Tag

Someone has come up with the idea of e-tagging, and I became a taggee. My responses took awhile to come up with, with some areas lacking info and other areas having possibly too much. Be that as it may, the following is what I had to say….

1. What was I doing ten years ago?
Ten years ago was a crazy time for me; and a challenging time! I was living in Lakeside, CA (San Diego County) while my kids were living in Georgia. I came to the end of a two-year hitch with the Naval Reserves. I lost the best job I think I have ever had, working aboard a research craft as a sub-contractor for the U.S. Navy. I was underway often back then, either driving an inflatable boat on the ocean, or operating the cranes that launched said boat, along with other equipment, into the ocean. Losing the job was not due to anything I did, but rather it was a decision by the U.S. Congress to stop funding on our particular project. Fortunately, I was able to switch over to another division within the same company and work as a mechanical drafter. The drafting was another good job, but not nearly as fun as the research project.

During my off time I took wilderness survival classes with friends living in a nearby canyon. I eventually moved in with them, or actually onto their property, in an experiment of wilderness living. I lived in what I called a primitive hut – just a simple one-room hut with no plumbing, nor cooking facilities. This arrangement lasted about three months before I moved on.

It was during this period of my life that my car broke down, leaving me without transportation, yet I had to get to work. There was no public transportation heading directly toward the area I worked, so this is what I did:

Get up at 2:00 a.m. Get myself ready, then walk three miles out of the canyon where I lived in order to catch a city bus out of the town of Lakeside, CA. The bus took me to the neighboring town of Santee, where I had to transfer to the San Diego Trolley. The Trolley then took me through the towns of El Cajon, La Mesa, Spring Valley, Lemon Grove, and into downtown San Diego. One more transfer had me on a commuter train, the Coaster, which left downtown San Diego and followed the coast northward. I got off the train near the town of Sorrento Valley and walked another mile and a half to the office. After spending my eight hours at the office, I repeated my commute back to the canyon in Lakeside where I lived. My commute alone took eight hours a day, which when added to my time at the office, made for a very long day. I would get home around 7:00 p.m., eat dinner and then sack out so that I could be up at 2:00 again the next morning and repeat the process. This went on for about two months before I was finally able to move out of the canyon and purchase another car.

2. What was I doing one year ago?
One year ago was somewhat better for me, although it ended up being yet another transitionary period. I had just finished my second Associates Degree not long before and was working with the US Geological Survey in their surface water division, measuring the flow of water in various streams. I maintained thirteen sites from the southern end of California, to the Salton Sea, the Anza-Borrego Desert, and up to the Palm Springs area. Down on the southern end of my route I measured stream flow in the most polluted river in the country, the New River, which flows into the united States from Mexico at Calexico, CA. In the Anza-Borrego desert (San Diego County) I used to run into several Big Horn Sheep on every visit. Then up in the Palm Springs area I had several sites including a canyon which I truly enjoyed hiking. The canyon is owned by a research division of UCR and is therefore off-limits to the public. I frequently saw Big Horn Sheep in this canyon, as well as the tracks of mountain lion. I never did see the actual feline critters, but I sure did want to.

3. Five snacks that I enjoy.
- Peanut M&M’s
- Ice Cream
- Sunflower seeds
- Fruit
- Popcorn

4. Five songs I know all the lyrics to:
- Lorelei, by Styx
- The Grand Illusion, by Styx
- Give Said the Little Stream
- Cat’s In The Cradle, by Harry Chapin
- Corey’s Coming, by Harry Chapin

5. Five things I would do if I were a millionaire:
- Purchase acreage and build homes for family and friends to stay in when they visit
- Take a number of classes to learn new skills/hobbies
- Hike the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail and the Continental Divide
- Bicycle across the country, several times using various routes
- Establish an organization similar to the Make-A-Wish Foundation

6. Five bad habits:
- Procrastination
- Slouching
- Falling asleep at the wheel (not good when you’re a truck driver)
- Eating too many peanut M&M’s at a sitting

7. Five things I would never wear again:
- Bell bottoms
- Plaid pants
- A nightgown

8. Five toys I love:
- Camera
- Laptop
- GPSr
- Magnifying glass
- Bicycle