Last July I went camping as part of a big bicycle adventure. All went well except I found myself on the ground that night. My sleeping pad failed.

With the help of a fellow bicyclist I was able to figure out the valve area was leaking. That was the end of that sleeping pad, so I made do with the help of a walmart and a yoga mat for the rest of my trip.

Back around 2008 we went for an expected 10ish day / 100mi hike on the Appalachian trail. Things didn’t quite go as planned, and around day 7, we got into town and my hiking partner (now wife) turned her ankle in a parking lot tripping over one of those concrete wheel stops.

That ended our hiking a few days early, but we still had a great time. We rented a car, explored the area, and ended up at the NOC where we went rafting down the Nantahala.

Another new hobby Cory? We’ll it’s somewhat revisiting something I sampled over a decade ago. I had fun then, but didn’t pursue it. That counts for something, right?

I joined a club and am taking lessons in woodcarving. It’s a lot of fun and I’m nowhere near the youngest one there. Which is somewhat a surprise, as the hobby definitely gets a fair share of retired folks.

Some projects are whittling, using a knife. Others use tools called gouges in order to carve the wood. I think I’m more drawn to the projects using gouges, but I’m trying it all.

I put up the new shelving today. It wasn’t much fun, as they weren’t that that easy to put together. We have some similar shelves from the same manufacturer and I recall they weren’t the easiest to put together either, but they’ve held up well.

I hope this is enough shelving to handle everything. While decluttering is much needed, there are definitely things we’re going to keep too. If the boxes are curated and well packed, I have no trouble keeping them for awhile.

I’ve had my eyes on some equipment for a new hobby I’d like to try. It’s nothing terribly extravagant, but it’s not particularly cheap either.

The most basic of beginner equipment seems to lead to upgrades fairly quickly. It’s good kit, but there are some things just aren’t a great experience depending on what you are doing. It’s also hard to find deals on right now due to popularity post covid.

I’ve somehow accumulated a lot of stuff in the decade we’ve lived in our current house. We’re somewhat drowning in it, and it doesn’t help that I’m a bit of a messy pack rat either.

It’s time to declutter along with the requisite selling, giving, and throwing away of the excess. Of course, there are some things that I refuse to part with, but there’s a lot that just needs to go.

It’s hard to accomplish anything if you don’t get started. How many people talk about hiking the Appalachian Trail? They won’t succeed if they don’t start.

They have to walk up the first mountain.

I want to climb that first mountain with writing. There’s no reason I can’t take those first steps. I’ve certainly put it off long enough.

Procrastination is easy. I took a song writing course over a decade ago. Daily writing was suggested, but I didn’t follow through and create a habit.