Put in...Take out...Fall in love

I'm bobbing in the middle of a desert lake and the wind is dashing gray spray into my face in anticipation of another spring storm looming over the Tahoe Range, still topped with snow. In just an hour I've paddled through a small forest of trees growing out of the mud of the lake, been rocked by the large, slick bodies of carp in their rush to escape me, been serenaded by a flock of geese and buzzed by black and white coot.

Ever since getting my new lake kayak (which I fondly call the Missile Pop for it's orange color) I've been up close with a part of nature that I had no idea existed. There is something very freeing yet unnerving about being a foot underwater surrounded by a plastic hull and powered only by my own arm strength.

I've tried river kayaking, but didn't like getting flipped into an icy wash and having my head (cum helmet) banged against the rocks on the bottom. No, I'll be content floating gently with the catfish and racing the mallards across the water.

Beware! Dropping IQs

Is it just me, or are people getting more and more dumb? I have not had so many blank stares or "I don't know" answers as I have had these past few months. Is it fallout from our stupid government? Is it in the polluted water and air? Is it from the years of cable TV and video games? (Please don't answer "I don't know".)

Shopping in a random retail store is hopeless. It's rare to find an intelligent, helpful staff member to help you find whatever you are looking for. A 10-minute trip turns into 45 minutes. It's even more rare to find a person who can think critically in a situation they are not comfortable in.

I guess I shouldn't assume that these people I'm having contact with are actually dumb. They could be tired or confused or dazzled by the brightness of Jessica Simpson, but I can't seem to explain why I have to constantly explain myself. I will have to assume though, that whatever I talk about, that person will have no idea what I'm talking about.


IQ Test