Thanks, Mark. I'll keep working on the sleep and try not to worry so much.

No, I haven't done any rafting in a long time. It is very hard on one's body and doesn't pay much. I loved the life but realized that if I continued it I would never have anything and would also have nothing to retire on. I figured out that I had more brains than braun and that I should go back to school and figure out how to use my head to support myself. I still miss the rafting.

It was very hard to give it up - like a terribly addictive drug. I have several friends who are former river guides and they all miss it. Nevertheless, it's nice to be able to buy a house, have a career, provide a home for a pet, and look forward to a retirement or partial retirement during which I can do watercolors, go to Hawaii to paint flowers, and maybe work a few months a year as a seasonal ranger. Maybe someday I'll even have a greenhouse to lengthen the growing season for my beloved plants.