Thanksgiving

So! This Thanksgiving break we decided that hanging around freezing-cold Provo was just soooo lame, and that a nice backpacking trip to warmer climes down south (Zion's National Park) would be most enjoyable.

We expected this:

Instead we got this:

And this:

And this:

But not this:

The plan was to stay three nights, but the backcountry ranger showed us the weather forecast, the most interesting part being a high of 17 on Wednesday. So we decided to skip out Tuesday evening. Even so, we got to enjoy a low of about 5 degrees Monday night. My camera's battery died that night, so Shtee will have to provide the photographic evidence after that.

Monday morning:

A tree:

View from Monday night campsite (Shtee's camera):

What we are looking at (seriously):

The end.

Update

Yes! I'm still alive.
Yes! I still plan on putting more stuff on this blog.
Yes! I know most people have forgotten about this blog.
No! My computer doesn't work yet.
Yes! I have some adventures to report on.

-Sam

The Verdict Is In, From A 3.97 Year Old

Kathleen: You have lots of hairs on your face.
Me: I do?
Kathleen: Yeah.
Me: Do you think I should shave them off?
Kathleen: Yes!
Me: Well, if you say so...
Kathleen: So!

The Glacier Lake Incident

Mid May. A day off, which we quickly turned into two. Three backpacks, one van, one tent and one stove (and some other things). It began innocently enough.













How were we to know the creeks would be flooded with ice melt? (Oh I don't know, Sam, maybe the snow still on the mountains, the temperature being about 60 degrees, the soaked trail, a season commonly referred to as SPRING...)


















The intrepid explorers cross a flooded beaver dam, two of them forced to cross in their underwear.














But what do you do if you can't find your pants afterward? Continue on valiantly, of course.







The end.

Sung to tune of "Song about Sibbie"

Don't you ever ever ever ever ever spend your money on a Sony.
And I will never ever ever ever ever spend...

Hey, what?? Where's that beat coming from?!

Using an employee computer in Copper Center, AK, pop 250 (hotel staff and guests easily doubling that). Heading back across Denali Highway tomorrow, after which I should be reunited with my repaired computer, allowing me to post pictures and things. Assuming, of course, they give me both enough time to sleep and do things of my choosing. End of post.

Pleasantly Surprised

Today, my day off, I decided it was time to get my computer fixed. The last time I attempted to get it sent in (it's still under warranty) I ended up wasting about two and a half hours with an Indian woman who simply would not accept that it was a hardware problem.

So I girded up my loins and prepared for battle. Claim numbers, warranty receipt and external hard drive in hand, I calmly explained my situation to the technician after navigating the call menu. I was shocked when he explained what was likely causing the problem with my screen, pleased when he told me no more diagnostics were necessary and thrilled when he asked for my address so he could ship me a box to send the computer in (for free).

It's nice to be pleasantly surprised.

Outlets! Popcorn! Pipes!

Greetings from Fairbanks, Alaska! For those who have no idea where that is, just find a map of Alaska and point at the middle! Being in the middle makes Fairbanks nice and warm in the summers and ridiculously cold in the winter. Never live here! Mom, there are outlets at shopping centers to plug in your car!

Thursday we went camping in Denali.













(We cooked microwave popcorn over a fire! Yeah!)

In Alaska, there are pipelines!

















(And no razor blades! Sorry Mom and Dad)

More adventures to come!

It's 4 am in Anchorage, Alaska. I just spent the last three hours trying to sleep on an airport bench with my earphone buds in to try to block out a comercial free country station and the lady over the intercom that reminds me every 15 minutes that it is a code orange travel day according to the TSA, and that security won't like it if I try to sneak liquids into the airport. Right now I'm on the second floor observation deck trying to chase the warm air that has suddenly left the terminals. The wifi on my laptop is broke, so I'm keeping myself warm by typing this out on my iTouch, which takes considerable patience. When I get into Fairbanks I have a reservation waiting for me at the Princess Lodge, where I plan on sleeping (warmly) until I get hungry enough to wander around town looking for food. I've already read my book (The Alchemist) and the battery on this is almost done, so I'll probably wander around until it's time to leave, check in and brave security again. Without bottles of liquids, of course.

From 0000 to 1111

Some people dissect dead people during lab. Others do titrations. In EE 301 we make little lights blink and count to 15. Hurray!

For lack of anything better to write...

... last night I had a minor concussion.

We were sledding at rock canyon when we (duh) decided we needed a jump. So we made one, 10 feet or so short of the sidewalk. Which was all fine and good until I went down, face first, from the top of the hill and landed with my head missing the sled and hitting the sidewalk. Cool! Anyway it hurt, but I never lost consciousness, no biggie. Until I started seeing little lights. And on the way home on 9th (which is a straight road) I suddenly became completely disoriented and had to pull over and let my friend drive.

I'm publishing this small tale of idiocy only because it was an incredibly interesting experience. Later, I noticed that I couldn't read words on my computer or my phone for several hours. I had trouble recognizing people's faces. And the whole time, I knew exactly what was happening, but couldn't do anything about it. Being sane and conscious while your brain goes crazy has to be one of the most bizarre experiences I've ever had. But if you want to experience it, I recommend illegal drugs instead of bashing your head in.

And don't worry, the symptoms were gone in a couple hours and I was woken up every hour last night to make sure I wasn't in a coma. Not fun.

Snowkiting

Just to prove that yes, we are dumb enough to strap ourselves to 12 meter kites on a windy day,

While it may seem that Mike and I have things squarely under control, let me stress that this is only an illusion. These short clips fail to capture the essence of snow kiting, which include me getting yanked into the air backwards and then being slammed on my back and dragged for some ten yards. And then attempting to get up, which happens to take about 80% of the time spent snowkiting. All for about 30 seconds of pure exhilaration, after which the slamming and fighting begin again. Its like learning windsurfing all over again...

I Can Understand If You're Jealous

I ask you, small attentive audience, how many people ever get the chance to pour molten hot metal? Very few, which is why I so quickly volunteered when the epic opportunity came.

BEHOLD MY AWESOMENESS!

And how were the castings, you might ask? Flawless, of course.

Thanks to Catalina Sanchez, photographer, and Manufacturing 282.

One Small Step For Sam...

Today I bought, cooked and ate rice. Never mind that on top of the rice was orange chicken that came out of a bag that came out of a freezer. Just realize that I may (possibly) have crossed the threshold of hating frozen burritos enough to prefer a (relatively) laborious cooking process to the microwave.

Don't hold your breath, though.

*To show Dad how Mike and I waste our time.

Untouched rough cut we recorded on a whim. We'll probably make it into a real song some day. The drumming is my foot against a sideways snare drum. Which is why it is sometimes off.

PS I know its long and repetitive. Jams are usually much more fun to play than listen to.

Wouldn't it benefit us both for you to sit by that girl over there?

Who is most likely to sit by me when I'm alone at a table (library or lunch) and all the other tables are taken? In increasing probability, and from real data:

1. Engaged girls (~10%)

2. Normal guys (~15%)

3. Really awkward guys (~75%)

Yeah. So either I intimidate single girls... or I'm attractive to weird dudes.

Some things just make life better

A polish dog from J-Dawg's with onions, banana peppers, jalapenos, onions, sauerkraut, and half a pickle is one of those things.

No, you're not hard-core...

Until you live hard-core.

Mike and I, playing until our fingers bled. Well, Mike at least. Also in the 5'x7' practice room was a piano, piano bench, snare drum and microphone.

Do you know...

"Do you know what happens to people who set about learning to skate with a determination to get no falls? They fall as often as the rest of us, and they cannot skate in the end."

-C.S. Lewis, The Pilgrim's Regress

Late night food for thought...

One Picture

One terrible picture. All that remains from an epic night at Brighton.

Have you ever...

Have you ever listened to a song for the 5th or 6th time (according to your best estimate) and suddenly you realize there is a part in it that is so shockingly beautiful and perfect that it runs chills down your spine and makes you want to cry, but you don't because there is a girl across the table in the library who would probably think it weird and unsettling? And after that happened have you ever noticed that when you listen to the same song later expecting a similar response it just doesn't happen?

Well, I think it only happens once. So I will now do my best to forget what song it was so it can happen again.

P.S. Taking the elevator from the 1st floor 5th to make a phone call reminds me of taking a submarine to periscope depth.