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Back from the Wasteland

It is as I feared. My neighbors who so kindly allowed me to slip in unnoticed and occupy the shadows of their networks have moved on. I returned yesterday and as of yet, no new suitable AP has presented itself, even with my +14dBi spike. So my presence here will be limited for a time.

It’s good to be back. Clean air, clean water, good bread. This morning I rose early, pumped my tires, and jumped on my bike for a tour of the City. I’ve missed my bike the past three months (but not these hills).

No Place

Tomorrow I leave the Park. I’ll be heading north, arriving home in a few days. I imagine I’ll have to crack another AP when I get there, so I may not be online for a bit longer.

review, books

An Unexpected Light

Jason Elliot’s An Unexpected Light: Travels In Afghanistan is a beautifully written book, on par with The Places In Between. The author’s aimless wanderings in Afghanistan during the rise to power of the Taliban record the country and its people in an undeniably alluring way. He captures the daily life of Afghans throughout the country and, in his honest and provocative writing, the impact of decades of war.

Building My Immune System

A sample of my tap-water is off to the lab today, to see if The Feds have been poisoning me with copper and lead. I’ve had enough interaction with the guys at the water treatment plant here to guess that the answer is yes.

A couple weeks ago there was an incident with an RV-er dumping his poopy-water near one of our water intakes. A while before that, one of the sewage pipes was leaking into one of the clean water pipes above it.

Advice: don’t drink the water in National Parks.

review, books

My War

Colby Buzzel’s My War: Killing Time in Iraq falls into the category of books that I’m not sure what to say about – it leaves one stunned upon completion. Reminiscent of Jarhead, this book version of the author’s blog is a hard-hitting depiction of the war. There’s no coating or attempts to depict false senses of glory and honor and the rest of the recruiter’s material. The poor grammar serves to reinforce the raw vision. The highest praise I can give the book, I suppose, is that I burned through it in 8 hours.

Peppermint Tea

Peppermint tea is excellent for the digestion. I drink a cup after dinner most every night. It immediately does away with that ‘stuffed’ feeling in my stomach if I accidentally ate too much. The tea greets me with a pleasant smell every time I open the cupboard and is also great for dealing with stress.

Feed Your Headspace

Listen to vavmind.

0 1 2 . . .

Danger Close

Bow hunting season started yesterday in the Forest, so now on my patrols I have to watch out for wackos with bows who’ve (un)knowingly wandered into the Park. Hunting season also means an influx of bears and deer – they know the boundaries and that they’re save from hunters inside the Park.

I think the squirrels are also aware. On my hike today I was bombarded by falling Sequoia cones, cut down by the squirrels above. They seem to be targeting habitual bipeds of all sorts – taking no chances.