Obama Wins!!!!!!

I was sick with a migraine most of the day but did get myself down to vote. We celebrated Obama's win with a bonfire. I had found a great big log for it at a local park. I also played my drum and rattled some rattles--one I had bought and one that Kimberly made from a gourd. I am very happy about the victory because I feel that FINALLY people like me have triumphed after 40 years! Of course, we owe this to a whole lot of people who weren't even born 40 years ago when we started to challenge the "establishment." I didn't really feel that Bill Clinton was that different or able at that time to really take us in a new direction. For one thing, Bill Clinton WAS our first Native American president, but he wasn't able to admit that publicly. But Barak Obama couldn't hide who he was and he won anyway! I really think things are going to change now. Also, the world is going to respect us so much more now that we've proven we aren't a bunch of racists who would vote down a black person, a person who's father was from Kenya, a person with an African name. I think our image will be so much better in the world now. This is important to me, because I am fluent in French, and I speak Spanish, Russian, and some Italian and Portuguese, and because I love to travel to Canada and particularly Quebec so much. I really have renewed hope for myself. It was almost worth suffering through eight years of Bush to have a president like Obama. This has moved our country ahead light years. I'm going to have the best birthday I've ever had. I will be 56 on January 20. It is going to be a great honor to have my birthday the same day Barack Obama is inaugurated. I really have a lot more courage and energy to go to grad school now, whatever I choose to study. I want to have a job where I can help people and it helps to know there is a president who is like that and who gives our country hope. Up till now, it seems like everything is about picking up the pieces of a country in decline, but I really think there is hope for our country now, and this inspires me in my own life and with my own ambitions.

The Election

It looks good for Obama. If McCain wins, somehow I'll survive. I've survived this long. I survived Reagan and Bush. The old guard is on its way out, one way or another. You can still change things, no matter who's in the White House. You change things by continuing to live the way you believe. You change things by being a vegetarian for decades, by living peace, by not letting one political party own Jesus, by refusing to conform to the norms that are pushed down your throat and make you gag, even when it costs you. You make change by living diversity. Sarah Palin would not be running if we had conformed. Obama would not be running if we had conformed. Four white older guys would be running. McCain, Biden, and two other white older guys of that generation would be running. Even though they say Sarah Palin is very conservative, you don't know who she really is as long as she's under McCain's thumb. Already, she doesn't strike me as someone who would force her views on abortion on everyone. She told Katie Couric one of her best friends is a lesbian. She isn't trying to change her best friend or reject her. No one can survive for good in this country by not changing. Obama will probably win big because Bush cheated twice, got in for eight years, and he and his followers forced their views on us and ruined the country. Now there's a huge backlash against him. But if McCain wins, there will be an even bigger backlash in four years. It's been a long time since the 60's when we dreamed things would change so fast. But things will change. This old guard, this establishment, they are on their way out. Even younger people like Sarah Palin who sympathize with them will have to change--and have changed--if they want to be elected to office.

The Election

Those of us who were hippies in the late 60's were very naive. We did not know how much of a backlash there would be against us and how long it would last. We have suffered most of our lives and been held back by the backlash. We have waited year after year, decade after decade. Yes, we have SIGNIFICANTLY chipped away at the world we protested. The election results on Tuesday will tell us if we have finally triumphed over the decades of backlash against us. If McCain wins, we will have four more years to wait and to continue to chip away at the backlash. If Obama wins, we will be above 50% there. We will have STARTED the process of triumphing over the persistent and cruel backlash. Make no mistake, we WILL triumph over the backlash. Will it be now, will it be four more year, eight more years? Let's hope our time has finally come, but if is hasn't, IT WILL!!!!

The Daily Gouge

Just before the economic crisis really hit with a bang, I had noticed the gouging of the middle class getting progressively worse. I knew this couldn't continue, and somehow it had to stop. It was all going to blow, because they couldn't continue to make us pay and pay and pay and never give us any raises or job opportunities. So I'm going to start listing some of the ways I was gouged and my response.

Okay, I'm going to start with Hodgson Mill Buckwheat Pancake Mix. One day a month or two ago, I was out shopping and noticed that Giant Eagle was out of Hodgson Mill Buckwheat Pancake Mix. I bought my usual groceries and decided to go to Shop 'n Save for items I didn't find at Giant Eagle. While at Shop 'n Save I noticed Hodgson Mill Buckwheat Pancake Mix now cost close to $5.00. NO WAY was I going to spend that for a box of pancake mix! Well, the next time I was at Giant Eagle, they had received another shipment of the mix. They had priced it at $2.74. Well, that was a good deal, but I knew it wouldn't last. So I bought a box of it and was using it until it went up to $4.74! I just got angry and said, screw it, I'll buy some buckwheat flour in bulk and make my own buckwheat pancakes from scratch! Well, I went to the food coop for my monthly shopping trip and stocked up on buckwheat flour. I made a supply of frozen buckwheat 13-grain with flax seed pancakes from scratch, and they weren't that bad. A couple days later, I went to Wal-Mart, and they still have the Hodgson Mill mix for $2.72.

The moral of the story: Hodgson Mill has now lost a customer because of the gougers. If the gougers had kept the mix at a reasonable price, I never would have gone to the food coop and bought buckwheat flour in bulk. However, the gougers have forced me into it, and now I'll just permanently change my lifestyle and make my buckwheat pancakes from scratch!

CNBC

CNBC is this channel no one watched until the current financial meltdown. Suddenly, everyone started watching it. Therefore, other channels felt they suddenly had to compete to get people back.

There is an extremely annoying individual named Cramer on CNBC. I can't even listen to him and if he is on, I usually change the channel to CNN or FOX. He is actually free advertising for these channels. So I am not sure why they have to advertise that he is an idiot and they have better financial experts.

One night I did watch him for a few minutes. This was only because he was being interviewed by someone else. That's the only way he is coherent. Anyway, he was all doom and gloom and I don't even agree with him that things are as bad as he says. However, assuming he is correct, here is what he says the new US will be like. People won't be able to just go to the mall and mindlessly shop. People might just have to stay at home and spend time with their family. People might not be able to afford tickets to the playoff game. They might have to sit around the TV with their loved ones to watch it. He says the US will be a sadder place because of this. At this point, I changed the channel--I'm not sure whether it was to CNN, FOX, ESPN or what, but the channel I changed to didn't need to waste their time advertising that they had something better than Cramer on!

Job Interview 2

I always try to find the up side in a bad situation. There are always two sides to these situations, it seems. It turns out you can find a lot of lessons in the current economic crisis, and these are lessons we need to learn.

Before the economic crisis, I was feeling very anxious. I think the main reason I was feeling anxious was that I was feeling more and more gouged. Everyone was raising prices on everything--because they thought they would be paid. So where would it stop? The economic crisis has stopped it, so while this crisis causes anxiety, the pre-crisis gouging also caused anxiety.

I live in a small house that I grew up in. But think of someone who felt pressured, by their spouse, their kids, their friends, relatives, associates, coworkers, into buying a certain size house they knew they probably couldn't afford. Now they may be losing that house, but when things improve, they may live longer not having to spend their whole life hanging onto something they knew they really could never afford. I remember back in San Francisco in the early 1990's when I was a legal secretary. I would get temp jobs at firms where attorneys were told what kind of car they had to have, what type of person they had to marry, and what they had to do for recreation on the little free time they had in order to be accepted at the law firm. They had no personal freedom at all. They had lots of money and a prestigious job, but they were forced to do 24/7 everything the firm told them to do. I think lots of times they even had to pretend who they supported politically. I met a whole class of gay men who had to pretend they were Republicans in order to have certain jobs, date a certain type of guy, and be accepted in the right crowd. Now how crazy is that! The Republican Party at that time didn't think gay men should be allowed to exist, and these guys had to pretend to be Republicans so other gay men would accept them!

Well, there is an up side to this economic crisis, because all of a sudden, within a few months, the gougers found out that the gougees had nothing left to gouge. And the gougers found out, guess what, I can't live without the gougees. I'm depending on gouging people to make it and the gougees have nothing left to gouge.

This will explain why there is still quite a healthy job market here in Pittsburgh. I sure could see this when I visited this temp agency. Several years ago, when I was applying for jobs, most of the agencies were on the Parkway out in Robinson and Moon Township. There were a lot of jobs out there. These agencies just expected you to drive out there to apply with them. They just expected you'd be thrilled to commute 1 1/2 each way to accept one of their jobs out the Parkway. And they figured you'd do it for relatively low pay. Steubenville, Ohio started to run advertisements as the burb of the Burgh. They encouraged people to move to Steubenville for much lower taxes and commute 30 miles to Robinson Township for jobs. All the employers figured, hey, now all these Pittsburghers will have to compete with the people in Steubenville for jobs.

Well, all of a sudden, gas prices were over $4 a gallon and guess what. No one could afford to drive out to these agencies to even apply for a job. No one from Steubenville could afford to commute to a job in Robinson Township and neither could anyone in the Pittsburgh area. The pay didn't go up. They were still offering people $11 or $12 an hour and no one could afford to get to the job paying that.

When I went into the agency the other day, I was given a drug test. I was asked to sign papers for several investigations. I was told that if they got me a job, the money for the drug test and the investigations would come out of my first pay check.

Well, guess what? This agency can't get anyone to work for them because no one can afford to give up that much money from their first pay check. So people of good intentions who probably WANT to work for this agency can't afford to. They have to go elsewhere. They have to find an agency who won't charge them. They have to find a job on their own and can't afford to use an agency anymore. On the other end, the employers call up wanting a temp and find they can't afford the agency's fees. They have to make due somehow with the workers they already have.

I was as much as told by this agency that they had to move somewhere easily accessible by public transit. Apparently, they can't even find enough applicants anymore with a car. They also can't find applicants who have a car to get to a job. They have to start somehow to recruit applicants who have to use public transportation to get to a job. And guess what else? Suddenly, the job market dried up out on the Parkway, because no one can afford to drive there for a job. Now the jobs have very suddenly, very violently, almost, shifted back to areas where people can take a bus or subway or don't have to drive far.

Things could not go on the way they were. People were being charged and gouged more and more. People could not go on paying these prices, being herded around this way, having more and more asked of them and still paying their exhorbitant mortgages. A person who wonders if they will be on the street next month isn't in much of a mood to drive out the Parkway to apply for some job that may or may not exist and then fork over additional money to be drug tested and investigated. It appears the gougers got so greedy that the gougees had nothing left to be gouged ...

Job Interview 1

The economic crisis has gotten me back into my soto zen practice. This practice won't interfere in any way with my continuing to attend Sixth Presbyterian Church. But it has helped me to deal with some of the anxieties of these hard economic times and the daily uncertainties.

I had an experience yesterday which it will take me several posts to discuss. I have been trying to rely on my revived zen practice to assist me.

Several years ago, I applied at a medical temp agency. This temp agency was probably more interested in finding nurses and other support staff for direct patient care. I applied there because I had just received a certificate in medical transcription, so I was looking for office/typing/secretarial type work. I had to drive way out close to the airport to apply there. Over the years, the agency calls me about every six months with a job which is too far away for me to be interested.

Yesterday, out of the blue, the agency called me and literally begged me to come in. They dangled a part-time job before me which probably is not really available. It is about a 5-mile commute for me. Well, they had moved into town. They wanted me to come in so badly that they were willing to interview me without a current resume and before I had hunted up all the necessary paperwork to being working again. Also, I really don't have a wardrobe together yet to be working in offices, because I wasn't exactly sure yet what type of part-time work I'd be looking for.

My impression upon leaving the agency yesterday is that everything has suddenly changed and everyone is scrambling to keep up with it. Almost suddenly, the job market out in Moon and Robinson and near the airport has dried up. Almost suddenly, not enough people own or are willing to use cars or pay for gas in order to work or apply for jobs. Almost overnight, if this agency doesn't want to go bankrupt, they have to recruit workers who use public transportation. Almost overnight, one job market went bust and another emerged.

I, like the agency, am on possibly even a moment-to-moment roller coaster with this economy. Do I flit around like this or do I seek something inside? I got very weary trying constantly to keep up with this roller coaster on a moment-by-moment basis and it led me back to the soto zen practice I was doing back in the late 90's.

Next post, I will talk about how visiting this agency affected me and make some reflections on it.

Monday Update

I'll take a minute away from studies to do a quick update. Kimberly and I attended a Lenape pow wow at Cedar Creek Park yesterday. God sent a series of interesting messengers to get us to this pow wow, which is not far from where we live. I was jogging at Cedar Creek Park last week when a van full of Apache Indians from California pulled up in front of me. I met a beautiful, celestial, angelic Apache woman dressed in her native regalia who had shown up a week too early for the pow wow. She told me there was supposed to be a pow wow at Cedar Creek Park and also told me where to go to see the white buffalo. While trying to find out if there was such a pow wow, we found out there was one in Monaca in Beaver County. Kimberly was thinking of attending that pow wow. Well, then, I went jogging at Smithton, which is near Cedar Creek Park. Out of nowhere, a woman on a bicycle stopped me because she wished to chat with me about various things. This woman had just ridden through Cedar Creek Park and told me a pow wow was going on. This is how we found out about it. Kimberly then looked up the organization sponsoring the pow wow. The organization looked like a promising one for Kimberly to join. So we went to check out the pow wow.

I greatly love Cedar Creek Park. It is one of the places I jog at regularly. I really like the new trekkers campground. The pow wow was held right next to it. I enjoyed the pow wow and the dancing. I danced several of the dances. One thing I liked about this pow wow was more women drummers and singers. Anyway, Kimberly got to talk to the Lenape chief for one hour. They had a very good talk, and Kimberly feels this is the right group for her to join. I still felt more connected at the Thunder Mountain pow wow. I really love their land and what they've built there. However, I agree this new group is probably a better fit for Kimberly. I think this group is more active and that we will be able to maintain contact with the other Lenape around here through this group. It is also based in Westmoreland County close to my land in Rector and the places I like to frequent up that way.

I feel that I do have some Lenape blood. We were told as children that the Sharpnacks have a direct ancestor who was Indian. I couldn't figure it out, but I now have an idea where this came from. I have a sixth great grandfather who lived in this area before the Indians were chased out. He lived here when probably very few white women lived here. Also, from my readings, at that time it was very hard to marry a white woman before you were established economically. That's why older men in their 40's and 50's would marry a very young girl in her late teens. Younger men could not afford to marry. It probably was even harder when my 6th great grandfather lived here. He was killed by a Lenape woman. However, he had two young sons and they never mention who the mother was. This is a major clue that the mother was Indian. He would have been the great grandfather of the ancestor who married into the Sharpnack family.

For my part, I have gotten back into soto zen meditation. When I lived in San Francisco, I meditated and chanted with Hindus, but I could not find a group around Pittsburgh when I moved back, so eventually I meditated with a soto zen group. I have gotten back into this form of meditation. This will not interfere with me attending and worshipping at Sixth Presbyterian Church because this form of meditation can be added to one's faith and is not an impediment to any faith.

Economic Crisis

These next couple weeks, I have a couple mid-terms. One is in Applied Anatomy and Kinesiology. The other one is in First Aid and Sports Injuries. I'll be busy with that. I lost 4 pounds at the last TOPS meeting and was the biggest loser. I have been doing lots of jogging trying to find some kind of weight goal. I'm in the same place with a weight goal as I am with the economy. Both are wait and see situations. I'm lucky I have the distraction of the weight goal and the mid-terms to try to ride out what is happening with the economy. If things continue to deteriorate, I will probably have to forget about getting any advanced degrees for now and look for a job.

Because of the bad economy and the reality that things may never be the same again, which I've actually been dealing with anyway for quite awhile, I'm working on some permanent changes. I successfully baked my own bread using a recipe I used in my early 20's when I was dirt poor. Now I must warn you that my bread is not for everyone. People who like my bread are generally those who like fiber! In any case, I liked the bread. When I was in my early 20's, this bread really helped me stay slim. I also baked some corn bread and have started making pancakes from scratch. Again, my pancakes are bare bones and do not contain milk, oil, or eggs. Instead of putting butter or syrup on them, I spray them with spray butter. Today, I'm going to make a supply of them and freeze them. I have ground up some extra grains to put in with the buckwheat. I'm going to make my own waffles soon and freeze them. I was able to get a huge bag of stone ground whole wheat flour on sale for $2. So if I keep this up, this will save lots of money. I have also started making my own vegetable, minestrone, and bean soups from scratch. They contain almost no fat at all. I frequently make vegetarian Algerian cous cous from scratch and it contains very little fat. We'll see if all this can also help me keep my weight down along with the expenses. I'll find out at my TOPS meetings.

October is here!

Yesterday would have been my dad's 89th birthday. He died in early 2000. I think he is up there in heaven very pleased with the things he loved. He would not allow us to throw out his old motorcycle. It sat down in the cellar with dust all over it. Well, we found a new home for it to my surprise! A motorcycle enthusiast from Ohio wanted to fix it up and he came to get it. We even found the title so that I can transfer it. These days with the internet, you can even find it online and find parts to restore it.

Now Kimberly is going to restore my dad's old camping trailer that we went camping in as kids. Kimberly has started this but it is expected to be a 3-4 year project. We had someone willing to tow the trailer away to junk it, but Daddy wouldn't let us!

I still live in the house. People are restoring the house in Clairton where Daddy grew up to its original condition. They want it to look like it looked when my great grandfather built it.

We are taking good care of Daddy's beloved lot and shed in Rector, PA. We are also taking good care of Daddy and Mother's beloved cat Pounce.

Kimberly has also turned Daddy's barn, which I designed for him, into the barn he dreamed of. The bottom floor is a workshop now, and Kimberly put electricity in the barn.

Also, Kimberly improved the patio built up in the back of the yard and is going to restore the park bench my grandfather built. Daddy would never let us throw that rickety old thing out either.

We are making good use of some of the things Daddy left. Daddy left tools and camping gear, some of it never used, and we will put it all to good use. We are also taking very good care of Daddy's beloved truck. We are taking good care of the 95 Escort station wagon, and my cousin Alan is restoring the 93 Escort wagon up in Corry, PA.

We found a lot of stuff in the attic from my grandmother. She died when my dad was three days old. We will sort out, restore, and take care of those items. We are taking care of all the family dishes, cookware, photos, etc. We still have my great grandfather's stuff and are caring for it.

Over the weekend, I went to the Dorseyville pow wow. It wasn't much fun. It was really crowded, not as pretty as the Thunder Mountain one in Saltsburg, not as spiritual, and it poured down rain. You had to park and take a shuttle bus to the pow wow. However, we connected with a couple we had met at the Thunder Mountain pow wow. They are very interesting and have done extensive research into the Shawnee Indian lifestyle and live as Shawnee Indians. They joined the Thunder Mountain tribe. Kimberly also recently joined it. We got a book from them and they played a drum and flute duo for us.

We had just gotten back from a camping trip at Shawnee State Park. The weather was beautiful, and we had a wonderful time there. I got a lot of exercise and jogged around the lake twice. We also got to see the buffalo on Route 30 again.

Sunday I went to the TOPS picnic on the Yough Trail. The food and company was great. I also jogged six miles on the trail. It was gorgeous! Recently, I've also taken several walks at Cedar Creek Park. They have a really nice new primitive campground for people who take long treks on the trail. They even have an Adirondack shelter.

Last night I jogged and walked at my former high school while during band practice.

This morning I am off to my new back to basics lifestyle and am making soup stock for my homemade soups.

Back to Basics

I am thinking a lot about my life in my early to mid-twenties and starting to retrieve some of the lessons I learned then. I'm doing this to deal with the new realities created by the economic crisis. I was dirt poor then, but I did a lot of things which saved me money and were pretty smart.

#1 - I baked my own bread. I saved money, the bread was much fresher, and I lost a ton of weight! I've pulled out my old "Uncle John's Bread Book" from that time with my recipe. As soon as my $4 loaf of 15-grain bread is eaten, I'm going to get multi-grain flour and the other ingredients and back two loaves in the oven.

#2 - I made a lot of home made soups. Beans and a few veggies can be bought cheaply. I'm going back to making soups. They also are low in calories.

#3 - I bought produce at the produce market section of town. At that time, I lived in Boston and bought my produce at Haymarket Square. I was also very poor when I returned to Pittsburgh in 1992, and I bought my produce at the Strip District. I'm going back to my weekly trip to the Strip District.

#4 - I walked to places I could reach on foot. In Boston, this usually involved passing by Fenway Park about 8 times a day, so you understand why I love the Red Sox! I couldn't afford a car and there was no place to park anyway. It was sometimes complicated to get to nearby places on the bus or subway, so I'd just walk. Also, I just walked for leisure. I would walk clear to Cambridge. I would take the subway or bus somewhere and walk. I often took the subway to Revere Beach and walked. I maintained this type of lifestyle in San Francisco. Now I'm back in the country where I have a car and have to use a vehicle to get anywhere to shop. However, I have jogged around my hilly neighborhood for up to 6 miles at a time frequently. I can also drive to trails and parks within 3 to 10 miles from my house and walk and jog there. I don't have to wait until I can drive off to some state park 40 miles away.

Economic Crisis

The economic crisis has been a trying and stressful time for me. I did get to go camping at Shawnee State Park during part of it, and that was a blessing for me. But it has been one of the worst things I've gone through in years. I was extremely stressed out in the winter of 2006. In fact, I've been stressed out for quite a few years now. But this is worse in some ways than the winter of 2006. I gained a lot of weight in the winter of 2006 over stress. This time, I've started to revert to compulsive walking, which is pre-anorexic. I don't think there's any chance I'll go back to full-blown anorexia nervosa, but I think given the time of year and my current circumstances, I'm going to use compulsive walking a lot as a coping mechanism. In winter of 2006, it was the middle of the winter, so that was less available. Compulsive walking is definitely different than my regular walking and jogging routines. When I was working at CCAC, every weekend during the good weather, I would drive to Laurel Summit and take a long hike. This was a healthy way of getting away, getting exercise, and losing weight. I still went for hikes this past summer and I went a number of different places to jog--outdoors and using a treadmill at the YMCA. In compulsive walking, I tend to go to places nearby and walk for too long till my feet heart. It's a bit more pathological and is closer to resorting to an addiction in order to cope. It's fall and nice weather and my classes are easy this semester, so there's nothing really stopping me.

I think the uncertainty is what upsets me the most. I had a plan where I would work part-time and go to school for many years. I was going to get a masters in exercise phys then eventually study to be a psychologist. This plan was so that I could have a profession I could still practice until I was very elderly. Now I just don't know if I'll be able to afford to do this, so I just don't know what to do. Things change daily. You just don't know what's going to go down next. For example--and this is just a small part of it--my bank where I have my checking and savings account. I don't have a lot of money in it, but it was mentioned all day yesterday on CNBC, along with Wachovia, as the main large bank in trouble. They were totally silent about it on the local news. They were probably trying to prevent a run on it. WAMU was taken over in the middle of the night, closed down, and sold. Every morning I wonder if my bank will still be there or if I'll turn on the news and the FDIC has seized it.

Each day, I try somehow to alter my plans to cope, and then another thing hits. I was going to consider going to massage school in order to have something to do for money while I went to grad school. Then things collapsed more, and I thought that doing massage probably wasn't a very stable thing in this economy. One of the main things I have felt adamant about is not going back to secretarial work. However, things have gotten so bad that soon that option won't even be there. The job situation is going to get so bad that it's unlikely there will even be any secretarial jobs. Another thing I started to consider was a program at CCAC where I could quickly train to work in drug and alcohol rehab. I would only need 5 courses, because I've just taken Psych 101. I'm considering doing that program so I could work at that while pursuing grad school. That seems to be a good thing to do for someone who would eventually be a psychologist.

But things change day by day and seem to get worse. I really don't know who to blame, it's gotten so complex. I don't know the solution. I don't know if this bailout or rescue will work. It's very hard to plan how to deal with this long-term. What does a middle-aged person do who's trying to acquire a second career?

Economic Crisis

I've stopped panicking over the economic crisis and have taken it as a major wake up call. I always try to turn adversity into something positive and learn from it. What I have learned is that the cowboys and clowns who continue to run this country will always put any savings or retirement of any American in jeopardy. Therefore, as I've always known, retirement is not an option. It is always better to have a profession that you can practice until you are no longer able. This crisis has really made me focus on that reality. Therefore, all my energy will now be directed in this endeavor. I have been hoping to get a masters in exercise physiology that would concentrate on helping people with or at risk for chronic disease because of previous lifestyle factors. I want to work with people who are suffering from obesity and/or heart disease and/or type II diabetes, etc. etc. to help them recover their health. I further hoped to eventually become a health psychologist. I feel with the number of Boomers who will need this type of help, I could work at such a career until I'm no longer able. Therefore, this crisis has caused me to redirect my energies in this direction. I don't trust any of the clowns who end up in power in this country to protect anything I save for retirement or social security, for that matter, so I am taking steps to work for my money as long as possible.

Back from Shawnee

I had a wonderful time at Shawnee. We stayed in the pet area. We had the best site we have ever had. It was perfect weather and I got lots of exercise. I love it there.

I have abandoned my thoughts of going to massage therapy school because of the bad economy. I have decided I absolutely have to train for some type of stable decent paying career, so I am going to go to grad school somehow. I don't know if anyone can safely save for retirement anymore, so I'm trying to plan for rewarding and decent careers I can work at into my 70's, 80's, and 90's.

I worked for many years as a secretary to please others who felt that the most important thing was for me to be employed. I really hated that job, but it seemed I could always get a job doing that. Now that career path is becoming obsolete and going away. I always felt I should train for some more stable profession, but I couldn't get that through to other people. In any case, you can't live on what secretarial jobs pay in this area now and there is intense competition for them. They no longer provide any permanent employment or benefits. They tend to only be temporary jobs. I feel that the only option I have is to go to grad school and train for some type of profession, even if I have to relocate to find a job. I have a couple things to do this coming weekend--attend the Dorseyville pow wow and the TOPS picnic. After that, I'm getting serious and everything is about my education.

Headed to Shawnee

I am headed to Shawnee sometime this week to camp. Mainly I plan to walk and jog a lot. It's too cold to swim, so I'm primarily going to walk, hike, and jog. I hope to keep the weight off and stay fit. I'm taking my school books along and also my massage books. Hope to study up a bit on massage and practice on Kimberly. The weather is supposed to cooperate, although it will be chilly.

More on My Massage Career

I forgot to mention in my post this morning that I acquired some unique gear for my profession at a rock bottom price. On Saturday, my cousin Alan took me to the preparations for a big yard sale. Apparently, a distant cousin of mine is 100 years old and going into a nursing home. They are selling off the contents of her house. Since we're related somehow, we were invited to come see the stuff before it was displayed, and they would sell us something if they could figure out a price and felt comfortable. Anyway, with everything strewn about a garage and a bunch of rooms, it was really hard to make a decision on anything, so I will attend the sale when everything is organized. Up in the bedroom were two of those foam mattress pads bidridden people use so they will not develop pressure sores. I already have one. Well, massage therapists love these things for doing massages on the floor, such as Thai or Shiatsu. I think the guy thought I was a little weird showing interest in such items. Someone like me who runs up steep hills does not look particularly bedridden. In any case, he really thought they were junk no one would want and was grateful to be rid of them. So he sold them to me for $1 a piece. I am now the proud owner of three foam mattress pads for my massage business!

Several days ago, I obtained a leaflet displaying the specials at Flying J Truck Stop this fall. They had a special on very nice Mexican blankets. So I took them up on this and found an excellent blanket to put on top of the foam mattress pads. It is in Southwest type colors, which are the most soothing, in my opinion.

Kimberly is supposed to build me a massage table shortly. She found directions on the internet. Therefore, I'll have my mattress pads, my blanket, and my table and will be ready to get started in some form anyway.

Another thing I'd like to mention about possibly choosing massage therapy as my career, at least temporarily. I've thought and thought, and I can't see how a massage can be outsourced to India!

New Career Direction

I am going to Shawnee again some time this week. Naturally, at this time of year, and with it being chilly, I'm not going to swim. It is supposed to be wonderful weather, however. I am planning to jog and walk a lot. I will, unfortunately, have to miss the debut of The Biggest Loser, but I'll do my best to watch the rest of the episodes this fall. The next weekend I have two things to do. I will be attending the pow wow at Dorseyville. I'll probably do that on a Saturday. On Sunday the 28th, I am attending the TOPS picnic. After all of this, I'm committed to getting down to business, and everything is going to be about my school work, jobs, yard work, house cleaning, exercise, etc.

I am feeling more and more that going to massage school soon is the right thing to do. With the economy being so bad, I need to get certified in something I can look for work in soon. I just don't feel comfortable starting on something that is three years or more in the future. As I said yesterday, the weight loss and exercise very dramatically improved my health, way beyond any of my expectations. I feel in shape to be a massage therapist now. Another major consideration is clothing. I have to pick something to do just so I know what types of clothing to look for. I can't afford to have one wardrobe for working at a health club, another wardrobe for secretarial work, and another wardrobe for being a massage therapist, and maybe even another for some other type of part-time job. I get all my clothing at thrift shops, yard sales, flea markets, or on sale. I have an idea what I would feel comfortable wearing to be a massage therapist while still looking well-groomed. So at least I can start to work on finding some of these types of clothes at thrift shops.

I feel that I'll just go through the school and start looking for a job. If the economy stays bad, I'll just dedicate myself to working for awhile. If it improves a bit, I'll think more of going to grad school part-time and working part-time.

This May Come As A Shock

In the past few days, there has been a shocking turnaround in my plans. I have been going through a bit of a crisis, and I wasn't sure what was wrong. I was not feeling happy and didn't know exactly why, so I was expressing emotions in all kinds of crazy directions. I was even having fantasies of running away! Well, the crisis has been resolved in perhaps an unusual manner, and this is even a surprise to me. I have decided to go back to some old plans which I thought were probably completely in the past. I've decided I probably will go to massage therapy school before I go to grad school. I'm intending to do this pretty soon. There are a number of reasons for this. The economy is really bad and I need to study something I can finish pretty soon to make a living. What I was originally going to train to do would have been at least three years in the future. I was in a very bad mood about getting a part-time job to get me through grad school. I'm really tired of doing work I hate. I wasn't sure how much trouble I would have finding a job I like where I could help people. I didn't want to wait three years. I want to do something I like, where I can help people, and where I can be more intimate with people. Also, my health has improved DRAMATICALLY just as a result of the small amount of weight I've lost through TOPS and exercise. It is evidence that it really can do wonders for a person even to lose a small amount of weight. I say, eat healthy, exercise, and lose ANY weight you can, even if it's not much. It will help. I now feel I'm in shape to be a massage therapist.

Another thing that has influenced me to be a massage therapist is that I have seen the results of helping people. A few years ago, when my mother was still alive, she had a cleaning lady with arthritis in her neck. I greatly helped this woman and relieved her pain by giving her massages. I have also helped Kimberly a lot who has very bad neck and upper back problems by giving her massages.

I still want to be an exercise physiologist and health psychologist. But by taking this short detour to become a massage therapist, I can have a job I like which will help others and connect me with others to help me support myself through grad school.

Back from a Different World

We went to pick up my cousin in Corry, PA yesterday. It's hard to believe the place where I was is in the same state as me, let alone the same country. It really seemed like a foreign country. It was very pretty up there. We passed many Amish buggies on the roads. Alan really lives out in the boondocks. His house is pretty but kind of spooky looking. He says it is haunted. We traveled on dirt roads. We saw the trailer where my cousin Boyd and his partner Sophie lived for about 20 years. We also saw the Amish compound where Alan gets his milk. We visited Alan's girlfriend. She is very nice. She is a Cherokee Indian and has a very multi-cultural family. It was a very interesting day!

Hunting and the Election

I have come to the conclusion that I am really disgusted by the fact that candidates have to prove that they hunt and like guns to get votes. I do not want to vote for the same person as hunters and gun owners. I realize that probably hunting needs to be allowed to control the wild animal population. I know there are hunters who are responsible people and care about nature. I hang out with a lot of Native Americans, and hunting is a big part of their culture. Although it really turns me off that Palin is so much into guns and hunting, I know it is part of the culture up there. Also, I have a cousin, Gary, whom I love very much, and he killed a caribou. I have another cousin who hunts a lot and I like him too. But I'm sick of everyone from Palin, to Bill Clinton, to John Kerry, etc., having to prove they hunt and kill animals in order to get votes. I'm a vegetarian and this disgusts me. Cheney hunted and ended up shooting a person. Hopefully, Palin is more skilled and has a better aim and won't shoot one of her friends! I don't know if Joe Biden hunts. I also doubt Barack Obama hunts, but maybe he does. If Joe and Barack start trying to prove they hunt, I probably won't vote.

September 11

Today I am remembering those who gave their lives in nearby Shanksville. I have visited the memorial often and have run a couple 9.3 mile races in memory up there. It is a very sacred and special place. We will never forget their sacrifice.

Sad News

I decided to write on my blog about this because I need to vent a little bit. My ex-boss got fired on Friday. Naturally, I have a lot of emotions around this. I am worried about her. Also, I am wondering if she may be better off in the end, being able to go elsewhere for a fresh start to be able to use her talents and energy anew. My boss was not young, and she is at the age where she could retire. I don't know if she can swing this financially. If she were able to do that, the community would be very lucky to gain a volunteer who would have so much to give. My boss was not from Pennsylvania, so if she moves elsewhere, it's a loss to the Pittsburgh area.

The college will definitely be a less colorful place without her. She is the most extroverted person I've ever met in my life. She also arranged a variety of events. Kimberly called her "the event" behind her back because she was always planning events! She was probably best known for throwing constant bake sales and barbecues around the college to raise funds. She was involved in many community organizations and brought attention to the college by her involvement. In addition, she took many students to conferences where they gained leadership skills and networked. There is a good percentage of students who only enrolled at the college because of her. They felt safe around her. Some students really owe their careers and even raises they got at work due to getting their degrees to her. Other students have transferred to four-year schools and owe that to her. Other students would never have acquired the skills they have to go to college if she had not gotten them tutors to prepare them for college level work.

I feel that I acquired a lot of skills and experience from working for her, and it was a very rewarding experience. Probably the larger percentage of students she served were African American. This job gave me the opportunity to learn a lot about African Americans living in urban areas. I was able to meet many wonderful people while working for her.

I really don't understand why the college would let someone like this go. I hope it turns out positive for her in the end and that she is able to use her abilities where she will be appreciated.

2008 Election

I have purposely tried to not make this blog controversial, because I know people from all kinds of political, religious, income, and ethnic groups, and I just want to have a blog for people to keep track of me. I started a Facebook page, but I know a lot of people who aren't on Facebook. However, I have decided to declare what I am doing this election year and why and get it over with!

I am voting for Obama and Biden. I'm not particularly excited about them. I voted for Hillary Clinton in the primary and wasn't that excited about her either. I voted for her because she is around the same age group as me and has had many of the same issues and experiences. It was great that a woman was running. Also, things did not go so badly during the Bill Clinton presidency. There weren't a lot of wars and employment was pretty good, and he did balance the budget! I also didn't know that much about Obama.

Obama seems more in touch with the problems in this country since he has been a community activist. Biden has been around a long time and I think also is somewhat in touch with the problems in this country. The more conservative side of me feels better about an older fellow who's been around a long time, although he kind of bores me. Michele Obama, similar to Sarah Palin and Hillary, seems like a superwoman. I could never be a superwoman, so I definitely admire anyone who can be one. If I tried to be a superwoman, you would soon be visiting me at a place called Bekavac (which is the nearest funeral home!). Even though I live a healthy lifestyle and can run fairly long distances, I'm a pretty tired person.

I feel more strongly against McCain/Palin. So in a sense, I'm voting more against them than for someone. McCain first really turned me off when he came to Pittsburgh with Bush. For a fundraiser for him, people could pay $10,000 to have their picture taken with Bush. I think about 75 people in this area forked over the $10,000. I felt VERY STRONGLY I did not want to vote for the same person as people who have $10,000 to have their picture taken with Bush! It wasn't just because it was Bush. If the people had forked over $10,000 to have their picture taken with Sidney Crosby or Ben Roethlisberger, I would have been turned off.

I don't think I would have liked anyone McCain picked as a running mate. However, I really do not like Sarah Palin. I admire her achievements, but I don't like her as a vice president. I understand why McCain had to pick her. He had to do something about the Republican Party which seemed more and more to just be about rich people identified with oil companies, particularly white men. He had to do something to shake it up. It's admirable he picked someone different and a woman. However, I just don't think she would be a good vice president. First of all, she is a governor, not a senator or rep, from Alaska, and I don't think she's been many other places besides Alaska and Idaho. So I don't think she understands much about what is really going on in this country. Also, she has too many children and her stand on abortion is too conservative. Alaska and Idaho are states with wide open spaces that can support more children. However, that is not true for most of the US. This is the wrong message to send to women about having large families. There are too many people. People need to limit their family size because there aren't enough jobs and this is bad for global warming. In addition, she is still having children. What will happen if an old guy like McCain gets sick or dies in office and an inexperienced pregnant vice president takes over! I think Alaska is a very different, frontier type of state and they can support someone like Ms. Palin, but I don't think she is ready to be the most powerful leader in the world. Also, I'm really turned off by the pictures of her kneeling over a dead caribou she's just shot. This woman is just too much into guns. Guns are a huge problem in most of this country. Again, this lifestyle is probably normal in Alaska, but it sends the wrong message to the rest of the country.

One of my favorite shows is "Ice Road Truckers" and I also watch things like "Tougher in Alaska". I watch everything on TV about Alaska, northern Canada, Siberia, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, etc., so I'm not totally ignorant about this culture. I don't know if someone who has not been OUT of this culture ever, however, is ready to lead the entire US.

As for McCain, I just think he is too much for rich people. Although he's been in Washington quite awhile, I don't know if he is in touch with the problems of real Americans to the extent Obama and Biden are. Getting back to the issue of too many children, McCain will be more likely to continue to ship off all our jobs to India, another country that encourages people to have too many children, and then many people live in misery. I like India because I like a lot of things about the Hindu religion, but they need to do something about their birth rate, and our country is going to end up in poverty and depression if all our jobs are shipped off to India. There are lots of negative things about China, but I feel better about buying things from them since they do attempt to limit their birth rate.

I'm really not sure whether things will improve with Obama and Biden but I'm afraid McCain and Palin will lead us into disaster!

September Update

I've had a busy couple of weeks. Over Labor Day weekend, I spent time up at Rector, PA. On Labor Day, I went to Keystone State Park to swim and jog. The lake was a little too cold for me by that time. I really enjoyed my jog, my brief swim, and laying out on the beach. However, I knew that was it for me for swimming in Keystone Lake!

Kimberly took time off from the University of Phoenix after Labor Day. It turned out there was a heat wave where the temperature would hover near 90 all week. We had both been wanting to go camping at Shawnee State Park. Shawnee is to the south and it was hot, so I was willing to give Shawnee Lake a try. We arrived Tuesday night, and the campground was fairly empty. Kimberly was able to find a wonderful pet lot. We had perfect weather all week, and there was enough shade to prevent the heat from being oppressive. We had campfires every night, and I was able to stick to my diet. I didn't get much sleep, however. I swam every day, and the water was still warm in Shawnee Lake. I had the lake pretty much to myself. The first day I swam has to be one of the best swims I've ever had. I also watched Angel while Kimberly swam. The next day we decided the campground was empty enough that we could leave Angel for a short time and both swim. The third day, I just swam myself. I got lots of wonderful walks and jogs in. I jogged the Lost Antler Trail and jogged clear around the lake. Shawnee is by far the best campground, and there are just enough trails for me to make regular trips there. Although it is 100 miles away, it is very easy to get to because all the roads are fast and there is little traffic. I visited the Old Log Church in Schellsburg which was built in 1806. I had not been there since I was a kid. Also, Kimberly and I visited the Buffalo Corral. I got myself a great drum for $8. It is a toy Indian drum made in China, but it really is an adequate drum for playing, so now I have a drum and I am drumming. We also chased the herd of Buffalo down along Route 30 and got to watch them.

The next morning after returning from Shawnee, I did a 5K in Charleroi. It was a very large 5K called The Little Great Race, and I really enjoyed myself and came away with all kinds of free gear. I got lots of exercise competing and beat a bunch of people who were much younger than me. I attended the health fair at Move It and Lose It after that. This is where I go for my TOPS meetings.

After recovering from all this (I'm not totally recovered because I ended up with a cold over doing too much!) I started classes at CCAC. I took my first test in Applied Anatomy and attended my first class in first aid and sports injuries. I saw some of my old friends and coworkers, but the teacher let us out early for the first class. When I came home, Kimberly had sawed up a pile of firewood and started a fire, so I played my drum by the fire before going to bed.

Latest News

Friday Kimberly built a picnic table and taught me how to build one. I learned how to select lumber and supplies at Home Depot. I learned how to load them on the truck to get them home. I learned how to measure the pieces of lumber and saw how to cut them with a circular saw. Then I saw the order to assemble it and how to drill the screws in. Finally, I saw how to put bolts in and then trim the corners of the table and the benches. The thing weighed a ton! It was beautiful but I couldn't budge it. Somehow, we stood it up, slid it into the truck, and then trucked it up to the top of the yard where we wanted to put it. It is an 8-foot table. We got it off the truck and to its permanent location. It's really great to have it to sit on and to be able to have barbecues out in the yard. We will soon build another one to take to my lot in Rector and I will be more actively involved in building that one. I also want to build a 6-foot one for the yard that would be more mobile. There is still some debate going on about the materials for that one, because I seriously do want to be able to move it around. Now that I know we can get a big heavy one onto the truck and unload it, I'm willing to build another one like that for the lot in Rector. Anyway, it was very impressive. Kimberly had it built in a couple of hours, and I couldn't believe anyone could pick materials, build something like that, and transport it to its location in such a short amount of time.

Yesterday, we went to Keystone State Park. I just love it there! I again took my jog around the lake. Then I went swimming a couple of times and laid out on the beach. We did not take Angel yesterday. However, we did figure out the rules for taking dogs. There are a bunch of small trees planted on the grassy area above the sand. If you keep your dog even behind those young trees, the dog can come. One person even brings a cat on a leash and has a beach umbrella for the cat! A big mean park ranger with a gun enforces the rules. One person got their dog too close to the beach and the kids were petting the dog, and the ranger intervened. But you can still bring your dog, and if you keep it behind the small trees, you can still get plenty of sun. If we take Angel, however, Kimberly would have to stay on the beach while I jog (which takes about 40 minutes), and only one of us could go in the water at a time. Also, as I get more physically fit, I am going to take longer jogs before I swim. There are six miles of trails in the park. I can also extend my jog by jogging through the cabins and hillside campground. Another option is to jog around the lake twice.

This morning I did my old 5 1/2 mile jog around home. It was hard with the hot weather. I have to jog up two really steep hills, along with several other hills. It is really pretty though. The views are pretty and part of my route goes high above the Monongahela River and I can look down on the city of Monongahela.

Yesterday

I had a bowl of millet for breakfast yesterday, and I was able to do a fairly intense workout at the YMCA after that. I was impressed with the YMCA's new focus. They have come up with new programs to do something about the epidemics of obesity and diabetes, and they are also putting a lot of focus on children. They've hired new trainers and have new programs where each person will have a fitness coach they can see once a week. Also, they are promoting a 5K taking place in Charleroi on Sept. 6. I was going to do a half-marathon but don't feel prepared yet, so I signed up to do the 5K in Charleroi on that date.

At my TOPS meeting, they talked about eating out. I explained that I can't eat out at all without gaining weight, so I have to come up with various strategies, such as taking food with me, negotiating with anyone I go places with that they can stop for something to eat but I can't, or exercising if I am forced to eat out. I had to have french fries both days at the pow wow because there was no non-fattening food there, and we were way out in the boondocks. I had to exercise a lot to keep from gaining weight. One woman who is a KOPS says she can't eat out and has to take food with her. Another woman who has lost 50 pounds just point blank does not eat out.

Most of the people at TOPS are able to eat out and still lose weight. Strategies include sharing meals or going out one day a week and dieting the rest of the week. Some of the members have found meals they can have at various chain restaurants which are low in fat and calories.

I think the reason I gain weight when I eat out is more the lifestyle that goes along with eating out as opposed to the food itself. Usually, I eat out because I've spent the day sitting on my butt in the car going far away. Or, like at the pow wow, I don't have access to any healthy food. At the pow wow, I didn't want to carry a lot of stuff with me because I wanted to dance. So I only brought some Gatorade and water which I left in the cooler in the car. I should have brought some food rather than eat the french fries. Also, Native American dancing doesn't always burn up a lot of calories. In general, eating out occurs in situations that don't involve a lot of physical activity and reduce your control over your surroundings.

Quinoa

Well, I have started my project of making quinoa a staple in my diet. Yesterday I had corn quinoa pasta for lunch and I had a bowl of cooked quinoa prior to doing my run on Rostosky Ridge Road. It seemed to be a good thing to eat prior to the jog, but I'm going to have to experiment for awhile. I didn't overeat before I went and was still slightly hungry. However, it does seem to promote a fairly level and sustained rise and fall in blood sugar, which is what I need for an intense workout like this. After I had done all the killer hills, I was fine, and on my way back down to the park, I didn't feel hungry at all. I still had plenty of energy to jog back to the park and down to the end of the park at the Monongahela River where I stretch. I have been reading that the Incas, who ran long distances at high altitudes, used this food for endurance.

Dieting

I have decided to slow down on my weight loss and get back into eating mainly health foods for the time being. Quinoa is again going to become a staple in my diet. I got very inspired over the weekend learning at the pow wow how many nutritious foods are native to the Americas. Also, I've been emailing my friend Saorlaith a lot about health foods and plants. I may still lose as much weight or more, but right now I'm focusing more on eating whole grains, beans, and fresh summer vegetables, as well as a limited amount of fruit, nuts, and seeds. I'm still trying to control portion sizes and fat content and exercise. I can't go totally vegan, because I really can't go without a small amount of cheese and milk, but my diet is vegan for the most part.

Back to the Pow Wow

Kimberly and I attended the pow wow again on Sunday. We had a wonderful weekend attending the pow wow. Yesterday, I danced a lot in their intertribal dances. They had hired two drumming and singing groups, Muddy Creek and Friendly Voices. I loved the music and dancing. The land they have purchased is beautiful. It is near Eagle's Point, a cliff from which people hang glide, so we saw some hang gliders. I wore some of the bead work I had made yesterday. I enjoyed watching the people from the tribe and their costumes and just watching the people in general who attended. I think Kimberly had a good time also. I'm looking forward to attending more Native American events in the near future.

Delaware Pow Wow

We went to the Delaware Indian pow wow yesterday in Saltsburg, PA. It was held by the Thunder Mountain Lenape Nation. Delaware Indians refer to themselves as "Lenape." This nation has purchased land in Saltsburg and Indians who can't prove their ancestry can join their tribe. Kimberly is planning to join their tribe.

It was a chore getting to the pow wow, but after Mt. Davis and Mt. Mitchell, I'm used to this. The last couple of roads to their land, however, were pretty scary. Their land is very beautiful. They have a circle built in the middle of it. Most of the activities took place in the circle. Their costumes were really beautiful. They seemed very nice. I got to dance with them in the circle. Also, there were a lot of vendors there and it was interesting to see all the things they were selling. It was just fascinating to sit there and people watch. This tribe also sells herb tea for various ailments to raise funds.

I have a long history of hanging out with Native Americans, so I felt perfectly comfortable, although I don't think I've ever been to a pow wow.

One of the vendors sold the most beautiful bead work. His creations were not cheap, but it was beautiful to look at them. I'm just as good as he is at earrings, however, which made me feel good. I have made some beautiful Native American earrings, and this is not an expensive hobby. There was one vendor, however, who was much better at earrings than me. Also, there was a vendor from Michigan who actually sells jewelry making supplies to Indians who do this sort of thing in bulk. It was interesting to visit that booth.

It was very interesting to see all the various types of dream catchers on display. There was a tank top that said, "America. Love it or give it back." Of course there was a picture on it of a Native American who was willing to take it back. I wanted one but they were too expensive. No one was buying them because the price was just too inflated for anyone's budget.

Anyway, I really enjoyed going and would be happy to spend more time with these people if Kimberly joins the tribe.

On the way home, we stopped at Loyalhanna Lake. It's really pretty. It is managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. It is very uncomplicated to camp by it, bring the dog, etc. Similar to Keystone State Park, it is really not that far from where we live, so it is an excellent place for us to pack up some gear and the dog at the last minute and go camping. It's closer and less complicated than places like Shawnee, Raccoon, or Tomlinson Run. Coopers Rock also seems less complicated, but it isn't by a lake. So I feel Loyalhanna Lake is the least complicated place I've discovered so far. It only costs $16 a night to camp there. You just show up, you pick a spot, you put your money in an envelope, your dog can come on a leash, and it's close by and easy to get to.

TOPS, etc.

Not much has been going on other than I have been jogging regularly on Rostosky Ridge Road. I do not have too much trouble getting up the very steep hills. I no longer have to stop in the middle of any hill. I am able to get up all of them, so it is just a matter of going faster. I enjoy parking at the riverfront park and getting to watch the Monongahela River where it is very wide and peaceful, just before the city of Monongahela. I enjoy all the dogs I see along the way and getting to meet various children and their cats. One gray and white cat, Zipper, meets me almost every day and lets me pet him. He is a beautiful cat. I got to hold some older orange and orange and white kittens and also got to hold a three-day-old orange and white kitten. I also work out at the Mon Valley YMCA.

I lose weight every week at TOPS. Fairly soon, I will reach my goal, hopefully, and be a KOPS. Last night I won the jackpot at TOPS and couldn't believe it! Everyone contributes a quarter per pound gained to a jackpot. There is a drawing every week. If the person is not there, they don't get the jackpot. If they are there but have gained weight, they don't get the jackpot. There has not been a winner in weeks. I was present and had lost weight and my name was drawn, so I won $31.75!!!!

Keystone State Park

Yesterday I spent some time at Keystone State Park. It is about 40 miles from where I live near Latrobe, PA. Kimberly and I had checked it out before and I was anxious to visit it. I've decided it is a perfect place for me to visit regularly during the warm summer months. I've been looking for just the right place, and this is it. It offers about six miles of trails, which is not a whole lot for someone like me. However, it offers a relatively easy, level jog around the lake and campgrounds. You can jog between two and three miles. It has a wonderful beach and bathhouse. The bathhouse is brand new, modern, and clean. The view is very soothing from the beach. I've been looking for a place where, on summer days, I can jog in a pretty environment and then swim. Now I've found the place! I jogged around the lake and cabin areas yesterday. I stopped at the park office and got some literature. The water was nice and warm in the lake. It wasn't a hot day, so I swam and then was able to lay out for awhile.

Rostosky Ridge Road

I haven't had much to report other than exercising and dieting all the time and trying to lose weight. I have now lost for a number of weeks in a row at TOPS. Well, now I am again conquering this super steep road in my neighborhood called Rostosky Ridge Road. Yesterday, I was almost in shape to jog up it again. I've been in shape to jog it several times. I only had to take one walking break on it yesterday. It has a bunch of steep grades, two of which are so steep I can't even describe them to you. I have never seen another person even try to walk this road. I'm the only person who jogs it. You do see people on horseback, ATVs, and dirt bikes on it. Vehicles can use it, but only a few people are brave enough to live on this road, because it is not easy to get up and down it in the winter. This road is so steep the mail truck will not deliver there. People have to ride their ATV down the hill about half a mile to pick up their mail. In any case, I LOVE to jog the hill. It is a great workout and I feel I have really conquered and achieved by being able to jog it without having to stop or take a walking break. A few years ago there was a big fly ash slide at the bottom of the hill. It was a very trying time because there is a whole neighborhood at the bottom. It is cleaned up now. I've become friends with the people at the bottom of the hill, as well as their dogs and cats. This neighborhood is right across from the Monongahela River, so I can also jog through a park by the river, park there, stretch there, etc.

Fort Ligonier

Yesterday Kimberly and I visited Fort Ligonier. I haven't visited it since I was a kid, and Kimberly has never seen it. Kimberly really enjoyed it and learned a lot about the Native Americans in the area. There are some very good books on Native Americans at the gift shop. We got one book which has given us a lot more information on the Delaware Indians. We are planning on attending a Delaware pow wow weekend after next. I got another book on bead work. I already have an extensive library on bead work which I brought with me from San Francisco. I also had purchased a loom there. This book will add to my knowledge and Kimberly and I will do some bead work during the cold winter days. I have a big supply of beads I accumulated when I first moved back to Pennsylvania. We also went to feed the famous feral cat at the Linn Run State Park cabins. I was told by the current occupant of the cabin where the cat lives that her name is Whinnie and she is 12 years old. She belonged to an elderly lady who died. We then got eight bottles of Grove Run Spring water. After that, we visited my lot in Rector. I came face to face with an adorable fawn hiding out in the trees who took off fast when it saw me. Well, now I am off to the Y. I have three days to work out so I don't gain weight at TOPS on Thursday night. Other than that, back to the daily grind after spending some time in the woods and mountains.

Weekend Activities

I checked out Coopers Rock State Forest on Saturday. I saw Cheat Lake but did not have time or fuel to explore it. I will have to do that soon to see if there are good places on Cheat Lake to take Kimberly and Angel. Coopers Rock State Forest was great! The first place I went was the Coopers Rock overlook. The view was gorgeous. You look out over the Cheat River gorge. However, you can tell the difference from Mt. Mitchell. I hiked the Raven Rock trail. It takes you to another overlook which might even be prettier than Coopers Rock, but it is undeveloped and out in the woods. It was about a two-mile hike, but it is very rugged and steep, so you get a lot of exercise for the two miles. In any case, I now have 7 miles logged for the Hiking West Virginia program. I also visited the small campground. It is nice and I picked up a lot more literature there. I now have a fairly complete file on West Virginia for planning trips there. Ohio is coming along, so now I'll have to accumulate some material on Maryland. Those are all the places close by. Places like New York, Ontario, Virginia, New Jersey, and Delaware are a bit less local. I used to have a ton of info on Quebec in French. I have made 5 trips to Quebec. It is about 600 miles to Quebec and can be driven in one day, because the entire trip is basically on highways which are not crowded. I would like to start visiting Quebec again. I go to Quebec more to practice my French and to be immersed in French rather than to hike, although I walk a lot when I go there. Montreal is 600 miles away, but if you're going to speak French you don't necessarily have to go to Montreal. About the closest larger town is Salaberry de Valleyfield. Crossing into Canada adds hassle to short trips, so with the exception of Mt. Mitchell, I'm sticking mostly to PA, Ohio, West Va, and Maryland.

Sunday I went to church. My friend Bobbie came on the bus with her scooter. So I decided to give her a ride home in the truck. It was interesting taking her scooter apart and loading it into the truck, but it all worked out and I got her and her scooter home. I'm going to take Bobbie to Coopers Rock because there is an accessible overlook. She can ride her scooter out to it, and that will give her a nice break from life in downtown Pittsburgh, where she lives. After that, it was out to the Redd Up Campaign to do my recycling and my usual tofu run to the food coop. Naturally, I couldn't resist the organic plantains, so I had Nicaraguan food for dinner!

Back from Mt. Mitchell continued

I'm still trying to catch you up on all that has happened. I had to take two additional trips on Monday and Tuesday. Kimberly had some red tape to get straightened out in Columbiana County, Ohio. They gave us quite the runaround, but it sure was fun visiting a number of parks along the way.

Prior to leaving, I went to CCAC and met with Felicia to start my math tutoring, which I will initially do at home by computer. I visited my old office and talked to my ex-boss and a coworker.

We then left for Ohio and first visited Beaver Creek State Park. I've been there a lot. It's really beautiful and is on Beaver Creek before it becomes a river. There is a reconstructed pioneer village and old lock there. I was able to obtain a number of pamphlets of things to do in Ohio. We also visited Lisbon and Salem that day. On the way home, we stopped at Tomlinson Run State Park, and Kimberly and Angel got their first tour of it. Kimberly was very impressed with it. I got a park bumper sticker for my car.

That night I checked out the literature I'd obtained and decided I would like to see Guilford Lake. Kimberly has been there many times. We had to return to Ohio on Tuesday for more red tape. Kimberly got her situation straightened out, finally, and we headed for Guilford Lake. Kimberly has been there many times. I obtained a whole lot more literature on Ohio and we visited the beach, campground, dam, and several places on the lake, which is very pretty. Angel went swimming in the lake and I went wading.

On the way home, we again went to Tomlinson Run State Park to pick out which lots in the campground we would most like to camp at. We're planning to camp there sometime before camping season is over. We also hiked along the summit on the Poe Trail. We then stopped at Raccoon State Park. We visited the lake and then went to the picnic area to walk Angel. After that, we went to the park office and I got more literature! Angel took a swim in Raccoon Creek.

On Wednesday and Thursday, I had to exercise a lot at the Y to lose any weight I'd gained on these three trips so I wouldn't be humiliated at the TOPS meeting. Luckily, I worked any excess off and succeeded in losing at TOPS!

Yesterday, I did yard work all day in hopes of continuing to be a loser. Today, I am going to check out the Coopers Rock State Forest in Morgantown, WV. Kimberly and Angel are too tired to go, but I will check out the place to see what might appeal to them in this area. Okay, I'm caught up, I think, and will write about Coopers Rock in my next post.

Back from Mt. Mitchell Continued

Anyway, I got back from the Dean's List Reception Friday night. The next day, I had to spend the entire day finishing my internet psychology course. I was busy all day. I had to read two chapters, take two quizzes, and take the last test. I got 78 out of 80 on the last test. So that course is over. I enjoyed it. My next class doesn't start until September 2, so I will now concentrate on math tutoring and studying for the ACE personal trainer exam. I was too tired from everything to do anything on Sunday, even go to church. Monday and Tuesday even got busier!

Back from Mt. Mitchell Continued

More on the West Virginia State Hiking Program, which I discussed in my last post. I have found a state forest, Coopers Rock State Forest, near Morgantown, which is the same distance plus or minus a few miles as Tomlinson Run. They also have a small campground. This is the next place I plan to check out for a hike in order to log some miles for the hiking program. This state forest is on the Cheat River. The Cheat River eventually flows into the Monongahela River, which is the major river where I live. The Monongahela gets a lot of its water from the Cheat River. It gets quite a bit more water from the Youghiogheny. A good percentage of my walking and hiking is done on the Youghiogheny Trail. The Yough flows into the Mon at McKeesport, a city near where I live. This is what gives the Mon River its large volume to join with the Allegheny at Pittsburgh and form the Ohio. Of course the Ohio flows into the Mississippi. So this traces where some of the water originally comes from to make the Mississippi such a mighty river.

But back to everything that has happened since I returned. Friday night, I attended the Dean's List Reception for CCAC. It was a huge event and took place in a large ballroom at the convention center. Apparently some 50 students from the program I used to work for made the Dean's List. A small percentage of them attended, given that it's summer, people are away or working, etc. I had never been to a Dean's List reception before, and I had a wonderful time. I sat with Jamar and Ron and his partner, two of the students from programs I'd worked for at CCAC. I saw some of the other students from the programs, including Felicia. I set up an appointment to see Felicia for my math tutoring. When they called my name to receive my award, I got to shake hands with the new college president, Alex Johnson. He had formerly been the president of the New Orleans community college system and had seen them through Hurricane Katrina. I received a CCAC Dean's List pin and a pen and pencil holder.

After the program, there was a delicious snack, although not everyone agreed. They had prepared tables of all kinds of veggies, dips, and salsa. I really pigged out. I had a lot of raw veggies, then I had several servings of chips with tomato basil and Mexican salsa fresca. I heard many comments from people who don't eat vegetables, only eat meat, and went straight to the dessert table. Well, I guess my work is cut out for me as a future exercise physiologist and health psychologist! I'm going into fields that are greatly needed in this country!

I decided to wander around the convention center and check it out. It was very impressive. I ended up out on the balcony and watched the sunset over the Allegheny River, PNC Park (during a ballgame), and the trails across the river. I also saw some boats and trains, including one of the Gateway Clipper boats. It was a very beautiful, peaceful scene. After that, I checked out the bottom level of the convention center. There is a long, winding sidewalk down to the river underneath the convention center with pools of water on each side. You then come down to a platform right on the Allegheny River. There was a very strange and wild party going on. The party consisted entirely of men wearing various red dresses and their children. The children were also dressed entirely in red. I never figured out what group this was!

Well, anyway, I have much more to tell since I've been back, so I will have to continue for several more posts!

Back from Mt. Mitchell Continued

I still have a lot to write about to catch up since I've been back from Mt. Mitchell, NC, and the climb to the summit of Mt. Craig, just next to it.

When we got back, I had received my materials from the West Virginia State Hiking Program. I found a pamphlet and application for it at the camp store after my first 4.5 mile hike at Tomlinson Run State Park. I sent in to join it and received a wonderful letter, a portfolio full of maps for any trail in West Virginia that can be used in the program, and a log. I put the 4.5 mile hike on my log. I have also been at Tomlinson Run the past two days, and I logged an additional .5 miles yesterday with Kimberly and Angel. I have it on my log and now have 5 miles. You get the first award after 25 miles. My next few miles will probably also be at Tomlinson Run, since I like their trails and still have a few of them I want to hike soon. We also may go camping there, so I could walk some of the trails from the campground. This is the closest state park or trail to me in West Virginia that I know of. There may be something closer, but this park is only about 60 miles away. I'll have to find out if I can get to something closer using Route 70, but the ones on 79 are farther away than Tomlinson Run.

The day after I returned from Mt. Mitchell, I went to the Dean's List Reception for CCAC students at the convention center. More on that in my next post.

Back from Mt. Mitchell

So much has happened that I will have to space it out among several posts. I have been back from Mt. Mitchell since the middle of the night between Thursday and Friday. We drove down last Wednesday night. Kimberly had done research to find the perfect time for the weather, and in order to arrive at that time and get the best view, we had to leave late Wednesday night.

The trip was very taxing on us and on Angel, and it was a huge project to get to the summit. I thought it was a chore to get to Mt. Davis, PA, but it was child's play compared to Mt. Mitchell. Mt. Davis itself is a whole different ballgame from Mt. Mitchell. The two mountains we visited, Mt. Mitchell and Mt. Craig, are over twice the height of Mt. Davis. We arrived in North Carolina in mid-morning and got a view of where we were going from the North Carolina Welcome Center. It was a real chore, however, to get around the various roads to take us up to Mt. Mitchell. Once we arrived in Burnsville, we had to find Route 80 and then get to the Blueridge Parkway. It is only open up to the entrance to Mt. Mitchell. It is a beautiful climb. Once you get to the road up to Mt. Mitchell after climbing, climbing, and climbing, there's a steep ride up there. We drove all the way to the top and parked up near the summit. Right now you can't get all the way up to the summit at 6,684 feet, because they are renovating the observation deck. But the view was breathtaking from the parking lot! We were on a section of Mt. Mitchell which is 6,578 feet, and the view was spectacular from that point.

We took a two-mile hike to the summit of Mt. Craig, at 6,663 feet. It was a very difficult hike up and down and over rocks. We actually had to climb some rocks! We are physically fit, but we had to pant for oxygen. It seems very normal to pant up there. You feel that you can do it, but you have to pant for oxygen. It is unlike panting because you are out of shape. You do not get respiratory alkalosis from hyperventilating as you do at the altitude you're used to.

It was totally worth doing this hike, because it was beautiful, the views were beautiful, and the summit of Mt. Craig is just totally awesome. Kimberly definitely picked the right time to arrive, because it became hazier as the day wore on. Angel proved herself to be a wonderful mountain dog. The people up there are extremely nice. I think the reason is that they have traveled so far to get to the highest point east of the Mississippi and this is a dream they have realized. I also learned a lesson in motivation. I saw people doing the trail to Mt. Craig who would never attempt such a thing even up at Ligonier, where I usually go to hike. I saw very elderly people, disabled people, small children, and parents with infants riding on their back doing this extremely difficult hike at 6,600 feet and succeeding. It showed that if people are motivated, they can do things you'd never imagine they were able to do. Many people made a fuss over Angel and petted her. There were only two other dogs up there while we were there.

I hated to leave, it was so beautiful. We drove all day and then decided in Tennessee to take a detour to see the Bristol Motor Speedway. It is huge, and it was very interesting to see a NASCAR track where the Nationwide and Sprint Cup series are held.

The sun was setting as we made it to the Virginia Welcome Center. We hung out there for awhile and let Angel get out and walk. We weren't in Virginia long, and most of the night was spent with us sharing the driving through West Virginia. We were really tired when we got home.

It was very much worth it to go through a lot to see this beautiful place. I am very grateful to God for making it possible for us to see this manifestation of his/her creation and for protecting us along the way. I am forever changed from seeing this beautiful place.

A lot has happened since I returned, so I'll have to make several other posts in the next few days.

Going to North Carolina

Kimberly and I spent the weekend by the Youghiogheny River. Friday night we went for a long walk from Van Meter down past the railroad trestle. We took Angel and she had a wonderful time. On Saturday evening, when it was very hot, we went swimming at Smithton Beach. It was great! The Yough is shallow the entire way across, so you're never in over your head. The only problem is that you have to wear something on your feet, because it is too rocky. One thing people like to do at that beach is get a raft of some sort and just let the current take them for a ride. I want to get something specifically to put on my feet and get a raft.

Tomorrow night, we are leaving for Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina to see the highest point east of the Mississippi. We will drive there with Angel, spend a few hours, then come back. It is between 6600 and 6700 feet. I have determined that the highest up I've been is 8,640 feet on I-80 in Wyoming. I also walked around Mexico City at 7,400 feet. I didn't feel very good, so I imagine I will be a bit woozy at 6700 feet. I was a little queasy at 3,213 the first time I visited Mt. Davis, PA. I am used to hiking at a section of the Laurel Mountains whose highest point is 2,930 feet. Well, this will be nothing compared to the Tour de France today. They had to bike up to 9,193 feet on the highest road in Europe. It is no surprise the youngest guy in the Tour got up first, but he crashed on the way down! There was no vegetation at the top and apparently that road was closed by snow until the end of June! I'm still very excited about seeing Mt. Mitchell.

The only other news is that my psych class is almost over. I got 76 out of 80 on the last test I took and have one more exam on Saturday. Then I have about a month and a half off before I start my fall classes in phys ed. I am trying to get some math tutoring and will also be working toward getting my ACE certification as a personal trainer and eventually as a lifestyle and weight maintenance consultant. I continue to work on my own diet and exercise program. I am doing lots of heavy yard work in order to get used to the 90 minutes per day of moderate-level physical activity which is required to keep weight off long-term, as I learned in my phys ed classes. The diet companies conveniently don't tell you that fact when they sign you up because they wouldn't make any money. No one would ever diet if they knew the truth. TOPS is more likely to tell you the truth. But the real honest truth--I only got it in my exercise phys courses!

I'm still heavily leaning toward applying to Pitt to get a masters in Health and Physical Activity Chronic Disease Prevention Clinical Practitioner, but I am exploring alternate options if I'm unable to do that.

Back from West Virginia

Lots has been going on lately! Last Saturday, I took Kimberly on a fairly extensive tour of parks and hiking opportunities. It started out that Kimberly was just curious about seeing Uniontown. At first, I thought, "Why would someone want to see Uniontown?" I figured it was just because it was at the end of Route 51. But then, I got to thinking, it's surrounded by 3000 foot mountains. So then it seemed like a good idea. I was just going to take Kimberly to Uniontown and drive to the summit, which we did. On the way, we checked out Lick Hollow, which is part of the way up the summit. I want to go on a hike to the summit at that location because it goes up to 3,040 feet. Lick Hollow was really nice, so then we drove clear to the summit and looked out from the observation area. Then, Kimberly decided she'd like to see where Laurel Caverns are. So we went up Skyline Drive and drove to Laurel Caverns. The view was really pretty from there also. At that point, we were going home. I had picked up the latest pamphlet on the Quebec Run Wild Area at the Lick Hollow park office. So Kimberly decided she would be into checking out Quebec Run. Well, we drove down to the Skyline Drive parking lot for it. Then we started home, when Kimberly asked what else was in the area. I said Ohiopyle wasn't too far. It's a beautiful area with a big waterfall on the Youghiogheny River. So she said she'd go there with me. Well, we drove there and then she said that Mt. Davis really wasn't that far away! If we went to Confluence, she'd see where Lake Youghiogheny is, and then we could drive to Mt. Davis. Well, we went to Confluence. We didn't see Lake Youghiogheny, but we saw where the Youghiogheny River Trail starts. The end is very familiar to us, where the Yough River flows into the Monongahela at McKeesport. It was neat to see where it starts. We only had to drive about 5 miles up to Fort Hill to turn off to Mt. Davis. At Fort Hill, I found a parking area for the Allegheny Highlands Trail. Well, then we proceeded to Mt. Davis. I was so happy to get there twice in one week! Anyway, Kimberly and Angel saw the beautiful observation deck and its view, the picnic area, and High Point. I finally climbed clear to the top of the tower and am no longer afraid of it. The view is awesome from the top! On the way home from Mt. Davis, I took Kimberly to Laurel Hill State Park. I showed her the Pumphouse Trail I'd hiked on, the lake, the beach, the campground, and the picnic area. On the way back from there, I showed her Seven Springs and a parking area for the Roaring Run Natural Area.

Yesterday, it was really hot, so I decided to check out Tomlinson Run State Park in the northernmost corner of West Virginia. I figured I could find a place to hike there which was all forest, and I did. I was very impressed with the park. I hiked 4 1/2 miles, by the lake and up to the summit. I checked out the picnic area and campground, both of which are gorgeous! I also was able to pick up a whole bunch of pamphlets at the park store about all kinds of parks to visit and hike in in West Virginia.

A lot has gone on regarding my career direction. I have now decided I eventually want to be a health psychologist. So I'm debating in what order to do things. I still think I will probably get a masters in exercise physiology first and try to work awhile in that field. I feel that I need to work toward something I could do when I'm much older and not quite so mobile. I think it is important to have a career I could work at into my 80's and possibly 90's, so I feel this would be a good eventual career direction for me.

Back Below 3000 Feet

Yesterday I spent the day at Mt. Davis. It is the highest point in Pennsylvania and is at 3213 feet. It was a beautiful drive up there. It's really in the boondocks! I was able to climb about 3/4 the way up the observation tower, but I didn't make it to the top. The view was still good from where I was able to climb. I hiked to the picnic area, which is really nice. I hiked a bit of a couple other trails. The mountain laurel was in full bloom, so it was just gorgeous. It was a fairly nice day, cloudy at first, but then sunny. I didn't see any black bears, which apparently happens up there. I then hiked down a dirt road and found the observation deck. It was the greatest! There are benches and a picnic table, and you can look down into the valley at the lake, the farms, and the other mountains in the distance. I walked back and got the car and drove in there. I ate my snack there and hung out awhile. I also got to see the Casselman River yesterday, which is beautiful. It is very rocky and not quite as wide as the Youghiogheny. On the way up to Mt. Davis on the Turnpike, I passed the Bald Knob tower at 2930 feet which is the highest I usually hike. I was a bit queazy hiking up at 3200 feet. Today I feel a little queazy and my inner ears are screwed up from spending the day up at 3200 feet. I figure probably the highest I've been is 7400 when I walked around Mexico City. I am planning very soon to go to Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina, which is the highest point east of the Mississippi. It is close to 7000 feet.

Last Thursday, I visited Laurel Hill State Park. I hiked a really neat trail called the Pump House Trail. It went up to a beautiful dam on the Jones Mill Run creek. I also visited the lake and camp ground there. After that, I visited Seven Springs, which is a little higher than Bald Knob. I am very accustomed to hiking the Laurel Summit near Route 30. Those hikes range from 2700 feet to over 2900 at Bald Knob. So 3200 feet for most of the day was an adjustment for me.

Monday I took my third psychology test. I got 100% on both quizzes and the test. I'm signed up for a couple phys ed classes stating in mid-September. One of them, Applied Anatomy and Kinesiology, is really the last course I need to take to apply to go for my masters degree at Pitt. However, I want to do some math tutoring, because there is some math involved in being an exercise physiologist--equations, calculations, etc.

Right now, since it's summer, I'm focusing on losing more weight and getting in a lot of physical activity. Then I will start focusing on getting some certifications in personal training and lifestyle and weight management. I also will explore getting a Dr. Ornish license. You can get a free one, but I'm not sure I'll be eligible before I'm actually an exercise physiologist, so I'll have to find that out. But going off on all the hikes this summer has a lot to do with just getting in a lot of physical activity during the warm weather.

Laurel Summit and Global Warming

When I was a kid and a teenager, the area around Laurel Summit was known for winter sports. Even though my dad owned a lot below the summit and took us up there in the summer for picnics, for rides, to get spring water, etc., most people viewed the area as a place to ski. I had relatives who owned cabins up there so they could go away on weekends in the winter. I have relatives my age who were still going up there cross-country skiing after I left the area and lived in other places.

I moved back to this area in 1992. At that time, people were still skiing, going to their cabins, and snowmobiling up there. When I first moved back here, rails-to-trails were taking off big time. This was far below the elevations of the summit. The trails were hailed as places to hike, jog, and bike, even camp, in the spring, summer, and fall, but excellent places to cross-country ski in the winter. That lasted a few years. Cross-country skiing on the rails-to-trails was the first thing to go. There was a horrendous winter here in 1994. The next couple winters were pretty bad too. After that, there was never enough snow to even think of cross-country skiing on the rails-to-trails.

It was about that time I started frequenting the Laurel Highlands again. I would stop at park offices for pamphlets. Lots of pamphlets dealt with the winter sports. They showed which trails could be used both for hiking and cross-country skiing, which ones could also be used for snowmobiles. When I would go hiking, I'd see trails marked for snowmobiling. Some of the trails weren't even appropriate for hiking. They were not maintained for summer, since they were primarily used for cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. There were maps for cross-country skiing in the winter and directions to ski slopes and warming huts.

A couple times I did go up to Linn Run State Park in the winter. There is an area of rustic cabins. Their primary purpose was for people to stay in the winter and snowmobile up the roads to the summit. The roads were purposely not maintained so the people in the cabins could ride their snowmobiles. On the couple occasions I went up in the winter, the roads were indeed covered with a layer of snow. I had snow tires put on my car so I could get up and down the roads. But there were ominous signs of what was to come. I never saw a snow mobile. However, in the middle of the winter, I saw people on bicycles climbing the summit.

I remember a time in the late 1990's, early 2000's, when I got into a conversation with my veterinarian. She owns horses and takes her horses up to the summit to do the trails. She warned me, don't go up there in the middle of the winter. There are several feet of snow. You can't hike those trails in the middle of the winter.

For several years, I was busy with other things and didn't go up to the summit very much. Then I gained too much weight, and the spring, summer, and fall of 2007, I started going to the summit weekly to hike to lose the weight. I was in for a shock and a rude awakening. The summit was in bad shape and had deteriorated markedly. The warming hut was closed. The ski area was closed. The bathrooms weren't maintained. The road was in very bad condition. However, as the spring and summer went on, I realized the summit was attracting more and more people. Hikers and mountain bikers flocked more and more to the summit.

During the winter of 2007, I had naturally steered clear of the summit. However, I noticed something as winter of 2008 approached. It just never got too cold to hike or bike at the summit. In the past, I had sometimes gone up in October to hike in the snow. Now, I was going up just to hike in October, and November, and December. A new kind of person was enjoying the fall and early winter up there--hunters, as opposed to skiiers and snowmobilers. I kept waiting for it to get too cold to hike. It never did. I was hiking at the summit in January, February, and March. In fact, the summit became somewhat infamous because a young man and woman were killed falling off of Beam Rocks. The summit had become so popular for hiking that now people were actually getting killed up there. There is a brand new sign warning of the danger at Beam Rocks. All winter, I hiked and ran across many mountain bikers up there.

It hasn't taken long for the powers that be to realize the impact of the climate change. This year, they are fixing the roads on the summit. A lot of money is being poured into revitalizing the summit for a warmer climate to appeal to hikers, mountain bikers, and hunters. Brand new picnic tables and grills are also starting to appear. It just is amazing to me how fast this has happened. I have been back here 16 years and the climate has totally changed just in that amount of time. In fact, the climate at the summit, which is a little less than 3000 feet above sea level, has just totally changed in the matter of a few years.

June 25

Yesterday was so nice I went up to Ligonier. I first went to the town of Ligonier. I went to the gift shop at Fort Ligonier. They have a lot of Native American stuff. They even have a whole section of one wall devoted to books on Native Americans. You can even buy books on Native American crafts and skills for doing things. I got a post card of a Delaware chief for Kimberly. I also got a post card of how Pittsburgh looked in 1763. There was nothing but Fort Pitt on the Point. The post card was a painting of some Indians climbing Mt. Washington and looking down at the Point. I also got Kimberly a beaded Indian necklace. Then I walked around Ligonier. There is an Indian store with all kinds of Indian crafts and artifacts, but it was closed. There are dozens of dream catchers hanging from the ceiling.

I then drove up to the summit. I had the best hike. I started on the first part of Beam Run Road. I really like that section of Beam Run Road. I then turned onto the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail at a big rock formation. I hiked a very rugged section of the LHHT with huge rhodedendrons and big rock formations. This small section of the trail, around mile 42, had everything. It had the huge rock formations, the thick vegetation, flowers from the mountain laurel bushes, fields of ferns, a view down into the valley, evergreen groves that were dark and shady, and then just the usual summit terrain toward the top, where there are rocks and some vegetation and the trees aren't as tall.

After that I went down to my lot. It was a beautiful evening down there and I did some work. I saw two deer by the road in Rector, PA on my way home.