Isn't life funny in how numerous unplanned detours, complications, priorities and life obligations can drastically change the day to day commitments you are involved in.
Years ago I had been moderately active here in the NCKA community and I have had nothing but positive and enjoyable interactions with anything I participated in. I knew I would inevitably return, I had no idea when, but it appears the time has arrived!
Events unfolded in my life (some of which were out of my control and some
  were self-induced).
~weight-loss surgery about 3 years ago sapped most of my existing strength
   which quite literally prevented me from lifting my rig into my vehicle/yak
    cart.
~Hip surgery immediately following my recovery from the weight-loss took
    more than i would have liked.
~ car accidents resulting in blown discs definitely didn't help me travel my
    road to recovery
~while i couldn't do anything from my kayak i started into
    woodturning/blade making and I ended up making a number of really nice exotic hardwood fish thumpers from materials like Eucalyptus, Suriname ironwood, black walnut, Lignum vitae, purple heart, rosewood, Zebrawood , mahogany, ipe, bloodwood etc...and making blades more for the fun of it but I have been taking it more seriously as time goes on.

excited to get back into it and build a new rig. I'm gonna be in the market again for something smaller than the Ride135 that I used to use..
looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.

WetBehindTheEars...

You know how it goes, life in general gets a hold of you and you're pulled away from the stuff you love....etc
Well things are settling down. Just wanted to pop in and say Hi to you guys.

Take care,
Lucas

Hey fellow paddlers, I just wanted to let the folks here know that my department in PG&E is hiring VERY soon due to one of our guys leaving to a different department within PG&E. This job is one if the easier positions that someone "off the street" can get on doing. I am a Gas Systems Mapping Technician. The location of the job is in South Sacramento.  To locate the opening just Google search "PG&E Careers" and the drop down furthest to the right, limit the search area to Sacramento and it will populate. Right now there is a position for an Electric Mapper in East Sacramento at our brand new facility on Gateway Oaks.

The biggest piece of information that I can personally give is that they wont even "look" at your resume/application if you do not have previous G.I.S. experience and/or some sort of certification showing that you do. Use that tidbit of information however you may, but that was literally told to me by the supervisor that will be sitting in on the hiring process.

I hope this can help someone out there. The pay is good for what you do. You can even wear shorts and t-shirts/hats to work lol. if you have any other questions please feel free to email me (not on here though) email me at Lucas_M_Smith@yahoo.com

Take it easy guys and I hope to see you in my Department some day!

I couldn't find this topic anywhere but I was wondering if anyone had any kind of "behind the scenes" feedback on why it seems like less and less poles are being fitted with cork on their handles. I just seem to prefer the poles that have the full cork handle/butt rather than the foam or the handles that only have  something on the very end of the butt. I have really understood why they have been gravitating towards this production "style". I would automatically assume it would cost less to do the foam with the sectional handle but maybe there is a better explanation. I have been holding off on getting a few rods because they have this partial handle/foam set up and im kinda bummed honestly. 

is it just me or does this windy spell seem to be lasting exceptionally long? Is there an end in sight? I looked up some forecasts up and down the coast on the NOAA site and it is all pretty uniformly windy. It seems that the ideal wind forecast isn't any time soon. does anyone have info that can show me otherwise. I would love to be wrong, but I haven't really found anything solid to tell me otherwise...
have a good day guys..
-WBTE-

So since joining this site i have lurked on a bunch of threads and i came across one particular thread where a gentleman made a slick looking kayak storage cart that is essentially exactly like the one that i had made. they say imitation is the biggest compliment. I am not sure who's  kayak cart it was but I knew that thing was seriously bad ass... So i had spoke to my father-in-law and he made one up no problem. he just asked me what dimensions to make everything. I took another page out of the original thread that i had come across and made it exactly the height of the tailgate of my truck so that i wouldn't have to lift it any more than I had to.


I have this posted in the classified because he said that they are incredibly easy to make and he made mine out of all 2x4's and 2x6's and with full rotation casters/rollers this thing moves in any direction. The PVC piping on top allows the kayak to very easily slide on and off.

This is the end result. The only difference between mine and the original post is that i opted to have a solid bottom made of particle board instead of having it open, just so i could store more on the bottom. this thing is incredibly solid and will probably last the rest of my life.

He was interested to know if anyone here on NCKA would like one built custom to whatever dimensions one might need for $150-200 depending on the overall size and the different sizes wanted. he said when it was all said and done after he had gotten all the supplies it only took him a couple of hours to fabricate it. Just putting it out there if anyone is interested. I can deliver them if you are relatively close to the Sacramento area.

never mind i found one. thanks anyways guys

my stringer that i had is now at the bottom of the Port and I gotta get another one.
 If anyone here has an extra or one they want to get rid of just let me know.
thanks
-wet behind the ears-