Softness

I suppose there really isn't any room for softness. I think Rob would prefer this sort of life.

--This Wandering Soul (earlier today)

The author underestimates my cunning ability to (a) be in tune with her sporadic posting frequency, and (b) to be completely and totally sappy at times. I reserve this latter quality for only special occasions to preserve it's sentimentality. However, when the situation arises I want to make it absolutely clear that Jen knows exactly how much I love her.

And for anyone counting, that measurement is taken in units of heartbeats and the period of measurement began the first time we kissed which can be represented mathematically as (5^4 - 10^2) days ago (following this event). Using the common estimate of 100,800Hb/day the current exact value of our love is 52.92MHb (this is read as Mega-Heartbeats). :)

Casual Drinking

Jen and I went to the package store and picked up a few options earlier in the week. We learned several things. Raspberry flavored Lambic looks like a red soda (think Mountain Dew: Code Red) but it tastes yummy and provides a mild buzz.

Also, try to avoid putting a bottle of white wine in the freezer to "chill" and then forgetting about it over-night. We left it on it's side, which probably didn't help matters. The next morning, I had found that the liquid froze, pressure popped the cork, and an ounce or two of slushy wine spilled onto the bottom of the freezer. Thawing the rest of the bottle in the fridge and then drinking it about eight hours later proved mostly successful (though we both agreed that the thawed wine wasn't quite as flavorful as wine that had never been frozen).

Games and Interaction

Last weekend I got together with people to play Apples to Apples and this weekend I got together with a different group to play Loaded Questions, Jenga, and a Charades game.

These games foster real interaction between people, and that makes them more fun. I wonder why they're not as popular as they used to be. I can't imagine too many people *truly* prefer television shows, movies, or books, though I suppose that there's a certain amount of shyness that comes with playing these types of party games. Since interacting with other people is a big requirement to winning, I guess it doesn't surprise me that activities such as video games where the pressure to win isn't as great. In the virtual world of video games, the player can always just spawn a new life and retry a certain tough goal. Needless to say, I think party games provide better stimulation compared to video games that provide isolation. After all, community is funner than being by yourself.

Good Saturday

I had an unusually good day yesterday. It was pretty amazing in spite of the fact that I didn't have any expectations for things to turn out amazing. Here's what we did.

Things started out casual with Jen, Yero, and I driving down to Purgatory Chasm State Reservation for an afternoon of hiking. At one point, Yero commented, "What's it say about our society that we'd drive 50 miles so that we can hike two miles?" My answer-without-really-answering response was that sometimes Jen and I like to head into Downtown Boston and walk around the Common and Jen pointed out that getting away from the hustle-and-bustle of urban life had it's own allure. None of this actually prepared us for the chasm, though. When we arrived, we were greeted by a sign advising us that Good Fitness was strongly recommended for people entering the chasm. When I saw a group of jagged rocks and boulders that led us into a 50 meter deep canyon I thought, "Holy cow, this is awesome." Climbing 3 or 4 meters at a time was required to get through the mile long granite valley. At one point we played witness to a group of teenagers climbing out of a 20 meter cave pathway that they had crawled through (Yero tried it and his stature was too big to fit through). All the landmarks are also "Devil" themed, was adds to the allure of the journey we took. At one point we saw a guy climbing up and down a 70 meter section of vertical rock with climbing rope and carabiners and the whole deal. However, when I go back I think I need to make a point to wear looser pants and to acquire a camera bag that can get strapped to my chest so I can have both hands free to jump around more. Also, extra camera batteries would be clutch because the camera we bought died mid-canyon so when we eventually post the photos they will only tell half the story.

The second part of the day was just as good. We drove to the Nashoba Valley Winery to meet Matt, Shu, and Ida for some light drinking. For $11 each we signed up for the tour and got a couple bonus tasting tickets for good measure. In total, I sampled 10 different homemade alcohols ranging from dry white wine to a homemade India Pale Ale to a super sweet Peach Brandy called "Silk". The shop where they sell their wares enticed me to pick up a couple of bottles of Vidal Blanc and a couple bottles of After Dinner Peach Wine. These four bottles will undoubtably play some roll in future amazing moments.

And for what it's worth, I give both of these destinations two thumbs up. Despite being about an hour from the heart of Boston, they are well worth the drive.

National Parks

According to episode two of National Parks: America's Best Idea entitled The Last Refuge, John Muir had stated:

Nothing can be done well at a speed of 40 miles per day, far more time should be taken. Walk away quietly in any direction and taste the freedom of the mountain air. Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy. Your cares will drop off like autumn leaves.

I like this.

Overall, Ken Burns' program National Parks: America's Best Idea tells an interesting story of the people involved in creating America's 50+ national parks. The partisan differences between the groups supporting and opposing the formation of the national parks is amazing. The terrorists who wanted to rape and pillage the pristine landscapes in the name of personal profit are in one corner while the preservationists in the other corner seemed to fight an uphill battle throughout their entire lives.

The winning battle cry of the preservationists is long term prosperity. The thought of future generations is one of the primary reasons for creating the land of the free in the first place (read Common Sense if you don't believe me), so it's reasonable to see why this argument would work to advance an unpopular agenda.

This brings up the current political environment concerning long discussions on the fight against terrorists, the fight for a better national health care policy, the fight for the control over broadcast medium (net neutrality, public wifi, et al), and the fight for control of space exploration. Whatever the case, we can only hope the primary concerns for any decisions that are made are for the rights of people who won't be born for another hundred years.

And concerning the choices to fill America with national parks during the last 150 years, I must say I am very pleased they decided to preserve the beauty of the nature because I am a BIG fan of the national parks.