Vienna, Virginia (2014)

During my almost 10 months in exile, my entire daily schedule changed. I no longer had to get up at the crack of dawn to walk the dogs, then dress in a suit and tie, eat a quick breakfast, and drive to the Metro before sitting with the rest of the drones in the smelly and crowded Metro cars on the ride in towards DC.

Instead of running three miles along the Mount Vernon Trail every weekday at 11 AM, I decided to take up bike riding on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail near my house.

This was on a ride out towards Reston. Six miles out, six back.

I never got the same workout as I did running, but it was worth a shot.

Port Crescent State Park, Michigan (2014)

In April 2014, I was bushwhacked at work and forced into exile for almost 10 months due to some stupidity and silliness.

I drank every night for the first three months, but eventually realized that was not productive so decided I needed to use my time more wisely.

My friend and colleague was serving in Detroit and I soon realized it was only an eight hour drive, so I got my wife’s permission and drove the Blue Rocket to go see him.

I only spent one night in Detroit before deciding to drive around the Thumb of Michigan from Port Huron to Saginaw.

The drive from Port Huron to Port Austin was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. It was September, so the flora was in its brightest and most vibrant stage and the air temperature was sublime.

At the top of the Thumb near the town of Bad Axe was a state park called Port Crescent located along Lake Huron. I decided to pull in for the night and set up my old and reliable grey and red Coleman one man tent near the lake shore. Then I took this picture.

When I get all reflective and think about one of my Happy Places, this is it.

Hocus Pocus

Capricorn is a feet-on-the-ground, eye-on-the-prize sign.

These people know how to do things and get things done with strength and single-mindedness of purpose.

They can sometimes be rather lonely people, although they rarely let it show. They are often reserved – even standoffish. This is generally because they value all things practical and they seldom wear their emotions on their sleeves. They can come off as unimaginative, but are generally very capable people with a strong sense of tradition and responsibility.

Their sense of humor can be of the deadpan variety. They’re generally excellent at keeping a straight face. They can be bitingly sarcastic, too.

They are not known for taking too many risks in life. They value the beaten track and things “tried and true.” They value the hard work laid down by those who’ve been around before them.

They will help you organize and manage your life a little better. They are generally good with their WORD. Dependable and loyal.

Honest, reserved, circumspect, honorable, and strong-willed. Quietly ambitious within the realms of the possible, he likes and takes on responsibility. However, he is sometimes bitter and has a mistrustful mind.

Highly intelligent with a lot of pride in his intellectual capabilities. His opinions are usually strong. An independent thinker.

His identity rides on his sense of personal freedom. It can be a challenge to get them to do what they don’t want to do, simply because he sees attempts by others to push him in a certain direction as threatening to his sense of freedom.

A dynamic person who questions authority, yet, paradoxically, quite set in his ways.

He is often quite hard on himself and would benefit from letting down his guard once in a while. He quickly garners a reputation as being a pillar of strength and easily hides his sensitivity behind a sarcastic manner.

More of an observer than a person who asks many questions. He likes peace and quiet and being alone.

He needs frequent moments of solitude in order to recharge himself emotionally. However, this need, while strong, can sometimes lead to feelings of isolation and being misunderstood.

He is optimistic and realistically so, which contributes to his overall “luck.” He is able to get a real perspective on emotional matters that not only benefits his outlook, but he is also able to offer support to others when needed.

Quick to find humor in most situations, he is generally warm and fun to be around.

Usually he doesn’t take life too seriously in the sense that he believes in having a bit of fun and enjoying life.

His hunches are more often than not bang-on.

He is frank, honest, optimistic, and generous. He likes good cooking and creature comforts. His friendships are sincere.

He is smart and knows how to surround himself with the right people. He is appreciated at work, usually well-liked, and comfortable.

He controls his feelings. He has a strong sense of duty and self-esteem. Very prudent. He can concentrate on a long-term task, manual or intellectual, with success. He perseveres and is serious in most things he does, but is humorous, satirical, steadfast, and upright.

His mind compartmentalizes impressions and he appreciates structure and order.

A rational person. Can be pessimistic, skeptical, and sarcastic, possessing a very sharp sense of humor. Notices everything.

He likes intelligent, cultivated people around him with whom he can enjoy verbal sparring. He likes debates.

Fair play, impartiality, and unselfishness are important ideals for him.

His arguments can be intense.

He can be very incisive and aggressive with his opinions.

He is drawn to mysteries or investigations. There can be mental fixations or obsessiveness.

He can be provocative in speech or communications. A persuasive and interesting conversationalist. Quick to see the flaws in an argument or situation.

He makes a formidable opponent, although often quietly so.

He constantly tests himself. And others.

His survival instincts are strong and he embraces his own animal nature when alone with himself, without guilt.

He has a provocative quality, which is most evident in youth, though it is often carried over into adulthood in more subtle and controlled ways.

He likes to overcome obstacles and can be tough. Business minded. Can be very stubborn and sometimes cold and calculating.

There is an instinctive understanding of intensity, and the dark side of our natures and passion.

Values decisiveness, intensity, willpower, commitment, and strength. Very strong problem-solving nature, cutting to the chase.

He is very generous and altruistic, helping people in difficulty. He knows how to listen, or at least, how to give the impression that makes others feel heard.

When confronted with discouraging circumstances, knows how to set off again and continue the fight.

He is interested in antiquity, archeology, and history.

He is perceptive and able to see the layers of any situation. He is drawn naturally to learning what makes himself and others tick.

Research and investigation come naturally to him.

He often feels like he is on the outside looking in. His ability to observe and deduce is often uncanny.

He likes justice, honesty, and loyalty. Would make a good lawyer.

He likes professions that involve a certain risk. He likes to investigate.

Wrestling

From an e-mail to my parents:

“Dad remembers this one.  Late in the season we were wrestling Hopewell and our undefeated season was on the line.  We’d suffered a great deal of attrition due to injuries and Coach Chamberlain decided to bump everybody up in weight classes because he thought that would be the best way to secure the win.  

We had no real heavyweight and their heavyweight was a terror, so Coach Chamberlain dressed Rob N. out in triple sweats at weigh in and then later forfeited the match to make sure Hopewell’s heavyweight was locked in and couldn’t drop lower and kick the ass of our depleted 189 pounder.

So instead of wrestling 160, Coach Chamberlain wanted me to wrestle 171.  Hopewell’s 171 pounder was a lean, muscular kid named Stepfon Jamison.  I didn’t know much about him, but he looked strong.  And tough.

The score of the overall match was close and we were heavily depleted in the upper weights.  The overall match and our undefeated season was pretty much riding on what I did in my match.

Coach Chamberlain had not really known what to do with me that year as I was full of a lot of testosterone and had been lifting weights and running like a madman, but that had made me a bit of a loose cannon.

I still remember what he said.  He said, “Jay Bobb, all you have to do is not get pinned and we win.  It’s all riding on you.  Just don’t get pinned.”

I looked at him and said, “Don’t worry, Coach.  I’ve got this one in the bag.  I’m going to kill him.  Seriously.  I’m going to eat his liver.”

(No shit.  That’s exactly what I said.)

I’ll never forget the look Coach Chamberlain gave me.  He was a very religious guy and his eyes kinda bugged out when I said that and after he recovered himself he just kinda slapped me on the headgear and said, “Well, all right!”

I beat him 7-1, we beat Hopewell handily, and we went undefeated that year.

In looking at this article, it turns out Stepfon Jamison won Regionals at 171 that year….”

Response from my Dad:

“Interesting. I remember that (my opponent in the second round of Regionals) Mike Wysong was like a crab that hung on and opponents couldn’t get him off of their back. (This is exactly what he did to me. I lost 7-1 and came in 3rd even though I’d pinned the guy who won 1st in Regionals earlier in the year.) I see that he was defeated in the finals but his brother Mark pinned Ryan H. in the finals. As I recall, Godwin had Mike F. at 175, Ryan at 189 and no  one as a heavyweight. Kudos to Rob N. for getting the job done.”

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