The difference between my Fourth of July celebrations last year and this year is kind of amazing. Last year, I was on a rooftop in the East Village watching hooligans launch fireworks into a rival building (which was actually kind of hilarious). This year, I went camping! I was much happier this year. I don't have any photos, unfortunately, since the lack of cell signal drained my phone before I could snap any, but it wasn't the most stunning place anyway (think trees and a creek), so you're not missing out on much. Happy birthday, 'murica.
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Long weekends are so nice. Like, I've already had an entire weekend, but it's only Saturday morning! What am I supposed to do with all this free time?
Go hiking!
Love this picture.
My thighs are definitely feeling this. Marathon training does not a hill-climber make.
HD: higher-quality but more prone to blurriness. Call it a deliberate aesthetic choice.
During this hike, I came up with a super awesome invention that may or may not exist and that may or may not be possible.
My big Nalgene is the only non-leaky water bottle I own. However, I didn't need nearly that much water, and the bottle is nearly as big as the pack I was planning to carry. I like having the option to carry an entire liter (pint? I don't know anything about liquid measurements), but oftentimes I don't need that much water.
Being the enterprising soul that I am, I decided it would be cool to have a water bottle that can hold a liter of water, but that can also be compartmentalized to allow excess space to be used for food or other storage. I'm an idea person, so I haven't thought at all about how to actually do this; it's obviously a really developed idea. Any investors?
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Running may or may not start up again tomorrow. During my hike, a fellow hiker told me he had seen a black bear so I spent a lot of time scanning the area instead of looking at my footing. This resulted in me stepping on a shifty rock that re-tweaked my right ankle. Amateur hour! It doesn't hurt that much, but I'm a big believer in waiting until body parts are 110%, so I might have to give it a few more days.
Question:
- Do water bottles like the one I described exist?
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Take as much water as you can! You will never know when you might come across an emergency and need it!
ReplyDeleteBut to answer your question, my outdoor industry expert fiance claims that there are compartmentalized water bottles meant for water and sports drink or another liquid, but not for other stuff. He asks: why not just store your stuff some other place and get a smaller Nalgene?
Professor Amy: crushing dreams with logic. I COULD buy a smaller Nalgene, but then I wouldn't have come up with my super awesome invention! But also, I have no common sense.
DeleteHaha! Isn't that what professors are supposed to do? Build up and then break down the idealism of the youth all at once?
Delete^One point, Prof. Amy!
DeleteAlso, has anyone else noticed that Jeano has christened her blogging friends with titles? "Professor Amy", "Coach Holly", etc....
Aha, I guess you're right-I never really thought about that! But now that I've been doing it for so long, I CAN'T call you anything else. Like, if someone mentioned just "Amy" or "Holly," I'd have no idea who they were talking about!
DeleteLoving the photos as a city slicker! It I still love my concrete jungle. looks beautiful out there though!
ReplyDeleteWhy thanks, sir!
DeleteThey also make soft sided, collapsible plastic water bottles; you could always fill it half way (takes up less space than full), and just stash your snack next to it. Sorta like Amy's fiance's suggestion BUT you'd always have the option of carrying more water if you wanted...
ReplyDelete[If you don't know what I'm talking about, it's these: http://vapur.us/]
Hey, that's a pretty handy invention! Which also, of course, makes my own totally useless (but I guess it was already). I'm sure it's a sturdy water holder, but I would still worry about it getting punctured!
DeleteI have collapsable water bottles. They are made of soft plastic. I use the "platypus" brand (http://www.rei.com/product/849826/platypus-softbottle-water-bottle-34-fl-oz). They come in liter or half liter sizes, I think (as well as the larger camelbak size 2-3 liters).
DeleteLove them. I have used and abused them and never had a puncture problem. They are sturdy!
Another set of awesome pictures. Prior to reading your blog I'd say "Eh, I don't need to visit Alaska" and post reading your blog I'm all up in my husband's grill saying "RYAN! Let's go to Alaska! Wanna go there? They have bears. And moose. And pretty hills and stuff. I wanna go. Do you?" --> obnoxiousness usually works in getting my way. We'll see.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to hear about your potential re-entry into running again! Ooh!
I was excited to re-enter running! Except it blew. Re-entry into running: rescheduled for some other day.
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