I will not break you all covered up in wool

This past week I've had to buy a few pieces of gear for my upcoming BOSS Field course - specifically, a wool blanket and a fleece jacket, as well as a few items on order: a hardcore poncho and a sheath knife - and I've been joking with folks about how the need to buy anything at all had been totally unexpected. I mean, I've done some backpacking in my day and consequently have amassed a little stash of the gear deemed reasonable - from a modern perspective - for most any multi-day outing in all but the harshest of conditions (ex. winter storms, technical approaches/climbing, etc.). Yes, so regardless of the fact I pack light - go FAST! - in general, I still have things like a small tent, a sleeping bag.. and a backpack to carry it all. But yet, it was not enough..

Or, I should really say that the modern gear list does not jive with the one proposed by BOSS (and required) for their Field course, which is most notable for what it does NOT have on it. A tent, a sleeping bag, a backpack? The wilds of deserts or mountains be damned, this gear is no-can-do during my time in Utah. And I will surely miss thee..

But I think I will miss the food and water during the "Impact" phase (i.e. the first three or four days) the most. haha. What thoughts go through one's head under such adverse and, thankfully, foreign conditions? I can take a guess, of course, and perhaps my guess is more educated than that of most people.. I have certainly been massively dehydrated before, have literally fallen over from leg cramps during a few lengthy running and biking outings, have gone on overnight hikes with no food.. but the temporal scope for the BOSS course is much longer than I've endured before, and I'm not sure what to expect for the pace of activity and how that will affect my overall state. That is, I've only really hit upon these bodily limits after high intensity, relatively short term (i.e. 3-6 hour) outings, but I think here the hiking will be medium-to-slow-ish and so my body should have time to adapt to the limited, or *ahem* non-existent, food supply.

Further, I'm expecting, if this is true, to slip into a mindset, or, maybe more accurately, into a mode of existence that is simpler and more primitive than my normal, daily life dictated by a "Western" society (we know that this term hinges on historical legacy, given surging economies all over the world - but I digress).

But what exactly does that mean: Man of heightened senses or walking zombie? Or.. something else? I think I might take the easy way out right now and go with the last one - the something else - if only because I know the situation will demand that I tap, subconsciously anyway, into a mix of primal elements, both of a physical and spiritual nature. Wow.. more vagueries. But what can you do; what can you expect? These things, these feelings, are ancient and global and start to get at the heart of what it means to be alive and sentient and free, but, still, they are new to me.. haha.

Ah, but to get back to the discussion on gear, all is not lost! We will learn how to use our wool blanket as both backpack and bedding, our poncho as groundcover and/or roof, as required.. skills I certainly have not had the *need* for up until now, but who knows what applications one will find in the future, in the outdoors or otherwise. At the least, it could make for an interesting picnic, or, if I'm more bold, cocktail party. Wine glasses, I will not break you all snuggled up in wool..

I need a prescription for sasss caplets

Somehow it seems like a sleepy day, the city turned into a sleepy place; I may take a nap, in fact. The sun can't hide from my eyes, nor its rays from my scantily-clad skin; cloud cover is non-existent. I AM NOT COMPLAINING; bring on any and all repercussions (global warming notwithstanding) from these delicate doses of summertime that I only know from far away places (New England, ya heard). In fact, I would say to you, SUN, do not break out that tiny, 2oz medicinal measuring cap maybe taped behind the moon for our next photon-filled appointment. Pour that ooey-goodness directly from that bright yellow and tastefully sun-spotted bottle and we'll both be happy. Yes, it's a 70-something degree day in San Francisco - in San Francisco! - and what have you done to me?

Or, it could just be the hummus talking: I just chowed down on half a loaf of fresh-from-the-oven whole-wheat bread (yes, my oven!), with homemade hummus (yes, my home!). The secret is out and the secret is delicious; reservations open at noon and I take them daily, although you might have to bring your own ingredients. What do I do for work exactly?

Regardless of the reason, I laid down on my right side not too long ago and curled convexly and ever-so-slightly, in a position very similar to one I make when I *actually* sleep, but my Protestant ethic prevented me from submitting to the allures of dreamland for now. I mean, I have real problems trying to sleep at any time before 10pm, except, of course, if I'm operating on borrowed time from the night before (usually a chemical fueled decision, alcohol or otherwise), or under true physical duress (5 hour bikeride anyone, or a dance-a-thon?).

And although I did get some good drinking in (Booneville Beerfest) and a bit of outdoor activity (Pomo Canyon) this past weekend, they weren't in the type or quantity for me to let myself go (to bed) right now. Don't ask me about the exact nature of this logic - I would need a whiteboard, several doses of sasss (did you hear: they put sasss in caplets now), and everyone's bullshit detectors off (and cell phones while we're at it). But I can't imagine this proposed class actually happening; I could think of better ways to spend that time, especially if I've got a pocket full of sasss.