Backyard Camping

When I was a kid, my parents would go out of town on occasion. Once I turned 14, they deemed me old enough to stay home alone while my younger sister went to stay with my grandparents. I know it seems a little ridiculous but I was a pretty good kid and it saved them the trouble of begging friends and family to check on the house or paying a house sitter and to be fair, I never really abused the privilege. I just remember that those weeks were great because I had the entire house to myself. I could eat dinner and watch TV; sleep in my room, the living room or even the backyard if I felt like it; have friends over without getting hassled by my mom.

The best time I had was probably when I was 17; my best friend Josh still lived in town and we’d recently discovered the wonders of drinking. We weren’t big partiers, more the outdoors types, which was perfect because my family was big on BBQ’s and cookouts. There was a built in grill in the backyard and my dad had built an outdoor fireplace—well, that’s what he called it, but it was really a fire pit with a cover on top—so we could basically spend all our time outside camping out in style.

Excited for the future

For the first time I can remember, I’m really excited about the future of America. I wasn’t that young when 9/11 happened, and I felt this unbearable anxiety. I wondered if everything I grew up knowing was true about America would be overturned at any moment. I lost hope for the future. Strangely enough, it seems like the gas prices getting so ridiculously high this summer has made everyone sit up and remember that we have to put more money into providing for the future, like putting money into renewable resources. I love that people are spending money on solar power, home solar systems, and learning the real facts of solar energy.

I love that people are looking for energy efficient appliances, and using recycled options for everything. I love that people are looking at their lives and wondering how they can make them more sustainable. It’s that progress? Isn’t that awesome? It’s an unbelievable feeling when your future goes from dark and really kind of scary to bright, protected, invested in. It’s not just one or two hippies any more. It’s so many of us, and together, we’re building an absolutely incredible future. That is something to be proud of and excited about.

My Summer Job in College

Between my freshman and sophomore years in college, I got a job in a car dealership working in the parts department. My job was a rather cool one. I checked in the parts coming off the truck every week, and then had to move them, and then deliver them all over the state each day to small garages. The problem came when our forklift died. It was older than I was, and there was no bringing it back to life. It was time for a new one.

My boss was a bit of a penny pincher, and was not about to buy a brand new one. He was more interested in a used forklift that still had a lot of hours left on it. And he left this task to me. I had to find a forklift in California in the summer time when I already had too much to do. Needless to say, I made rather quick work of tracking one down on the internet.
My boss and I rode out to where they had them, and saw the one I found on line. He tried it out, and got the price where he wanted it. Two days later it was delivered, and just in time. The truck rolled in about an hour later.