Kraemerica

Elders' Wedding

2011-09-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

My buddy Nick Elders got married in his hometown on Lake Quinault in the Olympic National Forest/Park. It was an amazing, amazing setting. In between the ceremony and the reception, Lauren, Brandon and I went for a little stroll. This is Lauren inside of a huge ancient cedar.

Drinks, yummy food, and good friends. It was really good to see everyone. Nearly 10 years after college, everyone is still pretty much the same - which is really comforting. Everyone is definitely in different phases, situations, and circumstances....yet the same personality shines through.
Brandon and Mollie - still wish I could convince these two to move out to the Northwest!

Taking a dip in Lake Quinault - very cold and refreshing. Lets all stay for a month - instead of 48 hours. And no I'm not wearing a white t-shirt, that is just my fish-belly untanned skin.
I left the wedding really missing my Minnesota/Macalester friends. In a way, I am really jealous that they all get to hangout together and frequent my favorite haunts in MPLS. Yet it is mixed, as I wouldn't have met any of the great friends I've made here in Oregon. I spent a good deal of my backpacking trip with this thought rattling around in my head.

Doodle-sitting

2011-09-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Barlow and his sister Sophie. They are from the same litter, yet completely different fur, size, shape, and personalities. I took care of Sophie for 3 nights and Barlow was totally exhausted by the end of it.

MURP

2009-06-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

Last day of school:
Yep, finished up my degree. Now, I have a few more letters behind my name - not necessarily a few more zeros behind my income. I'm thinking that I might start blogging again now that I will get my life back. However, grad school has instilled a strong dislike for computers.

Light at the Top of the Waterfall

2008-05-19T19:52:00.001-07:00

Three weeks left of my first year in Grad School.

I had an epiphany at the base of this waterfall, but I can't quite fit it into words.

Falls Creek Falls, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington

There is a quote a remember from somewhere "Sometimes the ticking of clocks is the only thing to evoke the melancholy of everyday existence." Waterfalls are the opposite. The solid rock being shaped by the crashing water stand testament to the power of time.

Columbia River Sunset

2008-04-20T20:49:00.000-07:00

I'm considering making this a "pictures of sunsets only" blog, as I don't seem to have anything to add to cyberspace lately. Which is kind of sad? Perhaps, I will redirect my efforts to Second Life.
On a field trip this weekend, I sat in a late Holocene sedentary living site, called Carlon Village. It was a blustery day (by Oregon standards) and a group of a dozen of us huddled within what is left of an ancient human settlement. Now, only large boulders and flakes of obsidian remain. For some reason, I can't shake the image.

-We are all ancestors-

Eugene Blizzard

2008-01-29T21:47:00.000-08:00

It hardly ever snows here, so I was pretty surprised to wake up to 8 inches of snow this weekend.

Sun River

2008-01-28T20:27:00.000-08:00

7 feet of snow in 7 days.
I threw up on a chalet.
What more can I say?

Snake the Rossi

2008-01-24T17:39:00.000-08:00

View from Chinidere Mountain

2007-10-29T19:14:00.000-07:00

Pleasing Professors
Lost my Touch
Along with my Mind

Grad School: the place where fun goes to die

2007-10-24T22:47:00.000-07:00

On the first day of school, my roommate and I thought it would be funny if we took pictures like our mothers took before grade school. Take note of the happiness, if I only knew what 5 weeks would bring.

LEFT Coast Surfing

2007-09-15T22:22:00.000-07:00

I promise that this photo was not "posed". I think it should be an album cover or at least a Hollister Poster at MOA.

Goodbye to the Gorge (for now)

2007-09-15T20:22:00.000-07:00

I had to strap the 'ol bed to the roof of the Golf and head on down to Eugene for school. It was a sad departure, I don't want to leave the Gorge for the Valley. However, it rains half as much in the Valley and this school thing is right around the corner. As it approaches, I am getting more pysched for it.

Upper McCord Creek Falls:

Mt. Hood:

Solo

2007-08-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

Who needs friends when you can sail alone?

Update:

2007-08-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

I'm done with my job on wednesday.
I'm hoping to meetup and host the www.jokesacrossamerica.net/jokes/ crew at my house.
I'm headed back to Minnesota on this thursday for a week.
I'm attending Bumbershoot Music Festival in Seattle.
I'm going whitewater rafting on the White Salmon River.
I'm going fly fishing on the Yakima River.
I'm moving to Eugene, Oregon.
I'm possibly doing a sailboat tour of the Columbia or surfing trip down the Coast.
I'm going to the University of Oregon's PPPM Program.

Lets party it up in Minnesota...Start hinting at sickness this week at your workplace in preparation for a "sick day" next week.

Falls Creek Falls, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington

The Cape of Cod

2007-08-16T14:37:00.001-07:00

Another trip to the Bad Coast. Unfortunately, I didn't take a single picture in NYC. It was hot and smelly per usual. After some drinking and pretending to understand art, some of which consisted of enormous pieces of metal on the floor, we escaped to the Cape of Cod. On friday afternoon, we all made our way out to the Batty residence in Rhode Island to convene for our 5am trek to the Cape. The Brothers' Dennis were in full effect.

Second Wind:

We filled a watermelon with vodka:

PD ate his meat ration in one sitting and passed out for the afternoon:

Brandon does some nice work with senior photos:

Seantasha engagement photo?

We also saw the seal referenced in this story: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/08/15/seal_attack_prompts_a_shark_warning/
"Think it has a chance?" was Batty's response to the half-eaten seal being studied by a marine biologist. Then, not knowing how the seal was killed we went swimming about 50 yards down the beach.

Boat Parade Proof

2007-08-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

This is how you win boat parades:

We have everything going for us in this picture.

Surfing on the Oregon Coast

2007-07-29T21:33:00.000-07:00

The Goatkeeper

2007-07-24T13:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Terrordome.

Frostie and Spot

Sailing in the Gorge

2007-07-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

A couple of pictures of WindMillie and RARE Crew taken from the Captain of the Sternwheeler:

I have really grown accustomed to living in a touristy place. There is something about people traveling to your area, to watch you have fun.

After about 5 hours on the water, the beer supply was dwindling.

Leisure Island Wins!

2007-07-12T13:08:00.001-07:00

Here are the pictures to prove it:

Beer Goggles

Reenactment of Iwo Jima

Secret Weapon

Mama, I'm coming home

2007-06-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

Woot Woot!

Get your jug of Carlo in the fridge and start working out that pinky. I'm headed back to Minnesota for the Lake Collinwood 4th of July Boat Parade (on the 2nd).

Possible Leisure Island Theme: Native Americana

If you are still around in MN...come on out!

Saddling up the Golf for another ride across the plains.

Netart's Bay, Oregon Coast - Clamming with some friends.

My life work

2007-06-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

One of my projects:

If ever in Oregon, stop by and use this restroom and take a shower.

WindMillie

2007-06-08T11:30:00.001-07:00

I contend that my Memorial Day Weekend was better than yours.

Started off with an early departure from work. I walked down to the Marina, where a friend, a cooler full of microbrews, and WindMillie awaited my arrival. We rigged her up and cruised out onto the river. Unfortunately, the current was stronger than the wind for a couple hours. We basically spun circles with the sails flapping. This type of situation lends itself to drinking. The icy cold beers were going down quickly. Then, another passenger arrived. Luckily, the wind picked up and we had an amazing sail. Its still very strange to be a boat owner. Every time I take out the boat I kind of feel like I secretly taking out someone else's boat. I think this will fade as the summer moves on.

As others arrived in Cascade Locks for their Sasquatch Music Festival rendezvous, we moved the party over to Double Mountain Brewery. After a few IRAs (Imperial Red Ale), we retreated to Gorge Girl's house in the Orchards. A dip in the pool was sobering and a nice prelude to bed.

The next morning we made some Belgian waffles with my delicious rhubarb sauce and sent the Sasquatchers on their way. Eventually, we made our way out of bed and packed up our camping gear.

We were invited to spend the night camping in a vineyard. It was a completely surreal experience. A friend of a friend works for the vineyard and us all out to listen to music and camp. As the sun dove into the Cascades, an accordion mused in the corner of a dimly lit garage. The music continued on with most of the audience contributing with many instruments. Bottles and jugs of un-labeled wine covered the picnic table. The owners were such gracious hosts and provided an endless supply of wine all evening. As the music faded, we made our way up to the vineyards to spend the night. Amazing! www.klickitatcanyonwinery

A tent hangover is one of the worst hangovers possible. Late to rise, we packed up everything and headed up to our next camping spot, Knebal Springs. On Memorial Day weekend, all campgrounds are packed with people. Mostly obese people in RV's. I don't understand this type of camping, but each to their own I guess. After stopping at several campgrounds near Mt. Hood, we ended up at a strange little campground at about 5,000 feet. With the campsite setup and a hearty dinner cooking in the dutch oven, the wind came up. And by up I mean, like 50 mph. We ended up eating our dinner in the car, packed up and drove past the RV's with their generators purring on the way to our exit.

Such a frustrating evening gave us a bit of ambition for the next day. We set our sights on Table Mountain. Its a 15.5 mile round-trip with 3,600 feet of elevation gain, not an easy task. I packed some lunch and some wine from earlier in the weekend in the backpack and we set out. Three miles into the hike, we lost one of our members. I repeat, lost one of our hiking group. This was the first time this has ever happened to me. After stressing for a few minutes, we decided to press on. In the end, it was definitely worth it. Our lost friend had the keys to his car and wandered out of the woods long before us. We pushed our way to the top. It was such a view: Mt's Hood, Adams, Helens, Rainier, Jefferson!! I'll post pictures once I get my camera back.

Just Another John Day

2007-05-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I just returned from a fantastic Rafting Trip in Eastern Oregon on the John Day River. The second longest undammed river in the US. A group of 10 of us did 50 miles in a combo of oar rafts, an inflatable kayak, and a good ol fashioned canoe. The weather was awesome and it . One of those trips that makes it really hard to get back to the "real" world.

Here are some pics from other cameras:

(Non-whitewater canoe + 20 miles + 2 operators that have consumed more than a week worth of R&R Whiskey) - (Class II-III Rapids) = Swamped Canoe

Calm mornings.

Hey Hoser! Its Vancouver, BC

2007-04-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

Good things about Canada:
Planning initiatives that support walkable cities
No Bush
Stanley Park
Whistler/Blackcomb

Bad things about Canada:
$33 CAD for a 12-pack of Budweiser
Calling Gyros Lamb Svoulaki
HGTV - Canada

Days getting Longer

2007-04-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

Spring

2007-03-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

The weather we have had over the last couple weeks has me questioning why anyone lives outside of the Northwest. Frankly, I am a little upset with the Kraemer's choice of MN as a place to live. Which Kraemer ancestor made the call to stop in the plains? Was it July when he made the decision? Get back in the wagon train, maybe you'll lose a child or two to cholera along the way, but its definitely worth it.

Picture of me limp-wristed inside of a tree.

PS - Accepted to University of Oregon's Masters in Community and Regional Planning. On the waiting list for Portland State's Urban Planning Program. Give me a moment to rant on "waiting lists": just let me know if I am in or not...I have already waited several months...now I must wait another month. Also, I wasn't prepared for it, but its a major blow to the ego to get denied or put on the waiting list. "Am I not good enough for you PSU!? I didn't like you that much anyway." It reminds me of standing in que at a Hotel Chelsea in NYC and having the Sean Paul look-a-like bouncer say to Possum and I "we can't keep letting these mediocre guys in here." Then, when we got in it kinda sucked and there were mirrors everywhere.

1,100 of the strangest people

2007-03-09T11:07:00.000-08:00

My town is a bit backwards. I don't know if its just that the meth is that good around here or what!? It seems that there is a new controversy every day. There are a few characters (citizens) that make appearances more often than others. I might need to netflix Twin Peaks and/or start recording some of this madness.

Friday: Uproar regarding the potential new fire hall. Concerned citizen threatens to "dissolve" the Port by local vote because of my most recent idea to purchase the old fire hall.

Saturday: In the morning on the way to a meeting, a man completely whacked out rides by full speed on a lawnmower with another guy chasing behind on a bike swerving into an oncoming traffic lane. Then onto the community meeting where the consensus seemed to be that the school girls are dressing in a way that they are "asking for it."

Thursday: Fire boat sinks. Sabotage is the rumor, but ignorance seems to be the case. (Please note: Port accountant in yellow kayak)

15 miles, 40 degrees, 11,000 feet

2007-03-05T14:40:00.000-08:00

The snow continued thru another week up at Mt. Hood...

Yet, it was 60 and sunny in the Gorge

Did I mention that I really like it here!?

Mt. Hood is Good

2007-02-27T13:33:00.000-08:00

My camera is back in action.

Mt. Hood is behind that cloud...getting dumped on!!

5 ft of fresh powder in 5 days. My legs hurt from snowboarding and my face hurts from smiling.

Tripod Dog Sitting

2007-01-10T11:09:00.000-08:00

Yep, I'm going to be doing some Tripod Dogsitting.

"Statement of Purpose" for grad school has me actually questioning my purpose.

It rains here.

My Morning Jacket still absolutely rocks it!

Goat-sitting

2006-12-06T13:43:00.000-08:00

Great gig. I'm goat-sitting and staying at this house for a couple weeks. This picture was taken in 1915, still looks the same.

Giving Thanks

2006-12-01T15:04:00.000-08:00

Did Erik actually visit? Did that happen? Was he acting how he acts? Was I acting how I act?

Not sure, it all seems a bit of a blur. Erik cruised (in his sick new volvo) into town for an adventure-filled 3 days. We hit up the Liquor Lyles of PDX - Lowbrow Lounge and several other places leaving Erik with the impression that "Minneapolis is like Portland but more hip." Read: some bars in Portland make Williamsburg look granola.

Then I had a bunch random people to my house for Thanksgiving. A few of us went on a failed sailing trip. Then we feasted on duck, an assortment of good 'ol hotdishes, and passed around a bottle of whiskey for desert.

At one point there was definitely an acoustic jam. Notice: best mustache I've ever seen.

"Sometimes you feel amongst the people, ya know. Holy smokes dude."

On the next day, we went for a hike in the pouring rain (I'll post some pics when I get them from Erik). The hike was great: we forged some creeks, stared at trees, and I think there was a three-legged talking Irish Setter named Scotty that explained the curse of the yellow rose to us along the way. Not really all that clear on any of this.

Duck Butter

2006-11-03T13:36:00.000-08:00

I've been so busy here that its been impossible to post anything.

I purchased a sailboat, so I've got that going for me. Its a Catalina 22. It has a little cabin in it, kinda a weekend boat. Its in a slip at the marine park I work at and I can sail during my lunch break (if its not raining, which is a large "if" these days). Does anyone need more motivation to visit?? I think not.

She needs a little work, but I took it on it's maiden voyage last weekend. I've met a bunch of cool people through my program with the University. A few of them came up for the trip!!

The hiking around where I live is absolutely phenomenal! This is a 15 mile round trip from my house, its called Tunnel Falls. You can actually walk in the little cave under the falls. The girl leaning over the ledge lives in the gorge and we've been out on a bunch of adventures lately.

Nothing Reliable Like Change

2006-10-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

Oregon is really what you imagine it to be in your mind.

On another note, Neil Young's album Are you Passionate? is the most inconsistent album ever, yet I can't stop listening.

Flava Flav's choice of Deleshus was a good move on his part.

Slurry Beta approved podcast (can someone teach me how to hyperlink):
http://media.libsyn.com/media/aquariumdrunkard/Little_Radio_October_show_complete.mp3

Forge the Gorge

2006-10-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

I'd post more, but I lost my camera charger...

I'm a little more settled. Its been 85 and sunny for everyday but my first day in Oregon. I'm still using the shaggin' rug as a bed...its luxirious.

30 miles hiking.
1 day of windsurfing on the Columbia.
1 M. Ward concert.
Several Microbrews.

Shaggin' Rug

2006-09-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

Made it to Oregon. Uneventful road trip. Actually, quite boring. Too many miles on the road this summer: at least 8,000 miles on road trips alone! Such a crazy feeling to walk into this little empty house I'll be living in. For now, my bed is a sleeping bag on a shag rug. Guess what...its raining.

Sunrise Beer on the Cape (for Trapdoor McCarthy)

On the Road Again, Again.

2006-09-18T21:43:00.000-07:00

The golf is fully-packed with basically all of my belongings. Surprisingly, I managed to get pretty much everything I needed into the car. Not to mention, attached on-and-around the car (snowboard, windsurfing gear, kiteboarding gear, skateboard, and bike). Lets get EXTREME (mountain dew should sponsor me).

It was really sad to leave my family and friends. Once again, the nervousness slips away with the miles stacking up on the odometer. I made it to Sheridan, Wyoming and decided to crash for the night. Tomorrow, I am onto Missoula to stay with Tyson and Janna. Pretty uneventful on the road. FYI, the South Dakota route takes much longer and there really isn't much to see. I just couldn't handle driving through North Dakota twice in the matter of 3 months. Checked out the Maize Palace.

Best Sign:
Crazy Woman Creek

Best country song lyrics:
Need a big 'ol beer, and lil 'ol you

Going Away Party

2006-09-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

Liquor Lyle's
Saturday Night
Obviously

East Coast Debacle

2006-08-30T13:14:00.001-07:00

Bender: Eating, Drinking, Uncomfortable Hugging, Drinking, Drinking, Eating, Arguing, Sleeping, Traveling

Its been awhile faithful readers, I have been away. I had a great time out East. The trip started off in Boston and of course I was met at the airport with a traveler in tow. This trip was partly revenge for when Batty visited me when I had a full time job and had to drag my hungover ass out of bed for work every morning. During the days, I rode the T all over Boston. At night, there was some uncomfortable hugging with virgin christian asians (ask me when you see me). Then, the whole crew came down from NYC to Boston for a trip to Cape Cod. It seemed like a great idea to beat traffic and we hit the road for the camp at 3am, which happens to coincide with bar close. We did miss the traffic and hit the water right at sunrise.

Staying up through the night often leads to strange weekends. We rode some killer waves and drank many a beer. Oh yeah and snaked a jug of Carlo Rossi (obvs). Something took over Batty and left him repeating "You don't know Tony Roma's Ribs" until he ran out of energy and went to bed around 8. The rest of us had a heated argument around the campfire about...you guessed it...Wikipedia. Great times. Whats your power animal? Sean's is a possum.

Ah, New York City how I hate you so. I actually had the best trip yet to NYC. Saw some great art (MOMA, P.S.1), some friends I hadn't seen in a long time, some great music (Dr. Dog and the Walkmen) and drank myself into chaos. Not sure what to add.

Now, I'm back in MN for a couple weeks. I am waiting to secure housing in Oregon. By the way, I got the exact job I wanted! I'll be doing grant writing for a marine park on the Columbia River. The main project involves planning a sailing, windsurfing and kiteboarding complex!!! Can you believe that?!?!

Hit me up if you are around MN, I'd like to make the best of my last couple weeks of FUNEMPLOYMENT.

Bridge of the Gods (thats actually the name)

2006-08-11T21:03:00.000-07:00

I have had a great week traveling through Oregon. This state is HUGE and the diversity of people/opinion parallels the landscape. Anyway, the interviews went great and I would be happy with pretty much any of the placements. I do have a favorite and I think this picture explains it all:

(this is taken from an island in the park i would be working on)

I had to travel to the far Northeastern part of Oregon and there are some crazy people out there. I ran across this gas station with about 30 signs like the one below...

What month is it?

2006-08-07T15:10:00.000-07:00

Well, the end of funemployent is near and by near I mean 2 months away. I have a busy couple of weeks. I am in Oregon for the week, back to Lake Collinwood for Ball of Twine Daze, off to Boston/Cape Cod/NYC/possibly Montreal thru the end of August and then to Oregon to start up my new job in mid-September. I'll try to post some pics. Check out this clip from last year's Ball of Twine Daze:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Zb3NatXiqg

And, just a couple of dudes drinking some Sparks

Lonely Sunrise on Collinwood

2006-07-28T10:14:00.000-07:00

Quiet Nights at Lake Collinwood

2006-07-17T20:17:00.000-07:00

Back in MN

2006-07-04T13:10:00.000-07:00

Obligatory looking off over the Pacific Crest.

Best 80's party EVER (my friend in Seattle had a bunch of really old pictures)

Well, it seems that the trip is over. I am back in MN and the reality of not having a home has set in. I had a great time in Seattle. My friend showed me all over the city and we did a bunch of hiking. Its great to reconnect with old friends. Then, I would like to think that I set some sort of record by driving from Seattle to Minnesota: solo, without stopping, exactly 24 hours straight. Upon my arrival in MN, I immediately went out to Collinwood for the boat parade. It was fantastic, we actually had some flags on the side of the pontoon and some pretty serious flag waving going on. The lack of sleep coupled with the abunddance of carlo rossi and southern comfort made for a comical tent setup. Somehow, every inch of my tshirt was grass stained! haha

It is really strange to be back in Delano, I realize that I was only gone for a little over a month, but it felt so much longer to me. Also, to come back to Delano on the 4th of July is quite funny. Well, anyone that is living in MN should give me a call, so I don't lose my mind out here

Oregon Trail

2006-06-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

I made it up to Oregon. On the first day, I checked out the dunes on the coast. It was a welcome relief from the heat of the desert between Reno and Eugene (110). Eugene is much smaller than I had expected, but the University campus is really nice. My interview went great (I think) and I am looking forward to hearing back about it. After the interview, I drove up to Portland. I really like the vibe of this city. Only 60 miles from the coast, 60 miles from Hood River (windsurfing/kiteboarding mecca), 60 miles from Mt. Hood (snowboarding), and 2.5 hours from Seattle. I camped out on Mt. Hood last night and had the best night of sleep since I left on this trip.

Also, I think I came up with the winning idea for the boat parade. Its offensive, but on a different level and I think we can actually pull it off pretty easily.

Cowboys vs. Indians
People on leisure island in cowboy hats and supplied with firecrackers. Canoe tied to the back of Leisure Island with two people dressed as indians. Of course, we are all in speedos.

Well, I am in downtown Portland right now having a coffee to prepare for the drive up to Seattle. I am visiting my friend Kit and I am really excited to see the city. I have heard so many good things about it.

On the road again

2006-06-25T20:53:00.000-07:00

Mormons are a strange bunch. I saw several of them in Thailand and now on my drive through California I run across this strange gate. The mountain road I was on completely ended where this gate stood. Another larger gate was connected to this one: Lockhead Martin. As I stood there, two deer trotted across the Lockhead Martin parking lot...seemingly abandoned office building in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. I challenge my friends at work to search the internet (you know you've got the time) and find me some sort of connection....

Backpacking in the Big Basin Redwoods National Park. Santa Cruz is a great city...

I made it back to the states. Spent a night in Tapanga Canyon, near Malibu, with my friend that was taking car of my car while I was gone. Her parents made us a great dinner and I took off in the morning up the coast. I stopped in Santa Cruz, which is a great little city and then hit up a nearby redwood national forest for camping. The only sight left was a 6 mile hike in and I started it at 7:30pm (oops), then hit the trail at sunrise to get back out to my car. It was great fun! Oh, and I also ran out of water and literally had to drink from a stream on the hike out this morning. Then, I saddled up the Golf over the Donner Pass onto Reno. I'm staying with family and was able to see my grandma tonight. She was in good spirits and still has biting sarcasm at nearly 85. I am exhausted and need some sleep for the next leg of the trip up to Oregon in the morning.

I will post pics when I get some wi-fi. Until then you should check out my dutch friend's photos from Japan: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mhq/

I plan on hanging out in Oregon for a few days and then heading back to MN for the 4th of July Boat Parade. We still don't have a winning theme, so send us some suggestions.

Hong Kong

2006-06-21T02:11:00.000-07:00

"...I mean whats the worst that could happen" is the exact thought that I had going through my head as I boarded the plane for Hong Kong. I figured, only 2.5 days in Hong Kong and then I am back in the states. At this point I am very tired and just ready to get back. Well, whats the worst that could happen: your backpack doesn't show up in Hong Kong. I'd say thats on the edge of the worst that could happen. Anyway, it probably got sent to LAX already and I will just have to deal with it.

Now I go wander around Hong Kong and try to find a bed for the night...at least I brought my ipod charger.

Update: I found a cheap hostel and I have walked all over the city this evening. My first impression is that I am not very fond of this place. Its identical to NYC. I'll try to hit up all of the tourist spots tomorrow and then I am already out of here the next morning.

Another Update (Hong Kong doesn't deserve two posts): I　ｍａｄｅ　ｍｙ　ｗａｙ　ａｌｌ　ｏｖｅｒ　ｔｈｅ　ｃｉｔｙ　ｔｏｄａｙ　ａｎｄ　ｓｗｅａｔ　ｌｉｋｅ　Ｐａｕｌ　Ｄｅｎｎｉｓ　ａｔ　ａ　Ｆａｌａｆｅｌ　Ｋｉｎｇ　Ｂｕｆｆｅｔ　（ｗｈｉｃｈ　ｈｅ　ｒｅｆｅｒｓ　ｔｏ　ａｓ　”ｇｒｅａｓｉｎ”）．　　Ｔｈａｔ　ｄｏｅｓｎ’ｔ　ｂｏｄｅ　ｗｅｌｌ　ｆｏｒ　ｔｈｅ　４　ｄａｙ　ｏｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｓａｍｅ　ｃｌｏｔｈｅｓ　ａｎｄ　ｔｈｅ　ｆａｃｔ　ｔｈａｔ　Ｉ have been greasin' for all 4 of those days. Anyway, backpack has been located and they are keeping it for me at the airport. The place I was staying was so, so sketchy that I　ｄｉｄｎ’ｔ　ｔｒｕｓｔ　ｍｙ　ｂａｇｇａｇｅ　ｂｅｉｎｇ　ｄｅｌｉｖｅｒｅｄ．　　Ｍｙ　ｆｌｉｇｈｔ　ｌｅａｖｅｓ　ｅａｒｌｙ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｍｏｒｎｉｎｇ，　ｔｏｏ　ｅａｒｌｙ　ｔｏ　ｃａｔｃｈ　ｔｈｅ　ｂｕｓ，　ｓｏ　Ｉ am going to spend the night at the airport. This also enables me to get some clean clothes and wash myself in a drinking fountain or something. haha

You wan masaaaaaage

2006-06-18T06:46:00.000-07:00

Ah, exhausted from the 3 day trek. It was fantastic, we stayed in a Karen Village and at a Waterfall in these little grass huts that they villagers live in. It was great to get out of the city and away from everything. There were a strange mix of about a dozen people on the trip. A group of Korean girls that spent the majority of the time wiping themselves with little towels (they don't like to sweat in their culture, apparently?). Then, in the evenings they would spend hours washing their clothes and applying makeup, it was one of the strangest things I have seen on the trip. They made the OCD guy from Double Dare look normal. Obviously, there were 3 Israelis on the trip...don't they have some sort of land dispute going to take care of and not be hanging out in Thailand? Maybe, I'm wrong? If you didn't notice, this is the part of the blog where I rant about stuff, I've been in the jungle for 3 days, give me a break....also, on the trip was a group of 5 british girls who talked incessantly, about nothing. On the ride back to the city, they had resorted to describing drawings they made in Pre-School. Ok, I'm done. Anyway, the trip was amazing and probably contained some of my favorite moments from the trip. It made me think about doing a longer Eco-Trek sort of thing on my next adventure. Its great, the guide explains the culture and you harvest your lunch/dinner from the jungle while you are hiking.

GREAT NEWS! I made it to the Second Round of the Application process for a City Planning job in Oregon. It is a job for a year and then onto grad school at Portland State. So, I need to figure out how I am going to drive up there from LA when I return to the states....

Eco-Trek

2006-06-15T07:41:00.000-07:00

I made it up to Chiang Mai today and I really like it up here. Its much smaller than Bangkok and full of history. I was able to see quite a few temples on foot this afternoon. Tommorow, I am headed on an Eco-Trek for 3 days into the mountains. We will be staying with some hill tribes and I think one of the tribes that does the "stretched-out neck ring thing" (yah, i'm really informed). I feel quite rejuvenated since getting off of the island, the people here are much more chill and into actually experiencing the culture instead of listening to their shitty dance music and wearing men's capri pants. On a side note, sorry to bother everyone with my digestive problems, but it seemed very important at the time. ha Also, I purchased a Norman Mailer book today, so I don't need to fake interest in Soccer to make friends anymore.

Snorkels, Kayaks and Planes

2006-06-13T05:59:00.000-07:00

I am leaving the island, maybe from the pictures it looks like paradise, but I am currently bored out of my mind. After seeing all ends of the island, its time to go. Maybe I sound like I am in a bad mood, its because I am, I have a poopie baht (this is funny, cause the thai currency is baht, for those in the know). Some wack green curry has quarantined me to my bungalow for the day. Tomorrow morning I am headed on a sea kayaking, snorkeling, and hiking trip to the National Marine Park. Its a group of 40 islands and I am stoked. After the kayaking, I am hopping a plane to Bangkok, spending the night at the cockroach hostel, and then catching a flight up to Chiang Mai. It is the ancient capital of Thailand and is up in the mountains. A change of scenery will be nice and moving back to hostels will be nice. I won't feel like the hermit in bungalow #7 anymore. Wish me luck in returning to my regular digestive state, otherwise it could make for an interesting day of sea kayaking.

Shants, Trance and Ladyboys

2006-06-11T23:39:00.000-07:00

Its the day after the full moon party and I am a bit tired. It was a crazy scene, something like 10,000 people all on one big beach for a party. I wish I would have taken some pictures, but I ended up with one blurry picture of Mellow Mountain, which was appropriate for the night. It was the biggest drug scene I have ever been around. I guess that is what its known for, but there is no way to really prepare yourself for it. So many spaced out people staring off at the ocean. The island was teaming with brits and Europeans...and they brought their shants and electronic dance music with them. Finally, I managed to make some new friends at my bungalows, so it was nice to have some people to hang out with. We all stuck to the drink buckets, which consisted of red bull and vodka. The strangest part of the night was when I got attacked, I mean attacked by a Thai Ladyboy. Needless to say, the people watching was fantastic and we made it back to our bungalows on a sketchy tuk-tuk just as the sun came up. Actually, on the ride home the tuk-tuk driver got pissed at some drunken brits and pulled some thai boxing on their asses! Overall, it was a really strange and fun evening.

What day is it?

2006-06-09T21:49:00.000-07:00

Every day is really long here. I am not doing much besides the occasional hike or dip in the ocean. Its nice, however its still been really hard to meet people. Its all Israeli Hippies and they are in large groups...is there like a discount airline to here that I don't know about?? Sean, can you fill me in on this? haha

I added some pics to the entries below.

Turns out there is Heaven on Earth

2006-06-07T19:06:00.000-07:00

View from a hammock.
View from my bungalow.
I went on a 4 mile hike and saw one other person the entire time. This beach was amazing!

Well, I made it to the island. It was a long miserable trip, but it was definitely worth it! This place could not be anymore beautiful and its all really cheap. I am staying in a great little bungalow right on the edge of the beach and my "resort" has a big bar and restraint overlooking the ocean. Blue water and white sand....damn I wish I was doing some reinsurance right now. haha There are some down sides, its all tourists and its seems like I am the only solo traveler here. Everyone else is in big groups or couples. Plus it seems there is a game amongst "travelers" in which they just want to one-up everyone with the remote area/beach that they've been to. They all speak at eachother and no one listens. Which has brought something to my attention: there is a difference between traveling and vacationing. I feel that coming the island has turned me into a vacationer, which is fine, but I kinda miss the grittiness of the city or the confusion of Japan, however I am SO relaxed. It reminds me of the movie Bottle Rocket, when he says "i woke up one morning, i couldn't decide if i wanted to go waterskiing or not...then i thought, i don't ever want to have to decide about another watersport again in my life...." you get the point, i think? My internet is hit or miss here...so i'll upload pics if i get a chance.

2 days Too Many in Bangkok

2006-06-07T19:01:00.000-07:00

Crowded Markets.

Bangkok is a super dirty city. Its completely unorganized, I guess I was spoiled by Tokyo. It is super cheap though and the food is delicious. I ate every kind of thai food from street vendors, at about 50cents a meal, my $ could go a long ways in Bangkok. The prostitution in Bangkok is horrendous, I didn't think that it would bother me, but its in your face all day, every day. All of these dirty old white guys walking around with really young thai girls in the markets during the day and go-go bars in which there are 40 thai girls sitting around, when you walk in as a westerner...they start going nuts. You may ask, "this sounds fun?" It isn't, I find it really depressing.

Then, I hopped a 14 hour overnight bus and 4 hour ferry to the islands!

2006-06-05T05:08:00.000-07:00

After my long day of travel, I arrived at my new home at 2am. I met a bunch of cool people on the airplane ride and was in a great mood by the time I arrived in Bangkok. The homesickness was erased by the excitement of a new city. The place I am staying is a complete dump in US standards but average in Thai standards it seems, but for $5 usd, what do you expect. In my 6 bed, hostel room I was awakened in the middle of the night by a cockroach on my pillow! The next 10 minutes where a hilarious battle of travel-weary Nick vs. Bangkok cockroach. In the end, I won, but that damn cockroach certainly intruded on my dreams (i had a year's worth of nightmares in one night). However, I ended up having the best day of the trip so far! After wondering down many of the crowded markets, I met a native Thai (now living in Australia) whom showed me around the city. It was great, I'm sure I got a much different view of the city than the average tourist. He was once a buddhist monk and gave me a tour of many of the local temples/shrines. By tuk-tuk and boat, we weaved our way through the city. Tonight, I am headed to Kho Shan Road, which is known as the place for backpackers to meetup. Then, I am on to Kho Phang Nan tomorrow by overnight bus and ferry. It is an island, that will be much more touristy than my experience today, but I am ready for some relaxing. I have planned it so I will be there for a Full Moon Party....good times. Wish me luck!!

Planes, trains and escalators

2006-06-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

Kraemer Roll-Offs Temple.
Cemetery.My new dutch friend.
Me, hungover at the Golden Temple. Zen Rock Garden.

n and I have some great pictures that I'm not able to post from this computer. I hiked around the city and saw a bunch of the famous temples and gardens, several World Heritage Sites. Then, I met a crazy dutch guy staying only a few mats down at the guest house. We went out on the town in Kyoto thinking there wouldn't be much going on, but with a population of 1.2 million, we were proven wrong. It was nice being able to speak english with someone and he was at the same kind of point in his life (trying to figure shit out). One too many sakis lead to a late start the next morning. I checked out the Golden Temple, probably the most recognized, a killer zen rock garden and then caught a train to Tottori to visit a friend from college. It was great hanging out with my buddy, he has been teaching japanese for 3 years and is headed back to the states in July. He is going to Harvard for a Masters/PHD in Asian Religious Studies, not bad. Anyway, he lives on the other side of the country from the airport and I have had a horrendous day of travel: two hours on a commuter train, 4 hours on the bullet train, one hour on the subway, and now boarding a plane for 6 hours to Bangkok. I am really stoked to get into Bangkok. The plan is to chill (if thats possible in bangkok) for a couple days and setup some travel to the beaches. I have alot of mixed feelings about Japan, that I don't have time/energy to explain right now, but its a country of contrast. Just when you think you have it figured out, you are slapped upside the head with something completely different. All of the travel, has me feeling a bit homesick today and at the same time I feel really lucky to be able to have an experience like this...

Kyoto

2006-06-02T00:40:00.000-07:00

Well, my internet sucks here in Kyoto, so this will be short. I took the bullet train and it was a pretty ride...mixed with ugly industrial cities. Kyoto is a much smaller city, but full of history. I am excited to explore. Also, I am staying in a traditional guest house type thing. Mats on the floor with 10 other people in the room, in other words, Nick needs to either drop some Tylenol PM or several Sapporos before bedtime.

We are living in the future

2006-06-01T02:11:00.000-07:00

Last night, I hit up the Shinjuku district where the "nightlife" exists and it was cRazy. There are over 2 million people passing through that area everyday, so in true Japanese style it's filled with lights and noises. Also, its filled with drunken businessman and prostitutes. I got harassed the entire time I was there. By the end of the evening, I was really tired and ended up getting lost. Eventually I found my way and had to take a different subway back. Well, unknown to me the f'in subway shuts down at midnight! So, I was stuck walking nearly 4 miles back to my hostel. Now, 4 miles Tokyo is a long, long way. By the time I got back at 2:30am, I was not in the best of moods.

I spent most of the morning in bed, sleeping off the disaster of an evening. Then, I decided that I would do the special Nick Kraemer Super Happy Fun Time sight seeing tour of Tokyo Bay. First, I checked out the fish market, which was enormous, but not at all exciting. Tokyo Bay is home to many of the superskyscrapers in which people live/work/eat etc etc. I had lunch at the Shiodome, which is one of the largest of these superskyscrapers. Then I hit up the new rail line that takes you to the coney island of tokyo. Shiodome.

Rainbow Bridge

Then onto the Fuji TV building. It was the strangest building I have ever, ever seen. At first, I thought it was beautiful, but after awhile I wasn't a fan. While sitting outside the building enjoying the breeze off of the ocean and listening to some John Prine, a group of 10 school girls came up to me and wanted a picture with me. It made my day, they were squealing and making all of these weird noises...it was quite funny to have John Prine in the background on my headphones during all of it!

Tonight, I am going to get a bunch of beers at the local store and chill at the hostel to save up energy for tomorrow. I am headed to Kyoto for the next couple days, to check out some temples and onsen (hot springs). Finally, I got a hold of my friend, Ethan, who has been living in Japan since we graduated, however he lives on the other side of Japan (near osaka), so it might be tough to meetup. I am excited about the possibility of having someone who speaks Japanese show me around, because it seems that NO ONE here speaks any English. Many of my days are spent in silence or with my Ipod rockin' (btw-do yourself a favor and get the new Walkmen album)

You having?

2006-05-31T00:46:00.000-07:00

After a restless night of sleep, which resulted in about 2 hours of sleep, I set out on the city at around 5am. Thanks for keeping me company Xtina. It was much easier to get around in the daylight. I am staying in a pretty cool area of the city between Ueno and Asakusa. Its more of a residential area, so I made my way down to the Tokyo Central Business District for the day. The subways and trains are suprisingly easy to use and its crazy how packed they can be, but maintain total silence and order. A few observations: japanese people are really polite, they text message more than Batty texts Becky and Rick combined, and they can sleep anywhere (standing on escalators, waiting for the subway, at lunch tables). Being that I was up so early, many of the museums and whatnot where not yet open, so I just covered alot of ground and saw alot of the city from the street. The architecture is really progressive, it seems like its built with intentions of tearing it down only a few years later. This is in direct contrast to the temples in the parks...they have been around for hundreds of years. Its not nearly as expensive here as I thought it would be, I had a really good sushi lunch for like $7. It was 14 delicious nigiri pieces, the waiter giggled as I ate them in record speed. Thats like a $70 dinner in MN. Hmmm...Hows about I caption some of my pics from the day...

My hood

Temple at Shinobazu Pond

Strange Apartments

Imperial Palace...they've got that on lockdown (not open to public)

Tokyo International Forum (its not the Foshay Tower, but it'll do)

Marunouchi Building - a brand new building in which people can do everything they need (live, work, hospital, eat...etc. etc.)

Tokyo - HOLY SH#@!T

2006-05-30T05:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I am 7,500 miles from home at this point and all nervousness is gone. I am completely overwhelmed by the city. I have only been off the plane for a few hours and am completely exhausted, but the part of the city I am in is great. It's really confusing, because there isn't english on any of the signs for stores and food...but I am sure I'll figure it out. I guess on the plane ride over, I had convinced myself that Tokyo wouldn't be much different than NYC, but this place makes NYC look like Eden Prairie. I need some rest.

The road to LA

2006-05-28T22:48:00.000-07:00

I made it to LA, 2000 miles in 3 days. I went a little crazy with all of the driving over the last couple days. The more miles between me and MN, the less nervous I was about the trip. With the windows down and shirt off (chapin style), I made it across the West. The scenery between Denver and Nevada was amazing. I need to spend some more time at the Utah parks. Unfortunately, there were no run-ins with mormons. Well, I am going to crash at my friend's place for the night and off to Tokyo in the morning.

Best sign along the way:
Correctional Facility do not stop for hitchhikers

Best country song lyric:
It ain't home til you take the wheels off

2006-05-26T22:43:00.000-07:00

Nearly forgot the Lake Minnetonka to Minnehaha Falls Urban Canoe Adventure.

Well, so far my time off has been enjoyable: biking, windsurfing, skateboarding, fly fishing, walleye fishing, pontooning, etc etc. here are some pics:

The idea is to post some pics while I am on my trip. Currently, I am sitting in a Motel 6 in the middle of Nebraska due to a thunder/dirt storm that forced me to head in for the night. Unfortunately, I had some "high octane" coffee at a truck stop and can't sleep. I love pulling the Golf into the big truck stops, it never fails that a big rig driver stops by to ask questions about the VW. Also, I've been able to make the whole trip on Biodiesel, so thats kinda nice.