I went hiking the other day, up to Heather Lake. It was a pleasant hike, but there were just a couple more things I wished I had taken. Here’s the complete list for posterity’s sake, and so I have it handy next time I go hiking.

• pocketknife
• water
• snacks
• camera & mini-tripod
• tissue
• layers
• extra socks
• rain protection

• Les Misérables :: Victor Hugo
• Watership Down :: Richard Adams
• Atlas Shrugged :: Ann Rand
• The Invisible Man :: H.G. Wells
• More by Robert Heinlein
• The Pragmatic Programmer :: Andrew Hunt
• Who Moved My Cheese? :: Spencer Johnson
• Good To Great :: Jim Collins
• Frankenstein :: Mary Shelley
• Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde :: Robert Louis Stevenson
• Bonds That Make Us Free :: C. Terry Warner

Revisit:

• The Count of Monte Cristo :: Alexandre Dumas

Sometimes I feel bad because I don’t have too many interests, even dreams, or so it seems at times. I’m pretty content, most interested in just living a good life. Ana recently made a list of things she wants to do once she graduates; it’s quite the impressive list. With a little thought, we came up with some for me too:

• Learn to play the piano
• Learn massage
• Web site content and design
• Read
• Motorcycle maintenance
• Watercolors
• FHE lessons

Last week I took a quick trip back from Seattle to Provo. The occasion was to present a paper at the 7th International Conference on Computational Intelligence and Natural Computing (CINC) about some of the work I did last summer while at Sandia National Laboratories. Not a large or well known conference, but I’m published. CINC was part of JCIS, the 8th Joint Conference on Information Sciences. It was cool to attend presentations on such a wide variety of topics, including fuzzy logic, agent based modeling in financial markets, and game theory. I stayed five nights in Provo, and had the opportunity to hang out with many of the best people I know. Being without a car or a place in Provo to stay, I was dependent on the generosity of others. I tried not to impose, but there were many people more than willing to help me out. Brady picked me up from the airport. Julie let me stay at her place. McKay let me hang out at his apartment and use his Internet. Genevieve gave me a ride back up to the airport. Having nothing with me other than what fit in my backpack, I was very grateful for the kindness shown to me by my friends. Solely thanks to their generosity, the trip was a most enjoyable success.

I mentioned to my mom the other day how many miles I’d put on my car since I got it two years ago, and she was a little shocked and worried. I have driven that car from Orlando to Seattle, and countless places in between. I was a little surprised by the differences in our attitudes–I got a car to use it, and am glad that it is being used and for the many experiences myself and others have been blessed with through its use. There is no need to lament its proper use, or curtail usage for fear that something may become used up or worn out. Sometimes we loose sight of the greater purpose our possessions are meant to serve.

I want the carpet to wear out with people coming and going. I want my ring to become battered as I wear it through life.

All that being said, there’s a fine line between use and misuse. I believe strongly in being a good steward, in taking care of people and things, in not abusing what I have the opportunity to make use of. As long as we are doing what is right, let the consequences follow.

Last night I went to a Mariners baseball game. It was an intern event, sponsored by Amazon. Initially, however, I wasn’t too excited to go–I’m usually not at all a sports fan. But I’d never been to a major league baseball game, there was going to be food, and they went to all the trouble of setting this up for us, so I went. I ended up really enjoying myself. The weather was beautiful; the grass was green and the sky was blue. The game was fun to watch, too. The Mariners soundly beat the Tigers 9-3, with two home runs and a number of nice plays. What really made the evening enjoyable, however, was the company. I sat with another intern working at Amazon, also from BYU. We touched on the news and trends in the tech industry. We chatted about the projects we were working on and our impressions of Amazon. We swapped notes on the classes we’ll be taking next semester and our plans for after graduation. All the while enjoying a nice game of baseball far below. Nothing especially deep or personal, but enjoyable all the way through. I stayed until the 9th inning before deciding to beat the crowds, head out early, and get to bed. What made the game, though, was attending with a friend.