- Rednecks Unite -

This weekend I experienced a different side of Idaho. The more rugged, barren side. Kevin and I took about an hour road trip to the south in the Owyhee Mountains. These mountains are more high desert and consist mostly of rocks and sage brush.

It was the perfect backdrop for our afternoon though. Nothing like two manley men, a large pick-up truck, and some guns. Below are some examples.

My, what a big gun you have...

Welcome to the wild, wild west!

- Recent Pictures -

In my last post I mentioned that I had left the USB cable to my camera at home. Well, as it turns out, Kevin's camera uses the same kind mine does, so thanks to Mr. Graville I have a few pictures to share. Enjoy!
This is what Idaho looks like from 17,000 feet. Don't see much of this in Ohio.This is what I look like at 17,000 feet - notice the oxygen canula.Another picture from one of the flights - no oxygen this time - it tickles my nose.

- A Day of Firsts -

Yesterday was a day filled with firsts. The biggest being I flew my first solo job (quite the milestone)! It actually wasn't near as nerve racking as I had expected. It was about a four hour flight to the east. I shot the towns of Twin Falls and Mountain Home (time to break out the Atlas, kids). And after checking the film today, I'm proud to say that all of the shots are usable.

It was also my first time to fly up at 17,000 feet, which if you're familiar with the aircraft I trained in, they don't even come close to that. And since I was up that high, I had to use oxygen (another first). It's a little annoying because it tickles your nose and really dries you out, but a life saver none-the-less.

The plane is equipped with tip tanks, which allow for extended flight in the 7 hour range. This being said, the fuel tanks outlast my bladder by several hours, which brings us to our final "first". I peed in a Gatorade bottle - thank God for the wide mouth openings!

Anyway, today was another full day of flying, thanks in part to the gorgeous weather we're having - nothing but clear skies and sun! I got five hours in today and flew all of southern Idaho, all the way over to the eastern border. Today, I shot the towns of Pocatello and Idaho Falls. Both of which I'm predicting will turn out better than film from yesterday. Keep your fingers crossed!

It's exciting to see how quickly the hours rack up when your doing 3, 4, and 5 hour flights on a daily basis. Not to mention, finally getting paid for what you love to do. It's a great combination. I can't take all the credit though, God has definitely helped me with the learning curve. If you told me a month ago that I'd be this far along I would have never believed it. But after today, I can finally see myself getting the hang of this and am starting to feel like maybe I can contribute.

On a side note, I took my digital camera up today, but sadly the USB cable is at home, so you'll have to wait for the pictures. So sorry!

- Welcome to my version of the mile high club

- More humor -

"When you go to a restaurant on the weekends and it's busy they start a waiting list. They start calling out names, they say 'Dufresne, party of two. Dufresne, party of two.' And if no one answers they'll say their name again. 'Dufresne, party of two, Dufresne, party of two.' But then if no one answers they'll just go right on to the next name. 'Bush, party of three.' Yeah, but what happened to the Dufresnes? No one seems to care. Who can eat at a time like this - people are missing. You people are selfish... the Dufresnes are in someone's trunk right now, with duct tape over their mouths. And they're hungry! That's a double whammy. We need help. Bush, search party of three! You can eat when you find the Dufresnes."

"I have a cheese-shredder, which is its positive name. They don't call it by its negative name, cause no one would buy it: sponge-ruiner. Because I wanted to clean it, and now I have little bits of sponge... that would melt easily over tortilla chips. "

"I'm lactose intolerant, so I eat my cereal with a fork. "

- PBR -

This was my Friday night - me, a tight pair of Wranglers, some leathers chaps, a cowboy hat, and a can of Skoal - life doesn't get any better. You would've never guessed that's me on that bull, which by the way has a name - Pandora's Box.

Alright, so that really isn't me, nor do I own a pair or Wranglers (or a can of Skoal), but I did go to the PBR, which makes me like 1/100th cowboy - at least for a night.

I had my doubts going in - like what kinds of redneck, white trash sport am I getting into - but those were soon bucked (get it? bucked). It was actually a really good show. Great music, great friends, great pyrotechnics. And those darn rodeo clowns are a barrel of laughs (haha, puns all around). Anyway, definitely glad I was able to go (special thanks to Kevin and Becca) and would recommend it for anyone.

While were on the subject, what movie are these quotes from? "There's a snake in my boots!" "Ride like the wind, Bullseye!"

- Back to the Ho -

Yep, it's official - I'm back in the Potato State. I got a phone call Monday and arrived this afternoon. Talk about short notice!

But the timing wasn't bad at all. It's not like I have any other pressing issues in my life. The thing I'm most worried about is actually having to be up before noon. It's been a while since I've had to do it and I'm not sure I'll remember how.

Anyway, I'm hoping to find an apartment this time around and take care of some other business while I'm here. And perhaps nail down a date for the big move. I'll keep you updated.

- Warm Toilet Seats and Other Nonsense -

This isn't a problem I've had to deal with since college, however, after sharing living quarters with my brother and sister-in-law over this past Easter weekend, it has again reared its ugly head.

I forgot just how much I hated them. The mere thought that someone was there before me doing their business (a.k.a dropping the kids off at the pool, freeing the chocolate hostages, taking the Browns to the Super Bowl, etc.) make me nauseous.

I had some other deep insights over the weekend. Actually, I can't take full credit for this one because Andrew brought it up, but why are gay people always broadcasting their homosexuality (i.e. rainbows, t-shirts, jewelry, etc.)? You don't see straight people proudly proclaiming the fact that they're heterosexual. I could say a lot more about this, but sometimes you just have to know when enough is enough.

Also, this one hit me today at the Grand Buffet - haha, I know what you're thinking, and that hit me too, about an hour later - Chinese food is really just fair food, with an Asian twist. Everything is deep fried baby!

And finally, a few deep thoughts from the Mitch vault - "Chicago is known as the Windy City, and Montana is called the Big Sky State, so I think that we should somehow combine the two to create the ultimate kite-flying experience."

"I wear v-neck shirts, this is a v-neck I got on. My neck is so fragile man, I can't wear a regular neck shirt, it hurts. And I especially hate turtle necks. Wearing a turtle neck is like being strangled by a really weak guy, all day. Like if you wear a turtle neck and a backpack it's like a weak midget is trying to bring you down."

- Cap'n Out

- Seder Meal Wreaks Havoc on Cornhole! -

On the Thursday before Easter, I participated in a Seder Meal. For those readers who don't know, it's basically a mock Passover celebration. Reverend Welch did an awesome job of hosting the meal (then again, it may have been a complete train wreck, but since he's the most "Jewish" guy I know, I'm going to trust him). I definitely have a much better understanding/appreciation for the whole Upper Room story (and Easter in general). Jon made an excellent point - the more you understand Judaism, the better you're going to understand scripture and what God is trying to say.

Aside from this I must say I'm not terribly impressed with the Jews menu selection. The lamb wasn't bad at all. However, it was greatly overshadowed by the bitter herbs, unleavened bread, and nasty looking apple stuff (which I can't remember the name of). Not exactly appetizing, or filling. By the time I arrived home, an hour later, the strange concoction had taken its toll on my intestines. Hence the title of this blog.

- Nuff Said

- More Randomness -

"I think Bigfoot is blurry, that's the problem. It's not the photographer's fault. Bigfoot is just blurry. And that's extra scary to me, because there's a large, out-of-focus monster roaming the countryside. "Run. He's fuzzy. Get outta here."

"I'd hate to be a giraffe with a sore throat. "

"The depressing thing about tennis is that no matter how much you play, you'll never be as good as a wall. I played a wall once, they're relentless. "