Posts

Showing posts from June, 2009

100 and Done! (Countries that is...)

Image
We are back! This last trip brought the total countries visited to 100! It is a crazy milestone. It is difficult, time-consuming and can be (IS) expensive. After I got back from Antarctica in 2007, I started thinking about it. After 2010 I was thinking about it more (as I moved from NY to Georgia) and in 2014 it had become a real goal. Between Angie and I we have been to 109 Countries. We are tied at 100 countries each. We have 9 countries different in our lists. For example, I have been to San Marino. She has not. She has been to Israel. I have not, yet. There has been some fun competition in this area. That's why we had to establish rules. 1.) Must be listed (as a country) with the US State Department 2.) Being in an airport doesn't count. You have to get through immigration somehow and not in a DMZ or a no-mans-land 3.) A passport stamp is not required. I have been to Canada, Paraguay, and Uruguay without getting my passport stamped. There are friendly borders in many places...
Image
We had the yard sale. It was a lot of work, but what else can you do? There were some comments that the farm was out in the middle of nowhere. Some ham radio friends came over Saturday night. The video proves it. This pic is of a crash on I-81. The deer didn't do well. The 18 wheeler that hit the car that hit the deer had only minor damage.
Image
Things get so busy in the summer. Having extra hours of daylight is not much help on getting things done. I feel as though I am being pulled in every direction at once. I am finishing up the basement wall, fixing the tailgate on the truck and a bunch of other stuff. I remember years ago telling Douglas that a simple metric on the complexity of your life is the number of air-filled tires of which you are responsible. We just finished counting 64 air-filled tires on the farm. I must have missed a few. Interestingly, there are only one or two flats currently. You get good at fixing flats. The weather and timing has not cooperated lately for flying. I am just getting back to working out after my injury. Running is out for a while still, but I can get on the rowing machine. This is a pic of Calisto chillin' in the barn.
Image
This is an MRI image of my torn tendon at the attach point. It is getting better, but it has slowed me down.
Image
After years of mowing and taking care to bring a few fields back, they are producing hay this year. My neighbor will be helping me hay a couple of my fields. I am still working on the fussy bits of the basement wall. I have had regrets spending so much on the doors. They are very nice doors, however. They are extremely secure, tight, attractive and functional. My Achilles Tendon is better, but I am very guarded. I can walk around ok, but when I feel it getting sore I have to stop. After having two relapses I know what happens if I don't. I go to the physical therapist twice a week. The ultrasound and the electro-stimulator definately help. I bought a new pair of boots with stiff uppers. I wear thouse when practical. It is clear the 6 month recovery time is a real number. At least I am walking around. I can't run so exercising is difficult.