My buddy Jim finished his Peace Corps service about a year ago and ever since he's been traveling around the world. Just recently, he came back to the States to crash with his sister for a month in Los Angeles, CA. Since he was nearby San Diego and his birthday was coming up, we decided to meetup and go surfing at the San Onofre beach. We spent the day eating burritos, surfing, and chilling at a night bonfire.
I suggested that we take a trip over to Yosemite National Park. It sounded like a great idea so in October, I took a week off work, picked Jim up from LA, and we drove to Yosemite to do some hiking/camping 'on the cheap'.
Now let me say that I respect everyone's need to plan to different degrees; some people need to have an itinerary for every hour with reservations already setup and on the other hand, some people only need to know where they're going. Jim and I thought the same, we were the latter of the two trains of though and the only planning we needed was that we'd start driving on the 5 freeway to Yosemite.
Since I was going with Jim, a cheap ass almost to the extent that I was (and maybe even moreso), we knew that we weren't going to spend more than $10 a day. Since $10 a day for food and shelter wasn't a large amount, we knew we had to prioritize our needs; we needed to cover food, shelter, and fun with our $10 a day budget.
Shelter:
I had been to Yosemite National Park before and had stayed at one of the cheapest 'rooms', which was pretty much a canvas tent priced at $89/night in Curry Village. On my last trip, I was with some of my family (including some younger cousins) so I didn't hesitate on spending the money. Now, it was different.
For this trip, a friend from work let us borrow a tent for free (Thanks Sara). The problem was, where do we pitch the tent without park rangers coming over to give us tickets? We thought about pitching our tent out in a random trail, but knew that my truck would get a ticket (vehicles could only park in certain locations unless they had a wilderness permit).
The solution? We drove outside the park, parked on the side of the road, and slept in the back of the truck (although it was freezing outside). Despite the harsh conditions, we slept pretty well that first night. After that night, we got up early and registered a spot at Camp 4 (a well known spot for dirtbag rock climbers) where we were able to pitch our tent inside the park for about $7 a day.
Shelter - Check!
Food:
Being the bums that we are, we decided not to spend much on food. Instead we brought our own supplies. I had my camping gear (camping stove, pots, and fuel) and lots of food lying around the house; some clif bars, oatmeal, mac & cheese, and packets of instant noodles (the good kind - I spare no expenses when it comes to instant noodle!). Jim snagged a lot of smoked pork and chicken at his sister's party just before we left LA.
For meals, we would sit in the truck bed making our food while watching people walk by their cars. Instead of buying our food at Camp Curry, we shifted our food money and instead used it on what any other sane individual would've done; buy a beer everynight.
Food - Check!
Fun:
Our first full day in Yosemite, we decided to hike Half Dome... in flip flops. People advised us to start no later than 9 am. We started closer to noon and knew we had to hurry if we were to make it up and down that same day. We made it to the top (where its necessary to 'climb' up), rested a bit, and shared some of our spare water with others. The view was amazing. On top we met Godzilla, the park ranger lady who went around kicking people's stone shrines down.
On the way down, we passed by people who were already on the way down when we were still hiking up. We made it back to camp for our well deserved beer just as it got dark.
For the rest of the trip, we did a little bouldering, saw a bear cub close up on a trail, helped some German hitchhikers get to a far off trail (they laid on the truck bed hiding under our sleeping bags), met a hilarious French husband/wife, shared stories with an Irish rock climber over a campfire, never once took a shower, had farting competitions inside the tent, raced across trails, and incessantly made fun of 'punters' (tourists who spend a lot of money needlessly - for example, taking the bus tour through a trail)
Fun - Check!
After a week up in Yosemite while sleeping in a tent and hiking everyday, we weren't the cleanest of individuals (not to mention the farting competitions didn't help our cause). So on the way back to LA, we stopped by my first home, good ole Reedley! Even though Jim and I had our fair share of traveling the world, it was always nice to return home for a hot shower, a comfortable bed, and some home cooked food.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
The Insanity of Normality
I'll ask questions in the office about 'life outside the office'. They're not inappropriate questions, although I'm sure they are an absolute waste of time. It was a habit that I picked up from some friends and I'll sometimes ask "What if" or "Would you rather" questions.
Would you rather have super speed or super strength?
Would you rather live only in the US or live only outside the US?
I could ramble on and on. It's really to kill the time, but at the same time it helps me understand the people I work with a little better; I see how they think and what they value. A common subject is travel. People think it's insane to want to backpack and see new places on a budget.
I think it's equally insane staying in an office the majority of my life.
Would you rather have super speed or super strength?
Would you rather live only in the US or live only outside the US?
I could ramble on and on. It's really to kill the time, but at the same time it helps me understand the people I work with a little better; I see how they think and what they value. A common subject is travel. People think it's insane to want to backpack and see new places on a budget.
I think it's equally insane staying in an office the majority of my life.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Idealist vs Realist
I was just about to leave the house when I heard a shout come from the kitchen.
"William! The ants are back. They're in the trail mix." I came rushing in to assess the damage.
The ants were all around the kitchen, but mostly in the drawer where we kept a hidden stash of well sealed food. I sighed and replied "Ok, I'm gonna spray again" as I reached for the bottle of RAID.
Adrienne whimpered and complained about using the spray. I sighed again, this time with a hint of frustration building; I knew it was coming. Something as small as killing a few ants got us into arguments because our ideologies naturally clashed. Adrienne was an 'idealist' and I was a 'realist'.
To make it worse, we had this discussion before. The first time the ants came, I said I was going to get rid of them by going to the nearest supermarket, buying a can of RAID, and then spraying to kill. She complained saying that there was a more natural way to get rid of the ants.
I agreed and gave her a week to figure something out. A couple of ideas were thrown around, but no attempts were made to remove the ants. It doesn't matter how well thought out plans are if there is no execution. A week later, I sprayed and the ants died.
This time around I immediately sprayed. I heard the complaint again; it's poisonous. (Of course it is, that's why the ants die!!!) I argued that the amount of toxins were too small and indirect to really affect us, but were deadly to the small ants. All we had to do was open the windows, stay away, eat out for the rest of the day, then clean up. I asked again to find a natural solution, although I believe I can safely bet my left nut that nothing will be done until the ants come again.
The arguments are from the idealist versus the realist perspective. Adrienne has called herself the idealist and me the realist. I can kinda see that. A shining example of one of the things that we have constantly butted our heads on are our career goals.
I think a job is exactly what it is, a job. When it comes down to it and you need money, you need to put your ego and sense of entitlement aside. You don't have to be paid a lot and you don't have to enjoy it (even if you have a college degree); it's a job. It's not what defines who you are unless that is all you do. Now it could certainly be the opposite; you could love your job and you could get paid a lot.
However, it's usually not the case when you immediately graduate out of college and have no real experience. When you're straight out of college, you usually get to pick one; high pay or enjoyable job. When you get enough experience, you could be lucky enough to pick two.
Adrienne's an idealist. She wants both. I ask her to apply for all the ones she's interested in, but to remember that most of the time, it's either gonna pay well OR be something you enjoy. My logic is that since she's had so much trouble getting a job, she should start applying to more than her dream jobs. When she hears this, she gets mad at me for putting her down. I'll spare the details.
I admit that I might be wrong (and I really wish I am). Currently I'm in a job that pays decently and that I enjoy enough to stay at least another year. I think I got extremely lucky though. Adrienne also has a job interview next week that (based on the job description) she'll love and that pays very well.
Whether I'm right or wrong about how to pursue a job or how to kill ants... I don't care anymore. I'm just tired of it. I hate the constant arguing, the constant bashing of ideologies, and I wish there were a quick fix spray... but that's not realistic. I'll find a way to work on it.
"William! The ants are back. They're in the trail mix." I came rushing in to assess the damage.
The ants were all around the kitchen, but mostly in the drawer where we kept a hidden stash of well sealed food. I sighed and replied "Ok, I'm gonna spray again" as I reached for the bottle of RAID.
Adrienne whimpered and complained about using the spray. I sighed again, this time with a hint of frustration building; I knew it was coming. Something as small as killing a few ants got us into arguments because our ideologies naturally clashed. Adrienne was an 'idealist' and I was a 'realist'.
To make it worse, we had this discussion before. The first time the ants came, I said I was going to get rid of them by going to the nearest supermarket, buying a can of RAID, and then spraying to kill. She complained saying that there was a more natural way to get rid of the ants.
I agreed and gave her a week to figure something out. A couple of ideas were thrown around, but no attempts were made to remove the ants. It doesn't matter how well thought out plans are if there is no execution. A week later, I sprayed and the ants died.
This time around I immediately sprayed. I heard the complaint again; it's poisonous. (Of course it is, that's why the ants die!!!) I argued that the amount of toxins were too small and indirect to really affect us, but were deadly to the small ants. All we had to do was open the windows, stay away, eat out for the rest of the day, then clean up. I asked again to find a natural solution, although I believe I can safely bet my left nut that nothing will be done until the ants come again.
The arguments are from the idealist versus the realist perspective. Adrienne has called herself the idealist and me the realist. I can kinda see that. A shining example of one of the things that we have constantly butted our heads on are our career goals.
I think a job is exactly what it is, a job. When it comes down to it and you need money, you need to put your ego and sense of entitlement aside. You don't have to be paid a lot and you don't have to enjoy it (even if you have a college degree); it's a job. It's not what defines who you are unless that is all you do. Now it could certainly be the opposite; you could love your job and you could get paid a lot.
However, it's usually not the case when you immediately graduate out of college and have no real experience. When you're straight out of college, you usually get to pick one; high pay or enjoyable job. When you get enough experience, you could be lucky enough to pick two.
Adrienne's an idealist. She wants both. I ask her to apply for all the ones she's interested in, but to remember that most of the time, it's either gonna pay well OR be something you enjoy. My logic is that since she's had so much trouble getting a job, she should start applying to more than her dream jobs. When she hears this, she gets mad at me for putting her down. I'll spare the details.
I admit that I might be wrong (and I really wish I am). Currently I'm in a job that pays decently and that I enjoy enough to stay at least another year. I think I got extremely lucky though. Adrienne also has a job interview next week that (based on the job description) she'll love and that pays very well.
Whether I'm right or wrong about how to pursue a job or how to kill ants... I don't care anymore. I'm just tired of it. I hate the constant arguing, the constant bashing of ideologies, and I wish there were a quick fix spray... but that's not realistic. I'll find a way to work on it.
Friday, June 20, 2008
The disillusionment of self by the self as pointed out by another
Sometimes I like to think of myself as a patient guy. I like to think that I'm open minded and respectful of how others live. I like to think I'm not judgmental. I like to think that no matter how someone else lives, I can coexist peacefully with anyone. That was before I moved in with my girlfriend.
That's one of the many 'perks' about being in a relationship; your significant other will without a doubt bring you back to reality and remind you how close minded, disrespectful, and judgmental you are (especially if you're in an argument). Ok, maybe I'm being a little harsh; she's a lot nicer than it sounds here and to her credit, a lot of times I am all of the above. The main point though, is that being in a relationship has shown me sides of myself, both good and bad, that I never would have guessed were hiding in the deepest recesses of my personality.
One of these traits that I discovered is how much I can't stand certain actions or beliefs being superimposed into my life. I could spend the night typing out an epic list, but I'll keep it short and addressed towards my main concern - Money. Like any typical couple, we have our disagreements about our finances.
My philosophy on finances is simple; don't spend it if you don't have it. Sure I use my credit card during emergencies, but it should ONLY be reserved for emergencies. I've been raised to think that there's a certain disillusioned mentality out there that believe they can use their credit cards without needing to pay the consequences of interest and debt.
I'm on the other end of the spectrum and am exceptionally wary about using credit. To me, credit is this fake magic money that appears out of thin air. As a personal rule, anything that breaks the laws of physics and creates something out of nothing is beyond my limited understanding of this world. I try my best to stay clear of it. Credit will forever be etched in my mind as this evil plastic card that's ready to trade your financial peace of mind for something like the latest laptop, a new car, or a crazy night with lots of hookers and pounds of unadulterated cocaine. (Of course this isn't realistic, I doubt hookers and drug dealers accept major credit cards)
Ok, after reading that last paragraph, some may argue that I might be the disillusioned one. I admit that that statement is very plausible. It's true that I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of credit, but the result is that my credit card debt usually comes out to $0 at the end of every month. I adapt to my environment and I learn to be happy with what I have. Money helps, but it won't certaintly determine whether you're ultimately happy or not.
When I see someone living 'beyond their means', I have a hard time accepting it. Sure if it's a stranger, I couldn't care less how they live... but when it's someone you love, it's extremely difficult to see them digging themselves a deeper financial grave. It's even more difficult when they're so closely entangled with you that you become involved.
I guess if I were more open minded and not so judgmental, I could adapt and coexist with anyone. Well, I learned that I'm not like that; I really can't coexist with just anyone. I am adamant and unwavering about a lot of things, and finances is one of them. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to learn this about myself.
The reality is that there's a line that has to be drawn, and I'm definitely sticking to mine; I believe in living simply and within my means, even if it means picking either the hookers or the cocaine, but not both.
That's one of the many 'perks' about being in a relationship; your significant other will without a doubt bring you back to reality and remind you how close minded, disrespectful, and judgmental you are (especially if you're in an argument). Ok, maybe I'm being a little harsh; she's a lot nicer than it sounds here and to her credit, a lot of times I am all of the above. The main point though, is that being in a relationship has shown me sides of myself, both good and bad, that I never would have guessed were hiding in the deepest recesses of my personality.
One of these traits that I discovered is how much I can't stand certain actions or beliefs being superimposed into my life. I could spend the night typing out an epic list, but I'll keep it short and addressed towards my main concern - Money. Like any typical couple, we have our disagreements about our finances.
My philosophy on finances is simple; don't spend it if you don't have it. Sure I use my credit card during emergencies, but it should ONLY be reserved for emergencies. I've been raised to think that there's a certain disillusioned mentality out there that believe they can use their credit cards without needing to pay the consequences of interest and debt.
I'm on the other end of the spectrum and am exceptionally wary about using credit. To me, credit is this fake magic money that appears out of thin air. As a personal rule, anything that breaks the laws of physics and creates something out of nothing is beyond my limited understanding of this world. I try my best to stay clear of it. Credit will forever be etched in my mind as this evil plastic card that's ready to trade your financial peace of mind for something like the latest laptop, a new car, or a crazy night with lots of hookers and pounds of unadulterated cocaine. (Of course this isn't realistic, I doubt hookers and drug dealers accept major credit cards)
Ok, after reading that last paragraph, some may argue that I might be the disillusioned one. I admit that that statement is very plausible. It's true that I still have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of credit, but the result is that my credit card debt usually comes out to $0 at the end of every month. I adapt to my environment and I learn to be happy with what I have. Money helps, but it won't certaintly determine whether you're ultimately happy or not.
When I see someone living 'beyond their means', I have a hard time accepting it. Sure if it's a stranger, I couldn't care less how they live... but when it's someone you love, it's extremely difficult to see them digging themselves a deeper financial grave. It's even more difficult when they're so closely entangled with you that you become involved.
I guess if I were more open minded and not so judgmental, I could adapt and coexist with anyone. Well, I learned that I'm not like that; I really can't coexist with just anyone. I am adamant and unwavering about a lot of things, and finances is one of them. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to learn this about myself.
The reality is that there's a line that has to be drawn, and I'm definitely sticking to mine; I believe in living simply and within my means, even if it means picking either the hookers or the cocaine, but not both.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Tired...
I have the urge to move and do something different. Travel the world by scooter? Volunteer for Doctors Without Borders as a logistician? Move to South America and brush up on my Spanish?
I'm getting tired of trying to make a difference by just sitting in front of a computer compiling reports. Maybe it's just a phase. Maybe...
I'm getting tired of trying to make a difference by just sitting in front of a computer compiling reports. Maybe it's just a phase. Maybe...
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Pictures!!!!
I've been slacking on my writing... but hey, a picture is worth a thousand words and I've got plenty of pictures to make plenty of stories. I'll skip my normal dragged out style of writing and just make comments every few pictures:
William Before Hair Cut (I was going for the Homeless Guy Look - Success!)
William After Hair Cut
Although there was a recent death of a tri-athlete who got bit (and promptly died) by a great white shark in San Diego, everyone's still hitting the beaches. I got a chance to use my new (to me) surfboard and wetsuit. Hey, I know that some might consider it gross to buy a used wetsuit, but think about it this way: "It automatically gets washed everytime anyone uses it!"
Surfing uses a lot of muscles that I normally don't use so I'm trying to build up my 'spring up' ability by doing some pushups everyday. I normally do about 3 sets of 25 pushups. Despite the training, I have yet to stand on the board for more than a second. Thankfully Adrienne didn't get any pictures of me going under or getting smacked by my board after a nasty and unexpected second wave.
This is one of the older set of pictures lying around. Adrienne and I haven't gone rock climbing in a couple months and I'm really looking forward to the next time. I'm actually terrified of heights, but love scaling walls. (Climbing down is another issue) There's a great feeling when making a great dyno or figuring out a difficult problem. Here's Adrienne doing the beginning traverse and me playing around the padded bouldering section at Vertical Hold.
For Memorial Day weekend Adrienne and I decided to visit my parents up North in my hometown of Reedley. It's easily a 300+ mile drive one way from San Diego to Reedley. To break up the monotony, we visited a few friends along the way. We visited some of my college friends and even one of the our Peace Corps Trainers from the Kingdom of Tonga, who just happened to be in Long Beach!
It's always great to see my family too! :)
Gas prices are up, world food prices have increased dramatically ever since we started doing all this research for alternative fuel, and our environmental issues now include this giant plastic clusterfuck that's somewhere in the Pacific. Sure there's growing demand in India and China that's causing food shortages, but we're also to blame for creating this demand. Why?
Ignorance; we just don't think about the global welfare (just in case people didn't get the clue when we invaded another country for their oil under the false pretense of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism). Anyways I disgress. We don't think anything past the number at the gas pump. We don't think about the food riots happening across the world when families cannot afford the doubled price of $.57 for the pasta that's necessary to feed their families. Our gas guzzlers are creating this shortage of grain and people are buying gas because they simply can. I wish people would try to find an alternative means of transportation, EVEN IF THEY CAN AFFORD THE INCREASED GAS PRICES! Try public transportation, try carpooling, try... scooters?
Today I bought a Buddy 125cc scooter. It gets 90+ miles per gallon and it's orange. What's there not to like?
125 cc Genuine Scooter Buddy
Haircut Donation Pictures (Before and After)
William Before Hair Cut (I was going for the Homeless Guy Look - Success!)
William After Hair CutSurfing
Although there was a recent death of a tri-athlete who got bit (and promptly died) by a great white shark in San Diego, everyone's still hitting the beaches. I got a chance to use my new (to me) surfboard and wetsuit. Hey, I know that some might consider it gross to buy a used wetsuit, but think about it this way: "It automatically gets washed everytime anyone uses it!"Rock Climbing
This is one of the older set of pictures lying around. Adrienne and I haven't gone rock climbing in a couple months and I'm really looking forward to the next time. I'm actually terrified of heights, but love scaling walls. (Climbing down is another issue) There's a great feeling when making a great dyno or figuring out a difficult problem. Here's Adrienne doing the beginning traverse and me playing around the padded bouldering section at Vertical Hold.
Memorial Day Weekend
For Memorial Day weekend Adrienne and I decided to visit my parents up North in my hometown of Reedley. It's easily a 300+ mile drive one way from San Diego to Reedley. To break up the monotony, we visited a few friends along the way. We visited some of my college friends and even one of the our Peace Corps Trainers from the Kingdom of Tonga, who just happened to be in Long Beach!
It's always great to see my family too! :)
Scooter
Gas prices are up, world food prices have increased dramatically ever since we started doing all this research for alternative fuel, and our environmental issues now include this giant plastic clusterfuck that's somewhere in the Pacific. Sure there's growing demand in India and China that's causing food shortages, but we're also to blame for creating this demand. Why?
Ignorance; we just don't think about the global welfare (just in case people didn't get the clue when we invaded another country for their oil under the false pretense of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism). Anyways I disgress. We don't think anything past the number at the gas pump. We don't think about the food riots happening across the world when families cannot afford the doubled price of $.57 for the pasta that's necessary to feed their families. Our gas guzzlers are creating this shortage of grain and people are buying gas because they simply can. I wish people would try to find an alternative means of transportation, EVEN IF THEY CAN AFFORD THE INCREASED GAS PRICES! Try public transportation, try carpooling, try... scooters?
Today I bought a Buddy 125cc scooter. It gets 90+ miles per gallon and it's orange. What's there not to like?
125 cc Genuine Scooter BuddyMonday, May 12, 2008
Yum, beer!
When Adrienne and I backpacked through Europe, we tried as many different, local beers as possible. There's no point in traveling without experiencing the rich culture that each country has to offer (and by culture I mean especially their beer).
Now there's so many beers out there and so little time to try and rate each one according to categories from best stout, pilsner, etc. I wanted to keep my rating system simple. I rated them all on a 1 to 10 scale based on one factor "After I have this beer, would I want another?". This is a quick breakdown of the scale and my findings based on my limited time traveling:
1: Do not ever drink this again...
1.5: Drink Listerine for the alcohol% instead
2-3:Coronas, Budweisers, etc. (American Beer)
4-5: French Beer
7: German Beer
7: Guinness
8-10: Belgian Beer
Now Belgian beer won hands down. The sad part is... I wrote all the beer names in my little black book and I somehow misplaced this precious information! I forgot exactly what great beer it was that I had in Bruges, Belgium!!!
That's why when we went to a Belgian Beer Tasting this weekend, I was hoping that I could be reacquainted with the mysterious beer whose name has escaped me. Sadly, we did not find it, but still had a great time. Thanks to Adrienne for suggesting this! I <3 her so much :)
Now there's so many beers out there and so little time to try and rate each one according to categories from best stout, pilsner, etc. I wanted to keep my rating system simple. I rated them all on a 1 to 10 scale based on one factor "After I have this beer, would I want another?". This is a quick breakdown of the scale and my findings based on my limited time traveling:
1: Do not ever drink this again...
1.5: Drink Listerine for the alcohol% instead
2-3:Coronas, Budweisers, etc. (American Beer)
4-5: French Beer
7: German Beer
7: Guinness
8-10: Belgian Beer
Now Belgian beer won hands down. The sad part is... I wrote all the beer names in my little black book and I somehow misplaced this precious information! I forgot exactly what great beer it was that I had in Bruges, Belgium!!!
That's why when we went to a Belgian Beer Tasting this weekend, I was hoping that I could be reacquainted with the mysterious beer whose name has escaped me. Sadly, we did not find it, but still had a great time. Thanks to Adrienne for suggesting this! I <3 her so much :)
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