Thanksgiving

Sidenote: These were my thoughts 2 weeks ago. I wanted to add photos, but got lazy I have much more to tell you, but I don't want to deprive you of my past thoughts, so here they are.

Now that I have passed my first test, it is time to cram even harder to pass my next exam. It is another 7.5 hour test with even more material shoved in. I will be spending long hours at work over the next week and a half in an attempt to become qualified for the job I am being paid for.

I hope your Thanksgiving was great. I must say that mine was awesome. The aforementioned girlfriend made the trip with me up to Blacksburg. I introduced her to things that make southwest Virginia awesome such as hiking, Carol Lee donuts, my family, Big Red, Willard, and of course, the Hokies. I was even lucky enough to spend some time hunting with Dad on Thanksgiving day and by myself the following day. I am definately an extrovert, but I love being alone in the woods. I have absolutely no obligations to anyone (other than to myself to provide some fresh meat). I can sit and ponder important things in life, take a nap, get some exercise, breathe in that fresh mountain air, and observe the beauty of God's creation the way without obstruction.


Now Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It lacks the materialistic nature of Christmas while still requiring me to realize how mercifully blessed I am. It is also the only day of the year I am expected to overeat and nap. I am reading a book called, "God is the Gospel" by John Piper and I am learning that out of all the things God has provided me, access to God himself is the most important. That was good to carry into Thanksgiving this year.




I'm also thankful for the spanking that the Hokies gave the Wahoos from UVA over break. Some people like a close game, but I take great satisfaction in beating UVA as soundly as possible in anything. After sitting in the old people's section over homecoming and feeling guilty about standing up, I decided to sit with the few VT students I still know this time. I stood the whole game, made stupid amounts of noise and loved every minute of it.

Back from the Dead

Where did Scott go? Is he dead? When was the funeral? Did he run away? Did he lose his internet connection? Does he have nothing to talk about? I'm dying to hear about what is happening in his life!

I'm sure these are all questions you have been pondering since my Oct. 23 post. I am also sure they are keeping you up at night. Fear not, ye faithful bored internet users. I have been busy. That sounds like a copout, but seriously I'm not sure I've ever been as busy in my whole life as I have the past few weeks. I will provide a general list and discuss each in detail below. I went to the last wedding (#8) of this calendar year. I have an awesome new girlfriend. I studied for and took my big 7.5 hour exam at work. I underwent eye surgery this past Thursday. Now I am preparing for my next 7.5 hour exam, held on December 16.

Now to each of the aforementioned. First, wedding #8. I was priveledged enough to drive through the area northeast of Charlottesville. Now you probably know how I feel about Charlottesville, but the surrounding area, especially in fall, is absolutely gorgeous. Words can't describe the bounty of color found on all those trees. Gabby and I had a ball dancing through the wooded glens and spacious valleys. Oh yeah, the wedding. My friend from church, Stacy, got married in Madison County and the reception was at Grave's Mountain Lodge. GML holds a dear place in my heart because it is where we had football camp in high school. I remember 3-a-days in 100 degree heat. Fortunately, this was a nice reception in 50 degree chilly fall weather. Perfect. Although the bride is a wahoo, the groom is guiding her in the right direction as he is a Hokie.

Second, I now have a girlfriend. And the answer to your next question is no, she isn't my car and she isn't Big Red. I'm not sure how to bring that out other than to just say it. I send my thanks so E who helped make this possible. I developed this blog with my college friends in mind who I don't talk to as often to allow them to know big details of my life. If this paragraph is news to you, we need to talk more. I blame both of us for that.

Third, I put in long hours and weekends into studying for the test that determines whether I can do the job I am being payed for or not. Long, boring, exhaustive story short, I studied and passed. Praise the Lord for that. I give absolutely no credit to myself for that acoomplishment. Thank you so much to all out there who prayed for me. God certainly listened and mercifully gave me discipline and a good memory.

Lastly, I had eye surgery Thursday. I used to wear contacts, but they began to give my eyes severe infections so I had to decide between glasses or surgery. I wore glasses for awhile but watersports and hockey deemed glasses a poor choice. So I underwent PRK surgery to solve my poor genetics. As of today, I can see! I can play hockey without readjusting my glasses every time I get pummeled. I drove to church today and was able to read the program, which was a huge blessing. Now I can work hard to pass my next work exam on December 16th. I covet your prayers for that, too.

Now you can see why I have been so busy over the past month. I leave you with more fall driving pictures.

Fall

I love fall. College football, cool mornings, leaves changing awesome colors, Thanksgiving, Halloween candy, running without perfusely sweating, the onset of flannel, and hunting season all make fall awesome. I went home last weekend for homecoming at Virginia Tech. I realy do miss the mountains and how breathtaking the trees are in fall. In Norfolk, leaves don't really change colors, they just die and fall off. Speaking of hunting season, I'm going hunting at my farm in Charlotte County, VA later this fall and I'm pumped. We used to grow Christmas trees there, but have recently rented it out for soybeans. The picture below and right is of the farm covered in said soybeans. Anyway, Blacksburg was beautiful and VT won. I got to give my buddy Miles a grand tour as hopefully he will be the future of VT. I got to see some awesome friends and even eat some Carol Lee Donuts. Mmmm is an understatement. I even got to drive one of my favorite roads through Catawba down by the homeplace. Gabby loved it almost as much as I did. Country road driving in the fall is unbeatable.

The Navy is confusing

About a month ago, the Navy put a new commander in charge of the shipyard. I feel a little bad for the guy because he had to move from the Pearl Harbor shipyard. I think I would quit if my boss told me to move from Pearl Harbor to Portsmouth. So this new guy has brought a lot of energy and a few traditions to Norfolk. The first is everyday at 8 am, the national anthem is played. Over the loudspeaker system I didn't know existed. It's a little like 1984/V for Vendetta. If you are outside, you must stop walking during the anthem. If you are in your car, you must stop driving during the anthem. I sit in a cubicle and read, so it doesn't really affect me. It's only bewildering to me if I'm in the little boys room.


Another tradition the new commander instituted last week was shipyard cleanup day. That sounds like a good idea, and it is. A little planning and execution would have made it really good. Here's how it went down. An email went out to all 7,000 employees telling them to assemble at the end of a pier. So at 7:20 Thursday morning, about 7,000 people gathered on this pier. Some dude got on the microphone and said the following:

"Welcome to shipyard cleanup day. Let's start with some stretching. Reach your hands up as high as you can. Now reach down and touch whatever you can. Now grab your shoulder and twist. Ok good. Now I want yall to just walk around and if you see something that you aren't proud of or needs cleanup, do it. We have about 30-40 brooms so let's get to it!"

Wow. Let's diagnose that. I'm not sure he knows much about stretching. I'm not a physical therapist, but "Touch whatever you can" is not great technique. I still don't know what "Grab your shoulder and twist" means. I'm pretty sure 30-40 brooms is inadequate for 7,000 people. So after feeling exceptionally limber, I walked around with my coworkers, picked up trash, observed confused dudes with nothing to do, and shoveled dirt with a dustpan. Yeah you read that correctly. I found a large amount of dirt impeding drainage to a storm drain, so I asked upper management for a shovel. "We don't have any shovels" was the reply. So I found a dustpan and shoveled dirt in to trashbags for about an hour. A few more hours of picking up trash and it was time for the commander to say a few words. I stood amongst the 4,000 clueless shipyard folk as the speaker setup was inadequate and thus nobody could hear the commander.

The best news? It was decided that this event was to be held quarterly. I'll keep you informed of the next awesome cleanup day.

Thoughts and Things that make me laugh

I went to wedding #7 two weekends ago, and I forgot my camera. Again. It was beautiful, right at the base of Afton Mountain, with just a hint of the beginnings of a western VA fall. Now I've been to a bunch of weddings in my life, so even with my small man-brain I've noticed a few things other than the food, cake, and dance moves. I feel sorry for ring bearer. I did it once when I was little. I don't even know who's wedding it was. Basically you take a 5 year old, dress him up in overpriced and uncomfortable clothes which he will stain by running around and sliding in the mud or grass, promise him cake or an action figure, tell him to walk around with a frilly pillow and have all the ladies comment about how cute he is. The child seems to be cuter when he wanders off or does something that if a normal adult did, would be considered a drunk. Ladies, you have no idea how the mind of a 5 year old works. He wants nothing to do with this process. He doesn't want to be ogled at like a puppy. He wants to be a man. GI Joes, monster trucks, you know, man stuff. Women saying, "Awww, how cute!" about 1,000 times is demoralizing. Stop it, girls. Let's stop emasculating kindergartners.

My hockey team still sucks. We still have a woman who shares a locker room with the guys. I'm scoring more so I guess that's a plus. We've been outscored 20-3 over the past 4 games. Gross.

Things that make me laugh: old commercials.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmSCh5ZkMqk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT86iWiH2mI&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmSCh5ZkMqk

Celebrations

It has been nice to be home this past weekend to spend time with local friends. The past two weekends have been filled with birthday celebration and weddings #5 and #6. The first was my friend Colt's wedding at a Lavender farm in the picturesque Shenandoah Valley.

"A Lavender farm? Really Scott? That isn't very manly. I expect more from you."

Don't worry. The men wore flannel ties, there were mountains in the background, the groom was literally named after Samuel Colt's famous revolver, and the father of the groom goes by the name Snake. Try an tell me that isn't manly. Enjoy the pictures.

The second wedding was my friend Taylor's in Charleston, SC. I've never enjoyed Charleston before and I'm convinced that after last weekend and with the exception of June and July, I could live there. The Live Oaks, Spanish Moss, abundance of porches and amazing restaurants, walkable atmosphere, and waterfront views make Charleston a gorgeous place. I forgot my camera so the internet will provide all Charleston pics.

Taylor's wedding was at a country parish surrounded by these Live Oaks. If you know me, you know my love for anything country. The reception was what was really over the top. It was on Seabrook Island, a place I'm not sure I could ever afford to even breathe in. The view of the ocean and estuary was magnificent, full open bar, and delicious food. I know you are asking me, "Did you dance?" Heck yes I did. There was a wedding band, led by Issac Hayes' daughter, Heather. It was almost more like a concert. Her crew was awesome. Great food, great people, great cake, great dancing, great weekend.

Back at home, my roomate got a dog. His name is Spot and is an Australian Shepherd/Blue Heeler mix. He minds me so good, unlike Jobie. He is really chill and only gets excited at 5:00 am and at the first of the 3 of us to return from work. He is a great running companion, only making me look dumb when he zig-zags right in front of my legs. Halfway into our run today I stopped in a field to run some sprints. His slight yelps of encouragement made my urge to vomit a little more bearable. He almost never actually barks, only whimpers in sadness when we all leave. I guess that's a little separation anxiety. The best part: he doesn't poop when you take him on walks. I made it a life goal awhile back to not have to pick up dog poop. I'm higher on the food chain, so I feel entitled not to do that. So (knock on wood) I haven't had to pick up any of his feces yet. Lord willing, that trend will continue.

Hello college football

I had to take a break. I was worried that my hasty emotions following the recent collapse of Hokie football would be spewed all over my blog. You deserve better than that. With that said, the fact that Hokie football runs through my veins requires, at the least, that I provide my thoughts regarding current Hokie status. I was worried this past Monday that I would receive some pokes and prods from those at work and I was right. I never thought I would say this, but I would be ok with a coaching change. I've grown up with Frank as my standard for college coaching, so it is hard to go against what he says. With that said, I've never been a fan of Bryan Stinespring, our offensive coordinator. I liken his play call decisions to many a college freshman's alcoholic consumption decisions: irrational and dangerous. I'm not football genious, but I think that if you are ahead of a team (Boise St.) and have 3rd and 7 with 2 minutes left, run the ball and punt. Don't attempt a stupid low percentage pass, giving the other team a full 2 minutes with which to work. I feel bad for Ryan Williams, a preseason Heisman contender, who can't get yards with these poor play calls. If you want me to talk about JMU, forget it. I might say some things I regret. Jim Weaver, if you're reading this, please hire some new coaches and then resign. You have made plenty of poor choices in your career at VT as well. Put Bud in charge and find somebody who knows what offense is. Stinespring recruits well so make him the recruiting guy. Do something.

In other news, my fall hockey season kicked off last Thursday. Our best players got moved up into the A-league, leaving our team weak. I used to be at the bottom of the talent pool, now I'm a little above average. That's not good. We won our first game 2-1 because the other team didn't have any subs. We lost last night 8-0. I take some blame because I went to Golden Corral beforehand. Don't. Do. That. Ever. That decision was about as smart as the aforementioned Bryan Stinespring choices. We have a girl on the team, a 40ish woman. That isn't weird, but the fact that she shares a locker room with us is. Enough said.

Goodbye Maine

I'm sorry I haven't finished my Maine trip yet, but I'm sure you have made it through ok.

August 13, Day 6

Today is our last day in Maine. Tomorrow morning at 315, we will begin the journey home, this time bypassing the big cities and the $30 in tolls. Today's big adventure is a kayak ride. We rented tandem kayaks with our JMU friends, Lauren and Molly. They are starting their own vacation adventure and were gracious enough to spend their first day with us. We kayaked out of Bar Harbor to some of the surrounding islands. Due to my clumsy nature, I left the camera in the car. We saw a Bald Eagle, did some climbing, skipped a few hundred rocks and ate a picnic lunch. I even got to paddle up to a lobster boat and watch them in action. Not exactly Deadliest Catch, but fun nonetheless. Bar Harbor gets its name from a land feature that is dry at low tide, and submerged in 4-5 feet of water at high tide. Fun fact, let's move on.

After throwing some frisbee and relaxing in the local park, we spotted the Bar Harbor brewery offering free tastings. Only their blueberry ale is sold down south, so it was good to sample their full line. I also still had a few culinary goals to meet. Blueberry ice cream and real clam chowder. We had clam chowder one night on the campfire, but canned just isn't quite the same. After a few restaurant searches turned up high prices, we found a local bar with some great deals. Real clam chowder and a fried haddock sandwich. Todd and I had agreed beforehand that today will conlude with blueberry ice cream.

So we walk into "Ben and Bill's" ice cream shop and my senses are instantly on high alert. The sights, sounds, smells were overwhelming. They sold so many types of food: chocolates, toffee, fudge, ice cream, gelato, etc. I noticed the folks behind the counter didn't speak english and they didn't acknowledge my presence as I had a laundry list of flavors I wanted to sample. Eventually I realized that Ben and Bill only hired eastern Europeans. Weird. Finally after much effort, a nice girl from Bulgaria named Krasi helped me through my sampling. I knew I'd settle on blueberry, but those other flavors aren't going to sample themselves. Thanks to Krasi, I have good ice cream.

Acadia National

August 12, Day 5:

After hiking Katahdin, we drove to the famous Acadia National Park. Day 5 started with breakfast at a local place where I had more blueberry pancakes. They even had homemade bread with homemade strawberry rhubarb jelly. Delicious. After a good breakfast, we scheduled some kayaks for our last day and then went to hike a short trail called "Beehive", right on the coast. What can I say, it was another beautiful hike. Good ocean views, hardwood birch trees, mild temperatures and plenty of blue sky. We drove around Acadia National Park to some of the small seasonal towns, found free ice cream (always my favorite), and headed back to our campground outside of Bar Harbor for a campfire meal of clam chowder (they say "chowdah") and lobster bisque. The best part was the taste.


Now after dinner we had s'mores. Let me tell you about my stance on s'mores. I pride myself on my s'more-making ability. I probably sound arrogant, but I think I have the perfect setup. I roll with a warm graham, chocolate near the fire during the s'more process for softening, 2 slow-roasted mallows that are done when they is near-liquid all the way through with a slight carmelized outside, and placed warm on the chocolate for a gooey consistency. There is your recipe for the week right there. Enjoy.

Things that make me laugh #3

I think this is #3. Anyway, I haven't finished my Maine trip explanation yet. Never fear, my baby birds, I'll feed you, but this should hold you over.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghgg_fukbvU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtMweQ3cIIQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__Co6GAaXFw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRmYfVCH2UA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvltzwkUEEA&feature=player_embedded#at=49

A-Scent of Katahdin

Day 4, August 11:

I forgot to mention in my last post about the stars. I was actually dumb enough to try to photograph the gorgeous night sky in Baxter State Park. I need a tripod and some crazy exposure time to capture that. Pass. The stars here are just breathtaking. The 4 of us sat on a dock at the campground and took them in. Words can't describe. I love seeing the Milky Way and shooting stars. I literally can't come up with a way to inform you about Maine's beauty.

It's 5:20 am and it's already light. My campmates manage to wake me up for the adventure pinnacle of the trip. It's Katahdin day. The people in Maine are a little weird when it comes to their parks. You have to register to hike as they only take a certain number of hikers per day. You also must register for a specific parking lot, which determines the trail you ascend the mountain. We drew the hard trail. Shorter, but MUCH steeper. It was basically a rock scramble all the way up. The hike was 4,000 vertical feet in 4 miles. That's steep.

I mentioned my favorite sound in Maine, the pebbles tumbling into the sea. Now for my favorite smell in Maine. You might think it's blueberry pancakes or lobster or the sea. I'm actually going to choose the fresh pine scent. Maine is the most forested state in the US and you can smell it. Now remember that Zateran's last night? Well, it turns out that if you eat that stuff, it gives you monumentally bad gas. Sorry for the bad thoughts. Even outside, on a mountain, with wind and the strong pine, each of us would walk into a horrendous cloud of nasty.

One of the cool things about this hike is the view. About a mile into the hike, whenever you take a break, turn around and the view is just spectacular. You can see for miles and there is no civilization in sight. Mmmm. After an adventurous, tiring and a blast of a climb, you reach a false peak where you can truly take in the view. Heading toward the summit, I come across some wild blueberries which are delicious. I love wild food. Apparently Henry Thoreau made a journey up this mountain awhile back.

The summit is a great place. 360 degrees of awesome, vast, woods. There is a trail called the Knife's Edge which extends along the ridge at the summit. It's nothing but rocks with cliffs on each side. The path is only a few feet wide and not super-stable, but fun. We took a different trail on the way down for some variety and to save our joints from a painful descent. Katahdin has a stream on this trail with some sweet falls. Not shown here is the swimming hole which was used by all of us. Cold. Really freaking cold. But awesome.

Goodbye Camden, hello Baxter, Day 3

The sun rises here at around 5 am in the summer. I'm not much of a morning person unless I'm hunting. Or on vacation. This morning we are going for an early morning paddle. It is about 75 degrees with no wind and sunny. Perfect. The outlying islands paint a picturesque scene as Todd and I paddle our kayak amidst lobster buoys. We make it across the Camden harbor channel to the lighthouse and discuss the rest of the day's activities. After paddling back, we return to our campground for breakfast. This breakfast will consist of bacon and eggs. Man stuff. Our breakfast location was beautiful to say the least as we looked over the ocean and the surrounding islands.

After an extensive nap at the above location, it's time to go hit up the mountain which overlooks the Camden harbor. Now we begin the journey to Baxter State Park where we will climb Mt. Katahdin, the highest peak in Maine and the northern terminus of the Appalachin Trail. We enjoy a good sunset as we approach our camp. Tonight's dinner is Zataran's Jambalaya with hot dogs. For dessert, oreos and milk. This comes in to play later.

Initial Ascent, Day 2

Before I blog about Day 2, I'd like to say I want to meet the guy who invented the bag flour is sold in. And punch him in the face. It is impossible to transfer flour from that dang bag without making a huge mess.

August 9:
Thanks to my Big Agnes sleeping bag with integrated sleeping pad, I awake refreshed. Josh and Todd know this dude from Blacksburg who is vacationing in Maine and has given us the heads up on the best spot for breakfast.
Blueberry pancakes are the obvious choice since blueberries are a big deal in Maine. They are the best pancakes I've ever had, which is a bold statement due to my degree of pancake intake.

Pictured here is the first hike of the trip. It wasn't very long, only about 1.5 miles up to this gorgeous overlook of some lake. Afterward, we went swimming in it. Cold, but not as cold as the ocean seen above. The best part about Maine's oceans is the sound. The waves crash and as they pull back out, the water pulls small rocks across bigger rocks making a really awesome sound. I am truly basking in the Lord's creation.

Here we are touring the Camden Harbor, looking at crazy expensive homes and boats and watching lobstermen do work. Part of me thinks that would be fun work. Maybe I don't have the sea legs. After this tour, a dinner cookout along the beach complete with burgers, brats, smores, corn, and pasta salad, not necessarilly in that order. Another fantastic day in Maine.

I have an idea

I got from Maine yesterday. It was awesome. I've been thinking about how to describe this trip to you. So I will enact a retroactive log of my journey. Aside from this weekend (dad's in town as well as a quick visit to the Outer Banks to visit a buddy I haven't seen in awhile) I will write daily as if I'm still on vacation in order to provide a snapshot of each day. Today's entry will revolve around the night before leaving a.k.a. my buddy Justin's wedding as well as the drive up.

August 7-8:

One of my roomates from college, Justin, got married tonight. It was a fantastic celebration. The icing on the cake (pun intended) was when, immediately after the cutting of the cake, I asked the wedding planner what kind of cake it was. If you don't know me well, I have had an obsession with wedding cake since childhood. Upon asking what kind of cake it was, the planner cut a big piece of cake and set it in front of me. First piece of cake = delicious. Easy math. Nothing compliments wedding cake like Yuengling.

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Immediately after dancing a bunch and enjoying the diverse and sweet buffet, Todd and I headed for Springfield to pick up our other hikers. Then I fell asleep until IHOP in Philly at 8 am. A quick look at the map showed we would drive through NYC and up through Connecticut. Driving through Wincasset, ME around dinnertime we embarked on the first of my culinary goals for the trip: Lobster. Pictured is the famous Red's Shack Lobster roll. It is a hot dog bun with a whole pound of lobster on it served with hot butter. Whoooooa. Cross that off the bucket list. The night finished with our first campground in Camden, ME. This is going to be a good trip.

Whoa

2 posts in as many days. Crazy I know. I wanted to give an update. I went to a wedding this past weekend and it was my buddy Kevin's from college. What a party! Dancing was great, food was good, there was even cornhole. If you don't know what cornhole is, see wiki. I'm rapidly becoming a fan of outdoor weddings, particularly those out in the country. This one was at some big house out in Botetourt County. Gorgeous. It was fun because the groom's crew-of which I'm a proud member-are dudes from VT and the bride's crew is a group of girls from JMU. Good times.

This weekend makes wedding #4 of 8 this year. My roomate from college, Justin, is getting married. In the words of Will Ferrell, what an idiot! That will be crazy fun. After the wedding, I'm heading to Maine with some old friends. Hiking, kayaking, and lobster here I come! I'm pretty excited. I'm always up for leaving the city. I can't wait for trees, dirt and campfire smell.

Things that make me laugh part 2

I'll start with some funny videos. This first one you may have seen. I'm not sure what this guy is talking about, but that Ibex is mad. Next is an actual clip from Congress. This guy was actually elected to public office. Awesome. Maybe I'm a terrible person for laughing at this. Finally, this kid makes me laugh.

In other news, hockey season is over for me. My team did not make the playoffs, although I am pleased with the second half of our season. We lost the first 6 games of a 20 games season which is hard to come back from. I actually had a few fans this year which not only encourages me but challenges me to play better since I'm not the most graceful creature on skates. It is evident that I did not learn to skate at the same time I began to walk. So if you're reading this and came to one of my games, thank you.

I am still studying to retake my exam. My class is called an "upgrade" and meets at 6 am everyday so I am relearning how to wake up early. Not easy and not fun. I think hunting is the only thing I do well early in the morning. Maybe that's because you can sleep while hunting and nobody knows.

Things that make me laugh

Laugh with me...
http://willardhouse.wordpress.com/2010/07/12/hot-rod/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lHHQu4CIos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woobL2yAxD4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p32OC97aNqc

If you have good suggestions, let me know and I'll add a part 2.

It's Wedding Season!

Now I guess wedding season officially started when I went to Montana in March, but the summer rush has begun. After attending 7 weddings last year, it looks like I will maintain that trend again this year with 5 weddings left. Wedding Crashers makes me laugh. Often. A crude movie I understand, but when it comes to weddings I can't help but think about that movie and cackle.

I was in Blacksburg this past weekend to celebrate freedom as well as the marriage of my buddy David Robinson. Pictured here are old friends Hungate, Jones and Peter. Good times. Why am I squinting when the sun is behind me? Who knows why I make ridiculous faces all the time. Blacksburg was gorgeous. Mountains and blue sky as well as lush forests paint a great summer background. Also the high of 85 degrees as opposed to the 100+ highs here in the 757 sure helps.

It turns out I didn't do so well on my first big test. I will be spending the next 8 weeks restudying and trying to pass it. I hate sad news, but I thought you the reader should know. If you pay taxes, I apologize for lengthening an already exhaustively long process and making the bill for training me larger.

Too much

So this past week has been nuts. The first of my huge tests is tomorrow and I only feel moderately ready. My brain has never been so inundated by useless information. I have been working every day since last Saturday, most days for 10+ hours. Cramming, thinking, memorizing. One coworker compared our studying to how a poly-sci major studies. No offense to all you poly-sci's out there. I think it's an adequate comparison. 7.5 hours of writing and information regurgitation.

I took a break from studying on Sunday to play hockey. It was looking pretty bleak as we went down 4-1 to a vastly better team. We have a new guy on the team who has crazy moves and skates more gracefully than I can ever dream of. He decided to take over and start scoring. I even had a goal. Now I know what you're thinking, "Scott is super awesome at hockey. I'm lucky to know such a star." False. I've owned my skates for 11 years and they finally fell apart. Sole rotting, rivets breaking, etc. I was less stable than normal Sunday. I fell in front of the net, and as I was getting up, the puck hit my stick and went in. Boom. So late in the third period the score was tied, 4-4 and the other team threatening with the puck in our zone. I see a guy headed toward the net and so I step in front of him. Collision. He gets up in my face accusing me of an elbow. Too bad he hit my shoulder. He threatened retaliation. I laughed. Ensuing faceoff, I head to the corner to get the puck with 10 seconds left. All of a sudden I'm hit from behind. I get to my feet and see this idiot grinning. I see that the ref called him for boarding and he would have to sit in the box during the shootout, unable to contribute. We won the shootout 3-0. Last laugh goes to Scott.

I did pick the first squash of the year today. I'm pretty stoked. Ok one more story. You're a trooper if you're still reading this. So today I parked in a spot at work where you get towed if you park after 3 pm. So at 255 I went to move my car realizing I needed more time at work. So as I approach my car, a very large man on a big Harley pulls up and parks. At 255. I watch. I have no room to make fun of people for how they dress, but this dude was crazy. Shorts, ratty loafers w/ no socks, German bike helmet that was about 5 sizes too small, huge beard, you get the picture. So he walks up to a public trashcan and pulls out a tape measure. He starts measuring the trash can. Every dimension available. He finishes, gets back on his bike, and gets back on the interstate. It's moments like this that occur almost daily in the 757. Such a confusing place.

Evolution

The playoffs are over. The Flyers lost in game 6 in overtime. I'm proud of the Flyers and happy for Chicago. They played well the entire series and I am happy that I got to grow my fiercest beard yet. I even got to have some fun after the series was over. I have included some pictures.

It was a great series and I'm excited that hockey continues to gain in popularity. I hope ESPN picks up the NHL next year. That needs to happen. In other hockey news, my team and I have lost a few games in shootouts lately. We still get a point for going to a shootout, but we need wins.

Dad was in town 2 weeks ago for a golf weekend. He brought 2 of his golfing buddies down which gave me an excuse to test out some of the areas better courses. I am pleased with what I saw. I don't have any golfing friends here so I will not be playing on those courses again anytime soon, but it was fun.

I think this sums up the next few weeks of work. I have my first 8 hour exam next Thursday and the other one July 8. No doubt I will be spending more hours at work trying to cram everything there is about submarine engine rooms into my small head. I will have 2 breaks in studying. First, joining Dad and my sisters in the Outer Banks for a few days and Blacksburg for July 4th to celebrate my friend David's wedding.

One story before I leave you. I see some ridiculous things on the way to work. My school is in the south end of Newport News, which can be a tough part of town. So as I walk to work, I admit that I avoid some groups of people at the bus station. I shy away from awkward conversations. So I was doing just that last week, almost at the front gate, when I hear the following:

"Are you prepared for the snow?" I stop. It's June, it's 75 degrees at 7 am and I'm confused. I look as a 6'3" slender man with long hair anticipates my answer. I think for a second for a valid reason as to why he asked me that. I look at my feet. I'm wearing flip flops. Maybe he's making a joke. I point at my feet and say, "I guess not." I begin to walk away when I hear, "Wouldn't it be crazy if we got 4 feet of snow today?" Now I'm really confused. "I think that would be awesome." I do love snow. I continue to walk away hoping he's done. Nope. "The whole Commonwealth of Virginia would shut down if we got that much snow." I spent the rest of the day confused.

Excited

So I'm excited. I've had friends visit the past few weekends, the Flyers are in the Stanley Cup finals, my hockey team isn't in last place and I feel that I'm at least contributing. We had the "Battle for Last Place" last Thursday and we won 10-2. I guess that's an accomplishment, seeing as how I believe the other team decided to go drinkin before they arrived at the game. I don't think that that is the most effective pre-game activity. I hope you will join me in viewing your television Tonight (Saturday), 8 pm NBC. The Flyers square off against the Chicago Blackhawks in game 1 of the fight for Lord Stanley's Cup.

I'm also excited about the World Cup in June. I know what you're thinking, "There is no way Scott likes soccer." I remember being in Italy for a World Cup and how excited Italians were. It truly is a worldwide thing. And soccer is fun to watch. I just hate the diving. Diving is for sissies.

Work is going well, I can't believe I'm one month away from taking the first of my 8 hour boards. I have enjoyed school but I am looking forward to not reading all day. I haven't seen a plant since about a year ago.

In other news, Gabby just hit 15,000 miles! It was a big time doing that while driving to work at 630 am. I'm in the midst of the 15,000 mile overhaul which consists of replacing the wiper blades, air filters, and cabin air filter, lubricating the door hinges/latches, and a general inspection.

playoffs?

If you don't understand this post's title, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwq7BYOnDrM

The hockey playoffs have begun with Philly winning the first round. My annual playoff beard is in full swing and I hope to keep it through May as the Flyers pursue Lord Stanley's Cup. So up until last Sunday, my hockey team was 0-7. Terrible. As you may know, I'm not the most graceful on skates and scoring is a once-a-season type of event for me. Well, we won our first game last Sunday 6-2 and somehow the stars aligned and I had a hat trick. I was stoked. The game was at 10:00 pm on Sunday and I was so excited I couldn't wind down to sleep until 1 am. Totally worth it.

The garden is coming along well with Roma and Better Boy tomatoes, squash, green peppers, rosemary, basil, habanero and jalepeno peppers. I'll have pictures next week along with a good work story. I hope you are doing well.

Big Sky Country

I am just loving spring. It is great to go out for a run in 75 degree sunshine, smell the blooming Bradford Pear trees, see the hibiscus and cherry trees in full bloom, watch my tomatoes, peppers, and basil sprout, and take a nap outside. In addition to the weather, I'm watching the Final Four which is great. I'm pulling for Butler. Right now Duke and West Virginia are playing and I can't think of two teams I would not want to watch more, but for different reasons. I'm sure all you Tech fans out there are having the same mental angst over who to cheer for.

I've been doing a little bit of traveling lately. My friend Andrew got married last weekend in Great Falls, Montana. When I first received the invite, I couldn't justify the flight out there, but I have never been to Montana and have always wanted to go. After a few buddies told me they were going, I thought why not? If I could describe Montana in one word, it would be vast. I never appreciated what "big sky country" meant until I went there. I never understood how the sky could be bigger in one place vs. another. You can see forever. I used to watch western movies and I couldn't understand how when Clint Eastwood would see someone far away and they would be like a 3 day trek from him. Now I get it. The plains extend forever only to be firmly interrupted by steep canyons down into the Missouri river, mesas rising up, or the Rockies towering over the plains. While I was there, I visited a dam (where I caused a rockslide), went on a 4 mile trail run along the Missouri, smelled sage from the wild, and became wide-eyed over the 1923 Model T belonging to the father of the bride.

As for the wedding, it was also great. All you can eat prime rib and salmon. The best part about the meal was the taste. Bride and groom entered the reception to Enter Sandman. Hokie approved. I told you I'd have the mustache picture soon. Enjoy. Assuming you and I are facebook friends, you can see all my Montana pics on there.