Cool and glad its Friday

I am cold and working at the reference desk. The library is almost empty without the college being in session.

Christmas was great this year. I had a lot of experiences following from Saturday when I arrived in Grand Junction, to spending Sunday night with my mother, to spending a couple of hours with my grandmother Broughton, to locking my keys inside my SUV while sneaking Christmas presents for my nieces out of the back on Christmas Eve. My brother Jarrett gave me a nice survival knife with built-in compass and survival pack. My brother Jesse gave me a leatherman-like tool, and my brother Judd gave me a Swiss-army pocketknife as well. I don't know why I find that funny that my brothers gave me more weapons after my experiences in Utah. My brother Jake gave me a nice jungle hat with a mosquito netting. I think my family expects that I'll end up stranded and that I'll be able to fight my out. I gave each of my brothers a couple of packs of Camels, a pack of rolling papers, and a lighter. Not very original but they enjoyed their presents. I gave my nieces and nephew books for Christmas in keeping with my librarian meme. I gave my grandmother a 2008 calendar and a card. I didn't get out to see my grandfather.

On Saturday night, I went to a nightclub that alternated between pop country music and rap with a crowd skewing towards the male, drunk, and white. Two of my friends (I know them through my brother Judd) were in town. Michael Ochoa is in the Marines and has three tours in Iraq under his belt. He is a veteran from the beginnings of the Iraq war. Tommy is Michael's brother and Tommy just finished his first tour with the Marines in Iraq. Tommy was involved in a IED attack but wasn't hurt. Judd got kicked out because of his drunkenness (we weren't sure what prompted his expulsion but my night ended earlier. I had a hangover the next day that didn't go away although I didn't think I drank that much the night before.

This might be my last blog entry for 2007. 2007 was a recovery year for me. I was able to move into a better place, buy a new vehicle, and continue to normalize my life after my experiences in living in Utah. Here are some New Year resolutions for upcoming year:

• Increase my Aikido activity. For the past couple of years, I have practiced exactly once each year. The best way for me to do this is to teach an Aikido Basics class but I have to find suitable facilities and then worry about insurance, affiliation, and students.
  
• Increase my general physical activity. I am out of shape and weigh a good 10-15 pounds over what I like to weigh. I am not as concerned about my weight but I do feel that I my physical conditioning needs to improve.
• Write more. I used to try to write 500 words a day and I have stopped for a number of reasons not the least is that I find my journal writing to be too self-centered (although this blog is an example of ego publishing as there is) . I do like this blog because I can write and not worry about losing the material (as much)
• Quit all tobacco products. I hate smoking cigarettes but I do like to chew tobacco. Chewing has to be one of the most disgusting habits out there and not good for my oral health.
  

These are just four areas I would to address in the upcoming year. I also turn 35 next month but I am not planning anything special.

Headed to Grand Junction.

Last Saturday I finished reading Neal Stephenson's "The Confusion". On Tuesday I received through Marmot's online holds, the third book in the Baroque Trilogy, "The System of The World". I am doing laundry tonight so now I'll have something to read while waiting for my clothes to wash and dry.

My holiday plans for the upcoming Christmas is to leave for Grand Junction tomorrow morning. It is snowing here in Gunnison and I don't want to drive over the passes in the dark when it snowing unless I really have to. Getting to Grand Junction is not a huge priority and I would like to spend one more night in my own bed. Saturday night I plan on spending with my father. Sunday afternoon I am going to visit my 87 year-old grandmother. Sunday night I am spending with my mother. Monday I'll try to visit my 86 year-old grandfather in Mack, Colorado. Christmas Eve, I hope to spend with my brother Jacob and his family.

A couple of days ago I talked to my mother and my sister Jill is pregnant with her second child. I am really happy for her and her husband Lance and their beautiful daughter Alexis. I have a lot to be thankful for this year and I do hope things will be better in the coming year. After Christmas, I'll write about my goals for the upcoming year and I'll likely have a couple of good stories that may or may not be suitable for this blog.

Movies and Book.

I woke up with a migraine this morning, thank-goodness for Imitrix.

This past weekend I went on a movie watching binge, due to the weather (Gunnison received about a foot and a half of snow over Friday and Saturday. Out of the seven movies I rented, the best by far was Black Snake Moan. The music I loved and the performances were great, with Christina Ricci in some great scenes. While the movie is sexually and racially exploitative, I felt the larger themes of redemption and growth for all of the characters in the movie connected to a larger humanity, an universal understanding and of hope. I now want to see Craig Brewer's previous movie, Hustle and Flow.

I am about half-way through Neal Stephenson's "The Confusion". The second in his Baroque Trilogy. I am enjoying this novel because it returns to the stories of Jack Shaftoe and Eliza. Eliza is typical of Stephenson's smart, beautiful, and strong female characters, all to often becoming the ideal geek woman. Actually, exactly the type of woman I am attracted to and I would guess most men as well. The book is due back on the 17th so the next couple of nights, I will finish the novel. I am requesting the final volume today, "The System of the World" from Marmot.

This Saturday is the last free skiing at Crested Butte. I might go up but I still need a true winter coat and better snowboarding pants. It will have to wait for another budget cycle.

Dylan, Knox, and non-related topics...

Last night during the PBS fund-raising week, a Bob Dylan documentary was aired that had selected live songs from Dylan at Newport Folk Festival from 1963 to 1965. The clips were great and I wonder if my good friend Floyd watched the documentary or purchased the DVD and CDs for his collection.

I have been meaning to write a little bit about Knox College, my alumni mater. Knox is a small, private liberal arts college in Galesburg, IL. A lot of local history is tied to the campus with the Old Main, one of the sites of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. My time at Knox was great but a lot has happened to me since I graduated so I just want to comment on two recent Knox encounters I had. A couple of weeks ago I was working on the reference desk at the Library, and a student-worker asked where I gone to college. I said Knox and then talked about Robert Hansen, the most infamous graduate of Knox, and told them about the movie Breech, about Hansen and his treason. Irving, my best friend from Knox, dad knew Hansen.

Another Knox encounter is that I read the blog, mimi smartypants. She went to Knox as well and I enjoy her writing about life in Chicago, a similar life to many of my friends from Knox who now live and work in Chicago. I don't remember Mimi, but I know that she and her husband graduated my first-year at Knox, so I am sure that we encountered each other at one or more parties my first-year. Knox was and is good to me and I want to make a trip back to Illinois next year. I don't need to stop by the campus but I would like to see my friends in Chicago and Urbana-Champaign.

Soreness from the weekend...

This past weekend I went snowboarding at Crested Butte on Friday and Sunday. On Thursday afternoon my brother Jarrett came into town from Grand Junction. We went to Gene Taylor Ski outlet store and I purchased a snowboard, bindings, and boots (not cheap but there was a nice sale and the salesman was very helpful). Thursday evening it started to snow so Jarrett and I were hopeful for the next day. That night Jarrett and I went to Garlic Mikes and I had their excellent Bloody Mary with a large shrimp floating amount a red-tomato sea of olives and peppers.

On Friday morning the drive into CB was cold with snow patches. With free ski and snowboarding, I expected more people at the lift then there were. Jarrett and I took only operating quad-lift up to the second tier of the mountain and then took another lift to paradise bowl. I quickly discovered I am really out of shape and as sweat poured off my body and I struggled to breath due to physical activity and the altitude. The entire day it snowed and the slopes became better with each run as the human-made snow was layered with fresh powder.

Saturday Jarrett and I drove up and the quad-lift was not working due to the high-winds on the mountain. After lunch at the Ginger Cafe in CB, we drove back to Gunnison and spent the rest of day watching two movies; "The Committed" and "Live Free or Die Harder". The action in both movies was acceptable but not beyond the movie violence. Later in the night, Jarrett and I went over and watched part of "Knocked Up" with my friend Aaron. When we got back, I got a phone call from my brother Jake. He and Jesse (another brother) were at Timberline (a bar in Gunnison). They had been in town for about an hour and not finding Jarrett and I at my place, went out. About an half-of-hour later, Jake and Jesse show up. Jake was feeling the few rum-and-cokes he drunk earlier and the four brothers caught up and prepared for snowboarding on Sunday. Jake spent the night on my bathroom floor, revisiting the night's libations.

Sunday morning was clear and blue after snowing all night. We took two vehicles to CB and spent the day snowboarding. Yesterday was a much better day for me. I didn't spend as much time on my behind or falling but I still have much to practice before I consider myself proficient. All of my brothers have been snowboarding for longer then me and Jesse had a bad crash near the top, he has the beginnings of a black eye so I don't feel as bad about my aches and bruises this morning.