Icewind's Ramblings

Rule # 5 You Don't Waste Good Some of you may know what I am talking about and some may have to look it up but one thing is certain, like Gibbs I live by the cup, all day long. I have an auto start on my coffee maker and I can always be found with a cup of coffee.  I like my coffee not just as a pick me up but I love the smell and taste of really good coffee.  I credit this to my mother as she gave us "Good to the last Drop" Maxwell House Master Blend growing up and I have always gone to great lengths to find it all of my life. For many of us we try to learn from our mistakes and life our lives a certain way and in many ways we may or may not have them written down anywhere.  For one of my favorite antagonist there is a set of rules written down and over the years many have been revealed to the followers and fans.  One of my favorites is Rule # 5 . . . You Don't Waste Good! Now this can be taken in so many contexts and is open for interpretation ...

"Time is NOT on your side." So said The Rolling Stones only because the National Association of Chronic Procrastinators promised a lucrative sponsorship deal . . . which is still in the works to this very day. The NACP keeps putting off negotiations for a later date. Sadly The Rolling Stones are old now gathering moss. It's a sunny glorious day in Alaska and once again people are out and about walking, bicycling, and enjoying the sunshine.  It is amazing how attitudes change after a long winter's night. Now comes the good part . . . fishing! Ice

Memorial Day 2013 This post is one that struck me when it was first circulated in 2009 by the Anchorage Daily News as an opinion piece ran here: http://www.adn.com/opinion/view/story/807109.html It still holds meaning for me today and I wanted run it again as I think it captures the essence of this holiday and its true meaning in how it came to be and the fact that life goes on . . . Our view: Memorial Day We honor the fallen today with silence and taps and life Published: May 24th, 2009 04:40 PM Last Modified: May 24th, 2009 04:48 PM Chances are that when you opened this page you saw the photograph first, in the same second that you saw the headline.  When you look at it and read the caption, isn't it easy to imagine the grandfather buried beneath that headstone, wherever he is, taking great joy in the grandchildren who visit his grave? Today we honor the dead who served, from those killed in battle to those who died peacefully decades after t...

I saw this and figured I would post this for my friend Terran who enjoys such nonsense. Enjoy Terran! Ice

Life Observation # 173 – Feeling Bad  When feeling bad can feel really good . . . for someone. Sometimes we don't feel good . . . it could be from sickness or just feeling lousy in general but within that yucky feeling there may sometimes be something else going on where you find it within yourself to change it up a bit and it's pleasant what can happen, both in your mind and body. Is a little TLC in order or is it something like feeling bad sometimes is like getting to scratch an itch that you've been trying to ignore for a while.  Like a mosquito bite. If you scratch it though, it keeps on itching, and then you scratch it again, and again, until it becomes an open sore.  Keep picking at it and it gets worse. I know it gives a very temporary feeling of relief to scratch, but only prolongs the itch. My advice?   Just like the mosquito bite, don't give in to the urge to scratch it, and it starts to go away much faster.  Get a ...

Life Observation # 172 Silence is Golden . . . Duct tape is Silver! Ice

It is great being back at work again and I am getting into the grind of putting bids out to get projects done around Alaska this summer.  The group that I am working with are great and now that my official State of Alaska email is up and running I have started to receive emails 'welcoming' me to DPS and 'congrats' on the new job replacing a long time employee who is retiring at the end of the month. My first email this morning was from one of the troopers who sent this to me so I know I will fit in just fine with this bunch of characters.  Missing Wife Found by Alaska State Troopers The day after his wife disappeared in a kayaking accident, an Anchorage man answered his door to find two grim faced Alaska State Troopers. "We're sorry Mr. Wilkens, but we have some information about your wife," said one of the troopers. "Tell me! Did you find her?" Wilkens asked. The troopers looked at each other. One said, "We hav...

There's nothing like putting on a pair of warm jeans just out of the dryer on a cold, wet morning! Ice

It snowed in May in Anchorage Alaska yesterday and many people felt like it was the last days had arrived as everyone wants the snow to be gone for the season and warmer weather to finally arrive.  With the crazy weather it brought about mixed emotions and moods for many people so in the spirit of trying to motivate everyone to be positive and move forward to a great day.   "You polish your turd, I'll polish my turd, Then everyone can have shiny shit!" Happy Cinco de Mayo by the way! Ice

Life Observation # 169 - Patience  "Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself. Being true to anyone else or anything else is not only impossible, but the mark of a false messiah."           - Illusions by Richard Bach - Sometimes in our life we go through something and while in the middle of it may not understand why things are the way they are.  What I have learned is that you must trust yourself and stay true to your values even when the outcome and costs to yourself are on the line. I think it is about the value of a man or woman holding onto what they believe and having the understanding that it is not always in our hands or timetable to change the outcome. Patience was a hard thing for me to learn but after 7 months I think I have a pretty good grasp of it. Great things are on the horizon and I am spreading my wings to soar up to new heights to see it come to fruition! H...

Life Observation # 168 "Holding on to anything is like holding on to your breath. You will suffocate.” Sometimes we need to remember we cannot do it all on our own and need to look up and ask for help.  It still amazes me how that works and the capacity of what happens when you do. Ice

Boston Marathon Tragedy – 04-15-13 Once again I find myself looking at the news in real time of another needless tragedy on so many levels of American society. Our hearts and prayers go out to those families affected by this tragedy and the effects it will have on this country in our efforts to secure our safety and well being. "More than any time in recent history, America 's destiny is not of our own choosing. We did not seek, nor did we provoke, an assault on our freedom and our way of life.  We did not expect, nor did we invite, a confrontation with evil.  Yet the true measure of a people's strength is how they rise to master that moment when it does arrive. 2 people were killed and over a hundred maimed and injured a couple of hours ago at the Boston Marathon finish line in Massachusetts .  This is another needless act of violence in this country.  Police were on scene as this tragedy unfolded and you could easily see that they ran towards the tw...

Life Observation # 167 Purpose gives life meaning. The human mind has no elastic limit. Ice

There is many times that something triggers our imagination back to something and recently it was one of those times for me.  I saw something that triggered a memory of story telling and great music with friends.  It was a time where I spent many nights listening to music and stories with my friends that played in Atlanta at the time in a band called Cullowhee. One of the stories told was the difference between Heaven and Hell, told by my friend, Terry Edwards.  With his customary southern drawl and laid back style he painted the picture to all of us in the audience listening. Terry would tell the story about the man who died, and when he arrived at the "Pearly Gates" Saint Peter told him he was going to take him on a tour of heaven and of hell.   First, they took a tour of heaven. St. Peter and the man arrived just in time for dinner . . . it was in a huge banquet hall and the tables were sagging with the weight of the sumptuous entrees.  Eve...

Hotheaded Naked Ice Borers In its April, 2013 issue Defenders Magazine announced that Dr. Aprile Rooz, a noted wildlife biologist, had found a fascinating new Arctic species: the hotheaded naked ice borer.  These bizarre creatures were each about half a foot long, very light, and had a bony plate attached to their head that could become burning hot, allowing them to bore tunnels through ice at high speeds.  They used this ability to hunt penguins.  Packs of them would melt the ice beneath a penguin causing it to sink into the slush, at which point the borers would surround the hapless creature and consume it. Dr. Rooz discovered the borers by chance as a result of their predatory nature.  While studying a group of penguins on Arctic sea ice, she noticed one frightened member of the group rapidly sinking into the ice.  When she pulled the hapless creature out of the fast-growing slush pool that surrounded it, she found a host of small creatures attached to ...

Several months ago I watched the movie, “Moneyball” with Brad Pitt.  It is a baseball story on the Oakland A’s rebuilding their baseball team using on base statistics as opposed to high dollar ball players.  There was a song that Pitt’s daughter in the story played that has kind of stuck with me since and at different times kept going off in my head. Major league baseball slang for playing in the big leagues is called being in “The Show” which the name of the song is written by Lenka.  It is a catchy little tune but it kept going over in my mind how much like Life it applies for many of us.   “I'm just a little bit caught in the middle, Life is a maze and love is a riddle, I don't know where to go, can't do it alone, I've tried and I don't know why. Slow it down, make it stop or else my heart is going to pop', Cause it's too much, yeah it's a lot to be something I'm not, I'm a fool out of love 'cause I just can't get ...

I think sometimes as we live our lives we get wrapped up in all that is going on and forget what is truly meaningful within our existence.  I have stated over and over that we need to live in the “Now” moment as that is the only thing that really exists in our lives.  The past is just that, gone forever and the future is not yet arrived and is still in the fantasy state of our minds. There’s no way to get around the fact that life is here and now with our entire being a whole entity and indivisible from ourselves.  How you choose to think, feel, and be is going to be what you get back out of life in the experiences you have and create.  Create positive thoughts and for the most part you will experience positive things and people back in return.  If you wake up and choose to be negative then there is a great chance that you will have a negative day or experience the not so good things coming back your way.  It all stands to reason just as common sense ...

It’s getting to be that time again . . . Wacky Winter . . . when Chicken Little’s prediction finally comes true: “The sky is falling.”   Winter has long been here in Alaska , and the darkness with it.  As we once again approach summer and finally moved into “Springtime” in Anchorage we are gaining approximately 5 minutes and 44 seconds of daylight every day until Summer Solstice on June 20 th @ 9:04 PM Alaska time. For most people it may seem strange to hear “springtime” as barely having temperatures just above freezing still in the thirties or if we are lucky reaching the low 40’s for a few days.  Anything to help melting commence and get breakup out of the way is desired by everyone it seems. How one handles this time of year makes or breaks many people who live here.  It is a wondrous place to live . . . most of the time but it does wear on you in the late stages of winter when you want the snow gone, light to return, and the “heat” of summer to on...

Here we are going into the last week of March and many of us in the Anchorage , Alaska area are finding that it has once again been lightly snowing for the last couple days with forecast for temperatures to warm up a bit by Monday with wet snow falling and melting on the way.  I am sure everyone is ready for “break up”, the yearly ritual of melting snow, muddy water splashed on vehicles leaving them filthy.  Everyone waits until the snow melts and things dry up a bit before finally cleaning up all the cars and rigs on the highways making Alaskan vehicles in springtime probably the dirtiest in the country. With the snowfall yesterday and today it seems like most people enjoy watching it fall out the windows, I know I do.  I kept hearing something like someone knocking on my door only to look and find no one there.  I looked out my back deck door and saw what was making the knocking sounds.  It seems that spring has sprung and the birds are returning to Ala...

Life Observation # 165 . . . Challenges  Several of my friends are going through challenges right now in their lives and it once again reminds us that life is precious so get on with living so not to become stagnant in our daily existences. Dale Carnegie once said: “About 90% of the things in our life are right.  Make sure you don’t overlook the 90% that is right because you are focusing on the 10% that isn’t.” For most people that is a true statement but sometimes we want to focus on that 10% because that is what bothers us the most at the time.  Those challenges we face want to beat us down in our lives and we need to make that effort to choose a different path.  It doesn’t take much to make the day better . . . but it does take intent.  Even if there are challenges, obstacles and other craziness going on in our life, we always get to choose how we are going to tackle the day and the type of energy that runs through our body.  Is it e...

Many of us get wrapped up in things and continually have issues with time and our management of it in our lives.  There are so many different items to be sorted and dealt with as one walks along our timeline in this life. Is it easy, probably not, and how you deal with things will make you either totally stressed or worked up or as things become a little clearer in our thought process we may start seeing that calm that comes with a Zen-like living or lifestyle. Everyone has stresses and sometimes it seems like the waves of Life keep crashing in on you but do not be dismayed . . . you have the power to change things. “You can’t control the waves, but you can learn to surf” Challenges are going to come . . . but we’re not supposed to get sucked in.  We shouldn’t let them be too “heavy” and weigh us down because we have been given the amazing ability to surf.  We just have to choose to do it. Osho teaches us, once you have tasted the juice of the present,...

We all seem to have it lately . . . I guess it is that time of year when everyone has so many things going on in their lives that things build up for everyone.  Maybe it is that Late Winter/Early Spring time of year that we are all starting to go crazy waiting for the snow to melt and get breakup over with here in the far north. I saw this story on Peter Kovacs wall and wanted to pass it on as it shows us that many times we look at something from the obvious perspective but it we change our focus or gaze just a little bit it opens up a whole other thought process which can give us new insight or attitudes about things going on in our lives. A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience.  As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question.  Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out from the class r...

Life Observation # 164 “If time travel is possible . . . we'll know about it beforehand.”   Traveling woes At the airport for a business trip I settled down to wait for the boarding announcement at gate C2. Then I heard the voice on the public address system saying, “We apologize for the inconvenience, but Alaska Flight 51 will board from Gate C8.” So everyone picked up our luggage and carry-on’s and headed down the corridor to gate C8.  It was not 10 minutes later the public address voice told us that Flight 51 would in fact be boarding from Gate C2. So again everyone gathered our stuff and returned to the original gate.  Just as we were settling down the public address voice once again spoke:  “Thank you for participating in Alaska Airlines physical fitness program.” Ice

Words of Encouragement I saw this picture the other day and many of us go about our days trying to be upbeat and have positive thoughts.  Even on a crappy day it seems to make it go quickly so we can get back to a place where the positive takes over again. You never know the power of encouragement as you can see from the picture that early in life we received it and it started us on the mobile paths that we take each day as we go through our lives. Take the time to encourage those around you so that they can reach their individual potential and over time maybe there will be enough energy that we can have a Zen like transformation of our piece of the world making it a better place to live.  It starts off small but can grow to improbable things if we put in the effort. It started off with baby steps, went to a wobbly walk, and now we have the ability to run! Enjoy the moment as that is all that is real, and be positive to align yourself with a rewardi...

I am sure there are times in everyone’s life that it seems like the hard times are the ones that keep finding there way into our lives which create stress within that person’s being. Every one of us needs to find that center where we can rid ourselves of those things which we may not be able to change or fix.  Lose those feelings of helplessness and pain. Next time you are stressed; Take a step back, inhale deeply and laugh. Laughter will ease muscle tension and allow your thoughts to flow into calmness all around you.  Laughter releases endorphin's that help you feel better and maintain a positive attitude. Remember who you are and why you are here. You're never given anything in this world that you can't handle. Prepare yourself for the unexpected. Be strong . . . be flexible . . . love yourself and love others. Life changes and you do not want to waste opportunities in your life. Always remember, just keep moving forward. Neve...

Anyone can achieve their fullest potential, who we are might be pre-determined, but the path we follow is always of our own choosing. We should never allow our fears, or the expectations of others to set the frontiers of our destiny. Your destiny can't be changed but, it can be challenged.   Every man is born as many men and dies as a single one. How is your own endgame of Life? Live fully and be prepared for the unexpected! Ice

You have the power to change someone’s life tonight . . . a call . . . an encouraging email . . . an idea . . . a contact . . . a positive post . . . or even a smile. And the funny thing is . . . when you do . . . your own life changes too! Ice

It looks like we may be in for another round of bad weather here in Alaska . The Municipality of Anchorage has issued a travel warning due to the snow, ice, and cold weather. They suggest that anyone traveling in the current icy conditions should make sure they have the following: Shovel Blankets or sleeping bag Extra clothing including hat and gloves 24 hours worth of food De-Icer Rock Salt Flashlight with spare batteries Road Flares or Reflective Triangles Candle and matches First Aid Kit Booster cables I looked like such an idiot on the bus this morning as I went for coffee! Ice

Confucius say: If you think we’re going to sum up your whole life on this little bit of paper, you’re crazy! Ice

The sun will rise and set today . . . regardless of what is going on in your life. You will go on today . . . regardless of what is happening to your, for you or around you. You can go through your day on autopilot or you can choose to appreciate your life experience. What will you choose today? Today I'm choosing to be grateful . . . for every moment and every person in my life. Everyday we have the opportunity to make this “Now” moment in our lives the best possible time as it is always fleeting and we can never get it back again. I'm blessed because you are here with me . . . on my journey.  Ice