Well, my first September not as a college student in a few years is just about gone-just like a blur. Having been sick since about the first day in and without power for the last week and a half, I've not really been in a position to enjoy it. I did manage to make my way all the way through a book on explorers of the Mississippi (one that I'd checked out for my Pike deal).
Some very, very interesting stuff. Some takeaways in brief: as we suspected, the Spanish were genocidal assholes, and the French were by far the best in terms of their relations with the Indians. Father Louis Hennepin was a fraud and a blowhard, and if anyone ever has the opportunity to read an account (a real one-give Wikipedia a rest) of an Italian by the name of Beltrami (for whom a Red River county is named), do so. He is a funny, crazy, man-out-of-time.
Anyway-today was the first day with power, and I finally had the opportunity to get my car out from the garage and make a trip into my clinic. Bronchitis AND sinus infection. Good Lord! I feel like Theoden when he's getting started down by 10,000 Uruk-Hai and THEN it starts to rain. I'm on antibiotics, so I should see a turnaround soon, but good golly what a sucky fall this has been so far.
On a side note, Lucy knows I get canker sores sometimes, so when she knew I was hurting from my sinuses, it was only natural for her to ask if I had-Sinusaurs! (sinus sores) Based on my reaction, she was saying "sinusaurs" for the rest of the day, trying to get people to laugh.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
In the Midst of Tragedy, New Life
Albeit my own, minor, personal "tragedy" of the past week. Just wanted to mention something about Riley Connell Gallagher.
For those that don't know the saga of Shawn & Helen, they have (for a multitude of reasons) been unable to conceive. Through years (and possibly tens of thousands of dollars), these two potentially amazing parents have had to suffer the ordeals of surgeries, efforts at invetro-fertilization, and seemingly countless other failed procedures before finally electing to go the adoption route. The ordeal was cruelly ironic in that Helen's career is based upon counseling unfit mothers, but Helen & her admirable devotion to her various callings could easily be a topic for another post.
Anyway, in the first break they have gotten in the whole ordeal (and a major break it was), a child became available to them almost immediately. I never realized that the whole adoption wait wasn't a list so much as having an expectant mother choose the prospective parents. But so it is; and, though her sister, Helen got hooked up with this 7-8 month pregnant woman. Not much time to get ready, but many details were worked out and Shawn & Helen headed out to nowhere else but Terre Haute (get that baby outta there!!!) to be present for the birth and work out final details.
The birth was about a week ago, so of course it's been really tough for us to make much contact; though Sharon had a really good talk with Helen last night. They've been staying alternately with Helen's sister who lives there (in a small house with six kids), and out of a suitcase in a hotel. Not exactly the post-3 or 4 bridal showers-, getting the nursery ready for 9 months-situation that many of our peers have the advantage of; but then again, Helen isn't having to care for a newborn after having just lost 800 ml of blood and having not slept for 40 hours.
Anyway, when they make it back to the Twin Cities, there will be a major shopping spree in the Hylton attic and Lucy will have an exciting meeting with her newest "cousin." We are so happy for the Gallaghers we could just about backflip.
For those that don't know the saga of Shawn & Helen, they have (for a multitude of reasons) been unable to conceive. Through years (and possibly tens of thousands of dollars), these two potentially amazing parents have had to suffer the ordeals of surgeries, efforts at invetro-fertilization, and seemingly countless other failed procedures before finally electing to go the adoption route. The ordeal was cruelly ironic in that Helen's career is based upon counseling unfit mothers, but Helen & her admirable devotion to her various callings could easily be a topic for another post.
Anyway, in the first break they have gotten in the whole ordeal (and a major break it was), a child became available to them almost immediately. I never realized that the whole adoption wait wasn't a list so much as having an expectant mother choose the prospective parents. But so it is; and, though her sister, Helen got hooked up with this 7-8 month pregnant woman. Not much time to get ready, but many details were worked out and Shawn & Helen headed out to nowhere else but Terre Haute (get that baby outta there!!!) to be present for the birth and work out final details.
The birth was about a week ago, so of course it's been really tough for us to make much contact; though Sharon had a really good talk with Helen last night. They've been staying alternately with Helen's sister who lives there (in a small house with six kids), and out of a suitcase in a hotel. Not exactly the post-3 or 4 bridal showers-, getting the nursery ready for 9 months-situation that many of our peers have the advantage of; but then again, Helen isn't having to care for a newborn after having just lost 800 ml of blood and having not slept for 40 hours.
Anyway, when they make it back to the Twin Cities, there will be a major shopping spree in the Hylton attic and Lucy will have an exciting meeting with her newest "cousin." We are so happy for the Gallaghers we could just about backflip.
Day 8
Without electricy. Quite a challenge for a blogger and recording artist with 3 email accounts and a tendency to stay up till after midnight.
We've been hanging in there, but I'd like to cock-punch about 50 people at Xcel Energy, from the original guy that told us last Friday there was no damage to our incoming lines (thus preventing us from getting it repaired before the crew made it out on the "final" day of their repairs), to the people responsible for putting North Minneapolis at the end of the list of repairs (and, for media and P.R. purposes, on no list whatsoever), to the phone reps that told us we'd have a crew out yesterday.
We've been hanging in there, but I'd like to cock-punch about 50 people at Xcel Energy, from the original guy that told us last Friday there was no damage to our incoming lines (thus preventing us from getting it repaired before the crew made it out on the "final" day of their repairs), to the people responsible for putting North Minneapolis at the end of the list of repairs (and, for media and P.R. purposes, on no list whatsoever), to the phone reps that told us we'd have a crew out yesterday.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
The Dangers of Being Technology "Early Adopters"
Well, we're in the midst of the "I-Pod" craze. I thought I'd get a step ahead of everyone else and get a "Bi-Pod." Things were going great until it raised itself up on its skinny legs and ran off.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Ethical Zingers and Brain Stingers Vol. 1
I'm trying to answer these specifically for myself-and I can't, totally. But feel free to broaden out the philosophy in any responses.
1. Why do I not attend an exclusive John Mellencamp performance being staged for my company's corporate employees right outside the window of my office? Why was there never a doubt in my mind that I would not go? And I even kind of like John Mellencamp. I sort of am on the cusp of the answer to this one, but I'm not sure I could articulate it very well.
2. Why would embezzeling funds or ripping off a cash drawer (even for a paltry amount, like 50 cents) seem wrong, wrong, wrong, yet taking silverware home from the cafeteria or extra office paper is totally fine? This is actually the much tougher one to answer.
1. Why do I not attend an exclusive John Mellencamp performance being staged for my company's corporate employees right outside the window of my office? Why was there never a doubt in my mind that I would not go? And I even kind of like John Mellencamp. I sort of am on the cusp of the answer to this one, but I'm not sure I could articulate it very well.
2. Why would embezzeling funds or ripping off a cash drawer (even for a paltry amount, like 50 cents) seem wrong, wrong, wrong, yet taking silverware home from the cafeteria or extra office paper is totally fine? This is actually the much tougher one to answer.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Mississippi Heritage Festival: The Much-Awaited Follow UP Post
It was pretty cool-if sitting on haybales and watching re-enactors tell tales about the Mississippi River's History is cool. With the Hylton household being pretty much out of action last week, it was really difficult for me to spend time working on my riff. So difficult, in fact, that I never had the chance to do a successful runthrough for timing (supposed to be right around 15 minutes) prior to coming on. But it worked about as well as I could have hoped. The Native American speaker finished and I emerged from the trees by the riverbank (wearing my period costume I was borrowing from Historic Murphy's Landing).
The set was similarly cool-we had a firepit going and a haybale backdrop throughout the succession of storytellers, which went from dusk to dark. For the most part, I made Zebulon Pike out to be a nincompoop, and it raised an ethical question with me. Most characters in history can be viewed in many different ways, depending upon your interpretation of events. Even among the histories I read, there were those who thought he was an ass, and an incompetent one at that; and those who thought he was a great explorer. I personally believe he had almost superhuman endurance, was a great and loyal soldier, a good spy, a questionable explorer (if you could consider him an explorer at all), and an ass. I played up the questionable explorer and ass parts, as they made good theater, but it did get me wondering:
who was I to paint the audience's view of the man based upon my interpretation (or worse, based upon what I thought would help the performance)?
A question better left, perhaps, to the next generation of historians.
The set was similarly cool-we had a firepit going and a haybale backdrop throughout the succession of storytellers, which went from dusk to dark. For the most part, I made Zebulon Pike out to be a nincompoop, and it raised an ethical question with me. Most characters in history can be viewed in many different ways, depending upon your interpretation of events. Even among the histories I read, there were those who thought he was an ass, and an incompetent one at that; and those who thought he was a great explorer. I personally believe he had almost superhuman endurance, was a great and loyal soldier, a good spy, a questionable explorer (if you could consider him an explorer at all), and an ass. I played up the questionable explorer and ass parts, as they made good theater, but it did get me wondering:
who was I to paint the audience's view of the man based upon my interpretation (or worse, based upon what I thought would help the performance)?
A question better left, perhaps, to the next generation of historians.
Friday, September 16, 2005
The Most Challenging Role of My Career?
Tomorrow, I will be performing for the second time since my re-entry into the field of acting. Camden Civic Theatre was brought in by Three Rivers Park District and Lind-Bohanon neighborhood to have storytellers portray historical Mississippi River figures during a Heritage Festival tomorrow:
http://www.geocities.com/hylton44/heritagedays.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/hylton44/HeritageStorytelling.doc
I will be assuming the role of Zebulon Montgomery Pike. I will emerge from the trees and speak to an audience (hopefully) gathered around a fire about my exploits in securing the land upon which now stands Fort Snelling (where I "negotiated" with Native Americans that had no concept of land ownership) and my attempt to determine the source of the river (which I incorrectly identified as Leech Lake).
The performances will be aired on community television, I think...
http://www.geocities.com/hylton44/heritagedays.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/hylton44/HeritageStorytelling.doc
I will be assuming the role of Zebulon Montgomery Pike. I will emerge from the trees and speak to an audience (hopefully) gathered around a fire about my exploits in securing the land upon which now stands Fort Snelling (where I "negotiated" with Native Americans that had no concept of land ownership) and my attempt to determine the source of the river (which I incorrectly identified as Leech Lake).
The performances will be aired on community television, I think...
Just Dyin Over Here
Everyone in our house is sick. While Sharon & I were trying to get a little sleep last night, Lucy was waking up in tears, complaints, and/or screams every 10-15 minutes. Sharon & I deemed it the most difficult night since Lucy's birth.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Laying the political establishment bare
This started out as a comment sort of in response to T-Clog on my most recent post, but got so long and off the original track that I feel it warrants its own post.
I may have sent out confusing messages in the past concerning my political leanings. Having voted nearly straight Green Party in 2000, I have come back to the fold of the Democrats, based largely on a couple conclusions I have made:
1. Seeing the damage that a spoiler can play (e.g. Nader in 2000). Understand, if we move to an instant runoff election system, I'm probably back in there voting Green and other "third party" or independent candidates very often in the first round. THAT should be what Nader should be pushing for-the fact that he is focusing more efforts at being on the actual ticket, rather than reforming the election process itself has got me thinking he most be either certifiably insane, or simply not the same man he used to be.
2. A recent philisophical realization (based on a position taken by a reformist Priest, Matthew Fox, that you can affect change on an organization more effectively from within, rather than if you quit). And I think it is a very, very powerful idea. Kind of what I was saying recently to T-Clog concerning his religion. It may well be that his calling is to be a credit to his religion-to challenge, where necessary, and reform. Stuff he would not be able to do as effectively if he renounced it over things he found irreconcilable with his personal beliefs.
Anyway, in response to comments in my last post (and this is also directed to Independent Aaron) I will absolutely agree that any political party is prone to corruption and human failings to which any organization is prone when it gets large and/or powerful enough. I think there was a lot of less-than-desirable crap going on in the Democratic party when they were the dominant party in Congress in the early 90s.
That said, I don't buy the "both parties are the same" thing purported by many independents and the Green Party folks. A quote from a "conservative" website going after liberalism in public education pretty such sums up the stance of the Republican party at large these days:
"...(sustainability) assumes we're burning too much fossil fuel, we're not eating healthy foods, we're not respecting workers' rights, we're wasteful, and we're spoiling the environment. Those are serious and controversial charges against our culture."
Anyone who considers those charges controversial is either in denial or a total bastard or both. And that is the reality of the Republican party in 2005. It is the party of instant gratification, judgment of others, and selfishness. Whether or not you always like the cast of characters and machinations of the establishment, the DFL is the party of the little guy and of freedom. I honestly don't see how a thinking man cannot see this.
I may have sent out confusing messages in the past concerning my political leanings. Having voted nearly straight Green Party in 2000, I have come back to the fold of the Democrats, based largely on a couple conclusions I have made:
1. Seeing the damage that a spoiler can play (e.g. Nader in 2000). Understand, if we move to an instant runoff election system, I'm probably back in there voting Green and other "third party" or independent candidates very often in the first round. THAT should be what Nader should be pushing for-the fact that he is focusing more efforts at being on the actual ticket, rather than reforming the election process itself has got me thinking he most be either certifiably insane, or simply not the same man he used to be.
2. A recent philisophical realization (based on a position taken by a reformist Priest, Matthew Fox, that you can affect change on an organization more effectively from within, rather than if you quit). And I think it is a very, very powerful idea. Kind of what I was saying recently to T-Clog concerning his religion. It may well be that his calling is to be a credit to his religion-to challenge, where necessary, and reform. Stuff he would not be able to do as effectively if he renounced it over things he found irreconcilable with his personal beliefs.
Anyway, in response to comments in my last post (and this is also directed to Independent Aaron) I will absolutely agree that any political party is prone to corruption and human failings to which any organization is prone when it gets large and/or powerful enough. I think there was a lot of less-than-desirable crap going on in the Democratic party when they were the dominant party in Congress in the early 90s.
That said, I don't buy the "both parties are the same" thing purported by many independents and the Green Party folks. A quote from a "conservative" website going after liberalism in public education pretty such sums up the stance of the Republican party at large these days:
"...(sustainability) assumes we're burning too much fossil fuel, we're not eating healthy foods, we're not respecting workers' rights, we're wasteful, and we're spoiling the environment. Those are serious and controversial charges against our culture."
Anyone who considers those charges controversial is either in denial or a total bastard or both. And that is the reality of the Republican party in 2005. It is the party of instant gratification, judgment of others, and selfishness. Whether or not you always like the cast of characters and machinations of the establishment, the DFL is the party of the little guy and of freedom. I honestly don't see how a thinking man cannot see this.
Fool me once....(way to go, residents of St. Paul!)
For anyone who care about Twin Cities politics, or believes that the ways certain political scenarios play out are universal...
From today's Minneapolis Star-Tribune:
St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly could be in for the fight of his political life after receiving barely half as many votes as former City Council Member Chris Coleman in Tuesday's primary.
Coleman outdistanced Kelly by 52 percent to 27 percent, with Kelly coming perilously close to dropping behind Green Party candidate Elizabeth Dickinson, who received 19 percent.
A little background. Gladhanding, creepy, Bush-lapdog US Senator Norm Coleman was once the Mayor of St. Paul. After being elected on the DFL ticket, however, he switched parties-something that is considered a bit of a betrayal when 87% of your city's precincts vote Democrat. People in St. Paul still feel burned and pissed, so last fall when out of the blue, current "Democrat" mayor Randy Kelly endorsed George Bush for President, his constituency was up-in-arms. What seemed to him to be the perfect opportunistic move, to follow the move of his successful predecessor footsteps, ended up being political suicide, apparently. Lovely to watch him go down in flames. While I still don't fancy spending a lot of time in St. Paul, I certainly am on more amicable terms with Minneapolis' sister city these days. We urbanites need to stick together in these times.
On the Minneapolis side of things-our Mayor Rybak has been in a bit of a fight in the DFL primary. Things have been tough the last few years, but I honestly think that he's been in about as much of a no-win situation as the city has seen for the last 25 years or so. On top of the recession, our city incurred millions of dollars in Lcoal Government Aid-part of the all-out suburbanite Republican assault on core cities, that is only now beginning to be restored a bit. Not a career politician (one of his most attractive qualities), Rybak is also amazingly socially progressive, accessible to the people (as far as I know), and has made some tough decisions, fiscally, that have lost him a lot of supporters, but gained a measure of my respect. He's been in a primary fight against a guy, Peter McLaughlan, who is firey and pushes all the right buttons a lot like Howard Dean, but who has been attacking Rybak relentlessly sometimes without substance-more like a Karl Rove-orchestrated campaign. Rybak (for whom I just voted yesterday) ended up winning the primary by about 10%-and here's a funny quote by him:
"The sitting mayor is thrilled to have won by a decisive margin after an unprecedented wave of negative attacks, and I'd sure rather be up by 10 percent. Delmonico (a Police Federation president hired by McLaughlan to attack Rybak in radio ads) and his swift boat full of special interest attack dogs has sunk."
From today's Minneapolis Star-Tribune:
St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly could be in for the fight of his political life after receiving barely half as many votes as former City Council Member Chris Coleman in Tuesday's primary.
Coleman outdistanced Kelly by 52 percent to 27 percent, with Kelly coming perilously close to dropping behind Green Party candidate Elizabeth Dickinson, who received 19 percent.
A little background. Gladhanding, creepy, Bush-lapdog US Senator Norm Coleman was once the Mayor of St. Paul. After being elected on the DFL ticket, however, he switched parties-something that is considered a bit of a betrayal when 87% of your city's precincts vote Democrat. People in St. Paul still feel burned and pissed, so last fall when out of the blue, current "Democrat" mayor Randy Kelly endorsed George Bush for President, his constituency was up-in-arms. What seemed to him to be the perfect opportunistic move, to follow the move of his successful predecessor footsteps, ended up being political suicide, apparently. Lovely to watch him go down in flames. While I still don't fancy spending a lot of time in St. Paul, I certainly am on more amicable terms with Minneapolis' sister city these days. We urbanites need to stick together in these times.
On the Minneapolis side of things-our Mayor Rybak has been in a bit of a fight in the DFL primary. Things have been tough the last few years, but I honestly think that he's been in about as much of a no-win situation as the city has seen for the last 25 years or so. On top of the recession, our city incurred millions of dollars in Lcoal Government Aid-part of the all-out suburbanite Republican assault on core cities, that is only now beginning to be restored a bit. Not a career politician (one of his most attractive qualities), Rybak is also amazingly socially progressive, accessible to the people (as far as I know), and has made some tough decisions, fiscally, that have lost him a lot of supporters, but gained a measure of my respect. He's been in a primary fight against a guy, Peter McLaughlan, who is firey and pushes all the right buttons a lot like Howard Dean, but who has been attacking Rybak relentlessly sometimes without substance-more like a Karl Rove-orchestrated campaign. Rybak (for whom I just voted yesterday) ended up winning the primary by about 10%-and here's a funny quote by him:
"The sitting mayor is thrilled to have won by a decisive margin after an unprecedented wave of negative attacks, and I'd sure rather be up by 10 percent. Delmonico (a Police Federation president hired by McLaughlan to attack Rybak in radio ads) and his swift boat full of special interest attack dogs has sunk."
Monday, September 12, 2005
Mouse Pillows and Big Noculars (and other camping observations from a two-year old)
Mouse pillows being marshmallows and big noculars being binoculars, of course.
It was a very enjoyable trip up North. We had a cart-in site pretty much right on the shore of Lake Superior and, after an initial three hour thunderstorm which began moments after our tent was set up (it really wouldn't be a Hylton camping trip without some precipitation at some point), the weather was beautiful.
Outdoor-guru Cliff Jacobson speaks about how it can be difficult to hike with small children or the elderly if you're in the prime of your life. Not so much because of differences in physical abilities, but because people of this blogger's age tend to think of hikes in terms of goals and destinations, whereas young children and the elderly live almost entirely for the moment. And I suspect I am at the far end of that spectrum, in terms of goal-fixation; so overcoming that "tension" (all tension totally within my own brain) is the biggest challenge for me on a trip like this-especially in arguably the most scenic park in the state. There would be no hike to Shovel Point; no hike to The Cascades. Of the park's 26-some odd miles of trail, I would guess we covered about one to one-and-a-half.
We did make it down to the main outlet of the Baptism River into Lake Superior, which was beautiful, and spent a few hours wading around, looking at rocks, and so on. We were also able to park at a trailhead a little farther into the park and make it to the High Falls (the highest waterfall contained entirely within Minnesota). But all-encompassing vistas are not what float Lucy's boat the most. She like rock climbing (as in, climbing individual rocks), finding caterpillars-two of which we were unable to identify even with a field guide, and telling Momma & Daddy where to stop & when to go all the way along the hike. There are moments of frustration & the inability to truly unwind due to having to be constantly vigilant, but the reality is that we're really pretty spoiled about Lucy when it comes to camping. She now understands pretty much everything that goes into setting up camp & making things happen and at least attempts to help with various tasks. And she just plain loves being outside.
A few highlights from the trip:
- Piecing together bits of information she'd been given, Lucy explaining to me that a bear is going to come into our camp and get toothpaste out of the fire pit and put it on their toothbrush.
- My opportunity for an early a.m. hike (before the women got up Sunday morning). In future camping trips, I think I want to begin bringing running shoes. If we're not going to cover a lot of ground as a family for a few years, I'd love to get in a trail run and get some of that energy out of my system. Plus, with my love of trail running, it would be a shame to not take advantage of doing it in some of the neater places we go.
- Saw the Aurora Borealis for only the 2nd time in my life (other time, oddly enough, was at Johnson Street). Not a particularly dazzling display-mostly greenish-white, but a display nevertheless.
- View from Palisade Head (2 miles south of the park-we drove up there on our way back)
- A new type of bread that Sharon introduced. Forget what it's called, but you make it like I guess pioneers used to (except we used powdered milk)-mix the ingredients, then cook it on a stick over the fire. AMAZING. Sure to be a part of nearly every future camping trip in which there is a camp fire.
- Sights of the beautiful mountain ash-a tree that grows in the park with amazingly red berries that contrast beautifully with the grey rocks.
- Going down at dusk-Sharon had already retired with Lucy-to a rocky area down below our camp by the water. Watching the moon come out and begin to shine on the water while the water rolled up all along the shore.
- The time we spent at that Baptism River/Lake Superior confluence.
One other thing about the trip-it got me hungering for a good ol' backpack trip along the Superior hiking trail. Yellow River State Forest is well & good, but it just doesn't compare.
It was a very enjoyable trip up North. We had a cart-in site pretty much right on the shore of Lake Superior and, after an initial three hour thunderstorm which began moments after our tent was set up (it really wouldn't be a Hylton camping trip without some precipitation at some point), the weather was beautiful.
Outdoor-guru Cliff Jacobson speaks about how it can be difficult to hike with small children or the elderly if you're in the prime of your life. Not so much because of differences in physical abilities, but because people of this blogger's age tend to think of hikes in terms of goals and destinations, whereas young children and the elderly live almost entirely for the moment. And I suspect I am at the far end of that spectrum, in terms of goal-fixation; so overcoming that "tension" (all tension totally within my own brain) is the biggest challenge for me on a trip like this-especially in arguably the most scenic park in the state. There would be no hike to Shovel Point; no hike to The Cascades. Of the park's 26-some odd miles of trail, I would guess we covered about one to one-and-a-half.
We did make it down to the main outlet of the Baptism River into Lake Superior, which was beautiful, and spent a few hours wading around, looking at rocks, and so on. We were also able to park at a trailhead a little farther into the park and make it to the High Falls (the highest waterfall contained entirely within Minnesota). But all-encompassing vistas are not what float Lucy's boat the most. She like rock climbing (as in, climbing individual rocks), finding caterpillars-two of which we were unable to identify even with a field guide, and telling Momma & Daddy where to stop & when to go all the way along the hike. There are moments of frustration & the inability to truly unwind due to having to be constantly vigilant, but the reality is that we're really pretty spoiled about Lucy when it comes to camping. She now understands pretty much everything that goes into setting up camp & making things happen and at least attempts to help with various tasks. And she just plain loves being outside.
A few highlights from the trip:
- Piecing together bits of information she'd been given, Lucy explaining to me that a bear is going to come into our camp and get toothpaste out of the fire pit and put it on their toothbrush.
- My opportunity for an early a.m. hike (before the women got up Sunday morning). In future camping trips, I think I want to begin bringing running shoes. If we're not going to cover a lot of ground as a family for a few years, I'd love to get in a trail run and get some of that energy out of my system. Plus, with my love of trail running, it would be a shame to not take advantage of doing it in some of the neater places we go.
- Saw the Aurora Borealis for only the 2nd time in my life (other time, oddly enough, was at Johnson Street). Not a particularly dazzling display-mostly greenish-white, but a display nevertheless.
- View from Palisade Head (2 miles south of the park-we drove up there on our way back)
- A new type of bread that Sharon introduced. Forget what it's called, but you make it like I guess pioneers used to (except we used powdered milk)-mix the ingredients, then cook it on a stick over the fire. AMAZING. Sure to be a part of nearly every future camping trip in which there is a camp fire.
- Sights of the beautiful mountain ash-a tree that grows in the park with amazingly red berries that contrast beautifully with the grey rocks.
- Going down at dusk-Sharon had already retired with Lucy-to a rocky area down below our camp by the water. Watching the moon come out and begin to shine on the water while the water rolled up all along the shore.
- The time we spent at that Baptism River/Lake Superior confluence.
One other thing about the trip-it got me hungering for a good ol' backpack trip along the Superior hiking trail. Yellow River State Forest is well & good, but it just doesn't compare.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
I Gaze Beyond the Rain-Drenched Streets
To the North Shore, Where My Heart Lies...
I'm off-site tomorrow, and then Friday we're heading up to Tettegouche State Park, considered by many to be the scenic crown jewel of the Minnesota State Park system. Right on the rugged, near-mountainous coast of Lake Superior, with wilderness lakes, towering pines, and cascading streams; it was a possible destination for Pat M, Pat G, & Dan the two years ago when we ended up heading down Yellow River State Forest way.
I've been through it, once (during a backpacking trip), but have never camped there. In this particular adventure, we will camp for two days. Actually, although Lucy has camped more times in the past two years than I have, this will be her first trip of over one night. We are very much looking forward to this trip-if weather cooperates, it will be just about the perfect time of the year up there (we reserved the site about four months ago).
I'm off-site tomorrow, and then Friday we're heading up to Tettegouche State Park, considered by many to be the scenic crown jewel of the Minnesota State Park system. Right on the rugged, near-mountainous coast of Lake Superior, with wilderness lakes, towering pines, and cascading streams; it was a possible destination for Pat M, Pat G, & Dan the two years ago when we ended up heading down Yellow River State Forest way.
I've been through it, once (during a backpacking trip), but have never camped there. In this particular adventure, we will camp for two days. Actually, although Lucy has camped more times in the past two years than I have, this will be her first trip of over one night. We are very much looking forward to this trip-if weather cooperates, it will be just about the perfect time of the year up there (we reserved the site about four months ago).
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
I Would be Remiss...(plus, a call for PCF)
...if I didn't make mention of the Hurricane Katrina Aftermath. Echoing Pat's sentiment, I am glued to reports of the tragedy, and the individual personal stories of lives affected. It is mind-blowing, simply mind-blowing; and I thank God for NPR as a source of information.
My personal choices for donation this time around: The Red Cross and the Humane Society.
Also, a personal grief I feel compelled to bring into the light...I think I made a post on this sometime shortly following last Nov.'s election, but could not locate it in a quick check of the archives. So many people of such wonderful character and generous spirit donated far more money than they ever could have imagined in an attempt to remove George W. Bush from office. Then followed a bit of cruel irony that would be tough to top even in imagination. Those individuals, with depleted charity pockets, were then neeeded more than ever to contribute to various organizations attempting to fend off assaults by the president on all they hold dear: environment, the poor, worker rights, etc. But the issue is certainly not limited to one from a liberal perspective. From both sides of the political aisle, consider how much money is spent (new records with each election) in an attempt to outspend the other side, trying to buy the election in an an act of almost purest non-democracy, and largely with these large sums of money mostly canceling each other out. Imagine if the $500-some-odd million contributed to the presidential election alone could instead be used to fund tsunami or hurricane relief efforts (not to mention aid to Africa, school funding, etc. etc. etc.). Seems win-win (in terms of money better spent AND cleaning up the election process a bit); but of course a very few people with far too much money would stand to lose a bit of their influence on the process; and that in itself is the cause of the majority of our problems these days.
My personal choices for donation this time around: The Red Cross and the Humane Society.
Also, a personal grief I feel compelled to bring into the light...I think I made a post on this sometime shortly following last Nov.'s election, but could not locate it in a quick check of the archives. So many people of such wonderful character and generous spirit donated far more money than they ever could have imagined in an attempt to remove George W. Bush from office. Then followed a bit of cruel irony that would be tough to top even in imagination. Those individuals, with depleted charity pockets, were then neeeded more than ever to contribute to various organizations attempting to fend off assaults by the president on all they hold dear: environment, the poor, worker rights, etc. But the issue is certainly not limited to one from a liberal perspective. From both sides of the political aisle, consider how much money is spent (new records with each election) in an attempt to outspend the other side, trying to buy the election in an an act of almost purest non-democracy, and largely with these large sums of money mostly canceling each other out. Imagine if the $500-some-odd million contributed to the presidential election alone could instead be used to fund tsunami or hurricane relief efforts (not to mention aid to Africa, school funding, etc. etc. etc.). Seems win-win (in terms of money better spent AND cleaning up the election process a bit); but of course a very few people with far too much money would stand to lose a bit of their influence on the process; and that in itself is the cause of the majority of our problems these days.
Friday, September 02, 2005
Daniel in the Lion's Den
So, in the earliest days of this journal, I said one of my goals was to use it as a forum to discuss controversial and weighty topics-and there is one which, at this time, is weighing down on us like a Packer Tailgate Party on Jupiter.
It gets bandied about & touched on from time to time-including currently in a flurry of comments to Mixdorf's last post, but never truly resolved; and it is this: Cory, it must seem at times like we're out to get you on this whole religious thing.
Every time you offer up something from your Christian perspective, it must seem like we have a cynical, angry, or snide response. I think where the whole thing originates is that you have definitely been going down a road, religion-wise, that has taken you far, far from where you were a number of years back. I'm not saying you didn't have similar beliefs then, but it's the regular day-to-day influence of your church & religion on you that puts a lot of things in a slightly to very different context.
Your response to much of what you encounter & experience has become a religious one, which is very different than the humanistic response of PMix & me. We have been going down a different road these last few years and, from our perspective, much of the trouble in the world; from terrorism to domestic intolerance to people voting in elections against their best interests (which results in worldwide harm on a scale it is tough to comprehend) is as a direct result of people's religious beliefs. Not religion itself, mind you: it's similar to the "guns don't hurt people but people do" argument. It's the failings of people (accidental and otherwise) in interpretation of texts and teachings that causes the problems. In addition, the practice of attributing complex or difficult things to the supernatural dimininishes our society's ability and willingness to find human solutions to our problems.
The final puzzle piece of Mixdorf's & my concern over seeing a friend become ever more deeply involved with (it seems) evangelical activities is the witness we bore to the effect it had on my brother (now known as "The Fall of Kick Ass)." He was always a square, but it turned him into a square stick in the mud.
Please understand that I have known a few people (and known of a lot more) that are true credits to the Christian faith. And I do believe that more positive change can occur within the church than from without. But we need warriors for this battle, good and true. I simply ask you to proceed through sermons and Bible studies and other such experiences with a questioning, logical, and ecological heart. You will encounter many, many people in that journey who will (though they say otherwise) act like they have the answers. They don't. Truly ask "What Would Jesus Do?" And not the flaxen-haired abstinence-rally-attending Jesus, the real one. We love you, and we just want to make sure that, as we continue down our road of intellectual curiosity & exploration, we don't lose our traveling partner.
It gets bandied about & touched on from time to time-including currently in a flurry of comments to Mixdorf's last post, but never truly resolved; and it is this: Cory, it must seem at times like we're out to get you on this whole religious thing.
Every time you offer up something from your Christian perspective, it must seem like we have a cynical, angry, or snide response. I think where the whole thing originates is that you have definitely been going down a road, religion-wise, that has taken you far, far from where you were a number of years back. I'm not saying you didn't have similar beliefs then, but it's the regular day-to-day influence of your church & religion on you that puts a lot of things in a slightly to very different context.
Your response to much of what you encounter & experience has become a religious one, which is very different than the humanistic response of PMix & me. We have been going down a different road these last few years and, from our perspective, much of the trouble in the world; from terrorism to domestic intolerance to people voting in elections against their best interests (which results in worldwide harm on a scale it is tough to comprehend) is as a direct result of people's religious beliefs. Not religion itself, mind you: it's similar to the "guns don't hurt people but people do" argument. It's the failings of people (accidental and otherwise) in interpretation of texts and teachings that causes the problems. In addition, the practice of attributing complex or difficult things to the supernatural dimininishes our society's ability and willingness to find human solutions to our problems.
The final puzzle piece of Mixdorf's & my concern over seeing a friend become ever more deeply involved with (it seems) evangelical activities is the witness we bore to the effect it had on my brother (now known as "The Fall of Kick Ass)." He was always a square, but it turned him into a square stick in the mud.
Please understand that I have known a few people (and known of a lot more) that are true credits to the Christian faith. And I do believe that more positive change can occur within the church than from without. But we need warriors for this battle, good and true. I simply ask you to proceed through sermons and Bible studies and other such experiences with a questioning, logical, and ecological heart. You will encounter many, many people in that journey who will (though they say otherwise) act like they have the answers. They don't. Truly ask "What Would Jesus Do?" And not the flaxen-haired abstinence-rally-attending Jesus, the real one. We love you, and we just want to make sure that, as we continue down our road of intellectual curiosity & exploration, we don't lose our traveling partner.
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