60th post

So instead of writing my own post today, I'd like to point you to another blog. This guy is hella amazing. Pat was once an English professor at UWSP, and changed my life. Completely. I am not making this up. Anyway, he went on to write a fantasy series, entitled "Name of the Wind", which happened to be on the New York Times best seller list. Be excited. Pat is really amazing. His most recent post is great. Check it out. Now.

Fishing

Tyson recently decided that he enjoys fishing, which is cool. As it turns out, Bailey the beagle also enjoys romping through the tall grass near the river. So, it's all around fun for everyone involved. Until Tyson doesn't manage to catch anything. But, I still think that he enjoys escapes to the Tongue River which is within walking distance from our apartment, but is still far enough away from the city to feel like you're escaping.

Our neighborhood has also seemed to adopt an ugly, white boxer but you know, I might be kind of biased. It's been roaming around without tags that indicate it's shots or name. I really dislike it when dogs don't have tags saying, "Hi, I'm Rover and live at (this address). My owner is Bob. Please return me." Not that Bailey has one yet... But we're working on that. (In the wolf-dog incident, her collar fell off, along with her shot and name information.)

I have also determined that taking Bailey to Murdoch's is like taking a kid to a toy store. She smells absolutely everything, and enjoys meeting new people. It seems that her ears almost fall off of her head and she looses any ability to listen that she might have had before. But, when she makes it out into the forest or river areas, she does great, even off her leash. Funny how dogs' brains work, eh? I cannot complain, though. She's great.

So, I'm planning an adventure to Custer State Park in South Dakota on my way back to Wisconsin. While it's going to add some extra time to the drive, I think it'll be a worth while adventure. I might get to meet up with some college friends along the way. And, it'll be a good opportunity to get some hiking and camping in before I need to worry about being a grown up for real again. It'll be like summer break all over again. Which can't be too bad, right?

And on a final note, I'd again like to point out how lucky we are to live in a country such as America. Sure, there are things that we might not like, but we've got a lot of stuff going for us. Like a lack of HIV or AIDS and an abundance of resources to take care of "diseases" such as this. I found an article on the New York Times about Uganda's AIDS problem. Uganda is an African country, surrounded by Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, and Sudan. While they are getting help from other countries, there still doesn't be enough help in countries such as this. Also, as a result of the AIDS "problem" (in lack of another word), the Ugandan government supports an Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Their bill allows for anyone who is openly gay and HIV positive to be executed. So, in fewer words, be happy that you live in a country that has enough supports and technology to help people with HIV or AIDS. Be happy that we live in a country where you're not going to be executed because of your sexual orientation.

Edit: here's a good description of the bucking horse sale

So, this weekend is the annual, "World Famous Bucking Horse Sale," which I hear is nothing more than a big street festival complete with rodeos, a parade, and horse races. And, of course, lots of booze. I'm excited to see what all goes on. This morning, as I was walking my beagle, the street vendors had begun to set up their food stands. Everything already smelled amazing. My dog seemed a bit distracted by all of the new smells, but managed to make a few friends along the way. I hope she's okay with the many people staying at our house this weekend. I'm sure it'll prove to be a good weekend, as there will be tons of friends that I haven't seen in a while. More updates to come.

Nothin' too new...

So, it's been a few days since I've posted.

In the last few weeks...

• ...we adopted a beagle. She's 2, and is a sweetie.
  
• ... I decided to opt out of judo. I don't think I'm dedicated enough, and we have a beagle. She's very needy, and time consuming.
  

• I joined a bar softball league. This shall be starting soon. (This Friday, I think.)

That's really all I've got. Nothing too exciting.