Camp of Champions

Whistler, BC

Whistler Village

To be honest, I don't know what the Camp of Champions is and or was. All I know is youngsters rode bikes off jumps and landed on an oversized, pillowy soft, inflatable mattress. Quite frankly, all it did was remind me of the great elephant in my own personal Whistler room. That elephant being the figurative representation of the great torn ACL of the winter of 2005, the last time, prior to this past weekend, I had set foot on Whistlers fine Canadian soil. You see, it was 6 years ago that I traveled north with friends for a post Christmas weekend of skiing on the world famous Whistler/Blackcomb Mountains. It was supposed to be fun. It was supposed to be safe. It was neither. Except for the fun part. It was mostly fun. But safe? Sadly no. And I only have myself to blame. I hadn't been skiing in at least 4 years. Yet when my compatriots decided it was time to hit the black diamond rated Whistler Bowl, I dutifully followed along. Worst decision of my life. Within 10 seconds of embarking down the run, my ski got stuck in thick powder. When my upper body turned to make a cut, my right knee acted like a whiny 5 year old who didn't get his way and decided not to follow. I heard, felt and fully experienced the ensuing pop from deep within the nether region of my right knee. End of my day on the slopes. On the bright side, it was only my first run so I made sure to get next to no value out of the ski pass I had purchased not even a half hour earlier. Long story short, I somehow skied/hobbled/fell/crumbled down the mountain, hit up the hospital, was told to get lost since my insurance didn't cover in Canada and waited out the rest of the afternoon until my friends were done enjoying the beautifully overcast day. Two and a half years later I was surgically repaired by the great Dr. Thorp, endured weeks of physical rehabilitation and now sit here as healthy and strong as ever. So this past weekend, when I was given another chance to face the nonexistent and completely made up emotional and physical scars that were Whistler/Blackcomb, I accepted the invitation. Consider those demons exercised.

Whistler/Blackcomb

Whistler B.C.

Canada

Whistler is like your really good friend who you had a lot of fun with growing up. You threw snowballs at unsuspecting cars, egged the houses of ex-girlfriends, drank a gallon of milk just to see if it was possible. You jumped in the near freezing lake in mid-December, bombed the local streets on longboards and killed entire nights battling it out on the MarioKart racetrack. You and Whistler did everything together, everything you could possible do without having any money. Eventually you both grew up and did your own things, but stayed fairly good friends. You got a job as a sales manager at the local brewery. Good job, descent money. Whistler on the other hand struck it rich. He started his own solar energy company then sold it off for big money. He then started a 100% compostable shoe company and sold that off for even more money. On top of that, Whistler started a software company that created 6 of the current top 10 best selling games on the Apple app store. Naturally, he sold that off as well for unspeakable amounts of greenbacks. Whistler now owns cars you never knew existed, smokes the finest tobacco rolled in hundred doller bills and wears polar bear fur lined silk underwear. He only eats at restaurants that don't print prices, hires workout trainers who cater to Hollywood stars and considers a $400 bottle of 1992 White Meritage whine to be low class. Even with all this new found money though, you can honestly look your mother in the eye and say Whistler hasn't changed where it matters. He finds time to hang out, shares all his sweet toys with you and will still be seen late at night racing as Mario on the Starcup circuit with an empty carton of extra large eggs sitting beside him on the couch.

Wedding:

Amy + Jeremy

Fraser River Fishing Lodge

Agassiz, BC Canada

Wedding:

David + Jenny

Bethany Community Church & Urban Light Studio

I Spit, Therefore I Rap

Maritime Heritage Park

Bellingham, WA

On the recommendation of my Mother, I went down to Maritime Heritage Park to check out the raging river that is Whatcom Creek. I haven't seen flow like that since SPU hip hop legend King David took the mike at the 2008 Homecoming Talent Show.* The normally sedate creek is currently unleashing more cubic feet of water per minute than is flushed down American toilets during the entirety of the halftime of the Super Bowl. That's pretty impressive for a made up fact. Some people would argue it's because of the glacial melt from Mt Baker and the neighboring North Cascades. I on the other hand, agree with them.

*Not sure what ever happend to David "the King", or King D as he was commonly referred to. But I do know if I had ever had a budding underground Hip Hop career, he would have been my inspiration . I also know his groundbreaking EP is loaded on my iPod and will be played at some point in the near future. As the King often said, "Obesity reigns when the Burger is King".

Welcome Back

The Neighboring Woods

aka: The View from the Apt.

We all have that friend from high school or college. The friend who, for whatever reason, we don't get to see very often anymore. But on the oft-occasion we do get to see them, it instantly feels as if we'd never been a part. The stories start flying, the inside jokes are re-kindled, the expected awkwardness ceases to exist. There is a comfort level that shouldn't exist between two people who have been a part from each other for so long. That's what warm, sunny days in the northwest are like. You don't see them much, if ever, from October - April, but when they come back in late spring, it's like they'd never left.

Impulse Hike

This hike, as the title would suggest, wasn't planned. It was a spur of the moment decision to go in search of the great Mt. Baker viewpoints Tony Young had so eloquently described to me once upon a time. He had the advantage of a dirt bike, I instead had the advantage of 5 year old discounted REI "hiking" shoes, a couple water bottles, a free pair of ironman brand sunglasses and an Erin Bakers breakfast cookie. In the early afternoon of a beautifully clear and pleasantly warm April Saturday, I stormed up the North Shore access roads and ended up embarking on a 5 hour trek. For the majority of the time, I meandered all throughout the maze of roads and trails created by the wonderful logging community. After a few wrong turns and numerous water breaks on my way up, I happened upon a very nice view of Mt Baker and her Twin Sisters to the south. But they weren't good enough, I somehow knew the views could somehow get better, so I hiked on. After each bend in the trail, the views proceeded to become enhanced in little ways. That is until I crested a mini peak and found myself with a 360 degree view of the logged acreage i had summited, the town of Acme, Highway 9, the Nooksack river and the beautiful Mt Baker. Unbelievable. Pictures will never describe the full experience, but it's all I've got. So take it in.

Wedding Tip: Hire a DJ, not Uncle Phil w/ an Ipod

When you were young your parents most likely forced you into eating all your fruits and vegetables with a very popular and easy to pull off ploy. They politely yet sternly threatened you by saying you could only have dessert, or seconds of the good stuff (meat, noodles, bread, etc...) if you finish the gross (healthy) stuff. It was brutal. Everyone at the table knows the kids only want one thing; to enjoy their meal by being allowed to eat what they want and how much of what they want whenever they want. Oreo's and double chocolate milk appetizer? Yes please. Two servings of t-bone steak, buttered up corn on the cob and a side dish of bbq sauce basted pork ribs? That sounds lovely. Sour patch kids and sour apple O's to go with your salad? I'd love a handful. Though science has tried to prove for years that veggies and fruits and all things healthfully gross are good for you and a necessary part of a balanced diet, there is no proof. None. It can't be done. It's a wives tale no more true than the belief you'll drown a slow, embarrassing death if you even think about putting one foot in the shallow end of a pool within one hour of eating. You hear everyday the story of the man that ate McDonalds breakfast sandwiches everyday of his life and lived to be 95. What's more? At age 94 he could still take you off the dribble in one on one and throw down a wicked tomahawk dunk to finish it off. But somehow, many years ago, mom's won. They said "we know we can't get kids to eat veggies and fruits with facts, those just don't hold up. But we can withhold the delicious parts of meals until they consume the part of the meal we deem necessary for no purpose other than to watch them wine, throw a tantrum and eventually suffer through." The point I'm trying to make is that mom's witholding dessert until you eat the grossness is like couples having the dance party at the end of a wedding to make sure the 18 to 31 year old "sort of" friends stay throughout the duration of the wedding. This usually includes the people you work with who are of same age and you kind of like so felt obligated to invite, the friend from college who you were fairly good friends with but don't really know or keep in contact with anymore or the distant family members who you've never talked to but Mom made you invite for some reason having to do with making sure Christmas next year was enjoyable. These last on the list invitees aren't too excited about the wedding, but they came to be nice, to eat good food and to dance. Ceremony and vows? Seen it. Cutting the cake and throwing the bouquet? Happens at every wedding. Toasts by the best man and maid of honor? Never as creative or entertaining as you see in movies. Weddings are long, drawn out and usually contain the same old things. It's all beautiful and meaningful for sure, but unless you are really close family or a good friend, it's just another wedding. The dance party is why you go. It's the saving grace at the end of a long day. But you have to wade through the rest of the wedding to get to it. The bride and groom know this, just like mom's with those darn veggies...

Here is a dance shot I like. I don't really have any other good ones. I'm not good at taking them. But this one worked out.

Blast from the Past

Queen Anne: Someone's House

March 2009

Wedding:

Nate + Rachel

University of Washington & Mars Hill U-District

Chandelier

Fraser River Fishing Lodge & Resort

For obvious reasons, I don't usually take pictures of chandeliers. I guess the reasons aren't obvious, but you get the point. Or maybe you don't get the point. Not sure if I do either. But this chandelier exists and I took a picture of it. Creative, crafty, unique, fun, fresh, big time awesome and crazy cool are all ways I heard people describe this light source. I agree with most of those descriptors. It was the center piece in the reception hall of a fishing resort deep in the heart of the Fraser River valley in BC, Canada. In case you're wondering, no I was not staying at the resort nor fishing. I was celebrating the wedding of two people I didn't know.

Study Buddy

University of Washington - Suzzallo Library

In honor of finals week next week, something with which I do not have to take part in, I present a picture of a library. A very nice library. The famous Suzzallo Library on Red Square at the UW. Study hard kids, but know this; in the end it doesn't matter. There are no jobs out there for you anyway. At least not after gas hits $5.00 a gallon this summer and re-cripples the economy. So I guess this post serves two purposes, to show off a picture I took and to provide you w/ a pessimistic thought of the day.

Personal: It's About Time

Reminder: Mariners Opening Day is 1 month from today.

It's been a long cold winter. La Nina has tried to kill my will to enjoy being outdoors and doing outdoorsy things. I played tennis in January outdoors in subfreezing temperatures to try to outdo La Nina. But in a sign of hope, the Super Bowl has come and gone, which can only mean one thing... Baseball. And Baseball can only mean one thing, spring (and eventually summer) is finally on its way. The days are getting longer and the weather will someday start to get warmer. The grass is growing, playing catch is almost an afternoon activity option and the Mariners are meere weeks away from beginning their assault on the 2011 World Series Championship. Don't believe me? Your loss. Mariners MLB champs in 2011. You heard it here first.