Cabin Fever is an understatement

Well it's that time of year isn't it? The skiing is waning, trap shooting is done, the lower elevations are releasing the snow...but the roads into the woods are still impassable. The transition from winter to summer (elsewhere known as "spring") is trying to occur. I say trying because even though it is the end of April, we are still forecasted with potential snow.

The weather in itself makes it tough. It's Mother Nature's cruel joke to seemingly have endless blissful, sunny days on Monday through Friday...then hit us with crap on the weekend. Ahh, no worries. We still get to enjoy about 10 minutes of sun on the weekdays because somehow, right after work is when the weather moves in! That all is a bit of an exaggeration...we have had plenty of nice afternoons and weekends; from time to time. However, if I hear anyone else say, "Well, if you don't like the weather in North Idaho just wait five minutes!" Hmm, seems like no matter where you are you can always hear that little quip. I like my Dad's better, "Yep, springtime in the Rockies." That one-liner can apply to anywhere in the Rockies which gives the true credit to where it is due.

OKAY! The solution to springtime in the Rockies and cabin fever is PLANNING! Sarah and I sat down a couple of weeks ago and made a list of all the things we are planning to do this summer. The list is extensive and full of backpacking, camping, fishing, berry picking, and generally just getting out! For example, just last Friday she took me to a Yonder Mountain String Band concert over in Spokane. It was a good time...lotsa dancing made the hours fly by. I even have the stub to prove it!


My evidence

And, coming up very shortly will be a four-day Sarah Kaufman Birthday Extravaganza to the Oregon coast! Basically the plan is to drive for a day and hopefully be able to put up in a hotel at Seaside. THEN, rally for two days finding good beaches and hikes...possibly camping on the second night out. Followed by beating feet back to home and work.


Oregon Coast (somewhere near somewhere...I forgot. I lifted this from the Internet.)

After that, the annual rafting trip will take place in Desolation Canyon in Utah. I FINALLY bought a ticket to Denver and will hook up with Zach there. We will begin driving the next day and meet up with Paul. It's turning into something like five days on the river with a layover day and a couple travel days thrown in there. From the frequency that Paul does the float, I'm guessing this is just an incredible stretch of river...the BLM guy I talked to when trying to pull a launch actually recognized his name off the top of his head! And hopefully what Paul said is true, "You probably will only need some shorts and a t-shirt; sandals and boots." I guess it can get pretty warm down there that time of year. I am ready!


Uhm...I'll reiterate the caption I guess...Desolation Canyon.

If nothing else, planning help take one's mind off the never-ending drudgery of life during the winter/summer transition.



And I applied for a GIS job in Granby, Colorado. I still need to talk with some folks down there about that, but, just so you know.

Wanna know what's neat?

I had a comment from a fella the other day.

He read the blog (randomly as far as I know) and he wanted to know more about the Crags. I feel like I was able to give him important and useful information. I was able to provide a map.

This "online journal" not only helps me remember things, fill distant friends in on my activities, but it seems like it can also help others with questions they have!

I like this. I like that people can see this stuff and get some sort of information about SOMETHING. So often people ask me for things and they don't really understand what, why, or even HOW I can give them what I do. It's nice to get a request from a perfect stranger who recognizes this and appreciates the effort and the product.

Always nice to help people.

Thank you Joe. I truly do hope that you make the journey to Legend Lake. It's worth it.
Tom

Credit due

I missed this the other night when I was complaining. Of course, I realize I was complaining, but there is on unifying, justifying, securing force that always brings me back to reality.

Me and my sweetie on Pend O'rielle


Chocolate fight (I think she won)

There HAVE been a lot of good times mixed in with all this work crap! Just hard to summarize the little things that bring us to the light on a day to day basis. LYSK

Fragile state

No posts for awhile. But that's alright. You all haven't been missing much in the way of fun trips, funny encounters, or even interesting happenings.

It's sucked here lately and for some odd reason, I don't really feel like getting on the computer and bitching about things. Go figure. I think about it enough during the day; and unfortunately at night, causing me nothing but sleepless evenings thinking about work.

I know, I should stop thinking about work after I leave. I hear that all the time. But, at this time of year...it's basically all that's going on. And when I can't make things right at THAT moment...I think about how I can later. ie) the next day.

The news is that I put in for a job in Colorado and I'm scared. I want to move to an environment that better suits my needs, but I feel this OBLIGATION, this COMMITMENT, this shall I say DESIRE to finish what I started. However, it cannot be done. Once one "job" or "project" is finished there is another two or three waiting in the wings. And most recently, after finishing one...THREE DAYS LATER (including the weekend), the team heard from the Ranger, "Why is this other deadline so far behind?"

Pardon me?! I was grinding my teeth so hard I thought I might break them. The only words that wanted to come out were expletives...so I held off. THEN, I heard, "We should all be mindful of our writer/editor because she is dealing with three concurrent projects right now."

PARDON ME!?

I work on ALL projects involving GIS on the District. I am a part of every team. I am crucial to everything that happens there (and I must add, my employee as well.) There isn't ANY mention in the regard of Tom and his employee and the workload THEY are under to make this District function. Then, in a family meeting...in a "round robin" everyone else was mentioned...Tom and Jackie? "Well, they're busy doing NEPA stuff." Names and positions were NOT mentioned. It was "implied."

Thanks. Now I feel like a crucial element to this organization. I stared at the floor and fumed.

Then, breaking the news to my boss (who was "too busy" to have a sit down) that I had applied for another job was met with disdain. Disdain? What? I appreciate the fact that she realizes that her "good" people are trying to leave her, but come on! Shouldn't a person realize something from that? Perhaps the District is failing and the people who want to get shit done want to move on and hope that things are better somewhere else? Maybe they want to leave and better their off-work way of life?

Grrr. I am irritated with, yet bound, to this place at the current moment. I say current moment, because I desperately want to finish what I started here. But when I see the same thing for three+ years, it makes a guy question his place in an organization. If nothing else, a change of scenery is appropriate.

Rather than dank woodlands full of motorized recreation, I'm looking at a place that offers high mountain fields of aspen, parks, alpine lakes and mountains, flyfishing, and powder. Of rocks and ice. Of "alpine glow" and peaks. Sure, it could be infused with recreationists on a seasonal basis, but to just be around it seems to be enough for me to leave this redneck monstrosity I'm currently in.

I'm in a bad mood. I'm sorry. This is why I didn't want to start writing in the first place.

But, there it is. (Brief, mind you)