Read a Book or Two, or Twenty

"Life of Pi" by Yann Martel is this week's book selection. It recounts the heroic journey at sea by Piscine Patel (Pi) as he spends his days stranded struggling to feed and hydrate himself. Did I also mention he has a huge Bengal tiger as his lone companion on the lifeboat?

The book starts off a little slow with some history of Pi such as how he got his nickname, his family, and the Zoo his dad ran and he called home.

Once the ship sinks though, the book is hard to put down. Mix one part survival story with one part animal psychology and you get one very insightful and interesting read. It takes all of Pi's physical and mental strength just to survive on the lifeboat, and the tiger doesn't help anything.

A great summer read for anyone that is interested in survival tales and insightful narratives. Overall I'd give it a 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Rock On,

BDL

Summer Recipe - The Trifecta

The Trifecta is a very rewarding summer treat. Here I will give you the simple recipe to make one yourself:

Need:

Little Sleep

Sleeping Bag

An Outfit

As Much Food You Care to Carry

*The Trifecta is best served over the weekends.

Step 1:

Throw Some Canoes On The River:

Add a dash of moonlight to start your Trifecta off right by launching off at 8:00 p.m. Just remember to bring your Mag-Lights or headlamps so you can check out all the strange noises you think you will be hearing. Don't be afraid to go in the dark though, the fireflies will light the way as if they are flashbulbs and you are slamming in the game-winning dunk. To complete the night, through down a tent,tarp, and sleeping bag anywhere (anywhere) and work on your moonlight tan as you rest. Set the alarm early though, because the next morning it is time to float again in the daylight.

Step 2: 
Climb Some Rocks:

Grab some quick-draws and get after it. Just keep breathing and get to that next bolt. Don't be afraid to fall. Your fingers may hurt afterward but you will become a stronger person:






Step 3:
Go For The Long Run

Top off the Summer Trifecta with a nice, smooth, long run. Take your time to think and reflect while always moving forward. Let your muscles relax after serving.





And there you have it, the Summer Trifecta. Although ingredients may vary, making your own Summer Trifecta can be easy and always fun. Try one yourself and see it how it feels.

Get out and Do Something,

Brad

Golf... And the End of Man-Kind

Never could I believe such a tranquil sport could bring out the animal in me. Never before have I said so many consecutive curse words in front of my parents. And still to this day I can't seem to play golf well... or at least consistently.

I spent last weekend at home golfing with my parents. It is always great to spend some time with my parents, a fortune often overlooked. We hit the greens on Saturday and give or take 15 mulligans, I thought I played pretty well. I'm no Rory McIlroy by any means but I was hitting greens, slicing smooth sod off the fairway on each hole. When you are hitting the ball well, your pants could be on fire and you wouldn't care.

Day 2: Went in with expectations - Big Mistake. Just when I thought I was grasping my game a bit, Golf soon taught me a lesson. As soon as you think you understand something, a sobering moment must come that you realize your blind ambition and you can see that maybe, just maybe, you know absolutely nothing at all. That is my golf game in a nut-shell.

Like with everyday situations, you must take each shot one at a time. Don't worry about the previous 5 mulligans or your overall score, don't worry about how everyone else is playing, just take your time, keep your head low, and swing smooth. And most importantly, just as you start to feel your rhythm, realize that for every new shot, you're still just a beginner.

Over and Out,
BDL

Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful

What's the deal Iowa? What happened to Spring time and my evenings playing in the falling sunshine? Lately it's been all rainy mornings and wet afternoons. And if not that, you've been hanging around 95 degrees a bit and are always inviting the gnats and mosquito's.

It's a lesson I should have learned by now, yet I am always surprised at the variations involved in Iowa's climate. It can catch you off guard. My best advice on packing for any trip in Iowa is wear what's comfortable at the exact moment, and pack different clothes for the exact opposite weather. And if you bring a rain-coat, it will never rain.

It's not all bad though. A four-season year (5 if you count thunderstorms as a separate season) does allow you to appreciate the different climates. It's the Yin-Yang effect, the good and the bad, and sometimes the downright ugly. Weather of 80 degrees and sunny seems like a distant world when snow and below freezing winds cover the state. Remembering my frozen past always makes the glow of the sun a little warmer. And these days, a different warmth of opened eyes and freshness blankets over me as the sun breaks through the storm clouds.

Iowa Weather, you are a fickle beast and I am never content on neither loving nor hating you just quite yet....

Go Out and Play


-Brad

Problems, Problems, Problems

Problems, Everyone has them, some more serious then others, but everyone has them. Whether they are the everyday sort or a lingering nag in the back of your head they can stress you out, leave you feeling empty, and ultimately make life seem a little shorter. But I am trying to flip the outlook, to look at them from a different angle, and to ultimately let my problems empower me and to illustrate just how fortunate I am to have these problems.

Some problems are more serious then others, not everyone has the privileged lifestyle that I have become accustomed to as a white male with a college degree, but I believe that everyone can take their own problems and flip the page to see that maybe problems aren't always a bad thing.

Problems can take many shapes, often they come from money, relationships, or the everyday struggle. My thought is to no longer let these problems stress you out too much, to instead appreciate your problems, to appreciate that you even have these problems.

The thought stems from friends who as we sat in their Colorado mountain laced backyard were semi-stressing out about the yearning to move towards a warmer climate, perhaps a beach. I remember thinking "what a great problem to have, to stress about wanting to move from one beautiful landscape to another." And then I realized, all of us have these great problems.

I stress out about my future quite a bit, about having to make decisions about my career, about how to use my degree to its greatest advantage. I also stress about my relationships with friends and closer acquaintances. I have to stop and remind myself sometimes that I have great problems. I am in a great position to accelerate, to love, and to learn. And so are you.

Every time you are stressing out about a home payment, a non-attentive child, a busy work schedule, or any other daily life schedule; remember you are fortunate to have these struggles. Remember that your problems are not a reason to stress, but a reason to celebrate, a reason to sit back and relish in what you have created.

It could be a stretch, and for some people with more serious problems it may be a hard sell, but everyone can hopefully take a moment to look at their problems and realize that maybe it's not so bad, and to realize that perhaps many people would love to have your problems. So next time you are sitting with people you love, raise your glasses not just for your blessings but for your problems as well.

Read a Book or Two, or Twenty

"This Is Where I Leave You" is a family saga written by Jonathan Tropper which chronicles a week in the disheveled life of Judd Foxman as he spends a week with his family sitting Shiva while mourning the death of his father. Judd has a lot going for him in the beginning of the week including a cheating wife, a basement apartment, and a family as dysfunctional as they come.

Throughout the book, Jonathan Tropper introduces you to the Foxman family who are all characters that leap to life off the page and bounce around eachother like atoms in a nuclear reactor. Jonathan Tropper does a great job building a dynamic atmosphere where his characters breathe, live, and learn about themselves and one another.

Link to Jonathan's website:

Jonathan Tropper

Few books can actually make me laugh out loud but more then once I found myself laughing at Judd Foxman's rants and the fire-cracker personalities surrounding his life. A quick but smart read sure to leave you reflecting on your own relationships and laughing at the hilarious circumstances the Foxman's find themselves in.

Rock Climbing 101

Sunday Funday involved a short trip to one of the few spots in Iowa you can actually rock climb. Pictured Rocks is located just outside Monticello in north-east Iowa. With numerous amounts of bolted routes it serves as some of Iowa's best climbing.

Although a little buggy out, the weather was great and we virtually had the place to ourselves. When I see the rocks and the ropes I feel like  have taken a trip to an adult play-ground were I am allowed to run around, scrape my knees, and get a little dirty. 

Fun as it might have been, I was served a big slice of humble pie. Climbing is a fun and relaxed sport but it requires strength and not just muscle. It requires strength to push ahead of the last bolt and to keep breathing when the footholds are thin. It's a strength that is easy to lose and tedious to gain,  a strength I had apparently lost a bit of during my recent hiatus from climbing.But that is what the sport is about to a rookie like me. It's about getting my ass-kicked, coming back for more, and identifying true progress. A great climber once said "the person climbing the best is the person who is having the most fun." Truer words have never been said.



Arts Festivus - Summer Of the Arts

Summer is officialy in full swing, the temperature has reached 90 degress, the gnats are out, and nothing could be better. Too add another summer indicator, Iowa city hosted the Art Festival downtown this weekend. The streets were blocked off, the tents were popped up, and bands were rocking out all day. Nothing like some sweet summer music in the sunshine. 



Lauren Bevineau

 This marks the beginning to Iowa City's Summer of the Arts. Alongside this the Jazz Festival, Friday Night Concert Series, Sand in the City, Free Movie Saturdays, and Downtown Saturday will be blocking off the streets once more. A sure fire way to spend the summer right.

It is always a fun thing to dance in the streets in the city. It is a real chance to feel the city breathing with local life as the long-term residents come out to play. Iowa City is not just a university town. It has remnants of small town Iowa such as good food and friendly faces.

City festivals, such as the Arts Festival, gives people the excuse to relax and enjoy eachother's company without having to worry about getting from one place to another. Without having to worry about red-lights or traffic jams. And if you lucky enough, you know someone with access to a roof....






Over and Out,

BDL

The Grand Canyon - Party in the U.S.A

Last March I was fortunate enough to be able to take part on a mighty adventure to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The eight miles from the rim to our camp ground was strenuous enough but most of the adventure took place just getting to Arizona.



Click to Enlarge



Christreau Aumer

 A total of about a 25 hour drive took us first from Iowa City, Iowa to Moab, Utah. There we were greeted with canyons and arches like nothing we had ever seen in the cornfields of back home. From there we road on to Gooseneck State Park (right) to only get a taste of what we came for. Along the way many gas stations were visited, new friends formed, and a lot of music bumped through the stereo.

It was a great time though, and by the time we made it to the Grand Canyon we were ready to tackle that beast. The first day and subsequent hike into the canyon was about 8 miles and it took us 8 hours. Pretty slow but we had heavy backpacks and the excitement of our destination lent to a lot of play-time. Needless to say though, we were bush-whacked when we strolled into camp just after dark, but to my own joy I woke up the next morning exactly one year older and at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. It was a day full of activities including a hike to the Colorado River, some lounging on rock slabs, and of course a little cliff jumping (some may call it boulder jumping.)

Base-Camp

Wise advice had told us it was an option to hike down into the canyon, but there is no choice about having to go back up. So the morning of our departure we rose before the sun and began hiking in the early morning light. We were a precision drum-line for hours at a time, stopping only to munch on some trail mix. We made it to the top in around 6 hours, and then the true hard-work was upon us once more; the open road.

The Grand Canyon lives past its title and is truly an amazing part of the American landscape. The might arm of Mother Nature formed these canyons and it is truly astonishing to see the magnitude of such a dynamic landscape. I urge all to make at least one trip in their life and my best advice would be to do it as soon as possible.

Somehow my video-camera sneaked onto the trip and I covertly caught everyone busting their dance moves along the way:

My last piece of advice; don't have the last song on the radio be Miley Cyrus before backpacking into the Grand Canyon.