Mid Term

So mid term, things are going o.k. I am keeping my head above water so far. I think I will squeak by, but I have defiantly learned my lesson. No more 15 credit terms, unless I can afford to cut back my hours at work. I got a job working as a lab monitor for 2 or so hours a week. Should give me some time to study with out my family interrupting me every few minutes. Start that next week I believe.

What was I thinking???

So fall term started with a whimper. 15 credits was way to much to under take. I feel like I am drowning. I am trying to muttle threw it with passing grades, But I think my GPA is really going to take a severe hit. I knew I should have stopped at 12 credits. Common sense ain't to common I guess.

Fall Term

So fall term just started. I am working full time, and trying to take 15 credits. 2 classes are tied together, so it's basically like one big course. It's a pretty cool class so far, we work in teams of two in the brand new networking lab. We have multiple computers and our own network we get to play with. We have a professional server room that we can go into and work on. I am really looking forward to this class. My health class is my first ever online class. I am kind of on the fence so far. I like a class room, and this seems like I could easily get lost and fall behind. But it is the future, and I need to get used to it. I have three or four more in the next two terms.

Political Season

As the political season slowly heats up I am reminded of something I have believed and tried to practice my entire adult life. I vote not for the person who promises to do the most good, but for the candidate that I truly believe will cause the least harm. The damage a politician causes will haunt us much longer then any good deeds they achieve. I also strongly believe in voting for a candidate not a political party. Political parties are like organized religions, they hide behind there lies of helping the greater good                                (THE GREATER GOOD) 

but truly only care about promoting their own agenda and personal interests. But when in doubt, vote for the person with the weirdest name. At the very least you will be entertained by the puppets on the news broadcasts butchering their names when they do something wrong, which we all know is just simple a matter of time before they do. I know somewhere out there is a person with the name of  Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch (a city in Whales). If there is a god, that person will get an elected office, and do something so stupid that they make news around the world, and we all will get to watch the talking heads butcher there name 24 hours a day 7 days a week for weeks as the scandal unfolds. Then my life will truly be complete.

Apocabox, August 2015

Pretty cool box this month. Creek did it again. Not sure how he keeps finding such cool new stuff for us, but he continues to impress me. So lets get into this box.

So first up was the Ishwash Personal Eyewash: $12.99. Screw it onto any ordinary water bottle and you have a personal eyewash station. For anyone that has ever gotten something into there eye, you know exactly how important this is to have in your first aid kit. 

Next was the Ursa major Face wipes: $3. I will be the first to admit that when I opened the box I thought these were rubbers. I was like damn Creek what kinda camping trip you planning on? But come to find out these are "super natural" skin care wipes. Have not tried them yet but I am sure there great. Always found wet wipes super handy. In the Army we all kept a small pack of them in our kits just makes you feel a little more human washing up once in a while. 

I heart Knives patch: $5, umm I am not a patch guy, so I will just move on,,,,

Next is the Day zero bow makers guide: $12. If you read this and can not make a bow drill afterwards, please start stalking up on bic's or something cause if this book can't help you noising will.

Next we have the Para cord pack Leash: $3. Nice chunk of para cord with clips on each end to leash something that you need quick access to, on the outside of your pack, and of course it's a nice chunk of spare cordage. 

Another knife, THANK YOU CREEK!!! always need more knives :) This is the John Russell Sheath Knife: $17.99. Really nice knife, but in need of a sheath. Which just so happens to be a part of this month's challenge. More to follow on that. This knife is made by one of the oldest knife makers in the U.S. It has a classic old school design, and the handle feels so good in your hand. Very cool addition to your knife collection.

End of days survival card: $24.95. This is amazing. Small card, fits easily into your wallet. Has hooks, arrowhead, awl, saw, sewing needles, snare locks trident, tweezers, and small game arrowhead. All in this little card. It's crazy and awesome all at the same time. 

Well I thought I had seen it all when Creek got us fire para cord a few boxes ago. But now he gives us glow in the dark para cord. For anyone that has gotten up before first light to take a leak and tripped over the para cord holding up your shelter, or clothe lined themselves will appreciate and wonder why it took so long to invent this. Glow in the dark pare cord: $9.99. Made by Uber Glow, it's 50 feet of 7 strand core, para cord. Plus it is rot and mildew resistant. Not sure how I want to incorporate this into my kits, but it is a great item to have. It really glows nicely, and it doesn't seem to loose it's glow.

Nest is the Speedy stitcher sewing awl: $14.99. So for those of you not old school, you probably have not seen one of these. I have been trying to find one for a while. This is how people for generations have made and repaired gear. It's a hard core sewing kit basically. The needle stores inside, you unscrew the cap take out the needles and put the thread through the needle tip then go to work.

The monthly challenge-Make a improvised knife sheath. The Awl above is quite handy in doing this challenge. Creek put a video showing how to make 4 different types of sheath all made for the John Russell knife. Haven't had time to make one yet, but maybe this month thence I don't have any school.

Christopher Moore Book Signing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So for my birthday we went to Portland ( a 3 hour drive) to go to the Christopher Moore book signing at Powell Books in Beaverton. It was amazing. He is super funny, and very nice. The place was packed. We got there 2 hours early and I am so glad we did, we would not have gotten seats if we had been a half hour later. Plus you have to get a ticket for the signing and the later you get there the higher your ticket number, the longer your wait. It started at 7pm, he talked and answered questions for about an hour then the signing started. We got through around 9:20 or so. Had diner and Firehouse Subs, my new favorite place in the whole world, and then spent over three more hours driving home. Greatest Birthday ever!!!

 Christopher Moore trying to get the mic stand to stay up, yes he had to talk dirty to it!

 After giving up on the mic stand,,,,

 Waiting for our number to be called. He would sign up to 5 books, and personalise up to two per ticket.

 In line, one person ahead of me,,,,

 Had him sign his new book Second hand souls, and he personalized my collector, leather bound, copy of Lamb, after saying it was one of the cheap crappy first editions that felt like a real bible.

It says "To Brian, Braise the Lord! (350* for 3 Hrs.)"

Such a nice guy and super funny, just so happy to finally get to meet him, and have him be as awesome a person as I had imagined. 

Summer Term

So Summer term came to an end for me today. Looks like I finished with straight A's!!!!! I finished CIS 120 with a 105%, and WR 121 in an A not sure the % yet. Either way, now I have a month off, then back at it in the fall. Going to try 15 credits this fall. I am guessing the first week I will drop down to 12, but I am going to try. 

Oh Yeah, Super Nerd!!

School

So Summer term is quickly winding down. A few more weeks and I get a month off of school. I am all registered for fall term. I am taking 15 credits, hope I survive. I changed my major, I was doing a one year certificate for Auto Cad, now I am doing a associate of applied science. Going to mostly focus on networking, but take a few auto card classes for work. They count as electives for my major. so it's a win, win. I get what I need for my short term work goals, and get ready for my more long term goals. I applied for a scholarship through the school and was just notified that I got it. That will really help financially. It's going to be a tough few years, but I really feel the work will be worth it. 

Finally getting to the last Apoxabox, right before the new one shows up

First we have Purinize, $15.95. This is a Water purifier. A couple drops in your water and your good to go. 

Crick-ettes, $3.00. O.K. so it's a box of crickets, salt'n vinegar flavored. My whole family tried these. There not bad, but there not going to become a regular part of my diet. 

Berry Finder $6.00. Cool book for expanding your plant knowledge. Knowledge is power!! Mostly covers the East coast, but is still a nice book to have on hand. 

Creek's "rewild" Bandana, $6.00. You never have enough of these. Made in the U.S. out of 100% cotton.

Speedy Sharp, $11. This is a super cool item. Sharpen a blade in a few seconds. Small and super handy. I am loving this item. 

Custom Arkansas Stone, $8. Really nice natural sharpener. Comes in a nice little case. The edges have a groove cut into them so you can tie the stone down for safer sharpening. 

 Keep Calm and Survive patch, $5. Another patch,,,,,,yeah. Not a big patch fan, but anywho,,,,,

Wallet Ninja, $10. You have more then likely seen these on TV and in stores. There pretty handy. 18 tool in a item the size of a credit card.

Instant bowstring + Kit $12. This is pretty amazing item. I would recommend everyone have one of these in every kit you have. It's bow string, it comes with needles for sowing up torn gear. Make traps, fish, everything you can use for cordage in one tiny container. And best of all, 700 lb tensile strength!!!

Scandinavian Kuksa, $32. This is very cool. Handmade!! This if taken care of can last a life time. It's an amazing cup.

And finally the challenge, to start a fire with a plastic water bottle and a little water in it. Haven't tried yet, but I am guessing it will be a challenge, and a good skill to perfect.

Cool but Scary web site

One of my teachers showed us this site. It shows the cyber attacks currently going on around the world. It's pretty cool to watch.

Apocabox,,,,,,,

Sorry I haven't posted about the most recent Apoxabox, been busy. The knife was part of a treasure hunt. Sadly you had to live in the right part of the country to play, and sadly I am a very far away. This month's box was good, Not my favorite box, but there always good. I will post what was in it soon.

Summer term

So Summer term has officially started. A rough start, but slowly improving. 

My courses this term are WR 121, and CIS 120. CIS 120 is a cool class. Learning a lot about computers and the teacher is great. WR 121 is tough, but I think I am going to get through it. The teacher is cool, but I am having to learn to write from a complete different mind set. I am used to getting on my soap box and preaching, not presenting a focused argument. I am right, your wrong and this is why doesn't seem to cut it in this class. Shame really lol :)

Vacation

Enjoying a long over due vacation. Have gotten a few things around the house done. Been trying to relax, before summer term starts. One class looks really easy, but you never know. The grades for spring will be officially posted tomorrow. Got an A in speech and a B in Math. Such a tough math class. If it wasn't for the teacher I don't know how well I would have done.

Good Bye Finals!!

So Finals have come and gone. Math I finished with a very strong B, and Interpersonal communications I ended with a perfect 100 out of 100, An A baby!! Now I have a week off and then summer term starts. Writing 121 and Intro to computers. I am all registered for fall and can't wait till it starts. I wanna get into my core classes. I know these other classes have merit, but I just want to get to the meat of the degree. So let the countdown to September begin.

Apocabox teaser!!

So Creek put out a picture, labeled June Apocabox teaser,, All I can say is, if I open my Apocabox on the 15th and see this looking at me I will probable scream like a little girl, jump up and down, shed a few tears of joy, then start work on my alter to Creek Stewart. 

So it appears that only one lucky person is getting  knife. My apocabox should arrive tomorrow. I am not holding my breath. I think someone already got it :(

School, oh what a week

So one week till finals. I had my 2nd of the big three math tests. I got a 91% so it looks like I don't have to take the third test. Yeah me. I got my last project for that class done, will turn it in tomorrow. I have a paper to write up for speech but it should be easy. I completed my SCTE final test last night, and then this morning I did the certification test. So much stress off of my shoulders. Soon a week off then summer term starts up. Writing 121, and a intro to computers that is required for my degree. The computer one I have heard is pretty easy as long as you stay up with the class work. The writing I hope will be easy, but am expecting it to be brutal. I am all ready registered for fall. The courses I need are only offered in fall, so if I had missed it I would be out of luck for an entire year. Which then means I can't take the winter or spring classes. So it may be a little premature, but one term down, four to go.

FINALS WEEK!!!!!!!!

Well finals week is quickly approaching. Think I will pass all my classes, but still pretty stressed out, and the stress is only growing. Have a math test on Tuesday, depending on how it goes I will or will not have to take the final. Probably will just because I am a glutton for punishment. Plus I need to do one last project by Thursday and then hopefully that class will be done. teacher is cool, but it so much information, and I just don't have the geometry background for it. Thankfully it is my only math class unless I decide to move onto a four year program. I think about it once and a while but not sure if I can swing it. My speech class I am sad to see ending. It has been a really fun class specially thence it was the #1 most dreaded class for me when I looked at my required courses. I wanted to get the worst out of the way first. We have a final group project it is big but I have a great group and I think were going to do really well.

Apocabox-April,2015. Remember it's not if but when

Mr. Creek Stewart is back with another amazing Apocabox. So let's rip open this box and get to it!!

First up is Thompson Survival Snare Kit $15. Designed for US Air Force troops during WWII. Comes with two different sized snares, an instruction sheet(which I really need) and tie wire. These are handmade in Missouri.

Backwoods Magazine $5, Vol36 No 3. Autographed by cover boy Creek Stewart himself. A great magazine with a great interview of Creek.

Apocaseed Vault $10. This is a mini-portable packed seed kit. It has a 3+ year shelf life. Seeds are open pollinated, heirloom vegetable seeds. Has peas, bush beans, peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

Kellam Camp knife $16. This is a very cool knife. I was so stoked to see it. Very similar to a Mora. Blade is Carbon steel with a hardness of 56-57. Tempered plastic handle, and ambidextrous sheath. This knife made my day. If you like Mora, you will love this one.

Light Cube Xtreme $7, this is the coolest little flashlight I have ever seen. A 9-volt battery and your in business. Has two settings and for it's size it is BRIGHT!!. I am going to get a few more of these for all my bags. Just a great little light.

Apocabands x6 $3, A modern twist on Ranger bands. Super strong rubber bands. Super good for keeping your kit where is should be, on you!

Apocabox Myol Patch $5, Everyone needs another patch on there bag.

Mustache Char cloth kit $18  Another hand made item. This kit is all so part of your challenge. You have a tin, inside it you have some cloth, some jute, a hand made flint arrow head, and a very manly flint striker. If your not familiar with char cloth you really need to learn about this fantastic fire tinder!!

RED/Black Buffalo Scarf $15, This is a 100% cotton 42"x42" scarf. A fantastic addition to everyone's kits. Scarf's are one of the most versatile things you can carry on you.

Paracord wrapped fishing kit $8, This is a super tiny all in one kit you can clip to your bag. Inside the paracord you have, fishing line, hooks, sinkers, swivels, bobbers, mini-knife, cotton fire tinder, and a fero rod!! This and a mini bivy bag with a water container and you have a decent get home kit.  

Terry Pratchett

He may be gone but he shall never be forgotten. It was recently announced that he finished a book before his death and it will be published on Sept. 10th 2015. I am not sure if it will be available everywhere on that date or just in the UK. They usually release his books in the UK a week or two ahead of the rest of the world. 

School part 2

So school is going o.k. so far. I'm learning a lot, I guess. My math class has four projects this term, and the book is broke down to 4 chapters, so the 1st project and 1st chapter are now done and turned in. I hope I did well on the project. I feel I either hit it out of the park, or bombed it completely. We will find out soon enough. Speech is by far my favorite class so far. Again we just finished out 1st module project. I hope and feel I did well, but again I shall see soon. Registration for summer term is Friday. I have everything lined up and hopefully will not screw up like I did this term.  

Follow up to this post, I got a D on my project but spoke with the teacher and got it raised to a C. Did much better on the second project, got a A, and my last project will be turned in tomorrow.

School

So yesterday was my first day back at school. It went o.k. I guess. It started with an issue, but I think it will work out. I screwed up when I registered for my classes. I clicked on the right class, but not the right day. It was open on Monday and Wednesday, or Tuesday and Thursday. I wanted the Tuesday one. So I ended up missing the course, and had to scramble and find a replacement. My next choice was a business speech or a interpersonal speech class. The business class didn't work with my schedule, so I picked the interpersonal. It is technically full, with two people on the waiting list. Several people didn't show, unfortunately, more people showed up wanting to be in the class. As it stands I am on the chopping block. 20 seats, I am number 21. Teacher was awesome and said she might make an exception for 21. I can't believe I am saying this but I am actually excited about this course. After the first day I am pumped to go to this class. Now one other thing has come up. My work has strongly requested I do another SCTE course. I started that last Friday. There giving me an hour paid each week to work on it, but this is a big course. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by it. It's a 10 week course. Eight chapters, but there very long chapters. So hopefully I can power through them. My new work schedule is o.k. I guess. Four ten hour shifts is o.k. Have done it before, but it gets old fast. Being that I am starting a new shift, school, SCTE course, and am on call all at once is a bit overwhelming. I shall survive,,,,,I think

Timberline Lodge

These are just a few pics from inside the lodge.

Mt Hood

These pics are from the road and parking lot at Timberline Lodge

The coolest Cabela's

This place is amazing!!. Even if your not into outdoor activities, It's just an amazing place to walk around. The Cabela's we went to was in Lacy, WA I think. It is near Seattle.