A very happy birthday yesterday to my little buddy. Lots of memories... More to come...

Changing gears

I bought a new truck today, and traded in my f-150. I really wasn't sad to see it go, even though it was kind of home for a couple years...
I put 130,000 miles on that truck in five years. It was time, even though the last thing I wanted was a payment. Now Lena and I have matching vehicles, white 2010 Toyotas. She has the Rav-4, and I have the tundra. We're like a couple a couple of old farts.

Continued Education

A man I was guiding the other day asked me what I went to college to do?

Which is a pretty common question, and the more and more I think about it, a very loaded question. The answer is... I'm not real sure. I guess because I could and everyone told me I was supposed to.

For a little while I thought I was going to change the world, after that I though I was just there to wrestle. Mix in a few extra curricular activities and you change your focus.

I thought I wanted to be a teacher, but that has been dramatically fading for the last five years almost to the point of oblivion. I have stumbled upon other jobs and a lifestyle that I love.

I look back at how I thought in college, and some of my views have changed, but not all. I still enjoy being around young people, and coaching fulfills that part. However, I have begun to doubt my enjoyment of teaching full time. There is too much to deal with outside of the marrow of the job. Politics and Parents make me cringe, along with all the enabling running rampant. I also could not tolerate a full time job in doors. Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking in the first place.

College was a place for me to learn and grow as a person away from my parents home. I don't know that I ever had a plan in the first place, even when it seems like I did for a little while. I think the best answer I could give is the truth. I went to college for myself.

I went to wrestle at the D-1 level. I went to meet friends. I went to meet... um... not friends? Girls, beer, new experiences, and of course... The Education!

I truly had the time of my life, and I owe my parents and coaches and friends for that.

I still am not sure what I want to do when I grow up, but I think I am figuring it out slowly. The same guy asked me if I ever thought about going back to school for another degree?

Yes I have, and even though I enjoyed it so much the first time, I would rather take a good beating than go back. Once was enough. I could never pretend to pay attention and care again.

I will continue my education in life, learning from people and my own mistakes.

getting humbled

Today I guided my first day of the season on the Missouri. I got my butt kicked to say the least. The water is really high and the fishing wasn't that good, on top of that it was windy. Thankfully, I had a client who was kind, patient, and fun to spend the day with. The river is almost 15,000 cubic feet per second, almost twice its normal flows.
I felt like finding a tall drink to crawl into and lick my wounds, but instead I took the high road and am trying to think positive about the next couple of days. We boated a few fish, but all in all it was a subpar performance on my part. I won't make (too many) excuses, but I wasn't able to do my job like I expect myself to do.
Sometimes we need to be humbled to keep us working hard, or at least that is what I tell myself. It was good to get back on the water, and it was nice to see some friends I haven't seen in a while.
Tomorrow is a new day. Hopefully I won't be eating another turd sandwich.

Update

After more than a year of B.S. our little minor subdivision was approved by the county. I am not too excited yet, because we still haven't bought the land. Hopefully that will be soon because that money is burning a hole in our pockets...
It seems as though spring might actually be here, but today it felt more like summer. I will not complain as long as it doesn't snow anymore. The light is staying longer each day, climbing higher in the sky until the solstice in a little over a month. I have never understood the irony of the summer sky. Even though the days last longer they seem to pass by faster and faster until it becomes winter once again. Never mind, I don't want to think about it.
Branding season is upon us here. We branded our big bunch last weekend and it was a great party. Lena even wrestled a calf, well kind of... she pretty much just held it down. Now we will continue to help the neighbors brand and be social butterflies. The best thing about branding is turning out the cows, no more feeding! Now its just a lot of fencing and harrowing hay fields.
I also came up with a new official job title for myself: Livestock Containment Specialist. Its better than "Fencer".
Fishing season is also here and things are gonna get busy fast. I start guiding a little next week. Hello summer, goodbye spare time. I am excited to get back on the water. It has been too long.
Lena and I are planning on selling our bridal palace and moving out to the bunk house at the Neal ranch. We want to save some money and pay down some of our debt before we build a house. All in all it is gonna be a busy summer.

mothers day

Happy Mothers Day! to my beautiful and wonderful mom. I love you so much and I wish I was home for dinner. I can't wait to give you a big hug.

The Cunningham's

I got a glimpse into the past this week while watching a movie with my buddies. I told them I grew up across the street from the Northern Idaho version of the people in the movie. It blew my mind how much I had forgotten about the Cunningham's.
If you want to learn a little about the people I grew up next to, I suggest you watch The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia. Prepare yourself mentally. It is crazy to say the least.