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Well, I’ve cleaned off my computer desktop, so the next natural step would be to… complete the homework that I have open in my browser. Since I have no desire to do that, and no looming deadline, I decided to work more towards my luddite goals.
There wasn’t much on my desk to start with, but most of those few items needed to go.
I copied the photos from the camera onto my computer and put the camera back where it belongs.
The todo/reminder lists were condensed and put into digital form.
Random papers were filed away.
The coin rolls from when I rolled my loose change were put in my backpack so that I will remember to change them for paper money.
Now my desk is much less cluttered and more pleasant to work at. On it are:
My laptop and mouse.
A hand-made mug (from childhood) that holds some of my fountain pens.
A small scratch pad for capturing ideas.
The piece of paper that is part of the project I’m currently working on.
After only about 10 minutes, this is a nice step in the right direction. Now I just need to keep the momentum going. Guess I should really get started on that homework…
As I mentioned in my recent post, one of the things that I wanted to do was to declutter my computer’s desktop (once again). Once I finished writing the last post, I decided that it was the perfect time to do exactly that.
As a sign that I really wanted to make this change, I had already narrowed my browsers down to a single window with only three tabs open (email, homework, and post editor for blog). It was a simple matter to close my email tab and leave the homework tab for later (since I need to actually do some homework.) And once I finish writing this post, the post editor will be closed as well.
I had gathered quite a few items on my desktop, so I had to spend a few minutes to take care of them. As I cleaned I listened to a podcast that I had downloaded. Once it was finished I was able to delete it. A number of files were reminders to myself, many of which had already passed. They were deleted, and the remainder were transferred to my todo list. The rest of the files were thrown into the “Stuff” folder on my desktop. This folder and the “Recycle Bin” are the only icons on my desktop at this point.
Of course, it was time for a new background as well. I checked to see what I had already downloaded, and then spent less than five minutes checking online. Nothing online beat what I already had, so I went with these adorable penguins. (Though I deleted the text, as it was too distracting to leave.)
So, the finished result? After less than fifteen minutes, I have a total of two icons on my desktop, a relaxing background that I enjoy, and far less clutter on my computer. Here in just a moment the only programs I will have open is some sort of music player and the web page I need to do my homework.
I spend way too much time on my computer. Reading blogs, looking up information, checking email, finding things to do, and other unimportant things. Unfortunately, this is nothing new, since I’ve written about it before.
This idea comes as an extension of the Minimalist Experiment. I’m going to become something of a modern luddite, while simultaneously trying to become more productive. Since I feel that I spend too much time on my computer, the vast majority of it in unimportant, unproductive tasks, it is time to cut out some of my computer time. I have better things to do.
So Here’s the Plan
I’ve got a few things that I want to get done, and a few ideas of how to do them.
Things to Get Done
Write a minimum of one high-quality blog post a week (because I’m doing horribly at keeping any kind of a writing schedule going.)
Create a digital resource (ebook) that I can sell.
Keep up with my schoolwork and maintain my grades (some of my classes have major online components, so I’ll be using my computer frequently).
How To Get Them Done
This could also be called the “Things To Get Rid of List”.
Check email only twice a day (instead of keeping gmail open at all times in my browser.)
Determine how often I really use Facebook, and if it’s not often enough then delete my Facebook account! If it is useful, then I can at least unfriend all of the people that I don’t talk to.
Determine how useful Twitter really is for me, and if it’s not useful, then delete the Twitter account! If it is useful, then at least unfollow the vast majority of the people who I don’t talk to.
Ignore my cell phone more. I’m pretty good at this already, but I am still pretty dependent on that gadget that I carry around all day long.
Since I don’t have a TV, I don’t struggle with the desire to watch that. I am, however, often tempted to watch some favorite shows online. So I have to ensure that I only watch them once my “to do” tasks are completed.
Clean up my computer’s desktop to get rid of the distractions that lurk there.
Clean up my actual desktop to get rid of the distractions that lurk there.
Timeframe
I’m hesitant to give a definite time restriction in which I want to get these things done. I will be putting them on my todo list each day. This way I will move at least a small step closer each day.
Within a week I will have cleaned up my desktop and deleted or pared down my Twitter and Facebook accounts.
Within a month I will have written the ebook that I said I would be working on for over a year now.
So there’s my plan. Would anyone like to join me as we take back our time from the technology that is supposed to help us?
Before the year started, I came up with an action plan for the year. I’ve managed to complete some of the goals so far, and recently managed another one.
Travel
My wife and went and saw the Moonbow in June. Granted, we had a horrible view of it, but we did get to see a glimpse of it. Next time we go, we’ll make sure it’s not on a weekend (it was horribly crowded!), and that it’s more in the wintertime so that we won’t have to be out quite so late.
Physical
I had to fall back to drinking some sodas last month. I was helping run a month-long summer camp and just plain ran out of energy and needed some caffeine. So I snuck in about 3 sodas last month. Haven’t had any since and don’t expect to, however.
Even more exciting news… I managed to complete an additional item on my Life List in June as well. My wife let me (actually is the one who talked me into) purchase a motorcycle! I’ve put almost 2,000 miles on Ms Peeps since then and ride whenever I get the chance. My wife finally joined me on a ride and is loving it! Expect to see lots more posts about motorcycle adventures from now on.
All too often I forget to carry my camera with me, and I miss some great shots. Each time, I tell myself that I need to remember to bring it with me the next time I head out the door, only to forget again.
By neglecting to carry my camera with me on a regular basis, not only do I miss out on some wonderful shots, but I also don’t get the practice that I need to improve my photographs.
Are you doing the same thing? Are you making it harder to improve your photography while missing great shots?
The solution is simple:
DON’T FORGET YOUR CAMERA!
If you have your camera, you’re likely to use it. Using it more often will result in an increase in the quality of your shots. Practice makes perfect, right?
For the month of July, I’ll be doing this. My camera will go everywhere with me. Part of my job this month is to document the daily happenings around me. This will force me to grow accustomed to carrying the camera with me everywhere, and remember to take pictures. I will be treating this forced lesson as the beginning of a long-term habit. I have a nice little point-and-shoot camera that fits perfectly into any of my pants pockets. Soon, it will become a frequent resident of those pockets as it joins me on my daily adventures.
What About You?
Are you going to continue wishing you took better pictures? Will you keep regretting that you missed some great photo opportunities because you didn’t have your camera with you? Join me this month as we work to make a habit of always having our cameras with us.
Terral Fox replied to my post Featuring YOU! and told me about a unique adventure that he and his brothers often go on: mountain unicycling! It is often called Muni for short. They ride specially built off-road unicycles down mountain biking trails. Terral said that “Mountain Unicycling is an incredible
challenge of balance, strength, and stamina. I think that the simplicity and challenge of it is what draws me to it.” I can certainly see how challenging this would be from this video that Terral made of himself and his brother out riding:
(This is definitely worth seeing full-screen. Click on the arrows next to the volume control to expand it.)
This video only served to pique my interest, so I asked Terral if he was willing to be interviewed. Fortunately he was, and he provided some wonderful details about how he got into Muni. Read on to see what he has to say. (My questions are in italics and Terral’s response is regular text.)
Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a freelance graphic designer and photographer living in Southern Utah. I have a degree in graphic design and I’m working on a second degree in photography as well. (editor’s note: You can see some of Terral’s work on his website.) Some of my favorite activities are: hiking, snowboarding, rock climbing, mountain biking, kayaking/rafting, camping, backpacking, fishing, and mountain unicycling. I love just about any outdoor recreational activity. I live in an area that offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities and an amazing landscape.
How did you get into Muni?
When I was in the 5th grade my friend got a unicycle for his birthday. I was intrigued by it and asked my parents if I could get one. The same year I got one for Christmas and learned how to ride it. I rode it around for several years but eventually it got put away and I rarely ever rode it. Later in life I became interested in BMX bikes. I couldn’t afford a new BMX bike that I could do tricks on so I had a used bike that someone gave me. It was in bad shape so I had to spend quite a bit of time fixing it up. One day my friends were out riding their bikes and I really wanted to go but my bike was not in shape to ride yet.
At this point I remembered my unicycle and I had this crazy idea… I wondered if I could do tricks on my unicycle. I dusted it off and began playing around on it. Before long I realized that I could stand up on the pedals and hop up and down. This, of course, led me to riding it around trying some of the tricks my friends were doing on BMX bikes. One of my friends saw me doing it and asked if I could teach him how to ride. Eventually he had one and was riding with me. On any given day we were out on either bikes or unicycles. One day we took a shortcut on a dirt road on our unicycles. We discovered that it was a totally different experience to go off road. One thing led to another and soon we decided to ride down a new mountain bike trail near our homes. It was 4.5 miles of technical single track downhill.
We thought that we had invented a new sport of mountain unicycling. The problem was that our unicycles were not designed to take the abuse we were giving them. They didn’t last very long at all. We ended up fixing them and modifying them to be better suited for off road use. Eventually my friend began looking for a new unicycle and found that there were custom unicycles being built for off road use. Of course this meant that we were not the first to venture off road on unicycles but it also meant that there were resources for better unicycles. Mountain unicycling is often shortened to “muni”.
What kind of gear do you need for Muni? Do you make or buy it? Where at, if you have a preferred place?
Eventually I got a new unicycle with a 24 inch wheel and a three inch tire. I ordered all of the parts online and assembled it myself. Although I’ve replaced some parts, I still ride the same unicycle. I have now been riding a unicycle for about 16 years and I have been riding muni for about 10 years.
A good mountain unicycle usually costs anywhere from $200 to $1,600. Some bike shops are now carrying mountain unicycles but most of them are bought online. It has become more popular in Europe so it is easier to purchase them there. Unicycle.com is really the only distributer of mountain unicycles in the U.S. that I know of.
Since all of a riders weight is placed directly on the pedals during most of the technical riding and while hopping they are made with extremely strong crank arms and hubs. They are also made with wide tires to get better traction and to absorb as much shock as possible. All mountain and freestyle unicycles have a handle on the front of the saddle. Some unicycles now have brakes but usually a rider’s legs are the only brakes that they have. Safety gear is a must! At bare minimum you will want a helmut, gloves, and shin guards. I often ride with elbow and knee pads as well.
Tell us about some experiences with Muni.
People give us funny looks and always make comments like “looks like the circus is in town”, or “what happened to the other half of your bike?”. They don’t realize that someone else said the same thing to us five minutes ago! The most common response when people find out that we ride on advanced mountain biking trails is that they think we are crazy and ask us if we have a death wish. In reality mountain unicycling is MUCH safer than mountain biking. I do both and I rarely get injuries from unicycling, if I do they are usually minor. Since a unicycle doesn’t coast it can only go as fast as your legs can pedal! When things get out of control it is easy to go from pedaling to running. I travel much faster on a mountain bike and if I crash, I can’t just bail and land on my feet like I can a unicycle. Of course there are people that push the limits of safety but for the most part it is safer than people think it is. The most common injury is a pedal to the calf!
The longest trail I have done was a 17 mile downhill trail. It is technical single track until the last two miles. Mountain unicycling is the best leg workout I have ever had. When we do a long trail or a trail that is very steep it hurts to go down stairs the next day!
Although all of the riding in the video is in the desert low elevation mountains (we filmed it in the early spring) we often ride in the high mountains.
<-- end interview -->
As you can see, Terral did a wonderful job of answering my questions. (Thanks Terral!) If you want to know more about him, check out his website or his new blog where he is selling the Unshoes sandals that he makes.
I’ve grown up enjoying beef jerky. It was frequently a snack for road trips, we would often take it on camping trips, and once a year my granddad would make a homemade batch. The different flavors and textures have always been a delight to try and compare. Imagine my surprise when I was offered a chance to review some meatless jerky (which I never even knew existed).
I was contacted by a representative of Primal Spirit Foods with a chance to sample their Primal Strips, Meatless Vegan Jerky. They were kind enough to send two strips of each flavor so that I could have friends and family help me taste them.
About the Jerky
It is made from either soy, seitan, or shiitake mushroom.
All natural, non-GMO, no cholesterol, no preservatives, no artificial colors.
Vegan / Kosher
I enjoyed the fact that there are relatively few ingredients in each of the flavors. In many cases, I am even able to recognize them!
The Flavors
(This is the order in which I tried the Primal Strips, what they’re made of, and what I thought about them.)
Mesquite Lime – Seitan – This is not dry like beef jerkey, after holding the food in my fingers it left a residue. This might be a drawback on the trail, having “dirty” wrappers to carry. I find its texture to be more like pulled pork than dried jerkey, it’s not quite as chewy as jerkey. My wife likes this softer texture, since she finds “regular” jerky too chewy. I prefer chewing on jerky for awhile, so I like the tougher texture. Over-all, we liked this flavoring.
Hickory Smoked – Soy – Gluten Free – I tried this jerky with my sister-in-law, who also loves jerky. Like the Mesquite Lime, the texture is more like pulled pork, and is quite moist. We both enjoyed the flavor and would eat it again. This is probably my favorite flavor.
Teriyaki – Seitan – This one I tried with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law. The texture is the same as the above two. None of the three of us liked the after-taste that this left.
Texas BBQ – Soy – Gluten Free – Tried this after a meal (probably shouldn’t test this right after a steak dinner) with my family: my wife, Mom, her husband, my sister, g-mom, and g-dad. Being jerky lovers, we didn’t care much for the texture (same as above) and weren’t fans of the flavoring. Since we had opened both packs, we fed the leftovers to the dog, who didn’t hesitate to eat it.
Hot & Spicy – Shiitake Mushrooms – I thought that this would be perfect for my brother-in-law, who loves spicy foods. However, he’s allergic to mushrooms, so he was unable to test it. I was able to test this with a friend, who was not quite a fan of the flavoring. As for the spiciness, she would be able to eat it one-half at a session.
This would have to be my third favorite, flavor-wise. In regard to spiciness, I thought that it had just enough spice to be worth eating, but not so much as it was painful for my tongue. It has a drier texture, more like a slim-jim, so I enjoyed this more. I also liked that it didn’t leave as much of a residue on my fingers after eating it. I think that this would make a great addition to a meal once it was chopped into smaller pieces. As such, it would be a great food take backpacking.
Thai Peanut – Seitan – I tried this with my wife and our friend. This had a similar texture to all of the others (except the Hot & Spicy), and left a bit of flavor on one’s fingers. I liked this one fairly well, while my friend didn’t care for it. My wife didn’t like it at all, claiming it to possibly be her least favorite.
Overall Opinion
I’ve read a couple of reviews for these guys and there seem to be mixed feelings. Vegetarians and vegans seem to love them and meat-eaters can’t stand them. I’m right in the middle. There are a couple whose flavor I enjoyed, and a couple more that I couldn’t tolerate. My wife and I first tasted the Mesquite Lime and greatly enjoyed it. We’ll definitely be taking it, the Hickory Smoked, and the Hot & Spicy on the trail with us. The rest, I won’t be eating again.
What You Should Do
My review might be mixed (some I love, some I don’t), but my tastes aren’t the same as yours. I quickly noticed that as I shared them with my friends. Some of the ones that I liked, no one else did. Some of the ones that I couldn’t stand others raved about. Primal Strips are certainly worth trying for yourself. It’s not beef jerky, so don’t try to compare them directly. Try and enjoy them for what they are, a treat unto themselves!
As with so many other adventures, you don’t really need much to go camping. It’s easy to spend a lot of money on camping gear, especially when you’re first starting out. Instead, begin with the basics, most of which you can scrounge from home. Then, with more experience, you will be able to buy just the gear you need.
A destination – This can be your backyard, a nearby forest, or a national park. I’ve camped on islands in lakes, on beaches, in my backyard, on a mountain, in my car, and in numerous forests. You can always find somewhere to go camping when you start looking for them.
Some sort of shelter – Shelter can be as grand as a multi-person mansion of a tent, or a simple bedroll. I prefer using my hammock with a bugnet when camping, but still have a tent for backup. If you’re just starting out, you don’t need much. A tarp to keep rain off, and some sheets and blanket from home will keep you warm. They wash out afterwards, and can save you quite a bit of money.
Food – I love having a campfire to cook over, but it can be hard to find a spot where you’re allowed to build one. I’m also a stove junkie (see the above link about making your own gear). Even with both of those facts, though, you don’t need fire to eat well when camping. There is plenty of food that is easy to carry and tasty without having to heat it. Don’t go buy fancy “camping food” when you’re starting out. You can carry something that you eat at home, and then develop your outdoor cooking skills as you go along and acquire or make the gear.
Water – As always, water is vital. It’s easy to buy a 1-gallon jug at the store and carry that. Don’t throw it away, though! Save it for your next trip, and just refill it at home. If you’re car-camping, you can carry a cooler full of drinks.
That’s it, those are the basic requirements for a camping trip. Add in some bug repellent and sun screen and you’re good to go. With such a short list of necessities, and all of them being readily available at home, don’t let any excuses keep you from enjoying a camping trip now!
You don’t have to go hiking in order to enjoy nature. The National Parks Service does a wonderful job of providing easy-to-access locations that highlight some wonderful views and features of the parks. Within less than an hour, I can drive to a number of natural stone bridges, at least one waterfall, a number of cliff tops with beautiful views, a variety of rivers, and a couple of lakes. Each of these require walking for 100 yards or less.
Finding nearby parks is easy. Simply go the the National Parks Service website or the National Forest Service website and search by state. After clicking on your state, a map will come up showing the parks in your area. From there it’s easy to find attractions that might interest you.
An easy way to get an overview of all the parks in your area is to use Google maps. As you zoom in to your area, the green represents parks. I use this to find the names of nearby parks so that I can find out more information on the two official sites listed in the paragraph above.
Some Last Tips
When you go and visit don’t forget your camera, as there will be plenty of views that you will want to capture pictures of! Take plenty of water to drink so that you don’t have to leave just to find a drink. Carry some food along so that you can have a picnic. You might want bugspray and sunscreen.
Last but not least: have a good time and enjoy your adventure!
Hiking is another of the free adventures that anyone can go on. You may not be able to hike far, or wide, but you CAN get out and explore your surroundings. Discover what your local park has to offer. Find out where those trails you drive by go. Search out new places.
What You Need
You! – It’s hard to hike without being there!
A Place to Go – This is the primary requirement for a satisfying hike. It can be somewhere that you’ve never been, or a familiar favorite. Depending on how much time you have available, and what kind of mood you’re in, you can choose to hike through your city, through a local park, or find a trail at a nearby state park or national forest.
That’s it! You don’t need anything else to go hike and enjoy nature! After all: “It’s just walking, don’t over-complicate it.”
Stuff You Don’t Need, but Might Want to Take
If you’re like me, and a lot of other folks, you probably want a more extensive list, however. So here are a few more things that you might want to consider taking. You have all of them already, so it’s just a matter of deciding what you want to take.
Probably – Some Footwear – But that’s not necessarily true. Wear whatever you have available that’s comfortable to walk in. Personally, I’ve worn flip-flops, army boots, running shoes, and occasionally gone barefoot. I generally have my running shoes on, so they see the most action.
Water – It’s easy to forget your water bottle, or just not feel like carrying it. However, a nice, refreshing drink of water can be priceless during a hike. Something so simple as a water bottle can make a hike vastly more enjoyable.
Camera – You can never tell when you might run across a good photo opportunity. I don’t do a good enough job of always carrying my camera, but I do try. Keep your eyes open and you will discover many great photos and make some great memories.
Sunscreen – If your trail keeps you in the sun, you might want to consider protecting yourself.
A Map – Even if you know where you’re going, it’s always a good idea to have some more information available. Just in case.
While there is plenty more that I could list, this is a good place to stop. This covers the basics for any hiking that is nearby. If you’re heading out into a larger area, there are more items that you might want to carry, for safety just-in-case-reasons.
Enjoy your hike. And don’t forget, it’s just walking!
