30 March 2007

A Tired Soul

I've always liked to consider myself reasonably in shape....that is I started reading crew websites of the hotshot crews out west to which I've applied to be a member of. Some of their PT regiments rival that of the military (more or less certain branches than others :-)). Never the less, I find myself rushing to try to meet, if not exceed, some of the goals individual crews set for themselves. You'd be surprised as to how much you learn about yourself when you try to do something that strays from your normal and every day routine. Needless to say, I have some things to work on. Today I ran my first fire working for the state as a firefighter.....sorta. We had a two acre field fire atop an old land fill in Sterling. No ground pounding or direct suppresion for me though. No sir, I was stuck at the pump panel of Brush 6 pulling levers. Oh well. I got to see some fire (grass that is) and I got to use my forestry gear for once so far this season. If anything that 2 acres got me really excited for what's to come in the future. I've slacked off royally in the past 3 weeks with my English class and I have so much shit to catch up. I can't afford to fail or drop out of this class so I'm actually a little worried for once in my life about my progress in a non-fire related class.

Inevitably, the good weather we have been experiencing has been beckoning me to get away from the city for a while. I decided to do a solo backpacking trip this weekend in Shenandoah National Park. What's great is I've managed to weasel into my mind that this trip is part of my "PT" plan. I have long since viewed the Appalachian as a place of refuge for a dog tired mind (my mind to be precise). I haven't been to Shenandoah National Park ever since I got hooked on the Monongahela NF. Subsequently, I haven't been to the Mon much in the past 10 months because of the distance so hopefully, going to SNP this weekend will rekindle that once steadfast spirit within me that kept me constantly on Rt 55 and I-81 trekking from one trail to another. As much as I enjoy hiking with those select few in my life I share such a past-time with, a solo trip is just what I need right now. The past couple of months, I've been bogged down with personal problems of so many different people that I really want to get away from everyone and everything and just spend time with myself and God within the land he created. If there's one thing I can tell any of you that like backpacking is to every once in a while, take a solo trip. It doesn't have to be incredibly outlandish or extravagant, just a simple little circuit hike where it's just you and the natural world around you. You'd be surprised as to how much you can rest when no one's around...

25 March 2007

The Road Ahead

I've finally found sometime to unwind at just chill after 4 days of working almost non stop. As a matter of fact, this is the first time I've been able to sit down in front of a computer long enough to even think about what to put in a decent post in this journal. For one, I started a new job with Loudoun-Fairfax Ambulance. Damn if it isn't an easy job. I can see myself working there for a while. I was afraid it was going to be as boring as it was when I worked at blockbuster but for the most part, at least I can watch TV or read a magazine in between the actual work I seldom do. To my surprise, my mother hired someone to do my taxes for me before I even realized that my W-2's were missing. I'm definitely not complaining after she told me how much I should be getting back.

I find myself meeting more and more people who manage to provide some insight on the things I want to do with my life. While at the station last Tuesday, I met a gentleman from Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire Department, who had spent most of his adult life fighting wildfires up and down the west coast and southwest. We talked for a few hours and I left the conversation with a new perspective on what I'm looking for in a job as a wildland firefighter. I still don't know what I want to do with my life. I don't know if this is a career path I want to take but it's something to fill up the next 5 years of my life that's for sure. I think I've stated it before but I like the idea of seasonal jobs to get me by. Shortly after my pops died, my mother put my name on the deed of the house so I'll always have a base of operations to call home but for the most part, I want to stay mobile and see where the roads take me and see what or where I could find myself. I've said it to several people before: there are some people I really don't want to forget and I want to try my damndest to stay in contact with for as long as I can. For the most part though, I'm ready to start meeting new people in new areas and see what the rest of the country, and hopefully soon, as well as the world has in store for me. Man, I can't wait for summer....

19 March 2007

A Great Day

Nothing makes me happier than a spontaneous trip away from here. Last night a friend and I made a last minute decision to go climbing at Seneca Rocks in West Virginia. This is how the time line went down:

0115 - made the decision to go climbing the following morning
0200 - went to sleep
0400 - woke up
0430 - left for Seneca Rocks
0700ish - Arrived at Seneca rocks
0800 - Met up with my friend at the base of the climb we were about to climb
1130-1200ish - Reached the summit after 4+ pitches
1330 - back at our cars after a few rappels
1600 - back here in ashburn at the firehouse

I am tired as shit but I've had more fun today than I've had in a while. After a long night of training and dinner, I find myself back in front of a computer looking up random things on the internet. I found a website online called 43things.com that allows you to list all the things you want to do, and people can click on the thing you listed as to whether or not they want to do it or if they have done it. I haven't had the chance to fully explore it but I sent the website to a friend of mine who I know will definitely get a kick out of it so hopefully I'll here more about it soon. Well, tomorrow (today) holds no work in store for me so I think I'll spend most of it at Sportrock and the rest in D.C. hanging out with my uncle. Until then, take care.

17 March 2007

One More Day...

Today, for some reason, I decided to look up travel fares for the few places I had been looking at for trips....primarily Iceland and Morocco. Thanx to an old friend, I found a site that offered $700 tickets for round trips to Marrakech, Morocco which is absolutely phenomenal. Naturally this got me excited to the point I started looking at things to do within a few hundred miles of Marrakech. Like I had said before, I've been mainly looking at that part of Morocco to surf on the Atlantic coast and to climb in the Atlas Mountains. I did, however, find a hotel in the Sahara that offered camel treks into the desert and a few nights in the desert in a Berber "hotel" so that became one more thing on my ever-growing to do list for life.

For some reason, I've never really been a fan of St. Patrick's Day. It's like everyone in the D.C. area uses it as an excuse to get rip-roaring drunk (now before some of you all call me out as a hypocrite, I get plenty drunk myself from time to time but I don't ever need an excuse for my drinking nor a single day where I morally excuse myself for whatever I happen to do when I get drunk). I don't know. Today is just one more day. I'd much rather just chill at the bar but instead I'm going to forgo going tonight just to avoid the hordes of people. Take care all of you and be safe.

16 March 2007

Another Day In Paradise

Once again, the infinite wisdom of our Commonwealth's department of transportation shines in the light of ignorance and stupidity as they don't even try to prepare for yet another predicted snow and ice storm. What's even funnier is spring is less than a week away...

Today, I worked at the HTO in fairfax to help with our annual spring clearance sale. Well, let me tell you that these goobers actually camped out in front of the store just to be first in line. And the fights! Oh the fights. Women fighting women, women fighting men, it was hilarious. Over a shitty The North Face jacket. Needless to say the day provided it self with some much need amusement. Despite the one manger Angie, I actually enjoyed everyone I worked with. I actually got to meet some cool customers as well which I was awfully surprised about. But damned if I'll ever do that again. I normally don't talk much about other people...especially online....but I feel sorry for anyone that has to work for Angie. I've never met someone that tries so hard to be so abrasive. Anyways, nothing new and special in my life today. Just another day in paradise....

15 March 2007

Kvað hæger ðu?

I hate sleeping through an entire morning. It makes me feel like I've completely wasted the day. As much as I like sleep, I like a full day of nothing to do even better. Tuesday morning (2-3 AM) we ran a pretty decent townhouse fire. Despite fucking around the southern part of Ashburn trying to find the place, it still went pretty well. I actually learned two important things on that call: 1) If I'm driving and my instinct tells me to go to a certain st, then I'm following my instinct and 2) If the streets in a 23 box and the 23 map books don't show the street, check the 6 map books for shits and giggles. Thankfully nothing has shown up on The Watch Desk yet.

Thanks to John Wall, I'm still looking to go to Iceland for a week. I'm actually looking at a few places to go for a week or 10 days for a vacation before I (hopefully) go out west. For those of you that didn't know, before I quit working for Fauquier County, John Wall convinced me to actively pursue a trip to Reykjavik for either New Year's or sometime after New Years. So I did what I normally do when I plan on going to a place I've never been before: I research the shit out of the place and usually fall in love with it because a) I've been there and b) it's different than the D.C. area. So while I was in my "planning to work in Antarctica" mood, I started looking at work visas, cost-of-living, and the night life for Iceland. I've even gone as far as buying a book to learn to speak Icelandic (Kvað hæger ðu?) and research their fire departments. I don't known. I don't see it happening soon (i.e. the next 2-3 years) but it's something I'd definitely love to try to do for a few years. Until then, I'll see y'all around.

Bæ!


13 March 2007

Infatuation

I never really considered the concept of infatuation a bad concept. For the past couple of weeks I've considered myself infatuated with a few people as well as a few places but I never considered that infatuation with being a "foolish, short-lived obsession" as it's described in the dictionary. It sucks that just as you're trying to move away from the area someone comes along into your life where you're all of a sudden infatuated with. Whatever. God will bring me closer to that crossroad when the time comes.

Another day in life. I came back to work yesterday after a two week hiatus only to realize how much I missed it. It's not often you work a job and truly miss it when you're away from it for while. Needless to say, I still need a better paying job. I found that I get paid $11/hr while working for the state which isn't to bad at all. On top of all that, I get reimbursed 48 cents per mile I drive and reimbursement on gas. Hopefully it's a busy season this spring. Back to yesterday. I've come to realize that my responsibility at the firehouse is beginning to increase exponentially. Between trying to get released on the tower, becoming an officer, dealing with the equipment committee, dealing with FIREHOUSE software, writing operational procedures (which I've yet to do), and now dealing with potentially serious personnel issues, I'm really having to start to change the way I act around that place which is really not a whole lot of fun, haha. Thank God, the equipment committee meeting didn't last too long because that's really all I could think about throughout the meeting. Going to KP's afterwards with Christine was probably the best thing that's happened to me all day.

I find myself more and more coming up with alternative plans to the primary plans I've set for myself for the next year. I'm toying with idea of doing GWU's Paramedic or Intermediate program next fall if I don't end up in Antarctica. If I do end up in Antarctica, I'd like to take classes through Oregon State University online towards a Range Management, Agriculture, or Forestry degree. I also thought about looking at degrees that would allow me to work as an Avalanche Technician in the winter (in case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm all about the seasonal jobs). I'm going to try to apply to the California Department of Forestry this coming November. I'm looking to take a month to travel to Morocco to surf and climb while living on the beach. I'm looking to party in Iceland for a week too. If you've never done it before, take a notebook and write down all of the things you like to do for a job or for fun or write down the places you'd like to go. You'd be surprised how many pages you take up.....

11 March 2007

Kicking The Bucket

I find myself more and more researching things to do with my life. I have the applications out to various wildland firefighting jobs througout the country. I'm looking at different schools that have decent online programs of study. I'm looking at Avalanche Technician jobs as well as other winter seasonal jobs. I'm looking at wildland firefighting in Canada. I'm looking at structural firefighting jobs in different areas throughout the country. I'm looking at different countries to travel to to kayak or to climb. I really don't know what the hell I'm going to do. I guess that's what makes all of this exciting, wondering where I'm going to be or where I've been on Dec. 31st of this year. One thing's for sure that whatever I'm going to do, I'm going to need more money than I currently have which means I'm going to have to find a better paying job.
Today wasn't too bad. Luckily I didn't have too many calls after the one gas leak I ran at the end of the night before because I was up at about 9 to go see a movie at 11:20. If there's one thing I can say is that Samuel L. Jackson definitely made up for Snakes on a Plane with Black Snake Moan. On my way home, I started thinking about different undergraduate routes I could take. I'm liking the idea of a Forestry or Agriculture degree. When I started thinking about more, I started to think about more subjects which I'd like to study (meteorology, emergency medicine, foreign languages, etc.) I don't know. You only live for so long and I sometimes wonder how much I'll be able to accomplish before I kick the bucket.

10 March 2007

The First Post

I guess the premise of this journal would be a good start. For a while, I've been growing more and more tired of living in the same area and I've been itching to get away for a while. Don't get me wrong, though: I love this area. I thank God that I've had the chance to grow up in this area, experience the things I have experienced, and meet the people (some of them) I have me. There is more to the world than the D.C. area has to offer, however, and I feel it's time to see what I can do. Whereever I go, I need to do something that I'm going to enjoy. I just can't work in an office. I'd get too bored with that. I need to do something fire & rescue related. So far, I have been applying to become a wildland firefighter out west for the summer, and a contract firefighter for Raytheon Polar Services in Antarctica for the winter (northern hemisphere winter to clarify things). I've put in over 80 applications in so far for various positions in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Montanna, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and I'm thinking about North and South Dakota as well. Now, some people think I'm nuts. Maybe it is. All I know is, I'm excited thinking about it. I can't wait for late May to come because if I get hired, I'm packing my climbing and backpacking gear, a few books, magazines, clothes, and my wildland gear all in my Xterra, and driving to whereever I may get hired (even if it is Alaska, that'd be one hell of a road trip). I have a friend who I haven't talked to in a while. She once told me that "[I] didn't belong here." It took a while to sink in but I'm starting to feel it now. As long as I have a camera, and access to this journal, I'm sure it'll be worth it and I'll be able to keep in touch with some of you.