Earthship 101 video (10 minutes of looking outside the box)

The links below give you 10 minutes of an Earthship by Michael Reynolds, the founder.

For those of you following this blog, now you have more than just my rambling on about these things called Earthships. I hope you enjoy!

Earthship 101 part 1

Earthship 101 part 2

I am absolutely thrilled to have this opportunity. Rosemary is a huge part of this journey. It is from here loving support and her motivating me to live outside of traditional norms that has brought me to this point. My willingness to seek passion and to take risks in spite of fear are also a part of this.

Allignment is nice....

Do you ever have one of those days that gives you the feeling that everything is lining up for you, things run smoothly, your wishes come true, communication is open and all is good. That was me today.

I woke up with my dog at 7:30 and needed to figure out the estimated amount it costs to repair my clutch with a new clutch disc and parts. I had no idea how I would fund this repair since funds are running low. I decided that I would start taking pictures and posting items I do not use but are worth money. Stereo receiver, surround speakers, center speak, shelf speakers, sub woofer, and other items that had accumulated over the years in my basement. I am even selling my kiteboarding gear since I have the ability to rent gear wherever the sport takes place. Why own them and test ride the best gear? I ended up estimating the need for $500 for a clutch repair. I ended up with around $1,000 in my pocket by 8:30 tonight. I sold the utility trailer to my ex business partner at a steal for $300. He needed it for business and I can always borrow it when I need it. My neighbor ended up giving me some money for the Bose shelf speakers I listed. So needless to say, I was excited that my truck will be repaired Monday.

So for the past few months I have been feeling so ready to jump back into the workforce with a specific direction. I have mentioned Earthships, so that is my direction. Well, I have been getting anxious and bored waiting for the Wyoming build in late April and wished that it would just get here so I could begin my education. Well today it arrived in the form of a Four week Earthship session take place from April 5 - April 28th. The session will include ne full day of classroom work and the rest of the time is spent on a job site building. Sounds good to me!!! If this does take place, my travels would take me directly to Wyoming for the second internship there. 6 weeks of pure on-the-job training, playing with earth and building homes. Grey watr systems, solar and wind electricity, indoor greenhouses, rain cisterns for water storage, and utility bills of $100 per year. I am excited that this is taking place and the opportunity presented itself. By 4:45 pm on this Friday, I called and they only had one spot left, and it was mine.

So this is how my day ended up, not that I needed to express this to the world, but damn it feels good to be alive.!! To feel movement in your life, to feel growth and hopefully wisdom from the knowledge we gain from life's experiences, the good and the bad. Damn it is good to be alive.

Rosemary and I have discussed hosting and organizing the first annual HennaCon Southeast. January of 2011 is the goal we think. Workshops hosted by world famous henna artists, some are acquaintances from her work in LA last July. We have lots of ideas and loved TribalCon (The belly dancing conference) a few weeks ago. What an opportunity to network in her field of expertise. I am excited to support this effort and watch a great event connect the henna community here in the southeast.

These are my current updates into the lives of our crazy selves. If anyone wants items of theirs to be sold on craigslist, I can do it, quickly. It was my job today and I succeeded.

Grayton Beach State Park

While in Florida at Grayton State Park, I gained a new loved for simplicity and of all things, the minivan. I usually associate these vehicles with moms and children. I think I mentioned in a previous post that this would be the year of simple travel. I am in love with minivans. We pulled out all of the seats, threw in a futon mattress, a cargo carrier on top, and a small cooler, and the minivan became our own private space protecting us from the elements. I love tents, don’t get me wrong, but having a hard shell over you while sleeping can be comforting. We had the travel trailer for just that reason. The back cup holders make great candle holders of pillar candles. We put the laptop on the cooler and can watch movies at night. I am of the opinion that if I were to travel more, I think the minivan is the perfect vehicle. Minivans rock!

As far as everything else is going, we aren’t making money here this time around. We will have to wait for Springfest to make some money. I have speant the last few days hiking in the Point Washington State Forest. There are some great trails that go for miles in and out of a few different ecosystems. Marley loves it and it gives Rosemary and I some time to connect with nature. So quiet and so peaceful. The beaches are almost deserted during this week of Spring Break. Oh well, it is a nice beach vacation anyway.

Upon my return I’m headed on a river trip down the Flint River, two days of paddling and a overnight halfway. The mens group I am a member of has brought some much needed support in my journey of life. It could not have come at a better time. We are a group whose three pillars are outdoor activities, community service and spiritual growth mainly being Lakota teachings. Since I have not really gravitated to Christianity, it is nice to have an opportunity to learn more about the teachings of the Lakota Indians. In my opinion, their teachings and views are inspirational and provide a framework that everyone should consider studying. I am listening to a great audio book right now that discusses the heart of Native American philosophy and the twelve core qualities that are crucial to the Lakota way of life, The Red Road. The twelve qualities include living-bravery, fortitude, generosity, wisdom, respect, honor, perseverance, love, humility, sacrifice, truth and compassion.

I am sure to take a closer look at each of these core qualities and my observations of daily living.

Being Vulnerable and Blood type diet

I was warned that I should be careful as to what I post. Sharing my inner thoughts and questions, might open me up to judgment and criticism from others. I guess this type of expression might be part of the journey I am on in a way. I think that by getting it out, and writing about unpleasurable realities is a way of healing and being honest with your soul. It is only through recognition of your weaknesses that we begin a possible path of healing. I actually don't know of many men that tackle things head on or even are able to be honest with themselves about weaknesses. I continue to know myself better and better with each passing moment.

I spoke of self-sabotage this morning with a man I trust and respect, and he too has had experiences with it himself. After looking closer I am of the opinion that it has to do with self confidence or self-worth issues. Now these have been things that on the surface I have not felt or lack in my life, I think. Maybe a few times when I was ignorant of a job or task I was to perform, at least the confidence portion. So it is interesting to dig into some of my non-surface issues. Being conscious of these issues is something to be aware of, definitely. We all have them, it just may take some of us longer to notice. Maybe we choose not to see them. Maybe we get so wrapped up in our lives that our answer is, "I don't have time." Some would say that I am too open and by expressing these weaknesses, it makes me vulnerable. Oh well, it is not until we are honest with ourselves that we truly grow as humans. Honesty, even if it is unpleasant is the only way to begin, even if it leaves us vulnerable for all to see.

This blog probably comes across as a bit dramatic with my analyses'. I would have to say, I seem to over analyze myself and my situations a bit much. I really wanted to talk about my experience at the acupunturist. I have never been so I figured I would give it a try. I have had problems with my left knee, extremely bad gas for my whole life (not painful, just alot), and also wanted to incur about my body and the digestion of the nutrients I put in it. Is it working efficiently. I have heard that this guy, Clark, is amazing. He was very mild mannered, not alot of emotion, quiet, white male, in Gainesville. Soft spoken with a beard. So I filled out the form and prepped myself for needles and hopefully some of the magic he made happen with Rosemary and her amoebas. he pulled on my thumb and my index finger while I tried to hold them together while holding my hand on the right side of my stomach on my lats. He said a,b,c,d,e,g,i,j,k,l,n,o,q,s,u, and then asked me if I woke up in the night regularly, or had headaches. I pointed to my temples and replied, yes. I had also mentioned that even though I worked out and juiced daily and ran and was doing cardio daily, I was still not aining a little around my waist and lower back. I was watching my sugar in-take etc... Anyway, he said that he thinks that I might have the beginning of stones building in my galbladder. He said that the bile that is produced might be backing up and not digesting the fats and protiens that I have been eatting. He mentioned that the heat that builds in my gallbladder at night might cause me to not sleep as well and wake up on a regular basis. My temples are the galbladder meridians, therefor I have the headaches there. The weight gain could also be caused my decreased levels of bile. The gas as well. He asked if I knew my blood type and mentioned he probably tought I was Type O and that I should seriously consider eatting a diet that is proven to work well with type O's. He said that I might be putting the wrong items into my system causing me issues all together. I had heard of the diet that is based off of blood type, but not considered it until he spoke further and I read some info online. It effects what you eat, how you deal with stress and how you quit possibly should live your lifestyle in certain macro-ways. He gave me some Chinese herbs that will break up the stones forming in my gallbladder taken daily. So I purchased these books titled "Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type", "Live Right 4 Your Blood Type", and "Cook Right 4 Your Blood Type." I am going to give blood in the next week or so to confirm his idea that i am a type O. I can't wait to look deeper at what my diet should be based on my blood type. I would assume that I am a type O. Based off of the evidence I have seen of his work, he is right on with his diagnoses'. We'll have to wait and see what my diet changes to in the next few weeks. I currently juice about every vegetable there is as well as fruits, daily. I couple that with protein shakes and usually a meal of vegetables and fish. I look forward to learning what protein s are best for my body and what plants to eat, etc. I am not sure about the "Live Right 4 Your Type," but we'll see.

Just another path to take to see or look closer at areas about myself. I was definitely not expecting the blood type diet and gallbladder blockage. I trust his word, it surely can't hurt. He said he once told a vegetarian who was having problems losing weight to eat red meat. Her body needed that specific protein, even though she thought being vegetarian was the healthiest for her. She began to eat red meat and base her diet off of blood type, 2 months passed and she had lost 30 lbs... Not that my goal is to lose 30 lbs., but the goal is to better align my diet with my body chemistry. Hopefully my as will subside. It is possible that I have been eating incorrectly my whole life he said....bringing gas. Enzymes, bile, proteins and fats, and sugars. My appologies if the fact that I brought up gas makes anyone reading uncomfortable. So, we'll see.

I am currently reading a book by Michael Reynolds titled "A Coming of Wizards." This is the architect/designer and founder of Earthship Biotecture and a renegade for off the grid living around the world, based out of Taos, NM. Kick ass guy with an attitude. Just watch "Garbage Warrior" and form your own opinion. I have a few other books too discussing spirituality and growth spiritually centering around the ways of the Lakota Indians. I am actually currently involved with a circle of men and one of our pillars is spiritual growth specifically centering around the Lakota ways.

We have a 6 hour drive tomorrow. Santa Rosa Beach, here we come. It is Spring Break and Rosemary is the henna queen. Wish us success again this year.

Self-Sabotage

If you read this blog, you probably know that I tend to confront issues head on with myself, by myself, writing without comments from others. I find that expressing emotions or feelings or thoughts in writing helps me. It is too much for some to read from what I have been told. It is honest, it is me, not you. Maybe, just maybe, you think about the subjects I write about in your own way.

Maybe it is just me, at least this is what I hear in my head sometimes, but I think I am not alone with the subject of self-sabotage. I think we all do it or have done it or will do it, even if we don't know we are doing it. So, I quit drinking alcohol because as some say, "I can't handle my liquor." In my case it was wine or beer or whatever. I have quit smoking cigarettes many times, sometime for years. I have felt as though I should quit smoking marijuana, but have yet to stop completely. I quit hanging out with so many friends I grew up with, but this began the day I graduated high school. I have quite a lot of things over the years. I guess my point is that I am beginning to experience patterns of stopping and starting something. I am not sure why I do this. For example, I quit smoking cigarettes which gave me the best feeling ever, a feeling like I had climbed to highest mountain in the world. Addiction is a tough one to beat, but stopping smoking gave me a sense of accomplishment that I had not ever felt. So why do I start back every so often? Self-Sabotage! I recently began working out in the gym again while in town coupling it with juicing and a mostly vegetarian diet coupled with protein shakes. What a feeling this gave me!! After about a month or so, I began to get lazy and one day recently I chose to smoke a cigarette, a week later I had a pack, a week later I was not going to the gym as much or juicing as much. I find that every so often I sabotage myself, especially when i am doing everything great and succeeding. I did the same thing last Fall when I "fell off the wagon" and decided to start drinking alcohol in moderation. My point is that I find myself sabotaging myself without knowing it. I sabotage my successes when things are going well. Is this my way of putting a reality check on myself, a way of breaking me down and humanizing things? Is this how I make myself feel like I am accomplishing things? To set myself up for failure so that I can tackle it head on and feel as though I am once again accomplishing something? Do I do this because I get bored easily. Is this a form a attention deficit disorder? Is this what makes me feel good, breaking myself down in order to build myself back up? I think that we all do it in our own way. We self-sabotage ourselves. Some do it in order to get attention from others, in order to get the support they desire. I have seen it done especially with addiction issues. I personally do not understand completely why I do it to myself. I do not seek support from others, I just go into my head and ask more questions. I judge myself breaking myself down further. Do you do this to yourself, do you sometime inflame your weaknesses to test yourself. It is kind of sick to think about. Why would we harm ourselves in order to help ourselves. I could say the same thing about over-doing anything, it usually is not healthy. Is it the ADD that I mentioned? Do we get bored with our lives and spice it up by shaking things up? That seems to be my pattern in some ways, not a healthy pattern at all. Have you sabotaged yourself lately? Do you even think about things this way? I am starting to see my patterns much more clearly and quickly. I guess after all, i may not be as balanced as I thought, at least not in the past 2 weeks off and on.

I think that something we all must do more of is to give ourselves some room to wiggle. We are human, we do make mistakes, we are not perfect, and we do not always communicate effectively or treat ourselves, family or friends wonderfully. i tend to beat myself up more than anyone else does. I am my worst critic and my best critic. We should always allow for error and room to wiggle. Kind of like buying a sleeping bag that is one size bigger than we need, allowing room to role over and not feel so claustrophobic. Accepting our imperfections is very important, knowing our weaknesses and strengths, setting limits and boundaries while allowing ourselves room to go outside of boundaries if needed. not taking life too seriously. Learning to laugh more, something I don't do enough. I find that giving compliments helps me to get out of my funk. When I feel a little stressed, depressed or down, it always helps to find the energy to give someone else a compliment. Tell a loved one you are proud of them. Do you hear it enough? If the answer is no, then start by telling someone else how proud you are of them, but mean it. Doesn't it feel good to know that someone is proud of you? A message to myself "Be proud of yourself and your accomplishments and try not to self-sabotage yourself. Focus on wiggle room. Room for error and when you make mistakes, try not to take it so seriously or beat yourself up. At the end of the day you can laugh about it and then tell yourself how proud you are for recognizing imperfections." Or maybe I could just chalk it up to, I don't feel like working-out today....I'm complete.....

A lighter load

So it is time again to prepare for festival season. Springfest, LEAF, Inman Park, and more...We will soon be on the road again. This past weekend I changed my oil, the transmission fluid, rear differential fluid, spark plugs, brake pads, all 4 shocks and wired the tail light located on the camper top. Roof rack on the camper top will carry a thule cargo box along with my mountain bike. I am ready to hit the road this year with a little less to carry. I like the thought of camping out in the back of the pickup, LED lights, a laptop, and some good books... no hookups, no F350 with injector problems, and definitely no trailer to pull. I love these little 4 cylinder engines. It is what I grew up driving in high school and even college. I guess it took having alot to realize that I really needed very little. So this truck gets about 10 miles to every dollar of fuel. I have wired my iphone directly into the auxilary port of the stereo which allows audiobooks and podcasts to play endlessly. My favorites podcasts are This American Life, Fresh Air, and Bill Moyer's journal. I am an Ira Glass addict. So....needless to say, I am ready to hit the road again. I have added a few spots of interest this year. Taos, NM, Idaho, the Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana, Utah again, Colorado and Kansas to visit my sister. I get excited just thinking about these trips, camping in the bed of the truck, anywhere I am able, mostly for free. A new friend/mentor of mine has a ton of knowledge about hiking, biking, climbing and everything out in Wyoming, so I plan on picking his brain. This will be the year of simple traveling with a hit of Earthship Biotecture and if I am lucky, a trip with friends to attend a Lakota Sundance ceremony.