We can find a little happiness in things that take us farther from reality.

It has taken me some time to finally write a blog about our trip to Arrowhead last weekend, but here it is.
It was two Thursday afternoon’s ago when me, Greg Johnson, Greg Lasondak, and Jason Decampo loaded up in a pick-up truck with some bait, tackle, four guitars and high hopes and took off to the mountains for a testosterone filled two days. After stopping at Jenson’s Market to pick up some pre-cooked refried beans to accompany our carne asada, some suds and some cola we went to the local hardware store to buy some Powerbait and ask where the fish were biting these days. After being told that we could catch just about anything off the docks, the four of us headed to the to the nearest boat launch.
Greg Lasondak and I were probably the most experienced fisherman (if you can even call us that) of the group, which is not saying much. We tied up some treble hooks, baited some power goo, kicked off the shoes and sat on the edge of a boating dock and just took it all in. We sat around saying how we could get used to doing this every weekend and how manly we felt. It was great.
It took about 40 minutes to finally get a hit on my line, but of course it got away. While Greg Johnson was still untangling a knot he’d been working on for the past 40 minutes Greg Lasondak muttered the words every fisherman knows… “I got one on!!!” He said it with more of a questioning tone in his voice than actually being excited. We all dropped our poles to witness this awkward dance between Greg and trophy fish. Greg lifted his pole to bring his prize onto the dock the bass gave one more dying headshake and broke the 4-pound line and got away. That didn’t stop us from immediately saying things like, “He was huge!” and “that bastard fought like a mule”… looking back I think we were just happy we had some kind of action on the lake.
It was almost 10 minutes later when the exact same thing happened to me. Hooked a bass, reeled him to the dock and then he got away. Funny though, Greg J and Jason didn’t even get a bite but they were the ones who didn’t want to leave after 2 ½ hours. We were just so happy to be out in God’s country.
Later that evening we grilled up some carne asada and shared stories of high school and how much we have all changed. We ended the night playing guitar for about 2 hours. It was like the Eagles when Hell Freezes Over tour in that mountain cabin. It couldn’t have been a better time.
We left that mountain humming Red House, a tune we jammed on for the majority of the night and feeling a little bit more… well masculine.

It was about three days ago when I received a text message from one of my best friends asking me if I would like to go fishing that sparked my new quest to enjoy nature. Now now, don't think that I am getting all green party, but lately I have had a new obsession with taking advantage of nature's beauty. If everything works out, tomorrow night Greg and I will load up his truck with tackle and ambition and head up to Arrowhead to fish early Thursday morning. This will be the first trip of many planned for the summer.
We have decided to use Lake Arrowhead as the starting point for a couple of reasons. First, it is only about an hour drive there and back. Secondly, my family's cabin is coincidently located just walking distance to the actual lake. And lastly, I know where Dominoes pizza is incase we do not actually catch any fish.
We have already talked about going up to Bishop, Mammoth, and June Lake before I leave for Oxford. These trips are a cheap and easy way to get away from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles and find some peace and quiet.
Good book... Check. Cooler full of ice-cold beverages... Check. Fishing rod and power bait... Check. I think we are all ready to go

Excepted to hear about my first excursion!!!

What a tradition. I have a water bottle. I have full fridge. I have a six pack of Gatorade. Lastly I have a camera to capture the good times. Oh bona's and your traditions.

Jonathan

Well I was wasting some time on another popular cyber location call Myspace. Similar to Livejournal, you can post bulletins so others can read. I read this from a high schooler from the school I graduated from.


(properly titled) MEXICANS!!!!!!!!!

What are you trying to accomplish?

Walking out of school does nothing but cost the school money, so dont complain that we dont have a nice campus.

By walking out of school, you are saying no to a free education, which immigrants will illegally enter the nation to attain. So youre standing up for them, by hurting what they want?

Walking out of school makes everyone just NOT want to support you.

Chanting viva Mexico, isnt standing up against a possible american policy, its standing up against america. [why are you chanting viva mexico in the first place if you're against the proposed law that will let immigrants stay in the united states?]

*If Mexico is so wonderful, then why don't you go!?*

We all grew up together, nobody is racist here, except the people yelling "stupid white people" and "white boy" and "you stupid white bitch" at me.

How can you be so prideful for a nation, that is soo messed up that its own people flee from it, causing the country's neighbors to create laws that have to force them to enter LEGALLY, because so many do it illegally.

Its already ILLEGAL to enter this country without being documented.

5000+ people died on September the 11th because we didnt have laws like this in existance before.

It has nothing to do with race, so stop using a false idea of racism as your crutch to get your way.

And for those of you who are 18, and take part in these protests... ARE YOU EVEN REGISTERED TO VOTE??? probably not.

This law doesnt hurt the immigrants, it allows for more to enter legally, and is abviously targeting any perspective terrorists, example: "any NON mexican citizens who enter illegally will be detained on the spot".

So you should all shut up with the illegitimate claims of racism and descrimination, and be civil members of this democratic society.

Give me a break, if this was another country you'd be shot on the spot if you even protested for the right to vote. Look at china! Noone has legally immigrated to that country in over a thousand years! If you pulled this crap there, they'd shoot you! look at tiennamen square. Dont complain about the country, be glad that we're allowing so many immigrants into the country as it is.

---------------------------------------------


Now being Hispanic, I took this very personally. Especially the part when Mexicans caused 9/11. Why do ignorant people throw stones from glass houses?

I was taken back in time today. Taken back to a time when the prom and graduation meant more to me than scheduling classes or applying for a garden apartment. Today my brother called me to tell me that he was accepted into his number one school in Boston, Mass. His excitement sent me flying back in time faster than Marty McFly and made me reflect on what a difference two years make.
In high school you could say I was a little bit of an over achiever. I was Student Council President, President of Choir, a member of National Honor Society and California Scholarship Federation, and at any event that needed to have an emcee, well it was me. Leadership was just a title I accepted with open arms.
I look at how much I have changed and how much I am still that same person. Today I still find myself in more organizations that most people, but I give most of myself to one group or organization at a time. I learned the hard way that spreading yourself to thin only makes you look bad. Rather, focusing on one thing at a time and giving it your all makes the real difference. Lessons like that are what I had to learn on my own in order for them to really sink in.
Talking to my brother I could just hear him getting more mature over the phone. The way he was carrying the conversation really made me wonder if I was talking to the squirt I used to beat up or if I was talking to a boy who was about to embark on the greatest adventure of his life. I thought of myself when I was at his age. A little scared and excited all at the same time. He even knows my tricks, make sure that the people you want to impress see the excited part and limit the people you choose to tell you are actually scared shitless. It’s a funny feeling seeing someone you have always looked down to, mature to a point were you see eye to eye.
As the conversation went on, I remembered what it was like when I made the decision to leave my comfort zone 3,000 miles in the dust. Many people leave to escape something, but I was leaving to find something. I was looking for that day when I said to myself, see you could do it. I haven’t thrown the towel in yet, and I don’t plan on it.
As I wrapped up my conversation with my brother I fell back into real time, I fell back into the shoes of the older brother. I wanted to list advice to him. Tell him all the wrong things I did and all the right things I did. I wanted to give him a heads up on life after high school, but I reserved myself. As a brother, I have to draw the line and realize that one day he may be looking back on his decision and reflecting whether he did the right thing, he will need to answer that for himself. I have to let him find the answer on his own.
It’s amazing what a difference two years make.

I was once told that the only way to become a better writer is to practice. That word of advice and, write like you talk, only better is the reason why I am here. It's a funny thing. Talking in front of people has never been a problem for me. I could talk in front of a sold out Yankee Stadium and not get nervous, but writing a paper or posting a blog scares me to death. So much in fact that I created a Live Journal over 3 weeks ago and I have written about five blogs but I have not posted any yet. So let this begin. If you have any words of advice, I open my ears, eyes and heart to get better at writing.

Jonathan Ter Meer