Cory Salem, 1987-2008 very new post
12:25 PM | 1 Comment | Tagged in Life EventsLast I saw Cory was at dinner before the Pike Indy bar crawl, and we sat across from one another; and he was so excited (relative even to his own personality) because he just bought a motorcycle - and he went on and on about it. Later, I asked when would he be turning twenty-one, and he told me the day before school begins, and we talked about how exciting it is to turn twenty-one. Now, not two months later, I learn that he died in a motorcycle accident? on his twenty-first birthday? Perhaps it isn’t irony, but I can’t relinquish this uncanny feeling - that the topics of our last conversation are also circumstances of his untimely death. The only condolence I receive from this tragedy is that he was experiencing the motorcycle he enjoyed so much, and he reached the birthday he waited so long for. And I am glad that we just so happened to sit across from one other at that dinner in July.
Seldom does one meet a person with the charisma and energy that Cory possesses, and seldom still does one get to befriend such people. As with every man he had his faults, but Cory was a good man and a good friend. He brought joy to this world, and to my own life. He had great humor and even greater character. We were looking forward to having a drink out together at homecoming, which is now not too far away; but it seems, if there be a life after death, we’ll have to wait much longer for that drink.
I keep remembering the “Oh my gosh! It’s George Mills!” that Cory would shout so enthusiastically every time I visited last year, or the neon sign I helped hang in his room - probably because those are memories only the two of us share. I’ll miss you and remember you, Cory Salem. May you rest in peace.
McKay Hollow Trail
4:20 PM | 0 Comments | Tagged in Life EventsI just got back from hiking at Monte Sano State Park. The park is located at the summit of Monte Sano Mountain, and maintains about 14 miles of hiking/biking trails. I enjoyed an easy 1 1/2 mile run on the South Plateau Loop then veered onto the McKay Hollow trail which is meant for more serious hikers. After about 2 miles on the latter trail I didn’t think it seemed all too difficult - it was narrow and buggy, that’s for sure; but I didn’t think it deserved its double diamond rating. To this point it was generally a gradual downward slope. But then, then the last half mile kicked my ass. By the time I returned to the lodge I was tired, and I was thirsty, and I was sweaty. I made a more careful inspection of the giant trail map, and the McKay Hollow trail drops 600 ft over about 1 1/2 miles, and in the last half mile it earns its double diamonds (I think it’s the only double diamond trail in the park).
When I intersected the Natural Well trail I followed it (as was my original plan) for about a quarter mile but every ten steps I got a facefull of spider web, and so it wasn’t fun anymore and I returned to the McKay Hollow trail. Where the latter trail ends a sign reads “Natural Well is not maintained as it has been washed out.” If the park guys had one of those signs at the other end of the McKay Hollow trail I wouldn’t have had to floss my teeth with spider webbing. Douche bags.
And so I bought a nice cold bottle of water and one of delicious orange soda and enjoyed them thoroughly. I discovered the park store sells cold beer. Nice to know if I ever camp up there. So yeah, I had a pretty fun hike.
Labor Day Weekend
8:29 AM | 2 Comments | Tagged in HolidaysShould be called BBQ & Beer Weekend. That is all.
Drinking Age Debate
7:53 AM | 4 Comments | Tagged in Current EventsIf the legal drinking age does ever drop to 18, I’ll wish I had gone to college later. I could drive, vote, enlist, and run for office; but drinking beer is obviously too dangerous. Then again, as an underclassmen I didn’t have the money to spend at bars anyways.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/08/18/college.drinking.age.ap
Olympic Hijinks
8:02 AM | 3 Comments | Tagged in Current EventsI seems there’s more than meets the eye at the Beijing Olympics, what with fake fireworks, fake singers, and potentially underage athletes. The biggest surprise? Michael Phelps is actually an Atlantic salmon in a speed-o. Man, what computers can do nowadays is simply incredible.