bumdom

"When I was very young and the urge to be someplace else was on me, I was assured by mature people that maturity would cure this itch. When years described me as mature, the remedy prescribed was middle age. In middle age I was assured that greater age would calm my fever and now that I am fifty-eight perhaps senility will do the job. Nothing has worked. Four hoarse blasts of a ship's whistle still raise the hair on my neck and set my feet to tapping. The sound of a jet, an engine warming up, even the clopping of shod hooves on pavement brings on the ancient shudder, the dry mouth and vacant eye, the hot palms and the churn of stomach high up under the rib cage. In other words, I don't improve; in further words, once a bum always a bum. . . . When the virus of restlessness begins to take possession of a wayward man, and the road away from Here seems broad and straight and sweet, the victim must first find in himself a good and sufficient reason for going. This to the practical bum is not difficult. He has a built-in garden of reasons to choose from."

--John Steinbeck, Travels With Charley in Search for America

Beer and Bob

I made an investment late last year. With some money that I received for my birthday, I invested in a beer making kit. I figured that since I spend enough money on okay tasting beer, when I really want the good tasting stuff, I ought to spend the initial money on a kit, and then "make" the good tasting stuff. So, the day before New Year's Eve, while Stacey was at work, I started brewing my first batch of an Irish Stout. After boiling grains and malts and hops for a full hour, our little apartment (actually, probably the entire complex) smelled like the Guinness factory we visited in Dublin. When Stacey came home, she didn't care for it as much. But I loved it. So, once all the boiling is done, I had to add the yeast, put a bubbler on it, then let it sit for two weeks around 65 degrees in a semi-dark room. After two weeks, I transplanted it into a secondary fermenter. (This is shown in the pictures). I know, it looks more lie coffee than beer, but it smells great. During the process, I tasted a little sample of it. At this stage, it has not reached its full flavor (won't for another month or more) and it is not carbonated. However, it tasted great. I can't wait to try it when it is finished. I have to stock up on beer bottles now (you can see my stash next to the fermenter in the last picture). After another week, I will be ready to bottle it. It should make about 48-53 12oz beers. Once they are bottled they need to sit for at least another week while they age into its ripe flavor. Yeah, pretty crazy process. I have a lot of friends up here that also brew , so I think that when our Christmas batches are done, we're gonna get together and try each other's recipes. (yeah, like a knitting circle without the needles). My dad also got a wine-making kit over Christmas, and my brother already brews beer. So, we're all looking forward to being able to trade our brews with each other.

In other news, as some of you may know, when Stacey and I got married (2 years, 11 months, and 25 days ago from today), my brother, Steve, bought me this giant Bob Dylan poster to decorate wherever we chose to live. Knowing, of course, that Bob is my favorite. Unfortunately, because I did not want the poster ruined, and framing is expensive, the poster has been rolled in a cardboard tube in my closet for almost three years. Until today. This past Christmas, Stacey surprised me by getting the poster framed. Today, I picked it up. These are the photos I took while hanging it on our living room wall. You can get an idea of its size by comparing it to our television (27'' I think) in the second picture. For a better reference, think of it like this: The poster is only 6 inches shorter than Stacey.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

This is another reason why I love the U.P. so much. Towards the end of September, beginning of October (yeah, this post is long overdue), my Dad and I took three days to hike the the Pictured Rocks trail. The trail goes from Grand Marais to Munising (around 45 miles). As you can probably see from the pictures, we were, at times, right on the Lake Superior beach, and other times we were peering over cliffs some 1,500 feet above Lake Superior.
We left early on a Friday morning. Lucky for us, Stacey was headed back to Grand Rapids and was able to drop us off in Grand Marais. We averaged 15 miles a day, and landed in Munising on Sunday. Again, Stacey was on her way home from Grand Rapids and was able to pick us up. Though we expected (hoped) to see quite the variety of wildlife (bear, dear, etc), it turned out to be more of a bird-watching tour than anything. A hawk, a pair of falcons, an owl, a blue heron, and a Bald Eagle. Finally, while filling up our water bottles from a creek one morning, we did notice an unexpected visitor spying on us. A Marten. For a while, I couldn't figure out what the heck it was, as it was the first I've seen in the woods. If you haven't seen one, it looks like a cross between a fox and a weasel. I actually thought it was a fox at first (it was about as large as one) but then I saw it tear up a tree across the creek from us and peek its head around to watch us.) From its tufted ears, square face, and long body, my dad knew it was a Marten. Pretty cool. Another odd thing we saw was this old (1930's perhaps) Plymouth car abandoned in the woods. We just walked around a bend and it was there.
At times, the lakeshore was so isolated and deserted that you could walk on the beach, look for miles, and see nothing but the large green expanse of Superior and the reddish rock of the coastline. It was unbelievable. In some more remote areas, on the beach, their were actually remnants of old shipwrecks that had been washed up.

So, as I am nearing the end of my degree, only one more semester, you can probably see why I am so concerned with location. Stacey and I both really hope to stay where we are. But, it depends on whether or not I can get accepted into Northern's M.F.A. program. Other schools I have been checking out are either in Oregon or Montana or Wyoming. I don't think I could go south. I love the North Country. For now, though, I am not hiking as much. Instead, I am working on my applications, and writing samples, a letters and all the other fun stuff that goes along with applying to college. Hopefully, by doing this, I can stay here for another few years and enjoy the northern portion of our beautiful state.

So, next hike on the agenda: Isle Royale. I graduate on May 3rd (or somewhere near there), and Kevin and Teague (some of my friends that will also be graduating) and my dad and I plan on taking a week to do it shortly after graduation. For those that didn't know Michigan had a National park, Isle Royale is a National Park in the middle of Lake Superior, accessible only by boat or sea plane, and native to Timber Wolves and Moose. Stacey is going to Europe around May 17, so we're planning on going around that time.

I'll keep you posted (though, as you probably know, it may not be very timely).

arts and crafts time

Grad school isn't all about reading, writing, and teaching. At least not for me. That is why the other day, during about the 2nd hour of reading some texts for my thesis, I began to lose focus. I had fixed myself a small snack and as I resumed my reading of Lee Siegel's incredible novel, "Love and Other Games of Chance," I couldn't help noticing the fruit flies surrounding my plate. I tried to ignore them, but I am only human. So, I fired up the computer (read: opened it), and typed into the google search engine the words: "how to trap fruit flies." This was the start of a forty-five minute distraction. After locating what I thought to be a reputable and distinguished site of fruit fly trapping, Arts and Crafts time began. With an old mason jar, a pungent concoction of old orange juice and bourbon (for the trap, not me), some masking tape, and an 8 1/2 X 11 sheet of paper, I started building. I thought of pre-school, the hard moments of listening through a "Clifford, the Big Red Dog," book that always ended with snack/craft time. And also a nap, which I'm sure I eventually took that day, too. I also thought of high school shop class, building birdhouses. Not much has changed. I built my fruit fly trap with as much vigor and excitement as I've ever had. Once complete, I set it on top of the stove (the site said that heat attracts them), and tried to resume reading. All was good, except that, unlike the regular outdoor fly traps on old porches, fruit fly traps do not buzz when a kill has been made. So, as I flipped each page in my book, I couldn't temper my curiosity. I had to get up and check. Thus, I did not get any effective reading done. However, if you look closely at the picture, you will see some floating fruit flies in the bourbon/O.J. concoction. Productive day? I think so.

Jason: 1
Fruit Flies: 0

P.S. After several days, Stacey was not as excited about the traps as I was. The smell was pungent, and they soon lost their aesthetic appeal. Especially when we had company over for dinner. They have been removed, reluctantly, and I am back to just reading. For now.

not completely gone, just busy.

(i'm in hiding).
Alright, It's jason. the owner of this blog. i understand if you do not recognize my voice. it has been a while since I've posted. but, i am still here. school officially started about 2 1/2 weeks ago for everybody else. for me, it started almost 5 weeks ago. 2 weeks before the official semester started, i had class for about 7 hours a day to prepare me to begin teaching.

so, now i am teaching.
The class I am teaching is not exactly like this (me teaching emily how to hit my drums), but there are certainly some similarities--short attention spans, lack of discussion, and lots of energy. However, I am really enjoying it. They are a good group of students, and I think that a handful of them are very talented writers. It has been a lot of fun and challenging trying to figure out how to present lesson plans in a way that is interesting and that actually teach something that will stick with the students. They have their first essay due in about a week, so I am eager to see where everybody is at. I have definitely grown sympathy for a lot of my own professors in the process. The amount of time it takes to prepare for one 1-hour class is way more than the time you actually spend in class. I spend a lot of time in my office researching different plans, reading essays, and planning discussions--and more than a little time bull-shitting with kevin and jef. My office area is great. The full-timers call it "TA row," cause it is where all the TA's are located. It is very helpful, though, because we often congregate and share some of the things that have been working/not working for us. As well as schedule our evening rendezvous, band practices, and weekend golf-outings. Plus, the entire department is right there and it is very helpful to be able to speak to one of your professors about an issue you are having in the class you are teaching. A lot of the full-time faculty are very willing to help a desperate TA.

So, in addition to teaching, I have actually gone fishing for the first time this summer. I can't believe it has taken me so long to get out there, but now that I got the taste for it, I may have trouble stopping. Over Labor Day weekend, Stacey and I spent some time in Hessel (other side of U.P.) with her parents. They had a boat so we scooted around lake Huron and we caught a good deal of perch. It was a perfect week. After leaving Hessel, stacey and i, wanting to waste a little time, found a driving range and hit a bunch of balls, stopped in sault sainte marie and played black jack for a while, then used our winnings to buy lunch at a little dive bar by lake superior, right next to the soo locks. Eventually we made it home (only to find that i had missed band practice). but, since then, we have made plans to go to a friend's property this saturday and to spend the entire day on the lake blue gill and perch fishing and sitting in the sun, and (maybe) drinking beer, and possibly camping. we are really looking forward to it. the whole plan sounds great.

In other news, stacey and i woke this morning to find water dripping from our dining room light fixture and onto our table. apparently a pipe had busted above our kitchen and pooled up in our ceiling until it found the hole by the light fixture to drip from. So, we have several holes in our ceiling that will not be fixed for a couple weeks, and tomorrow we have a plumber coming over to work on it. It sounds like they will be replacing the entire pipe. Since I am at work now, and get out at 8am (same time the plumber is arriving), i am considering bringing a sleeping bag over to my office to catch a few z's. we will see. well, the water issue is well photo-documented here if you are interested.

If you are looking for something to read, check out:
Lee Siegel's "Love, and Other Games of Chance"
Z.Z. Packer's "Drinking Coffee Elsewhere"
Tobias Wolff's "The Night in Question"

And if you are looking for some new tunes, maybe try...

Mono Men "Monomen LP"
The National "The Boxer"
Decemberists "Crane Wife"
The Shins "Wincing the Night Away"
M. Ward "Post-War"

Alright, so, sorry about the hiatus. no promises that it wont happen again. please direct all questions and concerns to the comment box...

jason

Running With the Bulls

Class is done, no more required writing, reading, etc. i am finally getting a chance to read and write the things i want to read and write. The reading includes Cormack McCarthy's "Blood Meridian" and Lee Siegel's "Love and Other Games of Chance." The last required reading i had to read was a re-read of Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises." I guess that is why i posted this picture of the guy getting gored through the leg during the most recent run. (If you haven't read "The Sun Also Rises," do so immediately). You don't have to be particularly into bull fighting, just sadness, alcohol and emasculation. Great, sad novel. I have also been thinking about this picture lately as everything in my life has slowed down temporarily. With my first break in classes since last august, it feels incredible to have some time on my hands. i've been watching movies and walking outside, playing my drums and reading and have even sat by the lake a few times. I have 12 more credits before i get my MA and then decide what to do from there and where to do it. About 3 weeks left before i get back into the footrace, when i start my training for teaching next fall. so now, i'm just relaxing. perhaps, gored a bit, but recovering. From all the forced writing exercises and from having someone always tell me what to read. recovering from all-night writing binges and neck-aches from trying to stay awake during four hour workshops after eight-hour midnight shifts at the hotel. so, nothing season ending. (alright, i've been watching a lot of baseball, too).

I'm not sure if the metaphor of running with the bulls works or not. it something that i've always wanted to do. though i may have to forget about this picture before i try.


in other news, today i swam in lake superior for about twenty minutes in cut-off jean shorts. it was very warm, but the walk home kinda sucked.

jason

my lookalikes

just because i wanted to post, but am too tired to write much, you can now scroll to the bottom of this page to view my celebrity lookalikes. very important stuff, here. and yes, john candy is one of them. did i ever mention someone told me i look just like ron jeremy? yup, glad he didn't show up on this one.

warning: if you don't know who ron jeremy is, i would advise NOT googling him.

its not fair. people say my brother looks like russell crowe, my dad looks like sam elliot, and me? I look like pope john paul I, and john candy. hmmm....

p.s. i used another photo of me and fidel castro and paul mccartney came up as the top 2. though, Kirsten Dunst also came up. i guess thats kinda cool.