Teaching

Been back from Alaska for just over two weeks now. I went straight into my student-teaching at Sebastian Middle School. The change feels unusual but it works. Mrs. West, my directing teacher is a fun woman, full of priceless sarcasm. My duty is to slowly take over the 6th grade World History classes. I love the age-group. They're awkward, imaginative, and hardly corrupted by the hormone explosion that is middle school. On the first day a boy named Camren asked, "Where do you keep the flamethrowers?" I paused, the question caught me by surprise for some reason. It took everything in me not to respond with, "Well, there are two in every teacher's desk, three buried outside, and a very powerful one kept with the Principle. Her's has the biggest range of fire." Instead, I decided to calm him by saying that we have no need for flamethrowers. He reacted quite confused, "Then how do you stop the snipers!?" I took a deep breath, and again reluctantly restrained myself from a very desirable facetious response. "Snipers? There's no snipers," I stated. His eyes got big. "Well that's not what my brother told me!," he remarked.

Oh the beauty of sibling mind control. The conversation brings back so many nostalgic memories. This is going to be a beautiful semester.

Another chapter to the book, Patagonia this time.

Southernmost Kickstarter from ben sasso on Vimeo.

funny things and such

Starting to miss home a bit. I wonder whether or not I will regret that statement. Home can be a curious place of ups, downs, and all arounds. I do miss my roommates. They just returned from their own adventure in Iceland and I would very much like to hear about it directly from them. I miss the ocean, the warm Atlantic Ocean. I want to surf in it. I want to swim in it. I want to roll around in it like a dog in their own poop. Where I am now I do get to live on the Pacific, however the water is hardly above freezing temperature. One can only be in it for so long. Being a Florida boy, I have every excuse to be cold. I also miss my family. All my brothers have moved out and we seem to be turning into that strange form of slightly older people who take on real responsibilities and other weird things. My parents are spending more time together though, and that is something very nice to think about. I miss St. Augustine. I miss the bent and broken streets with the Spanish architecture that never seems to get old despite actually being quite old. I miss all the slightly unusual people who live there. I think when I return I will go for a walk, or something.

But hold on. That paragraph should not be taken as anything close to saying that the Alaskan adventure has lost its gleam nor its northern lights. This place is still plenty interesting with all its mustaches, mountain hikes, hysterical bars/bands, sea planes, camping, black bears, eagles, folky locals etc. The sun does not like to set much and its difficult to track where it goes so you never have to worry about there not being enough time left in the day to do things. Also, I am serious about not being able to track the thing. Every time I feel like I can see it going one direction, I swear it turns around and goes the other way just to spite me. It makes telling north from east a bit complicated.

Leading people on the zipline tours never appears to get old either. Every group of tourists is different and even if they are not great zippers and come flying into my platform at 30mph, I get to do things like prussic break them so hard that they launch upwards into the cable. Now how could that ever get old to anyone? Most tourists are good zippers though as long as they get taught right. Kids can be a doozy when they are so light that they can't make it across the lines. This usually results in having a guide having to zip out and pull them in. Grown ups do it too. Just imagine what its like when you get a 250 pounder stuck in the middle who refuses to move. My arms still hurt. It does make for a fun challenge though. Lots of times you get incredible people who laugh at all the bad jokes and even contribute some of their own. These are my favorite. Another fun type are those with the sudden fear of heights who forgot they had a fear of heights. Its tempting to manipulate this fear into humor when you are always working at height. I promise I am not that mean, but when you work with tourists constantly, it is important to always make yourself laugh most. It keeps one's wits about them.

Worthy Alaskan Moments

Caught My First King

Okay so after months of watching the King Salmon run up our creek. I finally got one. Today I had the day off and walked out to one of the points that extend into our cove. There were several musky dudes fishing near by and I could tell by their behavior that they come out to this spot often. Its a way of carrying one's self I think. Anyway I nestled into my own little spot and started casting. My primal peripherals allowed me to see the glances I was getting from the fishermen and fish on each side of me. I casted my hook. Then I casted again and again.... but that was all that was necessary. As I was reeling in my third cast, I felt an enormous yank down my rod but was hesitant to believe I had fooled a fish. (I am a master of hooking the bottom). We fought for about 10 minutes. She was strong and every time I thought I had her, she would take off again, spooling line from my reel. One of the fishermen came over and offered me his gaff. This made pulling the fish out of the water and beating her to death quaintly simple. All said and done, I am happy to have caught my first Alaskan King Salmon and look forward to eating it this evening.

Note: a female "King" salmon should really be called a "Queen" salmon.

should probably write something

    note: Sarah zippin on the right

Good ol' Alaska. I think I am am getting used to the new way of life out here. Hitchhiking, stumbling, eagle screaming, camping, climbing, singing, and mustaches seem to be the norm out here. There's also plenty of kicking back and enjoying what is around you. I have attempted fishing a few times too but my flyfishing skills could still use some work. I guess the salmon that run up our stream aren't very hungry on account they are only thinking about sex. Weird? The local fishermen all use big womping trebble hooks to snag the King Salmon that make their way in. I have not given up, I still dream of catching "Old Betsy" as soon as I get the right fishing tackle.

I wish I had more to write about right now but the longer I am here, I start to feel like my days blurr together just a bit. Not in a bad way though. I am not sure if its because the sun never fully sets here or that I am becoming rather used to the daily grind. I am not sure if I can even call it a grind though, how about the daily zip? Hmmm never mind. The zipline courses are becoming quite familiar. I can almost tell you how many screws are in each different platform we zip through. I find myself forgetting how high up we are sometimes, and than I catch myself falling off the edge on my lanyards. Comfort can be dangerous. That sounds like a quote in some Hemmingway Novel. Okay well in conclusion of this odd post, I want to add that Sarah and I are certainly enjoying ourselves. Its a different way of living and working out here and its interesting to take in. Have a nice day. Good ol' Alaska.

Two weeks in

Okay this is my first real update since arriving in Alaska. The people here are freakin great. I have been learning a lot about the local area. So far everything is crazy. Crazy awesome. The Tonga forest has the most biodensity of any forest in the world - Yes more than the Amazon jungle. That means there is a ridiculous amount of things living out here. The ziplines that we guide on shoot right through the center of all of it.

Everything here is bigger (sorry Texas). The first time we went outside, I thought I was in Jurassic Park and that perhaps pretty soon velossa raptors and brontosauruses were gonna show up. I have yet to see any, but we do have plenty of black bears and bald eagles. They like to sit around staring at the creeks, waiting for the salmon to arrive. There are also giant beards everywhere. I feel that being here might be exactly what I need to finally grow my own.

The last week and half has definitely been one of the most difficult training programs I have ever taken part in. I had no idea how technical and random this job was gonna be. The actually guiding is not too difficult, but the tech and the different rescues can be something else. I found myself upside down clipped in to the center of 500ft cable suspended 115ft above the ground performing a lanyard fall lower down rescue. Funny what finding a summer job on the internet can lead to. Surprisingly, that particular rescue is actually one of the easier ones.

We had testing yesterday. Guiding is easy, but the rescues can be a doozy. There is about 30 different steps to each of them. None can be missed and none can be out of order. Sarah passed with flying colors. She seems to be doing awesome out here despite her permanent migraine condition. She says its because we are outside and get to work with our hands. So awesome. I sadly did not pass a couple of my rescues the first time because of two small errors. However, after a bit more practicing (and some beating the crap out of my dresser), I passed this morning without errors. Finally we are certified guides.

I need to mention the people out here. They rock my socks. Everyone has been super welcoming and quick to help you out. Despite us all being from different place, it seems we're all quite like-minded. Most came out here the same way we did - through the internet, and most have traveled some pretty epic adventures already. I'm sure if we added everyone's trips together, we'd find that this group has been to the whole world. Something to note also: everybody here is awesome at cooking. Sarah and I try but our efforts are weak. We came in the other day and our friend Nick was baking massive loafs of bread and simmering home-made apple butter. Others are usually cooking some 89 ingredient recipe with cheese that I have never of. I really hope to be a better cook by the time I leave, that would be nice.

We have arrived in Alaska

Our new backyard:

Mom

this is a very good thing

Summer seems pretty much here and this is a very good thing. It is a time to feel completely free from everything society tells us to be. If you haven't yet, make it an important note to immediately forget what day and time it is. Go on every adventure God throws at you. Swim naked, grow a beard, build a fire, scream on your back porch, purchase a flight to somewhere you know nothing about, drive and sing with your windows down, sleep on the beach, build a fort, cook outside, learn a new instrument, smoke a cigar, make cut-offs out of your pants, steal (borrow) a golf cart, read a book, stop texting, road-trip, carve a tiki-man, eat a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich (or just invent one), talk to strangers, boogy in a place where nobody else has to a song that only you can hear, get completely lost, plant something, and of course never change out of your bathing suit. Anything else you feel like adding to this list it greatly appreciated. When you're old, reminiscing, and nostalgic, these will make awesome ridiculous memories, so take advantage of it!

Not quite sure how to describe this one.

Something we decided to make last night:

Irish Blood

beautiful words

Last Saturday

About three weeks ago I started working aboard the Freedom, the local schooner here in town. All I can say is that it is the best job I have ever had and I feel truly blessed. We take out tourists to sail for a few hours and serve them drinks. We also get to climb around on the greatest floating playground of ropes and beams ever created. Last Saturday though, work was a bit different from what I had started to get used to.

The day began with a private group out for a funeral ceremony involving the dumping of someone's ashes over the side of our ship. I had never been apart of one before, not even on land, so of course I was a little intrigued. They arrived with champagne and finger-foods all ready to be served by us. Everyone seemed pretty nice. I learned Bob had passed in his 60s leaving behind his wife and adult children. A few smiles revealed that some time had gone by since the passing.

Later the widow poured the ashes into the ocean. Sniffling followed and then words were shared. Some people told their favorite memory of Bob. Some made jokes to lighten his death. Some just drank the champagne. And then a man stood up who had been quiet the entire trip. I had noticed him earlier. He had been socially isolated from everyone else and by his own choice I am sure. A strong looking old guy with balding gray hair, he too was probably in his mid 60s. He started to speak but three words into his story his voice broke apart and so did he. Everything got quiet, everything. He attempted to speak again but soon fell back to pieces. I looked around at my fellow crew and their faces went solemn too. My own face was feeling a little heavy. Bob had been his best friend. I bet they probably knew each other their whole lives. It seemed the death had even hit this man harder than it had the widow. His glass shook, then fell to his waist. He got quiet again. Soon a woman interrupted to share another thought about Bob, but I don't think anyone heard her. We all seemed stuck. Stuck staring down at the wet cracks in the hull deck. But I do not think thats what we were looking at.

Two hours later I was working another shift with a different group of people. A man stood up, turned to the girl next to him, and kneeled before her. He proposed, she took the ring, and we all clapped. It felt weird witnessing such an event in the same day. I am not sure why, but I guess thats why I am writing this post.

Last Night We Made Enchiladas

Mugshots of Australian Criminals from the 1920's

These shots are amazing: 

click here to see more

Whistling

Due to my depressingly low income at the present moment and having no choice but to be cheap, I have been riding my bike as much as possible. Note: I am not complaining about this at all. A bicycle is an incredibly humbling and efficient mode of transportation.
      
Today the wind coming across the bridge was insane. It was clearly in a hurry to get somewhere south, perhaps to escape the cold weather or go see friends in San Felipe. Anyway my purpose right now is not to describe the wind or its intentions. What I have sat down to write about was the whistling that the Bridge of Lions was nonchalantly doing today as I rode over it. It was whistling a tune so loud that I almost fell off my bike when it reached my ears. (I did not fall off my bike) The sound went through pitches up and down as different sized gusts powered and weaved through it. I was so surprised by this I slowed my pedaling just so I could listen to it sing for a moment. I am not saying this whistling was in perfect in rhythm or key, but it did sound pretty cool.

I wonder if the bridge builders had slightly intended for their design to create such an effect. My guess is they did not, however its fun to imagine they might have. I can see the builders smirking over their blueprints, leering over the specific placement of metal beams and cement. I hope they did.
The more likely situation is that the event today was purely coincidence and such an effect it not that rare among bridges, but I don't find that to be as much fun to think about.

This song echoes in my brain.

Cliffs Along The Sea from Christian Sorensen Hansen on Vimeo.

something great.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero's - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Summer Jobs are Set.

      










         I figure its been awhile since I have mentioned anything personally significant on this blog and since it is my meandering blog, I feel I have the right to do just that. A few weeks ago my girlfriend Sarah and I decided we wanted to do something together this summer while at the same time hopefully make some sort of an income. So we began the great Google search to find such things. There is a lot of crazy stuff out there. I saw one opening looking for a couple to operate a skeet-shooting range. If I knew more about guns then I'd say thats awesome. Anyway a whole bunch of listings popped up from Alaska. Alaska? Yes, Alaska. (excuse me for talking to myself). I guess there is a lot of jobs over there. Who knew? Sarah and I applied on a whim for this one called Alaska Canopy Adventures where we could be "zip-line tour guides". Well two weeks later, we both have the jobs and we are going May 8th for several months. Yea its crazy, crazy awesome!

           Its funny because this still hardly sounds believable to me, even when I type it. However, despite mine or anyone else's doubts, I am writing now to confirm that this is indeed happening. Sarah and I are going to Alaska and we are very stoked. I will be sure to keep my blog updated during the adventure with photos, videos, bad tattoos, etc. The shots above and below are taken from where we will be.
            

Actually..... its pretty neat

I Can't Sleep.

The most annoying thing in the world for me right now is that I want to sleep. Yes I want to sleep. Though, my body seems to think otherwise. I just laid in my bed for two hours rolling around like a corn dog in the trunk of car and had absolutely zero results. There is a good visual for you. I am sorry I figured I might as well write something if I have to be awake. I am supposed to be up at 8am tomorrow for student teaching, but it's not looking like that will happen if my restless body does not choose to be tired soon. Can my body choose to be tired? I guess so if it can certainly choose to be awake. I feel like somebody injected me with one of those damn 5-hour energy things that are always on TV. I can hear it now. I bet even if I fell asleep I would have that commercial playing in my dream.....and then I would wake up... Oh this is weird. I just want to sleep.

Also excuse my bluntness but counting sheep is bullshit.

One More Time, 1-100

Breakfast is the greatest meal of the day

see

Terms of Freedom for a "Man-Mountain"

I decided recently out of curiosity to read Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. I think another reason for the read was to spite the recently terrible re-make now in theaters. Anyway, as I was reading I came upon this part I liked. Within the third chapter Gulliver is negotiated his freedom by miniature captives under the following terms:

              seems almost casual.

good ol' imagination

Found this video through a friend..... Just keeping watching, its awesome.

Brought the little sailboat up from home

I recently was able to bring my little 14ft something sailboat up from home to St. Augustine with the help of a few friends. After finding all the right parts Ben, John, and I were able to make a little adventure with her around St. Augustine yesterday. Oh and this is also actually the same boat I learned to sail on when I was 13 years old.

Film done by Ben Sasso.

Enjoy


14 from ben sasso on Vimeo.

embrace the goofyness

            Sometimes I come about moments of deep reflection and realization that spring forth bits of knowledge and imagination that help me to further my understanding of what living really is. The moments come in many forms. Many times they can appear in conversation, other times it might occur while walking over a bridge. Certain types may appear in dreams, sleeping or not. What I seem to have gathered from these bits, is that often what makes life more worth itself, is embracing the pure and genuine idea, that in fact we are all goofy human beings. Some of us just have trouble accessing that goofyness or truly showing it. We can be afraid of what might happen to us if we do. However, it is that simple goofyness that can make a life great and interesting. Just closing your eyes and dancing to music (whether its coming out of speakers or just in your head) and letting your body quirk into ridiculous and strange maneuvers because at the moment its what feels right. This is a perfect way of tapping into that whimsical substance we all contain. Another example might come in the form of coloring on your wall or maybe trying to sound out the letters and numbers on somebody's license plate. What about chasing that armadillo around your yard even though you wouldn't know what to do if you caught him?
             If this is new to you, its okay to start small. Try wearing colorful socks that do not match or maybe learning to play the kazoo. You never know when it might come in handy. Once, my roommate and I ran around the front yard shouting in our boxers because we were so stoked that a cold-front had finally arrived and we suddenly felt urged not-to contain ourselves. Another good one is singing along, out loud to the song in your headphones while riding your bike down the street (a personal favorite of mine). You might also want start up a conversation with the guy stopped next to you at the red light.
            I guess what I'm conveying here, is that I feel like its the simple quirky things we do, alone or not, that take away that lectured "seriousness" we all have adapted to which more often than not is completely unnecessary. Am I making sense? I never know. I do not want to say we should entirely act like children. Its good to be mature about certain things. There will always be a need for that. However, I think there are so many other areas of our lives where acting irresponsible and goofy are needed. Too many people use "growing up" as an excuse for not having an imagination. In my experience of  "growing up,"(so far) its keeping an imagination that makes living interesting. Do things that have zero logic behind them and just embrace the freaking goofyness.

the beginning of something great

My roommate and I recently decided to start our own series of short youtube films. enjoy.

some nice bits

Walking to the Sailor's Exchange the other day, I noticed this doorway in an alley by a rather miniature parking lot.  Turning around I also saw a very humble little bug. Both things seemed very loved. I found the Sailor's Exchange closed but was glad to have made the trip.

photos via phone: