Updates Hoooo!

Hello Peoples. Sorry it has been almost a month since my last post! Today could be considered ceremonious if we're feeling like it. After this short entry is complete, I am taking my internet modem back to Time Warner. No more internet for Alan; at least at my apartment. I'm counting down the remaining month in this sweet pad of an apartment. As my pictures will show (check out my picasa site! http://picasaweb.google.com/aldsmith3/SpringSummer10#) the porch I have had to hang-out on is second-to-none.

Things continue to go well besides the light dusting of snow we are receiving today. Excluding yesterday and today, it has been in the low 60s with plenty of warm sunshine. Hartman's Rocks, the place for mountain biking, camping, hiking, running, will be opening very soon and everyone in town is anticipative. I'm still looking for spring/summer work. Have a couple leads. We'll see where they go. I hope to move home in mid-July to spend a week or 2 with family and friends before I move to Boone, NC. Hope ya'll are well and I'll try to continue updating from the work computer.

In the meantime, enjoy a short portion from my recent piece. I've cut and paste 3 different sections so it's not a complete piece but it's a sampling. It is about substances and society. Enjoy:

Life has a way of extracting the happiness out of you. Liken it to a bee extracting nectar from a flower, but the twist is the reality and necessity of it. Many people choose to medicate with “happy” drugs –living in a false reality created by chemical messengers communicating to their bodies how they should think and feel. Happy drugs, that express constant emotion without much flux; effectively making the user a smiling zombie of sorts. You ought to laugh because you know that those drugs desensitize the taker to what really eclipses them: sadness; often cohabiting inside other emotions. Though, you hold your stones back because you admit you are a swimmer in the ocean of users.

*****

We Americans as a commonwealth rely on uppers, downers, lefties and the occasional right; day in and day out. Cold medicine, marijuana, Percocet, Ritalin, Alcohol, Ambien and coffee all exemplify the larger body of substances ingested hourly, daily and weekly. Look straight ahead; now behind and over each shoulder. Who do you see? Now find a reflecting surface. Did you detect the similar nature of life’s fellow occupants with your own? As hard as it is to admit our interdependence with these substances, the truth is cold and real. To sit there passively and say that what you read isn’t true is to deny on the most basic level: yourself. Honest thoughts try to admit that you have never ingested any substance orally, intravenously, or otherwise but your ears tune-in to the unspoken falsity and wire to your brain a collective realization. Turning the pointed finger back on yourself is humiliating, but good news is, others will love you if you love yourself for who you are – regardless of your chosen poison.

*****

While I do not suggest you go out and start using-up on what others are getting down-with, I do recommend however, that you take a look around and acknowledge. Both seen and unseen “users” are all around you. Are they lurking in shadow waiting to abduct your kid and sell him into sexual slavery in Hong Kong? No. They are the people you talk with at the bank, grocery store and public service/government offices. Now, before you go pulling Salem-esque Witch Hunt-stunts, breathe for a second. People are people and thus we do things just because we do; no intense or detailed explanation is needed. Basic human desires for plants, powders or liquids to alter their perception because of pain, grogginess, social reasons or other obscurities is inherent. We should strive to deal better with such things when we witness them in others. Turn the mirrors of your eyes back on yourself; then you’ll see it isn’t me…it’s you; it’s all of us.

One Love,

Alan

Hmm...

So I was thinking yesterday/last night/this morning-I really have been leaving those of you that read this regularly in the dark somewhat. More so I mean I have been fairly vague in descriptions and most definitely lax in updates day to day.

Let's start from the top. Today in about an hour Scott and I will be testing Cancer Patient # 2. We are getting this opportunity to test the patient through a friend at the hospital. Our hope is to have these patients come in every 4 to 8 weeks to be tested to see if their function is improving. So basically, the test we do is a walking test with air analysis (aka VO2 test). We monitor BP(blood pressure), RPE(ratings of perceived exertion-mental tiredness), and HR(heart rate) in addition to what kind of air exchange they are yielding. Ideally, we would like to get reimbursed through their insurance companies for our time and lab fees.

In apartment news, I did a little bit of rearranging again. This time I just moved my bed the other direction. I have finally figured out what to do with the big mirror I brought. I just need a few cinder blocks now. In disappointing news, I had to reorder contacts for my eyes from Tarnoffs in Indiana and the lady in charge sent me my old prescription. So I am really ticked because not only did they take 3 weeks to get them to me, then they sent the wrong items, even after I told the lady on the phone that I wear the same kind in both eyes (I have astigmatism and therefore I wear a different kind than I used to). So, in the end I am upset because I already paid them a month ago and now I have completely useless contacts sitting in my bathroom. The lesson to be learned is to double check and listen carefully when taking orders or communicating with others.

In hockey news. I am playing in a competitive ice hockey league here. The first nice thing about it is that I literally walk out my apartment building turn right and walk about 3 short blocks and make a left and I'm at the rink. Couldn't ask for easier convenience. We play twice a week; Mondays and Wednesdays. The team is a mixture of 30, 40 and 50 year olds. I am probably 1 of 4 that are in their 20's.

In job search news I called today to the Colorado Springs recruiting office for the 2010 Census and I have an appointment for this Thursday to apply and take the placement/qualification exam here in Gunnison-so no traveling is required. The lady I spoke with on the phone seemed very pleasant and I think I have a good chance of being hired-possibly because of the area I live in. More to follow about that.

For those that I did not tell or that missed it the first time around, I am planning to run in a 25K trail race in May. I have been running either on my own or with Scott pretty religiously here and find breathing during such exercise easier with each time. Yesterday Scott and I ran 5 miles in 40 some minutes and around 4.2 miles on Saturday in 37 some minutes. I never was a big-time runner so it's slowly growing on me. I still prefer my strength workouts but running is a new escape and it's not as painful as it was when I first arrived.

That's all for now folks. I'll try to be back at you on Wednesday this week. I realize that of the 30+ people who are readers of this blog, that probably on 50% actually do read it. What can you do? I'm just glad about those who do read and follow along; thank you. Ttys (talk to you soon)

No. 19

Greetings once again my fine readers. I am doing well. I just enjoyed my first official meal. Well, that sounds like I haven't been eating the last week, but what I meant is, I actually went to the CityMarket, got food, and cooked real food and not PB and J's. I made a mixture of ground beef (from Rob, Steph, and Mom) and used various spices along with green and red peps, onions, and shrooms for a nice robust meaty/veggie taste. And of course to top it off, I got some homegrown corn from Indiana (which I brought along) for a nice yellow additive to the meal.

Hard to believe, but tomorrow will mark 1 week since I've been here! Time is ticking and I can't stop it; nor do I want to. Today in the lab was a fun day. We (Scott and I) had a cancer patient/survivor in for a FC test (Functional Capacity). We did gas analysis as well as HR (heart rate) BP (blood pressures), and RPE (ratings of percieved exertion-very much a mental assesement of the activity). The patient did well and we are hoping to offer more such services to any such patients residing in the Gunnison Valley.

The lab is slowly picking up pace. I have scheduled 2 clients to come in for testing in the next 2 coming weeks so I hope that will continue to increase. I am working, or about to start assembling, a write-up for getting corporations in Gunnison (banks, businesses, etc) into the lab for some competitive co-worker vs. co-worker testing. This in turn could lead to me gaining clients with whom to work with outside of the lab at a fitness club-increasing their fitness/health levels. Like I said though, it's all on my shoulders to develope a write-up/game plan/program that will get people from the community into the lab. So that's on the plate, as well as putting together an Ultra-Eudurance Summer Training Camp at the college for this July perhaps. Much to do; goals are set. Time to go about meeting them.

The apartment as you can see in the above pictures is all set up now. I finished it last night (Wednesday). I still am slow to make new friends. I have met a small number of students and all have been quite nice, though I don't see them outside of the lab-so my nights are spent entertaining myself. Although, I started playing in the competitive hockey league here in town. I play on Monday and Wednesday nights. Good stuff. They have an outdoor rink here as well as an indoor one. The single digit temperatures make for nice solid ice. I like it, compared to the softer, warmer ice back home.

I'm only getting comments from one person (Thanks Marge), I'd love to hear from more people. I know this isn't very personal, and that I am reaching a larger number of people by writing for you all to read; but, if you write me I will write you back. Think it over. Let's talk soon.

Byes!

No. 18

The college from Scott and Liz's house (beneath the water towers)

First picture of the college

Coming into town from the East and seeing WSC

Monarch Pass, the worst possible way to get to where you need to go. This was the scarest part of the trip for sure. Summit of this pass is 11,000 plus feet (see picture below)

Mountain plateau, past Fairplay, CO

My new residence. My apartment is in the upper left corner. The porch marks the one side of my room.

Well, I am finally in my apartment and almost set up!! Yay, about freakin' time! Umm...I need to hang pictures yet but other than that its about all done. What a process and it's only a small apartment. I suddenly feel rather tired tonight and don't know how much I will write, though I have been promising this and that and something about pictures for a few days now so I best do so.

A quick stint about my job: it is going well. I start work everyday at noon (who's jealous??) and I am done by 4:30 (M-Tu-Wed) and by 3pm (Thur-Fri). So far it has been just getting things cleaned (my own desicion) and planning the upcoming events we (Scott, my new supervisor and friend) have decided are necessary for this semester/summer. I will get more pictures of the lab up soon, though most of them are already available on the web through the links to your left (no the other left-haha).

New friends? Not quite yet, though Scott and his wife-to-be Liz (Scooter and Lizzy-as you may hear them referenced sometimes) have been most gracious and taken me under their respective wings. As you may know, I spent all weekend at their house, which is about 3 miles out of town towards these kick-ass hiking/running/x-country skiing area known as Hartman's Rocks (http://www.stoneseeker.com/US-Colorado/Hartmans/). Feel free to check out the website if you please.

The campus is small, but not as small as some division 2 colleges. As it stands, the college is investing money in renovating older buildings slowly, and building a new student union on top of the site of the old one. The students seem farily nice and some of them smile when they pass you, and some ignore you. Though, in Wright Gymnasium-where I work, the students all seem to look in at least to see who the crap is the bald-headed man sitting in the lab.

The town of Gunnison is fairly small but I find it cute, in a non-attractive way, unless I am 30 sheets to the wind I suppose. I enjoy being able to walk everywhere for the most part. Grocery store, Walmart (yea, I know), Wells Fargo, ACE Hardware (my new favorite store I think for the time being), and of course the small town restraunts with unique flavor and styles.

Enough with the jargon, get to the pictures....Okay okay. So with out further adue I present you a small collection of photographs taken on my journey out here as well as the last few days of living/learning here in Gunny. Take care and make sure to add yourself as a follower of my blog. You can do so by scolling down on the left-hand side (yep, that side) and underneath the 'Blog Archive' you will see the people currently following. Click 'Follow This Blog' to get email updates to your email (the one you used for your log-in) of when I post new stuff.

Feel free to leave comments and/or email is always welcomed. aldsmith3@gmail.com

Thanks and chao.


P.S. If you want clarification of the pictures and what they are please let me know.