My first time. I’ve heard of Milaca Unclaimed Freight before, but don’t pass that direction often enough to think about making the stop. Next time, it’s on the agenda.
Take along your patience and resistance. The aisles are narrow and crowded. But if you take your time, you’ll be surprised at what you’ll come across – often at decent prices, once in awhile a terrific bargain.
I don’t think you can go looking for something too specific. Instead, approach it like an upscale garage sale, but new stuff. There’s food, hardware, toys, cleaning products, vitamins, paper goods, kitchen utensils, fishing equipment, clothes, towels, etc., etc., etc. – and a huge furniture department.
I was more proud of what I resisted than what I did get. Best surprise of all: guessing our full cart to check out at $225, but it barely cracked $100.
Mouth-watering Omaha Steaks
Friday, April 4, 2014
Friday, March 28, 2014
Book review: 'No Shortcuts to the Top'
“No Shortcuts to the Top” is not a book about a single expedition but an autobiography of climber Ed Viesturs (pub. 2006). He was, of course, the first American to climb all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks in the world without using bottled oxygen.
You can accomplish something like that, he explains, by breaking such a large goal into small pieces. Sometimes it’s as small as trying to reach the rock 40 feet away. “It’s only by nibbling away at those immense distances that you can achieve the whole,” he wrote.
As with any mountain, a frequent question is “Why?”
He answers: “There’s an immense pleasure in getting all this business down to a science, in carrying out the climb of an 8,000er as efficiently and safely as humanly possible. And there is nothing else in life like getting to the summit. What’s more, I’ve always felt that the greater the challenge, the greater the reward.”
Viesturs also spends several pages going into detail about what a mountain climbers wears and carries, as well as the day-to-day drudgery of a long expedition – details I haven’t seen explained in other mountain books.
Viesturs also played a part in helping keep the 1996 Everest disaster from being worse than it was. (Unrelated but interesting, he got married shortly before that Everest trip.)
That particular venture was part of making an IMAX film with David Breashears, a laborious task with heavy equipment made even more difficult at altitude. There’s a nice little reference to having to re-shoot a short segment, referred to as “the highest take two in the world.”
At another point, Viesturs gives a good explanation of altitude’s effects on the body. In his case, besides a strong work ethic, testing determined that he was very high on the scale of being able to function in thin air with little oxygen, plus having a larger than normal lung capacity.
Stats time (I like stats): We hear about the famous mountains but Viesturs point out the ratio of climbers who reached a summit to the number of climbers who died, through 2003, was 7:1 on Everest, 3:1 on K2, and only 2:1 on Annapurna.
Annapurna was Viesturs’ last of the 14 big ones to successfully climb, and it took a couple attempts. Reaching that summit with partner Veikka Gustafsson, “We hugged each other hard. I couldn’t speak, I was so choked up. But I didn’t have the emotional flood I’d expected . . . (we) sat there for long moments, as I tried to comprehend that my dream of eighteen years had at last come true.”
He did it, in small pieces at a time. And then in true Viesturs fashion: “The climb of Annapurna was only half over. Never had getting down been more mandatory.”
One more interesting point from the book is a short discussion of how the Internet became a part of mountain climbing. Some 50 years earlier, it could be as much as two weeks before news of a climber reaching a summit made it back to the general population. Now, it’s possible to monitor expeditions with constant updates sent right from the mountain itself.
You can accomplish something like that, he explains, by breaking such a large goal into small pieces. Sometimes it’s as small as trying to reach the rock 40 feet away. “It’s only by nibbling away at those immense distances that you can achieve the whole,” he wrote.
As with any mountain, a frequent question is “Why?”
He answers: “There’s an immense pleasure in getting all this business down to a science, in carrying out the climb of an 8,000er as efficiently and safely as humanly possible. And there is nothing else in life like getting to the summit. What’s more, I’ve always felt that the greater the challenge, the greater the reward.”
Viesturs also spends several pages going into detail about what a mountain climbers wears and carries, as well as the day-to-day drudgery of a long expedition – details I haven’t seen explained in other mountain books.
Viesturs also played a part in helping keep the 1996 Everest disaster from being worse than it was. (Unrelated but interesting, he got married shortly before that Everest trip.)
That particular venture was part of making an IMAX film with David Breashears, a laborious task with heavy equipment made even more difficult at altitude. There’s a nice little reference to having to re-shoot a short segment, referred to as “the highest take two in the world.”
At another point, Viesturs gives a good explanation of altitude’s effects on the body. In his case, besides a strong work ethic, testing determined that he was very high on the scale of being able to function in thin air with little oxygen, plus having a larger than normal lung capacity.
Stats time (I like stats): We hear about the famous mountains but Viesturs point out the ratio of climbers who reached a summit to the number of climbers who died, through 2003, was 7:1 on Everest, 3:1 on K2, and only 2:1 on Annapurna.
Annapurna was Viesturs’ last of the 14 big ones to successfully climb, and it took a couple attempts. Reaching that summit with partner Veikka Gustafsson, “We hugged each other hard. I couldn’t speak, I was so choked up. But I didn’t have the emotional flood I’d expected . . . (we) sat there for long moments, as I tried to comprehend that my dream of eighteen years had at last come true.”
He did it, in small pieces at a time. And then in true Viesturs fashion: “The climb of Annapurna was only half over. Never had getting down been more mandatory.”
One more interesting point from the book is a short discussion of how the Internet became a part of mountain climbing. Some 50 years earlier, it could be as much as two weeks before news of a climber reaching a summit made it back to the general population. Now, it’s possible to monitor expeditions with constant updates sent right from the mountain itself.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Proposal: simplify income taxes
Part of our SPARE TIME gets taken away doing things like filing income tax returns.
Instead of the cumbersome process of tax filing in place, it would be so much more efficient if everything was reduced to the equivalent of the 1040-EZ form, which takes only a few minutes to breeze through.
Simply, what was the income? Then look up the tax from the table.
If it was that easy, most citizens could handle filing their own returns, either electronically or on paper.
This would, of course, wipe out the entire tax preparation industry, but look how much it would save the government itself. Instead of trying to enforce all the obscure details, the IRS could simply look at the bottom lines.
So many fewer forms to deal with. So many fewer opportunities for cheating or errors. So many fewer problems.
How much did you make? Send most of it in.
Instead of the cumbersome process of tax filing in place, it would be so much more efficient if everything was reduced to the equivalent of the 1040-EZ form, which takes only a few minutes to breeze through.
Simply, what was the income? Then look up the tax from the table.
If it was that easy, most citizens could handle filing their own returns, either electronically or on paper.
This would, of course, wipe out the entire tax preparation industry, but look how much it would save the government itself. Instead of trying to enforce all the obscure details, the IRS could simply look at the bottom lines.
So many fewer forms to deal with. So many fewer opportunities for cheating or errors. So many fewer problems.
How much did you make? Send most of it in.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
High school sports: sportsmanship
Hopkins got a lot of attention during last week’s state basketball tournament, first for using slow-down tactics in overtime and then for questionable sportsmanship afterward. Several players removed their second-place medals immediately after receiving them following a loss in the Class AAAA title game.
While sportsmanship needs to be taught and promoted, I often wince at the forced sportsmanship before or after playoff games as the players are required to go through a pre-determined ceremony. Sometimes it’s captains reading a script before a game. Afterwards, it’s one player from the other team coming forward to shake hands as medals are handed out. Some pre-game announcements go on and on and on.
It’s too bad that in our society so many people have to be reminded to do what’s right and act appropriately. That includes fans, sometimes even more so than the participants.
Once in awhile, though, we are treated to genuine acts of true sportsmanship.
I recall a high school football playoff game many years ago between two rival teams from neighboring towns. It was a hard-fought, competitive contest and in the end, the upset did not occur as the favorite pulled away at the end.
In those days, awards were simply a trophy to each team, no individual medals.
But I still clearly remember that as the championship trophy was awarded, the players on the other team – losers on the scoreboard only – stood and applauded.
It was a spontaneous, honest display of respect and sportsmanship at the highest level – not expected, required, or planned in advance.
When players are able to step up and show that kind of character, we are all better for it.
While sportsmanship needs to be taught and promoted, I often wince at the forced sportsmanship before or after playoff games as the players are required to go through a pre-determined ceremony. Sometimes it’s captains reading a script before a game. Afterwards, it’s one player from the other team coming forward to shake hands as medals are handed out. Some pre-game announcements go on and on and on.
It’s too bad that in our society so many people have to be reminded to do what’s right and act appropriately. That includes fans, sometimes even more so than the participants.
Once in awhile, though, we are treated to genuine acts of true sportsmanship.
I recall a high school football playoff game many years ago between two rival teams from neighboring towns. It was a hard-fought, competitive contest and in the end, the upset did not occur as the favorite pulled away at the end.
In those days, awards were simply a trophy to each team, no individual medals.
But I still clearly remember that as the championship trophy was awarded, the players on the other team – losers on the scoreboard only – stood and applauded.
It was a spontaneous, honest display of respect and sportsmanship at the highest level – not expected, required, or planned in advance.
When players are able to step up and show that kind of character, we are all better for it.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Movies: ideas from books
The movie industry seems to be a very low point in its life cycle. Attendance is down, ticket prices are up, and both of those have to do with, well, there just aren’t very many good movies these days.
Mostly, we get recycled scripts, sequels of sequels, and pretty much trash. How much horror, sex, or violence can you scrape together and put it on film?
That’s why I’m looking forward to Heaven is For Real coming out soon, of which I’m cautiously optimistic.
Books are often sources for movies, and although the books are usually still much better than the screen versions, at least they can provide unique or interesting story lines. If Hollywood needs more ideas, and sure appears that it does, here are a couple I’d suggest:
• Cheryl Strayed’s “Wild” (reviewed here) – story of a woman’s difficulties in life, followed by which she turned it around by hiking 1,100 miles alone through California and Oregon.
• “The Fourth Procedure” by Stanley Pottinger. Simply, the main characters on opposite sides of the abortion rights debate are put into circumstances in which their self-interests are deeply in conflict with their political/philosophical positions. I won’t spoil it with more; enjoy reading the book.
Mostly, we get recycled scripts, sequels of sequels, and pretty much trash. How much horror, sex, or violence can you scrape together and put it on film?
That’s why I’m looking forward to Heaven is For Real coming out soon, of which I’m cautiously optimistic.
Books are often sources for movies, and although the books are usually still much better than the screen versions, at least they can provide unique or interesting story lines. If Hollywood needs more ideas, and sure appears that it does, here are a couple I’d suggest:
• Cheryl Strayed’s “Wild” (reviewed here) – story of a woman’s difficulties in life, followed by which she turned it around by hiking 1,100 miles alone through California and Oregon.
• “The Fourth Procedure” by Stanley Pottinger. Simply, the main characters on opposite sides of the abortion rights debate are put into circumstances in which their self-interests are deeply in conflict with their political/philosophical positions. I won’t spoil it with more; enjoy reading the book.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Sports: basketball uniforms, part 2
High school basketball playoffs are in full swing, and the uniforms and accessories keeping getting crazier.
The latest trend is for players, and sometimes entire teams, to wear knee pads. Considering how rough the sport has gotten, it is a good idea. It’s just that in order for the pads to stay in place they are so long that coupled with the modern over-sized uniform shorts, they look like tights under a skirt.
This year, I’ve also seen a few players wearing headbands – not the typical sports headband, but the single-strand type worn by girls. Another player simply went the pony tail route. I guess if you need to keep long hair out of your face, following the lead of experienced female athletes is a logical choice.
So what’s the next accessory we can sell to our young athletes?
I got it – gloves! There aren’t too many body parts not covered yet, so gloves that will help you grip the basketball and be a fashion statement should be a big seller.
These would essentially be the same gloves a wide receiver wears in football, but there needs to some distinction so that an athlete would have to buy both, not cheat the manufacturer by wearing football gloves on a basketball court. That would never do.
The latest trend is for players, and sometimes entire teams, to wear knee pads. Considering how rough the sport has gotten, it is a good idea. It’s just that in order for the pads to stay in place they are so long that coupled with the modern over-sized uniform shorts, they look like tights under a skirt.
This year, I’ve also seen a few players wearing headbands – not the typical sports headband, but the single-strand type worn by girls. Another player simply went the pony tail route. I guess if you need to keep long hair out of your face, following the lead of experienced female athletes is a logical choice.
So what’s the next accessory we can sell to our young athletes?
I got it – gloves! There aren’t too many body parts not covered yet, so gloves that will help you grip the basketball and be a fashion statement should be a big seller.
These would essentially be the same gloves a wide receiver wears in football, but there needs to some distinction so that an athlete would have to buy both, not cheat the manufacturer by wearing football gloves on a basketball court. That would never do.
Basketball: state high school tournament
The state high school boys basketball tournament gets underway today. Even with four classes going at it, this is the premier event of the tournament season.
Basketball is a sport in which the casual fan can follow the game easily – unlike football which often is a jumble of players too far away to see what’s really happening. Basketball has enough scoring to keep it interesting, unlike hockey. And despite how good girls are these days, boys games are still faster and usually more entertaining.
High school basketball has one other key ingredient – actually one element that isn’t part of it: the shot clock.
It takes a lot more skill to work the ball around for a couple minutes and finally break loose for an open lay-up when the defense falters, than it does to get off a shot within a prescribed amount of time. It often ends up being a lousy shot, and means that the defense only had to play defense for a relatively short amount of time.
You would think it’s better for young athletes to learn to play defense for extended stretches so they have better skills and are well-prepared to go on to a higher level of competition.
Unfortunately, the higher level has a shot clock, so you don’t have to play defense very long there.
Basketball is a sport in which the casual fan can follow the game easily – unlike football which often is a jumble of players too far away to see what’s really happening. Basketball has enough scoring to keep it interesting, unlike hockey. And despite how good girls are these days, boys games are still faster and usually more entertaining.
High school basketball has one other key ingredient – actually one element that isn’t part of it: the shot clock.
It takes a lot more skill to work the ball around for a couple minutes and finally break loose for an open lay-up when the defense falters, than it does to get off a shot within a prescribed amount of time. It often ends up being a lousy shot, and means that the defense only had to play defense for a relatively short amount of time.
You would think it’s better for young athletes to learn to play defense for extended stretches so they have better skills and are well-prepared to go on to a higher level of competition.
Unfortunately, the higher level has a shot clock, so you don’t have to play defense very long there.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Restaurant review: fast food in Jordan MN
Passing through Jordan, the need/want/idea/desire/decision hit me to stop at Burger King for a meal.
It was just after 9 on a Friday night, not an unreasonable time, it seemed. In Jordan, the Burger King is attached to a Holiday station. The restaurant portion of the building was pretty much deserted. The worker who noticed us politely explained that the lobby was closed but we could get food by going through the drive-through.
As we were walking out, we wondered if we could drive through for food and then come back and eat in the lobby, since we didn’t want to try eating and driving simultaneously on icy roads. I’m sure it’s been done before.
Instead, we went next door to McDonald’s for a traditional fast food dining experience.
Thanks for reading this far, but do you really need a review of McDonald’s? It’s the same. Everywhere.
The only thing worth pointing out is that the portion sizes continue to shrink while the prices continue to rise.
It was just after 9 on a Friday night, not an unreasonable time, it seemed. In Jordan, the Burger King is attached to a Holiday station. The restaurant portion of the building was pretty much deserted. The worker who noticed us politely explained that the lobby was closed but we could get food by going through the drive-through.
As we were walking out, we wondered if we could drive through for food and then come back and eat in the lobby, since we didn’t want to try eating and driving simultaneously on icy roads. I’m sure it’s been done before.
Instead, we went next door to McDonald’s for a traditional fast food dining experience.
Thanks for reading this far, but do you really need a review of McDonald’s? It’s the same. Everywhere.
The only thing worth pointing out is that the portion sizes continue to shrink while the prices continue to rise.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Book review: 'Recession-Proof Living'
From the title, one would expect instructions about saving, investing, spending, and planning involving a lot of numbers. The author is Bill Wiese, who also wrote 23 Minutes in Hell (see review).
Instead, this is more of a how-to-live book based on Biblical principles that in turn will take care of financial aspects.
First, we need to be clear that eternal salvation is ours simply by accepting it through Jesus for the free gift that it is.
In the meantime, while we are still stuck here on earth, prosperity comes from obedience to God’s Word, Wiese says. He is careful to point out, several times, that obedience doesn’t mean being legalistic or performance. Rather, “We can’t earn anything, as it has already been given to us . . . The difference is . . . you are eager to please Him.”
The book is loaded with Bible verses and several examples of how Wiese “did the right thing,” often turning down financial gain, but was ultimately rewarded.
Tests are an important part. “One of the keys to success is to recognize when God is testing us or when the enemy is trying to steal from us. The tests from God are always to see what is in our hearts . . . We need to discern what is a test from God, what is an attack of the devil, and what is simply our own lack of knowledge or disobedience.”
Following Biblical guidance in how we think, act, and speak goes a long way in making this journey more pleasant and less painful. Whoever gives the most, wins!
Wiese summarizes everything into 15 concepts starting with “seek wisdom” and ending with “express God’s love.” Listing all of them here doesn’t do it justice, as a quick read is only a beginning; they need deeper understanding, and then the commitment to constantly strive to put them all into practice.
Instead, this is more of a how-to-live book based on Biblical principles that in turn will take care of financial aspects.
First, we need to be clear that eternal salvation is ours simply by accepting it through Jesus for the free gift that it is.
In the meantime, while we are still stuck here on earth, prosperity comes from obedience to God’s Word, Wiese says. He is careful to point out, several times, that obedience doesn’t mean being legalistic or performance. Rather, “We can’t earn anything, as it has already been given to us . . . The difference is . . . you are eager to please Him.”
The book is loaded with Bible verses and several examples of how Wiese “did the right thing,” often turning down financial gain, but was ultimately rewarded.
Tests are an important part. “One of the keys to success is to recognize when God is testing us or when the enemy is trying to steal from us. The tests from God are always to see what is in our hearts . . . We need to discern what is a test from God, what is an attack of the devil, and what is simply our own lack of knowledge or disobedience.”
Following Biblical guidance in how we think, act, and speak goes a long way in making this journey more pleasant and less painful. Whoever gives the most, wins!
Wiese summarizes everything into 15 concepts starting with “seek wisdom” and ending with “express God’s love.” Listing all of them here doesn’t do it justice, as a quick read is only a beginning; they need deeper understanding, and then the commitment to constantly strive to put them all into practice.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Movies: coming soon: 'Heaven is For Real'
Great news: ‘Heaven is For Real’ is now a movie, out this spring.
Simply, a young boy has a near-death experience and later reveals details about Heaven that he would have no way of knowing had it not been true. Everything matches up Biblically as well.
Hopefully, Hollywood does a respectable job with this.
• For previous comments, see this.
• See the movie trailer here.
• See the Heaven is For Real website here.
Simply, a young boy has a near-death experience and later reveals details about Heaven that he would have no way of knowing had it not been true. Everything matches up Biblically as well.
Hopefully, Hollywood does a respectable job with this.
• For previous comments, see this.
• See the movie trailer here.
• See the Heaven is For Real website here.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Anniversary: too much technology
In February 1983, Styx’s Kilroy put it brilliantly: “The problem’s plain to see: too much technology. Machines to save our lives. Machines dehumanize.”
Thirty-one years later, that rings true even more.
Technology does some tremendous things for us. But our smart phones also make us dumber – we rely on machines that we didn’t used to need, or even suspect that they existed.
It also gives us more obligations. Here is a list of the ways someone can already contact me, not including any face-to-face methods:
• home phone
• home phone answering machine
• cell phone
• cell phone voicemail
• work phone
• work phone voicemail
• personal email (2 accounts)
• work email (several accounts)
• postal mail to home
• postal mail to work
All of those require regular checking and responses. Now that I’ve ventured into Google+, Twitter, and Pinterest (but not Facebook), there are even more things to keep up checking.
Occasionally, there’s something interesting or of value, but mostly Tweets are like looking for seashells on the beach – there’s a lot of useless things to pick through. Still, the good “find” keeps us hooked just enough to keep coming back.
It seems like our SPARE TIME is being taken up more and more.
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto.
Thirty-one years later, that rings true even more.
Technology does some tremendous things for us. But our smart phones also make us dumber – we rely on machines that we didn’t used to need, or even suspect that they existed.
It also gives us more obligations. Here is a list of the ways someone can already contact me, not including any face-to-face methods:
• home phone
• home phone answering machine
• cell phone
• cell phone voicemail
• work phone
• work phone voicemail
• personal email (2 accounts)
• work email (several accounts)
• postal mail to home
• postal mail to work
All of those require regular checking and responses. Now that I’ve ventured into Google+, Twitter, and Pinterest (but not Facebook), there are even more things to keep up checking.
Occasionally, there’s something interesting or of value, but mostly Tweets are like looking for seashells on the beach – there’s a lot of useless things to pick through. Still, the good “find” keeps us hooked just enough to keep coming back.
It seems like our SPARE TIME is being taken up more and more.
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Hiking: indoors (aka shopping)
It’s been so cold outside that we have to be creative for things to do in our SPARE TIME.
Partly for fun, partly for practice, and partly because I have a strange sense of humor, I pulled out my MapMyHike app on a recent visit to Walmart. I always wanted to know just how big a big box store is.
This was a simple trip through pharmacy, automotive, a spur over to shoes for a pair of shoelaces, and a few grocery items. (By the way, the oil filter supply is still unreliable.)
Stats from the day: we went just over half a mile (.55) and it took 28 minutes, about 10 of which were standing in line at the checkout, so my app gave up on trying to figure the pace.
It also said we burned about 218 calories – how it calculates that can be a rant for another time.
Partly for fun, partly for practice, and partly because I have a strange sense of humor, I pulled out my MapMyHike app on a recent visit to Walmart. I always wanted to know just how big a big box store is.
This was a simple trip through pharmacy, automotive, a spur over to shoes for a pair of shoelaces, and a few grocery items. (By the way, the oil filter supply is still unreliable.)
Stats from the day: we went just over half a mile (.55) and it took 28 minutes, about 10 of which were standing in line at the checkout, so my app gave up on trying to figure the pace.
It also said we burned about 218 calories – how it calculates that can be a rant for another time.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Book review: 'The Mountain'
As a follow-up to Jon Krakauer’s “Into Thin Air,” we go to the other side of the mountain in Ed Viesturs’s “The Mountain” (pub. 2013).
In the Mount Everest tragedy of 1996 in which five climbers died, Viesturs was with a nearby group on a film project and assisted in saving some of those who did survive. He briefly recounts that experience along with several other trips to the highest point on earth, plus a history of some of Everest’s other significant moments.
In all, Viesturs calculated he spent two and a half years on Mount Everest over 15 expeditions. Maybe he made it that many times because of a sincere concern for safety. He emphasizes: “Reaching the summit is optional. Getting down is mandatory.”
True, because it is relatively common for climbers who reach a summit like Everest to die on the way down for a variety of reasons. Getting there really is only half the trip. It’s not uncommon either for climbers to come across the frozen bodies of those who have gone before them.
That said, the summit is still the prize. Viesturs: “Then, all at once, I realized there was nowhere higher up to go. I’d reached the summit of Mount Everest . . . At that moment, there was no one on earth who stood higher than I did.”
On the ‘96 trip after the tragedy, Viesturs recounts one of the hardest experiences of his life being passing the bodies of friends Rob Hall and Scott Fischer on the way to the summit: “On the way down, I stopped and sat beside each of them, as I struggled with my emotions. Sitting next to Scott’s frozen body at 27,300 feet, I couldn’t help speaking out loud to him. ‘Hey, Scott,’ I said, ‘how are you doing?’ Of course, there was no answer but the wind. ‘What happened, man?’”
On a brighter note, Viesturs tells about the American Mount Everest Expedition in 1963, a massive undertaking costing today’s equivalent of millions of dollars. But in those days, getting the first American ascent of Everest ranked not far below putting the first man on the moon.
Since then, of course, climbs to the top of the world have become a tourism boom with sometimes dozens of climbers reaching the summit on the same day as part of guided commercial trips. It’s actually an added danger to climbing that a popular mountain becomes so crowded that the slow-movers are an additional hazard for the faster ones.
Man keeps trying to up the ante, in finding new routes, climbing with less equipment, during a new season, or anything to distinguish the effort from what has been done before.
Viesturs tells of climber Erhard Loretan toying with the idea of trying a parapente in 1986 – a sort of wing/parachute device – to sail off a cliff to a valley below. Loretan reconsidered from jumping off Everest’s summit at the time, although the feat was accomplished a couple years later by Jean-Marc Bolvin.
Loretan did try the equipment in another setting and his description is priceless: “Between a flight and a fall, the only difference has to do with its duration. If you fall for a long time, it’s a flight. If you fly only briefly, it’s a fall.”
In the Mount Everest tragedy of 1996 in which five climbers died, Viesturs was with a nearby group on a film project and assisted in saving some of those who did survive. He briefly recounts that experience along with several other trips to the highest point on earth, plus a history of some of Everest’s other significant moments.
In all, Viesturs calculated he spent two and a half years on Mount Everest over 15 expeditions. Maybe he made it that many times because of a sincere concern for safety. He emphasizes: “Reaching the summit is optional. Getting down is mandatory.”
True, because it is relatively common for climbers who reach a summit like Everest to die on the way down for a variety of reasons. Getting there really is only half the trip. It’s not uncommon either for climbers to come across the frozen bodies of those who have gone before them.
That said, the summit is still the prize. Viesturs: “Then, all at once, I realized there was nowhere higher up to go. I’d reached the summit of Mount Everest . . . At that moment, there was no one on earth who stood higher than I did.”
On the ‘96 trip after the tragedy, Viesturs recounts one of the hardest experiences of his life being passing the bodies of friends Rob Hall and Scott Fischer on the way to the summit: “On the way down, I stopped and sat beside each of them, as I struggled with my emotions. Sitting next to Scott’s frozen body at 27,300 feet, I couldn’t help speaking out loud to him. ‘Hey, Scott,’ I said, ‘how are you doing?’ Of course, there was no answer but the wind. ‘What happened, man?’”
On a brighter note, Viesturs tells about the American Mount Everest Expedition in 1963, a massive undertaking costing today’s equivalent of millions of dollars. But in those days, getting the first American ascent of Everest ranked not far below putting the first man on the moon.
Since then, of course, climbs to the top of the world have become a tourism boom with sometimes dozens of climbers reaching the summit on the same day as part of guided commercial trips. It’s actually an added danger to climbing that a popular mountain becomes so crowded that the slow-movers are an additional hazard for the faster ones.
Man keeps trying to up the ante, in finding new routes, climbing with less equipment, during a new season, or anything to distinguish the effort from what has been done before.
Viesturs tells of climber Erhard Loretan toying with the idea of trying a parapente in 1986 – a sort of wing/parachute device – to sail off a cliff to a valley below. Loretan reconsidered from jumping off Everest’s summit at the time, although the feat was accomplished a couple years later by Jean-Marc Bolvin.
Loretan did try the equipment in another setting and his description is priceless: “Between a flight and a fall, the only difference has to do with its duration. If you fall for a long time, it’s a flight. If you fly only briefly, it’s a fall.”
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Olympics: let the games begin
Great athletes, in virtually every sport, make difficult athletic feats look easy.
That’s probably why every other year the Olympics takes over our tv and our time, with sports that we otherwise don’t care about, or didn’t even remember existed.
This year, figure skating is one that gets the most prime time coverage. Two things I marvel at are this:
1. how the announcers, and judges, can see such detail in a person spinning around three or so times, as to precisely and instantly know how good it was, or if not, which body part was every so slightly out of alignment. I pretty much wait to see if they fall or not; if not, hey, that was pretty good.
2. the doubles skating. These men are amazing. Just think how much strength it takes to hold even a small-sized woman over your head. Then do it on skates! While moving.
That’s why we watch the Olympics – to see people do things we aren’t capable of ourselves.
On the other hand, I struggle with the sports in which the results are judges’ opinions rather than easy-to-see facts like who got to the finish line first or if the ball went in the hole or not.
That’s probably why every other year the Olympics takes over our tv and our time, with sports that we otherwise don’t care about, or didn’t even remember existed.
This year, figure skating is one that gets the most prime time coverage. Two things I marvel at are this:
1. how the announcers, and judges, can see such detail in a person spinning around three or so times, as to precisely and instantly know how good it was, or if not, which body part was every so slightly out of alignment. I pretty much wait to see if they fall or not; if not, hey, that was pretty good.
2. the doubles skating. These men are amazing. Just think how much strength it takes to hold even a small-sized woman over your head. Then do it on skates! While moving.
That’s why we watch the Olympics – to see people do things we aren’t capable of ourselves.
On the other hand, I struggle with the sports in which the results are judges’ opinions rather than easy-to-see facts like who got to the finish line first or if the ball went in the hole or not.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Restaurant/hotel review: DoubleTree by Hilton, Bloomington MN
For years, it was the Radisson South. Then the Sheraton. Now it has the mouthful name of DoubleTree by Hilton Minneapolis South.
It’s the recognizeable building at 494 and 100. Towers they used to call them. Not like New York’s Twin Towers, or even the Carlson Towers in Wayzata. Just a single building that looks the same on both ends.
Longer ago, there was even the issue of the hotel building straddling the city limits boundary, which mean different liquor ordinances for different portions fo the building. That has been since resolved.
This was another occasion of a business event at a hotel including a meal function, meaning it’s not a true restaurant experience. Neither is it a full hotel experience, as I was welcomed to be on the property for the portion of the day I was awake.
Feeding several hundred people at the same time is a logistial challenge, but the staff did well in getting plates out as well as removed.
Maybe I’m softening in old age, but instead of joking about the chicken being left over from last year’s event, I simply enjoyed it – a heavily-breaded chicken breast with peach sauce, on a bed of rice pilaf acccompanied by zucchini. Actually, not bad.
My only gripe: understanding the guest speaker cost was built into the ticket, it was still $33 a plate, with no dessert! There should be dessert. For five cents, as the Peanuts characters would say.
It’s the recognizeable building at 494 and 100. Towers they used to call them. Not like New York’s Twin Towers, or even the Carlson Towers in Wayzata. Just a single building that looks the same on both ends.
Longer ago, there was even the issue of the hotel building straddling the city limits boundary, which mean different liquor ordinances for different portions fo the building. That has been since resolved.
This was another occasion of a business event at a hotel including a meal function, meaning it’s not a true restaurant experience. Neither is it a full hotel experience, as I was welcomed to be on the property for the portion of the day I was awake.
Feeding several hundred people at the same time is a logistial challenge, but the staff did well in getting plates out as well as removed.
Maybe I’m softening in old age, but instead of joking about the chicken being left over from last year’s event, I simply enjoyed it – a heavily-breaded chicken breast with peach sauce, on a bed of rice pilaf acccompanied by zucchini. Actually, not bad.
My only gripe: understanding the guest speaker cost was built into the ticket, it was still $33 a plate, with no dessert! There should be dessert. For five cents, as the Peanuts characters would say.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Football: not so super Bowl
Oops. The Super Bowl wasn’t very super, not even medium.
Unlike professional wrestling, the one thing the every-second-sponsored league can’t control is how good or bad the game is.
A check back reveals that Denver is no stranger to not only losing Super Bowl games, but losing them badly. In 1987, 1988, and 1990, the Broncos lost by 19, 32, and 45 points respectively.
There were a few other blowout games around those years as well. In the normal NFL game, momentum will often change two or three times. But often in a game with the magnitude of the Super Bowl – all the hype and scrutiny and waiting two weeks for it to finally start – if one teams gets a break and goes on a roll, sometimes it just quickly gets out of control and turns into a nightmare.
Besides the game, this year’s commercials were equally lousy. I conceded early in the third quarter when Denver again came up empty on its first possession of the second half, and turned on re-run of The Mentalist.
Up until then, only the Tim Tebow/no contract commercial even halfway appealed to me. Everything else ranged from bland to outright foolish. The one I was waiting for – the Full House reunion – hadn’t aired yet, so I still haven’t seen it.
Halftime went from rock stars with walkers to at least someone who is currently popular with someone. It was deflating to learn later that Bruno Mars will be in a movie later this year, which tells me his Super Bowl appearance was simply an arranged marketing campaign.
This was confirmed when the game analyst panel spent about a minute talking about Mars and how good the halftime show was. Anything more than a “Yeah, that was good” means it was also paid-for, and that the commentators were forced to comment as such – just another piece in the marketing toolkit.
Best tweet I came across referred to the NFL's tight copyright hold on the words Super Bowl, so that it has to be referred to as "big game," etc.: at least we don't have to call the World Series the "Grand Sequence of Games."
Unlike professional wrestling, the one thing the every-second-sponsored league can’t control is how good or bad the game is.
A check back reveals that Denver is no stranger to not only losing Super Bowl games, but losing them badly. In 1987, 1988, and 1990, the Broncos lost by 19, 32, and 45 points respectively.
There were a few other blowout games around those years as well. In the normal NFL game, momentum will often change two or three times. But often in a game with the magnitude of the Super Bowl – all the hype and scrutiny and waiting two weeks for it to finally start – if one teams gets a break and goes on a roll, sometimes it just quickly gets out of control and turns into a nightmare.
Besides the game, this year’s commercials were equally lousy. I conceded early in the third quarter when Denver again came up empty on its first possession of the second half, and turned on re-run of The Mentalist.
Up until then, only the Tim Tebow/no contract commercial even halfway appealed to me. Everything else ranged from bland to outright foolish. The one I was waiting for – the Full House reunion – hadn’t aired yet, so I still haven’t seen it.
Halftime went from rock stars with walkers to at least someone who is currently popular with someone. It was deflating to learn later that Bruno Mars will be in a movie later this year, which tells me his Super Bowl appearance was simply an arranged marketing campaign.
This was confirmed when the game analyst panel spent about a minute talking about Mars and how good the halftime show was. Anything more than a “Yeah, that was good” means it was also paid-for, and that the commentators were forced to comment as such – just another piece in the marketing toolkit.
Best tweet I came across referred to the NFL's tight copyright hold on the words Super Bowl, so that it has to be referred to as "big game," etc.: at least we don't have to call the World Series the "Grand Sequence of Games."
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Book Review: Sleep Well Again
Sleep is possibly the most underestimated, under-appreciated part of our day. Browsing through an assortment of books for sale, I came across Lisa Morrone’s “Sleep Well Again” (pub. 2012) and decided to give it a try. I was rewarded with new insight into a fascinating common activity.
For starters, the day starts at night. One need look no further than the Biblical account of the first day: “there was evening and there was morning, the first day.” Makes complete sense in that we are to properly rest first to get ready for coming day.
Next is advice for parents: don’t use something as precious and valuable as sleep as a punishment, as in: “You’re going to bed an hour earlier tonight!” Same as with writing or reading – don’t associate a good or healthy activity with the negative aspect of punishment. (Or like the cross country t-shirts: “Our sport is your sport’s punishment.”)
Experts say the average person needs a solid seven to eight hours of sleep each day, and make that 9.25 hours for teenagers.
The body has a Circadian rhythm on roughly 24-hour cycles, during which it undergoes numerous physical changes as it literally repairs itself for the next onslaught of wakefulness. Miss out on just two of those necessary eight hours and you lose 25 percent of the time that your body’s nerves are being fixed and tested to be ready to go for the next day.
Keep doing that and you quickly fall into sleep debt. Just like spending more dollars than your income, it is not sustainable and will catch up with you, generally to the degree that you overdo it.
Morrone offers numerous tips on preparing for a good night’s sleep such as lower lighting, a comfortable temperature, avoiding stimulation (noise and video) in the last hour before bedtime, and even doing certain things during the day to prepare for the night such as stopping caffeine intake early enough, etc.
Once in bed, posture goes a long way toward getting rest and even overcoming pain distractions. There are more details than we can go into here, but it is highly advised to never, never sleep on your stomach.
The book also has chapters devoted to dealing with physical and emotional issues that cut into sleep. If better sleep appeals to you, give it a read.
Good night – sleep in heavenly peace.
For starters, the day starts at night. One need look no further than the Biblical account of the first day: “there was evening and there was morning, the first day.” Makes complete sense in that we are to properly rest first to get ready for coming day.
Next is advice for parents: don’t use something as precious and valuable as sleep as a punishment, as in: “You’re going to bed an hour earlier tonight!” Same as with writing or reading – don’t associate a good or healthy activity with the negative aspect of punishment. (Or like the cross country t-shirts: “Our sport is your sport’s punishment.”)
Experts say the average person needs a solid seven to eight hours of sleep each day, and make that 9.25 hours for teenagers.
The body has a Circadian rhythm on roughly 24-hour cycles, during which it undergoes numerous physical changes as it literally repairs itself for the next onslaught of wakefulness. Miss out on just two of those necessary eight hours and you lose 25 percent of the time that your body’s nerves are being fixed and tested to be ready to go for the next day.
Keep doing that and you quickly fall into sleep debt. Just like spending more dollars than your income, it is not sustainable and will catch up with you, generally to the degree that you overdo it.
Morrone offers numerous tips on preparing for a good night’s sleep such as lower lighting, a comfortable temperature, avoiding stimulation (noise and video) in the last hour before bedtime, and even doing certain things during the day to prepare for the night such as stopping caffeine intake early enough, etc.
Once in bed, posture goes a long way toward getting rest and even overcoming pain distractions. There are more details than we can go into here, but it is highly advised to never, never sleep on your stomach.
The book also has chapters devoted to dealing with physical and emotional issues that cut into sleep. If better sleep appeals to you, give it a read.
Good night – sleep in heavenly peace.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Business: running the rat race
Took a field trip into the land of corporate America on a work assignment.
I normally don’t have to inhabit the land of multi-story office buildings, so when I do get there, it’s usually an adventure of finding my way and observing a new sub-culture.
This particular one starts with checking in at the security desk, and being given a visitor pass that lets you unlock locked doors (and most certainly records who and when did such unlocking).
The business meeting itself was straightforward, with the usual courtesies of a food/beverage table and a take-home promotional item with the host company’s name imprinted on it. At the serving table, I intentionally covered both ends of the health spectrum by taking a jelly bismarck and fresh fruit.
Outside the meeting, I stayed on the authorized route and wasn’t able to see the cages for the daily inhabitants beyond other secure checkpoints.
Inside, since we were close to the airport, it was entertaining to notice airplanes swooping in every few minutes. Property insurance must cost more by the airport, because if the planes are off by even a couple hundred vertical feet, there is a mess.
Like any guided tour, it was over at the appointed time and the participants went our separate ways back to our comfortable surroundings and old habits.
I normally don’t have to inhabit the land of multi-story office buildings, so when I do get there, it’s usually an adventure of finding my way and observing a new sub-culture.
This particular one starts with checking in at the security desk, and being given a visitor pass that lets you unlock locked doors (and most certainly records who and when did such unlocking).
The business meeting itself was straightforward, with the usual courtesies of a food/beverage table and a take-home promotional item with the host company’s name imprinted on it. At the serving table, I intentionally covered both ends of the health spectrum by taking a jelly bismarck and fresh fruit.
Outside the meeting, I stayed on the authorized route and wasn’t able to see the cages for the daily inhabitants beyond other secure checkpoints.
Inside, since we were close to the airport, it was entertaining to notice airplanes swooping in every few minutes. Property insurance must cost more by the airport, because if the planes are off by even a couple hundred vertical feet, there is a mess.
Like any guided tour, it was over at the appointed time and the participants went our separate ways back to our comfortable surroundings and old habits.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Restaurant review: Arby's fish sandwich
We’re into the season where you can find a fish fry any given Friday night without too much effort. It’s also the time of the year restaurants break out their fish sandwich specials.
Once in awhile, a certain commercial hooks me, and this time it was Arby’s 2-for-$5 fish sandwich special, so I ventured to the Eden Prairie Arby’s to give it a try.
I’m pleased to report that much like the commercial and photos, the fish actually does extend beyond the bun – although not really as much as pictured, but it is a decent-sized serving.
One downfall of fast food is that in order to be fast, sometimes they have to guess at demand and prepare items ahead of time. Mine obviously was made ahead because although served quickly, it was only barely warm instead of fresh-from-the-fryer hot.
The other catch: while 2-for-$5 sounds like a good deal (and it is, considering the usual going price), keep in mind that by the time you add a side item and/or a drink or shake, you most likely end up spending more in total than not getting the special. That’s just how the math works. They know that.
Overall, though, Arby’s fish sandwiches are a good choice if you don’t wait until Friday night.
Once in awhile, a certain commercial hooks me, and this time it was Arby’s 2-for-$5 fish sandwich special, so I ventured to the Eden Prairie Arby’s to give it a try.
I’m pleased to report that much like the commercial and photos, the fish actually does extend beyond the bun – although not really as much as pictured, but it is a decent-sized serving.
One downfall of fast food is that in order to be fast, sometimes they have to guess at demand and prepare items ahead of time. Mine obviously was made ahead because although served quickly, it was only barely warm instead of fresh-from-the-fryer hot.
The other catch: while 2-for-$5 sounds like a good deal (and it is, considering the usual going price), keep in mind that by the time you add a side item and/or a drink or shake, you most likely end up spending more in total than not getting the special. That’s just how the math works. They know that.
Overall, though, Arby’s fish sandwiches are a good choice if you don’t wait until Friday night.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Running: 20 questions
Twin Cities in Motion does a neat 20-question interview with people, so I decided to answer it:
1. Name: David Kolfax
2. Age: masters division (“masters” implies a degree of competency, but actually means “old.”)
3. City: western TC suburbs
4. Profession: middle management
5. When (or why) you started running: I’m in a vicious battle against Old Age, which I will eventually lose, but it’s nice to be ahead at least for awhile.
6. Best Run/Running Experience: Had a personal best time by over 2 minutes in a local 5k . . .
7. Worst Run/Running Experience: (continued from no. 6) . . . and still ended up fourth out of five in my age group.
8. Dream Training Partner: someone I can keep up with
9. Training Shoe: it’s worth getting actual running shoes.
10. Favorite Running Route: trails with no vehicle traffic
11. Favorite time of Day to run: get up, pee, have a cup of coffee, pee, and go out running
12. Pre-Race Food: nothing – can’t run after eating
13. Post-Race Food: bananas and Cheerios
14. Favorite Running Accessory: once in awhile, take my camera along
15. Current or Future Goal: would like to run a high-altitude race in Colorado
16. Upcoming Race: this year a mix of 5ks, 10ks, 10-miles, and a half marathon.
17. Favorite non-running activities: writing this blog
18. Mode of Transportation: why, running, of course, and sometimes walking.
19. Pump up Music: No music while running – I need to hear what’s around me so I don’t get run over.
20. Advice for a Brand New Runner: Running is cheap and convenient. Most people can simply step outside their door and start running, and other than having a decent pair of shoes, you don’t really need to spend much more unless you choose to. You can also make it as serious or casual as you want, and sometimes participate in the same events as elite runners and out-of-their-element couch potatoes.
1. Name: David Kolfax
2. Age: masters division (“masters” implies a degree of competency, but actually means “old.”)
3. City: western TC suburbs
4. Profession: middle management
5. When (or why) you started running: I’m in a vicious battle against Old Age, which I will eventually lose, but it’s nice to be ahead at least for awhile.
6. Best Run/Running Experience: Had a personal best time by over 2 minutes in a local 5k . . .
7. Worst Run/Running Experience: (continued from no. 6) . . . and still ended up fourth out of five in my age group.
8. Dream Training Partner: someone I can keep up with
9. Training Shoe: it’s worth getting actual running shoes.
10. Favorite Running Route: trails with no vehicle traffic
11. Favorite time of Day to run: get up, pee, have a cup of coffee, pee, and go out running
12. Pre-Race Food: nothing – can’t run after eating
13. Post-Race Food: bananas and Cheerios
14. Favorite Running Accessory: once in awhile, take my camera along
15. Current or Future Goal: would like to run a high-altitude race in Colorado
16. Upcoming Race: this year a mix of 5ks, 10ks, 10-miles, and a half marathon.
17. Favorite non-running activities: writing this blog
18. Mode of Transportation: why, running, of course, and sometimes walking.
19. Pump up Music: No music while running – I need to hear what’s around me so I don’t get run over.
20. Advice for a Brand New Runner: Running is cheap and convenient. Most people can simply step outside their door and start running, and other than having a decent pair of shoes, you don’t really need to spend much more unless you choose to. You can also make it as serious or casual as you want, and sometimes participate in the same events as elite runners and out-of-their-element couch potatoes.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Baseball: Re-play it again, Bud
Baseball: Re-play it again, Bud
MLB has announced major changes to instant replay and reviews for the coming season.
Best of all, they say there will be more replays shown on the video boards at the ballparks. That was one of my biggest knocks on Target Field, especially the first couple years. The routine pop-up would be shown again, but any play with even a hint of controversy was even’t acknowledged, videographically speaking.
For the most part, there aren’t that many plays in baseball that need to be reviewed. But because it is such a sequential game – every minor action changes the situation for the next play – it is important to get the calls correct so the game can proceed as it should.
The downside of replay is that it deflates the dramatic moment. In the NFL, if there’s a crucial play that’s close, it doesn’t pay to get excited about it, because you know it will be reviewed and you won’t know for three minutes yet if the result is what you want it to be.
Baseball will now have the same challenge. But baseball is already a slow enough pace that pausing to get a call correct might not be nearly as noticeable an interruption as in football.
We’ll see . . . and then we’ll see it again.
MLB has announced major changes to instant replay and reviews for the coming season.
Best of all, they say there will be more replays shown on the video boards at the ballparks. That was one of my biggest knocks on Target Field, especially the first couple years. The routine pop-up would be shown again, but any play with even a hint of controversy was even’t acknowledged, videographically speaking.
For the most part, there aren’t that many plays in baseball that need to be reviewed. But because it is such a sequential game – every minor action changes the situation for the next play – it is important to get the calls correct so the game can proceed as it should.
The downside of replay is that it deflates the dramatic moment. In the NFL, if there’s a crucial play that’s close, it doesn’t pay to get excited about it, because you know it will be reviewed and you won’t know for three minutes yet if the result is what you want it to be.
Baseball will now have the same challenge. But baseball is already a slow enough pace that pausing to get a call correct might not be nearly as noticeable an interruption as in football.
We’ll see . . . and then we’ll see it again.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Winter: snow business
What do Minnesota residents do during winter?
Shovel snow.
Maybe it was the wind pattern, but this weekend was the biggest snowfall/drift of the season so far in our 100-foot driveway. Yes, moving snow from one place to another place 20 feet away takes up a lot of our SPARE TIME that we could be better using on recreation.
Every man gets snowed upon equally, regardless of age, race, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, etc. There are no protected classes from winter weather. Even the wealthy get cold and snowed on.
I [heart] my snowblower!
Shovel snow.
Maybe it was the wind pattern, but this weekend was the biggest snowfall/drift of the season so far in our 100-foot driveway. Yes, moving snow from one place to another place 20 feet away takes up a lot of our SPARE TIME that we could be better using on recreation.
Every man gets snowed upon equally, regardless of age, race, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, etc. There are no protected classes from winter weather. Even the wealthy get cold and snowed on.
I [heart] my snowblower!
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Holiday recipe: integrated sandwiches
This actually happened about 15 years ago. I was making my lunch for the next day and we were low on bread, so to be silly, I grabbed one slice of rye bread and one slice of white bread for a sandwich.
It was only at lunchtime the next day I realized it was Martin Luther King Jr. Day – thus my integrated sandwiches recipes was born, accidentally.
It tasted fine. The original was made with ham, but it can be with any type of sandwich filling – egg salad, peanut butter/jelly, any kind of meat, etc.
It was only at lunchtime the next day I realized it was Martin Luther King Jr. Day – thus my integrated sandwiches recipes was born, accidentally.
It tasted fine. The original was made with ham, but it can be with any type of sandwich filling – egg salad, peanut butter/jelly, any kind of meat, etc.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Book review: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
"Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail" by Cheryl Strayed (pub. 2012).
The name Strayed, as it turns out, is a chosen monikor after a divorce, that the author found fitting as one who went away from the common path.
Coming from a family with an abusive father, she was very attached to her mother. And when Strayed’s mom died in her mid-40s from cancer, it turned Strayed’s life upside down for several years.
Her answer was to hike 1,100 miles by herself on the Pacific Crest Trail, covering most of the distance through California and Oregon.
It was hard: “I stopped in my tracks when the thought came into my mind that hiking the PCT was the hardest thing I’d ever done . . . Watching my mother die and having to live without her, that was the hardest things I’d ever done . . . But hiking the PCT was had in a different way. In a way, it made the other hardest things the tiniest bit less hard.”
It was monotonous: "There wasn’t a day on the trail when monotony didn’t ultimately win out, when the only thing to think about was whatever was the physically hardest.”
Fear? “It was a deal I made with myself months before . . . Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story . . . I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave . . .Insisting on this story was a form of mind control, but for the most part, it worked . . . And it wasn’t long before I actually wasn’t afraid.”
And it was worth it: The last several miles “I seemed to float . . . buoyed by a pure, unadulterated emotion that can only be described as joy.”
The entire hike was a conquering, cleansing, and much-need life-changing experience. And an interesting story about the events, characters, and situations along the way.
I read the book because of another review, and was pleased to find numerous Minnesota references, since Strayed spent much of her childhood here. I spent a lot of time matching up timeline and geographical facts.
-------------------------
I see that Cheryl Strayed will be in Minneapolis March 6 for a fundraiser for the Women's Foundation of Minnesota. Details here:
• Cheryl Strayed schedule
• Women's Foundation fundraiser
The name Strayed, as it turns out, is a chosen monikor after a divorce, that the author found fitting as one who went away from the common path.
Coming from a family with an abusive father, she was very attached to her mother. And when Strayed’s mom died in her mid-40s from cancer, it turned Strayed’s life upside down for several years.
Her answer was to hike 1,100 miles by herself on the Pacific Crest Trail, covering most of the distance through California and Oregon.
It was hard: “I stopped in my tracks when the thought came into my mind that hiking the PCT was the hardest thing I’d ever done . . . Watching my mother die and having to live without her, that was the hardest things I’d ever done . . . But hiking the PCT was had in a different way. In a way, it made the other hardest things the tiniest bit less hard.”
It was monotonous: "There wasn’t a day on the trail when monotony didn’t ultimately win out, when the only thing to think about was whatever was the physically hardest.”
Fear? “It was a deal I made with myself months before . . . Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story . . . I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave . . .Insisting on this story was a form of mind control, but for the most part, it worked . . . And it wasn’t long before I actually wasn’t afraid.”
And it was worth it: The last several miles “I seemed to float . . . buoyed by a pure, unadulterated emotion that can only be described as joy.”
The entire hike was a conquering, cleansing, and much-need life-changing experience. And an interesting story about the events, characters, and situations along the way.
I read the book because of another review, and was pleased to find numerous Minnesota references, since Strayed spent much of her childhood here. I spent a lot of time matching up timeline and geographical facts.
-------------------------
I see that Cheryl Strayed will be in Minneapolis March 6 for a fundraiser for the Women's Foundation of Minnesota. Details here:
• Cheryl Strayed schedule
• Women's Foundation fundraiser
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Sports: basketball uniforms
It just hit me: why doesn’t the NBA ever have games with throwback uniforms? (Or do they and I’ve missed it?)
You know, complete with the short shorts like from the ‘70s. Or is there something in the players’ contracts that protects them from having to do such a silly thing?
These days in high school, we now see players wearing long sleeves and tights to play basketball. And headbands. And knee bands. Shooting sleeves. Shooting sleeves worn on the other arm. Knee-high socks. No-show socks.
What other accessories can sporting goods companies come up with to sell to teenagers?
It’s one thing to wear a pad to nurse an injury, or even prevent a new one, but some of these styles are pretty outlandish – a scream for attention – like the fluorescent shoes instead of team colors.
Maybe the short shorts of decades ago aren’t so goofy looking compared to what players wear now.
Some of the baseball and football throwback uniforms are pretty awful. It sure would be nice to see an NBA team wear 1970s-style uniforms – just for one night, though.
You know, complete with the short shorts like from the ‘70s. Or is there something in the players’ contracts that protects them from having to do such a silly thing?
These days in high school, we now see players wearing long sleeves and tights to play basketball. And headbands. And knee bands. Shooting sleeves. Shooting sleeves worn on the other arm. Knee-high socks. No-show socks.
What other accessories can sporting goods companies come up with to sell to teenagers?
It’s one thing to wear a pad to nurse an injury, or even prevent a new one, but some of these styles are pretty outlandish – a scream for attention – like the fluorescent shoes instead of team colors.
Maybe the short shorts of decades ago aren’t so goofy looking compared to what players wear now.
Some of the baseball and football throwback uniforms are pretty awful. It sure would be nice to see an NBA team wear 1970s-style uniforms – just for one night, though.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
TV: 'The Sound of Music'
Yeah, it was over a month ago, but thanks to the wonders of technology (video recording), we no longer have to watch tv programs when they are broadcast; we can watch them on our own schedule (“spare time”).
That means I finally watched NBC’s then-live performance of “The Sound of Music.” Family members kept giving me strange looks and asking “You really like this?”
I struggled with answering because it was both yes and no. Every musical seems to have a superficial story line and hokey dialogue in between characters breaking out into song at odd times. That’s just part of the schtick.
But I guess it was because I knew many of the songs well enough from childhood that kept me watching until the end. The songs were familiar, but I didn’t recall the story line much, especially the Nazi references.
What is it about songs that people want to hear them over and over? A comedian once pointed out that singers can sing the same song for 40 years and everyone thinks it’s great, while comedians have to come up with new material every 15 seconds or they’re duds.
Anyway, I probably wouldn’t have bothered with Sound of Music if the producers hadn’t gotten a famous star – Carrie Underwood – as part of the show. It just seemed to be an appealing mix of old and modern entertainment, enough to get me to record it and watch it, even a few weeks later.
Hopefully, this project was enough of a success that there will be more similar programming.
Alice Cooper in Jesus Christ Superstar? Just a thought.
That means I finally watched NBC’s then-live performance of “The Sound of Music.” Family members kept giving me strange looks and asking “You really like this?”
I struggled with answering because it was both yes and no. Every musical seems to have a superficial story line and hokey dialogue in between characters breaking out into song at odd times. That’s just part of the schtick.
But I guess it was because I knew many of the songs well enough from childhood that kept me watching until the end. The songs were familiar, but I didn’t recall the story line much, especially the Nazi references.
What is it about songs that people want to hear them over and over? A comedian once pointed out that singers can sing the same song for 40 years and everyone thinks it’s great, while comedians have to come up with new material every 15 seconds or they’re duds.
Anyway, I probably wouldn’t have bothered with Sound of Music if the producers hadn’t gotten a famous star – Carrie Underwood – as part of the show. It just seemed to be an appealing mix of old and modern entertainment, enough to get me to record it and watch it, even a few weeks later.
Hopefully, this project was enough of a success that there will be more similar programming.
Alice Cooper in Jesus Christ Superstar? Just a thought.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Recipes: old-fashioned crullers
As part of the recent holidays, we enjoyed an old-fashioned treat: crullers.
If I search for them, some more elaborate versions come up. These, as my grandma used to make, are simple deep-fried dough topped with sugar. Here you go:
4 eggs, beaten
5 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. milk
add enough flour to make a dough like for noodles
Roll out the dough and cut into pieces, about like a large tortilla chip. They can be any size or shape you like.
Fry in hot oil for just a few seconds, turn over for a few more seconds. You can leave them in until browned, but I like them better lightly fried.
Remove from oil and place on paper towel, and immediately heap on the sugar. Again, suit to taste, but I like a LOT of sugar.
I also like to eat them as soon as possible coming out of the pan, or at least while still warm.
If I search for them, some more elaborate versions come up. These, as my grandma used to make, are simple deep-fried dough topped with sugar. Here you go:
4 eggs, beaten
5 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. milk
add enough flour to make a dough like for noodles
Roll out the dough and cut into pieces, about like a large tortilla chip. They can be any size or shape you like.
Fry in hot oil for just a few seconds, turn over for a few more seconds. You can leave them in until browned, but I like them better lightly fried.
Remove from oil and place on paper towel, and immediately heap on the sugar. Again, suit to taste, but I like a LOT of sugar.
I also like to eat them as soon as possible coming out of the pan, or at least while still warm.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Below-zero: been there, done that
The short cold snap we are coming out of really isn’t any worse or longer than what we’ve been through before.
Time has distorted memory somewhat, so I went back to the official Minneapolis weather statistics for January 1977 and partially confirmed what I had remembered: it was very cold then.
From Jan. 2 to Jan. 19 – 18 straight days – the low temperature of the day was below zero, often more than 20-below. Within that period, there was a four-day stretch when the daytime high temperature didn’t even get above zero, plus two other days that the high was -11.
I was only surprised to learn that it wasn’t quite as bad as I thought I’d remembered slugging off to college classes each day in an old car that miraculously started. I had been saying it didn’t get above zero at all for three straight weeks, but that stats let me down.
Also at that time, the United States was also in the midst of an “energy crisis.” Now doubting my memory, I think daylight savings time was started early that year, or perhaps even extended to two hours. Maybe that was a different year.
I also remember a four-day school week being imposed around that time, also meant to save energy by having fewer days that public buildings were at full heating capacity.
In going through this week’s cold spell, I again thought of the mountain books I read and how climbers will spend several days at a time huddled in a tent at high altitude to wait out a blizzard.
I know they do this by choice, and then realized most of the climbers I’ve read about live in moderate climates and subject themselves to this extreme only on expeditions. I then further realized that we also go through this by the choice of living here.
Time has distorted memory somewhat, so I went back to the official Minneapolis weather statistics for January 1977 and partially confirmed what I had remembered: it was very cold then.
From Jan. 2 to Jan. 19 – 18 straight days – the low temperature of the day was below zero, often more than 20-below. Within that period, there was a four-day stretch when the daytime high temperature didn’t even get above zero, plus two other days that the high was -11.
I was only surprised to learn that it wasn’t quite as bad as I thought I’d remembered slugging off to college classes each day in an old car that miraculously started. I had been saying it didn’t get above zero at all for three straight weeks, but that stats let me down.
Also at that time, the United States was also in the midst of an “energy crisis.” Now doubting my memory, I think daylight savings time was started early that year, or perhaps even extended to two hours. Maybe that was a different year.
I also remember a four-day school week being imposed around that time, also meant to save energy by having fewer days that public buildings were at full heating capacity.
In going through this week’s cold spell, I again thought of the mountain books I read and how climbers will spend several days at a time huddled in a tent at high altitude to wait out a blizzard.
I know they do this by choice, and then realized most of the climbers I’ve read about live in moderate climates and subject themselves to this extreme only on expeditions. I then further realized that we also go through this by the choice of living here.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Book review: 'Into Thin Air'
“Into Thin Air” – by Jon Krakauer (pub. 1997)
On Mount Everest in 1996, twelve men and women died on the mountain within a few days – the result of a storm moving in as several climbing expeditions were all trying to get to the top at once.
Climber-author Krakauer was there on assignment for Outside magazine to report on the commercialization of mountain climbing. Because of the economic tourism benefits, Everest and other popular mountains have become magnets for adventuresome wannabes who pay many thousands of dollars for guided trips to places like the highest point in the world.
Coincidently, with the Walter Mitty movie out, Krakauer twice makes references to Mitty types in this book, contrasting dreams and reality.
This is a fascinating work, with gut-wrenching honesty about survival and later self-doubt about what could have been done differently to save others (nothing).
Along the way are several deep insights:
• “Once Everest was determined to be the highest summit on earth, it was only a matter of time before people decided that Everest needed to be climbed.” Climber George Leigh Mallory explained it tersely: “Because it is there.”
• the mechanics of crossing the Icefall: “. . . the ability to tiptoe in mountaineering boots and crampons across three wobbly ladders lashed end to end, bridging a sphincter-clenching chasm. There were many such crossings, and I never got used to them.”
• Passing by a body and a half on the way up: “The first body had left me badly shaken for several hours; the shock of encountering the second wore off almost immediately.”
• Being a guided client instead of a climber, Krakauer observed: “the most rewarding aspects of mountaineering derive from the sport’s emphasis on self-reliance, on making critical decisions and dealing with the consequences, on personal responsibility. When you sign on as a client, I discovered, you are forced to give up all of that . . . a responsible guide will always insist on calling the shots . . . he can’t afford to let each client make important decisions independently.”
• While the toll of 12 deaths in spring 1996 was the worst single-season since climbing Everest began 75 years earlier, Krakauer later is able to look at the statistics another way: “The 12 fatalities amounted to only 3 percent of the 398 climbers who ascended higher than Base Camp – which is actually slightly below the historical fatality rate of 3.3 percent . . . between 1921 and May 1996, 144 people died and the peak was climbed some 630 times – a ratio of one in four. Last spring [1996], 12 climbers died and 84 reached the summit – a ratio of one in seven. Compared to these historical standards, 1996 was actually a safer-than-average year.”
• And finally: “Straddling the top of the world, one foot in China and the other in Nepal, I cleared the ice from my oxygen mask, hunched a shoulder against the wind, and stared absently down at the vastness of Tibet . . . now that I was finally here, actually standing on the summit of Mount Everest, I just couldn’t summon the energy to care.”
On Mount Everest in 1996, twelve men and women died on the mountain within a few days – the result of a storm moving in as several climbing expeditions were all trying to get to the top at once.
Climber-author Krakauer was there on assignment for Outside magazine to report on the commercialization of mountain climbing. Because of the economic tourism benefits, Everest and other popular mountains have become magnets for adventuresome wannabes who pay many thousands of dollars for guided trips to places like the highest point in the world.
Coincidently, with the Walter Mitty movie out, Krakauer twice makes references to Mitty types in this book, contrasting dreams and reality.
This is a fascinating work, with gut-wrenching honesty about survival and later self-doubt about what could have been done differently to save others (nothing).
Along the way are several deep insights:
• “Once Everest was determined to be the highest summit on earth, it was only a matter of time before people decided that Everest needed to be climbed.” Climber George Leigh Mallory explained it tersely: “Because it is there.”
• the mechanics of crossing the Icefall: “. . . the ability to tiptoe in mountaineering boots and crampons across three wobbly ladders lashed end to end, bridging a sphincter-clenching chasm. There were many such crossings, and I never got used to them.”
• Passing by a body and a half on the way up: “The first body had left me badly shaken for several hours; the shock of encountering the second wore off almost immediately.”
• Being a guided client instead of a climber, Krakauer observed: “the most rewarding aspects of mountaineering derive from the sport’s emphasis on self-reliance, on making critical decisions and dealing with the consequences, on personal responsibility. When you sign on as a client, I discovered, you are forced to give up all of that . . . a responsible guide will always insist on calling the shots . . . he can’t afford to let each client make important decisions independently.”
• While the toll of 12 deaths in spring 1996 was the worst single-season since climbing Everest began 75 years earlier, Krakauer later is able to look at the statistics another way: “The 12 fatalities amounted to only 3 percent of the 398 climbers who ascended higher than Base Camp – which is actually slightly below the historical fatality rate of 3.3 percent . . . between 1921 and May 1996, 144 people died and the peak was climbed some 630 times – a ratio of one in four. Last spring [1996], 12 climbers died and 84 reached the summit – a ratio of one in seven. Compared to these historical standards, 1996 was actually a safer-than-average year.”
• And finally: “Straddling the top of the world, one foot in China and the other in Nepal, I cleared the ice from my oxygen mask, hunched a shoulder against the wind, and stared absently down at the vastness of Tibet . . . now that I was finally here, actually standing on the summit of Mount Everest, I just couldn’t summon the energy to care.”
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Christmas un-shopping: many happy returns
Christmas is over, and that meant more shopping trips for people to return gifts they didn’t like, exchange things that didn’t fit, and buy other things they didn’t get.
We got by with only having to do one simple size exchange. Fortunately, the item in question was still available – nearly sold out; we may have even gotten the last one in the correct size.
Not exactly a Christmas gift, but I also ended up with my first smart phone. I got the basics down already, but like a complex video game, I’m only on the beginner level. This old dog still has a lot of new tricks to learn.
As my wife says, we’re still looking for a real “smart phone” – an app that does laundry and dishes.
We got by with only having to do one simple size exchange. Fortunately, the item in question was still available – nearly sold out; we may have even gotten the last one in the correct size.
Not exactly a Christmas gift, but I also ended up with my first smart phone. I got the basics down already, but like a complex video game, I’m only on the beginner level. This old dog still has a lot of new tricks to learn.
As my wife says, we’re still looking for a real “smart phone” – an app that does laundry and dishes.
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