I floated the Pecos River with friends this past Sunday for about five hours at a nice leisurely pace. In the moment, it seemed low effort and tranquil. Afterward, however, I needed a two hour nap and was sore the next morning. Last night, or rather very early this morning, we were activated by the State Police to locate a missing cyclist over four hours away. Fortunately, the mission was called off a half hour after we left. A few hours of lost sleep added to my already fatigued body means that I don't see getting much done today.

Today marks the Summer Solstice, a day that is celebrated like Mardis Gras in Alaska due to the nearly twenty-four hours of Sun. Today also marks the beginning of a new goal; to be debt-free by my 40th birthday. For accountability, and for a little kick to the back mouth, I have added a timer to the top of my site. The idea is that I should be completely or well on my way toward being debt free by autumn of next year.

No update in a couple of weeks, so just checking in. I'm still alive and healthier than ever. I have settled into a routine with work, caring for Klausie, and building my circle. The new bike is holding up well, but I've stopped using the bike path on South Main St because I keep puncturing tires. Time will tell if this can be trusted as a daily commuter platform or if I'll be forced to upgrade into something more expensive. I may have a caregiver lined-up to give Klausie some enrichment and exercise during the week while I'm away at work. We meet with them tomorrow. In other news, there was an interesting photo from the most recent addition to The People's Art series that I somehow missed. You can check it out at this linke --> https://www.gtripp.com/portfolio/the-people's-art?pgid=ldz57twr-3cb993_16fbd9ef5a7f450dac642ba9f6797b12mv2.jpg

Klausie and I had our first play date at the dog park with friends. I hope that we can make this a regular thing, if for no other reason than to wear him out by the end of the day.

Things are falling in to place in ways that I had not entirely expected. I came here looking for my community, for purpose, and for work that I enjoy. This has largely happened or is happening and the only anxiety that I feel these days is that it's too good... that it can't last. Nothing does, I suppose. Anyway, I found me peoples and I'm contented.

It's rare that we have overcast skies here in SE New Mexico. When it does happen, best to take advantage; there is a large panel painted on the back of the building next to the McDonald's on N. Main St that I have been wanting to add to the collection. It was too large to take in as a single image without stitching together a panorama (may still do that, though), so I picked out several scenes that were cohesive enough to be single photographs. Check them out at https://www.gtripp.com/portfolio/the-people's-art

For perhaps the first time in my adult life the concept of a weekend actually holds meaning to me. In the nuclear industry, my life revolved around a seemingly bizarre operations schedule or the 4-on/4-off rotation, neither of which lent themselves to adequate sleep nor consistent days off. Now, I can reliably plan my chores and errands around the central framework that is Friday, Saturday, and Sunday!