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Looked at the sailboat yesterday. It’s not for me. I went down to the marina convinced this was the boat. Arrived early and took in the location, it seemed perfect. The marina showers where accessible, very big deal to me. Nora made friends with a sea otter, it was hands down the coolest wild life experience of my trip. The dog was out swimming in the harbor and a sea otter pops up 4 feet in front of her, both staring at each other. Nora swims toward the otter as it dives under her. She’s curious, sticks her head under water trying to find the otter. Otter pops up behind her, slaps the water. Nora flips around and swims right up to it, they bat at each other with paws and flippers. The sea otter dives under her again, popping up behind her and making more noise, nora flips around it disappears again. The game continued for a few minutes before the otter went back to eating barnacles from the bottom of a boat. It was one of the rare moments I didn’t have access to my camera, if i did the animals meeting would have never happened. The people at the marina were friendly, we talked and i enjoyed them. It appeared like the right place for me, and I knew the boat would be right for me. The environment was perfect, this had to be the place. I saw the boat, it was definitely a project. A 30′ cheoy lee sloop, a model I’ve liked for a long time. The owner showed up, he was drunk. I convinced myself he wasn’t, this was suppose to be my boat. We climbed aboard, he showed me around. Everything needed work, nothing was in working order. The only solid part of the boat was the cabin, which is the one part of the boat I would be tearing apart anyways. Still I used my mind to make this my boat, it had to be. I’m tired of driving around, ready to have a steady place. So what if the owner is drunk, that doesn’t mean he’s selling a bad boat. I sat there for hours trying hard to convince myself that this was the boat. The excuses and reasons piled, I left continuing my own mental persuasion. I should of been the guy selling the boat, not only was I sober, but i did a great job of creating the ideal buyers picture. Later that day I found a shower, it had been a while as usual. Amazing how hot water can change your entire outlook on life. I shut off the water and realized the boat wasn’t for me. I had fallen in love with an idea advertised on craigslist. I was ready to finish my adventures in the van and move onto something new. Thank goodness I gave it a prayer before showing up that day. I saw another ad on craigslist today. This time a Pearson Triton 28′ Sloop. I’ll let you know.
Todays campsite is an actual government sanctified piece of ground designated for citizens wanting to sleep in the woods. It’s official name is Jenny Lake Campground and is located inside the Grand Tetons National Park. Majority of the time I refuse to stay anywhere inside a National Park, often I’ll drive out of my way to avoid staying in them. The main reason being all the government employees running around playing zoo keeper.
I decided to leave the confines of my campste and venture out into Uncle Sams wilderness. My planned trip involved a twenty yard roll to the restrooms and back. I made it all the way to the restrooms event free only to find the handicap and other numerous stalls out of order. No big deal, there’s probably another handicap accessible stall in this 55 site campground. Nope. Now if I was up in the forest all by myself like a real camper I’d pull up to the front of the car and hang my dareeair between the wheelchair and the bumper. However I’m surrounded people so I have to keep my dairyarh? contained.
So I make the decision to roll down the road and relieve myself in the proper man made hole at the visitors center. It was a nice long roll past plenty of stunning vistas painted on the back RVS. The hole at the visitors center worked properly and I was relieved.
I strolled back from the visitors center, amidst the crowds, with Nora trotting politely at my side. A little ways down the path I spotted one of my fellow government check receivers. I get the disability kind of check, he gets the park ranger kind of check. He can fine me, I can’t fine him. I had a good of idea of what was coming. But, I figured maybe since Nora was wearing her bright blue harness and in stride right beside the wheelchair I stood a chance. Nope. “Sir”, when the first words out of a Rangers mouth are “Sir” I know he’s not about to ask what kind of dog is that. “Sir, is this your dog”, no, it’s probably one of the random black labs with blue harnesses that like chasing people in wheelchairs. That should of been my response, however I opted for an old fashioned “Yes”. At this point Nora and I are passing by the green clad dude with Name Badge. My thought process here was keep your cool, express your true thoughts and this trip to the Pisser could go all the way to the Can. I also realized the Name Badge was old with a walking stick, we were on a flat paved surface, and the speed advantage was in my favor. As I began to speed up down the path I overheard “You need to have him on a leash”. Without turning around, or even bothering to reach out and grab Nora(still in stride beside the wheelchair), I said “OhhhhK” and sped on down the path. Nobody chased me. I even passed more park rangers with communication devices on their hips. There must not of been any APBs put out on the dude in a wheelchair with service dog at his side.
We made it all the way back to the van, almost. Coming around the corner to our campsite I view a dozen kids plucked straight of an Eddie Bauer Outdoors Advertisement standing in a row facing my van. They were being talked to by yet another Park Ranger. This one happened to be of the sexier variety. Long strawberry blonde hair, and taking her job very seriously. I roll up and realize she’s talking to the kidos about something in my campsite. Awesome, I’m going to get my first real glimpse of a Grizzly Bear and there’s a pretty little park ranger to complete the scene. Nope. This park ranger is walking around giving youngsters the inside scoop on policing campers, like myself, on bear storage regulations. Not how to store bears, but storing to avoid bears. My campsite looks pretty good, everything’s inside the van, except my solar shower bladder out soaking in the sun. She informs me that they’re discussing wether or not my campsite is within regulations with the shower bladder lying in the dirt. This is when my mouth finally gets going… “Oh, in case a bear gets thirsty” I say. I found it to be a nice light hearted resposne, she apparently didn’t. She explained that it was similiar to having a water bottle in camp and that bears can’t distinguish between water bottles and gatorade bottles. Also, that if a bear assumed it was a gatorade bottle he might take it for a rewarding treat. Now this would all make great sense if I was standing outside a cage at the San Diego Zoo, but being in wild bear country I was confused on the whole idea of bear confusing my shower bladder for a rewarding treat? Anyways, she ended up being very kind and left with the statement that she doesn’t normally give out tickets for shower bladders. She was definitely not joking, I myself was also ready for the two of us to put all kidding aside.
There was a dude Park Ranger taking up the rear of the group. He smiled and commented on how my site was good and bear proof. Adding that all the kidos had agreed unanimously that I was is in the clear. Being that he kept his mouth shut til his partner was out of ear shot, I could till he also was smitten with the strawberry blonde taking her job so seriously.
I’ve yet to meet any law enforcing person that can explain how I’m suppose to push a wheelchair and manage a leash at the same time.
Sitting in Isabele’s Coffee shop in Bethel, Maine waiting on videos to upload. I gotta use the restroom, then the creative juices will flow. Hopefully I’ll be less vulgar as well, hold on. Well now wait, there’s a girl in there now. She served me my turkey apple rueben sandwich, almost delicious. The apples were sour, I expected sweet. Tried to get over my expectations, couldn’t. However, the turkey was chunky, peeled right of the bone. Like a turkey sandwich the day after thanksgiving, it was nice. I think she’s done, hold on… well now I’m relieved, and a little less inspired than I thought I’d be. Somedays I know exactly what I’m doing, others the world is so big I think nothing can be done. It’s fun being human, and never really knowing what’s next, however nerve racking the experience. I looked at nora the other day and thought she knows what’s happening. I mean everything. The reasons why as well. It was simple and beautiful in her eyes. Then somebody sent me a link to a video that relates God to Dog. Yes, spell either one backwards and you get the other, how very clever. One created the other, both are mans best friend, both wait on man, both love man. This the video relayed. All I could think about was the God creating dog part… did he really create all this for us? Yeah, I’m not getting into this discussion. I don’t like God most days, he seems lost himself. His stories are so egotistical somedays. I created this for you to enjoy, you messed it up, let me send and kill my only son to save you, and the worlds gonna end any day now. I do like finding reason in life, but it doesn’t have to be because I was created. It could just be because I am, and can relate to you and them. The only reason that God seems necessary is the right and wrong we all know and feel. Those everyday concerns of “is this going to benefit or harm”, and we really don’t have a clue. Yet, it seems with each move, each way we choose, somedays end up bad and some good. I think that’s the relativity game, we have created comparison based on our feelings and response. Understanding that somethings are gratyfing and some not. But why must we try to relay that one is bad and one is good? Do you ever feel like your right there on the edge of knowledg’s horizon? about to see through it all. And then I get scared, knowing that ultimate knowledge is probably ultimately boring. However it doesn’t discourage me from trying to look over the edge just out of curiosity. What if you were the only one who didn’t know, the rest were playing the game to keep you wondering?
Jordansname.com 