Friday, October 01, 2004

Week of Vacation

Spent most of the week visiting with friends and family, for a first time while being home on leave, not doing too much slave labor for my mom! Sorry about not updating the blog on a daily basis but being here on my home ground took priority. I was washing off the stain of being in a war zone; I imagine the stain to my soul was much less then many of the military folk that were deployed out though. This blog and the fotopage filled didn't give me the time to mope about. They were the great outlets in my daily routine. With all the good will and support that readers gave me; it was pretty hard to get depressed about life. Of course I didn't run around with a great fear of dying like some people did, there are many positives about doing extreme sports before going to war.

Thinking that you're going to die at least once every time you go climbing makes regular life fairly mundane. If you're a climber, fear of hights and fear of death lose their grip on you because you're facing them daily. That old question that your mom asks you "Just because your friend jumps off a cliff doesn't mean you have to" I lived by that saying growing up. Wish I could have got some good cliff diving pictures this trip out but we're all getting old and everyone has a good steady job that they can't ditch, oh well, there's always tomorrow.

I've missed some of the restaurants in Prescott. My favorite place in the world is a small Mexican restaurant called Taco Don's, my ex partner in crime Mike Baker and I went there at least twice a week, they have the best fish taco's in the known world and I've been around the block looking. Drive no further it's right here. Best scallops I've tasted in years we had last night Chi's Cuisine, oh yes, I am going to have to work all of this off when I get home, till them, mmm.
Went by and paid a visit to my old boss, Will Gober and his family from the days when I was a grease monkey. He's a big redneck from Texas that only takes off his cowboy hat to sleep (I think he does but only Sara would know) and talks with a drawl, behind that slow drawl lies a very shrewd mind that is always thinking about what the future is going to bring. He had sold the shop that I worked at and was getting into the bio-diesel business, something I watch somewhat closely since I have a diesel suburban and still carry around the mechanical inclinations in my head. It's a renewable fuel source that isn't that difficult technology wise to make work. Just have to get more people on the band wagon; everybody is talking about hybrid and electric cars, bio-diesel seems to be on the back burner still. How many hybrid or electric semi's have you seen out there?

What happens when the price of crude oil goes up? Prices of shipping rise and with that the economy bogs down. Everything is shipped by either truck, train or ship and what fuels them? Diesel fuel. With bio-diesel, we wouldn't depend on foreign oil sources for our transportation. Unlike any of the other alternate fuel sources; you don't have to change anything in the vehicle that you're using. Just pour it in the tank, instead of the yucky spell of diesel fuel, the exhaust smells like French fries and is safe for the environment. Do some google searches, it's down the pipeline.

I've spent more time with my little sister this week then any other period in my life since I was in high school. My sister is one of the coolest people I know, while the rest of us stumbled and bounced through life with peaks and valleys, my sister has always been the rock that everything else broke upon, if she would say that she was doing something, it would get done. She backpacked though Europe twice which I have always dreamed of doing. My trips to foreign lands are mostly on military business and I still have a little paranoia that I'm going to be stranded there. Being with the Marines I usually know the names of the bars better then what's in museums (I'm changing as I get older though). A couple of months ago she (finally) brought a baby into the world. The change in lifestyle hasn't slowed her down a bit, she's a wonderful mother and I envy you for the life that you're going to lead Corbin Shaw. I don't say it much but I love you sis.

Tomorrow morning we're going to go hiking and I'll take a lot of pictures, don't worry.

P.S. I hope Mrs. Fain, my old English teacher from high school, doesn't find this blog with all the media attention that it's bringing. Sorry for butchering the English language so bad ma'am, I shouldn't have slept so much in class!

P.S.S. Saw the presidential debate last night but this isn't a political blog. I am voting and I have had my mind made up for a while but as a military member, throwing my views about my current boss and a potential future boss to a world wide audience wouldn't be the brightest thing to do. Believe me there's enough voices out there anyhow.

Take care

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