Fallen off the Radar

I know that a lot of time has passed since my last entry.

There have been some changes that have inhibited my writing - basically because by the time I get home from work (which is now full time instead of part time), where I spend 90% of the day on the computer, I don't want to sit on the one at home.  That and the desire to complete home renovations as well as play outside, doesn't leave a lot of time for blog writing.

Another reason that I stopped and went on a bit of a hiatus is that I had a "friend" that swore that she would never do a blog when I started mine and we had a lengthy discussion as to why a blog was a bad idea in her opinion.  So while mine was going in full force, I noticed on crackbook, I mean facebook, that she had started one as well.  And upon reading it found, that it was pretty much a carbon copy of mine.  After that I also noticed that as soon as I posted a pic on facebook of a view where I was at the moment or what I was doing, then miraculously within 5 minutes she would be doing the exact same thing. 

Now all this could have been a giant coincidence but I did a few "tests" and no word of a lie, within 5 minutes she would have done something very similar. 

Now I know the saying that it sincerest form of flattery, but to be honest it was driving me NUTS! 
Now I have friends that have blogs as well, but I don;t feel that mine is a copy in any way of theirs, since most of theirs are about their trials and tribulations of parenthood.  Which I guess could be compared to making it to the summit of a mountain.  So to those that have those blogs I'm sorry, but I swear, any similarities are purely coincidental.

Back to the Everest front - the plans are still there!  The training has fallen a little by the wayside, but it is coming back.  See above for all my excuses :S. 

I just wanted to fill everyone in as to why my absence has been so long and why.  It was a  case of copycatitis, which has been rectified - thanks block/delete on facebook.

More entries will be coming soon!  I promise!

If you put your mind to it, anything is possible.

This trek to Everest is something I have put my mind to.  That is why I know that I will be successful.  I try to not have unattainable dreams, I mean what would be the point, it is unattainable, will never happen and then I end up feeling like I failed, never a good feeling.

I have family member and friends that are being uber supportive in my quest, mainly because they have seen the change in me, and know what I used to be able to do and will be able to do again.  I'm sure that I have so-called "friends" that are reading this blog and snorting to themselves and thinking that I will never accomplish this feat.

One good friend told me to win some money, hire a helicopter and that I could be there in no time at all.  But then said that they totally believed in me accomplishing the goal.  That is a great friend, the humor that I enjoy and then the honest support.  If I did win the lottery, I would be hiring a helicopter to fly me to my private island in the Caribbean, not to get to Everest.  I would use the money to maybe hire a trainer, but oh well, if I do it all on my own, it is more of an accomplishment.  And I had an aunt and uncle get me the Lonely Planet book on Nepal and a book on how to speak the Nepali language.  Time to start studying!!!

Setting a goal and believing in yourself is what more people in the world need to do.  A guy in my childhood hometown of Revelstoke accomplished his goal this weekend of skiing 2 million vertical feet in a single year and has set the first world record in Revelstoke since the historic Nels Nelsen ski jump record set in 1925.

Although I don't know Greg personally, he is a face that I recognize from town, and what he did is an inspiration to people like me that have also made a goal to do something athletic in the outdoors. 

Here is a link to the video about his goal featuring Revelstoke people and locations:
http://player.vimeo.com/video/17912571

And here is the newspaper article about him accomplishing his goal on Mt. Mackenzie this weekend.
http://www.revelstokecurrent.com/2010/12/31/greg-hill-establishes-revelstokes-first-world-record-since-1925/

Thanks Greg for showing me once again that once you set your mind to something, and even if it seems like a stretch, anything is possible and congratulations on achieving your goal.