I detest the iPod culture

(me with the downfall of society)

I’ve always prided myself in being able to find really cool stuff for free. When I was home schooled we would go “junking” on our bikes during trash day to find treasures. My mom is constantly trying to trade for my desk that I got from a dumpster. A while ago I found an iPod in a snow bank. It looked like someone had dropped it in the parking lot and the plow had pushed it to the side. As the snow melted I spotted its emerging headphones. With a little time on the heater the fellow was up and singing. I posted signs around campus and no one came forward for it. Now I have an iPod.

I detest the iPod culture because it promotes a faster information rate and anti social behavior. People walk around with white wires sticking out of their ears. They ignore me when I talk to them or answer with WHAT DID YOU SAY!

The iPod is a response to society’s demands for a faster information rate. Watching the squirrels and talking to other students isn’t enough to keep people occupied in the two minuets (you can’t even listen to a song in that much time) it takes to walk from the dorm to class. We need music, video, and now internet streaming from our handheld devices. Society seems to have a never quenchable desire for more of everything faster. Ever watch an old movie? They have camera shots that last for a whole 60 seconds!

So I don’t know what I’ll do with my evil device. I would throw it out my 4^th floor window (see last post) but the screen won’t allow me. Maybe I’ll give it away to some deserving person who promises not to ignore people and become addicted to high information rates.

Windows

My room has a window. I like windows, especially big ones. I like to look out my window and see the things that happen. My window has a creek, several large cottonwoods, and a 4^th floor view of the local village. At night I can leave it open just a wee bit and listen to the creek gargle (or the delivery truck at the Chinese restaurant). The following are pictures of my window and what I see.

My window just now

A man on a lift going past my window

Gabe grilling outside my window


A big window in the house I'm living in next year

Me and the girl I'm going to spend the rest of my life with.
She likes windows too.

I just need a decent place to live

Western New York is different than Lancaster. The culture, language and expectations are vastly different. Shopping for a place to live has put me deeper into the local scene than I’ve ever been. It is rich. Everything is laid back and non-professional. I talked to the realtor today and felt completely at home in my jeans and sweat shirt. He gave me the three names of people who rent in the area. I’ve checked the classifieds. There must be something about the word “decent” it keeps showing up in the adds:

“Decent 2^nd floor 2 bedroom apartment. Includes1/2 garage & big yard...”

"Decent houses/Owner finacing/Low payments..."

We had a good time most of the time

Yes, there is music playing. I figured out how to do it and I'm not sure if I like it or not. Leave your vote. This song always runs through my head when I hike the rolling hills of the Appalachian Trail.

I'm back from backpacking. It was my job to safely escort The Gambia team over 30 miles of snowy AT. No-one died, and the injuries were minor. I am proud to report that I am not sore and have not experienced caffeine withdraw. They can be an ugly combination. On the first day we walked on the snow, on the second day we began to break through about every fifth step which made walking exhausting. The next day it got warm (my GPS said 68 degrees) and the snow became four inches of mush that found every hole in my gore-tex boots. All that melted slop froze, and this morning at 4:45am the mountain was an icy slope. It's a good thing I hike with ski poles.

The Gambia team decided to hike as early as possible. We ate, packed, and hiked in the dark. When the sun came up I was standing on the summit of Center Point Knob waiting for it. (The Gambia team was somewhere below looking for their directions). We had a good time most of the time and I learned once again that dried fruit causes very, very unpleasant things to happen.