Alright, several disappointments here this evening.

1. My GPS claimed that moon rise would be at 7:50. The moon was more than 10 minutes late coming over the mountain. I think somebody should look into the delay.
2. Finally the moon shows, and it’s completely and totally not blue.
3. I still need to work on my night photography some more, and worry less about the moon’s schedule.

Well, with all that tongue and cheek stuff, I’m betting you’d like to see tonight’s photos…..

My blurry moon shot as it first popped over the horizon.

Enjoy your blue moon! Even if it is yellow.

Apparently tonight we’ve got a blue moon. Hmmm. I really need to read up on what a Blue Moon is all about.

Just returned from Wikipedia to investigate what a Blue Moon is all about. Very complex and deep topic, so I’ll leave it to you to investigate further at Wikipedia.

In the news

Looking at the web statistics today I noticed a new set of refers from the local paper. Gadget’s Airstream Chronicles got a mention recently in the Prescott Daily Courier! Wow! Take a look for yourself. Guess all that visiting with fellow bloggers was worth it. Oh wait, just getting to meet them in the first place was worth it!

Around Point of Rocks Campground

Most of today was spent around the trailer. Still searching for a needle in a PHP haystack for one web client. This silly little item is tucked away so well. I’ll keep up with the search.

Also, I’d realized that the latest Airstream site hasn’t been posted on the blog. For shame! 2 whole sites away from the last location, and my dove still hasn’t found me!

Things were fairly quiet today, so I took a quick walk up on to the rocks. The goal was to find a nice spot to take a few full moon photos tonight. I think I found the spot I wanted, so you might see yet another post before this day is done.

Well, off to get ready. Sunset around 7:30 (according to the Garmin GPS), Moon rise at 7:50. What would I do without the tech?

Back to the job hunt this morning.  I’m extremely disappointed with Microsoft’s Career Builder.  Clearly they’re not very selective regarding who they let look at your resume.  I’ve always had my resume at Monster since Sprint.  And I’ve never gotten spam due to it…..

Flash forward to a few weeks ago.  I signed up with Careerbuilder and Dice.  Suddenly I’m getting all these scam jobs.  This morning I received the following:

Dear careerbuilder jobseeker,

This message is a response to your resume from www.careerbuilder.com website. We have one job available for Work at Home with GUARANTEED $5,500 every month.

Established European company seeking dependable, enthusiastic representatives.

No matter what you do for a living - whether you are a teacher, a doctor, a lawyer, a secretary, nurse, housewife or construction worker.
We don’t ask fees for this job. We don’t ask experience, just few hours are needed in one week.

IMPORTANT - You must be over 21 years old.
IMPORTANT - US CITIZEN

We are looking for 30 representatives in US for beginning.

First, you have to understand what our company is looking for and if you think that  this kind of job is made for you to ask for our Representative Contract to be signed.

If you have one free hour daily (not including weekends) you are welcome to join today.

You can earn FROM $50,000 up to $200,000 a year (depends on our software sales) and more after one year working with us.
Our company can guarantee $5,500 every month in your first year of work.

What we offer you:

· Flexibility of hours (any hour you choose)
· Work at home (all you have to to is check your email and go to the bank)
· Part Time/Full Time
· Daytime and Evening Hours
· Professional management team with a strong support system

We have  stores in Spain and all Europe and we are looking for US representatives to handle US payments.

We are selling various products (security systems) in US and Canada and we need YOU to process all the

payments for these products because here in Europe the money orders and cashier checks are cleared within two weeks or more and is not reliable for our sales.

90% from US buyers don’t have the knowledge to pay with bank to bank transfers. You can intermediate our sales (process

payments) and you will be paid with 10% for every payment that you have to process.
Remember that your commission from this job is 10% from every amount that you will receive. This means that if you receive

You will have more than one payment for process per day. Your profit will be instant: you will have your commission in hand same day because you will deduct your money from every payment that you receive after the bank or the check cashing store clears the payment.

You DONT HAVE TO PAY FOR ANYTHING TO WORK FOR US like other internet companies are asking. Instead: you will have your 10% commission in hand with every order that you process. No need to wait for paycheck at the end of the month because you DEDUCT

YOUR COMMISSION SAME DAY YOU WORK.
You will receive the response same day. Remember: No costs: Nothing to buy. No membership to pay. No accounts to purchase.

More benefits:Work Full Time or Part Time
This is NOT Network Marketing
This is NOT a Distributorship
There is NO ‘Kit’ to Buy
There are NO Envelopes to Stuff
We DO NOT Charge You a Dime
We Pay Weekly

We have stocks of products for US and Canada customers and we need US representative to intermediate the payments between our company and the end buyers.

To simplify what this job implies: we advertise our software products on US market and because checks that are sent by customers here in Spain are cleared very slow (2 weeks plus shipping delay - more than 3 weeks), we need US representative (you) in order to receive payments for our products (checks, money orders) and cash them same day at the bank.
Your commission is 10% from each money order/ check, if you receive 2-3 checks one day you will make more than $200 every day.

If you agree please ask for our Representative Contract today to be viewed and signed.

If needed, contact us with your questions - REMEMBER: NO FEES TO WORK, NOTHING TO PAY, NOTHING TO MANUFACTURE HOME.

If you are interested working with our company reply today. You can start within 2-3 days if you agree with our contract.

Thank you for your patience

So, here’s the deal gang.  This is a standard 419 scam letter.  You’re going to cash checks for an overseas company.  You get in touch, they need your bank account number, you’re toast!

Can you believe that Careerbuilder allows access to these guys?  I sure can’t.  Oh, and yes, I get several of these types of scam jobs per day since signing up with Dice & Careerbuilder.  Glad Monster works so well.  Wish the other two did as well!

I just walked back in. Been sitting outside watching the moon rise over the Dells. Of course, I took one shot. Sorry, both tripods were packed away, so this one ended up with flash. Ah well.

This afternoon Andy, Brooke, & I went up to Groom Creek to play around the bouldering area. Figured I’d be best with an easier day on the rocks. Everything is ok after my cramp / pull on Saturday, but hey, go easy out there, right? Overall, a great day bouldering, and I’m downright exhausted!

As you’ve probably noticed, yet another site change. I’m liking the layout, and now I’ll be working on a new banner for the site (needs an Airstream scene from the past year). The previous theme wasn’t “widget ready”, and I’ve been wanting to add a few fun items to the site like the polls. But don’t worry, I’ll spruce up this theme in the coming days.

That’s one of the things I like about Wordpress. It’s very customizable, not to mention, free! If you’re ever looking to make a simple site, your own blog, or podcast site, check out Wordpress before you settle on anything else.

Well, just got a comment from my sister Aimee regarding due dates on her latest little one, and our other sister’s pending little one…..  What I really want to know are the selected names!!!! 

So, I’ll put it out there to see how my prediction capabilities are….

For Jade’s next daughter, I’m guessing June 1st, 3p.m. EST.  For Aimee’s next son, June 4th, 11 a.m.  Wow, I’m getting awful specific!

And yes, they’re both due any day now.  I get to be an uncle two times over again.  :)  Good luck Aimee & Jade!  I’m anxiously waiting to hear when the little ones arrive!

No posts for a few days. Whoops.

Memorial Day I was pretty tired. Worked on web issues for a client all morning. Have you ever gone through tons of php files to find one little reference? No? I have. Find something else to do that’s more fun!

For the afternoon my friend Sadira popped by. We went out and took a walk through the Dells, and watched all the folks on the lake having fun. Of course someone was out climbing too.

As you can see, many kayaks out of the lake. And many people out on the rocks around the water. You could hear people everywhere in the Dells, and that was something new. Usually it’s so quiet out there. But this time, with cookouts and kayakers, climbers and sunbathers, the Dells were alive with sound. Very different!

While walking in the Dells Rich L gave a buzz. He’d arrived in Camp Verde, not too far from here. Actually, that’s where I stayed when I first got back into Arizona after the Anza-Borrego trip. Close to the highway, nothing really amazing to see. There is a casino there though, and that’s where Rich was staying for the night. They were on their way to the Grand Canyon.

Sadira has been chatting back and forth with Rich. She’s another Airstream fan (yes, more of us do exist). So, they were hoping I’d be interested in a ride out to Camp Verde. Like I said, I was tired, so not really in the mood for a 45 minute drive. But I finally decided to go ahead and take a ride out.

We visited with Rich, Eleanor, & Emma for a while. Good to see them again. They’ll be out of AZ for months, so the “last visit” for a while.

And so where was yesterday’s blog? Ah, I was wrapped up all day. Spent hours looking for a needle in a haystack in php files again. Also, tried to figure out what the Podpress upgrade did to the ITunes downloads. For now folks, watching the podcasts or downloading the podcasts can still work on the web site, but the ITunes downloads are broken. Working on it.

Also, spent a good part of the day revising the resume, and sending it out to 3 more possible work locations in Prescott. Embry Riddle is looking for a tech person, Yavapai County needs an MIS project manager, and the local casino is looking for an IT manager. So, resumes to all 3. Hmmm…. Reading all 3, I’m over qualified again, but geeze, I’d like to get in with one of these. My preference? Embry Riddle…..it would be fun to work at a university!

What’s on tap today? More php work, more job hunting. This afternoon some light bouldering with Andy and Brooke. We’ll see how my hip feels.

Alright, there’s all the updates fit to print!

Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.  I’ve heard that often, and I’ve got one for you for sure!

Over the course of the past week I’ve noticed a little dove around my new site, #95.  This particular dove seems to like my truck.  Actually, I think it has declared the Titan to be it’s residence.

Each morning I walk out there’s the dove on the roof of the truck.  It sits and watches me as I work around the site.  The dove looks on while I sit back in my Zip Dee chairs and keep an eye on the swarm of bees working a tree near my trailer.  My dove seems to always be there now, and always watching me.

This morning I decided to walk right up to the truck and say howdy.  The cute little dove didn’t mind at all.  Check it out for yourself!

I’ve made so many friends here in Prescott over the past two months.  And I guess I’ve got one more friend that has declared my truck as their favorite resting spot.

Haven’t you always wanted your own dove?

Ah, don’t you think the truck could use a wash?  Guess I’ll clean it up for my new feathered friend.  I’m a little concerned though, I’m supposed to switch sites again (2 sites over).  Think my dove will find me once more?

The other day Andy & Brooke gave a buzz to see about another trip into Granite Basin. Of course I said “Sure!”

For Memorial Day weekend, it was pretty quiet at Granite Basin. Whether or not the campground there was full, I’m unsure. Today I didn’t take a ride through the camp sites, as I just wanted to get to where we were meeting for climbing.

When I arrived at the climbing parking area I found only a few other vehicles. Actually, 4 others were there. Pretty light for a holiday weekend! As I was waiting for Andy and Brooke one family came tromping out of the woods, 4 small children and a pup leading the way. It was only 9:30, but they looked spent.

While waiting I took a walk across the parking lot to examine a few plants. Last visit to Granite a week ago the plants were much shorter. Now I can’t remember their names off the top of my head, but thought I’d share the photos.

After my little plant photo session a Jeep pulled in with a pair of cyclists. Looked like they were ready for a fun day. Right after their arrival, my friends pulled in. We saddled up and headed to the practice area once more.

Once again we roped up two different routes. Nobody else was around, so why not have more than one spot to take a swing off of?

Today along with Andy and I, Brooke also climbed. She’d been out with Bob before, and she’s climbed in the gym down in Phoenix. And she did really well with each of the routes! Go Brooke!

Once again I found the granite at the Granite Basin Rec area to be extra rough. What I thought was a small scratch worked out to be quite the bloody road rash. Yeouch!

Andy and Brooke did better than I did in the road rash / cuts and bruises department. I must start remembering to use pants around here! That would probably help a ton.

Climbs for the day included a 5.5, 5.6, 5.8, and finally a 5.11. I flailed on the 5.11. Andy got up with ton of work and hanging, and Brooke cruised up the first half with ease! She claimed the luck of the first timer, but I’m not so sure!

While trying the 5.11 I pulled something. I mean, I really pulled something. After hanging for a little while, trying to find places to hold and stand I finally gave up and asked Andy to let me down. I was feeling a touch uncomfortable around my left hip (the front of it mostly). Thought maybe the harness came up, but that wasn’t it.

As I stood belaying Andy the discomfort increased, and I realized I must have pulled something. By the time we left I was super sore, and glad to have the harness off. Big ouch!

We returned back to our vehicles, and headed out to have a quick lunch together. Fun. Reminded me of the times my old friend Bob & I would dine out after climbing (Bob from NH, not AZ). The one interesting issue. After sitting in the truck for the ride back things got a little stiff. I stepped out of the truck and felt like I could barely walk. That feeling has increased all afternoon.

At this moment I’m SOOOOOO sore. Whoops! Definitely no climbing for several days. No walks tomorrow either. Just some tiger balm, a few cartoons, and a relaxed end to Memorial Day weekend.

Nice to have the refuge of the Airstream after such an exhausting day! My little silver bubble in AZ is still doing fine!

Well, enjoy the rest of the photos! Thought we’d been lacking photos lately, so I’m making up for it in this post!

Ok, adding yet another climbing video. Sorry, couldn’t resist. Andy, Brooke, & I went out to revisit the Perfect Idiot last week. And Andy worked it out. I’ve still got one spot to figure out, but getting there.

Enjoy the video!

Hmmmm….some flakey issues with podpress, but I’m working on it!

 

 GAC EXTRA - One more climbing video! [10:33m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Well, for the weekend we’ll go back to the “original” format here at the Airstream Chronicles.  Ah, familiar grounds, eh?

I’ve been working on posting yet another podcast, but I’m discovering issues today.  I’ll try once more before calling it quits.  The episode is one more climbing episode (another one, ah shucks).  Cross your fingers I can get it worked out.

Today I extended 4 more weeks at Point of Rocks Campground.  I’ve given myself a deadline for finding something in this area, or jumping in with a contract option that will take me away from here.  6/28/07.  There’s the deadline.  Hey, gotta draw a line in the sand sometime, right?

Enjoy the long weekend all!