Birthday Mania!

Sooooooooooo, today is my Dad's Birthday. He is 54. That really isn't that old, though when I was a teenager I would have thought 54 was quite old.

I also thought 30 was a long way away, but two days ago I hit that very age. So here I am, 30, homeless, and pursuing a job meant for guys ten years younger than me. How do I feel about that?

DAMN GOOD! Here I am, still young in my life and realizing what makes me happy. Many people I graduated with have jobs, kids, and the whole life. And they are jealous of me, and what I am going after. I am loving life in my third decade, and am quite sure that I am going after the right thing.

I had a great conversation with my loving girlfriend a week or so ago. We were imagining what we would do if we won the lottery. I realize that for the first time ever that even if I did win I would want to go down the same path. It's a great thing to be that confident about what you are doing in life. Sure the pay isn't that great, but you certainly can't beat the office views.

I am also excited because now I have finished my Level I Avalanche class, and my WFR course. This fall I am going to be taking an American Mountain Guide Association course with one of the most influential people in my climbing career, and a man whom I respect greatly. He really is one of my mentors. How many people get to have this opportunity?

What a great birthday. I am loving my choices, I have the support of my parents, a girlfriend who pushes me to be my best, and I am making definite measurable strides toward my goals. All because I was willing to take a big risk. I hope I can inspire others to take big risks in their life as well. You don't have to live out of your car, but you certainly can push your comfort zone a bit. You never know how good it might be!

Dying and selling out

So tomorrow is the last day of my Wilderness First Responder course. It has been a good time so far. We have had a mixture of lectures and practical exercises, learning and then putting to use the skills we have learned so far. I have learned more about the human body in the last 4 days than I have in the nearly 30 years prior!

Today was a mass casualty exercise. I was a victim. The background scenario is that I had brought out a group of people I met online to practice climbing for a trip we were taking to the Amazon. We weren't climbing rock, however, but trees. I was coaching people from the ground, and had four people in the tree, climbing simultaneously. The person toward the top fell, hitting all the others on the way down, who all fell on me. I was knocked unconscious and couldn't breathe.

Picture this now, four people I met four days ago were instructed to pile up on top of me. Wow. I had a girl laying half on me, and half next to me. She was screaming her lungs out. I had to be dead while someone gave me mouth to mouth. Now at least the mouth to mouth was simulated! It was quite an interesting situation, but as my gf would say, "In the name of learning".

During this simulation, I died.

Which leads me to my next topic. I sold out when I was down here. I have taken the last four days and have actually been living in a hotel room. Luckily for me I had the money saved up from being frugal enough. It's been nice though. The bed is comfy, and I have luxuries like a refrigerator and a stove. I don't even have people walking by and asking me what I'm cooking!

Oh, and I have a shower with just me in it. Pretty nice I must say. I think I might even enjoy a bath before I leave here.

So I did sell out a bit. I was going to live out of my car this week, but I decided that I didn't want to try to figure out a safe place to park in Portland, and I didn't want to subject my classmates to my week long stench. I'm sure they appreciated it, especially since they had to pile up on top of me :-)

All in all it has been a good week, and a good class. Hopefully I am doing well enough so far, and will do well on the final written exam. This really is a big step toward my dream though, and I am glad to be taking it. Check back tomorrow or Thursday to find out how I did. Also, Thursday I turn the big 3-0, so get my thoughts on that.

So all my readers, as always, follow your dreams and do what is right for you. It isn't always easy, but you will know if it's right for you. You won't want to do anything else.

Yoga-cizing

So those of you who know me know that I'm kind of a big dude. For those who don't, I'm 6' tall and about 200lbs. (See picture) Now small guys and gals can do things differently than big guys and gals, and vice versa. That pack on my back? Weighs around 35-40lbs, and feels like there is nothing there. My friend who was on this trip could have carried it, but it would have been a whole lot more for her to lug around.

Now while I am a good person to have around for lugging heavy packs, I am not the person you would look to for grace and flexibility. And that is why I have started yoga.

Imagine this: It's 5:30am, and my phone alarm started to go off. I was tucked into my cozy front seat, head on a pillow and couple of blankets warming me nicely. I knew that I had two options, pull myself out of my surprisingly comfortable drivers seat and go to yoga, or go back to bed.

I decided to go back to bed. This was at 5:30. At 5:47 I made the decision to get my ass moving and do something productive. For those of you who sleep in later, remember that the mornings are now darker after the time jump ahead. I grabbed my gym bag (I have figured out that I need to pack it the night before if I want to actually have underwear) and headed across the street for the class.

Today was my second day of yoga, and I learned from my mistakes already. I grabbed two mats so my poor knees had some padding. We started by sitting cross legged, hands on our knees. Everyone in the class looks serene doing this, just breathing and relaxing. I, however, was sitting with my knees much higher than everyone, hip flexors (misnomer) screaming and reminding me that I am not flexible AT ALL! We did this for about 5 minutes, in which time I had to change position at least 12 times. After this, we began the real workout.

I actually did alright, and was feeling pretty proud of myself. I was only corrected by the teacher a couple of times, and felt like I made it through the much more intense workout better than the easier class of the day before. I left the class still congratulating myself mentally. That was when I overheard a couple of the mid-sixties aged class members complaining that the instructor took it far too easy that day. So much for my ego......

Despite the easier class, I did enjoy it, and will be back. I also went climbing in the gym last night, and I am already seeing the benefits. It's not in the flexibility yet, but in the breathing and control. As I moved through the grades I was able to focus and really breathe, and it helped immensely. Now that is encouraging!

For those looking for a moral, don't be afraid to push yourself and try something new. You never know what the benefits might be. Happy St. Patrick's Day all!

I would rather not be buried by an avalanche

So yesterday and today I took the AIARE Level I avalanche course through Mountain Madness. It was pretty sweet because I got it for the low low price of free. I consider that a success in my career as a climbing bum.

It was a great course, filled with snow, snow, and some yellow snow. I do have enough experience to avoid this yellow snow, because contrary to popular opinion, it is not a lemon snowcone!

I am happy to have taken it, and am just a day away from Level I certification. That combined with my Wilderness First Responder course will make it two valuable certifications in the same month. Not too bad for a slacker living out of his car!

There was a guy in the course who was considering camping out for the night, but was a bit nervous about the cold and being in a tent. He also considered getting a hotel room, or crashing out in his car. As a public service I gave him the tips on how to comfortably spend a night in a car. I think he is going to try it. I'm curious to find out what happens!

So I am going to invite people who may be reading this blog to ask questions or to give suggestions on what you want to read about. We can tailor this to make it more interesting or helpful to you all. Also, it saves you from reading the narcissistic ramblings of me!

ZBL update: over 263,000 miles and running strong! What a champ.

Good night to all. Don't be afraid to push your limits, you don't know what you are capable of until you do.

Proteins, Fats, and Carbohydrates, Oh My!

So to be able to perform in life you need fuel. Your body needs an optimal blend of foods to run efficiently. And just like an expensive car, your body won't run well on sub-par fuel. If I were to eat out at McDonald's or Taco Bell everyday, I would survive. And be obese. To really perform well, I need to eat well.

How is this possible when living out of your car? A few answers to this. I have a healthy addiction to Whole Foods, and have found some wonderful solutions. I love to eat fresh vegetables and fruits, and this is done easily here, since I can buy exactly the amount of food that I need. I have been on a carrot kick recently, and love that I can buy them individually. I also choose to shop in the bulk food section.

Carrots and apples are fine, but what about a hearty meal? Oh yeah, don't forget no refrigerator and no oven. Luckily I have a fine camp stove (MSR Reactor, if you don't have one, get one!) that boils water very quickly. This is great for certain quick and easy meals. I will share a typical day's worth of meals with you now.

For breakfast I am a big fan of the nutritional density of oatmeal. I picked up a big canister of quick cooking whole plain oats. This has (I believe, I'm not a nutritionist) the same healthful benefits of slower cooking whole oats. I can boil up water, then pour it into a bowl of oatmeal, and voila, it is ready in a jiffy. I like to add agave nectar. This is a great addition to any homeless cook kit, since it has a long shelf life, doesn't crystallize, and is tasty. It has the added benefit of having a lower glycemic index than honey, reducing the sugar spike and crash.

Lunch is a delicious bread that I get at a local bakery (gotta support the local family businesses) and combined with freshly ground almond butter at Whole Foods. They actually have a bin of almonds, and all I need to do is press the button and it grinds up the almonds, depositing it into a container for me to use. No added salt, sugar, or other ingredients! With this, I can find a good jelly, or use agave. Often though, the bread has so much flavor it is delicious with just the almond butter. I can supplement this meal with a banana and I am a happy dude.

Dinner is a great one. I love couscous, and have bulk whole wheat couscous. Adding just the right amount of boiled water and letting it sit for a couple of minutes is all you need to do. I never even have to boil it in a pot, just add water in the bowl. Once this is ready, I add a can of tuna (no salt added. keep a can opener in your food bag) and some hot sauce. I recently started adding agave nectar to this, making it a sweet and spicy delicious meal.

I also try to drink a lot of water each day, and will graze between meals on carrots, and most recently, the tiny "cuties" oranges. And to top off a great day you need a great dessert.

Dark Chocolate with Chiles! This delicious treat ends each dinner with a great bit of antioxidants, as well as a spicy and sweet finish. I buy a bar, and make it last about 3 days or so.

So there you have it ladies and gentleman, healthy food without a refrigerator or oven.I know I only gave a one day menu, but there is a lot of creativity to be had. The real trick is buying just enough of what you need. It is pricier than buying bulk amounts of food, but you're already saving money by not paying rent!

One American Dream

I have a friend I met while rock climbing in the desert southwest a couple of years ago, and he is working on a film documentary called "One American Dream". I definitely want to encourage anyone and everyone who might be reading this to check it out. His website is:

http://oneamericandream.com/

There is a trailer of the movie to be made, and it looks pretty darn interesting. Hit it up!

Aspiring to great heights

So for those of you who are climbers, you are probably familiar with the movie "First Ascent". For those of you who are not, it is about climbers trying to climb something for the first time ever. As in no one has ever climbed it before them.

In this film, Timmy Oneil gives a "brief history of first ascents" as he poses as a teacher in a school with some seriously disturbed children of the corn kind of kids. I sure as hell wouldn't want to teach there. As he goes through his explanation, a girl sees a picture and exclaims "he's a hippie!" Timmy responds with "That's right. Some of our best climbers were outlaws, beatniks, and hippies living out of their vans. Maybe someday you can aspire to such great heights, with your personal first ascent."

Now, I haven't made a first ascent yet, but I am already aspiring to those great heights. In conversation with my girlfriend (who is still struggling with the concept of me living in my car) I explained to her that I am actually in a position of respect and envy within the climbing community. I have made the full commitment to climbing, trying to cut out everything that is non-essential to make more time and room for climbing.

I am a failure though. I obviously still have a computer, and I still have bills I racked up in Newark as a normal person. Despite this, however, I am on my way. Part of my reasoning for this lifestyle is that I can save money to buy more climbing gear, pay for gas, and buy supplies to take road trips with.

I am aspiring to great heights, living out of Zbl and just trying to climb as much as I can. In fact, this Friday and Saturday I have plans to chase some decent weather and rock climb. If that falls through, I am going to brave the elements and do an alpine climb. Either way, it should be fun, and it is something that I can do since I don't have to waste $500 a month on rent.

I will keep you all updated on the trips. Tomorrow, look out for a tutorial on how to grocery shop and cook while aspiring to greater heights.

Good night for now. I hope you all go for your own personal first ascent in life. Live the Dream!

Welcome one and all!

So this is my first attempt at blogging, something I thought was a bit ridiculous in the past. Now, however, I find myself with a fair amount of time, since my life is pretty simple. I guess I will start at the beginning.

I was a teacher, and a pretty horrible one. I would stay up all night trying to make lesson plans, which were promptly rejected by my vice-principal. I will admit that living in Newark, NJ didn't help my mental state much either. I had a bit of a mental breakdown, and decided to leave Newark and head to my safe haven, Seattle. Now, of course I had a full time job, a serious girlfriend, and a lease with about 10 more months on it. So I did the only logical thing.

I bailed.

I sold all of my furniture (which was only a couple of months old) for a loss, broke my lease (for a loss), and then packed up everything into my 1997 Honda Accord. I then decided to drive cross country. Now, I am a climber, and I love being on the rock, or in the mountains. So in my drive, I went to Joshua Tree National Park first, which is just a few hours east of San Diego. I climbed for a few days with a friend, then headed north to Seattle.

Now, as rash as my decisions were, I did have the forethought to contact an old employer, a sweet climbing shop called Second Ascent, to see if I could get a job. I am now fortunate enough to work 40 hours a week there.

Once in Seattle, I had put on almost 5,000 miles on my old car, and I am proud to say Zbl is still running strong! It's a good thing, since he is also my home at the moment, and will be until at least October.

It's crazy, but believe it or not, living in my car has been one of the least stressful situations in my life. I have been liberated. Thoreau was right, simplify! Now, I'm not a hippie who wants to get rid of everything and live in the woods. I love being in a city with restaurants, and toilets, and people. I just like being able to get away from it to be alone in the mountains. And then I am ready to return. I do want a house one day, and I do want luxuries like a kitchen and a tv. It's just that for now I am pretty content living this way.

I will be working for a mountain guiding company this summer, only working 20 hrs a week, along with some trips in the mountains with clients. If you need a company to climb with, look up Mountain Madness, we're awesome! With this schedule I will be able to climb several days a week, and still pay my bills. As long as Zbl is running strong, everything will be fine. You will all be able to follow along with the status of him as time goes on. I love this car, and you will also get to know and love him!

So this is my introduction to me, and what I'm doing Homeless in Seattle. In the climbing world I'm a climbing bum, which also means I'm living the dream. I hope to give you some insight into my world, and to let you have an escape into a fun life. I will share it with honesty and hopefully some humor. If nothing else, I will have some great pictures, and some decent stories. Let me know what you think!