Hello World

Um.......Hello? Is this thing on? Test......test......

Anyhow, sitting around at home, and decided I'd start a blog. I've got an opinion on damn near everything, and everybody ELSE seems to be blasting their opinions forth across the world, so I figured I'd dive in.

A bit about me. I'm a currently unemployed EMT-Basic, studying to be a Registered Nurse. I live in Albuquerque, NM. I spend my free time reading, writing, cooking, doing DIY gear modifications, hiking, working with Civil Air Patrol, and doing volunteer Search and Rescue with Cibola SAR.

So....the blog. I'm essentially making this up as I go along, so I'll be posting on whatever piques my curiosity or rouses my interest. Most likely the majority of posts will be about SAR and hiking, along with outdoor gear (since I'm a massive gear-head). There will likely be a lot about the novels I've read, and the ones I'm writing. Mixed in will be a smattering of stuff about school, archery, modern medicine, and whatever else I feel like writing about.

Disclaimer: I'm blunt to the point of seeming insensitivity. If you're offended by something I say, I sincerely apologize. 99 times out of 100, it was NOT my intention to offend you.

So, with the formalities out of the way, on with the rambling.

I was invited to participate as a counselor/adult chaperon (when did I become an adult and how do I make it stop?) for a four day backpacking trip with the New Mexico foster care system. We'll be leaving tomorrow. My misgivings started when I learned that none of the young people going on the trip have any hiking experience whatsoever. I guess that's why God invented moleskin. But today, when I was helping pack provisions for the trip, I heard the single most absurd thing I've heard all summer. Perhaps all year. This gem came from the trip coordinator, who is a teammate of mine on Cibola SAR.

My SAR buddy: "One of the kids contacted me and asked if she could bring her pet duck."

Me (mishearing her, because my brain rejected the reality of the statement in a self-protective reflex): "I don't think a four day trip is really a good time to bring a dog that's not acclimated to the wilderness."

My SAR buddy: "No, not a dog. A duck. She says it walks on a leash and everything. I told her no, but then had to explain why not!"

This.

Let us pause to dissect the sheer illogicality of this. The usual arguments against pets on a trip like this apply: a) The animal is not used to hiking on wilderness trails. b) If it tires out and can't walk anymore, someone's going to have to carry it. c) Your pack is heavy already. Do you really want to carry animal food? d) where is the animal going to sleep? Is it tent-broken?

Followed by my strongest thought on the situation: a DUCK?!? On a backpacking trip?

Sigh......some days I miss my sanity.