The above pictures are some of the shots that Brad and I took during our spontaneous Sunday drive. From Waynesboro to Elkton, I was mesmerized. There's just something about my mountains (I guess I can share them with Brad and Rex, too) that just can't be beat. I love how small they make me feel, which reminds me of a travel quote that I recently found online: Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world. – Scott Cameron
I drove a car at 100 mph. I actually drove it at 108 mph on the hottest day of the summer.
On Saturday July 7th, 2012, I spent most of my day at Summit Point, WV watching my brother, John, and his best friend, Paul, better known as Skooly (because he went to college), ride their tricked-out sport bikes around a motorcycle track. If I loved these guys as much as I should, I would not bitch about attending their Track Days. I would be excited, even fascinated, for them. Needless to say, that's not the case, and it's pretty well-known that I'd rather stay home and watch my hair grow. The only thing that gets me to Track Days is the company. And my company on July 7th consisted of some pretty kick-ass people: John; my practically sister-in-law, Jessie; Skooly; Skooly's awesome girlfriend, Casey; and my Dad.
My dad and I had to leave WV at lunch time because I had to get back to Harrisonburg to waitress. I wasn't very excited about that, but there was a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. John, Jessie, Skooly, and Casey would be dining at Vito's in my section later that night, and I would get to drive my Dad's convertible 100 mph at some point on the way home.
When I first sat behind the wheel of his car, I got butterflies in my stomach. And when I spun the tires out making a left on a back-country West Virginia road, I got bigger butterflies. Not only would I be driving a car really fast, but it would go really fast really friggin' quickly. Luckily, I had a wing-man: my Dad, and he watched for the cops. Also, Skooly let me borrow his radar detector. Yay Skooly.
Before we left the race track, Skooly suggested we take it.
My dad said, "Dude, radar detectors are illegal in Virginia."
Without missing a beat, Skooly replied, "So is driving a car at 100 mph, you gonna argue with my logic?"
It was funny...but maybe less funny to someone who wasn't there.
Anyways, my dad and I were past Winchester, VA when he felt he had picked out a "decent enough" spot. With the radar detector on his lap and his Droid MPH app on the ready, Dad told me to gun it, and I gunned it. Pedal to the floor...and that's not a cliche. I actually put the pedal to the floor. My stomach was tied in happy knots. Think butterflies on steroids times 100, 100 mph even.
I had no idea where I was when it happened. I didn't think to look at a road sign or a mile marker.
I just kept asking Dad, "Did I do it? Did I do it? Did I do it? Did I go 100mph?"
He never answered my question, he just showed me the picture below.
I couldn’t fall asleep last night.
I made the mistake of drinking a cup of coffee and taking a vitamin with
caffeine in it like two hours before bed.
Needless to say, I was wired until approximately 2:30AM. Brad was sound asleep, and that made me very jealous.
While I listened to Brad's very soft and kind of delicate snoring symphony, I made a mental list of non-bucket list things
I’ve done and realized that if I die tomorrow, I've experienced a lot during this life, which may or may not be all there is for me.
Either way, here goes nothing...the 10 most pivotal non-bucket list moments in my life. These things shaped who I am today:
1. Rescued
a dog;
2. Delivered a eulogy;
3. Been
acknowledged in the acknowledgements section of a
published book;
4. Witnessed a blizzard in the desert while traveling cross-country on a train;
5. Been someone’s pen pal;
6. Saw a bear in its natural habitat, including a momma bear and her cubs;
7. Gave money to a homeless person (have done this more times
than I
can count);
8. Graduated from college;
9. Been a caretaker for my mom, who had breast cancer;
10. And watched a sunset on a mountaintop.
And some honorable mentions. These things didn't really shape me, but I think they're pretty cool:
Ordered room service at a Hilton with Brad at age 17;
Supposedly saved someone's life when I was in the 5th grade;
Witnessed a police chase;
Snorkeled a shipwreck in the Bermuda Triangle;
Caught a wave;
And experienced a severe thunderstorm in a tent in the middle of nowhere.
For those of you who don't know, The Poops was found tied to a balcony at a Best Western hotel in Charlotte, NC. He had rope around his neck, belly, and paws and was less than six weeks old.
But never have I ever...broken a bone, hitch-hiked, or caught a fly ball at a baseball game.
I tried this before, and it didn't work. And if at first you don't succeed...you know the rest so I won't even bother. This is a new segment called Road Tunes Tuesday. Each Tuesday, I'll post three songs that make me want to get-up-and go or that just make me think.
Today's genre: Bluegrassy/Folksy/Whatever
1) "Listen" by Dave Eakin and Steven Hoke, and since I can't find a video on YouTube, here are the lyrics:
Turn your ear to the wind and just listen
To the sound the breeze is blowing through
Far off somewhere in the distance
There’s something calling out to you
I’ve stood breathless on a mountain top just looking
At the sights that turned my gaze into a stare
Felt a kind of power rushing through me
Like none I’d ever known could compare
Some men never take the time to listen
Some listen but they never really hear
They’re distracted by life rushing all around them
And their hearts are filled with jealousy and fear
Some find comfort in a crowd for there’s no danger
No chance that anyone will get too near
But the good-time friends soon turn to total strangers
When the lights fade and the smiles all disappear
Maybe I'm PMSing (not likely) or maybe I'm pregnant (very not likely) or maybe this is just a damn good song (most likely), but this one made me cry. It's definitely worth the DL if you like contemporary bluegrass.
2) "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift. I'm not usually into her stuff, but this one is a true gem and quite appropriate for both The Hunger Games and a Locked Up Abroad soundtrack, if the show ever decided to have one, that is. There's the travel reference. I know you were waiting for it. Also, when I got my tonsils out in January 2012, I'd listen to it over and over again while waiting for my 2:00AM dose of pain meds. Thinking about Katniss fighting in the arena made me feel much less depressed about my own situation.
3) "Rise" by Eddie Vedder from the soundtrack of my most favorite movie ever: Into the Wild. It's a book, too, but you should already know that from previous posts. I find the similarities between Brad and movie-version Alexander Supertramp to be absolutely uncanny. Saw the movie for the first time when Brad was deployed...talk about water works. What can I say? I was fragile, like a lily. Unlike today, I have no excuse for my previously mentioned tears. None at all.
And that's a wrap. Whew, came in just under the wire...11:59PM.
As I drove home in 90mph winds on Friday night in a storm I now know is called a "derecho" not a "tornado," I thought about my bucket list. For more reasons than one, too. First, I thought about it because I was driving in, well, 90 mph winds. Second, because I wanted to cross something off: drive a car at 100mph. Unfortunately, I am not stupid enough to drive 100mph in 90mph winds. I wish I was, though. I really wish I was.
Some of you know the story behind my bucket list and others don't. In a six-month time frame my uncle was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer, my non-husband deployed to Afghanistan, my mom was diagnosed with a very rare form of breast cancer, and a good friend of mine hung herself in her garage. And how did I respond to such tragedy? By creating a bucket list, which lists 101 things I want to do before I die from: making a kite and flying it in Big Meadows to swimming with sharks, from solving a Rubik's Cube to SCUBA diving in the Great Barrier Reef.
Get a tattoo, dance on a bar, skinny-dip, read 100 self-designated bucket list books, go on an overnight train ride, be in two places at once, jet ski, water ski, snowboard, you name it...it's probably on my list, which you can find by clicking "Aim's Bucket List" on the right side of your screen.
From silly to dangerous to just plain stupid, these are things I think
would be cool to talk and write about when I'm old and can't do much
besides golf and bake pies.
Hopefully, my list will inspire you to make your own list. If not, maybe Jack Nicholson or Morgan Freeman will. The Bucket List is definitely worth two hours of your time.
Yesterday, Brad, Rex, and me hiked 5.8 miles in the south district of Shenandoah National Park, our destination: Doyle's River Falls and Jones Run.
As we pulled up to the trail parking lot, a woman emerged from the woods clutching her arm to her chest. Within seconds, two park rangers pulled up to the parking lot and stepped out of their marked suburban. The woman's paced quickened as she made her way to the men. And as we normally do, Brad and I parked the car, put on our packs, got Rex ready, and made our way to the trailhead. My stomach sank, though, because I saw one of the rangers walk down an opposite trail, gloves on, with a pack on his back. It was red, with the white medical cross.
When we arrived at the trailhead, two fellow hikers alerted Brad and me that we would be walking through high grass the entire way. My stomach sank further. Brad worried about the ticks, but not me. I can handle ticks. I can't, however, handle snakes. No matter the width or the length.
We only descended the narrow trail 20 yards when Brad said there were horses up ahead. Instead of dragging Rex past the horses, we decided to hike back up to the trailhead and wait it out. That waiting gave me time to re-think the hike, and I told Brad that. He had some choice words (not appropriate for this blog) about my hesitance. I grabbed myself by the ovaries, though, and as soon as the horses rode past, we made our way back to the trail. And this time, we didn't turn back.
Even when Brad realized that he didn't take his Zyrtec-D. Lucky for him, we had Benedryl in the medical kit. Unlucky for him, he had to ditch his contacts approximately .5 mile into the hike. And this development would make for some very tense moments toward the end of our fun but yet again eventful journey. A journey filled with ticks and snakes and bears, oh my!
Now here's Brad conducting one of his several tick checks of the day. How he thought he'd be able to see one I don't know. He's special.
All three falls we hiked to yesterday were absolutely stunning.
At one point, I just looked up to the sky in awe of my surroundings.
I always feel so small in those woods, like such a small part of this big, beautiful world, and that feeling is what I long for during the hustle and bustle of the busy, mundane work week.
Arrive at work at 8:00AM and start editing
Edit through breakfast at 9:30AM: Choboni and oats
Edit until 1:00PM when I heat up my Lean Cuisine
Keep editing until I get off for the day.
Nothing is ever that predictable in the mountains, including what wildlife you'll see. Like this guy...
Who didn't freak me out as much because I remembered what I read about fear in Ben Sherwood's The Survivor's Club, which I give a two thumbs up to. Need I add, I spotted Mr. Snake after Brad and Rex had already walked over him.
It wasn't copperhead or a timber rattler, so I kept my fear under control. I couldn't keep my fear under control, though, when Brad stopped and asked me if the black mass about 10 yards away twas a bear. He couldn't see well enough to tell.
"Yes, babe. It's a bear. And it's a cub." Rex postured, and all I could imagine is the three of us getting mauled by momma, who we couldn't see at the moment. Mauled by momma is not how I want to go, but I do have hope that I could possibly survive a mauling thanks to my book of choice of the moment. If I would be mauled, I just need to have faith in Mother Nature, fight back, be really damn lucky, stay calm, and have the will to survive. Plus lots of other stuff.
Brad had to drag Rex past the cub who scampered away. We scampered away, too, and luckily, we didn't run into Momma Bear. Regardless, I took lead with Rex in order to hopefully prevent anymore close encounters with the four-legged 300 pound kind.
Even my corrective 20/20 vision couldn't prevent that, though. Another friggin' bear, and this one was flat-out huge but 100 yards away. And that made things slightly less scary. He did walk toward us a few times in order to get a better look, though.
Brad and I froze for only a second before acting. Remembering a show on NatGeo, Brad started talking to the bear. "Bear, bear, bear!" he yelled calmly, "Go away, bear! Leave the trail, bear."
As Brad continued yelling, I clapped like an idiot. I didn't have any sticks to bang together. I feel like I had learned that in girl scouts at some point or maybe on TV. A cartoon possibly? I don't know. Anyways, this bear, like the cub we saw before scampered away.
And we ended the hike safe-and-sound and tick free thanks in part to what we learned from Brad Paisley.
Last year, on May 17th, 2011, my uncle Jack lost his battle to Stage IV lung cancer. And ever since his passing, my family has seen many, many rainbows, including a beautiful double rainbow just two days after his death. I'm still anxiously awaiting a nature rainbow. But maybe he's waiting until my Appalachian Trail adventure.
It is said that the Incas believed that rainbows were a gift from the Sun God, but the Callenders/Cloptons/Brasseurs/AndOurPeople believe that they are a gift from someone else--Jack King Callender, Jr., a beloved husband, father, son, brother, uncle, friend, coach, mentor, and so on and so forth.
Our rainbow connection has helped my family through this first year without him, but no amount of rainbows or mint-chocolate chip milkshakes will ever fill that void.
Rest in Peace, dude. I love you and miss your mint-chocolate chip milkshakes as as well your wisdom. After all, it was you who suggested that Brad and me hike the Appalachian Trail ME-GA, so we're always going downhill.
From Saturday, April 30th to Sunday, May 1st, Brad and I ventured off with Rex on our first backpacking trip--14.7 miles in the south district of Shenandoah National Park. Here are 10 things we learned (in no particular order):
1. Rex does not like headlamps.
2. Rex does not like tents, but he likes them more than he likes headlamps.
3. Rex really does not like to be tied to a tree.
4. The earlier we start, the better. It was getting dark by the time we made camp. No bueno.
5. Brad's outdoor culinary abilities are way above par. Best out-of-the-bag mashed potatoes I've ever had!
6. Brad cannot throw a bear bag as well as he can throw, say, a baseball or a football.
7. Rex likes Ramen.
8. I like Ramen.
9. You can eat oatmeal out of the pouch...rip it open, pour in some hot water, mush it around.
10. Severe thunderstorms are best experienced in the middle of nowhere late at night.
#10 may sound sarcastic, but it's not. Scout's honor. That thunderstorm was probably one of the coolest things I have ever experienced in the great outdoors, in part because it sounded just like a nature CD. Epic, right? Picture it: Brad and I fall asleep talking about thunderstorms, our favorite. A couple of hours later a loud noise awakens us and soon after a burst of lightning briefly illuminates our tent. Falling down in torrents, rain starts pelting the rain-fly, but the three of us (Brad, Rex, and me) stay perfectly dry (and warm) despite the weather's severity and the chilly temperatures. Every minute or so, we hear cracks of lightning interspersed by rolls of thunder, the noise seeming to resonate even more than usual because of our position deep down in the holler. All the while the biggest run in Shenandoah National Park flows just 20 yards away from our campsite. Think babbling brook on steroids.
This will probably surprise many, but I didn't even have to pee in the middle of the night. I purposefully cut off my water supply at 7:00PM-ish. I have no idea what time it really was because I may or may not have lost the watch at some point during the day's journey. Whoops.
