It's Alive!!!

Glenn Voorhees (Grasshopper) caine@findtao.com
Wed, 10 Jul 2002 21:17:45 -0600


This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_005E_01C22857.3BF9FD20
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable


Looking back, it's been over two months since I sent an update, which =
could explain the following excerpts from some emails I have received =
lately.....


    "Are you okay?  Write to us so we'll know you're still alive."

    "hey man....where are you these days???????????????"

    "It's been a long time since I heard from you and was wondering =
what's happening.  "

    "Just found your wonderful weblog...  Why the sudden stop?  Are you =
ok now?  I have been planning a trip very similar to this, and was =
looking up VW info... "


I can only lay part of the blame with my broken computer, which has been =
giving me fits over the last three weeks, and only today did I get it =
running again (after buying a new computer this morning, which will be =
returned tomorrow).  Ughhh.

So, what's been going on?  After a profitable US Income Tax filing, I =
decided to go to Photography School for the summer (profitable due to a =
gross miscalculation on my part regarding estimated taxes - seems I =
forgot to consider the cost basis of some stock I sold).  At the =
beginning of June I started the Summer Intensive program at the Rocky =
Mountain School of Photography www.rmsp.com in Missoula, Montana.  It's =
an 11 week photography program designed to take beginner photographers =
and train them to start a career in photography.  There's about 140 =
people in the program, and we are divided up into sub-groups of 18 =
people.  Of course I have the best classmates in my group (and we would =
never mention that amongst ourselves at the expense of any of the other =
groups....).  We have adopted some other people that got our share of =
the weirdos in their group.  It's sort of like having all the great =
things about being a freshman in college with none of the bullshit or =
angst.  We are all beginning to dread the end of the program.  But we'll =
just put on our denial hats until then and enjoy the rest of the summer =
in Montana taking photographs.

When I got here, I rented an apartment.  What a relief.  After almost a =
full year living out of a van (and the madness it was starting to bring =
me) it was a very welcome change.  The sum total of my furniture =
consists of:  an inflatable mattress, 2 camping chairs, a table/lamp/and =
TV (all purchased from goodwill for $47).  That's pretty much it, except =
for all the stuff in the van which is now in here.  I have a lovely 2 =
tone brown shag carpet dated from the Nixon administration.  =
Unfortunately my appliances are all new and white.

I set up a  webpage with some of my new pictures =
http://www.findtao.com/School%20Photos.htm (It will take over 5 minutes =
to load at 28.8 so you may only want to check it out if you have a high =
speed connection).  If you like any of them and want a print, I'm sure =
we could work something out.....and then I could actually call myself a =
professional photographer....[hint hint]

I'm actually sick of sitting at the computer after spending the last few =
days fixing it, so I'm just going to sign off before I go mad (it was =
starting to feel like work, you know that feeling, it's 11pm, you were =
supposed to fax the presentation to your boss 30 minutes ago, then the =
network went down, now the printer won't work, sort of like that, so I'm =
going to send this out and go take some pictures while the sun is =
setting) .  Thanks for all the inquiries as to whether I had driven the =
van off a cliff (no, and it is running just fine, thank you very much).  =
I hope you enjoy the pictures, I had a great time taking them (and I =
actually developed the Black and White ones myself).  When I recover =
from fixing my computer I'll send some more.  Hope you are having a =
great summer!

Peace

Grasshopper

------=_NextPart_000_005E_01C22857.3BF9FD20
Content-Type: text/html;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 5.50.4134.600" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Looking back, it's been over two months =
since I=20
sent an update, which could explain the following excerpts from some =
emails I=20
have received lately.....</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><EM>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Are you =
okay?&nbsp; Write=20
to us so we'll know you're still alive."</EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><EM></EM></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><EM>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "hey =
man....where are you=20
these days???????????????"</EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><EM></EM></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><EM>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "It's been a =
long time since=20
I heard from you and was wondering what's happening.&nbsp; =
"</EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><EM></EM></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><FONT face=3DArial><EM>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "<SPAN=20
class=3D275111822-27062002>Just found your wonderful weblog...&nbsp; =
</SPAN><SPAN=20
class=3D275111822-27062002>Why the sudden stop?&nbsp; Are you ok =
now?&nbsp;=20
</SPAN><SPAN class=3D275111822-27062002>I have been planning a trip very =
similar=20
to this, and was looking up VW info... "</SPAN></EM></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><FONT face=3DArial><EM><SPAN=20
class=3D275111822-27062002></SPAN></EM></FONT></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I can only lay part of the blame with =
my broken=20
computer, which has been giving me fits over the last&nbsp;three weeks, =
and only=20
today did I get it running again&nbsp;(after buying a new computer this =
morning,=20
which will be returned tomorrow).&nbsp; Ughhh.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>So, what's been going on?&nbsp; After=20
a&nbsp;profitable US Income Tax filing, I decided to go to Photography =
School=20
for the summer (profitable due to a gross miscalculation on my part =
regarding=20
estimated taxes - seems I forgot to consider the cost basis of some =
stock I=20
sold).&nbsp; At the beginning of June I started the </FONT><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>Summer Intensive program at the Rocky Mountain School of =
Photography <A=20
href=3D"http://www.rmsp.com">www.rmsp.com</A>&nbsp;in Missoula, =
Montana.&nbsp;=20
It's an 11 week photography program designed to take beginner =
photographers and=20
train them to start a career in photography.&nbsp; There's about 140 =
people in=20
the program, and we are divided up into sub-groups of 18 people.&nbsp; =
Of course=20
I have the best classmates in my group (and we would never mention that =
amongst=20
ourselves at the expense of any of the other groups....).&nbsp; We have =
adopted=20
some other people that got our share of the weirdos in their =
group.&nbsp; It's=20
sort of like having all the great things about being a freshman in =
college with=20
none of the bullshit or angst.&nbsp; We are all beginning to dread the =
end of=20
the program.&nbsp; But we'll just put on our denial hats until then and =
enjoy=20
the rest of the summer in Montana taking photographs.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>When I got here, I rented an =
apartment.&nbsp; What=20
a relief.&nbsp;&nbsp;After almost a full year living out of a van (and =
the=20
madness it was starting to bring me) it was a very welcome=20
change.&nbsp;&nbsp;The sum total of my furniture consists of:&nbsp; an=20
inflatable mattress, 2 camping chairs, a table/lamp/and TV (all =
purchased from=20
goodwill for $47).&nbsp; That's pretty much it, except for all the stuff =
in the=20
van which is now in here.&nbsp; I have a lovely 2 tone brown shag carpet =
dated=20
from the Nixon administration.&nbsp; Unfortunately my appliances are all =
new and=20
white.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I set up a &nbsp;webpage with some of =
my new=20
pictures <A=20
href=3D"http://www.findtao.com/School%20Photos.htm">http://www.findtao.co=
m/School%20Photos.htm</A>&nbsp;(It=20
will take over 5 minutes to load at 28.8 so you may only want to check =
it out if=20
you have a high speed connection).&nbsp; If you like any of them and =
want a=20
print, I'm sure we could work something out.....and then I could =
actually call=20
myself a professional photographer....[hint hint</FONT><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I'm actually sick of sitting at the =
computer after=20
spending the last few days fixing it, so I'm just going to sign off =
before I go=20
mad (it was starting to feel like work, you know that feeling, it's =
11pm, you=20
were supposed to fax the presentation to your boss 30 minutes ago, then =
the=20
network went down, now&nbsp;the printer =
won't&nbsp;work,&nbsp;sort&nbsp;of like=20
that, so I'm going to send this out and go take&nbsp;some pictures while =
the=20
sun&nbsp;is&nbsp;setting)&nbsp;.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thanks for all the inquiries =
as to=20
whether I had driven the van off a cliff (no, and it is running just =
fine, thank=20
you very much). &nbsp;I hope you enjoy the pictures, I had a great time =
taking=20
them (and I actually developed the Black and White ones myself).&nbsp; =
When I=20
recover from fixing my computer I'll send some more.&nbsp; Hope you are =
having a=20
great summer!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Peace</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Grasshopper</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_005E_01C22857.3BF9FD20--