CleverNickname

Trip report: I like canoe camping. I am not an avid whitewater paddler, but I'm competent. Previous trips: Rio Grande, Upper Missourri (6 days), Yukon (6 days), Big Salmon / Yukon (13 days), Penobscot (3 days). Nice flat water river trips. Recommend all. Talked the Mrs. and our kids (6th and 4rh grade) into Lower Gunnison, CO. Put in near Delta, CO at Escalante. Water at 690cfs. So my wife did the Missouri with me. I assumed maybe better skills. Gunnison has a Class II like 12 minutes from the put in. She had not shook off the rust... and had never been the stern. We take channel left to avoid rocks and long wave chain, but current goes directly into tamarack sweepers. I'm teller wife to just get out... water is like 20 inches. Daughter goes into branches, drops paddle. By this time I've beaches our boat on the bank. Wife gets out successfully and manages to pull boat back from shore. Daughter managed to avoid being scratched. I swim for paddle and get it. Not a great start. But we rally. Camp 14 miles downstream. I rented 1 large tent, but outfitter gives us 2 small. Fine. Except second tent has busted pole. So we sleep all 4 in a 3 person tent. Not great. But campsite was devine and nobody for miles. Weekday launch a good idea. Camp is just at only other Class II on that fetch. Wife and daughter are sort of shy, so I solo both past the worst. Easy. Line it past "Undertaker" rock and ping pong past rocks and a snag. We decide to do the rest in 1 day, avoiding second night in too small tent. Next 16miles goes easy. Lots if fun riffles and Class I wave trains. Pretty canyons. Never rolled a boat. If day 2 was first I bet wife would have had no trouble with first rapid. Kids have positive memories. Wife a little salty about my prior assurance it was zero risk. Pretty stretch. Easy logistics. Will bring our own darn tents if I can convince family to do Green River in a year or two. Or possibly Bufdalo in AR.

Fwiw at my wife's school (low income) they talked many parents into coming back in-person during last school year. Kids were struggling online, particularly those without a highly educated parent who could hover all day. Their scores outperformed similar schools who let folks coast online. But they want everyone to wear a mask.

I'm torn. On the one hand, I'd like to see ISU and KU leave, and Tech get a shot at the PAC. So the B12 crumbles. On the other hand, the fact that no other schools moves the needle enough to get an invite proves the point of why we had to leave.

The only one who got a big payday for TI is Joe Jamail and he's ours. And dead.

I was watching my youngest and my nieces on Saturday. I farted a little louder than I intended. My youngest niece immediately said, "Uncle X, you are a tooter." Not that I tooted. That I am a tooter. Since I supplied it, I did not deny it. But 48 hours later I can't help thinking...I'm a tooter.

Lot of truth right there. At least it is some sunshine?

Colorado population is 5.8M. Utah is 3.2M, Arizona is 7.3M, Tennessee is 6.8M, Hawaii is 1.4M. Texas is 29M. And Texas, because it was a country, doesn't have much national forests or BLM lands. Compared to anywhere else west of the Mississippi it just doesn't have much public lands. I didn't think anyone seriously would disagree. On nice weekends in the fall/spring it is very hard to find a state campsite. There are only a handful of overnight backpacking trails in the entire state. We are something like 45 out of 50 in public lands, as a percentage of land.

Earth tilt causes the seasons, but aphelion is a point in orbit. Separate mechanisms. He mentions it because he is a huuuuuuge nerd.

My kid scouts. If BSA dies, any number of the literally dozens of similar scouting organizations could fill the gap. I happen to like the resources for running a cub scout den that BSA provides, but I assume similar material exist elsewhere. I like that there is an activity/extracurricular outside of sports that kids can do outside. And I like how Boy Scouts encourages "you figure it out" independence skills. In Texas what we could lose are those scout camps that BSA owns. Texas has way too few public parks and wilderness areas. Maybe if the Leg applies some if the rainy day billions to buying up big ranches and such. It is simply hard to find good places for our pack to run around for a weekend. You can feel itbhere in Austin - every park is jammed packed all the time.

The Pantheon doesn't have steel reinforcement. Steel can be the weak spot. Also blah blah blah secret cement formula.

That's consistent with the dudes who had a call from his mom.

Who had the bright idea to use Elsa as a storm name? The crazy bitch who devastates the seaside village with out of control weather. Our only hope is if the mountainous assets of the greater Antilles (aka the trolls) help teacher her to control her magic.

Nytimes: “Though some of this damage is minor, most of the concrete deterioration needs to be repaired in a timely fashion,” the consultant, Frank Morabito, wrote about damage near the base of the structure as part of his October 2018 report on the 40-year-old building in Surfside, Fla. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/26/us/miami-building-collapse-investigation.html

Following keenly. I manage about 12 folks. We used to do WFH 1 day a week. Everybody just sort of took the day whenever. The expectation was to come in on the periodic (monthly or biweekly) all hands meeting day. Covid proved that 100% telecommute would be fine. Upper Management is discussing return to work. I expect the standard to be 3 days at home for most staff. I don't know how best to organize that. Should we try to nail 1 day down as everyone in the office? I guess to just hobnob, coffee runs, and lunch. In the future every meeting with 3 or more involves someone at home, then virtually all meetings are going to be virtual. And it seems dumb to go to the office to have virtual meetings.

Wife is looking at 3rd row SUVs. Am I crazy to nix the 3 Kias, based on reliability concerns? They've got rave reviews, but I just have this feeling that it will be the Pilot, Highlander, and maybe Ascent that are still chugging along years later.

I blame Jeter

The hidden scourge.. sinkhole.

That cell has been parked over Roybd Rock for the last hour plus. Off to go watch the South San Gabriel gauge jump...

Hopefully the Boquillos crossing will be open by then. Do a hike in the AM, do Boquillis for an early dinner.

I love the hiking. Not so much backpacking. I prefer to the South Rim in 1 day. Stay 2 nights at either the hotel or the campground. Hit the trail at sunrise (Laguna Meadows). Pack a day pack with water and snacks. Smugly say hello to the hikers with 44 pund packs as you pass them. Hit the peak, down the Pinnacles trail. Eat a big meal as the basin restaurant and have a couple of beers. Next day: do Window or Lost Mine.

Got a used crescent sup+ with a chair. Eager to get out there. Waiting to see what has decent flows for Saturday or Sunday.

Source tells me that age 8-12 vaccine will be approved and available in July.

Considering the vibe cubera. Basically a SUP you add a chair too. My thinking is that I can take a kid out for a short trip, and it would be good in skinny water. BKC has something similar, but less weight capacity. But I'll probably get whatever pops up on Craigslist or FB.

For the record I have way worse ideas than this! Okay, how about this idea (similar to @ButtFumble shared admin backend): we sign coaching contracts to the UT System, not UT-Austin. Then we shitcan a coach, we reassign at whatever satellite campus needs a new coach.