A Patagonia wannabe

Well, based on this Slate article I read on Saturday morning, I am a yuppie, dog-walking, fleece-wearing wannabe, the target of Yvonne Chouinard's scorn.  I think I'll take his scorn.  As much as I would like to ditch my job, responsibilities (dogs, husband, bills), and dedicate myself to the outdoor lifestyle that Patagonia promotes and/or romanticizes, I must admit that I happen to like much about the life that we've created, even if it doesn't live up to the Patagonia ideal of spending a season climbing in Yosemite or Joshua Tree or heli skiing in Colorado or trekking in Asia.
What did resonate in the article was that the author of the article shared his memory of his first Patagonia jacket.  I'm not sure if it was my first Patagonia purchase, but I do still remember buying a blue pull-over with a zip neck collar when I ran my first and last marathon, Philly, 1996.  I am proud to say that I still possess that pullover shirt and it makes an appearance at least once a year.  At this point, it is a well-loved article that I almost hesitate to put on because I worry that it might disintegrate while on my back.  It has seen me through good and bad times, that is for sure.

Here is a good time:

Taking a snack break while on the trail up to Pear Lake.

And here is a photo of me being a yuppie dog walker:

Photo taken at the original Patagonia workshop in Ventura, where Chouinard began the company!

I'll admit that I'm definitely not hard-core at much of anything these days.  While I can spend a few nights in a tent, I do prefer the comforts of a mattress and nice linens, and I like being clean more days than not.  This means that I'll never be "sponsored" by Patagonia, but I'll continue to sport some of my favorite clothes!
And, just looking at old pictures of myself all "geared up" does make me want to hit the trails.  Maybe this weekend?