Exploits of an Unemployed Ranchhand

Ah, hello all! As one of the hardworking members of the 511 crew over the years I have done much and seen more. Over time that all begins to wear on a spry young man and I could no longer hold up to the pressures of the world. In October I took the leap and became an unemployed member of society (isn't that an oxymoron). I am now part of a minority in America, something I have always yearned for, but being a white educated male I could never quite figure out how. So the next question on everyone's mind is what does an unemployed ranchhand do with all the spare time. Well here is the kicker, I usually get up around 7:30 and make breakfast before sitting down in front of my computer for the day. Believe me, had I known that giving up a job in the construction world would make my life look strikingly similar to a real job I might have reconsidered. There are some advantages (it is generally warmer in the house than out on the job site, yep and thats about it). There are some disadvantages (I no longer get to hang out with Wayne's dogs all day, when I get pissed I can't just swing my hammer at anything in sight, listening to "The Beat" isn't the same when your sitting down in front of a computer). I guess the reality is that it really is a full time job just to look for a full time job. I am only unemployed so long as the damn architecture firms in Seattle refuse to hire me. I have decided to move on from the world of construction (read: feeding cattle, cutting hay, etc.) and into the huge industry of sustainable architecture. It also follows that I should go to where the industry is strongest and making the most impact on the world of green design and that would lead me to the Northwest.
Not to be discouraged, I have still managed to do some gallivanting around the world in my lonely unemployment. There is a small hill in Africa that I somehow got persuaded to try and climb. Some of you may have heard of Mt. Kilimanjaro, for those of you that haven't it is a mountain in Africa that sticks up out of the ground and rises towards the sky, no big deal. I went over there with Heather, somehow not ever a fellow ranchhand, in order to spend some time in Ekwanda, Kenya working on a computer lab in the school. Well, since I assume all of you are well informed, the political chaos in Kenya forced us to cancel our volunteer work. Since our trek was already planned we were stuck between a rock and a hard place. Unfortunately it was enough of an issue that it even caused me to bring Heather to tears (sorry Heather). Anyway, to make a long story short this is how are adventure went, in three words: rain, summit, rain. For the dry season it sure did rain a hell of a lot, and as a result we only saw the mountain twice. It was still a magestic sight, and the trek was equally awesome. We did successfully summit in the middle of the night during the January full moon and I did some jumping around and then I gave Heather a hug. Although high, I felt great, or maybe I felt great because I was high (isn't that how it always is with thin air). My only regret is that on my first trip to Africa I never saw any wildlife, I even took a gun so that I could kill a lion on the summit as a trophy.
With that I believe I will close this post off. I hope all who read this are doing well and may you all get lucky tonight.