Coming into the new year...

I have been racking my brain for the last several months and my decisions have finally came down upon two options. Both in which i have thought about for aslong as i can remember. I am looking into being a firefighter and see what all i need to do to get started. The other option is joining the army its something i have been on the brink of doing since i was 17 and something i wish i would just pull the trigger on everyday.

I really am not sure yet but i want to do something meaningful in life and something that can benefit me and my family someday. I think either of these would be a challenge i have been looking for. I want to have a family one day and its time for me to start making strides to be the man that can support them when that time comes.

I know i can do either in which i put my mind to. Failure is not an option or a word i use to describe myself. Some would say yes you are, failed marriage , dropped out of schools, and dont have a career. But to me success is inner and if you believe in ur self are happy with yourself nothing can bring you down. sure id like to be better off than i am but i am working and making decisions to change my future.

This next year will be bringing me lots of new beginnings and i welcome them and look forward to seeing where life takes me next....

Winter Wonders

This past week here in montana has been very white and very cold. We got about 2 feet of new snow during the week it didnt stop snowing for three days. It wasnt a hard snow more so looked like glass slivers falling from the sky. It has been -30 on some nights this week and im known for wearing shorts in cold weather but i had to pull out the jeans, the legs were not liking the wind cutting right through them. On the first day i decided to wear jeans ended up being a good thing because my jeep blew a hose from the radiator to the heater core and ani-freeze was everywhere. A guy saw us and helped us for a bit but we just kept over heating. We soon found out that someone had put oil in the radiator, how or when this happened is unknown. My guess is still lester lol sorry. But john my step father came and brought chris and i a new hose and we were off and back on our way. Later that night john and i flushed the radiator and got out what we could but there is still alot of oil in it. I dont think my feet have ever been that cold i could barely feel my toes lol. Got to love the unexpected troubles in life like car troubles. But the last 2 nights havent had any problems with over heating so hopefully it is fixed. Other than that just enjoying the snow.

Today is really beautiful sun is out and the big montana sky looks like the ocean is in it. So i will continue to drink hot choclate w/ the marshmelloy marshmellows. Maybe start the wood stove and bundle up in a parka cause it is sooooo cold lol. And if i dont get to this before the holidays have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Sled Videos

Shredding The Mountain Snow

This last weekend was a blast. Casey came up from ronan and met me at my work. So i was running off of no sleep and 400 mg of caffeine from rockstar power shots. These made me feel like my skeleton wanted to jump out of my skin and dance. But we went shopping for lester and i went for myself lol. I got some sweet sweet shoes and some stuff to do work on the snowmobiles.

So around 12 or so we headed up to my place and got geared up. We had to take some pre-game pictures which ended up not being such a good idea because the goggles fogged, or should i say iced over from the inside. So we headed up the mountain and did our thing. Swerving side to side riding the powder.

We came up to one area that had probably 2-3 feet of snow. Right were the truck tracks ended and we just opened up the machines powder flying over the top of the machines, snow flying up and hitting us in the face it was just awesome. Than at one point we stopped cause it was so windy that there was hardly any snow and decided to turn around and ride the powder again.

We made some videos did some work and just tore shit up. It was really beautiful with all the trees having snow on them and really peaceful. Only thing you could hear was our sleds ripping through the snow. Casey didnt turn his hand warmers on and his goggles fogged up and he really didnt use them the whole trip and ended up with ice cicles from his eye lashes.

As for me well i wore my carhartt pants and boxers so lets just say i couldnt feel my thighs or boys lol. It was just a nice relaxing weekend after we got done with the machines we came inside and tore up people on Call of Duty 5. It was real it was fun and cant wait till we do it again.

Coming soon to the Pacific Northwest....

On December 27, 2008 Garrett will make his return to the northwest after a 7 month leave. I will be visiting a couple of friends. Possibly could be a trip that determines if i head back to my home state and town once again. I am pretty excited i have had it planned for what will be a month by the time i leave. Should be lots of fun with bowling, movies, shopping and more fun witha special someone lol. But that is all that has really been up. Besides a few weird texts from people telling me there going to be in town and not to freak out it has been a pretty slow beginning to the month. Why i would even care if they came into town really befuddles me get over yourself ya know. I have had one chance to snowmobile and it was a blast.

Casey is coming up this weekend so hopefully we will get the chance to ride some powder. Its supposed to be cropping us with snow here othis weekend so keep the fingers crossed. If this happens i will definatley have some snow cat pictures up. Other than that i am just excited and waiting for the 27th.

Turkey Day Tree Chop

So now that i have waken from my thanksgiving turkey coma i think i can post something new. It was a very nice and simple thanksgiving around these parts it was pretty cold outside and there was no snow. My step brother and i started the stove fire and forgot to close the door to it so we made the down stairs smell like a smoke house. But we also were in the mood for some friendly destruction! We decided it was time to DO WORK! and get to some wood chopping. So the day got better by using chain saws and axes to do what we do.... tear shit apart! We wandered up the property and chain sawed down some big ol' trees down. Than we came back and hacked up wood logs with the axes. Not only was it fun but relaxing at the same time. Than my grannyma , my uncle, and cousin came over and the feast began! I think i ate the most since i was starving from all the work i had done and dipped into three plates of goodness. I was also shooting for falling into a deep and lovely turkey coma. That is exactly what i did following my last plate lol did not take long for the turkey to hit me. But that was thanksgiving in the woods hope you all had a good as one as i did.

Another Cabin Gettaway

On saturday Casey and I met up at Super 1 in Kalispell around well was supposed to be 9:15 but of course casey was late! Not to late but not 9:15 lol So after doing a lil grocery shopping and getting some of the goods you know... frozen pizza, water, coke, Casey had to have donoughts and not to forget chips... and i had to grab a bagel w/ cream cheese and meat on it. I also bought one for casey but he opted out lol but thats ok cause im a big boy i normally consume alot of food so it worked out.

We got there around 10:30 or so and brought the stuff in and than casey did his usual and had me cut the kindling.... why this happens everytime i dunno but i always have some sort of food in my hand when we get there. This time it was a creme filled donought and i had that in one hand the axe in the other and i ended up making a really sick slurping out with the creme and Casey started lauging his ass probably because how bad it looked as well. So i ended up choking on the donought and coughing for like 15 mins as casey laughed at me.

So than i actually start cutting the kindling and im getting laughed at again cause i dont want to lose a finger and i almost do. I barely tap the wood and the axe goes through right to were my thumb is more than halfway down the wood. So there were lots of laughs needless to say. Mainly we rocked out on guitar hero world tour and talked about life, women, and more laughing.

All in all it was a very fun weekend, we fished, we played pool , we just simply Did Work!! I made a few videos i will see if i can get one to post on here.

The Montana Boy

Hey well its time to update this blog again. Before my sis yells at me if it wasn't for her i would probably be even worse at updating this. So montana is awesome i am still loving the job just training and taking life one day at a time. I really love how life is slowed down here and can just take everything in every time i walk outside and see the big ass montana sky above me. Its pretty cool feeling being a part of nature and just being out there like your apart of it.

Unless you are driving here than its a different story i have already hit two deer this year and swerved like 5. And coming home the other night a fox darted across the road but that was pretty cool cause you dont see them that often. I am still waiting for when i am sleepy and coming home and a big foot jumps out and i hit him and have to drag his smelly ass home to my mom and make him do all the work around our place. But that would be awesome to have harry and the hendersons around here cause it would totally go. but i have no clue what to talk about or what else i am supposed to say i am just loving life and livin it up!

When That Day Comes

so i got bored and threw together a poem and this is what i came up with its not the best but it has been a few months since i have written any and figured it was time again.

I hope i can be the man that you dreamed of as a little girl.
That i can take these two hands and make all your dreams come true.
Build you a house in a sleepy little town.
Spend summers at the lake and winters snuggled on the couch.

These are a few of the things i dream of when i think of you.
I cant wait for when that day comes and i can finally meet you.

The 12th Man

This is what we love, this is what we do, this is how we live. If you are a fan of the Seahawks you know how it feels when that flag is raised. That flag is more than just a number its part of you and every seahawks fan out there. I witnessed the raising of the flag in seattle at a game last year against the saints. Mack Strong raised the flag one game after being retired due to a neck injury. He played his whole career in seattle and was a true seahawk. When you hear the roar of that stadium and watch the flag raised it gives you chills. There is nothing better than the feeling that it gives you it completely consumes you and you feel like you could be out there playing. When its raised we do become the 12th man on the field wether ur at home at a bar or outside tailgating and even inside. I lost my voice and gave myself a migrane from yelling so loud at that game. I even yell at the television, jump up and down, roll on the floor whatever it maybe. I will always be a seahawks fan wether they lose or win they will always be the greatest and something i hold dear to my heart.

Halloween is a time of dressing up getting cavities and most of all getting chased by well... this guy i didnt know who he was but out of no where he jumped out humped my leg and well i had to punch him all while having this look on his face. I find i tell you what i will make him look even funnier!

1952

Man how i miss the year of 1952 look at the stud i was!! Man the good ol days haha.

Oh sweet the leemer ate it....

Well well here ye here ye its time for a new post from Garrett Longshanks who hails from Derbyshire! Alright i have no idea what that was but ugh well it did just happen. So i have no clue what to post but my sis is crying for another by your one and only Garootie Pootie! ( thanks for the nickname mom) SO what i have i been up to well to be honest I dont even know. I have been working and just became an official team trainer. I really like what i am doing i have never had a job so fun and also physical at the same time. Last weekend lesters boyfriend came up and we had one hell of a time gaming it up. We ... well i stayed up all night just so we could go into target and get Guitar Hero World Tour! It was pretty bad ass but we had a challenge of getting it. So we had this one lady and her daughter in front of us as we walked back to the electronics section at target. I had told him earlier a story about unsespected people buying your game. So continuing we watch the lady turn to were the bundle package is set up and she GRABS one from the shelf! But its for the 360 not his wii so we lucked out but i could see in Casey's eyes that he was going to thrown down and we would have had to whoop the lil girls and moms ass for that damn game lol but it didnt come to that. But i was ready to go if it came to that i am sure they would have put up a good fight but nothing that we couldnt handle. Thats all my exciting news. I have just been working getting trained on new stuff at work and loving life i couldnt be better. And who do you think would win in a fight.... a rabid chinchilla or a leemer? Do Work Son!! Oh and i think this Lemur looks like stewie griffin getting ready to take over the world.

My Poor Team

So i really have nothing to talk about but need to put a post up soooo. I figured i would talk about my all time favorite team .... you ready for this.......the SEATTLE SEAHAWKS!!!!! Yup thats right i live and die by this team. This year has been very painful to watch, good thing i only get one channel and the only game i have seen this year was last sunday on the tv that barely comes in picture. Looks like a salt and pepper fight on the screen.

For as long as i can remember I have loved this team. Through all the years of consistent no winning, getting close and than losing I have been there. And this year looks like a glimpse of the past. To bad its holmgrens last year i was really hoping it would be an amazing season and we could win him a superbowl.... cause we all know the Hawks got the short end of the stick in that superbowl.

On the bright side I will continue to wear my seahawks gear through the year and every sunday to support the team live for. We have so many talented players great coaching that it should be better than this but it is what it is and we have to take what we can sooo far this year thats 1 win! But either way i will always love this team thats why i have dedicated to having 55 kids so that i can name each kid after every player on the roster........? Ok wtf that would be a lil far and im not that insane lol. I will only name my first kid Blitz after the mascot ... ok i lied im not doing that either haha.

Finding Garrett

Well its time for a new post since my sis gets bored of reading my old ones. You all know i am in Montana and loving it. But i believe i have finally and truly found myself. My self confidence grows more every day. All this time all this searching, all this wondering where did i lose myself, all this self doubt has led me to were i am at now. Every mistake i made along the way helped me grow learn and expirience and bring me to being the man i am today. I believe i would make my grandpa proud.
So some big announcements I am thinking of what i am going to do for my future what i want to be when i grow up, what i will do to make a living for my family one day. I have have expirience in the electrician field and may go back. Later this week i am going to talk to my sister Alyssa's boyfriend Casey. He is going to give me some paper work and info on his apprenticeship program with the union. I am very excited about this because i am looking forward to my future and not dwelling on what was or is I am doing this for me and my future. It is about time i find what i want to do and go get it.
I love this quote and i am trying to live my life by it because i believe in it... ""Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." james dean" The sky is truly the limit for me I can do anything i put my mind to and one day it will pay off for me. But that is all i have for now so britt sit tight with everyone else and wait till my next post!

Grizzly watch 2008

So my buddy james and i have made a pact to grow winter beards. I am pretty excited about it since i already have a beard. I feel as if i have a wool sweater on my face which is nice cause its warm but my god can it get itchy! The other condition is that we cant cut are hair all winter as well so the shaggy hair will be back in full force i have a ways to work on that but thats alright. I will post some pics of the beard growth every month or so... just to update my progress and hopefully if i get lost people will remember what i look like. Cause most likely i may end up looking like Grizzly Adams or Forest Gump when he went on his running stint. So much excitment for looking like a nice dressing transiat! I cant spell that so sorry. This winter will also be bringing some fun! such as snow mobiling, snow shoeing, and naked runs through the woods! yes i said naked i often run through the woods naked jumping out onto roads or highways making people think they saw the ever so clever hiding Big foot. But since it will be winter i can pretend to be the Yeti .... except a shaved yeti cause im not that damn hairy nor do i have white hair. SO till the next time cheerio!

My Family

Well for some reason i feel compelled to write about my family dont know why but i have been thinking about my family alot. My family means the world to me more than ever and i feel more love for all of them than i can ever remember. This family has gone through so much and we all have turned out so good. WE are all so caring and loving and just very big hearts. I believe this is because of our mother Cynthia. Our mom is so incredibly sweet and beautiful. She is one of my biggest role models in my life and i believe in all of our lives. She is so soft spoken and ditzy lol. She has a heart of gold and doesnt think bad about anyone and is always there for her kids. She does so many little things for all of us and its so hard not to smile when mom comes walking into a room. My mom is my hero and the woman i love most not just because i was the coolest baby and was first born lol j/k guys. I believe my mom is an angel and i could never have picked a better person to be my mother she has been the light through all of our dark times in our lives. Who is next oh yeah Brittany but i just call her britt. One of my closest friends and greatest believers when i have felt like i had no one or no one believed in me britt was always there. She would always let me eat her food and do the craziest things to her and not get mad. Except for the time she kicked me in the balls.... and i cried cause she got me so good that i stopped breathing. Britt has the most perfect marriage i have ever known even though she says its not i still hope i can have what she has with danny. I could not have even picked a better man for her myself. Her two lil daughters make me laugh and smile when they start calling for uncle carrot! The love of a child is truly like none other because when you hold those girls your heart just melts away. Britt dealt alot with me through the years... such as being garrett's sister. Could not have been easy always hearing that and hey so what if i told every guy in school that if they tried to date her i would beat them up. Because if i wouldnt have she may hae never met danny so i am partially to thank for that lol j/k and britt and i will always be back seat buddies. On to Alyssa aka Lester i love lester soooo much she is so goofy and so damn stubborn just like me. So thats why we but heads sometimes but she is awesome. She is off to school in utah and making all her dreams come true. Also while keeping a great relationship with Casey her beau. I also could not have picked a better guy to put lester in her place lol Both my sisters i am so incredibly proud of and love so much.. guess its easy to say i love the women i have in my life they always brighten my day. Now for chris .. the baby of the family his alias is boo boo. Lol this kid has sooo many stories and you would have to hear them to understand. He is such a good guy and works so hard. I know he has looked up to me his whole life and i continue today to try and be a good example. It has been really nice being back around him cause we missed so much growing up in different states. My whole family our my bestfriends. Chris has a huge heart as well he is so caring and considerate of others and always willing to share he is always willing to give. II love giving him advice about life and he just takes it and makes it his own. And who can forget my grannyma! oh boy with out her this life would have been very very dull. there are way to many good stories to talk about to just give you one. She is so gruff but yet loving and caring at the same time and her cackle laugh always makes you laugh harder than you should and maybe sometimes even pee a lil :P j/k And now for the last person... our father Mark ... I could say lots but i will keep it at what i think. Our father has messed up alot and hasnt always been the dad he should have been. I idolezed him so much growing up, i wanted to be just like him even though thats not the same anymore I still love him more than ever. I know we all do, he is a good person and i know he cares about all of us. He will always be dad and no one can ever replace that.
Thats just a lil bit about my family... my rock of strength that i think of so much and how we all push eachother to better our selves. I would never change this family or anything about it for any reason. We are closer than ever even though we are so far spread out along the west lol. Just wanted to let you guys know I Love You all! And sorry about the pic its about the only one i could find with all of us lol.

Life Changes..

The more and more i think of my life the happier i become. I try to look at all my different expiriences and try to make sense of what was going on. What could i have done differently and why things worked out the way they did. This life has so many ups and downs and trials and tribulations. I believe we can make something good come from every expirience. Over the last year i have been able to come to terms with things that have affected me from my past. Once i was able to fogive those people i felt alot better. I have been working on feeling better about myself. I for some reason have always felt like i was worth nothing like i had nothing to give or offer anyone. But i realize i do i have had the opportunity to love two very beautiful women and even though i came out hurt in both instances. I realize that they saw something in me or else they would have never given me the time of day. I am who i am today because of all the relationships i have had the people i have met and everyone who has ever cared about me. Now its time for me to pick up and push forward find what i am looking for and take it. Its kind of humbling working where i do and not make much money. I look at it as something to keep me pushing i dont want to be working at target rest of my life but I work hard no matter what. I work hard for myself and to honor my grandpa. He was truly an amazing man and i am blessed for having had him involved in my life. I will never forget what my mom told me before he passed away...the thing he was most proud of in his life was his grandchildren. That still gives me chills everytime i think of it. I will forever strive to be the man that he was and is. where i am at right now in my life is just a stepping stone to better things to come.

New Start

Finally ... i made my move to montana, my house sold in washington. So now i can move on with my life and start what i intended on doing bettering myself and moving to a place were i didn't really know anyone. Where i could just have a fresh start pay off my bills and just live life. I have already made a ton of new friends and life just keeps getting better. The sale of my house was huge so much stress and pressure lifted off my back. This weekend my bro and I are headed to my sister's boyfriend's cabin out on McGregor lake. I have had a lot of good times out there and its just so relaxing being able to fish off the dock, chop wood and just sit back have a beer and look at the lake with the amazing view of the mountains. I am still working over nights at target it has been kind of rough for hours but all the christmas stuff should start piling in and than i will always be at work haha so just have to wait it out a lil while longer. May look for something different because i kind of want regular days again but for now its fine. This is a picture of what it looks like from the deck of the cabin but it really doesnt do it justice. but just thought i would share it with yall.

Life..Life and Life

Life is so crazy even when you live out in the sticks life seems to still be stressful and annoying. Its weird how at the time and point in your life something may consume you but in the end it all passes and you just look back at it and might say well that sucked lol. Life is always changing for better or for worse. I keep wondering if there are still honest people out there. I am sure there are but for some reason i keep running into people who say they are honest and than when it comes down to it they just are not. Or you try to trust some one over and over again but still when they get the chance to redeem them selves they just do the same old stuff they have always done. But in good news my house should be selling and it will be done and gone than i can get back to focusing on me and paying off my debt. I really have the perfect opportunity to take advantage of i am living at home for free and i work... so hopefully i can just continue to pay on my debts cause i have a ton of it and once that is done hopefully be able to provide for myself and move on to the next stage in my life whatever that maybe. I really like where i am at in kalispell montana. Its so nice to be around my mom, brother and grandma. Since i spent most of my adolesence with my father. I love the country and just the everyday beauty that i get to see wether i am just going outside or going to town. I get to see all sorts of wild life and i can drive a lil ways up the mountain we live on and watch the sunset over the valley which is full with green trees. Moving here has put at the most peace i have been in a long time. I know life can get hectic and crazy but everytime i am i just take a step outside and breathe it all in and realize with time all things pass and that i can push through anything. And specially when i have my family by myside.

Like a Candle

I wrote this poem back in 10th or 11th grade and it was entered into a contest on poetry.com. It made it to the semi finals and was published in one of there books a little while after just figured i would share it.

Like A Candle

So young and yet so fragile

How can i feel like were a burning candle.

Like a candle flame we start out hot but

with time were not.

As with each drop of wax is like a day of

love that drips away with every hug.

Who would have known in three months you

would be gone the flame still there but the

wax is gone.

Bye bye stress

Yesterday i got news that my mobile home i own will be selling. so i am pretty excited about that, it will be nice to finally get it sold so i dont have to shell out money every paycheck for no one to live in it. Crazy thing is that i was so stressed out about it i decided to throw out a silent e-mail to the big guy up stairs about two days before it sold to just get this thing off my hands so i wont have to leave montana. So i thought that was pretty cool. It really is pretty crazy how everything always seems to play out the way it was meant to. I have been trying to sell this place since march or april and had one guy say he was going to buy it made us jump through all sorts of hoops for him and than backed out. SO for the last two months i have been pulling my hair out and just trying to figure out how to get it to sale. I will be glad when it is all done and official. But i have to thank Tarin for taking care of it and handling all the calls and dealing with the stress of it all i know it could not have been easy but i really appreciate all the time, work, money and effort she has put into getting this place sold. So thanks T.

Simply Me

My sis has been hounding me to put a picture up that you can actually see of me... so here it is. I figured i could also tell you a lil about myself. I am a 6'1 massive man, sculpted like a greek god and walk around in only loin clothes on the weekdays! Ok not really.... i am not a greek god but i should be. I will be seriouse for a moment. I grew up all over you can read my profile for that info. My parents divorced just after my 13th b-day. I stayed with my dad and his new wife and my sister brittany in utah. From 13-18 were some of the hardest years of my life . The only good thing is that that whole expirience made me a better person. When i was 19 i got married and that lasted about 3 years. June 16th, 2008 i moved to Montana. I wanted to get away from the big city and return to my country boy roots that i loved so much when i was growing up as a yound child. So that brings us to now. I am on a self searching mission, I want to be the best person i can possibly be. So when i do finally meet that special someone I can treat them the way they deserve to be treated. I would like to settle down and have a nice lil family. But till than ...... I will continue to party like a rock star! not really :P

A day of fishing

So a few weeks ago i went fishing with my step-dad John. We decided to go to Ashley lake which is soooo incredibly beautiful and peaceful. The water is greenish blue just like the ocean. It was a good get away just to relax and have no worries on your mind. John was the fortunate one this day and caught two fish..... i caught none. He caught a pink salmon and ugh well this beauty that your looking at. Not to sure what it is but we just call it the sucker fish. When we saw it coming in close to the boat we were very excited because it was big. When we finally settled down from the catch and wanted to know what the hell it was, we both kind of looked in disgust and said what the F*** is that. I know that not even a mother could love this face. Imagane swimming and this thing latches on tou you or better yet your swimming nude for some reason and it latches onto something else O_o Either way it was a fun quik trip with a lil bit of excitement. Oh yea and i made him deal with the fish cause i thought it was to gross to touch.