Taido J. Chino, Ph.D.
So tonight, I’ll be seeing Mr. Bondy at StickyFingerz, a local music venue. I came across his music early in 2009 and then had the chance to see him play last November. It was a great show. Here’s a sample of what’s probably in store for tonight.
A.A. Bondy – I Can See the Pines
A.A. Bondy – Mightiest of Guns
A.A. Bondy – I’m on Fire (Bruce Springsteen Cover)
I’m hoping that this will be the last time I bring up Colorado this month, but there were a few notable pictures that I left out.
These are the world-famous Maroon Bells. Their beauty, symmetry, and accessibility are reasons for these being among the most photographed mountains in Colorado. More specifically, they are North (the one in front) and South (the one in back) Maroon. They are both fourteeners, and yes… I’ve climbed them. In fact, when you do the traverse from one peak to the next, it is called “Ringing the Bells.”
This is the Crested Butte-famous Camp 4 Coffee. I haven’t tried all the coffee spots in town, but I would be surprised if any were better than this. Whenever we stay in the Butte, a trip here is mandatory. Usually, several.
This should-be-famous puzzle provided a distraction and respite when the Chino kids had gotten their fill of outside for the day. The pieces were annoyingly uniform. As often happens with puzzle-making in our family, there comes a time when most everyone loses interest, save one. And that One labors long into the night becoming increasingly frustrated as each hour passes. Eventually though, I… I mean, the One utters, “It is finished!”
Posing with the moose are the someday-famous Ben and Simon.
Yesterday, I had only thought that I had sunk to a blogging low. Tonight, I’m setting the bar on the ground. Alison has written a post on Castle Bluff camps that is so good that I’m counting it for both of us.
I’m even stealing her photos… which I think is ok, because she stole them from Whitney.
You should head over there right now and read it.
As you can see, I’ve officially sunk to a new low. Two days running of Dumb and Dumber quotes for blog titles. Anyway, no summer would be complete without the Senior Backpacking Trip. In our student ministry, we take graduating seniors away for a week in the high country of Colorado for a week they will never forget.
The trip is significant on so many different levels that it is hard to really explain, but I’ll give it a shot.
First, it marks this significant transition from high school to whatever is next. They have generally got eighteen years under their belt and are anticipating the next four (or so). It gives them a chance to reflect on how life has been so far and what lies ahead. It is a rite of passage of sorts.
But it also stretches people in ways they didn’t know they could be. For some, it will be the first time camping. For many, it will be the first time backpacking. And for nearly all, it will be their first attempt to summit the mythic fourteener.
However, the challenges aren’t all physical. Pulling away from civilization, comfort, and convenience can have a disorienting effect that makes room in the heart and soul for God to work and for certain aspects of life to become profoundly clear. Maybe more so than one has ever experienced before.
But perhaps the most significant thing any of us walk away with is a sense of deep connectedness to one another that can only come from a shared experience that is so powerful that your relationships with one another will never be the same.
I obviously don’t have much going on if I’m resorting to posting random music. The day has been filled with tidying up things that have been accumulating for weeks, months, and years in various corners of my house. The sad thing is that I’ve got several more corners needing similar attention. These songs make work like this slightly more tolerable.
Tokyo Police Club – Breakneck Speed
Cloud Cult – Running with the Wolves
Ghosts I’ve Met – Payphone Patience
… Aspen.
During our Colorado tour, we got to spend several days in this pretentious (yet lovely) mountain town. I’ve been to Aspen four times now, and every trip has left a lasting impression. My first time was nearly twenty years ago during a winter trip for a couple days of skiing. It happened to be Gay Pride Week which meant that my traveling companion and I sat as far apart as a ski lift chair will allow.
Time two was with half a dozen or so would be mountain climbers. The trip was in mid-September which apparently is a fairly unpredictable time as far as weather is concerned. I can’t do justice to the catastrophe that followed, so if you are curious ask my friend Josh all about it.
My third time there was another climbing trip. This time with a far more positive outcome. There were four of us, and we tackled some of the most challenging 14er climbs Colorado has to offer.
This latest trip there was far more laid back, but equally enjoyable. Here are the photos to prove it.
Aspen is notoriously expensive, but with a little meal planning and some the help of Difficult Campground, it can be done on the cheap.
If you need a little something to make your music collection more interesting, you’ve just found it. They took a some getting used to, but now I can’t get them out of my head. Sleigh Bells… Enjoy!
Sleigh Bells – Crown on the Ground (this was a huge hit at middle school camp this summer)
Sleigh Bells – A/B Machines
Sleigh Bells – Ring Ring
Alison pretty much covered our time at Crested Butte, but I’ve got a few pics on the phone that she didn’t necessarily have. So… here’s my contribution to remembering it. Since I was a small child, a bike has been synonymous with freedom. Loved seeing my kids experience that same joy.
Notice the snow on some of the mountains. Just looking at it can cool me off a bit.
Somewhere between the all the comings and goings of the summer, Alison and I found a couple hours of unoccupied time one evening. We hadn’t seen a movie in a while, so we looked to see what was available and there was a movie called Adam that I knew nothing about. By the way, having zero knowledge about a movie is my favorite way to see one. I love the experiencing a story unfolding, and seeing previews or reading write-ups tends to predispose me one way or another towards the film. This penchant of mine is aided by our next to non-existent exposure to the television, and therefore most story-ruining previews. Sometimes this strategy backfires, but whatever.
So given my unintentional rant, I won’t ruin the movie by telling you all about it. Other than it is a love story. But it’s not your typical Hugh Grant-ish type of romantic comedy (not that there is anything wrong with that). If you enjoyed Lars and the Real Girl, then you stand a chance of appreciating this one too.
Bonus… great soundtrack.
The Weepies – Can’t Go Back Now
The vast wasteland known as my summer is drawing to a close. The pace of activity combined with long absences hasn’t left much time for keeping this little project going. However, I do desire to return to the world of blogging, and recent shaming encouragement from Alison has provided the needed stimulus.
And so I’m going to be joining Alison in her thirty-day blog-a-thon. While there will be a certain amount of “flashing-back”, I reserve the right to do whatever I want around here.
Like starting a day late.
Or simply putting up a picture and calling it a post.
To get the ball rolling, here’s Simon and Ben in a canoe at the home of some dear friends early in the summer.
See you tomorrow!