All the world's a stage: July 2006

The hike to Herman's Gulch

It is time to head outdoors and get away from the city life. Here are the details:

Not quite ready for challenging 14er hike? Great! I'm doing a day hike in Hermans Gulch near Loveland Pass on Saturday July 22nd. This is a moderate 3.4 mile hike up to Hermans Lake with an elevation gain of ~1200 feet. Round trip distance is ~7miles. The hike starts out with a few quick switchbacks, then levels out into a sub alpine valley. Lots of terrific mountain views, clear alpine lakes, cool mountain breezes, and wildflowers on this trail when I was there 3 weeks ago. If interested, just reply to this email or give me a ring.WHAT TO BRING . . .Hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, poncho, 2L of water, snack food, hiking boots, and extra layers in case of inclement weather. WHERE & WHEN . . .Meet at the 6th & Union park-n-ride around 7:30am. We'll depart at 8:00am sharp! We should return to town around noon unless people want to stop for lunch on the way home.

This is only a half day hike organized by my friend Terrence. Need to catch up on some paperwork and enjoy the relaxation that is Saturday. It is getting close to my vacation in the Eastern United States and I'm excited. The summer heat of Denver is getting unbearable. Thanks to global warming Denver's average tempertures have risen. You carmakers reading this please make more cleaner vechiles.

Life after the 4th of July

I caught a summer cold and it drained quite a lot of my energy in the last 5 days. I am feeling a lot more strength today. It has been a busy week catching up on paperwork that needs to be done with my counseling practice. The time in South Dakota was awesome. It was a long weekend trip and I got to see a lot of things. I think, the rains and the fact that I tend to overdo my vacations mean I need a vacation from my vacation.

Speaking of vacations, I am looking forward to a 2 week vacation (August 2nd - August 16th, 2006) in the Eastern US. I will travel to Buffalo, NY then drive to the New York City area and then drive to Wilmington, Delaware to visit my first cousin Tony. Fly back from Buffalo, NY. Hopefully, everything will go according to plan, but even it does not it will be a good time to visit with relations and get some home cooked Indian food. Goodnight.

Independence DAY!

Comfortable sleeping without the rain seeping through an uncapped Tipi.

Life in a Tipi. Light that campfire.

Fireworks looks awesome at Mt Rusmore

Its all about the Lincoln

s

Close UP

Mt Rushmore on the 4th of July

Big Sky country of South Dakota

The End

Cont.

Thank you

Blogger's quest ends with keys to house

Found this article off Yahoo news. Pretty wacky, but nothing is impossible.
Nitish

By BRIAN BERGSTEIN, AP Technology Writer Mon Jul 10, 2:32 PM ET
Taking a paper clip and turning it into a house sounds like a cheesy magic trick or a phony instance of resourcefulness on the 1980s TV show "MacGyver."

Kyle MacDonald, however, has pulled it off.
One year ago, the 26-year-old blogger from Montreal set out to barter one red paper clip for something and that thing for something else, over and over again until he had a house.
On Wednesday the quest is ending as envisioned: MacDonald is due to become the proud owner of a three-bedroom, 1,100-square-foot home provided by the town of Kipling, Saskatchewan. MacDonald and his girlfriend, Dominique Dupuis, expect to move there in early September.
"This is such a cool community project. It feels right," MacDonald said. "And now that I think about it, I can't believe that another small town didn't think of it. It will literally put them on the map."
What's in it for the town? The answer requires a quick MacDonald recap, featuring a menagerie of friendly folks, radio talk show hosts and aging celebrities, all bound together by the Internet.
It began when MacDonald, an aspiring writer, doer of odd jobs and apartment dweller, advertised in the barter section of the Craigslist Web site that he wanted something bigger or better for one red paper clip. He traded it for a fish-shaped pen, and posted on Craigslist again and again.
Roaming Canada and the United States, he exchanged the pen for a ceramic knob, and in turn: a camping stove, a generator, a beer keg and Budweiser sign, a snowmobile, a trip to the Canadian Rockies, a supply truck and a recording contract. Next, in April, he got himself really close, obtaining a year's rent in Phoenix.
His adventure became an Internet blockbuster. He did Canadian and Japanese TV and "Good Morning America." He made dozens of local radio appearances — one of which, in Los Angeles, was heard by a man who ended up as a pivotal figure.
That man is Corbin Bernsen. You may remember him from his roles in "L.A. Law" and "Major League."
Hip to the publicity-generating machine that is Kyle MacDonald, Bernsen contacted him to say he was writing and directing a movie and would offer a paid speaking role as an item available for trade.
MacDonald was thrilled. But he feared the integrity of his journey would be compromised if he accepted the role without trading Bernsen something he really could use. Say what you want about "Major League 3," but Bernsen has done well enough that he doesn't need a free apartment in Phoenix.
So MacDonald kept Bernsen's offer off his blog, but plowed ahead with an eye to finding something Bernsen would legitimately want.
Seemingly disregarding good economic sense, MacDonald traded the year's rent for an afternoon with rocker Alice Cooper. (MacDonald's response: "Alice Cooper is a gold mine of awesomeness and fun.") Then in a move that really confused his blog readers, MacDonald bartered time with Cooper for a snow globe depicting the band Kiss.
Re-enter Corbin Bernsen.
You see, since the days when he'd get free stuff on promotional tours for "L.A. Law," Bernsen has amassed a collection of 6,500 snow globes. "One off, they look sort of goofy," Bernsen said. "Put them all together and they sort of look like pop art."
So MacDonald gave Bernsen the Kiss model and encouraged his blog readers to send the actor even more globes in exchange for autographed pictures.
All this delighted the elders in Kipling, a town of 1,140 believed to have been named in honor of author Rudyard Kipling.
Like many rural towns, Kipling is eager to stave off the perils of dwindling population by attracting new businesses, tourism and above all, attention. When the local development coordinator, Bert Roach, heard about MacDonald's odyssey, he suggested at the next council meeting that Kipling lure him.
Quickly the town purchased an unoccupied rental house on Main Street and offered it to MacDonald. Roach won't disclose the price because MacDonald says he doesn't want to know. But Roach says it was well under the going rate in Kipling, which is about $50,000 Canadian (US$45,000).
The town also pledged to put a giant red paper clip at a highway rest stop and hold an "American Idol"-style competition for the movie role. Participants will have to make a donation to the town's parks department and a charity.
When MacDonald agreed last week, "I was holding back tears, I was so bloody happy," Roach said. "It's going to be such a great project for our community."
Bernsen says that if the right person emerges in the talent show, he'd be willing to cast him or her as a lead. "Maybe a career is going to get started. Maybe it's going to be huge. Maybe that's the magic of Kyle."
MacDonald doesn't expect to live in Kipling forever. But he says he'll make it home at least while he settles down to write a book.
Of course, even if the house came free, he'll have the usual homeowner headaches: taxes, utilities, upkeep. It should come as no surprise that MacDonald isn't worried.
"I'll figure something out," he said. "I can get a job. There's three grocery stores in town."
___
On the Net:
MacDonald's blog:
http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com

Enjoyed a fish burger in the tourist trap called Wall Drug. This is just outside of Rapid City, SD. Ironically, driving through the highway through downtown Rapid City is quite slow going.