FoulHooked...(how'd that get there?)

Get yourself there .

...for the 3 people that have been oh-(not)-so-patiently waiting for me to complete the Dear Joe series.... Another obsession has returned over the past 6-8 months. Faire de l'alpinisme. Not that I need another time-drain, but at least it's motivation to be less fat-and-lazy. The mountains' call is strong. While we're on the topic, check this out: Top 5 NE Long Distance Day Hikes Math may be off a little on some of them. Great range is tentatively scheduled for 2012. Burroughs might even be doable this year. Presi and Devils are on the agenda...not sure yet about Pemi. Here's my ideal option (either direction works) for the Great Range (minus the Ore Bed Brook side-trip...hopefully won't have to leave the range just for water). Logistics may end up requiring a more traditional route (longer approach or return leg) but there's still about 17 months to figure it all out. Evidence that I've thought way too much about this already.

Fortunately, I have had (barely enough) time to get back to what's impo'tant...wasting my lunch break on the internets. Sorry for the delay. 6:01 PM, Thursday November 18, 2010 Dear Joe, It's official...the mojo is back. I was really worried. See...my last...oh...5 or 6 days on the salmon...the ol' fishin hat hasn't brought me luck. Zippo. It's times like that can really make you lose heart. Nothing is harder to part with than a favorite hat. Well...except in your case...anything that requires you to miss out on epic fishing trips is tougher to part with...but this isn't about you, it's about my awesome hat. She did her job today though so looks like I don't have to retire her just yet. Despite another freezing gale, today we perservered, and were rewarded. Several fish landed. Photo'd only one (see attached). She's a beaut though. No doubt. I got a couple browns up top too, one buck almost as big as the hen steelie! Wasn't a ton of activ...

Morgan Lyle provides a primer on the what and why of 2-handing it in yesterday's Gazette . Unfortunately, you need a subscription to read it. Fortunately for me, a coworker brought in the article. Oh, and apparently, Alex is tying at the next Clearwater TU meeting . I've really gotta start showing up to these things; already missed plenty of awesome tiers.

Gas in Troy (4 AM; shop closed): $3.27 Gas on the Thruway (4:30 AM): $3.31 Gas off Exit 31 (6 AM): $3.29 Gas in Pulaski (11:30 AM): $3.15 (?) Gas in my waders (always): Free A December 31st, 2010, 3-hour drive home, grinning like a fool...Priceless. Happy New Year from Ole Sal Trutta. He mentioned something about the taste of rabbit fur too, but I didn't catch it all on account of the new piercing interfering with his speech. The "holidays" now over, we shall be returning to our regularly scheduled programming any day now. So, Nate, um...quityerbitchen.