If I had that, THEN I'd be happy

Have you ever said to yourself, "If I could just get this one thing, then I would be happy." Or, "If I could just live over there, then I would be happy." Lets face it, we could continue to list the things that we want that could 'potentially' cure our hunger for wanting change for hours.

Place

I struggle with this one because location is so important to my hobbies and interests. I am always doing job searches in Alaska, Maine, foreign countries; pretty much anywhere but where I currently live. This was especially bad when I lived in Idaho doing my undergraduate work. I wasn't from Idaho, and I most certainly did not want to remain in Idaho after graduation. I often thought about what life would be like if I got a job in California, or Maine. Somewhere near an ocean for crying out loud! Now that I got my wish of finding a job in one of the nicer areas of the East Bay in California, I sometimes catch myself thinking about Eastern Idaho and some of the highlights about living there.

I miss living in snow. I really didn't mind living in it while I was there. I just preferred not driving in it. I loved the mountains there, and the fact that I was so close to two major National Parks. This may sound weird, but I miss the way it smelled. Smells are a big thing for me, I don't know why, they just always have.

Anyways, I am content with where I am at this point in my life. The important thing is to live more in the now instead of dreaming in the 'if'. I can live in the 'if' when and if that ever comes.

Patagonia's in my backyard

I have already done a post on Yosemite, but it's just that amazing that it deserves another (FYI, there could be more in the future as well). For those who have not been there before, go. I guarantee you have not seen anything like it, unless you have been to somewhere like, say, Patagonia. Yes, I just put Yosemite right up there with Patagonia. Now, I have never been to Patagonia. It is definitely on my bucket list, along with Machu Picchu, Europe, and Antarctica, just to name a few. From the things that I read and hear about Patagonia, it's been made out to be this amazingly remote area of the world that is full of some of the greatest terrain this world has to offer. I think that the appealing thing about it is the lack of people you would find there. If you meet someone that has gone climbing/hiking around there, they mine as well have walked on the moon because those people are of the limited edition genre.

Yosemite has all of the same things that Patagonia has to offer, plus an additional 4 million tourists per year. I'm not saying that's a good thing either. I can't blame them for flooding the valley, it is just that amazing of a place. Despite the crowds, there are moments you can find yourself on a remote trail and not run into anyone for hours. I have had that experience multiple times. The first was last June when we hike the 4-mile trail to Glacier Point, and the Panorama Trail to Nevada Falls, then the Mist trail down into the valley. Sure, we ran into some people at Glacier Point, and at Nevada Falls. In-between these spots? Hardly anybody. Happened again last weekend. Granted, it was the middle of January in Yosemite. Luckily, the 'weather' factor keeps everyone away until spring. We camped at Hogdon Meadows on a Friday night and were THE only one's there. We set out on a XC ski trail at Crane Flat the next morning and ran into two other people the whole time we were on the trail. We were even able to 'choose' a spot at Bridal Veil falls!! Usually people shark those parking lots for 15 minutes waiting for the next vacancy.

I feel that I can visit Yosemite under any circumstance and have a rejuvenating and enjoyable time. Sometimes I can't believe that I live so close to a Patagonia-esque place. People travel thousands of miles just to see what's cooking in my backyard! I have a few more trips planned for this year. Probably another XC trip, hopefully I can do a bike ride from Livermore, CA to Yosemite Valley in April, and a few camping/backpacking trips this summer.

Yosemite

We hear the names of these famous places all of the time all of the time, but seldom know the history behind them. Yosemite is the name of one of the most famous National Parks in the country that features famous sites such as Half-dome, Yosemite Falls (tallest waterfall on the continent), and various other amazing sites. Anyways, has anyone ever heard of what the word Yosemite means? I grew up in California and have never heard this story. For hundreds of years, the Ahwahneechee had inhabited the Yosemite Valley (though they weren't the first indigenous to inhabit the area). When the gold rush hit California, there was obviously a huge population rush to the area. Major Jim Savage (fitting name) led the Mariposa Battalion into the valley in search of Native Americans to eliminate them from the land. Elimination included burning settlements and murdering without a cause.

One member of the battalion was particularly taken with the scenery and the people settled there, and along with a few others refused to fight. This man commented that he heard the Natives saying the word "yohhe'meti" and assumed they were referring to the name of their people. Turns out, thats what they were calling the battalion and literally means "they are killers".

The name Yosemite is our scar from a very regretful chapter in U.S. history that forever labels what we did to the Natives in Yosemite Valley.

Rejuvination

Balance Rock Inn, Bar Harbor, ME

General George Washington: True Patriot

Lately I have been reading the book WASHINGTON The Indispensable Man by James Thomas Flexner. Great book by the way, I'm about half-way through it. I just wanted to share a tidbit from the book. There are so many stories in history that we never hear about unless we really dig and want to learn. I have found this to be the case with reading this book. I have always had great respect for George Washington and what he has accomplished for our country. I have a general idea of what he did, but don't exactly know much about him besides him being a revolutionary war general, was the first president of the United States, and had wooden teeth.

Flexner does a good job at demonstrating Washington's character throughout the book through stories and experiences. You feel as though you are at Washington's side the entire time watching him rise to greatness. Anyways, on with the gem. At this point, of the book Washington has just defeated Cornwallis, the British General in Yorktown. A very pivotal victory for the colonials, which pretty much put the defining dagger to Great Britain's relentless will. Leading up to this event, Washington was seen by many as THE rising leader. Many even insisted that he become king once independence was reached!

Washington, being modest as usual didn't really want to lead to begin with. He was a man who had everything he wanted. He had acres of land on Mount Vernon and a farm that was in good working order. He was basically volunteered and voted in to be General of the Continental Army. He really had no desire to lead, due to his limited military expertise. Though he did it, because he was willing to give all for an independent nation from the British. Later, He quickly declined the notions of him becoming king saying "No occurence in the course of the war has given me more painful sensations than your information of there being such ideas existing in the army. . . . I must view with abhorrence and reprehend with severity."

After Cornwallis was defeated, many soldiers in the continental army were rightfully seeking payment for their efforts in the war. Many had left their families for years and had not been able to assist in farming related chores to sustaining life at the time. When they heard that the government was stalling on making payments, they were enraged. It's not that congress didn't want to pay them, it's that they didn't have anything to pay them with! The financial situation was a wreck, and there weren't any signs of payment coming in the near future.

Washington was very influential to the men he served with in the military, so congress wished to convey to him the situation in congress, then relay that to his soldiers to prevent anarchy of any sort. The army was on the verge of marching into Philadelphia for a revolution, with or without Washington's help. They were actually pretty peeved at Washington for not jumping to take action on the matter, since they had been so loyal to him. It's not that Washington was caught in the middle and didn't know what to do. He had just led the Continental Army to deliver a devastating blow to the British, and an independent nation was in their grasp!

A ceremony was to be held to make the British surrender official. Towards the end of the ceremony Washington got up to give a speech. His army made their opinions known of him, showing him their distaste for his lack of action in their financial situation. Washington's remarks were aimed at his army, trying every argument possible to soften them to see the vision he had of an independent nation. The army didn't seem to be moved at all by the speech, and still displayed apprehensive stone faces. Washington announced he would read a letter from a congressmen to give the current status of their payments.

". . . . something seemed to go wrong. The General seemed confused; he stared at the paper helplessly. The officers leaned forward, their hearts contracting with anxiety. Washington pulled from his pocked something only his intimates had seen him wear: a pair of eyeglasses: 'Gentleman,' he said, 'you will permit me to put on my spectacles, for I have not only grown gray but almost blind in the service of my country."

"This homely act and simply statement did what all Washington's arguments had failed to do. The hardened soldiers wept. Washington had saved the United States from tyrrany and civil discord. As Jefferson was later to comment 'The modernization and virtue of a single character probably prevented this Revolution from being closed, as most others have been, by a subversion of that liberty was intended to establish."

Adventure

Grand Targhee Resort backcountry snowboarding. Hiking Mary's Nipple (Feb. 2008).

Book Review: The Lost Symbol

I have been excited for this book since I heard it was being written. Does that make my bias already? Probably, but I think that makes the book even more successful because it exceeded all the expectations that I anticipated upon purchasing it. There were a few things that were similar to previous Dan Brown novels. There is of course Robert Langdon, the main character who is going about his normal life in Cambridge, MA when he is suddenly summoned somewhere by someone who requires his expertise in Symbology and Cryptology. When he arrives, he is taken on a whirlwind of an adventure into unseen worlds. Along the way there is a female that becomes a companion for the journey, and a sinister villain with an agenda and a countdown.

Pretty much the same idea for all three books, right? Well it's not so much how the story goes and if it was repetitious in it's format that makes it successful. The impressive thing to me is how much research Dan Brown does in order to write these books. He ties in renaissance art, history, and facts into one story full of suspense, drama, and triumphs that will not let you put the book down.And despite what I said earlier about the stories generally following the same patterns, there are enough differences that you don't even consider that as a main factor in rating the book.

I loved reading about Freemasonry and how it was tied into the story. We all love to read about the seldom told and somewhat mysterious groups of secret societies and how they are tied into today's world. I know that there were a few things that weren't entirely accurate with the Freemasons either, but what it did was get me interested in studying about the Freemasons myself to sort through and play the 'Fact or Fiction' game. It's difficult to know one from the other because there are a few types of Freemasons that all slightly differ from each other. I think Dan Brown did a great job with the subject, and gave it as much respect as possible. He realizes how delicate the subject is, and I finished the book with a very positive feeling about Freemasons and what they stand for.

It was interesting to connect a few points of the book with Mormons. There are various parts of the book that I connected with spiritually, but I will share this one in particular to give an example. The rotunda of the Capital Building features a piece of art called "Apotheosis of Washington". Apotheosis comes from the Greek word "apotheoun" which means "to deify", not to be mixed up with the word "defy". Deify literally comes from the word "deity", which means God. The painting was of George Washington's literal transformation from Man to God. Mormons one of the only christian sects that believes that doctrine (except for a few Mormon break-offs). There are many more points from the book that stand out in-mind with similar significance.

Overall, I would give it Five Stars. It intrigued and inspired me to dig deeper about the subject. I was fascinated with both it's sstory and content.