Parking tickets are annoying.

On Monday of this week I was issued a parking ticket for being within 15 feet of a crosswalk. I was pretty angry, because even though I was within 15 feet, the street behind my truck hadn't been plowed out yet, and I couldn't back my little s-10 any further from the crosswalk. There were also two other cars within 15 feet of a crosswalk and they didn't get a ticket. So I marched on over to city hall and signed up to contest my ticket in traffic court. I then took a bunch of pictures with my friends' digital camera, and started to build a case. Traffic court is every Wednesday morning just inside the main doors to city hall. I got up early on my day off from classes to go to traffic court. I was called in, and after a few minutes I had gotten the ticket dismissed. It really wasn't as hard as one might think. I now believe the answer to the city targeting students for parking is flooding the system with students who have gotten parking tickets while they were in class. If more people complain, the more the city has to re-think the two hour parking that is so unfair. It also presents a safety hazard for students. If you have to move your car between classes to avoid a ticket then the risk of that student getting hit by a car ,or getting into an accident, has increased significantly. It also may have an inherent effect on that persons education. When you have to leave school and rush to move your car and then rush back, you get to class all flustered and that might hurt your ability to sit, listen, and learn. The City of La Crosse doesn't care about those things, they only care about the revenue flow brought to them from their parking authority. What do you think?

This happens to be the last require blog post for Written Communications, but I plan to continue my blog. I also don't have to be so polite with my wording which will be kind of nice. Having said that, this will not be a child friendly blog, just so ya know. Well, it's almost 7 a.m. and I have one class left for the semester today. I hope everyone had a great semester. Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and yours.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

I'm sorry, but I am totally enjoying the blizzard. I had to shovel snow for three hours, but watching my dogs play in the snow was entirely worth it. I also had to give one of my friends a ride to his car, and he was scared stiff riding in shotgun. I admit that I probably shouldn't drive the way that I do, but it is just so much fun. I wait all year long to pretend I have a vehicle capable of spinning the tires and drifting around corners. To date I have done donuts with a garbage truck, a recycling truck, a flatbed truck, and a crane, along with many personal vehicles. I think everyone should do a little crazy driving in an empty parking lot, just to learn how their vehicles react in the snow. If you know how your vehicle reacts to snow, then you become a better and more informed driver. Knowing how to drive in the snow is something that we lose from winter to winter. So go ahead and do some donuts, it may save your life if you do lose control in a traffic situation.

My neighbor is from Texas, and he also loves the snow. Except, he hasn't been sledding once since moving to Wisconsin. It should be a crime to have not been sledding after living in Wisconsin for more than three years. I plan on taking him sledding this weekend. I think I'll take him to the farm that I hunt on. There is a massive sledding hill that goes straight down for about ten yards before starting to level out. It is a right of passage for Wisconsinites to go sledding, whether on a hill or behind a truck, and this weekend he will finally be a true Wisconsinite after going sledding.

Barely Coherant.

I'm really really tired right at this very moment. I have been up since 3:30 this morning, driven to UW-Stevens Point in the snow, registered for the spring semester, stopped at the in-laws, drove all the way back to La Crosse, was just about to pass out on the couch, and I remembered that I had almost forgotten to write my blog. So here I am, writing my blog at 9:00 at night.

Today was an intense day of running around, and filling out paperwork. By the end of the day I had my schedule and I was on my way. I had to take a wellness class, and I got to choose between jogging or karate. I'll let you guess which one I picked. I also have a history class and an art class. I am taking a total of five classes, but it's really more like six. My science class has a lab class three days a week. But I'm on my way, and that's freak'n awesome. And now I am going to go to bed so that I can wake up and do some more homework.

Eating can be as fun as hunting!

Well, hunting deer was less than successful so far this gun season. There are two and a half days left. Hopefully I'll see a deer before Sunday, but I haven't seen one in the woods yet this year. I didn't go hunting on Thanksgiving Day, I decided to spend the day eating. This year my lovely wife Jordyn made scalloped corn. I helped make the corn by going to the store for all the ingredients. At about two o' clock in the afternoon we drove to her grandparents house.
I then proceeded to eat like it was the last day on Earth. I ate some of everything, and a lot of some things. I had to convince myself to stop before my stomach exploded. Today, I will continue to eat the left-overs. Pecan pie, turkey, pumpkin pie, and scalloped corn. I justify my glutenous behavior by telling myself that I do enough excercise during deer season to balance the scale. I guess I'm not really that concerned about it, because I'm still going to eat the rest of this pie. I hope everybody had a good Thanksgiving, and a good break from class.

Time to kill.

Once again it is time to put on the orange and head out into the woods. Many people in Wisconsin wait all year for gun season to start again. For me though, it usually means I'll get to spend a couple of days at the cabin, which in itself is worth the drive. No electricity, no Internet, and you can barely get cell coverage. Tucked away in the middle of a cedar swamp, and right on the edge Bob Howe Lake, it's very refreshing to leave civilization for a little while. I am hoping to come back with a deer, but that's not really all that necessary to have a good weekend. Hopefully this year I won't see any bear, at least not real close up, even though they are extremely fascinating. Usually me and my friend Matt just chill in the cabin, play some guitar, and sit by the fire. Hunt in the morning, have lunch, hunt till dark, and drink a couple of beers. I might bring my math book, but I really doubt that I'll actually look at it. Either way, it should be a pretty peaceful weekend, until Bambi walks out in front of me.

Procrastination or education.

Whoa!! Could someone please slow down the semester? It's going oh so fast. It feels like yesterday was the first day of classes and it's only a little over a month until the end of the semester. Homework started to catch up with me a bit last week, mostly because I procrastinated all last weekend. Hey, when the beer goes down good, keep it going down right. I have a phrase I used to say a bit back in the day:" I think I got the fear". Which basically means I'm afraid I'm going to be quite drunk later. Get it, got the fear, afraid I'm going to be drunk later. Yup, I got the fear. At least this Friday I finished my algebra homework and started on my econ assignments. So, tomorrow if I finish my econ and read my American National Government book, I can let myself go hunting. Well, I gotta go, my beer is getting warm.

Let it snow.

It's getting colder every day now, and to be honest, I can't wait for it to snow. There's just something about the snow coming that enchants me and awakens my inner child. Even though I have to shovel the sidewalks and driveway, I'm still looking forward to it. One of my favorite things to do is drive crazy in the snow. I think everyone should do some donuts and power slides as soon as the snow flies, because this way you better understand how your vehicle will react if you accidentally lose control of the car. At least this is the reasoning I use to justify the way I drive in the snow. But, who doesn't enjoy flying sideways through an empty parking lot? Other reasons I like the snow are making snowmen, skiing, sledding, and hunting. Hunting is a lot easier when you have some snow to contrast against the animals in the woods. It is of course much colder, but that's nothing new, we live in Wisconsin. Winter weather is a part of life in the mid-west, and most people are already preparing for the cold months ahead. This includes draining outdoor water pipes, cleaning the gutters, putting plastic over drafty windows, and storing all the patio furniture. I usually forget to do most of this stuff until the last minute. Regardless of whether you have chores to do, or don't like snow, it will be here pretty soon. Hopefully, it will be here sooner than later, because if it's going to be cold, it might as well snow.

HELP, I've got a monkey on my back!!!

Sometimes, it feels like I've been smoking cigarettes since the day I was born. I know that I haven't been smoking that long, but it's hard to remember a time when I wasn't a smoker. I had my first cigarette when I was about eight years old. I had stolen one from my father and went over to my friend Ryan's house. We climbed up in his tree house and took turns smoking that cigarette, pretending to be cool, and coughing. Now, I didn't go directly from that to smoking a pack a day, but I continued to be interested in the cigarettes. When you first start smoking you get kind of buzzed up, so to speak, from the nicotine. Which in turn gets you to smoke again, except this affect is only temporary and you eventually find yourself smoking more and more. Until, one day you wake up and the only thing you care about is lighting that first smoke of the day.
Over time you develop a relationship with smoking, almost as if they are your best friend. When your all alone and your bored out of your mind, at least you have your good buddy Mr. Cigarette to keep you company. If you get some great news, lets celebrate with a nice tasty smoke. Smoking becomes the one most important aspect of your life. Other smokers can attest to the control smoking has on your life, lifestyle, and decision making. For instance, If it's 11:00 at night ,and it's only ten degrees outside, I will drive through snow, rain, or even a tornado to make sure that I have cigarettes when I wake up. Would a non-smoker do that for bread, milk, or butter? I know I wouldn't do it for any of those reasons, but I would do it for a smoke. There is an old slogan from CAMEL cigarettes that says" I'd walk a mile for a CAMEL!", and that is the truth. If you start smoking, eventually you will to.
I have made many attempts to quit smoking over the years, and some were more successful than others, but I still haven't managed to quit smoking. I've tried nicotine gum, nicotine patches, chewing gum, and have actually went as far a manufacturing fake cigarettes out of bass wood. The wooden smokes, or "Oak Smokes" as I like to call them, worked pretty well until they started to splinter. Even with all the cessation products, and money I've wasted on cigarettes, there still doesn't seem to be a sure fire way to quit, permanently. I know I should quit to save my health, and money, but I still can't seem to get away from the deliciously smooth, light, and flavorful smoke. I'd like to continue further, but I'm low on cigarettes and have to run to the store.

Ignorance is bliss, if your ignorant.

People have been driving automobiles on public streets and roads for decades. You would think that by this time everyone would know how to drive a car, but apparently that hasn't happened. I see entirely to many people aimlessly operating vehicles as if the car is in control, or as if they are the only people on the road, and I am truly disturbed. It really seems like common sense is slowly deteriorating.

I just happen to be a professional driver, which means I am educated in the proper use of motor vehicles and the roads and highways used in the operation of such vehicles. My drivers license has eight letters on it, and I can drive anything except a train, a plane, a crane over 100 feet tall, and any boat over 28 feet long. I have driven many different vehicles through many different situations and I have come up with a few pointers that may help us all when we are driving.

First, slow down a bit. It saves you no time when you attempt to speed through town, and it only saves you time on the interstate if you are traveling great distances. Doing ten miles and hour over the speed limit for twenty miles only saves you about 3 minutes. So, if you are running late then you should have left the house earlier, and let that be a lesson you learn once, not everyday. I would like to clarify that when I say speed, I mean excessive speeding, because nobody actually wants to do the speed limit. In my opinion you should be traveling at a speed somewhere between the limit and five miles and hour over that limit. This way everyone is attempting to drive near the same speed which should cut down on tailgating.

Second, don't tailgate anyone for any reason at any time. This means you, and you know who you are! Tailgating is a major issue that causes accidents and affects everyone on the road. If you are a tailgater you open up the door for scam artists to hop and squat causing you to rear-end them, which is what they want. On top of that, you use more fuel and cause traffic to build, while annoying the rest of us. The easiest way to tell if you are to close is to count how many seconds are between you and the vehicle in front of you, and the magic number your shooting for is a minimum of three seconds. If you keep three seconds between you and the person in front of you, at any speed, then you should have sufficient time to stop in an emergency. At 60 miles per hour, you travel approximately 264 feet in three seconds, that's almost 90 yards. At twenty five miles per hour you travel only 110 feet. So, the faster your going, the more room you need to stop. I know, it seems so simple.

I could write for days about the crazy, odd, and just plain stupid things people do with cars. Most of the time the reason people get into accidents, or do something stupid, is inattentive driving. Inattentive driving occurs when you let your focus move to anything other than operating the vehicle, checking traffic around you, or reading the traffic in front of you. Which means hang up your phone and drive.

If everyone did just one of these things then the roads would be a calmer place. Traffic would flow better and we would all get there faster. We could all take a deep breath, turn on some tunes, and chill out. I will end my little rant for now, by saying; watch out for motorcycles, and never cut off a trucker!

I got him!!

It was getting late and I was about to call it a day. I put on my backpack and picked up my bow. Realizing that I still had about thirty minutes left to hunt, I decided to wait for a minute or two. Out of nowhere, as if he had been there the whole time, appears a fairly large buck. Not only did he appear, but he was extremely close. Sure that he had busted me sitting in the bushes, my heart began to sink. Then he put his head down to eat for a second and I raised my bow and drew back the string. Yet, I was unable to shoot because he was behind the bushes I was hiding in. Previously, I had cut three shooting lanes from where I was sitting. All he had to do was move out to the field about five to ten yards. Which was a tall order considering he was only that far away from me. In my mind I thought he would pass directly in front of me at five or six feet. I sat there holding back the string for what seemed like twenty minutes, but it was probably only two or three minutes. He then began to move around me. I was telling myself to calm down and breathe, but that was pretty hard. My heart was pounding so hard I'm sure he could hear it.

As if we had rehearsed this dance ahead of time, he slowly quartered away and walked into the field. Fearing that he would bolt and begin to run, I made a little noise to stop him, and he did. As he turned to look at me, I let him have it. Immediatly I knew he was done. The shot was good, although it was a bit high and to the right. He ran across the field and crashed into the woods like a freight trane. My adrenaline was pumping so hard I felt like I could chase him down the hill. Amazing as it is, I had taken a shot at him three weeks ago and missed. I didn't think I would ever see him in that area ever again, but I sure did. It took me quite awhile to track him down and get him out of the woods, but it was worth it. This is the largest deer I have ever harvested with my bow. He was between 190 and 210 pounds field dressed with a nine point non-typical rack, and he was about four or five years old. It was an amazing day in my hunting career, and my life.

My dog children.

They come in all shapes and sizes. Furry, warm, and always happy to see you, dogs have been living along side humans for thousands of years. Years ago, and still today, dogs were and are used for securing an area and protecting humans. For me though, dogs are much more than that. The wife and I have three dogs: a female chocolate labrador, a female silver labrador, and a male labrador and german shepard mix. All of our dogs have their own personalities that make them unique. The youngest one is the cuddler. She yearns for attention and approval from my wife and me. Our chocolate lab is also very affectionate, but she just really can't wait to get some food. It seems like she is always hungry, yet she gets fed pretty well. Lastly, our shepard mix is the watch dog. He knows your there before you do, and he is not afraid to let you know this is his territory. In fact, I have made the mistake of seeing just how far he will go to protect me and the misses, and he doesn't mess around! I have never trained him to be a guard dog, yet it is somehow in his instincts to protect his family.
The largest benefit of having a dog to me is the happiness that they bring to your life. They're always happy to see you when you come home. If you've had a bad day they can turn it around. With their chilly little noses and begging puppy eyes, you know that their love for you is unconditional. I also feel much better when I'm out hunting, or just away from the house, knowing that my wife has the dogs to protect her and keep her company. Our dogs are much more than dogs, they are part of our family. So, if you have a dog, go home and give it some scratchin'. Both you and the dog will enjoy it, and benefit from the time you spend together.

The force that drives me.

She is my rock, and my roof. If life brings rain she waters the garden. If life brings a storm she shelters me from the chaos outside. If life brings sunshine she shades me from the heat. An angel in disguise and a basket full of blessings, she is the fuel in my engine. Filling my tank and powering my determination. As a restless spirit I roamed aimlessly until she unlocked the peace within. Together we will cross this life, hand in hand, with the power of love, compassion, and understanding. My love, my life, my everything, my wife.

Thoughts on deer hunting.

When people think of deer hunting they immediately see a bunch of men, in orange, with guns, heading into the woods, and that's definitely part of the picture. Except, gun deer season is actually a very small part of deer hunting season. Deer hunting season begins in mid-September with bow hunting. Bow hunting season then runs basically until January. Inside of that time line there are two, four day, t-zone hunts (doe only). Also, the regular nine day gun deer season, a youth hunting weekend, and a muzzle loader season. Hunters are allowed to bow hunt during any open gun season as long as they are wearing the appropriate blaze orange clothing.

Bow hunting really takes deer hunting to the next level. It is so much harder to harvest a deer when you have to get inside of thirty yards, and you only have one shot. On top of that there are tons of other things that can go wrong, like your arrow falling off the rest, the deer catching your scent, or making the tiniest little noise. It all seems to be worth it when you see a deer coming your way and your adrenaline starts pumping. Which is great, but those days can be few and far between. That's why it's called hunting, and not slaughtering deer, most of the time you come home empty handed.

All sportsman enjoy heading into the woods to watch the wildlife and let life slow down a little, and sometimes sitting in a tree stand and watching the sunset can make tomorrow a great day.So it would seem there's a little more to deer hunting than a bunch of guys in orange.

My favorite time of the year!!

Autumn has always been my favorite season. As the leaves fall and the days get shorter, life heads indoors to get warm. Autumn seems to be a season of traditions. People in Wisconsin start watching football, winterizing anything and everything, carving pumpkins, hunting, and preparing for the holidays. Summer life transforms into swirling reds, yellows, and oranges. A beautiful and mesmerizing precursor to the cold winter months ahead. Farmers start harvesting crops, students start hitting the books, and Walmart starts putting up Christmas decorations in late October.

On top of that there are a bunch of foods that are seasonal to Autumn. When is the last time most of us saw a pumpkin pie, venison burger, Christmas cookies, or oven roasted turkey? You know grandma is going to start baking Christmas cookies around mid-October, and keep on going until February. Thanksgiving dinner always ends up lasting a week in left overs, and even though we eat a ton, it's still healthier than McDonald's.

Autumn is also the culmination of the previous spring and summer seasons, signalling deer to mate, driving waterfowl on their yearly migrations, and easing the change to the snow covered cleansing of Winter. Autumn seems to be such an active season leading into the holidays that it's no wonder why we take New Years Day off.

What's in a name?

The name of my blog is the Busted Knuckle, which refers to the name I gave my garage. My garage is where I spend most of my time at home. It's where I do homework, listen to music, hang out, fix stuff, and anything in between. I'll most likely be doing most of my blogging in "the knuckle" as it is often referred to, so I thought it would be fitting to call my blog "The Busted Knuckle". I built my garage in 2006 on my spare time after work and on weekends. After I started this project I soon realized that it was going to be much more difficult than I thought. I then made a call for help to my uncle and he came to the rescue. With two people it made things move much faster and safer. About six months after we where done a storm hit and left two trees on top of my brand new garage. I, along with some friends and neighbors, repaired the damage in about a week. From the beginning of demolition to the finished inside of the garage we went through about 50 cases of beer, and countless smashed fingers and thumbs, thus the name. For the most part no one was injured, but there where a few close calls.
I'd actually like to take a minute to give special thanks to some people. First, I'd like than Aaron Denstad for his time, knowledge, and company through this project. With out his help I don't quite know what I would have done. Second, I thank my lovely wife for putting up with me. She had better get a ticket to heaven for that one. The next shout out goes to my friends Matt, Jared, Cory, Nolan, Dave, Tim, and all the neighbors that helped repair the garage after the storm. Their help made "The Busted Knuckle" what it is today.