Hitchin’ A Ride

So I missed my Sunday night posting by a few days but I’ve been out in Montana since last Friday for the wedding of two very good friends. While I’m currently way too tired to provide a complete write-up, I’ll at least provide you with at least a little bit of what happened. I won’t give you all the goods, I’ll give you a few.

The ceremony was in the Montana wilderness which provided a spectacular backdrop and stunning vistas. There’s something to be said for elk bugling during the exchanging of vows while enjoying the warm sun in an alpine meadow. It was like nothing I’d ever experienced and may not get to again. Of course, a few PBRs while telling people where to park didn’t hurt either. We ate big steaks, went on hikes, made new friends, and soaked in the hot tub under the wide-open expanse of the Montana sky. Hopefully I’ll get my act together and provide the rest of the goods, but sometimes things are best left out in the woods.

Me and the Babes

Recently I was evaluating my lot in life. I’m starting to get a little older and a little more grown—up (but not necessarily acting like it). I’m still single (which isn’t as shocking as you might expect) and was trying to figure out why. Is this by choice? I seem to be a decent enough catch (or at least my friends lie to me and say so). I’m relatively well groomed, I have a good job that pays the bills, I appear to be a productive member of society; so what seems to be the missing link? I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m just awkward around women.

Okay, so I do just fine around my female friends (hence the reason they think I’m a “nice guy”) but when it comes to a woman I might actually be interested in courting (I know that’s a bit 1920’s but in might come back) I don’t know how to act. I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to do.

I blame this on a lack of dating throughout my younger life. I know it’s hard to believe but I haven’t had many of the girlfriends in my day and the majority of the women I have dated usually pursed me so it was easy. When it comes to me pursuing them, I’m quiet frankly just lost. I don’t know if there is a way for me to get over this but you never know, maybe I won’t need to and some woman will swoop in and sweep me off my feet. Anything is possible (even that).

A Change of Seasons

Well it’s happening again. The evenings are getting cooler and the days are getting shorter which can only mean that the seasons are starting to change. Not only are the yearly seasons changing, but, as I’m starting to find out, the housework seasons are changing as well. I’m finally wrapping up the summer yard work sessions and beginning to make my list of indoor projects.

I’ve had a busy summer and I’ve accomplished more than I expected but there are still a few lingering projects that need to be finished. One of which is the patio in my backyard. I spent this past weekend working on it and I have to say, I think it sucks. Patios are not easy to do and I tried my best to completely half-ass this one in an attempt to get it done. Sure, my intentions were good but in the end, I started running out of steam. It’s not necessarily intended to be a permanent fixture (so it most likely will be) and therefore I had less motivation to do a quality job (which is clearly evident).

I didn’t have time (or maybe desire) to completely finish the patio but I got far enough along to be happy. There will be a few more hours of work to get it completely finished but it’s nothing serious. I’ll also need to buy a few more tools and supplies which I’m not looking forward to doing because it’s hard to spend money on this patio considering how much I’ve already spent to get it this far. I guess I’ll spend another weekend doing what I can to finish the patio and make the most of it therefore completing another summer season trying to add some curb appeal.

What’s It Worth

Whether or not I care to admit it, I’m a gear whore. I love everything about it; the fit of a boot with a cushioned sole, the feel of a baselayer against the skin, the razor sharp edge on a finely tuned snowboard. I especially appreciate when gear is made well and thought has been put into the little details like a zipper pull.

Now that I’m a homeowner, my gear budget is all but non-existent. I accept that because now I have a place to keep all my gear. The part I don’t like is when I have to decide on buying gear or spending money on the house. I’ve entered a realm where I equate what gear I might be able to buy with what household items I could purchase for the same amount of money. It usually goes something like this: “I really need to get a new washer and dryer.” Of course, for the cost of the washer and dryer I could buy a new bike, which I also need (but not entirely).” “Even better, I could buy a new snowboard and have money left over for a new sleeping bag.”

I guess I should consider myself lucky to even have such dilemmas in my day-to-day. Still though, it would be nice to have a little extra cake to support my addiction to the Patagucci. I guess I’ll just need to plan a little better and budget for these inevitabilities because it would be a bit difficult trying to ride to town on a water heater.