Ramble On...: 10 for 2012

10 Things I learned (or relearned) in 2012

Caffeine withdrawal - If I was given the choice to quit coffee/caffeine cold turkey again or take a fork to the eyeball it would not be an easy decision… 10 days of intense six-hour long headaches and nausea battles is enough to drive someone to drinking… Come to think of it, it kind of mimics what a 10-day hangover must be like. Life is surprisingly much better without. FDA is jumping in and last I read one of the popular energy drinks were credited with a couple dozen deaths and a spontaneous abortion… I can personally attest that much of what Wikipedia lists below is true …

Caffeine overdose can result in a state of central nervous system over-stimulation called caffeine intoxication (DSM-IV 305.90),[42] or colloquially the "caffeine jitters". The symptoms of caffeine intoxication are comparable to the symptoms of overdoses of other stimulants: they may include restlessness, fidgeting, anxiety, excitement, insomnia, flushing of the face, increased urination, gastrointestinal disturbance, muscle twitching, a rambling flow of thought and speech, irritability, irregular or rapid heart beat, and psychomotor agitation.[63] In cases of much larger overdoses, mania, depression, lapses in judgment, disorientation, disinhibition, delusions, hallucinations, or psychosis may occur, and rhabdomyolysis (breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue) can be provoked.[64][65]

Gotta find a new vice now.

Vice – Sick of fluff and pop culture trash so I have been watching some eye-opening videos on www.vice.com. The Vice Guide To Travel section is standout and about as real, gritty and as close to the action as you probably ever want to get - but could also be one of the best media sources to gain a worthwhile perspective… Anything else worth wile - news-wise - I get from the Colbert Report.

Personal bankruptcy in Oregon – The court allows you to keep $1000 worth of guns.

The first city building in Portland Oregon was a jail…

Refugees from Somalia that I have come to know this year are some of the coolest, toughest and most American people I have met in the US. Somalia was colonized by three different countries and was at war with itself for over two decades and has many tribal groups… “We are a crazy mixed up people, man…” It also ranks dead last (or takes top honors depending upon how you look at it) with N Korea and Afghanistan on the Corruption Index of 2012. Top rankings, meaning least corruption… Denmark, Finland, New Zealand. The refugee’s stories of survival is proof that the human spirit survives and can still thrive after facing the most inhumane atrocities. Their lives stand as testament to a courage that is beyond imagining.
Crack climbing is paramount for a healthy and fulfilling existence. On granite multi-pitch in the warming sunshine and tied in with my girlfriend it becomes sublime.

Maureen styling in Tuolumne

Just as climbing and a good relationship feed the soul, so too does awesome music… especially dancing to Sassparilla performing live at the Luarelthirst. And thanks to Vince who has again greatly enhanced/expanded my musical horizons with Other Lives.

My Canada Goose pink parka makes me happy.

Differences and distances mean little with family… Weathering life’s challenges, family and partner help bridge and complete - owning the good, the hard, the ugly, the transitions - the history that is us, the history that is me.