Free Time! What am I doing?

It's been a while since I've posted. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have enough time to post. It's just that I've been so busy writing for other blogs that I've neglected my tried and true--Off the Rails.

I was walking down to the pool with Brad yesterday, and I said, "I think I'm going to retire Off the Rails." His reaction surprised me.

"But WHY?" He seemed genuinely concerned.

"It's just that I'm so busy writing for other people..."

"But Off the Rails is your place to write about your personal adventures..."

Brad was right. I can't abandon this blog. It's the 21st century version of a journal. It's a constant reminder that I live my life to its fullest.

So what have I been up to?

Well...I GRADUATED...hallelujah

Horseback Riding

The day after graduation, I went horseback riding with Jessie-formerly-Kreuger-now-Lohmann, my mom, and my sister. We arrived at the stables and were greeted by a wonderful group of people, including a song-bird cowboy and a former-Montana-ranch-hand-TEENAGER. I blogged about the experience for Kline May Realty. Yes, I get paid to blog. You can read more about the adventure here. 

Kayaking

Brad and I went for a 12-mile paddling trip on the Shenandoah River. It was Brad's first time paddling, and it took him a while to get used to it. His kayak trajectory reminded me of a drunk person stumbling around. He couldn't keep the boat straight...whatsoever...for the first three miles. I thought I FINALLY found something he wasn't good at, but, alas, he perfected his form by the end of the trip. Damn. 

The day we paddled, it was cool May Sunday, and we welcomed the clouds and their relief from the heat. The highlight of the trip? Nope, not the riverside picnic, but a new Brad-ism. Every time we encountered a rapid (however very small it may have been) Brad exclaimed, "Let's tackle these rapids!!!" We did manage to be only a few of the people who didn't capsize in a strong Class II rapid. Strong for Class II, not that Class II is too strong. I blogged about the experience for Kline May Realty. Yes, I got paid to write this blog too. You can read more about the adventure here. 

Hiking 

Since graduation, Brad and I have gone on three hiking adventures:

1) Big Run Loop in the south district. It's a 5-mile loop through the wilderness. The best views are at the beginning and the end of the hike, and the last time we hiked this trail, Brad pissed off Momma Bear. Luckily, no Momma Bear on this hike. Only Poo Bear. 

Cute, ain't he?

2) Stony Man and Little Stony Man in the central district was the second hike we've done since I graduated. It's a very touristy hike to beautiful views. Less than 4 miles total walking for two hikes. I blogged about it for a new website that I'm helping get up and running, Shenandoah Valley Events. You can read more about the adventure here. P.S. You can tell how windy it was by my out-of-control hair. Talk about adrenaline rush sitting on that rock... 

Photo credit Brad Roberts for the picture. Wasn't going to say anything, but he's sitting next to me right now and yelled, "I TOOK THAT PICTURE." 

But I took the other two.

and most recently, 3) We hiked South River Falls in the central district. We hiked this trail yesterday in the 90-degree-ish heat. I was panting heavier than Rex at the end, and that's all I'm going to say about that. Oh, and I drove home with barefeet in a sports bra and shorts...and Brad was shirtless. Total redneck move, but we were THAT sweaty. I think we're officially Rockingham County residents now...

Rex also went swimming for the first time. He's not the biggest swimming fan despite his webbed feet. He gave Brad the cold shoulder for a good twenty minutes after he got out of the water. 

A Wedding Weekend

John and Jessie Lohmann, my brother-from-another-mother and now sister-in-law-by-another-mister-in-law, tied the knot last weekend. TALK ABOUT A FRIGGIN PARTY!!!

A river-side venue, rustic decorations, a hay-bale sectional with cloth AND pillows, two bonfires, one stacked with wood over 10 feet tall, dancing til 1AM, and the best company ever made this the wedding of the century. Yes, I realize I'm not married yet. Still...it was the wedding of the century. 

The night before the wedding, the groom, the best man, the best man's best girl, Brad, and I dined on a late-night feast of mac and cheese and weiners. It made me feel like a kid again except, I enjoyed this meal with coffee laced with chocolate vodka. Umm...yum?!

The day of the wedding, a group of us set-up for the festivities (bride and her bridesmaids excluded), making sure the table cloths were perfectly knotted, the baby's breath tied beautifully with lavender ribbon to the "alter" chairs, and that the birch tree/purple mason jar lanterns/baby's breath centerpieces looked just right. Check out the sneak peek on the DBE Photography Facebook page for an idea of the venue and the awesome people in attendance. 

The ceremony was beautiful and so personal. Jessie's cousin officiated, and humor was interspersed throughout the non-traditional vows. I laughed out loud and even teared up...a little...I guess. Fine. I teared up.

The dancing after the ceremony and awesome meal was straight awesome. I just watched a video of John and I dancing to Macklemore, video was recorded by Dan Emmerman, my like-a-father-but-not, who is owner of DBE Photography, at around 1 am. I need dance lessons...desperately. I really, really need dance lessons. 

While the dancing crowd danced, Brad and I hung with the bonfire crowd, cuddled up by one of the two bonfires that burned that night, and when the party ended, we camped out on the river. We camped out on the river the next night too...waking up to foggy river sunrises in the morning and the company of some of the people we cherish most in this world. 

Here is a pic of us from the wedding. Photo credit goes to the lovely and friggin' awesome Mary Dunkleburger. 

Cabela's

On our way home from the wedding, Brad and I checked out Cabela's. It was our first time there. One of my co-workers at Kline May Realty said, "It's the Disney world of Outdoors Stores." He's so right. It made me sad to see the stuffed animals, though, but that added to the Cabela's experience, I suppose.

Miscellaneous

Redbox movies, ice cream sandwiches, deck-chilling, barbecuing. Date nights, crafting, and more is what I've done since graduation. And I'm lovin' it. 

What's crazy is I have fun during the work-week too. It's like life is my playground, and I'm realizing that the hard work really did pay off. I do miss all of my friends who moved away though. 

A Different Kind of Woman

You baked your spice cake from scratch.

I add water and a can of pumpkin to a box mix. 

You vacuumed your floors everyday. 

I don’t.   

You wore department store dresses and high-heels.

I wear flowing skirts and flip-flops.  

My up-do much messier than yours,

Yet we can both appreciate

Drinking a hot cup of coffee on a porch swing

Watching the big trucks go by. 

Or so I’ve heard. 

The Macklemore and Ryan Lewis Adventure

We camped out for tickets...

Screen shot of Lisa's Facebook status about our campout! To make bigger, click photo.

WRTC grad students in a sea of 2,000 or so undergrads. It was our last night to be "irresponsible college students." We kept reminding ourselves of that...at 9PM, at 1AM, at 1:07AM, at 1:11AM, at 7:30AM. At first, it was a rush. It didn't matter that the gas heater burnt a hole in the tent because we had a gas heater to keep us warm. It didn't matter that it was 20 degrees outside either. All I have to say is thank god for hot hands.

For the majority of the night, we cared most about our time together, the awesome nachos with the fresh jalapenos, and Zoolander in a warm auditorium. But after the movie, our crankiness meter escalated with the cold. Bright side? We had a tent and had shelter from the snow. Others weren't so lucky.

You couldn't sleep. Tent was too cramped. Neighbors were too loud.  But after 14 hours of "waiting in line," we made it. In the University Business Office, I took off my gloves and held my Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ticket in between my fingers, the only 10 extremities I could still feel. Other 10? Not so much.

Work was busy. School was busy. Life was just busy. Isn't it always?

April 8th came, and I didn't want to go to the concert. I had a blog post due the next day. I was up for work early that morning, hadn't slept good the night before. Lots of excuses. I just wasn't feeling it. I wasn't feeling it through the opening act either until the guy said, "I'm not a rapper, I'm an English architect." I got chills.

Never have I ever thought about rap or poetry in that sense before. I was mesmerized and started paying more attention to the man's lyrics. Then, it came time. Opening act finished, and he introduced Macklemore as an artist who is bringing content back to rap. I firmly believe that statement, and if you don't believe me just read this blog post. It's by a fellow WRTC grad student, and it's received over 1,000 hits on the Graduate Student Association blog that I edit.

A few songs in, when Macklemore wore a concert go-ers beaver fur coat for "Thrift Shop," I kicked my lame self in the ass for even doubting my plans for the night. This song, that I literally CRANK-UP every time it comes on the radio was the reason why I waited 14-hours in the cold for a ticket.

But that song was just the beginning.

I witnessed history that night Macklemore and Ryan Lewis took the stage. Macklemore's introduction to "Same Love" brought tears to my eyes. I weeped at that man's concert because I am so proud of the generation that I'm a part of. Some say we don't have manners, that we're the "trophy generation." I see it on Facebook all the time: Everyone gets a gold star doesn't set you apart...just a bunch of spoiled college kids addicted to their iPhones and their computers. Nobody gets outside.

Quite frankly, I think it's a bunch of crap.

We're not changing the world, but we are making change. Walk to JMU or EMU's campus and 9 students out of 10 will be able to tell you a cause that they actively support: Animal rights, acclimating local refugees to the area, mountaintop removal mining, mentoring underprivileged children, marriage equality...

Marriage equality. That's the cause that united thousands of us the evening of Macklemore's concert. "Same Love" was next in the set-list, and Macklemore said I want everyone to raise one finger in the air who believes that it's all the same love whether you're a woman who loves a man, a man who loves a woman, a man who loves a man, or a woman who loves a woman. The crowd roared. Cliche acknowledged, I could barely hear myself think.

In unison, every member of that sold out concert raised that one finger in the air to symbolize that love is love, there is only one love and it's the same love. I've always loved JMU, but I never felt that JMU Pride that everybody talks about until Macklemore asked us to take a stand in this civil rights movement. Everyone literally stood up to listen to this...poetry.

"Can't Hold Us" came on before or after that song.

I can't remember. The night is an adrenaline-pumped blur, but I do remember feeling that neither the floor nor the ceiling could hold us. Everyone was jumping in the air. The convocation center had this insane energy that just permeated through your bones and into your heart. I'll never forget that moment. I felt pure joy.  

As I start a new adventure in my life, I have this renewed enthusiasm about my generation and what my generation can offer to the "real world" that we're about to enter.

Now I know why I waited 14 hours for a ticket. Macklemore isn't just a rapper. He's an artist who uses the English language to motivate and create social change. He's a role model for me, and I respect and support the direction he's headed. I hope that some day the words that I write can create that same magnitude of change.

E-day

What's Going On?

What's the Problem?

Environmentalists want to end mountaintop removal mining (mtr), a form of surface mining that blasts off the tops of mountains to access the seams of coal within. Below is a video of an mtr blast.

Mountaintop removal mining has leveled an area the size of Delaware.

Mtr miners and their supporters want to keep mining despite the affects it has on the land and the health of people who work and live near mtr sites.

End mountaintop removal mining and surface miners are out of jobs and must find a new way to support themselves and their family. Continue mountaintop removal mining and mothers give birth to children with genetic defects. Cancer rates continue to increase, and families lose their homes to rock-slides and flooding.

 

What's the Solution?

There is no perfect solution to solving the mountaintop removal mining problem. There will never be a winner in this fight, but a "better" solution is education.

This brief video explains how I learned about mountaintop removal mining and the Keeper of the Mountains foundation as well as how education will affect future awareness about mtr.

Education got me involved in the mountaintop removal mining advocacy movement. I learned about mtr because of a Legal Writing research paper, and now I am using the media skills I have learned in Writing for Nonprofits to create awareness for this cause.

 

Who does this affect?

 

Mining for coal is a cultural paradigm in Appalachia, and it's damn near impossible to change a culture. Just ask Elise Keaton, the new fundraising director for the Keeper of the Mountains foundation. Keeper of the Mountains is a non-profit that aims to protect the Appalachian mountains and the people of Appalachia through education and environmental activism.

Elise, a native West Virginian, was put in her position by the original Keeper, Larry Gibson. Gibson passed away in September 2012 of a heart attack at his home, Kayford Mountain. Gibson was shot at, arrested on multiple occasions, and ostracized in his community because of Kayford, but he believed in this fight. The land he lived on is worth a large sum of money to the coal industry, but Larry didn't want to lose his beloved Kayford Mountain to mtr.

Gibson recruited Elise to the anti-mtr cause because he saw a spark in her. This fiery blonde with a West Virginia draw understands the coal culture: “I’m a Constitution carryin’ union worker’s daughter. I believe in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness just like the rest of ‘em," Elise said these words to me as we walked across a ridge that exposed a moonscape that was once a mountaintop. “I have nothin’ but respect for people that work to support their family, but when your rights infringe on mine, that’s when we have a problem.”

In this audio story, Elise Keaton, the fundraising director for the Keeper of the Mountains foundation discusses what motivates her to keep fighting for this cause.

 

The rights that Elise is talking about are one's right to clean water and right to clean air. Many Appalachians are drinking traces of selenium and even arsenic when they get a shower or pour themselves a glass of tap water. They're breathing in mercury and other carcinogens when they walk out for the mail or drive to the store with their windows down. Exposure to these pollutants causes astronomical medical bills and the lowest life expectancy rates in the country.

 

Why is this important?

 

The friends of mtr don't want to hear that the companies that sign their paychecks are also signing their death warrants. People, especially those of my generation, are processing the consequences of mountaintop removal mining, though. "The young people get it, Aimee" Elise sighed heavily, "They understand why this is important." Elise and I had this conversation as we studied a reclamation site. I use the term reclamation loosely. What the coal company calls reclaimed, I call a half-assed attempt at re-birth. The former active mining site looked more like a Christmas tree farm in July than a future habitat for animals. Besides the wind, the land was silent. "How many birds do you hear, Aimee?" "None," I replied. The silence broke my heart. I'm a hiker and spend my weekends in Shenandoah National Park. I see bears forage for berries, deer frolic in meadows, and birds chirp in lush green trees. This place was different. Since I got off the interstate earlier that day, this place reminded me of death, and I witnessed the wounds that caused that death: the razed mountains and the dirty water, plus the sad town that surrounded it all.

This slideshow has pictures and several statistics outlining the various consequences of mountaintop removal mining, including destruction of land, presence of chemicals in groundwater, and high poverty rates.

 

When will there be a solution?

 

Mountaintop removal mining is a wicked problem. Poverty is a wicked problem and so is cancer. War is a wicked problem too. Wicked problems are problems that don't go away. "Solutions to wicked problems are not right or wrong. They are simple 'better,' 'worse,' 'good enough,' or 'not good enough,'" Jeff Conklin, a non-profit scholar stated this in his article "Wicked Problems & Social Complexity."

Education is a "better" solution when it comes to mountaintop removal mining. The Keepers family realizes that everyone can't visit Appalachia, so they brought their message to the road, traveling across the country to educate our nation’s college-aged youth about this form of mining. Connecticut, Kentucky, and North Carolina are just some of the states that Keepers speakers have visited as a part of their On the Road Again program.

At On the Road Again speeches, representatives for Keepers tell personal stories to educate listeners about how coal affects the mountains, streams, ecology, health, and heritage of the area. The speakers hope that their stories inspire listeners to take action: action like sharing statuses about mountaintop removal mining on Facebook, unplugging a laptop charger from the wall when the computer has a full charge, and e-mailing politicians.

I attended an On the Road Again speech at JMU in January 2013. If interested, please read my blog post about the experience. The On the Road Again speech, as Keepers hoped it would, drove me to action: I've shared mtr-related Facebook statuses, I now unplug my laptop charger from the wall when my computer has a full charge, and I've e-mailed my congressperson and President Obama. I also joined a photo-petition organized by an environmental legal non-profit called Earth Justice.

 

When I started researching mountaintop removal mining, the first thing I discovered was this photo-petition. After reading about the topic, I submitted my photo and story.

 

This petition was innovative. Instead of signing at the bottom of a long list of names, I uploaded a picture and a short description on why I support the mountains, and I was 1 of over 13,000 people who signed the mountain heroes photo-petition. Other famous mountain heroes include Woody Harrelson, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Larry Gibson. The personal and educational stories that encourage mountaintop removal mining awareness take many forms:

This Prezi outlines the various ways that media is being used to create awareness for mountaintop removal mining.

 

What's Next?

 

E-day—it’s upon us, and the "e" is for education. Mountaintop removal mining may be a wicked problem, but if enough people become educated on the issue—through word-of-mouth or social media—these educated citizens will vote for politicians who believe in a sustainable future, a sustainable future that also helps any displaced surface miners transition to a new, healthier career.

Those who want to see an end to mtr aren't arming our listeners with weapons, we’re arming them with knowledge. Education is power. Our arsenal includes personal narrative, supported by peer-reviewed studies, disseminated through the internet. Our strategy for a better solution? The pen is mightier than the sword, and so are viral videos, photography, and protest music. Thanks to what I've learned in the Writing, Rhetoric and Technical communication graduate program as well as Writing for Nonprofits, I understand how I can help Elise and the rest of the Keepers family create a bigger audience.

Click here if you want to help the Keeper of the Mountains foundation. If you like this post, please share it with others in the media channel(s) you wish: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, your own blog, whatever really. Keep resisting, friends.  Sources

• In-person Interview with Elise Keaton, fundraising director for the Keeper of the Mountains foundation
• "Wicked Problems & Social Complexity" by Jeff Conklin

Conversations on the Trail

I had too much homework to go hiking this weekend, so I'm hiking vicariously through this blog post. Brad and I hiked Sugarloaf Keyser Run Trail last Sunday. It's a Take 2 on this trail because last time we tried to hike it, we couldn't charm the very grumpy rattlesnake that blocked our path.

This time on Sugarloaf/Keyser Road, we didn't run into any wildlife, but we did have some pretty wild conversations on our little 5-mile trek.

Conversation 1

Context...we saw bear poop on the trail and started talking about bears.

Aim: "Brad, how do bears know when it's been a particularly long winter?"
Brad: "They just know."
Aim: "But wouldn't they have to, like, wake up and see that it's nice out?"
Brad: "No, they just know."
Aim: "No...they gotta wake up, have a pow-wow or something."
Brad: "Yeah, OK, they go to a bar and talk about the weather."
Aim: "Maybe they DO have a bar!!!!"
Brad: "And it's stocked full of mountain water and trout."
Aim: "Minus the trout, sounds like a good bar. What do they call it?"
Brad. "A beary good bar."

Conversation 2

Context...I wondered what Rex's accent would be like after a friend of mine said Rex looked regal.

Aim: "Emily said The Poops was regal."
Brad: "I'm a stupid infantryman who doesn't know what regal means."
Aim: "A stupid infantryman but you answer all the questions right on Jeopardy? It means royalty."
Brad: "Why couldn't you just say that?"
Aim: "Shut up, Brad. What kind of accent would The Poops have if he could talk?"
Brad: "He's from the 7-0-4, he'd be hood."
Aim: "No he doesn't have a hood walk. He walks all proper and shit because he's regal, so maybe he sounds British?"
Brad: "No, he sounds hood."
Aim: "I bet he has a Southern accent. Do you think The Poops has a Southern accent?"
Brad: "Watch out, SNAKE!"
Aim: *SCREAMS* "I hate you. That's a stick."

And some fun pictures from the day:

Rose River Falls and Dark Hallow Falls

Last week, Brad and I ventured into Shenandoah National Park sans Poopy McPoopington. :( He's our buddy, so we miss him when he can't join us.

You see, our dear sweet slightly stupid dog decided on Friday that his bed looked delicious, and while I was at work, he dined on one of his favorite delicacy's: stuffing. No, not the Thanksgiving kind. The rip open a kid's Teddy Bear kind. Don't ask why. He's Rex. It's the reason for/answer to any weird thing that he does.

Anyways, 15 puking episodes and an emergency x-ray later, we discovered that exploratory surgery was not in Rex's future, and he was on the mend. Because of dehydration, though, we had to leave Rex at home while we hiked without him. The look he gave us when he realized the backpacks were out, and he wasn't going with us broke my heart.

Side note: new bed has no stuffing, so we knew that wouldn't be an issue when we left him.

Shenandoah National Park is and has always been our happy place, but it's just more fun when we can share it with Rex.

Our destination for the day? A 5-mile waterfall hike. Rose River Falls with a side-trip to Dark Hallow Falls is an old favorite. The hike is not strenuous. There's an abundance of wildlife: On one trip we saw 6 different black bears. The views are stunning, and there's some history along the way--an abandoned copper mine.

The recent snow has been favorable to the rushing streams and flowing waterfalls of Shenandoah National Park, but the water was damn cold. This meant that we rock/log-hopped across creeks and rivers with extreme caution, and for the first time ever, I managed to not fall in. *pats self on back*

Falling into knee-deep snow, though, was a whole other story. For the first time in two years, we had to break out the microspikes, which is a device you attach to your shoe for traction in ice and snow. 

Overall, a great day...a great hike, but we missed our favorite four-legged hiking buddy who was very, very happy to see us when we returned home.

Life Soundtrack

Almost every time I watch Grey's or some other equally awesome ABC drama (Nashville, Revenge, etc.), I make a mental note of what my life soundtrack would be.

Say some crazy director decided my life was so exciting that it just had to be made into a summer blockbust starring a couple of B-rate actors. Well, maybe a couple of RomCom champs would volunteer to portray my non-husband and me. It is my fantasy after all.

Ryan Gosling would OBVIOUSLY want to be Brad. Who wouldn't want to be Brad? Just ask Brad. ;)

Me? I vote Rachel McAdams. It'd be like The Notebook 2.0.

So let's play with this hypothetical...

Free-spirited college student who is a caretaker for her sick mom while her significant other is deployed to Afghanistan as a combat infantryman. When he gets home, she's changed, he's changed, and these familiar strangers are on a journey to find their new normal, which is made easier by their neurotic but lovable pup.

It sounds like a compilation of Nicholas Sparks books, but it's not. Or maybe it is? You tell me.

These moments they defined me then, but my identity anymore is no longer wrapped up in being the cancer survivor's daughter or the infantryman's girlfriend. What I experienced three years ago was not tragic. What I experienced, I realize now, was nothing more than experience itself.

Personal and painful, but not tragic.

Life is life, and I'm just me. The girl who hopped a train from DC to LA to figure things out with a pen and a piece of paper.

I may spend too much money on adventures. And anymore my honesty is often perceived as harshness, and I semi-frequently overwork myself into pissy fits, but I'm proud of the life I've created for myself. I love life. I love the people in the life. What more could I ask for?

So, I'm back to my point. What music would supplement this story? My story?

"Thistle and Weeds"

Plant your hope with good seed is a phrase that I could see on a sign in the home goods section of T.J. Maxx. I love the sentiment and the optimism. The lyrics to this song got me through some really tough times.

"Set Fire to the Third Bar"

This song was used in the Dear John film for a reason. It's relatable. Like Savannah and John, Brad and I fell hard and quick, and when everything seemed to be going along smoothly, war happened. And that separation is just as mental as it is physical.

"Hopeless Wanderer"

"Be where you're at," is a piece of advice my uncle gave me recently. I've always tried to find home--a place--and I've realized in the past few months that for me home is, in fact, a person.

"Home"

I'm lucky enough to have a best friend who is my partner. I can picture my life with him 30, 40 years from now. He's not afraid to hurt my feelings, and when I call him a smug arrogant bastard he knows it's out of love, frustration-inspired love but love none the less.

That was that chapter. But now, I'm onto something new, we're onto something new.

Brad's officially out of the Army. March 6, 2013. I can't believe I'm saying that. I still feel like I'm going to jinx something. Now he's just a dysfunctional veteran that finds peace in nature. And I'm a soon-to-be communications consultant in an absolute panic over no homework and no lectures. More time for nature?

It's a new chapter in a familiar setting. To Be Continued is exhilarating and scary but beautiful.

But enough about me...what would your life soundtrack be?

Roses are red...

Roses are red.

And snow is white.

I am, too.

Because #springbreakfail.

Apparently, Mother Nature didn't get the memo that it's March. Or maybe she did, and it got lost in her inbox because...

So the glitch is...snow

Brad Blizzard...not the Dairy Queen kind

Aim Blizzard...not the Dairy Queen kind

I'm glad I invested in some really cool hats from Plato's Closet. I mean, if I can't be tan might as well be the best hipster fashionista I can possibly be.

SNOW DAY!!!!

It's my last "Spring" Break at JMU, and I'm snowed-in in Harrisonburg...but that's okay. You don't get the chance to play in 6-8" of snow at 2AM every day. :)

The wind is really blowing now. Glad I got this blog post up before the power goes out because, let's be honest, it's probably going to go out.

Headlamps are at the ready, though, and there is plenty to read and plenty to eat.

If I get 200 views on my blog today, I'll post an additional five Winter Wonderland pics, so please feel free to share.