The GeekHiker

Posted by: GeekHiker | June 29, 2008

Returning

(If you’re not familiar with the Secret Spot, read these posts (in order) first: Gone, Burnt, Coming Back, and Good Memories, New and Old.)

“Hello, my old friend.”

It’s been almost a year since I last spoke those words. On a hike that was, while not quite ruined per-se, came much closer to it than I would have liked.

Then life got busy, as it often does, with activities and hikes and backpacks and traveling, in addition to the mundane things like work and cleaning and running errands and getting the oil changed in the car. And all the time I thought “I should really get back out to the Secret Spot.” But didn’t.

And so it was that, on a day riding my bike along the Bay Trail, I saw the smoke in the mountains and heard the news on the radio.

The Secret Spot was burning.

11 Comments

Posted in Hiking, Life, Random Thoughts, Secret Spot, Stuff I Like

Posted by: GeekHiker | June 26, 2008

Friday Sillyness

Like most humor, there is a grain of truth to this:

more graph humor and song chart memes

But wait, there’s more…

17 Comments

Posted in Stuff I Like

Posted by: GeekHiker | June 25, 2008

HIKE: Dry Lake

Dry Lake, located in the San Bernardino National Forest, is a bit like a weekend getaway to a high Sierra Lake.

Minus, of course, the long drive. Unfortunately, in this year’s drought-ridden California, it was minus most of the water as well.

Still, the trail makes a fine day hike or overnight backpack, taking the traveler high into the mountains to a bowl behind Mt. San Gregorio in which the lake sits. Camping spots are plentiful, and water is available from a trickling spring. (Note: this spring can dry up in the summer; be sure to check water availability before departing for an overnight trip!)

16 Comments

Posted in Backpacking, Hiking

Posted by: GeekHiker | June 23, 2008

Remembering Carlin

(I know I said I wasn’t going to post for a bit, but this is rather timely.)

Sunday comic great George Carlin passed away.

I could repeat what others have said, lauding Carlin’s notable talents in his unique brand of comedy mixed with social commentary. But I won’t.

There’s something else that I will remember him for.

8 Comments

Posted in Life, Random Thoughts, Stuff I Like

Posted by: GeekHiker | June 22, 2008

Tired & Antsy

I could sit down and write a nice, interesting post tonight, but I won’t be.

The reason is pretty simple, actually. I just got home from a weekend backpack tonight, and I’m tired and sore.

But that’s not the reason.

10 Comments

Posted in Backpacking, Hiking, Random Thoughts

Posted by: GeekHiker | June 19, 2008

Ouch…

There’s a kid in the park near my house blowing on, I think, a tuba.

It’s making a sound akin to something a very large, dying animal would make.

I have a terrible urge to go put the poor tuba out of it’s misery. No musical insturment should be subject to that kind of pain…

18 Comments

Posted in Random Thoughts

Posted by: GeekHiker | June 18, 2008

Things Found, Part 2

Way down at the bottom of the box, underneath that stack of English papers (which, though I scanned them, I still haven’t decided whether or not to keep), I found something else truly unique.

The rubber band surrounding them was dried and cracked; it fell apart to the touch. The small, colorful group of papers beneath them were practically stuck together anyway, having been held in position for so long.

I knew instantly what they were, though their specific contents were a blur of my old history.

11 Comments

Posted in Life, Random Thoughts, Women, Writing

Posted by: GeekHiker | June 17, 2008

Randomly

It’s always interesting to see what people will pick up on in a post.

Take the last post, for example. I spent far more time, thought and effort writing the second half, about Mr. S, than I did the first half. Which was all about the admittedly thrilling subject of old paper.

7 Comments

Posted in Computers, Hiking, Life, Random Thoughts, Writing

Posted by: GeekHiker | June 16, 2008

Things Found, Part 1

For some reason, I’ve been on a real tear for the past couple of weeks. Cleaning, throwing old stuff out, opening boxes that haven’t been opened in years.

I’ll admit it: I’m a paper hog (*oink*). Not sure why, although I do know that I inherited it from my Mother. Doubtless to the consternation of my long-suffering Father. Heh.

In any case, it seems that, somehow, I end up with stacks of papers. Yeah, I’m one of those types that tends to throw it in a pile, promising myself that “I’ll go through it later” or “I’ll read through it and throw it in recycling” or “I might want to read that again one day.”

13 Comments

Posted in Life, Random Thoughts, Stuff I Like, Writing

Posted by: GeekHiker | June 15, 2008

Day For Dad

I thought, briefly, about writing a longish post about my Dad for Father’s Day.

Maybe do a whole list of all the things that make my Dad cool. All the qualities of my personality that are good that I got directly from him. How much of a good husband he is to my Mom. How much I learned from him.

5 Comments

Posted in Family