Not From Around Here

I've lived in this very small southern city for 37 years, but I'm not from around here and neither is anybody else. Population here tentupled in the last fifty years. We live in California, whereas the rest of the state is in the south. The only rednecks I know are imported and playing at construction.

This, indeed, is a lovely city. Not just for its great jobs and low poverty, low crime and no fear, beautiful view of valleys and mountains, terrific outdoor recreation, and lack of traffic congestion... but also because of its people. Not only do we have many outstanding citizen, but we seem to lack the large mass of idiots pervasive in most societies. Oh, we do have the occasional bigot and bully, but at least an order of magnitude lower than other places. People are genuine and sincerely nice, and there is comparatively little animosity or strife. I have true happiness and a feeling of comfort which is not true outside the city.

For example, a while ago I tried to buy me a gentleman's farm in the surrounding area. Tried several times, actually. Realized that the local country bumpkins were too much for me... at squeezing more money and at neglecting to say the truth (like the land won't pass a perk test for septic tank).

Then there's the neighbors who have a meth lab, the boys that have hunted in that land for generations, and the bubbas that have nothing to do and are jealous, spiteful and destructive... while you work.

So I gave it up, decided to stay in this wonderful city and be glad that I'm not from around here.

- © 2008 by Willy

P.S., yes, I'm still a machine person versus a people person.
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Want to Save the World?

The Pope just denounced "insatiable consumption" as a threat to the world's environment.

We're killing the world allright. In many ways, Mother Nature is upset at us, and one day she's going to blow our fuze. Want to help yourself and save the world... all in one shot? Let me give you some suggestions by example.

I live in the south, where summer consists of most of the year. When my fiance lived with me, the utilities bill was well over $300 a month during hot summer months. We struggled with the thermostat settings on a continuing basis. When she left, I raised the upstairs thermostat setting to 89, shut down the downstairs unit (I don't get in until late), and the utility bill shrank to a little over $100 a month. This summer, I've gone greener... I've shut down both units and bought a $97 window air conditioner for my bedroom, which is the only room I need to be cool, in order to sleep good. Since most electrical generation in this country is coal and oil powered, I'm doing something to reduce our pollution... because of me, less fuel has to burn.

When I bought my current hillside home in 1991, I could see clear to the next county. Now some summer days I'm lucky to see the valley below.

I bicycle to work near-daily on a good day during summer. I have fun, enjoy nature, get fit, save gas money, and prevent several tons of auto exhaust pollution a year... my own car's. I run errands on the bike on the way home, although on Saturdays I do crank up a car to pick up groceries, bird food, and other big or temperature sensitive items. On Sundays, I don't use a car either... I start from the house, bicycle to breakfast and do a long and slow ride for fun and fitness. And I'm NOT a young man.


I also feel good about doing my bit to reduce middle east money and power. Hope we all get on board so that those rich arab muslim extremists eat their oil.

I'm trying to not overeat because I want to improve my overall health and fitness. I've reduced the amount of junk I buy because I have everything I need already, and my needs are small, and I go by the Salvation Army and Goodwill stores. I do agree with the Pope that our insatiable consumption is insane and is killing the world, and it's about time somebody high up recognized it... we little guys in the bottom knew it long ago.

I believe in fixing things from the bottom. In the same way, I really don't care who gets elected, because they are not going to do squat about the awful pollution, terrible economy and high gas prices. I need to save myself, and save this country and the world too.

It's me that solves the problem.

Want to join me?

- text © 2008 by Willy
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Are We OK?

One of the most interesting thing about this past year or so is my fresh understanding of "am I OK?"

I have observed people's behavior with a new perspective. My conclusion is that we're all screwed up. We're not OK. Everybody has a problem, and there's nobody out there that's immune, although there's shades of gray, degrees, or amount, that makes us different... from the walking wounded, to the dead man walking, to the murderer that done it, figuratively and literally.

It all centers on love, money and people. Everybody is looking for love... or at least a kindly smile... and everybody is looking for a handout of some sort. The problem is that seldom are they willing to provide that themselves. There are a lot more looking to receive than are willing to give... maybe a 100-to-1 ratio. It's all giveme, giveme, giveme. There's con men everywhere trying to swindle you, disguised as a pretty girl at the gym or as your best friend. We're depressed, we are dependent and we are crazy.

The most prescribed drugs in this country are antidepressants, at 118 million prescriptions in 2005 (and who knows how many self-medicate at the bar). Given that we are a nation of 300 million, this 118 is an impressive number. My doctor tells me that 40% of U.S. adults are taking antidepressants.

Solutions? There’s no need to explain yourself to others. Decide to take care of yourself. Detach! Seek solitude and do things on your own. Stand on your own 2 feet. Contribute. Give yourself a pat in the back. Be gentle with yourself and with others... and be kind to yourself and to others (but watch it and don't give the wrong impression). Laugh! Don't take things so seriously.

Decide to enjoy life!

- © 2008 by Willy
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Tall Mountain Hiking

I thought I was fit until this week. A week of full-pack backpacking in the Rockies at 10,000 feet humbled me in the climbs... at some places I could only go 30 seconds before I got winded. Although even then we did 10 mile days, it showed me that I need to drop newfound pounds and peg the load on the elliptic and treadmill so I can keep up with my daughter. Hill repeats too. Anybody got a hyperbaric chamber they can loan me? Next year I'm not setting the pace... I'll be in the back instead... so we now have healthy competition brewing. I've gotten soft by hiking and bicycling with buddies my age... I completed a recent hike with them in 4 hours that took them 6. We'll see in August, my next multi-day group hike.

In any case, it was a superb week of terrific tough trails, some suicidal snowfields to transverse, and gorgeous ridge views (thanks to the pine beetle infestation and decimation of the trees).

Have you ever gotten to an impassable 45-degree steep snow and ice field hiding the trail on the end of the second day? Too far invested, I decided to grit my teeth, crouch low, use hand on high left snow, short hiking stick on right low, pray, and move it. If I had slipped, there was nothing to stop me for a few hundred feet, although I'd be rolled into a frozen Popsicle before I hit the trees in the valley below. This suicide snowpass was nature's example of beautiful treachery.

The mountains climbs were a thousand feet at a time, then descend a thousand, and then ascend a thousand again, and again. Just a little more than I'm used to, with a fraction of the oxygen I'm used to. Superb! Exhilarating! Challenging! Healing! Scary!

Tomorrow I'm back to saving the world.

- © 2008 by Willy
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