On Mistakes

So, this post is to tell everyone that I am not, despite what others may think, perfect. Sure, I'm awesome, but, as the title may hint at, everyone makes mistakes. I am, after all, a part of everyone. Actually, I'll admit it. I decided to write this post just so I could share this little story that happened back in July and which I have just recently become un-embarrassed enough about to put it on the Internet. However, while it is slightly embarrassing, it's also pretty cool (in my humble opinion). So, picture it. Two friends and I are down in Spry Canyon in Zion National Park. It's going well, and then I make the mistake. The said mistake is described in the following video:



So, there we were, down in the bottom of the canyon with a forty foot drop staring us in the face and without our rope anchored above us, and nowhere to anchor the rope where we were. The fact that I didn't look around and check on the next rappel before pulling the rope would qualify, I think, as a mistake. In fact, I'd call it a really dumb mistake. However, the key with making mistakes and getting yourself into jams is this: You have to be awesome enough to get yourself out of it. The three of us definitely managed to do that. This next video is fun to watch if you don't mind listening to me say "the shizzle" several times. Observe:



And thus, we were awesome. So, this could apply to real life. If you make a mistake, you need to be able to get yourself out of it. Granted, you sometimes have to ask for help. If that's necessary, go ahead and do it. Anyway, turns out I'm not too happy with this post. I'm going to post it anyway. That being said, I make an end in the usual way.

This is Captain Danger out.

On Substitute Teaching

So, I have to say, I can't complain too much about substitute teaching so far. There are definitely worse things in this world. In fact, I'd say that my main beef with it is this: having to get up so early in the flippin' morning! That being said, I'll make an end for this post in the usual way.

This is Captain Danger out.

On Pleasant Surprises

Well, there's not a lot to say at the moment, but I have to say that I'm learning, more and more, that quitting my job was the right decision to make (and I haven't even finished working there yet!). Just today I had a very pleasant surprise regarding a long-term substitute teaching job, and I don't think I'll even have to interview for it! Now there's a good thing, because if they interviewed me, they would probably decide that I suck (because, as I stated previously, I'm terrible at interviewing). So, that being said, things are looking up. It's things like this (and slurpees) that are just nice reminders that God loves me. That being said, I make an end in the usual way:

This is Captain Danger out.

On Bar Chords

So, it's been a little while, I decided it was high time I posted something. As of late, (okay, like yesterday and today) I've been trying to apply myself to getting bar chords down on the guitar. I'm not sure what my holdup is. I mean, it has been almost two years since I started playing, you'd think I would be able to manage it by now. However, I still play them super slow. And, despite me asking several much more accomplished guitarist if there was a secret to bar chords (really hoping that there would be) they mostly just said that you have to practice them. Crapper. I'm pretty sure they're holding out on me and there really is a secret that I must learn someday. Oh well. That being said, I really don't have a lot to say at the moment and this is kind of a lame post. I make an end with the usual:

Classic me. This is Captain Danger out.

On 2011 (In Photos)

So, one of my friends did a year in review in photos thing on her blog, and I thought that was a good idea. I, therefore, have decided to do something similar, choosing one photo from every month to post. However, since this is Your Substantially Less Frequent Than Daily Dose of Danger, it will be a little bit different. This blog is, after all, the outlet for my narcissism. Thus, every picture will be a picture of me. It's possible that I've posted some of them before. I don't really care. That being said, I give you 2011 in photos!

January:

Yeah, me with two shotguns. I am pretty amazing.

February:

"Oh, were you behind me? I was too busy snowshoeing up this hill to notice, and I couldn't hear you back there over the sound of how awesome I am."

March:

You just can't beat this picture. Analysis on why this picture is so awesome can be found here.

April:

I have a hard time imagining a more epic picture than this one.

May:

First picture with someone else in it. Meet Gavin, my partner for the majority of my adventures.

June:

So, I did a lot of awesome crap in June, but this picture wins, hands-down.

July:

This may be the coolest picture ever taken of me. I may have already said that in this post. Oh well.

August:

Proof that I have at least somewhat conquered my fear of heights, and also that I look like a superhero in a wetsuit.

September:

Part of the reason why this picture is amazing is because of the person I was with.

October:

This photo shows just how I feel about canyoneering.

November:

Um, yeah. Can I just say amazing?

December:

And yeah, you can't argue that the look on my face in this one isn't hilarious. This one is also awesome because of the person I'm with.

So, there you have it. Like I said in my last post, it was a good year. I make an end with one final picture of me, this one from 2010.

This is Captain Danger out.

On The Past Year

As this blog has shifted from being about random crap to being vaguely about my life, I thought it might be good to reflect a bit on things that have happened to me in the past year. I have to say, that if I were prone to ups and downs, it would have been a year of just those things. However, now I think about it, that's probably the case for most people. I doubt anyone has years that are entirely up (though it would be kind of awesome) or all downs (which would suck really bad). Anyway, I don't do outlines or anything for my posts, so what to reflect on?

I have to say that I suffered a bit of disappointment this year. I graduated from BYU, and I learned something that I had started to expect, and that is that having a degree does not guarantee you the job you want. In fact, I have thus far found my college degree to be essentially useless, aside from the fact that I can say that I'm a trained professional when I end up teaching Sunday school on the spur of the moment. I even had pretty high hopes, and maybe even dreams, of getting a teaching job for a while, but those dreams ended up being closer to pipe dreams (not that I would know what those are like). I do, however, have some small bit of hope, nay, confidence, for this next year, and I feel that a teaching job is probably within my grasp.

I did a whole crapload of awesome stuff this last year. Nineteen canyon descents in one year is by no means a record, but it is still pretty amazing, especially considering that about four years ago I would never have seen myself as a canyoneer. I had a bit of a fear of heights, and, of course, I was pretty fat (I still am, really.). However, canyoneering has quickly become  by very favorite pastime, and the more I do it the more I want. The fact that gear is expensive is a bit of a deterrent, but I can't let that stop me for long! I could also point out my occasional forays into the mountains, as well as an INSANE trip to Havasupai that, while it did leave me hobbling around like an old person for about two weeks, would still make a list of my life highlights.

I learned this year that unemployment is kind of awesome, though inconvenient in that you have no money.

In connection with teaching, I learned that I suck at interviewing. I think the time for me to ask for advice in this area has probably come, and I intend to seek that advice from trusted sources, because I'm afraid the Internet isn't very helpful. As much as I follow the advice I read there, I still suck at interviewing.

So, I'd say that about covers the things I feel like reflecting on from the past year. Though, I will say (ambiguously) that my life has hit a definite high point at the end of the year, and not from any of the aforementioned things, either. That being said, I make an end in my usual way.

This is Captain Danger out.

On Newer Friends

It's kind of sad to say this just a couple days after I had another new member of my family, but say hello to the newest member of my family!

Yeah, I got another new knife for Christmas! While I liked the last knife that I got, it is a little old fashioned, and so I was very happy to get this one, which is very similar to the knife I used to have. The blade style is different, but it's still awesome, and this one is signed by Bear Grylls! How could that not be amazing? If Bear Grylls thinks this knife would be useful in survival situations, I know it will be handy in most all situations. Besides, I'm pretty sure that my entire life is a survival situation.

So, I'm pretty pleased with this knife so far. It's way sharper than my old knife. I mean, this one will shave the hair off my arms. I could never get my old knife to do that. So, here's to the beginning of what will hopefully be another long and fruitful relationship.

I do feel a little bad for abandoning my other new knife so soon after getting it, but really, it's kind of a vintage knife, so I think it will be better off not being used too much. I've already put it back in the box actually, to preserve it as much as possible.

So, that being said, that's enough for this post, and I'll leave you with the usual, an awesome picture of me:

This is Captain Danger out.