So I considered sharing an update from my own personal experience but then I stumbled across this guys explanation which is pretty spot on. You can imagine me saying this exact thing minus the part about having a two year old. I am about at the same stage right now. He has other updates later down the road which I intend to watch but he makes me laugh and that is too painful so I will wait.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vkUqxxDGjg
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Saturday, March 22, 2014
What Next?
What next? I used to be pretty successful at answering that question. I used to be equally as good at putting that answer into action. It is actually quite easy when, if in every other aspect, things are normal. I can attest to that from experience which makes this sound like a resounding endorsement for those pick-yourself-up-by-the-bootstrap types. Ironically, it's the exact opposite. People need support. Compassion is a virtue.
It has been a pretty rough and tumble recent past for me although I keep on getting back up. I would regret it though if I didn't acknowledge a few people like my mom and some good friends like Wayne. If not for them, I wouldn't have the chance to get back up quite so easily. Thank yous are in order for sure.
Several months ago it became very apparent that I needed a hernia repaired. Simple enough since, even though it is major surgery, it is probably the most commonly performed surgery out there. 1 in 4 men will get a hernia. Most of them at some time will require an operation. Some don't. Unfortunately for me, I did and mine came at a time when I was transitioning between jobs. I also had no insurance so it had to wait. And I waited, painful as it often was. Waited through one job rejection after another which in turn meant one insurance rejection after another since the two were inextricably combined. Yeah I know, I can hear those that don't agree with my leftist leanings telling me that I am a lazy freeloader. The problem is, I worked during that time. I mostly worked full-time even; sometimes two jobs. What it also meant for me was that those jobs didn't offer insurance being with small companies or in a temporary position. But the ironies don't end there. I ended up getting a good job with insurance but it was caught in a holding pattern while I waited to qualify. Unfortunately, the hernia did not recognize the wait. It kept worsening. So then what?
Thankfully for me there emerged another option. Some of you deride it as Obamacare but I welcome it by that name. I followed the process and I got insured. It was, in fact, as easy as sitting through one of those job sponsored open enrollment classes. It was boring as shit, sometimes confusing (although really no worse than the usual insurance crap), but doable and now I am scheduled to get the help I need in a very short time.
So does the system work flawlessly? I can comfortably say hell no. I am sure when all the stupid, post-treatment, this-is-not-a-bill paperwork starts rolling in and the clerical errors send me to collections (which happened before Obamacare) I will be just as furious as I was five or ten years ago. But that only attests to the fact that we need to work even harder to simplify the process even further and make the coverage still more ubiquitous. It attests to the need for a single payer system. But there is also something new. It now keeps a person who is capable and educated and willing to work from being needlessly marginalized because they can't get necessary medical help when changes in life happen.
I really hope my hernia surgery goes well - I mean really. I want to be working again with the same vigor and confidence that I had before. More so, I want to resume doing all the things I have come to identify so passionately with like biking and climbing. But I also want people to know that I have gone through the process and that it has worked up to this point. If you want to argue with me about the pros and cons of health care please do. I think open dialogue is necessary to fix the problems, both old and new. But if you really enter the conversation, please do so with solid facts, not rhetoric, because I am bringing hard-earned, first person experience to my defense, not a bunch of blowhard talk show bullshit, big on ideology and short on reality.
It has been a pretty rough and tumble recent past for me although I keep on getting back up. I would regret it though if I didn't acknowledge a few people like my mom and some good friends like Wayne. If not for them, I wouldn't have the chance to get back up quite so easily. Thank yous are in order for sure.
Several months ago it became very apparent that I needed a hernia repaired. Simple enough since, even though it is major surgery, it is probably the most commonly performed surgery out there. 1 in 4 men will get a hernia. Most of them at some time will require an operation. Some don't. Unfortunately for me, I did and mine came at a time when I was transitioning between jobs. I also had no insurance so it had to wait. And I waited, painful as it often was. Waited through one job rejection after another which in turn meant one insurance rejection after another since the two were inextricably combined. Yeah I know, I can hear those that don't agree with my leftist leanings telling me that I am a lazy freeloader. The problem is, I worked during that time. I mostly worked full-time even; sometimes two jobs. What it also meant for me was that those jobs didn't offer insurance being with small companies or in a temporary position. But the ironies don't end there. I ended up getting a good job with insurance but it was caught in a holding pattern while I waited to qualify. Unfortunately, the hernia did not recognize the wait. It kept worsening. So then what?
Thankfully for me there emerged another option. Some of you deride it as Obamacare but I welcome it by that name. I followed the process and I got insured. It was, in fact, as easy as sitting through one of those job sponsored open enrollment classes. It was boring as shit, sometimes confusing (although really no worse than the usual insurance crap), but doable and now I am scheduled to get the help I need in a very short time.
So does the system work flawlessly? I can comfortably say hell no. I am sure when all the stupid, post-treatment, this-is-not-a-bill paperwork starts rolling in and the clerical errors send me to collections (which happened before Obamacare) I will be just as furious as I was five or ten years ago. But that only attests to the fact that we need to work even harder to simplify the process even further and make the coverage still more ubiquitous. It attests to the need for a single payer system. But there is also something new. It now keeps a person who is capable and educated and willing to work from being needlessly marginalized because they can't get necessary medical help when changes in life happen.
I really hope my hernia surgery goes well - I mean really. I want to be working again with the same vigor and confidence that I had before. More so, I want to resume doing all the things I have come to identify so passionately with like biking and climbing. But I also want people to know that I have gone through the process and that it has worked up to this point. If you want to argue with me about the pros and cons of health care please do. I think open dialogue is necessary to fix the problems, both old and new. But if you really enter the conversation, please do so with solid facts, not rhetoric, because I am bringing hard-earned, first person experience to my defense, not a bunch of blowhard talk show bullshit, big on ideology and short on reality.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
In Awe of Fitzroy
From my visit in 2004
Rock and Ice Magazine story
For days I observed the Fitzroy skyline with complete reverence. It is perhaps the most magnificent setting I have witnessed. As a mediocre climber and as someone who has followed the history of the region, I am in total awe of the latest climb by Caldwell and Honnold.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Tick Lists
 |
| The Uintas, Sunrise |
Another year has slipped into the night and the future is all horizon. Of course I have big expectations for the things to come, but my tick list has grown inconceivably long. It is now an unwieldy beast that will likely lead to disappointment due to the sheer magnitude of it, and it continues to grow. As a point of interest, I use the phrase "tick list" from my climbing days instead of "bucket list" because it connotes something completely different. A bucket list sounds desperate to me, like I let life pass me by. At first I thought it was merely a semantic distinction but, upon closer look, I realize there is a significant difference. A "tick list" originates from the imagination and a world of possibilities. It grows with you and is very forward looking. In contrast, a "bucket list" is full of should've-dones and the envy of others. Mark Twain got it right when he said, "you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the things you did." Sure you can start at the end and work backwards...but why? Why chisel away at a looming list of regrets when you can continually add to a growing one of proud pursuits?
So here I am, literally in the middle of it. There is as much life behind me as there is in front of me. I believe that I have made good on Mr. Twain's words, at least with the first half of my life. It explains why the list continues to grow - after all adventure begets more adventure. The problem for me now is: how do I continue to meet the mounting expectations of the future? The past was reckless to put it nicely. Now new problems emerge. My body doesn't work quite like it used to. Time and money and a host of other trifling annoyances are more present than ever. Do I need a better perspective? Preparation perhaps? Luck? Who knows.
Hopefully the new year bodes well for everyone with whatever it is you choose to do.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Where To Be
If I could transport myself anywhere right now, this is where I would be.
 |
| El Living - Puerto Natales, Chile |
Between backpack trips I would sink deep, deep, deeply into a chair with a good book. The coffee in the morning was invigorating and the wine and beer flowed well into the night with company from all corners of the world.
I became addicted to this album here.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Let Them Eat Rat.
What Happened On Easter Island - A New (Even Scarier) Scenario
With winter now here, this article got me thinking. In the past 5 or so years I have made a conscious effort to bike commute more but, with a solid effort last winter, I ended up with some funky sinus issues. Although I have no scientific evidence to back up my theory, I strongly believe that poor air quality factored in heavily to the problems I had. Therefore, in response this year, I have decided to back off the winter bike commuting a little during the bad air months. It makes me wonder though if I am just eating my rat now without considering the consequences. Have I accepted that crappy air is the new norm?
With winter now here, this article got me thinking. In the past 5 or so years I have made a conscious effort to bike commute more but, with a solid effort last winter, I ended up with some funky sinus issues. Although I have no scientific evidence to back up my theory, I strongly believe that poor air quality factored in heavily to the problems I had. Therefore, in response this year, I have decided to back off the winter bike commuting a little during the bad air months. It makes me wonder though if I am just eating my rat now without considering the consequences. Have I accepted that crappy air is the new norm?
Monday, December 2, 2013
Public Land
"America's best idea" is the phrase used by Ken Burns to describe our national parks in his amazing 2009 documentary series and I happen to agree with his choice of words. Whenever I approach the gates of one of these national treasures, I am filled with anticipation, like a child on Christmas morning. Even when enduring some of the less than pleasant aspects, like waiting in line, the experiences are often brimming with monumental potential. In the dozens and dozens and dozens of visits I have made to various parks, I can't recall an occasion when they failed to deliver on my expectations, granted I have embraced them with open arms and I have been fortunate to take advantage of the full spectrum of opportunities within.
The controversy over how the parks came to be (as well as how they persist through time) has been a hard fought part of history, as Mr. Burns carefully points out in the series. Without much surprise, when it comes to property ownership, there is an intense and ever-present debate about the value and subsequent use of the areas in question, even when considering such obvious examples as the Tetons or the Grand Canyon. To me, the national parks are a no-brainer - do what is necessary to keep them open to everyone and make every attempt to err on the side of preservation. As a side note, I also fully understand that the national parks aren't the epitome of pristine places for that is the designation of wilderness and yet another discussion.
This then brings me to a recent local story where there has been a controversy of a different sort brewing. It involves a place where the public has access to some private land which is heavily used for recreation. I have lived in this area for the greater part of my life and, although the property in question is private, access has been unimpeded, even welcome, for the 30+ years that I have enjoyed it. The hike to Malan's Waterfall has been a long-standing tradition in the area and I believe it serves as a rite of passage for residents and visitors alike. And for me personally, the experience retains the same anticipation and sense of awe that I get when visiting the national parks, therefore I have done my best to honor the property owners wishes in an effort to maintain access to his land (even if I don't agree with him in principle). But public discourse on this matter has been very divided recently (for reasons I won't delve into here) and one side is promoting a carte blanche style of private property ownership that essentially states that the land is his and he can do whatever he wants with it, including shutting everyone out. That is all well and good since it is his. I don't pretend to think I have much of a right to say anything in matters of his private business, but this situation does beg another question as it pertains to the original conversation at hand.
Where is it then that these two stories cross paths? As the debate over the local private property unfolds, opinions are expressed, emotions often flare, and I can't help but see similarities with the arguments presented by Ken Burns from when our national parks formed. Sure, on the surface it is an apples to oranges comparison, private vs public, but if you watch the series closely, that is exactly where many of our parks started. Also, the logic used to inform the various positions is mostly the same. And then currently there is a big push, especially in Utah, to turn federal public property over to the state which unapologetically favors private development. Ironically, many Utahns see little value in federally held land until it is shut down (largely by one of their own) and then the full scope of the revenue stream is realized, or better said . . . lost. In the end, I can't support turning over such areas to private entities or to a state that favors private interests for one major reason: places like the national parks are of paramount importance to the national psyche and simply put, I don't want to lose access to them as well as losing my say, however big or small, in the administration of these places that I hold most dear. As I sit back and watch Ogden's "Community Park" turn into something not exactly welcome to the public, I struggle to bite my tongue but know that I don't have much recourse.
When property becomes private it is fundamentally changed. The pressure to capitalize on land or alter previous conditions to suit a very select group of people or investors is all too powerful and maybe even inevitable. In a perfect world I would like to believe that private interests often mirror that of the public but that is simply not true, especially when the bottom line really is always the bottom line. Some ideas run deeper than the pocket book and deserve better consideration. I will accept, at least temporarily, some of the inadequacies of an agency like the National Park Service, such as their budget shortcomings or overcrowding, as long as there is a commitment to ensure that average people like me maintain access (and a voice) to these amazing natural wonders. I would also hope that with continued diligence efforts can be made to minimize some of the problems mentioned above to further improve on the vision set forth by the architects of "The National Parks: America's Best Idea."
Are the systems in place perfect? Hell no! But don't throw the baby out with the bathwater because it is a difficult problem to solve. You will be left with no baby at all, which is a big possibility as witnessed here, at home, where one of our greatest natural community resources rests in the hands and at the whims of a private individual. I may not be able to do much about that particular situation, but I can surely take to heart the lessons learned and avoid making similar mistakes in the future.
Link to The National Parks: America's Best Idea
Links to the the Waterfall Canyon story
Rumor of sniper-fire training - Standard.net
OgdenFoothillPrivateLand FB page
Trail acces story - Standard.net
"Trail maintenance"
The controversy over how the parks came to be (as well as how they persist through time) has been a hard fought part of history, as Mr. Burns carefully points out in the series. Without much surprise, when it comes to property ownership, there is an intense and ever-present debate about the value and subsequent use of the areas in question, even when considering such obvious examples as the Tetons or the Grand Canyon. To me, the national parks are a no-brainer - do what is necessary to keep them open to everyone and make every attempt to err on the side of preservation. As a side note, I also fully understand that the national parks aren't the epitome of pristine places for that is the designation of wilderness and yet another discussion.
This then brings me to a recent local story where there has been a controversy of a different sort brewing. It involves a place where the public has access to some private land which is heavily used for recreation. I have lived in this area for the greater part of my life and, although the property in question is private, access has been unimpeded, even welcome, for the 30+ years that I have enjoyed it. The hike to Malan's Waterfall has been a long-standing tradition in the area and I believe it serves as a rite of passage for residents and visitors alike. And for me personally, the experience retains the same anticipation and sense of awe that I get when visiting the national parks, therefore I have done my best to honor the property owners wishes in an effort to maintain access to his land (even if I don't agree with him in principle). But public discourse on this matter has been very divided recently (for reasons I won't delve into here) and one side is promoting a carte blanche style of private property ownership that essentially states that the land is his and he can do whatever he wants with it, including shutting everyone out. That is all well and good since it is his. I don't pretend to think I have much of a right to say anything in matters of his private business, but this situation does beg another question as it pertains to the original conversation at hand.
Where is it then that these two stories cross paths? As the debate over the local private property unfolds, opinions are expressed, emotions often flare, and I can't help but see similarities with the arguments presented by Ken Burns from when our national parks formed. Sure, on the surface it is an apples to oranges comparison, private vs public, but if you watch the series closely, that is exactly where many of our parks started. Also, the logic used to inform the various positions is mostly the same. And then currently there is a big push, especially in Utah, to turn federal public property over to the state which unapologetically favors private development. Ironically, many Utahns see little value in federally held land until it is shut down (largely by one of their own) and then the full scope of the revenue stream is realized, or better said . . . lost. In the end, I can't support turning over such areas to private entities or to a state that favors private interests for one major reason: places like the national parks are of paramount importance to the national psyche and simply put, I don't want to lose access to them as well as losing my say, however big or small, in the administration of these places that I hold most dear. As I sit back and watch Ogden's "Community Park" turn into something not exactly welcome to the public, I struggle to bite my tongue but know that I don't have much recourse.
When property becomes private it is fundamentally changed. The pressure to capitalize on land or alter previous conditions to suit a very select group of people or investors is all too powerful and maybe even inevitable. In a perfect world I would like to believe that private interests often mirror that of the public but that is simply not true, especially when the bottom line really is always the bottom line. Some ideas run deeper than the pocket book and deserve better consideration. I will accept, at least temporarily, some of the inadequacies of an agency like the National Park Service, such as their budget shortcomings or overcrowding, as long as there is a commitment to ensure that average people like me maintain access (and a voice) to these amazing natural wonders. I would also hope that with continued diligence efforts can be made to minimize some of the problems mentioned above to further improve on the vision set forth by the architects of "The National Parks: America's Best Idea."
Are the systems in place perfect? Hell no! But don't throw the baby out with the bathwater because it is a difficult problem to solve. You will be left with no baby at all, which is a big possibility as witnessed here, at home, where one of our greatest natural community resources rests in the hands and at the whims of a private individual. I may not be able to do much about that particular situation, but I can surely take to heart the lessons learned and avoid making similar mistakes in the future.
Link to The National Parks: America's Best Idea
Links to the the Waterfall Canyon story
Rumor of sniper-fire training - Standard.net
OgdenFoothillPrivateLand FB page
Trail acces story - Standard.net
"Trail maintenance"
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