The hunt has once again come and gone. I would have liked to be able to say I brought home a nice big buck, but I figure I spent most of my luck allotted to this year somewhere else. As I think about it though, I have really been lucky this year. This last summer I got a great internship when the position was originally given to someone else. It turns out the other guy got a better offer and that left me as the next best candidate. It would have been nice to not have been the back up, but in this case it didn't matter, and the summer became very profitable. I also took the LSAT in preparation for law school and scored in the 94th percentile. That means that out of all the people who took the LSAT when I did, only 6 in every 100 people did better than me. That, I feel, is something I spent a lot of my luck on. I'm pretty sure those two experiences really stole most of my luck for the year, and the rest I'm saving up for my law school applications. So in the long run, I feel like not wasting some luck on hunting is an alright thing.
You might be wondering what the title of this post has to do with my lucky experiences or the lack thereof. Well, to be perfectly honest, I originally planned talking about something entirely different than luck in this post, but the keyboard led me to what we now have. As to the pale morning sun, I spent the last two days watching the sun come up as I sat on a mountainside straining my eyes and ears trying to find a buck. Before the sun would rise above the horizon I usually was literally freezing my toes off. Friday I definitely lost feeling to my toes for a while, and my fingers didn't fare much better. As the sun would finally show her face I would always be very glad for the warmth she promised. Unfortunately, she was about as warm as the seventy year old nun is who regrets her decision to forgo marriage. The sun showed her smiling face but withheld her warmth, and I continued to stare at the mountain. This short paragraph makes hunting sound entirely miserable, but I assure you that hunting isn't all that bad, just this particular part of hunting is definitely not for the weak or cold blooded.
In the end, the week was really good. I got a lot of exercise and I got to experience the mountains in a way few people probably do. This world in which we live is absolutely amazing, and I am glad to be blessed enough to have seen the miracle of nature (I'm not talking about birth).
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
The Do's Does and Don'ts of Hunting
I am a hunter. I don't excuse myself or really feel the need to. This weekend was the general weapon buck hunt's opening weekend. I had a good time with a friend from school and my wife. This being my second year in a row hunting I feel like I have come up with some good ideas and advice for hunters.
Do's
I have determined that the most important part of hunting is not actually worrying about hunting. You need to be in it for the experience. Did I shoot anything this weekend? No, I didn't even chamber a round in my rifle. I did see around ten shooting stars while spending the night in the back of my truck parked high in the mountains. I did climb up and down two mountain peaks and see a good amount of wildlife. I did get a lot of good exercise, so much that I was totally exhausted today. Overall the hunt was a fantastic experience of being in the outdoors, and observing the beauty of nature.
Does
For those who aren't familiar with the term, a doe is a female deer. I was lucky enough to acquire a hunting permit for a buck (male deer with antlers at least five inches long). So seeing doe, though exciting, really wasn't the purpose of my hunt. It actually can be really frustrating. For example, when you are coming down a steep mountain at the end of opening day hoping beyond hope to see a buck and not go home a failure you suddenly see a deer way below you. Excitedly, you put your rifle to your shoulder and look through the scope, and what do you see? A nice looking deer, that just so happens to lack antlers. Bah those blasted antlers. If I hadn't seen bucks in the wild before I would think that they were made up by the government to create revenue from all the suckers (me included) who buy hunting permits in the hopes of bringing home food for their friends and families.
Don'ts
As to the don'ts of hunting, I have decided that if you are serious about harvesting (a more polite way of saying shooting) a deer, you should not go hunting with me. I have become very good at finding doe and moose. I even saw grouse this weekend, and let me tell you that can definitely scare you when you are simply walking through the woods looking for deer and a bird suddenly spooks and flies away. The noise is pretty inspiring, but also takes you by surprise. Anyway I am very good at finding really cool wildlife, as long as it isn't something I am trying to hunt. Another don't is don't forget to eat something at 5 am when you are about to spend two hours hiking. It tends to make the hike much less enjoyable. You can trust me on that as I speak from experience.
All in all, hunting ain't too shabby. I'm not very good at it, but really enjoy spending the time hiking through the woods with friends and family. I might even be successful someday and bring home some meat, but that might just only be wishful thinking. My hunt isn't over yet, I still have till next Saturday, so maybe my next post will be all about how nasty it is to gut a deer. You are probably now joining those other people who hope I don't shoot anything, except you just don't want to read a post about gutting a deer. I forgive you for thinking that way, but hope that you fail in something you are really excited about . . . yeah, it doesn't sound very polite when I say it that way huh? That's what I think about all those who tell me they are glad I didn't get anything.
Do's
I have determined that the most important part of hunting is not actually worrying about hunting. You need to be in it for the experience. Did I shoot anything this weekend? No, I didn't even chamber a round in my rifle. I did see around ten shooting stars while spending the night in the back of my truck parked high in the mountains. I did climb up and down two mountain peaks and see a good amount of wildlife. I did get a lot of good exercise, so much that I was totally exhausted today. Overall the hunt was a fantastic experience of being in the outdoors, and observing the beauty of nature.
Does
For those who aren't familiar with the term, a doe is a female deer. I was lucky enough to acquire a hunting permit for a buck (male deer with antlers at least five inches long). So seeing doe, though exciting, really wasn't the purpose of my hunt. It actually can be really frustrating. For example, when you are coming down a steep mountain at the end of opening day hoping beyond hope to see a buck and not go home a failure you suddenly see a deer way below you. Excitedly, you put your rifle to your shoulder and look through the scope, and what do you see? A nice looking deer, that just so happens to lack antlers. Bah those blasted antlers. If I hadn't seen bucks in the wild before I would think that they were made up by the government to create revenue from all the suckers (me included) who buy hunting permits in the hopes of bringing home food for their friends and families.
Don'ts
As to the don'ts of hunting, I have decided that if you are serious about harvesting (a more polite way of saying shooting) a deer, you should not go hunting with me. I have become very good at finding doe and moose. I even saw grouse this weekend, and let me tell you that can definitely scare you when you are simply walking through the woods looking for deer and a bird suddenly spooks and flies away. The noise is pretty inspiring, but also takes you by surprise. Anyway I am very good at finding really cool wildlife, as long as it isn't something I am trying to hunt. Another don't is don't forget to eat something at 5 am when you are about to spend two hours hiking. It tends to make the hike much less enjoyable. You can trust me on that as I speak from experience.
All in all, hunting ain't too shabby. I'm not very good at it, but really enjoy spending the time hiking through the woods with friends and family. I might even be successful someday and bring home some meat, but that might just only be wishful thinking. My hunt isn't over yet, I still have till next Saturday, so maybe my next post will be all about how nasty it is to gut a deer. You are probably now joining those other people who hope I don't shoot anything, except you just don't want to read a post about gutting a deer. I forgive you for thinking that way, but hope that you fail in something you are really excited about . . . yeah, it doesn't sound very polite when I say it that way huh? That's what I think about all those who tell me they are glad I didn't get anything.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Required charity
So this week I was given the assignment to go, "buy someone a drink." I found it an interesting assignment and it was quite ironic that the teacher's debit card didn't work the day he gave the assignment and someone had actually bought him his lunch. He had already planned on telling us to be charitable and then got to experience the receiving side of charity. Either way I was asked to go and overcome myself. I'm all about doing good to others, but I'm not a fan of being required to do so. It leaves me in quite a dilemma. Should I go out and fulfill my assignment by being charitable to someone, or does being assigned to be good really count as being good? I know it doesn't matter to the person who receives the kindness, but it makes it feel empty for me. I feel bad for the person I didn't help this weekend, but I didn't go to a store or gas station so I didn't really have the opportunity. Going to a store and stalking someone only to buy their stuff seemed a little creepy for me, so I passed on this opportunity. That is not to say that I've never bought someone's food for them, just to do so. I actually like doing stuff like that, it just bothers me when I become required to do it for points or an assignment. It goes against who I am to do it. I'm also not a big fan of telling people about how great I am by helping others, so this assignment was twice as much against my principles. Needless to say I help when I see the opportunity, but I don't like being required to do so. ba humbug!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Vini Vidi Vici
Please do not be alarmed. I do not consider myself Julius Caesar and will not try and destroy our failing republic. I actually have zero political aspirations.
I came, I saw, I conquered. I love this saying especially when I have the opportunity to use it. This week was one of those where I feel like I did in fact conquer. It is always a bummer when test week rolls around, whether it be midterms or finals it is all the same. This week just so happened to be test week and I was recovering from an annoying cold my wife so graciously gave me over the weekend. I still have the cold but who's complaining? Back to the riveting story. I had three tests to take and my schedule left me with a test a day on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I luckily had the choice of when to take two of my tests so I decided that Wednesday's test would be my super easy test; Thursday's test was an in class test, but unfortunately hard; and Friday's test is for a class I care little about, but is actually fairly difficult. Having set up my mental schedule I charged the week head on, or head full of mucus. Needless to say, I was not really feeling up to it, but Wednesday came and went and my first test fell like a wheat stock to the scythe. Thursday was also a success, though my mind did go fuzzy for a bit while finding the force acting on the members of a webbed truss. After staring statics in the face and spiting on it, that too was a side effect of the cold, I went to start preparing for test number three. Upon reading my emails I discovered that the professor had sent the wrong test to the testing center and therefore canceled my third and final test for the week. Victory was mine, and the dancing and celebrating began shortly thereafter.
Lastly, I had the great opportunity of using the four wheel drive on my truck this weekend. I climbed a hill that did not want to be climbed. I made it most of the way up and then started spinning out. I switched to four wheel drive low and continued up until I once again hit a part that was yelling to me in the voice of Gandalf the Gray, "You shall not pass." I struggled for a bit and was actually worried that I would have to back up and either try again or find an alternate route. Both options would have been admitting defeat, and being who I am, I just don't like doing that. So I once again attacked the hill with my truck and this time with willpower and stubbornness given me by my great family I overcame the hill and once again had the opportunity to yell to the wind, "VINI VIDI VICI!"
Note: not actual depiction of me
I came, I saw, I conquered. I love this saying especially when I have the opportunity to use it. This week was one of those where I feel like I did in fact conquer. It is always a bummer when test week rolls around, whether it be midterms or finals it is all the same. This week just so happened to be test week and I was recovering from an annoying cold my wife so graciously gave me over the weekend. I still have the cold but who's complaining? Back to the riveting story. I had three tests to take and my schedule left me with a test a day on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I luckily had the choice of when to take two of my tests so I decided that Wednesday's test would be my super easy test; Thursday's test was an in class test, but unfortunately hard; and Friday's test is for a class I care little about, but is actually fairly difficult. Having set up my mental schedule I charged the week head on, or head full of mucus. Needless to say, I was not really feeling up to it, but Wednesday came and went and my first test fell like a wheat stock to the scythe. Thursday was also a success, though my mind did go fuzzy for a bit while finding the force acting on the members of a webbed truss. After staring statics in the face and spiting on it, that too was a side effect of the cold, I went to start preparing for test number three. Upon reading my emails I discovered that the professor had sent the wrong test to the testing center and therefore canceled my third and final test for the week. Victory was mine, and the dancing and celebrating began shortly thereafter.
Lastly, I had the great opportunity of using the four wheel drive on my truck this weekend. I climbed a hill that did not want to be climbed. I made it most of the way up and then started spinning out. I switched to four wheel drive low and continued up until I once again hit a part that was yelling to me in the voice of Gandalf the Gray, "You shall not pass." I struggled for a bit and was actually worried that I would have to back up and either try again or find an alternate route. Both options would have been admitting defeat, and being who I am, I just don't like doing that. So I once again attacked the hill with my truck and this time with willpower and stubbornness given me by my great family I overcame the hill and once again had the opportunity to yell to the wind, "VINI VIDI VICI!"
Note: not actual depiction of me
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Kryptonite
Unashamedly I admit that I love comic books. No I have not been to the Comic Con, but I do hope to someday be so lucky. My favorite hero happens to be Thor, but that is another subject for another day. Superman does happen to be pretty cool, I mean he can fly, something I'd definitely like to be able to do without an airplane, he can pick up a building, he can reflect bullets with his manly pecks, and he can pretty much do whatever he wants. That is of course as long as you don't happen to have a little shiny green rock. For a man who can do everything, I find it kind of lame that a geologist's dream come true, is the great downfall of the Man of Steel. I digress though, this post is not actually about Superman, but about kryptonite, my kryptonite.
I find it strange that I am sharing such personal information, since I generally try to avoid such open displays of me on the internet, but hopefully my writing is such that you still don't really know HA take that social engineers. Once again I digress.
I once had a roommate for almost four and a half months, and to say the least, I don't have the greatest love for this man. I don't remember specifics, but in thinking back on that time I just feel like I was belittled more than what should have been. Normally I am pretty good at letting things go, but for some reason I have a hard time getting over him. Whenever I see him, I walk the other way to avoid conversation (real mature of me I know). I was at a function last night where he happened to be as well. He actually organized the thing, but the function was in fact something I wanted to attend, I just didn't want to see him. A friend of mine also went and when he saw my dreaded ex-roommate, my friend told his wife, "You see that guy? He is Andrew's kryptonite." In thinking about it, I find that statement really true. It is really lame and unfortunate that I let something so insignificant like the past affect me in such a profound way. There is a happy ending to this miserable confession of mine though. Mr. Kryptonite and I inevitably did end up coming face to face, and I was able to say hello. Very big of me I know, but hey Superman has problems with a rock, this is a human so I feel pretty good.
I find it strange that I am sharing such personal information, since I generally try to avoid such open displays of me on the internet, but hopefully my writing is such that you still don't really know HA take that social engineers. Once again I digress.
I once had a roommate for almost four and a half months, and to say the least, I don't have the greatest love for this man. I don't remember specifics, but in thinking back on that time I just feel like I was belittled more than what should have been. Normally I am pretty good at letting things go, but for some reason I have a hard time getting over him. Whenever I see him, I walk the other way to avoid conversation (real mature of me I know). I was at a function last night where he happened to be as well. He actually organized the thing, but the function was in fact something I wanted to attend, I just didn't want to see him. A friend of mine also went and when he saw my dreaded ex-roommate, my friend told his wife, "You see that guy? He is Andrew's kryptonite." In thinking about it, I find that statement really true. It is really lame and unfortunate that I let something so insignificant like the past affect me in such a profound way. There is a happy ending to this miserable confession of mine though. Mr. Kryptonite and I inevitably did end up coming face to face, and I was able to say hello. Very big of me I know, but hey Superman has problems with a rock, this is a human so I feel pretty good.
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