Yesterday dad and I went up the cabin and cleaned out the ditch that feeds the lake with snowmelt and rain from the mountain. After checking out the cabin and making sure all was well we drove down to Petersburg and stopped in to see our family friends who keep an eye on our property. I met Tom Lance sr. and a lady who I think was his daughter. Good people as I have met and talked with them while dad was busy with someone else. I got to listen to some stories about times they were up at the cabin. On our way home Dad and I stopped at a couple motorcycle shops but didn't see anything interesting to us. No one seems to make a general-purpose standard bike anymore.
It was really nice to spend the day with dad and to meet good friends of the family, all in all one of the nicest days I have had in a long time.
Today I have been job hunting and posted some more resumes, the job hunt is leading further and further afield. We will see where it leads to, I have been trying to discern what I am supposed to be working towards and haven't figured out sort of job I am looking for, a fact that generally makes the whole process more frustrating. Since I finally have a workshop I have also been trying to find places to list my woodworking until I have a website up. Also posted a handyman for hire listing on craigslist to see if I can find some local work till I find something permanent.
Just for fun I have been working on finally getting the truck legal. Took it in to get an inspection yesterday and found out that I need new ball joints and control arms as well as rear brake pads. All told over 1300 dollars. Between this and Bergen's tuition this semester I am hoping for one of my job leads to pan out soon.

This Week

This week I have been reorganizing the basement of our apartment, with the goal of making it so I can actually work in my workshop. It is nearly done and the last two days I have been finishing up some bowls that I started on last summer. I also made a lamp out of a section of an oak tree for a bedside lamp. I will try to post some pictures soon. While reorganizing the house so we can put all our stuff away we found out there is no good place to put our snowboards so I did a little research and designed wooden snowboard hangers that allowed me to hang my board over the stairwell, a effective and pretty solution.
While I have been woodworking Bergen is learning about web design and has a practice site up at BergenHowlett.com. She bought EvanHowlett.com as well and hopefully after I have some more items finished up I will be able to sell them online.


On another note.

I have been dreaming about going for a multi day camping trip for a month, but it has been in the low 20s at night here and would be in the mid to low teens up in the mountains where I would like to go. So camping is postponed a while. When we do go I will be bringing the camera and will post photos and such when we get back. What I really like to do is go motorcycle camping out near our cabin by Davis WV. I have been figuring out how to carry all that we need to camp. While doing this I have been thinking about how nice it would be to own an adventure touring bike like a BMW f650gs which would be perfect for the type of riding we would like to do. But that is a fair way in the future. Our current bike, a 1982 cb450sc a dandy little bike by any standard, though it is small for two people let alone both of us and camping gear. It has been a wonderful first bike. It cost only 500 dollars with 2900 mile on the clock and no rust other than some small pitting of the exhaust. so far the odometer is up to a little over 4000 and it is just about broken in. I couldn't be happier with it for beginner bike.

A Beginning

In the last four years a lot has happened, I found the girl I love and went off to college. My junior year I fell seriously ill and had to take two semesters of medical leave. I graduated in May 2007 and on June first, four years to the day after our first date, I married the girl I love above all else in this world. I have in the last two years experienced more hardship and more happiness than I would have thought possible four years ago. After the frustration and sorrow that marked me deeply through my illness. I am now living with my beautiful Bergen and looking for the next adventure to set myself to. While at the same time struggling to keep working towards my continuing responsibilities to my wife and to my God, and to myself. Today I have my degree, a wonderful wife to support me, a faith that inspires me and an amazing family around me.
This is the starting point; the great adventure that is life stretches out before me with no plain choice pointing the way.