Matthew is Hiring | Website expands

January 10, 2010

I am looking to expand my website a little bit which will take me beyond my web programming capabilities and well beyond my desire to learn. I am not looking to do a site redesign but I am looking to add functionality and security. If you know HTML, CSS, WordPress and have a familiarity with [...]

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Defunkification | A Trip To The Beach

November 14, 2009

I’ve been in a funk lately, a funk that has been hard to get out of.  I have been unable to focus on anything really and it has been bugging me.  Then, Thursday night while mindlessly surfing the web or watching TV, I can’t remember which I realized that I needed to get out of [...]

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20 Days On The JMT | A Presentation

October 28, 2009

This Monday November 2, 2009 at 6pm Molly and I will be speaking about our experience on the John Muir Trail.  The talk will be preceded by a potluck dinner.  All are welcome to join us for an evening of reflection and discussion. I will have a couple of prints on display at this event. [...]

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Looking Back | Memories of Iraq

October 27, 2009

Recognizing that who I am today is a direct reflection of my experiences both good and bad i feel I owe it to myself to examine the demons hiding in my past. I chose to write this as a letter to my Grandfather who passed away while I was in Iraq.  My Grandfather and I [...]

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Zero Days | Day 9 on the JMT

October 26, 2009

In trail speak a zero day is a day in which you don’t travel towards your destination.  In other words it is a relaxation day, a day of rest.  Molly and I did not take any zero days but had plenty of relaxing days.  I never felt like I needed a zero day and I [...]

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Dessert | Day 8 on the JMT

October 16, 2009

8-3-09 Great Day! I see a pattern forming.  When we get on the trail early we tend to have excellent days.  Last night was cold (-2 C according to our British friends) and it was difficult to get going but we did and were on the trail by 7:00.  Throughout the day we leapfrogged with [...]

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Equipment that Just Works | Day 7 on the JMT

October 15, 2009

In my last post I talked generally about the equipment that I carried on the trail.  Today I’d like to review a few standout pieces of equipment. Selecting ultra light equipment is unfortunately not as simple as going down to REI and picking out the one that fits best, works best or looks best.  Most [...]

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Going Light | Day 6 on the JMT

October 12, 2009

I have been hiking for as long as I can remember, for most of those years I have been carrying what I would consider to be a heavy backpack.  Two Years ago when I hiked from Agnew Meadows to Toulumne Meadows was the last time I will ever hike with a heavy pack.  I have [...]

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Gliding From the Mountaintop

October 10, 2009
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Looking Back | Summer 2005 in Iraq

October 6, 2009

This semester at school has brought with it some unexpected challenges.  In a writing course I was tasked with writing a letter to a family member about a very specific experience.  I decided to really challenge myself to dig deep and find something that to write about that would be helpful to me (yes I [...]

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