Icewind's Ramblings

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” Soren Kierkegaard My emotional baggage is in storage most of the time. I'm not afraid of it, but I don't think it helps me to be dragging it out and laboring over it all the time. It's a part of who I am but it doesn't define me. I do the defining. Working towards being the person I want to be when I finally get things right is what I focus on . . . not the baggage that might have gotten me off track. I look ahead, not back. I travel light. Ice

I had a great weekend with my friend Mark Evans in town after his long motorcycle ride from Texas to Alaska.   He made it all the way up past the Arctic Circle and on to Deadhorse in Prudhoe Bay at the top of the world a feat many people will never experience.   Congratulations Mark, driving a vehicle is tough enough but doing it on a motorcycle is a feat in itself! We met up on Wednesday and I took him to see Sarah Palin’s house on the lake and drove up about an hour where we enjoyed lunch in “Beautiful Downtown Talkeetna”. We wandered the streets and airport seeing the crazy sights and listening to all the sounds of a busy tourist season.   We drove back to the cabin he was staying in Wasilla where we enjoyed sitting on the porch of a two room cabin built in 1931.   Totally rustic with a gas lamp and outhouse we sat on the porch for hours talking and getting to know one another after communicating on FB for several years. Sipping from bottles of Jack & Crow...

A little different than Joni Mitchell’s but it what I’m in the mood for. I love the beat and need the uplift tonight after a week of losing another friend. Enjoy! Ice

“I can see myself it's a golden sunrise Young boy open up your eyes It's supposed to be your day. Now off you go horizon bound And you won't stop until you've found Your own kind of way. And the wind will whip your tousled hair, The sun, the rain, the sweet despair, Great tales of love and strife. And somewhere on your path to glory You will write your story of a life.” (Harry Chapin) It seems like this happens more and more these days as I received the call yesterday afternoon that one of my good friends and co-workers had died of a heart attack.   We worked on multiple projects together over the last three years and traveled around Alaska with the shared goal of building water treatment plants and clinics making life better for the communities and villages we worked in. I know this last winter had taken a toll on him with his family but things were working it self out getting back to an even keel.   We talked Friday and now in another instant he...

“Why are farts funny?” Most of my life has been spent researching this phenomenon and reporting the various circumstances for its embellishment.   My nickname has long stuck with me and I am sure over the years it has set off a few people . . .   some with disgust (from the smell) others with laughter (from the sounds) leaving some in pure astonishment (jumping up and cutting one while in the air).   Well, I’ve thought about this and I think I know why farts are funny.   I do believe it’s the surprise factor.   In comedy, a joke is funny because the punch line is unexpected.   A fart is like a smelly little punch line. This theory is confirmed by the fact that the funniest farts are the ones that are the least expected.   For example, a fart is funnier if it comes from someone who doesn’t usually fart or when the fart sneaks up on you in an inappropriate location (Nordstrom’s, church, job interview, etc.).   Another that I have discovered a...

Thank you by Dido Ice

I was going through some old boxes looking for something when I was sidetracked by a piece of paper I found.   As many of you know I used to have a dog Levi who was my constant companion and friend who went on many adventures with me or just sat at my feet while working at my desk or watching television.   I sure miss him but found something that gave me a chuckle and reminded me how much of my buddy Levi was. This was simply too much of a time saver not to share it with you. How to Clean a Toilet Put both lids of the toilet up then add 1/8 cup of pet shampoo to the water in the bowl. Pick up the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom. In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close the lid. You may need to stand on the lid. The cat will self agitate and make ample suds. Never mind the noises that come from the toilet, the cat is actually enjoying this. Flush the toilet three or four times. T...

Life is what it is, and you have the immense good fortune of being here, right now, to live it. Have a great weekend everyone! Ice

A vision without action is a daydream. - Japanese Proverb. Sometimes it is great that my late night gremlins stay at bay and allow a relaxed beautiful experience to take over my mind and in the after thought sound sleep sneaks in for just a little while. Ice

I didn’t sleep again last night so tonight I will be playing this piece several times I am sure as it takes me to a place where my mind will stop racing in the wind and allow me to a calm place. Here are two pieces of the same John Denver song, the first as originally performed with Mike Taylor as complimenting guitars.   It is just part of a suite of songs called “Season Suite” by John Denver, Mike Taylor & Dick Kniss consisting of: Summer Fall Winter Late Winter, Early Spring (When Everybody Goes to Mexico) Spring They are all beautiful music pieces & were released on the Rocky Mountain High album. Please take the time to listen to both versions as it will be a rewarding experience and we need those in these times . . . The next is the Lee Holdridge version with full orchestral arrangement performed both in a stage setting and also in the Rocky Mountains close to the Maroon Bells in Colorado just outside Aspen. It is a very beautiful piece with three ballerinas...

As I sit here this morning it has been several days now since I heard about Lance’s passing and like many people we are trying to make sense of it all. It is strange how news of such an event can take the wind out of your sails and gives us another reminder of how fragile life is.   Today would have been Lance’s fifty fifth birthday. When I first moved to Alaska Lance was one of the first people I met when I started working.   He dropped by my office to talk with my boss about several projects we were doing and his company was providing the insulation.   We chatted for a bit and then Lance wanted to take us out to lunch to get to know me more since I had just arrived. We talked and shared stories about ourselves, some good & bad and I realized that I liked his attitude and how much he embraced the “give a guy a chance” in life.   He said we all need ‘second chances’ and he was grateful that after problems in his own life someone was willing to give him a br...

It has been one of those weird Saturday’s with various things going on and nothing in particular. It was a bits and pieces kind of day with morning coffee and waiting for the concrete guy to show up to start his forms for pouring a slab in the garage.   Needless to say it was about noon before the phone call came in that he would not be here until Monday.   Possible morning golf missed before the weather turned, typical for this summer so far.   Then it was debated on heading out to the lake with golf tomorrow but the boat is still in for a tune up and not ready until next week so again no golf. Have a tee time for noon tomorrow so it allows time to piddle around finish laundry and other chores so not totally a wash plus I went to Lowe’s this afternoon and bought a BBQ grill and a couple chairs for the deck. A friend of mine emailed me this joke once he heard I was installing drains in the garage and possibly was going to install a urinal along with a slop sink in t...

Happy 4 th of July, a time to pause for reflection This past week has been a busy one filled with plenty of activities both at work and personal. The work time spent preparing several new projects added to this construction season which means taking of material lists so I can order all the parts and pieces to be shipped to the remote work sites.   The logistics of these endeavors are daunting trying to coordinate barge or air freight schedules with the crews and getting everything organized for a successful project. On the personal front there was “The Moving Wall” a half size replica of the Washington, DC Vietnam Veterans Memorial.   It is making its way through Alaska and was in Anchorage last week. I wanted to make my way to ‘The Wall’ at first with friends and then I knew it was a solo personal time for me to visit my fallen brothers.   I made my way to the Park Strip across the street from our Anchorage Vietnam Veterans Memorial and there it was the black mon...

We’ve all heard this one before. Most of us think about this when it comes to being generous with money, but this lesson applies to way more than charitable giving.  You literally get back everything you put out there.  It starts with the concept of “paying it forward” in your daily life.   Give that smile to the person who serves your coffee or brings you that lunch or dinner.   Help that person you can see struggling even if you know they will never ask for assistance. If you want more of anything in your life, then be aware of what you are personally putting out there . . . kindness, generosity, love, anger, frustration, and money.  It all comes right back to you. In the theme of that great 1967 song . . . “You can get anything you want . . .” Give freely, of your time, yourself and let the river of abundance flow through your being and welcome the things and blessing it brings. Have a n Ice day!

One of my favorite books over the years has been “Illusions – The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah” by Richard Bach.   I have read and re-read it over 35 years now and it remains a sort of ‘Life Bible’ for me over the years. It is a simple book and easy read with many gems on how you should live life and treat other people.   Bach is an aviator and flying stories over the years has been his common theme.   One of his early books was ‘Jonathon Livingston Seagull’ which was made into a movie. I have after a period of time gone back and read things again and asked myself some of the questions and have been surprised by the changing answers over the years.   Was it maturity or circumstance that brought about the perspective swings?   Here are a couple of quotes from the book to start you off on a flight to a better “me” or “you”.   Enjoy! Quotations from the Messiah's Handbook "Reminders for the Advanced Soul" in "Illusions - The Adventures of a Rel...

The last few days have been wonderful here in the beautiful summer sun of Alaska.   Had some great golf, a nice dinner last night and my usual Saturday Breakfast with friends and went to Sunday coffee before heading out to do some shopping and chores for the day. Now I am not one to complain about a lot of things but I do pride myself in observing people and commenting on the sometimes funny and crazy things that people do, especially if they do not think people are paying attention. This is a “what in the world do you think you’re doing” category rant that I observed this morning.   It totally put me off my coffee and I wanted to go out and find him to ask . . . What the hell? After about 4 cups of coffee and get up and head to the restroom and as I am walking in there is a fellow about 35 heading out the door.   I go in and there is someone standing at the urinal so my only place is the stall.   I walk into the stall and to my amazement the guy coming out did...

Trying really hard not to think about something makes that something the only thing on your mind. Ice

Many people hold on to their past and for some it is like an anchor that holds them back from being happy or living an abundant life.   To truly live abundantly in the present, we must dismiss the past and in many ways the future. Life concepts intrigue me as we must learn to accept this universal truth, now is all there ever is. We are here right now . . . in the present . . . no past, no future . . . Only now. Nothing else exists, besides this present moment. Think about that for a minute.   Now that is a reality check for sure. Fantasy Land is where you are when you spend your time thinking about the past or the future.   The power of our mind, we can make the past feel very real, however it is not real.   Your fantasies of the past may seem very real, our mind is quite powerful, but they are gone in an instant. Have you ever heard of placing a picture of a new car you wanted on the mirror and everyday looking at the picture and telling yourself that ...

Those words made famous by Rodney King, the man that was beaten by the LA police department in 1991 was found dead in his swimming pool in California. The police beating was captured on videotape by an onlooker and brought about showcasing the brutality and bad police tactics in LA.   When the trial ended with acquittals for three of the officers and the fourth ended in mistrial, the verdict caused one of the deadliest and costly race riots in the country’s history.   His words spoken on television at the height of the riots, “Can We All Get Along?” would later set the tone for the end of the siege on LA. Over they years since the incident King continued to have a troubled life in and out of jail for various charges and even tried a couple reality shows trying to kick his addictions.   Last year’s VH1 show Celebrity Rehab featured King as one of those trying to kick his alcoholism. There are probably two sides to this story but hopefully this troubled man finds peac...

Over the last couple of years there have been changes in my life and at times that isolation with myself has given me some time to think about all the different things and people directly around my life and those that are within that circle or circles that are peripheral to my main group.   I used to not really understand that we can figure out how this whole “life thing” works and once we do everything falls into place so much easier. I was primarily focused on absorbing as much information as I could and getting better at the things that I thought were going to “get me ahead in life”. But, I didn’t realize that I was also supposed to be focusing on seeing the bigger picture and learning from all the lessons that came my way. There were road blocks where I am sure I left family down at times by being focused on myself or the things I was involved in or closing off parts of me to get through whatever may have been going on in our lives. It hadn’t occurred to me that I wa...