Holiday Fun; Part II

This past weekend I went to my parents’ house to spend the Christmas holiday with my family. For the long time fans of this blog, you may recall when I talked about the fun I had spending Thanksgiving with my family. Since that was only a short time ago, I went into this most recent holiday with a bit of trepidation. One advantage to this particular trip was spending a few quiet days with just my parents before the house was inundated with small children, toys, games, presents, drinks, and oh yeah, food. Dear god there was a lot of food.

In between all the eating and drinking that occurred there were a few breaks to enjoy some quality time with the family. In particular, the shorties provided for a multitude of laughs that made the weekend all the more memorable. Keep in mind, my seven nieces and nephews range in age from seven to 15 months so not all of them can talk, but that also adds to the fun. Here’s an example of a conversation that occurred this weekend. My dad was talking with my middle nephew who is three. When asked if Santa Claus brought him a lot of presents my nephew said yes. To this my father asked “Did you get any clothes?” My nephew responded by saying, “Grandpa, clothes aren’t presents.”

This was just one of many memorable exchanges that happened over the weekend. I think it would be an understatement to say the entire family had a really great time. I ate way too much food and drank too much wine (but I’m guessing I’m not the only one). While the year is almost over, there is still one more holiday to get through and New Year’s Day is just around the corner. I’m guessing I’ll have a story or two to go along with that, but for now, I’ll bask in the memories from a weekend of fun with the family.

The Dangers of Winter Hiking

This weekend I decided to go for a hike in Shingletown. We recently had a batch of storms bringing rain mixed with sleet and ice. This was followed by a dusting of snow so a healthy layer of frozen white stuff covered all the trails. It was cold but the sun was out so I decided a quick trip up to the ridge would be a good afternoon activity.

When I arrived at the trailhead I discovered the crust was a little heavier than I anticipated so I embarked on my journey with cautious optimism. For the most part, the snow was solid. My footing was a little sketchy in some spots as I was having trouble breaking through the top level of wintry goodness; however I decided to press on and continue my solo trek through the woods.

As I got further into the wilderness I noticed the ground under foot was getting steeper. The grade of the trails coupled with the near hockey rink conditions had me second-guessing my decision to reach the ridge. While I contemplated continuing on or turning back I heard something crashing through the brush not far from where I stood. Suddenly the largest dog I’ve ever seen appeared on the trail about twenty yards behind me. It was at that moment I realized it wasn’t a dog at all, but a bear.

Okay that last part didn’t really happen. I’m glad it didn’t because the hike (and I use the term loosely) back to my car was treacherous enough without being pursued by a large fuzzy pile of claws and teeth. As I slid uncontrollably down the trail it became blatantly obvious I was not hiking. Instead it was more akin to surviving.

After about twenty minutes of continuous sliding interlaced with bouts of tree grabbing to slow my decent (my boots didn’t come with breaks) I came to rest near the creek. The ground finally leveled off and I was able to resume my hike. Maybe next time I’ll take skates, just to be safe.

Here's Your Gold Star

As I’ve said in the past, I have a pretty decent job. It’s challenging yet allows me to incorporate a certain degree of creativity that isn’t always found in the governmental sector. This recently became particularly evident with my end-of-year evaluation.

As policy dictates, all employees are evaluated at the end of the calendar year through a written process that documents work performance. The first half is done by the employee, the second half is done by their direct supervisor, and the third half is done collectively with the intent of setting goals for the upcoming year (Yeah I know that doesn’t add up, but didn’t I say I work for the government?). A few months ago my direct supervisor resigned. Because of this unfortunate incident, we were instructed to complete all three parts of the evaluation solo.

As you can imagine it was difficult to be completely objective while filling out my evaluation. I felt a little stupid using phrases like, “Eric is a team player” or “Eric can thoroughly navigate his way through difficult political situations” or “Eric excels at stakeholder involvement and consensus building” or “Since Eric began his employment, he’s helped foster a positive paradigm shift towards technological advantages” or “Eric is an outside-the-box thinker.” Actually I could have used any generic resume buzz-word and it would have worked (but still sounded unbelievably silly).

In the end I think I provided a relatively unbiased assessment of myself considering the circumstances. I feel very confident knowing that in my personnel file there will be an evaluation which says, “In his brief tenure with our agency, Eric continues to successfully kick ass in a professional manner while encouraging others to be rad. Similarly, his overwhelming command of ironical jokes and unwavering pursuit to seem important while doing as little as possible is a continued benefit to the agency as a whole.”

I’m expecting a big promotion.

The Language of Monkeys

As mentioned in my previous post, I’ve recently started climbing again. While I’m not setting the world on fire with my abilities (not yet anyway), climbing provides a great indoor workout for chilly winter days. Also, I’m fortunate enough to be in a community where there are some amazingly talented climbers to teach me what I’m lacking and provide inspiration. It’s quite remarkable to watch them effortlessly traverse one of the largest fake rock collections I’ve ever seen. One of the greatest challenges, however, is learning the language.

As with most sports, climbing has its own unique vocabulary and learning these foreign terms is one of the hardest tasks. After all, just about anyone can climb, it’s part of our nature (assuming you believe in that wacky theory of evolution). Figuring out the jargon is a whole different challenge.

A conversation among climbers may include any of the following words being used as a noun or verb including crimper, sloper, gaston, pinch, under-cling, jug, lump-o-grapes, flagging, cranking, matching, tracking, campus, getting pumped (followed by de-pumping) and my personal favorite; mailing (okay, it’s actually sending, but that doesn’t seem to make any sense to me so I chose to make up my own term). Also, good beta can make a specific problem a lot easier.

I’ll admit, I don’t know what most of these words mean, at least not in the context of climbing. I’m still not convinced they are even all real. I do know however, that I’m having fun but my skin hurts.

Stupid Brain...

I like to fancy myself as an ordinary guy (except I use 18th century words like fancy). Nothing in my life is too spectacular by my standards. I have a good job, great friends, and lots of activities that keep me busy. What could be wrong with that you ask? Well, I have this stupid brain in my head that always thinks about stuff.

I have this unquenched desire to over-think and over-analyze everything imaginable. It doesn’t matter how trivial or complex the issue, I try to figure out what the outcome is going to be in a situation before any action is initiated. It’s kind of annoying because I’m fully aware I can’t figure out the ending before I even start. That’s just asinine.

I’ve recently gotten back into rock climbing. One of the techniques the real climbers keep telling me to employ is to shut my brain off and just climb. Oddly enough, it works. When you’re not thinking about the moves and where your hands and feet will go, you just instinctively climb. What I need to do is figure out a way to shut off my brain in other situations. So, brain if you’re reading this, please stop thinking and start doing. It’s best for both of us.

And the Seasons Change Again

Saturday marked the beginning of the ski season in the SC. Our local mountain (actually, it’s just a really really big hill) opened for the weekend and I found myself going to work bright and early for the ski patrol. My gear was still packed away from last season and my board hasn’t been tuned or waxed so needless to say I wasn’t fully prepared for this to happen. Also, since it hasn’t really snowed this year I wasn’t too crazy about spending my day on the mountain but I guess there were worse things I could have been doing.

As a snowboarder I have a bit of a gripe with snowboarders. Well, maybe it’s more an issue with the companies that promote the blatantly obnoxious style and look that’s on the pros each season. I’m still trying to figure out how someone can comfortably ride down a mountain on a snowboard while their pants hang precariously below their ass. I also don’t understand how wearing a moisture soaked bandana around your face feels good. Maybe it’s just me, but I prefer to grow a beard in order to keep my face warm, but then again I should consider the demographic I’m talking about.

I could continue on about this particular topic and I fully intend to do just that, but not right now. The season is still young so there will be plenty of time for me to rail against the industry that gives me so much enjoyment in the winter while also frustrating me to no end. It’s not always about the latest fashions and the hippest trends. Sometimes you actually have to ride a board down the mountain.

Even though the season opened with little fanfare it was still a bluebird day and I’ll take that any chance I can. I have to admit, it felt really good to be out on the slopes with my board under foot. With any luck the real snow will start to fly soon and I’ll be able to enjoy a full season of free-rides, tree-lines, and nipple-deep pow, so let the games begin.

Holiday Fun; Part I

Ah the holidays. You know, that glorious time of year when friends and families get together for food, merriment, and an all around good time; or at least that’s the general idea. Before I continue, I want to stress that I love my family very much. As far as families go, they are second-to-none and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. With that said, when I get together with my family over the holidays I often find myself trying not to lose my mind during these times of good tidings.

Let me set the table for you. My family consists of seventeen people. This includes my parents, brothers and sister, the in-laws, and seven nieces and nephews (ranging in age from seven to one). All tolled there are seventeen of us. My one brother and I are the only two single adults left so my tolerance for this type of sensory overload is a bit skewed. In my own little world I can handle a lot of goings on, but then again, I have a little more control over what happens in my little bubble. In the “family holiday” world, however, it’s a free-for-all that only seems to subside when those at the ends of the age spectrum start to fade off and go to bed.

Here’s how it usually happens. I arrive to my parents’ home and immediately suspect they have been robbed because all the furniture in the otherwise comfortable family-room is gone. That’s when I’m reminded that everything has been relocated throughout the house in order to make room for the multiple dining tables and plethora of mismatched chairs that will provide a cozy (read: elbow-to-elbow and no room to move) atmosphere for our holiday feast. I spend a few quite hours catching up with my parents and help move furniture.

After a while, the rest of the family starts to trickle in. The first few minutes are fine as salutations are exchanged with handshakes and hugs for all. Then, the may-lay begins. It usually has a similar recipe so it’s fairly predictable. It goes something like this:

Start by saying any one of the following, “Hey guys, don’t chase each other.” “SLOW DOWN!” “There’s no running here kids.”

Repeat the above phrases about thirty or forty times and enjoy a little pre-dinner wine.

Begin gathering (or herding) the seven kids and eleven adults around the table to collectively sit for a pleasant dinner.

Once seated and everyone’s plates are full, choose one child to start getting antsy thus creating a chain reaction causing all the kids to demand they be excused to continue running around the house.

Repeat above phrases until someone gets hurt or someone starts to cry (including the adults).

As the empty bottles of wine and beer stack up in the recycling bin and some actual furniture is returned to the family-room it’s nice to sit down and enjoy a few laughs with the family. Oddly enough, this is not a new pattern. It happened again this year and is bound to happen next year as well. Through it all though, I’m thankful that I have such a wonderful family to spend time with during the holidays. It must not be all that bad because for some reason I end up going back for more every year (and Christmas is right around the corner). Now who wants more pie with their insanity?

Pollution Control

I’m not going to lie; this past weekend took a bit out of me. It was the last home football game of the season and we had a few friends come into town. The weather was cold and I decide to rage a bit more than normal. It hurt more than I expected, but then again, I knew it might get a little rough. The events of this weekend reminded me of a song that my brothers and I made up a while ago. There was music that went with it as well, but I couldn’t begin to tell you how to play it. This is what I remember:

It’s early morning, about seven AM.
Still silly from a night of Jim.
I think it’s as bad as the night before.
I can’t remember, finding the floor.

Don’t take into heart, but take in to mind;
It will happen again, it happens all the time;
And each time, you don’t remember the last.

On and on he keeps calling me.
Just like a friend, I’ve never seen.
We talk about a lot of things.
He says nothing at all to me.

Okay, so maybe calling it a song was a bit of a stretch. Maybe it’s more of a poem. Regardless, this past weekend reminded me of these lyrics. As I’ve been trying to shake to cobwebs out today, I realized why I don’t go big like this all the time. It’s just too much work.

What I Did On My 48 Hour Vacation

This past weekend I decided to return to my old stomping grounds and visit some of my old college friends. Late Friday afternoon I began the first leg of what was to be a whirlwind trip to Iowa. The plan was to watch the Iowa State (my Alma mater) football team play Missouri. It was the last home game of a very poor Cyclone season that left much to the imagination; however (as a fan that can’t admit their team actually sucks right now) the team is young and has a lot of potential.

Being at the stadium and in that environment brought back a lot of really great memories. It was a bitterly cold day and the nasty weather continued into the evening for kickoff. The wind was blowing strong through the stadium driving the temperatures into the mid 20’s so it was just as I remembered. An interesting aspect of the day that really reemphasized the fact that I was in the middle of Iowa was the sheer volume of people at the game dressed in Carhartt coveralls. It brought a smile to my face and made me forget the hectic schedule I’ve been keeping lately with my “real life.”

Though I was gone for just under 48 total hours, a lot happened including a few unexpected surprises making the weekend that much more interesting. I saw some old friends that I made a point to get together with and saw some people I never expected would be around (but still enjoyed seeing). None the less, it was really fantastic to be around some of the people I shared time with in the Midwestern town where I spent some important years growing up (but I didn’t really grow up).

In the end, Iowa State got shellacked 52 to 20. I had a feeling we would be on the business end of a good old fashioned trip to the woodshed, so it wasn’t unexpected. What really mattered though (and made the trip completely worthwhile) was being able to relive a few memories with good friends and remember what it was like to be that young college kid without any worries.

The Post That Wasn't

I had a great idea (or so I thought) for a post this week. I was going to write a witty dissertation on the use of the comma in everyday numbers. For example, when we write out the year, there’s no comma. Similarly, house numbers are written without a comma. Why is that?

I had it all planned out. It was going to be some of my best work. Then, however, I made the mistake of telling my friend Scott about my proposed post. Scott is considerably smarter than I am (although I’m better looking, ZING). After I told him about the idea for my post he threw out some explanation of integers, logarithms, and other things I didn’t understand. It was at that moment I realized I would not be writing about the comma, so Scott, thanks for making this week’s post a lot easier for me.

Instead, I’ll tell you all about what I did this past weekend. I did something that was long overdue and needed in my life. I did nothing. I didn’t spend time with anyone (until my conversation with the aforementioned destroyer of great ideas). Friday and Saturday I stayed at home and did nothing. The weather was decent enough so there wasn’t a reason for me to stay in other than I just felt like it.

Lately I’ve been busy with work and extra curriculars in my life. I don’t see that slowing down anytime soon. This was one of the few chances I was going to have to sit back, relax, and do as little as possible so I decided to take full advantage. I had a few things to take care of on Sunday (one of which was NOT my plan crushing conversation with Scott but I guess some things are unavoidable) so that was kind of a wash, but before that I spent some quality time doing nothing. It was a great decision.

The Power of One

While it’s not really winter yet, it is late in the fall and camping is not necessarily on the top of my “to do” list. However, once in a while the conditions are ideal including brisk fall temperatures, an idyllic location, and great people (that’s right, I’m talking about you Scott, Betty, Kota, and Cathy). The site in this case is simply referred to as Lone Pine. I’m not sure who gave it this moniker or when, but the name fits. In the middle of a deciduous forest stands one solitary pine tree. It takes several miles to hike in, but once there, it’s definitely worth the while.

At this time of year, most of the trees have forfeited their leaves and therefore that one evergreen tree stands alone in all its splendor and grandeur. It’s almost like the oaks, maples, and birch trees have stepped aside and this pine is finally allowed to be the center of attention instead of another giant stick lost in the mix. Regardless, this majestic tree is secluded in a valley and provides a spectacular location for camping. The ground is littered with pine needles providing soft bedding for anyone wishing to spend the night sheltered under the tree’s intact canopy.

The evening was absolutely perfect. I didn’t sleep well, but that’s of no consequence. The night provided a calm that is usually only found indoors and the temperatures dipped into the thirties making for ideal conditions to have a few drinks and stay warm by the fire before slipping into a sleeping bag. While we were only out for one night, it was a night that I won’t soon forget. I’m just glad I’m still able to be outside enjoying what the changing seasons offer.

Consider it Done

Well, this post officially marks the end of the “post every day for a week” week. It was easier than I thought, however some of the material I ended up using wasn’t the most riveting stuff in the world (but then again, neither is this). Either way, I’m happy and I hope I was able to adequately waste some of your time, Cathy.

Today is Halloween. According to the rules, I’ll be at home later tonight waiting for people dressed in costumes to show up at my house looking for stuff (in this case it’s candy). When you think about this, it seems like an odd way to get things from your neighbors. Imagine if this was practiced all year long. What if people had to dress in costume to get stuff from those living nearby? “Honey, can you go next door and ask the Taylor’s for an egg? I need one more for this cake I’m baking. Oh and there’s a gorilla suit in the closet you can wear.” That’s just silly.

When I was a kid, there was a house in my neighborhood where a magician lived. I learned early on not to go to his house looking for candy. The first time my friends and I went to his house it was like any other on the block. We walked up to the door, rang the bell, and waited for him to answer. When he did, we gave the obligatory “Trick or Treat!” He proceeded to pull rabbit out of a hat and close the door. I was not amused. Later that night, we treated his front stoop to feast of smashed pumpkins.

The moral to this story: Irony is lost on kids looking for a sugar fix.

Happy Halloween!

It's Called a What?

You may not know this, but when animals get together, they transform. Physically they are still the same, however the way they are referred to changes. For example, when a group of rowdy people get together they can become a mob. If they are at a soccer game (football to my non-American readers) and are rowdy they become hooligans. Well, animals take on a similar transition. I was quite amazed to find this occurs for numerous groups of animals.

Now granted, some animal group names are common like a herd or a school or a flock. Some however are kind of interesting and almost provide a degree of foreshadowing to what might happen when these animals get together. This includes an ambush of tigers, a pandemonium of parrots, and even a cackle of hyenas. In reality however, I imagine a single tiger would be just as good at an ambush as a group.

Finally, there are some group names that I think are just downright cool. This includes an obstinancy of buffalo, a bloat of hippos, and a prickle of porcupines. My favorite one however, may have to be a parliament of owls. Sorry George Clinton, but these guys bring some serious eff-you-en-kay.

For a list of other animal group names and additional learning, check out this site.

She's Out There Somewhere, Right?

Recently I was talking with a friend of mine who has been married for a few years now. He and his wife are a fantastically amazing couple that I really enjoy spending time with (even though I haven’t seen them in well over a year). An interesting fact about this couple is they met through a personal ad placed in their local shopping rag in Burlington, Vermont. This was done at a time when dating sites on the interweb didn’t really exist. I’ve often thought about what kind of personal ad I would write for myself if I ever went that route. It would probably go something like this:

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Single guy looking for a betty with an adventurous side. Must be interested in slaying the pow and riding through rock gardens. Lying on the beach is a serious plus (I didn’t say walking on it, I said lying on it, as in not moving because I’ve had too many margaritas. The name Margarita is also a plus). Must enjoy bad jokes and be able to contribute in said regard. Ability to tune snowboards, bikes, and guitars is highly desirable. Ability to be creative in the kitchen is also highly desirable, but doesn’t necessarily require food preparation (but truthfully it really does). Must not wear too much make-up as clowns scare the hell out of me (professional clowns or circus folk in general need not apply. Actually, if the majority of your day is spent under a tent with a capacity of more than four and is moved to a different city every few days by a crew and a flatbed truck, you’re also out. Acrobats may be considered in certain circumstances). Must be old enough to have used an encyclopedia but not so old that you could have contributed to an encyclopedia (heiresses to the Britannica fortune are okay).
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I think that covers the basics. After all, a little mystery is a good thing, isn’t it? While my requirements might seem a bit absurd, I don’t think I’m asking too much. On the other hand, I am still single and one day I might find myself placing such an ad. Maybe I should be a little more flexible. Besides, how many women are really named Margarita?

An Encore from the Little River Band

As November approaches in the SC a grand phenomenon is beginning to unfold. As evidenced in previous posts the fall here has been spectacular so far. Now, however, we begin to transition into what I like to call the true fall-drums (read: weather that is too shitty to do anything remotely fun outside). Today, for example is cold, rainy, and windy. The sky is a soft purply-grey and has a dense cloud cover so there isn’t a single glint of sunshine anywhere. We haven’t had many days like this yet, but I know there will be more. It’s just an inevitability of Central Pennsylvania.

In order to keep me sane during these grey days, I spend most of my time reminiscing about the year that has gone by. A lot has already happened this year and I’m confident there is more to come. It’s been a wild ride so far and included everything from destroying my shoulder when I took a digger on my snowboard to watching a game in Yankee Stadium to having probably the best bar-b-cue sandwich of my life. Sometimes, I have to really think about what went on over the course of this year as it’s been going by so fast. I often feel like I’m forgetting some of the most important parts because it’s hard to remember what actually occurred in this calendar year.

Fortunately, I have pictures to help remind me of what happened. Here are just a few from the past seasons of this year. While these are not the best pictures in the world, the memories I have from the situations surrounding the photos are what’s important. That’s what will keep me going through these pseudo winter days until I can scrape the summer wax off my snowboard, stomp the high gnar, and be outside for another season.

The Work of Kings

I’ve been sleepy lately. I don’t think it’s from a lack of sleep but more because I really enjoy sleeping. I’ve always tried to play to my strengths and lately I think sleeping is where it’s at for me. I often wonder if there is a job market for people to sleep. After all, I’m asleep for almost as many hours a day as I’m at work (not necessarily working though) so why not get paid for it? Maybe I could work at a mattress factory as a professional sleeper. Of course, people don’t just sleep on beds so that might lead to “other duties as assigned” which might not be good.

For the sake of argument, let’s assume there is a market for professional sleepers. I wonder how you would interview for a job like that. Would you be better off if you showed up in pajamas instead of a suit? What if you sat through an entire interview answering questions and showing a true command of the science of sleeping and why you’re the most qualified person for the job but then were denied the job because you were awake the whole time?

Now let’s assume you did get a job as a professional sleeper. Would there be anxiety about job performance thus keeping you awake? How would a yearly evaluation go?

“Well Bill, we’re only giving you a rating of satisfactory this year because you were awake at work too often.” “Take Jones for example, he’s been asleep for three days straight. That’s true dedication to the job.” “You’ll need to try harder to stay asleep while here at the office Bill or we may need to find someone else.”

Maybe it’s not as easy a job as I think it is.

A Snoozefest in the Making

Writing a blog can be difficult. In fact, this particular post is being written because I don’t have any other ideas and the picture I’ve included has nothing to do with anything I’m writing. I’m just including it to take up space and give you something to look at because there is clearly nothing here worth reading. Sure I could tell you what I did this weekend or come up with some other insight into my life, but that seems to be a little too common. I like to think I’m a relatively clever individual but right now, I have nothing. For anyone who is actually reading this post, I apologize in advance for the time you’re going to waste if you choose to continue reading.

An interesting twist to my lack of creativity right now is that this weekend I told some friends I would post to my blog everyday this coming week. If I’m having this much difficulty determining what to post now, imagine how my lack of creativity is going to be compounded by me going to work all week and probably not doing anything remotely interesting. I envision my posts next week looking something like this:

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Monday – Today I spent most of the day in meetings and calling people to find out information regarding a letter I received last week. I had a meeting tonight as well to add to the fun of a Monday.

Tuesday – Today I worked on some on-going projects and prepared some information for a meeting next week. I would like to get out and do something active today to keep me sane but I have too much work to do so I’ll be in the office, probably working late.

Wednesday – Guess what, another day flying my desk. Today is more of the same as yesterday, only it’s another day closer to the weekend. I’ll probably have to work late again tonight to finish preparing for my meeting.

Thursday – Why isn’t the weekend here yet? I have to go to the store and buy candy after work because tomorrow is Halloween.

Friday – Yahoo, finally the weekend is here. I’m going to spend most of the day neglecting the work piling up on my desk to figure out what to do this weekend. Oh yeah, kids will be at my house tonight demanding candy. Maybe I’ll just turn off the lights and hope no one shows up.

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That must have been painful. You’ve gotten the whole way to the end and I’ve offered nothing, but I warned you of that earlier so you can only blame yourself. Hopefully as the week progresses I’ll have something more interesting to write about, but I guess you’ll have to check back to find out.

What Do You Do With 110,016 Of Your Closest Friends?

So it was another picture perfect fall weekend in the SC and I do in fact have the pictures to prove it. The weekend agenda had nothing special in store. Yes, there was mountain biking. And yes, the conditions were nothing short of ideal, but I’ve been singing that tune for the last couple of weeks so I’ll give you a break from talk about the sweet sweet singletrack. This weekend (like 6 others this time of year) included a good old fashion tailgate and football game. An added bonus for this go-around involved all the excess that comes along with homecoming including lots of extra people in town to participate in the outdoor circus that is a Penn State tailgate.

Not only is the crisp fall weather we’ve been experiencing incredible for mountain biking, it’s tends to work well for grilling, drinking beer, playing games constructed from plumbing supplies, eating too much food, slurping gelatin desserts made with booze, and oh yeah, football. Where else but a tailgate will perfectly reasonable people spend all day and night outside in the elements eating all their meals and getting their fill of entertainment? Imagine organizing all the gear and food you would need to go camping for a weekend, going to a really crowded campground and setting it all up, consuming everything you brought in about ten hours, then deciding to go home instead. If you’re fortunate enough to have tickets to a game in Happy Valley, you get to participate in one of the truly great shows in college football.

Beaver Stadium is big. Actually, it’s enormous. I don’t mean “cheeseburger as big as your head” enormous, I’m talking planetary scales. Upon entering the second largest stadium in the country you can’t help but get swept up in the emotion and energy that radiates through the stands. It’s a feeling that can’t really be put into words. Sure, people go to the games all the time and after a while it probably becomes a bit pedestrian. For me, however, being part of the crowd in an environment like that is electric. Everyone is there for the same reason as you and the 110,000 plus fans you’re with become one united force that has a common goal. You’re not just watching a football game; you’re part of an experience that is the culmination of the day. It is truly an awesome sight (and sound) to behold.

The game itself was full of excitement, but in the end Penn State won handily, and I was fortunate enough to be there with my friends to watch it all.

Beating the Fall-drums; Part II

This past weekend my brother Jason came into town for a visit. Since this was his first visit to State College I decided to give him the standard tour with a few add-ons. Jay is a little more low-key than I am so I figured a nice hike would be a good way to start things off. The weather was absolutely spectacular and the fall colors are becoming a cornucopia of reds, yellows, and oranges. I decided to hike Shingletown as it gets more attention from hikers than mountain bikers and seemed like the safe choice.

Things started off agreeable enough, but the trail we were following to get up on the ridge disappeared amidst some logging activity so we had to bushwhack our way through the forest to reach the top. It took a little more work than anticipated, but when we reached the top the views were like staring at a postcard. The valley was practically glowing from the seasonal colors and you could see for miles under a sky that was so impeccably blue it almost seemed fake.

After getting our fill of nature we decided it would be wise to refuel and rehydrate so it was off to the sleepy town of Millheim to patronize their local brewery. The Elk Creek Café is a quality establishment that is worth the drive if you’re into incredible food and spectacular hand crafted beers. It will not disappoint. After getting our fill of the local food and drink we decided to return to the house and relax for the evening.

The next day I continued to show Jay around town including a few stops along the way for true culinary staples such as ice cream. After all, there are two creameries here so why not, right? Once I had supplied my brother with enough frozen dairy treats to make a kid a fat camp jealous, I bid him farewell. Since it was still relatively early in the day, I geared up for some mountain bike action with a few friends.

Six of us went out for a mild ride along the Tussey Mountain Ridge. It was probably one of the best rides I’ve been on in a long time. I didn’t set the world on fire with my riding skills, but between the weather, the views, the trail conditions, and the company, I didn’t care if I couldn’t clear a single rock garden (which wasn’t too far from the truth). What really mattered was that I was out having fun and enjoying one of the great reasons to live in Central Pennsylvania during the fall. It’s going to be hard to top this past weekend, but I’m definitely going to try.

Free at Last.

I'll admit, I'm new to this whole blog game. Including this post, I have a total of four on my site. Recently, I logged into my blog and was greeted by a message telling me that I potentially had a "term of service" violation.

This seemed a bit odd yet not completely out of the question as I never really read the terms of service, but I'm guessing I'm not the only person guilty of that. In order to regain complete access to my blog again, I was required to prove that I was a real person by deciphering an encryption that was so difficult to read I was starting to question my own existence. If done properly someone on the other end of the interweb would look at my site to make sure it was up to snuff and not (as I would later learn) a possible "spam blog."

While I have nothing against that unique meat substance that comes in a can, I am not dedicating this blog to all things processed meat. I realize that 50% of my posts to date have a food reference, but I'm almost positive that's just a coincidence.

Luckily, it was determined that I was just spewing worthless drabble and once again I'm allowed to continue doing just that (as evidenced by this post). Thanks to the good people at Google for allowing me unabated access to publish my inane ramblings once again.

Beating the Fall-drums; Part I

Today I decided to return home early from a visit with the family in order to take advantage of the sunshine and blue skies that are becoming more rare this time of year in the SC. The plan was to hit the trails for some fall mountain biking. My friend Brian and I decided to head north to Black Moshannon State Park. This was my first time riding in Black Mo. One of the "harsh" realities of living in State College is the fact that there are miles and miles and miles of epic mountain bike riding within about 30 minutes. There is some truly amazing singletrack and it's basically in my back yard. Deciding which trails to ride is usually the hardest part. Rothrock State Forest is generally the ride du jour while Black Mo typically gets the nod in winter to hike for turns on the defunct ski slope. This was a slight departure from the norm but I would soon realize it was a wise choice.

The bike takes in some sunshine

Brian making it look easy

I don’t know if it was the weather or the fact that I’ve been off the bike for a few weeks but it was an incredible ride. There wasn’t anything too technical about the terrain but there were plenty of rock gardens, stream crossings, gnarly switchbacks, and enough downed trees to make a grizzled lumberjack dance like a ballerina in a music box. Add in the fall colors and it turned into a fantastic afternoon all around. When I go on rides like the one I did today, I'm reminded of just how much fun fall mountain biking can be. I'm just glad there's still plenty of fall left.

Marizpan Puppies

How do you know when you've taken a joke too far? Well, some good friends recently got married and, as a joke, I told them I was going to have the famous painting "Dogs at Poker" recreated in marzipan for them as my wedding gift. It was hilarious at the time and thinking about it still makes me laugh.

What's not funny however, is the fact that now, in order to continue with this grand joke, I need to make good and produce "Dogs at Poker" in a sweet confection typically draped over wedding cakes, not used in wedding presents. Of course I could just not follow through and things would be okay. After all, the happy couple lives in Seattle so I don't see them very often. Somehow though, that just doesn't seem right. If you're going to go through the trouble of starting a joke like this it's also important to finish it. I've never worked in the medium of marzipan, but something tells me this isn't going to end well.

Bacon-Wrapped Barbeque Scallops

Mmmmmm. Life is good.