Norsehorse's New Turf

Norsehorse's Home Turf has moved to New Turf: http://norsehorses-turf.blogspot.com.

This first personal blog of mine will now serve as the Old Norsehorse's Home Turf.

All future posts can be found on the new blog.

Please update any bookmarks (i.e., Favorites), links and BlogRolls you have for Norsehorse's Home Turf or for Morgan W. Brown accordingly.

Thank you for reading.

Working on New Personal Blog

Came across the new blogger late yesterday, but did not have any time then to explore it much.

It was not until this morning however, having come across The Homeless Guy blog's new (temporary) look and reading Kevin's post about it (here) that I found out about some of the new templates, the Bloggers new commenting features and all.

Doing a complete redesign of Norsehorse's Home Turf is something I have been thinking about doing for a while and now with Bloggers new launch I can finally get it going. Excellent.

As I want to keep my old blog up as is, especially so I can preserve the comments I have there with the Haloscan commenting feature I have used on that blog, etc., I am in the process of creating an entirely new blog using a different blog address: http://norsehorses-turf.blogspot.com

There is not much to it yet however, as I am only getting started.

Once I get enough done on the new blog and begin posting there, I will make a final post to this old blog accordingly and change the title of this blog so it will read as being Norsehorse's Old Home Turf.

brief personal update

have been off-line since Tuesday, May 4th resting up for the most part. this is my first day into town as well, only managing to get in late this afternoon to do a few errants and slowly beginning to try to catch up on e-mail, etc.

will be back online tomorrow (Tuesday, May 11th).

Greens

what I did not yet mention within my Sunday, May 02, 2004 blog post concerning the day previous was that as things happened to turn out earlier on Saturday, while I was out walking around downtown Montpelier, I came across the sign for where the VGP was soon to be holding its convention that morning and wandered in to check it out.

once I spoke with a couple of the organizers, whom invited me to stay around and received an information packet from them, I went off for a small breakfast and came back in time for the portion of the VGP's convention schedule when they would discuss the Presidential nominees and, then, vote accordingly.

additional information about the convention, as well as the results of it, can be found within my blog post today on the Unofficial Vote4Nader Blog, here.

Gracious Extra Miles & Beyond
continued

additional examples I have experienced over the years of someone going gracious extra miles and beyond without being asked include those who have opened doors in various other ways.

sometimes it is a person whom surprises me out of the blue with a kind and thoughtful offer of letting me stay at their place for a night, without expecting or demanding anything in return and without my having asked either, which is enough in and of itself as being a gracious extra mile in my book.

then when I show up, not only are they very hospitable, but an offer beyond the one they first presented might be made for either another one or two nights in a row and, then also, being able to stay like that other times when needed or, that I can come back for another night when I need it every week or so.

the fact is that even being offered the single night over was a big help in itself, especially without my having asked in the first place. when it turns out to be even more, sometimes it is more than I can always easily fathom and understand. it has never been easy for me to always accept such offers either.

ever so slowly over the years however, especially when I have come to know some of the people better whom are doing so and also when circumstances actually warrant it in my opinion, I manage to take some of them up on their generosity of spirit, but not always; though I am still very careful to try not to wear out my welcome, whenever it can be helped anyway.

at times it is actually enough for me just to know an offer is available when it is most needed, that helps me find my own way, strength and resolve to get through a difficult moment and circumstance; and, when I cannot, then I may lean more on others and take them up on their offer(s) of support and assistance.

of course there are numerous other examples I could provide about how people have gone the extra mile and beyond as well and may do so eventually, but will save some of these for yet another time.

*Updated*


Gracious Extra Miles & Beyond

once I got settled yesterday (Sunday) into the place I will be until Wednesday morning, I relaxed, ate, watched television and, then late in the afternoon, went to bed. did not get up for good until sometime around 9:00 AM this morning (Monday). it took me a while to get going too and I took my time.

it was good to sleep and it was surely much needed. believe it or not, my body and spirit still feels tired though.

as it is easier to hitch into Montpelier than it is to hitch out to where I sometime stay just outside the city limits and as I am having to pay for the local transit bus (and, still under construction, here) these days, I tend to hitch in when I can in order to save a little money.

got a ride right away by someone I know, even before I managed to hold out my thumb. at first they were only going a mile down the road, where they would then head out to the village they live in, but wanted to offer me a ride at least that far. however as we were talking together and without my asking whatsoever, they decided to go in as far as the Hunger Mountain Co-op.

since I was at the food co-op, I went in and bought a few dollars worth of dried fruit to help keep my system's strength up and going a little better. then I walked the short distance into downtown from there, which is always a pleasant and gentle walk down the bikepath that parallels Stone Cutters Way. walking around Montpelier is always better than driving, unless one has a bicycle anyway.

anyway, back on topic:

this past Sunday, when the only way I had to get from Montpelier to where I was going was to hitch in with my arms heavy with bags of supplies, someone else did the same sort of thing after they picked me up: i.e., bringing me to my destination without my asking.

as I blog this, I also recall this sort of thing happening a week or two ago as well. that time I was heading out of Montpelier to the same place on a Sunday I think and once again with some supplies in hand. a young married couple went by and it appeared for a moment that they were looking my way possibly and then I noticed them looking in back in their car. they continued on, so I turned my attention back to hitching. then the next thing I knew, they had circled back and stopped in the driveway just in back of the spot where I was hitching from. the young wife then went to the backseat and got in next to their young child, who was in a car seat. they then called me over and invited me for a ride to where I was going.

these are additional examples of someone doing something so simple and basic for another without having been asked and without asking or demanding anything in return, going gracious extra miles and beyond.

no matter how small or large the effort made, it means a lot when someone does something like this, it certainly always has to me anyway. in fact, it usually makes all the difference in the world to me, more than people often know or could ever imagine.


*note*: made several, mostly minor, edits for the purposes of clarification and readability only; also made a few additions as well: last updated on Monday, April 3, 2004 at 5:23 PM [EDT].

keeping plenty juiced

the weather was glorious on Thursday and Friday around here, but even more so yesterday (Saturday). it felt truly great and had been sorely needed.

was able to get three nights of good, solid and restful sleep at a friends place from Wednesday through Friday evening. it helped a lot.

couch surfing by nature is often a night to night situation of staying with different friends or ocassionally even acquintences when they are willing to put you up. sometimes someone is willing to allow you a few nights or more at a time and, then, might be willing to take you back in again later, especially when one is in a particular pinch.

once I got up and out the door, I went to the downtown Shaws market and bought some items for a small breakfast as well as having some to spare throughout the day as well as longer.

among those few items was a half gallon of pure orange juice with pulp, which is now nearly gone, as this morning (Sunday) I was in great need of it.

my diet is not very good or healthy and especially lacks in getting enough veggies and fruits, etc.

with all the stress incurred due to my current and long ongoing circumstances, plus my poor diet, when it can be afforded there are various things I purchase to provide me with some of what I need, which would otherwise not be getting into my system and, simply, to keep myself going with.

A half gallon of OJ is one of the things bought when my body is in really poor shape, especially when sleep is in short supply. sometimes I drink the entire thing down in fairly short order, though usually it may last a day or two or possibly even longer.

another juice I get is a bottle of 100% carrot juice by Bolthouse Farms. it is such a superb product.

last year when shopping for lunch in the market of a nearby town, I came across Bolthouse's carrot juice on sale and have been hooked since.

am just glad that the Shaws market in downtown Montpelier has it available in their store, though sometimes it gets sold out quick and it takes a while for them to get restocked. so sometimes I end up keep going back every day or two until it is it. it is worth it to me, as I buy at least one big bottle once a week and often more, sometimes three or four when I really need to. in fact I just bought two back to back, as I always drink them right up most of the time, though on ocassion it might last in the fridge over a day or two.

anyway, the product has definitely proved extremely beneficial to me.

in the afternoon yesterday I bought a bottle of the carrot juice, a huge and hearty loaf of Red Hen Baking Company's Pain au Levain and an eight ounce tub of whipped unsalted butter.

Red Hen's breads are utterly excellent and certainly well worth the price. when I am able to, I always truly enjoy eating a loave of their Pain au Levain as well as some of their other fine breads, though Pain au Levain is the one I buy most often.

taking advantage of the warm, sunny weather, I sat in one of my favorite spots -- which is a bench next to the Pavillion Building, out front and to the side of the Vermont Supreme Court as well as being right close by and in full view of the Vermont State House green of course -- eating bread and butter, washed down with carrot juice, while slowly reading yet another chapter of Seabiscuit: An American Legend.

Saturday I did not have anywhere to land for the evening, nor any energy to use in the difficult task of finding a safe and quiet place with which to pitch my tent.

however, as I was able to find a place to acquire some online access for a while and, despite being deeply tired, I used that opportunity to both get things done as well as bide some time away and have somewhere to be inside for a spell.

later I went and found a place elsewhere to get a three to four hours of floor sleep. am certainly glad I manage to get that much sleep.

soon I will be heading off to hole up for a two to three day/night stay for a rest up. it will be good to have somewhere to rest and sleep as early as this afternoon for a short nap.

just before going there though, my body is letting me know that it is graving for more of that carrot juice and, luckily, Shaws has stocked up a bunch of it recently so I will not be going without.

that will help me wash down the remaining loaf of bread, as well as also going well with what I am planning on having for my meals today.

so not only will I be eating a little better, but I sure will be keeping plenty juiced.