Frequently (or not) Asked Questions

Last updated 27 October 2018.

I'll update this as we go along, with new content at the top. I just started this thing, so I can't imagine there are all that many questions. For now, here are a few things you might be wondering.

Q: Man, you haven't updated this thing in 7 months. Are you ever going to get back on some kind of regular update schedule?
I have no idea. It's a nice thought, and it always remains a goal in the back of my mind. I actually did write in a physical notebook every day while I was in Europe this summer. We'll see.

Q: I thought you were training for a crazy adventure race. But now it sounds like you aren't. What the fuck, blackbird?
Unfortunately, circumstances are not going to permit me to run the race in 2017. It's less a question of training and more a question of finances. It will not be cheap to do this race, and, sadly, the taxman has cometh, and he's a bit more persuasive than the Chilean desert. This doesn't mean I'm giving up on the idea. It just means that it will have to wait. At this point the goal is to do it by the time I turn 45; I need time to fully recover from my injuries and then actually train.

Q: So then what's the point of this blog now?
No point that's any different than before. I'm still in the gym and training multiple days per week, and I'm still an opinionated asshole from time to time that needs to vent my spleen. Well, that, and sometimes good things happen to me, too, or I just might get a random idea that merits being preserved for some future posterity. (Hey, don't laugh!)

Q: It sounds like you're talking about me. What gives?!
If I know you, it's entirely possible that I might mention something about our interactions in a post. In the interest of some measure of discretion, I'm only using first initials, which could make things really interesting when I start talking about all the people I know named Ryan. Seriously, though, I am writing this shit FOR ME. Not for YOU, or YOU, or YOU OVER THERE. So if you read something and you think it's about you, or if you read something and you know it is, well, that's too bad. I'll warn you ahead of time if you probably should skip it, but if you choose to proceed, that's a big NMP. Besides, anything I write here I would be willing to tell you in person, so just ask.

Q: Hey, this is sort of interesting; how do I know when there's a new post?
I turned on the 'subscribers' feature. I presume that if you sign up, it will email you if I have a new post. There's also an RSS feed option. No, I won't spam you if you subscribe, although I might be amazed that someone actually went to the trouble.

Q: Who's writing all this tripe?
That would be me, Raven J. Blackbird.

Q: WTF is the Atacama Crossing, anyway?
It's a 7-day, 250km footrace across the Atacama Desert in Chile that takes place in early October. You can read more about it or watch some video from this year's race at the 4deserts.com website. Or, watch the documentary Desert Runners on Netflix or Amazon.

Q: Why would you (or anyone) want to subject yourself to such pain and suffering?
There's a completely separate page for that, aptly titled why the fuck am I doing this that you can read if you really want to know.

Q: Blackbirds are indestructible - what does that even mean?
I guess you could say it's a sort of personal mantra. The last couple of years have been a tumultuous ride, and there have been some incredible joys and disappointments along the way. "Blackbirds are indestructible" is both a reminder to myself and a statement to the universe that despite my own mistakes, others' malicious acts or insensitivity, and/or just the occasional run of plain old bad luck, I am still here, motherfuckers.