Thursday, December 25, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
How to Prepare for a Cross-Country Motorcycle Trip #1
In a matter of weeks my brother and I will be loading up our motorcycles and riding to the Grand Canyon. This trip will bring on many firsts for both of us. One of the wildest is trying to get a weeks worth of stuff and camping gear packed on my bike. Time to get creative. But being out on the road, in the "wild" is going to be a far cry from my King size bed, a/c and ...stuff. So, I've begun preparing for all that I'm going to be encountering. I thought I'd share a couple of my preparation methods with you, incase you one day decide to head out into the wild, wild west...on a motorcycle with your brother...or sister...or whoever. :)
TASK: To keep your senses keen and train yourself in the ways of a survivalist
METHOD: Purposly don't look where you park at Wal-Mart and then buy something frozen. Now find the truck before it melts! Skills!
TASK: Abandon the frills of urban life and learn to rest camping on the land.
METHOD: Downloaded one of those nature soundtracks to your ipod and listen to it as you go to sleep each night. For extreme training...just use one pillow. (I woke up last night and spent twenty minutes trying to kill a cricket then reazlized I'd fallen asleep with ipod ear buds in and sounds from the great outdoors playing)
TASK: Prepare yourself for hundreds of miles sitting on your motorcycle.
METHOD: Play your favorite game system of choice while sitting on a wooden kitchen chair for an hour. Then, down a Big Gulp, hit the bathroom and play for another hour. Buns of Steel!
TASK: Preparing to visit various State Parks and Historical Landmarks
METHOD: Walk through your neighborhood. Knock on someone's front door and when they open up, hand them $5 to $10 and walk around their backyard and then move to the next house. Resist the urge to pick up a stick or a rock!
Well, that's enough preparing for tonight. I've figured out how to work out while I'm on my trip. I bought some cool camping stuff that packs up in these little bags. They pop right out ....but getting 'em back in those tiny little bags...yeah, can you say Glad trash bags? :)
TASK: To keep your senses keen and train yourself in the ways of a survivalist
METHOD: Purposly don't look where you park at Wal-Mart and then buy something frozen. Now find the truck before it melts! Skills!
TASK: Abandon the frills of urban life and learn to rest camping on the land.
METHOD: Downloaded one of those nature soundtracks to your ipod and listen to it as you go to sleep each night. For extreme training...just use one pillow. (I woke up last night and spent twenty minutes trying to kill a cricket then reazlized I'd fallen asleep with ipod ear buds in and sounds from the great outdoors playing)
TASK: Prepare yourself for hundreds of miles sitting on your motorcycle.
METHOD: Play your favorite game system of choice while sitting on a wooden kitchen chair for an hour. Then, down a Big Gulp, hit the bathroom and play for another hour. Buns of Steel!
TASK: Preparing to visit various State Parks and Historical Landmarks
METHOD: Walk through your neighborhood. Knock on someone's front door and when they open up, hand them $5 to $10 and walk around their backyard and then move to the next house. Resist the urge to pick up a stick or a rock!
Well, that's enough preparing for tonight. I've figured out how to work out while I'm on my trip. I bought some cool camping stuff that packs up in these little bags. They pop right out ....but getting 'em back in those tiny little bags...yeah, can you say Glad trash bags? :)
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Hope for the Hurting
This week I have been volunteering with the local Hospice's day camp for kids who have experienced a death in their life. Other than having to get up early, it has been a good experience. I have done a lot of things working with hurting kids (divorce, abuse) but death is one I've had little experience with while working with kids. One thing that I've been reminded of each day this week, as I've sat with these great kids, is that from outward appearances - we can have no idea the hurt or turmoil going on in the lives of children. Children who have lost one or both parents, siblings, or grandparents who have raised them. Yet we get aggravated when kids don't do their homework, or can't sit still while we talk, having no idea the worries and grief they have.
It's great to have people who see these kids and work so that their lives continue to have laughter, smiles and hope as they learn to heal from their hurts. Kudos to Hospice!
Oh, and on a totally random note, I just picked up X-Files: Season One on DVD! I used to be a major fan...after watching some of these first episodes, now I remember what I liked so much. Spooky!
Well, in a matter of hours I'll be getting up for my second kids day this summer. We call it TAG or Thursday Activities with Greg. This is about the 11th year for TAG. I probably would have named it something a bit grander had I know it would still be around this long. Guess I should go to bed.
It's great to have people who see these kids and work so that their lives continue to have laughter, smiles and hope as they learn to heal from their hurts. Kudos to Hospice!
Oh, and on a totally random note, I just picked up X-Files: Season One on DVD! I used to be a major fan...after watching some of these first episodes, now I remember what I liked so much. Spooky!
Well, in a matter of hours I'll be getting up for my second kids day this summer. We call it TAG or Thursday Activities with Greg. This is about the 11th year for TAG. I probably would have named it something a bit grander had I know it would still be around this long. Guess I should go to bed.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Summer's flying along
Wow, it's been forever since I've blogged here. Oops! Actually, with blogs in so many places, I've kind of neglected this one....however this is the one blog that's accessible to everyone, without joining some membership, so I guess I'll try to do better.
The summer is flying along. Preteen camp has come and gone. It was great. I think we had the best group of campers we've ever had and the staff was great. Bonus, I didn't fall off a horse this year!
Yesterday was the first of my summer kids days. We will gather each following Thursday through the first week of August. I'm still amazed, I think this is my 11th summer for TAG or Thursday Activities with Greg (If I had know this was going to last as long as it has, I might have found a more inspiring name...but everyone here loves TAG).
My brother and I had planned to take a motorcycle trip to the Grand Canyon this summer, but early on in the summer we decided it would be better to do in the early Fall. It now looks like we'll be mounting up near the end of August into the first of September. We're both pretty pumped, having never really done a road trip like this, let alone on our bikes. We're expecting it to look something like Wild Hogs 2. :) You will definitely want to keep up with our blog for that trip.
Well, today's my day off so that means getting the yard mowed before it hit 95 degrees and then tonight is a boy's night out with some of my married buds who have swung a kitchen pass for the night. Hope your summer is blessed and you are making memories like crazy!
Greg
The summer is flying along. Preteen camp has come and gone. It was great. I think we had the best group of campers we've ever had and the staff was great. Bonus, I didn't fall off a horse this year!
Yesterday was the first of my summer kids days. We will gather each following Thursday through the first week of August. I'm still amazed, I think this is my 11th summer for TAG or Thursday Activities with Greg (If I had know this was going to last as long as it has, I might have found a more inspiring name...but everyone here loves TAG).
My brother and I had planned to take a motorcycle trip to the Grand Canyon this summer, but early on in the summer we decided it would be better to do in the early Fall. It now looks like we'll be mounting up near the end of August into the first of September. We're both pretty pumped, having never really done a road trip like this, let alone on our bikes. We're expecting it to look something like Wild Hogs 2. :) You will definitely want to keep up with our blog for that trip.
Well, today's my day off so that means getting the yard mowed before it hit 95 degrees and then tonight is a boy's night out with some of my married buds who have swung a kitchen pass for the night. Hope your summer is blessed and you are making memories like crazy!
Greg
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