The Boys of Summer

I would hope you have you heard the Don Henley song. It is perhaps one of the best music videos EVER.



Anyways, that's not what this post is about, but instead the line in the song: "after the boys of summer have gone". Summer is gone and school is back. Yes, I taught classes in most of August, so I didn't really have a break, but it still feels like a new beginning to me. Even if with not quite so much energy and excitement as usual.

The first week is always crazy, and this year was no exception. As I take on more and more responsibility for the Engineering Science program, it seems to get even more hectic. Somedays it is frustrating because it seems like my reward for volunteering is getting asked to do more work. But it is my choice, I guess, and so I have to live with it. And I can see the results in the students, so that is my reward.

The good thing about being on an annual schedule is that it forces you to re-assess and re-focus. It is easy to get into a rut. Life can wear on you and bring you down. And you just want to take a break from it all and hide. I admit I've done a lot of that this summer. But sometimes you need someone to give you a kick in the butt. Tell you to get out there, whether you want to or not.

Thanks 'Nique. I needed that. Adventure! Here I come.

Put On Thy Strength, O Zion

So this summer, I had an amazing 3 week trip to AZ, UT, and NV. This trip involved friends, family, strangers, and solitude. I began my trip with a bunch of friends who love hiking. Our first destination, Zion National Park.

After arriving in Vegas, we rented a car and on the way there we stopped at a gas station out in the middle of nowhere, really. The attendant told me that Zion was the best of all the parks, even better than Grand Canyon. I was highly suspicious of that claim, but when we got there I could see what he meant (even if I don't agree). The thing that makes Zion different is that when you enter you are at the bottom of the canyon, not the top. This makes for some incredible views.

We got there late afternoon, so we set up camp. The next day was the big day for us to explore. We hiked to a couple of pools in the morning, nice easy tourist hikes. By afternoon we were looking for something more challenging but didn't want to get overwhelmed by the heat. The high was supposed to be 100-110 F. We all had tons of water, electrolytes, power bars, and such. But still that is crazy hot.

A ranger had told us that Hidden Canyon was a good mid-day hike because it was cool and shady. It was supposed to be 2 miles round trip. After hiking for what had to be 2-3 miles, we were all getting very hot and frustrated. It kept seeming like the canyon had to be just a little bit further, all the while the hike was getting more and more strenuous. There were parts where you had to climb rocky surfaces so slippery that chains were there to keep you from falling. Finally, we came to a narrow area with a huge obstacle at the end. I have to admit that I didn't think we were going to make it any further. But after a bit of exploring, some of us decided to continue on. The obstacles we met were pretty serious. I have done some bouldering in the past but never anything nearly as difficult as this. There was one I simply could not get over by myself. Fortunately, there were some more experienced hikers who helped us over. And at the end we found this.

Yes, that is snow. In Zion Park. In June. Truly a hidden canyon. It was wicked hard but definitely worth it. After that, we were all exhausted so that was pretty much it for the day. The next day we had to leave for Grand Canyon, so we took the morning to sight-see the parts of the park we hadn't gotten to yet.

My only regret is that we didn't have more time to explore. Oh, well. Plenty left to do for next visit.

Sing us a song of the century

So music has always been an important part of my life. It helped that I had 2 older sisters, so there was always a radio playing at a young age. We would listen to Casey Kasem's top-40 countdown every week, religiously. Don't believe me? How else would I know that the #1 hit of the year for 1982 was "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John?

Then came the age of MTV. You know, that channel that used to be about music. Even though we didn't have cable as a kid, we did have a half-hour show on U66 (a silly little UHF station) that showed videos. It's hard to explain the mind-blowing experience of seeing Michael Jackson's "Thriller" or the Police's "Every Breath You Take" for the first time.

My parents gave me a turntable (yes really) when I was pretty young so I could play records and 45s. Our motorhome had an 8-track (seriously I am not as old as I sound), but we only had like 3 tapes. So we'd listen to them over-and-over-and-over... When I got older, I bought a stereo system for my room which led to music wars between me and Angela. Both of us playing our music really loud trying to drown out one another. I don't know how Mom and Dad put up with it.

Anyway, the point is that I love music. So it was a really special treat to see one of my favorite bands, Green Day, in concert recently. I had always heard how great their shows were, but all the descriptions were inadequate. It was a truly amazing marathon 3-hour event with no breaks. I wish I had the words to describe it all. Instead, let me try a picture. I got lucky and caught Billy Joe flying through the air in an incredible leap. It just scratches the surface, but it'll give you a hint of what it was like.

That's all for now. Until next time, "Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars."