and with a wonderful, legitimate storyline. It was an emotional roller-coaster that Melissa and I talked about the rest of the evening. With all the junk that makes the big screen these days, it's nice to see a movie with that much of an effect. I highly recommend everyone to make a trip to your local theater while Million Dollar Baby is still there. You won't be disappointed.

Guilty Pleasure

2005-02-28T08:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm one of those people that think the majority of the reality tv shows out there are complete crap. I marvel at some of the idiotic new reality shows that make it to the big time. But I tell you what, I am absolutely addicted to one of them...The Amazing Race. For the most part, there's not that catty, back-stabbing B.S. that you see in most reality shows. Basically, teams of 2 compete by racing from pit stop to pit stop, through many different countries. Why I like this show: (1) it actually takes brains to figure out the fastest way to complete a task or how to get directions from a foreigner to someplace the average American could barely pronounce; (2) often times they have to complete tasks that make people face their fears, so it's fun to watch people overcome and accomplish; (3) most of the places the teams race through are places I will never get to visit, so I enjoy learning about these places. The last season of The Amazing Race ended about 3 weeks ago. As a surprise, they decided to run back-to-back seasons. The new one starts tomorrow. I'm way excited!

Quiz Time

2005-02-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

This little brainteaser was brought to my attention by a coworker this morning. WITHOUT the use of a map, what are the 9 states in the USA that only use four different letters in their name? I'll throw in the most obvious one: Mississippi. Feel free to leave a comment when you figure out the other eight.

One Must Pick Carefully

2005-02-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not talking about one's nose. Although the same is true for nose picking. We got an email from our office manager yesterday, telling us that it's time to start choosing our offices at the new building. We are scheduled to move up there in late June. The pick order was determined by length of service with the agency in Lander (seniority). I am #30 out of 35 (ouch). Out of 35 offices, there are 21 with small windows along the perimeter of the building. There are offices which are tucked away in corners, offices adjacent to the bathrooms, next to the breakroom, in the middle by the conference rooms and next to the big, glass doors. Generally, most of the offices are about the same size, with full walls, ceiling and door. So it appears that location will be one of the deciding factors when it comes time for me to choose. Although I am near the bottom of the list, I do have one advantage. I get to choose who I DON'T want to be near. True, I will only have 5 offices to choose from, but that gives me the opportunity to put myself furthest from the most annoying people who have already picked ahead of me. Not a bad position to be in really. Although my new office neighbors may disagree when they see me park my butt next to them. But that's their problem for having a higher seniority. Stay tuned to find out the results.

2005-02-18T16:19:00.000-07:00

Wolf track, taken near the previous picture on the East Fork Wind River (Oct. 2004)

Overwhelming Support

2005-02-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

I would just like to thank my family and friends for the overwhelming support I've received from them during my current medical issue. It is really nice to know who steps up to the plate and offers their support during a rough time. I hate being the center of attention, so I hate the position I'm in. Hopefully, it will be good news with nothing further to worry about. Thanks again to everyone. I very much appreciate it.

2005-02-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

I just learned how to post pictures on my blog, so I thought I would post my favorite picture from last year's field season. This is the East Fork Wind River north of Dubois, Wyoming.

Racin' Doggies

2005-02-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, Lander hosted the second stage of the International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race (IPSSSDR). As I learned recently, the IPSSSDR is the second largest sled dog race in the United States, behind the Iditarod in Alaska. Therefore, this race gets many of the big-time racers who also enter the Iditarod. The Lander leg consists of 54 miles over a mountain range and back. I had never been to any kind of sled dog race, so I wanted to experience it. Melissa had been to the Iditarod during her time in Anchorage, so she brought me up to speed.

When we got up to the mountain, the closest parking spot we found was about a quarter mile away. As soon as we opened the door, the air was filled with the sounds of yipping and yapping dogs. Walking past the trailers and trucks that sled dog racers use to haul their dogs, we could see why there was so much barking. These dogs were ready to go! It was all the racers and race volunteers could do to keep the brakes on these dogs so they wouldn't take off up the hill. The race teams departed every three minutes apart. As soon as one team left, they would bring in the next team. As the team approached the starting line, they had to use special brakes (big metal claws that dig into the snow) to keep the dogs from taking off too early. Then, the racers spent the next couple minutes untangling the dogs from their harnesses (because they were so excited they kept jumping around) and giving attention to each dog on the team. With 10 seconds to go, the race director, using a bullhorn to get his voice above the barking of the dogs, would lead the spectators in a countdown. When the count hit 0, the brakes would come up and the dogs would take off with a speed rarely seen out of a normal animal. It was an incredible sight. These dogs live for this. You can see it in their eyes, in the way they hop around anxiously prior to sprinting off the line.

We went back to town, then returned a couple hours later to watch the teams come back in to the finish. Racers leave the start line in the opposite order that they finished the leg before. So, the team who finished first the previous leg, starts last the next leg. The racer who started the Lander leg last (finished the previous leg first) ended up passing 9 or 10 of the 19 teams, so he added some considerable time to his lead. He was given a hearty cheer, and the race director yelled at him as he crossed the finish, "Welcome to Lander!" The racer is from Argentina, so a little welcome was in order. As the teams crossed the finish line, they would come to a stop to get assistance from the race volunteers as they made their way to their trailers. While stopped, it was fun to watch the dogs, who frequently rolled in the snow to cool themselves down.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable experience, and I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to attend a sled dog race. It will give you a new appreciation for the dogs who participate in these events. After the race and being inspired by the incredible dogs, we took Gunner for a walk. He was tired after less than a mile. A sled dog he will never make.

Countdown to the Big Move

2005-01-27T15:57:00.000-07:00

No, I haven't bought a house yet, although I am still in the search process. There's very little on the market right now, but I'm keeping my hopes up for this summer. The big move is referring to our work relocation. Right now, the DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) is separated into two buildings. About 2/3 of the employees are in a building the DEQ shares with the City of Lander. The rest of us (including me), who comprise the Division of Water, are a few blocks away, upstairs from a bank. The state has decided to renovate an old building just out of town on state property to provide a new home for us. An email update today assured us we would be ready to move in near the end of June. For the first time in many years, the Lander office of the DEQ will all be in one building. Let's just say, it should be interesting. The 11 of us over here in the "bank building" have developed a close friendship, kind of a men's club since the only woman here is one of the three revolving secretaries. We all understand each other here and know our limits when it comes to joking, etc. We also all think the the majority of people in the other office are dull and uptight, with some exceptions. Oh yes, it will be an interesting combination of personalities at the new building.

For the most part, I'm looking forward to the move, as I do have a couple friends in the other office, and I will finally have my own office with my own four walls and door. But there will be obstacles and drawbacks. First of all, our current group will likely get spread out throughout the new building, so we likely won't have the comraderie that we do now. Second, the commute will be longer, although this is tiny in comparison to what a lot of people deal with. A 9-block commute through a sleepy, little town turns into about a 1.5-mile commute. To us small towners, that's a heck of a long way! Third, just the thought of packing and moving all those file cabinets, desks, computers, books, papers, and every other little item makes me shiver. It's a damn good thing our field season will be kicking in right about then.

Extreme frustration, elation! Extreme frustration, elation!

2005-01-21T15:50:00.000-07:00

Friday's shouldn't have to be this hard on the brain. I have recently been learning how to use a GIS program (Geographic Information Systems) so I can calculate the drainage areas of the streams we sampled this past field season. I consider myself to be a pretty smart guy, but this program is quite taxing on the brain. My boss, who has used it a bit more than me, walked me through the basics and said we would likely need to troubleshoot a lot because the only way he learned anything so far was by trial and error. Boy, was he right. I very quickly ran into my first problem, trying to load a topo map onto the GIS. After about 2 hours of increasing frustration, we finally figured out what we were doing wrong. We got the maps loaded correctly, and I was on my way. Wrong. About 15 minutes later, I ran into my next problem. This time, it took about an hour to figure out why our other layers weren't lining up correctly. When we figured it out, we were ecstatic. Nothing to stop me now from getting those pesky drainage areas. Ummm, how come my numbers are coming up really screwy? Ugh. A new set of problems. Another hour goes by while we fiddle with the program, trying to tease it into giving us the answer we want. Oh, how can we be so stupid? We didn't move the curser far enough over. There's more data at the end of the scroll bar. Whew! Another problem solved. TGIF. My brain is fried.

Denied

2005-01-20T11:29:00.001-07:00

After much buildup and anticipation, the big lunchtime hockey game today has been canceled...due to weather. No, not inclement weather, good weather. For the past couple of days, the temperatures have reached into the upper 40's. Not good for an outdoor ice rink. Yesterday, the ice was a little soft, but we were hoping for a cold night to re-freeze the surface. Didn't happen. Now we are in hockey limbo until another cold snap comes our way. Damn the cursed good weather gods!! Pray for cold and snow in Lander. Wayne will live to see another day.

It Begins Again

2005-01-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. This is my first blog in a couple weeks. Partially because I'm not sure how many people are actually reading my blogs anymore, so I figure why pander to one or two people? Another reason is because not much exciting has happened to me in the past two weeks, besides a fun 3-day weekend to Cody, Wyoming with my gal and skiing at Red Lodge, Montana. But what really inspired me to write again was the renewal of a favorite winter event...lunchtime hockey! For those of you who don't know, I live in Lander, Wyoming, where the average snowfall is 108" a year and it stays cold generally from October through April. Around mid-December every year, the Parks and Rec put ice down on top of the softball fields and put boards up around the ice to make a hockey rink. (There is NOTHING like skating on fresh, outdoor ice.) Two weeks ago, us hockey faithful at the DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) revived the tradition of pick-up hockey during lunch. We do this no more than once or twice a week, since it is brutal on the body. On average, we have 4-5 people out there, but on good days we have 7 or 8. Four of us played today (2 on 2 with the net turned around backwards), but we are expecting 8 tomorrow. You really get an appreciation for hockey players once you've gone out yourself and chased a puck around. I can think of few workouts better than non-stop hockey action. And when you make that pretty pass or sweet shot, you feel like the next Wayne Gretzky. There's nothing like it in my mind. Tomorrow, lunchtime hockey will make another visit, and I shall be known as Wayne.

Year in Review

2005-01-05T15:36:00.000-07:00

It's a new year. It has been welcomed in this week with a new load of snow, which I am relishing. At the start of a new year, it's sometimes (not always) fun to look back at the past year to see how you've progressed. Let's review.

January: I met my girlfriend Melissa. Yes, it was a Match.com meeting which likely scares some people, but I am extremely pleased with the results. I have never met someone more compatible with me than her. Also in January, first time skiing at Red Lodge, Montana. Going there again in a couple weeks. Played lots of hockey as well.

February: Had a great weekend of skiing at Jackson Hole with an old coworker from Maryland and his friends. Played lots of hockey.

March: Saw Metallica in concert for the 3rd time. Excellent. Some not-so-great end of season skiing at Jackson Hole, but still a fun weekend.

April: Trip to the Bahamas with my mom, stepdad, brother, nephew, and stepbrother. Excellent time.

May: Trip to Denver with my buddy Nate to watch a couple Colorado Rockies games. Spent Memorial weekend in Sterling, Colorado for a Rieger family reunion and my cousin's high school graduation.

June: Multiple weddings to attend. Got in some good hiking and golf.

July: Trip out to South Dakota to see my dad, brother and nephew. Always fun to go back to the town I was born in and see what's changed. Trip up to Missoula, Montana for a week-long training class for work. Stayed at a beautiful lodge and did some great stream work.

August: My mom and stepdad came out to visit/fish/hike. Heavy into field season for work, so lots of camping and outdoors time. Came within about 5 feet of a really pissed off rattlesnake.

September: Spent Labor Day weekend in Denver with my girlfriend and her brother, mom and dad. Watched the Pokes start out the football season down in Laramie.

October: Watched the Pokes upset Ole Miss, a perennial SEC powerhouse. Traveled to North Dakota for my uncle's funeral, spent time with my dad and brother in South Dakota also.

November: Watched an extremely cold football game between UW and the #6 ranked Utah Utes. Spent a great Thanksgiving with my girlfriend, her grandma, and her brother and his fiancee. Traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah, then New Orleans, then boarded a cruise ship to Mexico (see previous blog detailing the trip).

December: Started the month still on the cruise, then a few days in New Orleans again, then back home. Much Christmas shopping and festivities. Had Christmas in Thermopolis with Melissa and her family. My mom and stepdad came out the next week through New Years.

Well, it's been a great year. Here's to an even better 2005! Cheers!

POKES WIN! POKES WIN! POKES WIN!

2004-12-23T23:57:00.000-07:00

That's right folks. My alma mater, the University of Wyoming has pulled off the biggest upset of the college football bowl season so far this year. My lovable Pokes were 14 point underdogs to the intimidating UCLA Bruins at the Las Vegas Bowl. The Cowboys played them close the whole game, and near the end, I was thinking, "Well, at least they didn't embarass themselves." Not only did they not embarass themselves, they put together one of the most exciting finishes in Cowboy history. No one, and I mean no one gave them a chance to win this game. It has been 10 years since the Pokes have been to a bowl game, and almost 40 years since they've won one. That is all history now. Thank the heavenly Lord, we are bowl champions!!!!!

Warning...Extreme Goofiness Ahead

2004-12-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

I love hockey. Many of my office-mates also love hockey. We are all upset and saddened at the current NHL lockout. I mentioned in a previous post that to deal with our loss, we have created a new hockey league, the NAHL (Northern Alliance Hockey League). The league has ten teams, all fake, but from real cities. We have developed a schedule, and the teams "play" against each other using dice to determine the scores. Therefore, it is completely random. To expand on this idea, we have decided to create rosters for each team, giving them two scoring lines, two pairs of defensemen, two goalies, a coach, and an arena. Keep in mind, this is purely a creative outlet incorporating a sport we love and miss. I am in charge of putting together three rosters. I have finished my first roster, the Chilliwack Slashers (Chilliwack is a town near Vancouver, British Columbia). As my Christmas gift to you readers, I will include it here. No, I was not high or drunk when I made this roster, just really creative. Enjoy.

CHILLIWACK SLASHERS

Home Ice
Hell Frozen Over Ice Arena – entrance ways have an archway with skull and crossbones overhead; the Grim Reaper, carrying a large scythe, guards the entrance

Coach
Franco Bullshevitz – Once ran out onto the ice while coaching the Selkirk Fjords of the Frigid North League to pummel a referee who had called a penalty for too many men on the ice during a brawl

First Line
LW – Gars Gooper #8 Prior to hockey, Gars manned a fishing boat off the coast of British Columbia. Rumored to have thrown a coworker overboard during an argument about whether Mighty Mouse could win a fight with Superdog.

C – Zippy Slitherin #2 Zippy has been named “fastest skater in the NAHL” for the last two years. He developed his breakaway speed and spin moves through his many years of being a petty theft and always being on the run.

RW – Buzz Kill #50 Grew up in Vanderhoof, British Columbia. When he turned 14, he was put to work as a logger. He became adept at carving a hockey stick out of a piece of lumber, making the blade of the stick sharp enough to cut through sheet metal.

D – Matthias Grunveldt #38 Has been incarcerated twice for public indecency while showing off his “junior hockey player”. He’s the “ladies man” of the Slashers with his long, flowing golden hair. Wears false teeth because he has no originals left after many years of fighting.

D – Yendl Kjholdyn #15 Last name pronounced “holdin”, which is the defensive style he employs. Yendl grew up on a sheep farm on the northern banks of the Hudson Bay, near Igluligaarjuk, Nunavut. Has never been married but has had many sheep friends.

G – Rolly Toes #90 Lifetime fan of the Milwaukee Brewers. Drinks Schlitz beer. Lots of it.

Second Line
LW – Jed “The Rat” Ratterink # 22 Leads the NAHL consistently in taking blocked shots to the face, often breaking his nose further out of place, giving him the look of a rat. Played junior hockey with the St-Alexis-Des-Monts Berets.

C – Klaus Hurfennurfen #19 Born in International Falls, Minnesota two weeks after his parents immigrated from Hamburg, Germany. Home schooled, so the only English he knows are swear words and what he learned from watching “Happy Days”. Has two German Shepherds named Joanie and Chachi.

RW – Claude Lefontanalaisee #91 Nicknamed “The French Tickler” because after he has dropped an opposing player with a cheap shot, he tickles their chin. Also the practical joker in the locker room. Often pees in teammates’ water bottles.

D – Bubba Blatto #34 Born and raised in Charleston, West Virginia. Frequently jumps into the stands to fight with drunk fans. Often uses the hog wrestling techniques during fighting that he learned on the farm back home. Bathes once a month.

D – Brainard Blatto #35 Kid brother of Bubba. Brainard is the mild mannered one of the two. He was acquitted of attempted murder with a hockey stick in 2003 on a technicality.

G – Felix Fisticuffs #5 Grew up in Kamloops, British Columbia. Has been known to drop the gloves to take on an opposing player while guarding the net at the same time. Has broken both hands on numerous occasions trying to stop the puck with no gloves. Can no longer write his own name.

A Griswold Family Christmas Tradition

2004-12-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

"We're not going out in the middle of nowhere just so you can buy one of those stupid ties with a Santa Claus on it, are we?" Rusty Grizwold's question to dad, Clark, in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation was answered in the negatory. The Grizwolds were heading out to cut down the family Christmas tree. After watching this favorite Christmas movie recently for perhaps the 50th enjoyable time, I decided to partake in the same event. Anyone can go buy a plastic, full-figured fake tree or pay a buttload for a real tree at a lot. However, for $8 (for a tree cutting permit), a pair of warm, waterproof boots, and a durable saw, you can have a memorable experience of cutting your own! With this philosophy and an $8 permit in hand, Melissa, myself and Gunner (the happy Springer Spaniel) loaded up the Jeep and drove 7 miles to the National Forest boundary. As we hiked up the switch backs of the nearest Forest Service Road, we kept our eye open for the perfect tree. If you've seen Christmas Vacation, you know the perfect tree is surrounded by a glowing white, sparkling light, as if God sent this tree from heaven. Let me make this clear, to find the perfect, full-figured, straight tree, you would likely need to hike well into the hills with a week's worth of food. After figuring this out, we pressed on, in search of the not-so-perfect-but-still-pretty-cool tree. In the movie, Rusty tells his dad, "That tree wouldn't fit in our yard." To which Chevy Chase responds, "It's not going in our yard, Russ. It's going in our house." That part of the movie reminded me to bring a tape measurer. So we finally settled on a tree, about 6 feet tall, evenly spread out branches with few branches in the back (that's all right...we'll put that side towards the corner). After coaxing Gunner back down the hill (he's such a wuss when he get's snowy paws), we realized the tree was too short to tie to the top of the Jeep. Interesting dilemma. We finally decided that the tree would have to go into the backseat, and Gunner, a good-sized Springer, would have to ride on Melissa's lap in the cramped front seat of the Jeep.

Upon return to my apartment, it was time to put the tree in the stand. If you've never tried to put a live, non-perfect tree into a stand and make it stand up straight, then you've never cursed at a tree before. Remember the back side of the tree with few branches? Apparently, the laws of physics didn't come to mind when selecting the tree. The front of the tree, with its many nice, thick branches, seemed to weigh quite a bit more than the back side of the tree. Imagine that! After struggling with the whole balance issue, I finally gave up. After all, it was my birthday, and I wasn't about to let a stupid tree ruin my birthday. The next day, as if the tree had given up its fight, I got it to balance on the first try. We decorated it beautifully, yet cautiously as to not wake it back into its unbalanced stubbornness. It now stands in the corner, in all its glory. I am happy to say that it was a memorable experience, and I am enjoying the tree that much more, knowing we did the work to bring it in my home. Clark Griswold would be proud.

A Milestone Birthday

2004-12-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

Well, it is quickly approaching. The slower you want time to move, the quicker it goes. In three days, I will be hitting one of those milestone birthdays...the big 3-0. I will no longer be able to say, "I'm in my 20's". I will no longer be able to check the "20-29" box on those public interest surveys or product registration cards. An aged coworker told me today that he felt he was just hitting his stride at 30. I admit that I feel that same way. Everything is going well for me right now. I have the greatest job that I could have. I have an absolutely wonderful girlfriend. I live in a town that I love. I'm finally shopping for my first house. I am most certainly hitting my stride. Admittedly, I was worried about what happens on the back side of the stride. Is it all downhill from there? Well, as it turns out, it's not much of a worry. All I need to do is look at my older coworkers, family and friends. I see how much they are enjoying life, how happy they are. Life should not revolve around age. It should revolve around your happiness with life. As long as you enjoy what you're doing and how you're living your life, it really doesn't matter how old you are. I'm turning 30 in a few days. So what? I'm happier than I've ever been.

Sailing the Ocean Blue - Part 3 (From Beginning to End)

2004-12-07T13:55:00.000-07:00

It's always so tough to come back after being on a wonderful vacation. Sure, we have to get back to normal life so we can go to work and pay our bills. But come along as I take a trip through the events of the past week and a half of my life. I'm still on vacation as long as my mind is still there.

Friday, Nov. 26
Melissa and I left for Salt Lake City. The roads were clear (an absolute blessing in Wyoming in late November), and the travel was easy. And believe it or not, we didn't forget to pack one thing! We checked into the Salt Lake City Airport Hilton, which I am proud to say I worked a wonderful deal on Priceline.com. Get this, $45 at the Hilton, which includes free parking for the duration of your trip and a shuttle to the airport. I would have spent more than $45 on the airport parking alone! Gotta love Priceline. Friday evening was spent Christmas shopping in downtown Salt Lake City. Once you get past all the Mormon references, it's actually a pretty cool city.

Saturday, Nov. 27
Quick trip to REI (greatest store ever), and then we were on our way to the airport. Arrived in New Orleans Saturday evening. We had dinner with Melissa's parents and some of their friends at P.F. Chang.

Sunday, Nov. 28
Melissa, her dad and I have breakfast at The Broken Egg in Mandeville, Louisiana, where Melissa's parents live. A trip into New Orleans includes a visit to Harrahs Casino, the aquarium, and of course, the French Quarter. I can see why that place gets crazy for Mardi Gras. I had shrimp gumbo for lunch (excellent). Dinner at a cool restaurant called Houston's.

Monday, Nov. 29
Board the M.S. Carnival Sensation at 1:00pm. Talk about overwhelming! First time on a cruise ship is like the first time you visit Vegas. Sensory overload. After having lunch at the buffet and touring the massive ship, we go through a boat drill that shows us what to do in case of an emergency. Oh, appropriately enough, as we walk through the doors to enter the ship, a band is playing the theme to Titanic. We push off at 4:00pm, where the ship manuevers the bends of the Mississippi River on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. Excellent dinner in the ship's dining room with a fun waiter from Jamaica named Denton. His assistant, Vlado, says "Yur velcome" in a Russian voice everytime we thank him, which we get a kick out of throughout the entire cuise. We spend the rest of the evening touring the boat. I lose $60 on the craps table in less than 10 minutes. I do not gamble the rest of the cruise.

Tuesday, Nov. 30
This day has been designated as a "Fun Day at Sea". The ship is cruising through the Gulf on its way to Mexico. The weather is beautiful, so we spend time at the pool and watch some of the many activites going on around the boat. The cruise directors do a great job of planning all varieties of activities. The only bad thing is that it makes the day go by too quickly because you're having so much fun. Dinner is part of the "Captain's Ball", so everyone dresses up (including us) in their finest and has a wonderful meal. I had the lobster tail. The evening ends with a Las Vegas style show in the ship's huge stadium-seating auditorium.

Wednesday, Dec. 1
Arrive in the port of Calica! This is about one hour south of Cancun. The previous day, we had turned in our choices for port activities, and we had found out that our first choices were all accepted. When we disembark at Calica, Melissa and I head to the van labeled "5 Star Kayak Adventure". Boy am I glad we picked this excursion. We proceeded to Tres Rios (Three Rivers) Ecological Park near Playa del Carmen. We were given a tour of the park and instructions not to touch the chechem tree. This is a tree that secretes an acidic resin that will give you second degree burns. After biking one mile down to the ocean on really old bicycles, we loaded up into 2-man kayaks. Melissa and I made a pretty good team, and we got the paddling rythym down pretty quick. We kayaked out into the ocean, then into a mangrove estuary. After paddling around, our guide gave us the stop-and-shut-up signal. Ahead, about 50 feet away, were crocodile eyes peering out of the water. Crocs are apparently very skiddish, and it didn't take him long to disappear. We kayaked out of the estuary and up a nearby river. Then, we left the kayaks on the beach and bicycled back up one of the paths. We donned snorkeling gear and jumped into a limestone spring. Without swimming or paddling, the spring carried us downstream to the ocean on a 30-minute snorkeling trip. Absolutely amazing. We saw an eel, crabs, and numerous very large fish. We were then fed a tasty Mexican lunch and then spent some time relaxing in hammocks on the beach. After a return to the ship, we took a cab back into Playa del Carmen to do some shopping and had dinner at Senor Frog's. The Mexican merchants can be quite pushy, but it was entertaining. I picked up a couple nicknames from the merchants - Senor Whisker and Mr. Cigar. The cigar reference came about because I was smoking a genuine Cuban... legal in Mexico, not in the States. Talk about a head trip! We returned to the ship with a few souveniers and caught a magic act in the auditorium.

Thursday, Dec. 2
Through the night we sailed to the island of Cozumel. This morning, we took a bus tour of the island and did some shopping in the city. We were excited about our afternoon excursion, "Sea Trek Helmet Diving". However, the build-up was better than the actual excursion. The idea was really cool. We were given air-supplied helmets so we could walk around on the floor of the ocean without scuba gear. It would have been a lot of fun, but they only kept us down there for 15 minutes instead of the 30 minutes advertised, and they spent most of that time trying to get us to pose for pictures that they would try to sell us later. When we were finished, instead of looking at the cheesy pictures, we took advantage of the free snorkeling equipment and ended up seeing way more than we did on the helmet dive. They weren't happy that we didn't buy a picture, but we weren't happy with the tour, so it balanced out. Back on ship, we enjoyed another wonderful meal in the dining room with our buddies Denton and Vlado. They even made us join their congo line when the music started up during dinner!

Friday, Dec. 3
This was another "Fun Day at Sea" as we cruised back across the Gulf of Mexico towards New Orleans. Again, there were many fun activities to watch and take part in, including the cruise ship versions of Fear Factor, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, The Newlywed Game, and Love, Sex and Romance trivia. They had a "Hairy Chest Contest" which Melissa encouraged me to join (I did not, however, succumb to the pressure). My chest is not lacking of hair by any means, but believe me, there's no way I would have won that contest if I had been in it. There were some serious carpets up there. It provided some serious comedy though as each man had to dance sexy to music for two judges (who happened to be old grandmas also on the cruise). The day went by quickly, and we had our final dinner with Denton and Vlados (yur velcome). They had a great Christmas show in the auditorium to finish it off.

Saturday, Dec. 4
We had our final meal (the breakfast buffet) and disembarked at 9:00am. Melissa's parents picked us up, and we went back to their home in Mandeville (much to the enjoyment of their plump doggies, Maddy and Tamyn). My afternoon was spent on an absolutely beautiful golf course with Melissa's dad, while she and her mom went shopping. We had a great meal at a typical Louisiana riverfront restaurant and settled in for our last night down south.

Sunday, Dec. 5
We left New Orleans at 8:50 in the morning and after some more roaming around Salt Lake City and Park City, Utah, were back in snowy Lander by 10:00 that evening. Sixteen inches of new snow fell in Lander while we were gone. As I sit here, surrounded by the signs of winter and Christmas, I will always remember our wonderful trip to New Orleans and the Caribbean. Memories are one of the greatest things a person can treasure, and no one can take those away.

Sailing the Ocean Blue - Part 2

2004-11-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

Anticipation. They say that's half the enjoyment of the vacation. Vacations generally go very quickly, so anticipation is used to "extend" the vacation. Melissa and I signed up for this cruise in July. At the time, it seemed so far away. Anticipation was not a factor. This week, anticipation is a major factor, as the countdown has reached 10 days. Next week, although I am traveling to Cheyenne for meetings Monday through Wednesday, in my mind, I will already be on vacation. Just thinking about warm weather, blue ocean, and fruity drinks with umbrellas puts me at ease and induces an amazing calmness. It creates a warm, peaceful feeling, one that correlates to an immense joy of life. Isn't that what it's all about? Life is truly what you make it. Making memories, reliving memories of the past, visualizing the good things in your life. The vacations that I have been on in my life play a major role in my memories, in my enjoyment of life. Every new vacation adds another chapter that I can look back on and enjoy. I have no doubt that this one will provide wonderful memories that will allow me to enjoy life even more. Memories are already being created as I await departure. Anticipation. What a wonderful thing.

Cubicle basketball and other work distractions

2004-11-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

For about 4-5 months, my office is the great outdoors, more specifically, the creeks, streams and rivers of western Wyoming. For the remainder of the year, I am a cubicle rat. That will change when we move into our new building, which has been promised for years now, but may actually be coming to fruition by the end of 2005. When that happens, I will have an actual office with four walls and a door. Oh, the glory. But for now, I share a large room, separated from a fellow coworker by a single partition. Since I obviously prefer to be working outside, the cubicle can get a bit claustrophobic at times. To deal with this, I and my office mate have surrounded ourselves with distractions. One is the suction cup basketball hoop, courtesy of the dollar store across the street. Taking a few shots (of basketball, not alcohol) clears the mind (although alcohol is more effective). Plus, the hoop can aid in decision making. For example, "If I make this shot, I'll finish the report I'm working on. If I don't, I'll surf the internet." Another distraction is the dry erase board. Earlier this summer, the board served as the creative grounds for the development of a 27-hole golf course. Nearly everyone in the office wanted to design a hole after my cubicle mate and I got it started. It is amazing how creative people can get when they are trying to avoid doing real work. The newest invention is the Northern Alliance Hockey League (NAHL) for those of us who need some hockey to follow. The NAHL is comprised of 10 fictional teams from Canada and northern hockey-hungry U.S. states. They have been given unique names with artistic logos (again, creative juices were flowing). Two divisions were developed, and using two dice to determine scores, teams have been pitted against each other. If only we knew how to make a website, this thing could really take off! I'm pulling for the Sheboygan Fighting Blue Beavers personally, but the Yellowknife Blades and Saskatoon Icemen have jumped out to an early lead. Finally, what better distraction is there than writing about distractions? Blogs are wonderful for writing about whatever the hell you want to write about. Hmm. I hear my boss coming. Better get back to work.

Sailing the Ocean Blue - Part 1

2004-11-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

For those of you who I haven't excitedly informed, Melissa and I will be taking a cruise from New Orleans to Cozumel and Playa del Carmen, Mexico in a few weeks. To be exact, we are heading down to New Orleans to stay with her parents on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The cruise departs on Monday afternoon and gets back Friday evening. There will be a lot of "firsts" for me this vacation. I have never been to New Orleans, never been on a cruise, and never been to Mexico (except for a quick jaunt down to Tijuana with the fam during a trip to La La land). The anticipation of the trip is certainly mounting. The packing list started a week ago to ensure that I will not forget a single thing (yeah right). New swimsuits have been purchased. I'm trying to lose those last few pounds so as not to embarass myself in said swimsuits. Countdown is at 18 days. Count on hearing more on this subject in the days to come as I can barely contain myself!

Election Fallout

2004-11-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

Well, it's practically over. It looks like Bush will be around for another four years. The only thing I'll say about that is at least he HAS to leave in four years. Let's hope the country isn't too screwed up by then. Regardless of who ends up officially winning, another election year is closing. Actually, it's been more like a year and a half. It seems like campaigning starts earlier and earlier with every election. Expect to start hearing about the 2008 election in, oh, about two years.

Election day is sort of like a twisted Christmas. You know how you look forward to Christmas, and the buildup is really intense, especially the last week or two? Then, the day after is kind of a downer. You have New Years to look forward to, but after that, nothing. Election day is similar. There is a lot of debate and office conversations around the water cooler about the candidates and who is going to win. It becomes the dominant topic of conversation, especially within a week or two of the election. Then, the day after comes. What are we going to talk about now? Election day and Christmas...very similar, but Santa better redeem himself on December 25.

It's Your Civic Duty

2004-11-01T11:29:00.000-07:00

It's here. Time to pick a president, among many other national and local offices. Regardless of your political leanings, it is your civic duty to vote. It is embarassing how low the voter turnout is in America. We are supposed to be the model of democracy, yet we struggle to get 50% of eligible voters to come to the polls. Yet everyone seems to have a political opinion, one way or the other. Where are these people on election day? I live in a state where the electoral votes always go to the Republican candidate, always. Yet, I will still proudly cast my vote, whether it makes a difference or not. I feel like I do not have the right to bitch about the outcome if I don't participate. Anyway, I'll step down from my soap box. Please vote tomorrow, so you can have the right to bitch!

Ode to Uncle Lyle

2004-10-21T21:07:00.000-06:00

While I have been out of town for the past couple of weeks for work, I have been thinking of ideas for new blogs once field season is done and I'm back in town a little more. I came up with a few good ideas today on the drive back into Lander. However, the question of what to write was answered for me when I got home. The answering maching was blinking, which usually means a message from my girlfriend or from a telemarketer. This time, it was the message no one likes to get. The message was from my dad, telling me that my Uncle Lyle had passed away on Tuesday. Uncle Lyle has had colon cancer for quite a few years now and has been in and out of the hospital. When I saw him in May, he looked very frail and was down to a meager 108 pounds, nearly half of his weight in his prime. So I guess you could say that his passing was expected. But it is always a shock to hear that a loved one has died. Uncle Lyle was the type of uncle you loved to have. He treated all of his newphews and nieces as if they were his own children. He and his wife adopted two children of their own. He was fun to talk with, and he always had a joke to tell.

The funeral is Monday, October 25. I will be one of the pall bearers. I only hope I can show him as much respect at his funeral as he has shown me over the years. It will be a sad day for the Rieger family. Good bye Uncle Lyle.

The Unveiling of a Mountain Man

2004-10-01T12:28:00.000-06:00

Picture what I look like. Now, picture what I look like with a beard. Kind of hard, eh? I am trying a new experiment. I figured that since I am roaming around the mountains this time of year for work and Wyoming weather can be brutal in October, I might as well act the part of a mountain man. Therefore, the beard is in its development. I have never grown a full beard before, and many of you are trying painfully to envision it now. I must say though, after one full week, I think it looks pretty good! No, I'm not going to grow one of those big, bushy beards that look goofy. I will take care of it and try to keep it at least somewhat stylish. I am calling it my "field season beard", so it will likely come off at the end of October, unless it makes me look like Tom Cruise or something. If I ever figure out how to post a picture on my blog, I'll see if I can post one of me and my new furry face. There is one final test of approval... my girlfriend. She has not seen the one-week growth and is somewhat skeptical. However, when she sees that Tom Cruise look-a-like walk through the door, she'll forget what a clean shaven face looks like.

Winter is Almost Here!

2004-09-24T15:54:00.000-06:00

I know. You're thinking, "What kind of crack is he smoking?" It is only September 24th. So how can winter be almost here? I know that winter is just around the corner because I have been snowed on twice in the past two weeks. Not necessarily that heavy snow where it looks like you live in a snow globe. But those hard snow pellets that bounce off your noggin. Even so, the heavy stuff will be hitting soon. Last year, the week before Halloween, we got 16 inches of snow in Lander. That is only one month away. Predictions are calling for a heavy winter with lots of snow this year. This all of course is getting me excited for winter activities that abound in Wyoming. First and most importantly, the downhill ski season will be here within two months. Most resorts open on Thanksgiving weekend, and with plentiful good snow, possibly mid-November. The outdoor ice rink usually opens around mid-December. A few of us from work get together once or twice a week during lunch to play hockey. There is also a great sledding hill in the canyon outside of Lander. I guess even though I'm approaching that big 3-0, I still have the little kid inside, wanting to hit that big ass jump at the bottom of the sledding hill. I am thinking about taking up cross country skiing this year as well. Some of the best cross country skiing in the state exists around Lander. Therefore, I should be taking advantage of this, shouldn't I? For those of us who like winter, there is almost as much to do during this season than there is during summer. This is why I get excited this time of year, when signs of heavy snows and cold weather start to creep in. But the biggest reason I know that winter is on its way...the Christmas decorations are already out at Walmart.

Hockey on Thin Ice

2004-09-16T17:45:00.000-06:00

Those of you who know me well know that I am an avid hockey fan. Those of you who have been paying attention to the sporting news know that this year's NHL hockey season is in jeopardy due to salary squabbles. It is therefore safe to assume that I am not a happy camper. I have no pity for grown men making millions of dollars playing a game they supposedly love and then griping that they don't get paid enough. About ten years ago, this same situation happened in baseball. Prior to the strike of 1994, I was a huge baseball fan. Baseball now ranks behind hockey and football as a sport I enjoy following, due in large part to that strike. Hockey will likely remain my favorite sport, mainly because I enjoy every aspect of the actual sport, but I will lose respect for the players. Like hockey players, I have a job that I love. However, I am thoroughly convinced that the enjoyment of a job is worth much more than the salary amount, especially if the salary allows you to live at even a somewhat comfortable level. And I'm not making millions! NHL players: pull your hockey sticks out of your asses and realize how good you have it before you destroy the sport and thus your careers. If you don't, I guess there's always an opening at McDonalds.

Lions and Bears and Snakes, Oh My

2004-09-12T22:06:00.000-06:00

I apologize to those of you who have been checking back frequently to read the next exciting installment of my blog. Travel for work and pleasure has significantly decreased my computer time. But anticipation is half of the fun, right?

In my last entry I outlined some of the joys of living in Wyoming. Along with the lack of people and wide open spaces comes an abundance of wildlife, most of it awesome to look at, but some very dangerous as well. A few weeks ago, my girlfriend and I were on one of our weekend trips when we decided to take in a little history. We stopped to see Independence Rock in central Wyoming, where settlers back in the mid-1800's carved their names into the rock. Pretty neat piece of history really. After walking up the trail and scrambling around the rocks and boulders, we decided we should continue on to our destination, Alcova Lake. We proceeded through a gate and stepped back on the trail to take us back to my car. I had Gunner (my girlfriend's dog) on a leash about 5 feet in front of me. Suddenly, we heard a sharp rattling sound and instantly fixed our eyes on a 2.5-3 foot rattlesnake on the trail within 5 or so feet of Gunner. The rattlesnake was coiled, head cocked, ready to strike. Needless to say, the adrenaline kicked in and we immediately retreated back behind the gate. After a minute or two of being pissed off and rattling, the snake moved off into the grass. Thankfully, it let us know it was there before we got too close.

Yesterday, I went on a mountain bike ride by myself at a place called "Johnny Behind the Rocks". Don't ask what Johnny was doing behind the rocks. I don't think I want to know. Anyway, it's a neat red rock canyon about 15 miles from Lander with good views of the Wind River Mountains. Beautiful for mountain biking. A couple miles in on the trail, I realized it's also excellent habitat for mountain lions, which are plentiful in the Lander area. Then I remembered my coworker telling me how he was being watched by a mountain lion a few years earlier while biking on the same trail. This made me quite aware of how dangerous recreation can be in Wyoming. Thankfully, I made in back to my Jeep with only encountering 3 chocolate labs and their owner. I did manage to scrape up my leg after getting cocky while riding down one of the rocky slopes. I guess I'm not as good of a rock jumper as I thought I was.

This week, I and my boss will travel to an area that poses the greatest wildlife risk, grizzly bear country. There have been a number of grizzly encounters in this particular area in the past few weeks, so we will be extra cautious, carrying two cans of bear spray. I have to admit, I would love to see a grizzly bear in the wild, but I would rather it be from the safety of our large truck.

Abundant wildlife is one of the many reasons I love living in Wyoming. It certainly makes one appreciate sharing the land with these critters, dangerous or not. I've certainly learned one thing. The rattle of a rattlesnake will send shivers up your spine, and that sound will forever be engrained in your memory.

Blog? Is that some sort of disease?

2004-09-03T17:23:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone. Well, this is my first foray into blogging. I got the idea from my stepbrother, who writes some really interesting stuff on his. I can't promise that mine will be all that interesting, but I hope to at least keep people informed on the "Life of Chad". I don't really consider myself a writer, but this isn't exactly the New York Times. And what better way to inform the world of the exciting life I lead? Well, as exciting as a small, Wyoming town will allow anyway. Exciting around here usually consists of gambling on when the first snow will hit or seeing someone you know down at the Lander Bar. But to be honest, that's exactly how I want it. You could say that life slows down in Lander. There's really not much to worry about here. A traffic jam consists of about two blocks worth of cars. Going to the big city means driving a half hour to the Super Walmart in Riverton. Directions are given using the Lander Bar as a reference point. However, interesting stories can develop from just about anything. Hopefully, I'll be able to bring some enjoyment to you readers from the perspective of a newly annointed "small-town boy". For now, it's Friday afternoon, and I think I'll go have a beer at the Lander Bar. Maybe I'll see someone I know.